JUBA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has welcomed the decision by the UN Security Council to renew its peacekeeping mandate until March 15, 2019 with the passing of Resolution 2406.
The mission said it will continue to facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need and to monitor, investigate and report on human rights.
"UNMISS welcomes the new mandate and remains committed to working with the people of South Sudan to protect civilians and build durable peace," it said in a statement released in Juba on Friday.
Since the outbreak of civil war in 2013, UNMISS said it has remained committed to working with the people of South Sudan to end the conflict and build durable peace so that families can return to their homes to live safely and with dignity.
Resolution 2406 requires UNMISS to continue its work to protect civilians, both internally displaced people who have sought sanctuary within protection sites next to UN bases and civilians more broadly through the proactive deployment of its peacekeeping troops across South Sudan.
The new mandate authorizes UNMISS to support the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement and current peace processes, including through the High Level Revitalization Forum.
The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to maintain the overall force levels of UNMISS with a troop ceiling of 17,000 troops, which includes a Regional Protection Force (RPF) at levels to be set by the Secretary-General but not exceeding 4,000, and maintaining the ceiling of 2,101 police personnel, including individual police officers, formed police units and 78 corrections officers.
"The role of the RPF is extended from its previous focus largely on duties within the capital Juba and surrounding areas to assisting in the improvement of security within communities in other parts of the country as necessary," UNMISS said.
This decision, it said, acknowledges the changed security environment in Juba since the initial Security Council decision approving the deployment of the RPF.
Currently, the UN mission said it has about 18,000 personnel serving at 17 locations across the country and more than 15,000 of these personnel are uniformed (about 13,500 troops and 1,500 police officers).
More than 2,600 are civilian staff working in diverse areas such as human rights, logistics, child protection, gender, political and civil affairs.
The mission also said it has the largest number of UN volunteers, with 387 currently serving in South Sudan.
On Thursday, the 15-member body also demanded that all parties immediately end the fighting across the country, and further demanded that national leaders abide by the ceasefires agreed on July 11, 2016 and May 22, 2017, as well as the truce signed on Dec. 21, 2017.
