United Nations: The UN Security Council has decided to withdraw UN peacekeeping force from Sudan (UNMIS) by August, 2011.
In a resolution adopted Monday, the 15-member UNSC decided to withdraw UN peacekeeping force in Sudan (UNMIS) with effect from July 11 and complete the withdrawal by Aug 31, 2011, Xinhua reported.
The resolution came two days after South Sudan became the world`s newest nation -- 193rd country recognised by the UN and the 54th UN member state in Africa -- after a peace deal that ended a long and bloody civil war.
The Security Council "calls upon the secretary-general to complete withdrawal of all uniformed and civilian UNMIS personnel, other than those required for the mission`s liquidation, by 31 August 2011," said the resolution.
The resolution called on the "need for the orderly withdrawal of UNMIS following the termination of the mission`s mandate July 9, 2011."
With declaration of South Sudan`s independence July 9, the work with the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) inked between north and south Sudan in 2005 and the mandate of UNMIS would terminate at the same time.
UNMIS, with a 10,400-strong peacekeeping force in Sudan, was established in March 2005 as per the UN Security Council resolution 1590. It was meant to monitor the CPA implementation, facilitate and coordinate the voluntary return of the refugees and internally displaced persons, and provide them with humanitarian assistance.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed a three-month extension to UNMIS, which was rejected by Khartoum.
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