UN extends Darfur peacekeeping force

The Security Council on Monday unanimously approved a one-year extension of the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s western Darfur region where conflict is intensifying, rejecting the Sudanese government’s demand that the troops leave.
A resolution adopted by the UN’s most powerful body keeps the size of the force the same — 15 845 military personnel and 3 403 international police. It orders the troops to concentrate on protecting civilians, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, mediating conflicts and supporting a peace process.
The council condemned increased human rights violations and expressed deep concern at the escalating fighting between government and rebel forces and the serious deterioration of the security situation in Darfur so far this year. It demanded that all parties in Darfur immediately stop fighting and called for “an urgent end to inter-tribal clashes, criminality and banditry”.
Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003, when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination. Rights groups charge the regime retaliated by unleashing Arab militias on civilians, a claim the government denies.
Sudan ordered the peacekeeping force known as Unamid out of Darfur late last year.