This file photo taken on January 02, 2016 shows United Nations peacekeepers patrolling outside a vote-counting centre for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Bangui.
(AFP PHOTO/ISSOUF SANOGO)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Security Council Wednesday renewed the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for 12 months and authorized an increase of 900 troops, as recommended by the UN secretary-general.

MINUSCA's new mandate will focus on three priority tasks: the protection of civilians, enhanced support to the peace process, including national reconciliation, social cohesion and transitional justice and facilitating the creation of a secure environment for the immediate, full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita briefed the Council on Darfur. She said that the political process to negotiate the settlement of the conflict with the non-signatories of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur remains stalled.

At the same time, she noted that armed clashes between the government and these non-signatories have subsided.

Keita said it is evident that Darfur today is different from the time of the initial deployment of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), given the overall improvement in terms of security.

However, positive developments have not resulted in the voluntary and sustainable return of internally displaced people and nearly one third of the population in Darfur remains displaced.

Keita added that this reflects anxiety about security and uncertainty about the occupation of their land, as well as the lack of confidence about their present and future prospects.

Key to this dilemma, she said, is slow progress in addressing critical issues, such as land and other scarce resource management, accountability, and security sector reform.

The UN Security Council met Wednesday to discuss the draft resolution of renewing the mandate of MINUSCA, initially circulated by France on Nov. 6.

Prior to this, Council members met three times to discuss the draft resolution, which largely reflects the recommendations of the secretary-general in his latest report.