UNITED NATIONS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for another year and called on the government of the country to take greater responsibility to protect its civilians.
The Security Council decided to extend the mandate of UNMISS through July 15, 2013 and encouraged South Sudan's government to cooperate with UNMISS, according to the resolution.
The resolution said that the priority of UNMISS's mandated tasks is protection of civilians and achievement of an improved security environment, urging the mission to focus adequate attention on capacity-building efforts in this region.
With an initial one-year period of mandate, the UNMISS was established by the council on July 9, 2011, the day when South Sudan became an independent country after decades of civil war between the north and south of Sudan, which ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan, which was created in the wake of CPA in 2005, also expired that day to be replaced by UNMISS.
According to the resolution, the 15-member council called on all member states to "ensure the free, unhindered and expeditious movement to and from the Republic of South Sudan of all personnel, as well as equipment, provisions, supplies and other goods, including vehicles and spare parts, which are for the exclusive and official use of UNMISS."
It also demanded all parties immediately cease all forms of violence and human rights abuses against the civilian populations in South Sudan, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, as well as all violations and abuses against children.
The government of South Sudan should take measures to improve women's participation in the outstanding issues of the CPA and post-independence arrangements, as well as to combat impunity and hold accountable all perpetrators of human rights and international humanitarian law violations, said the resolution.
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