The U.N. Security Council late Wednesday voted to extend the mandate of the U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) by six months, urging all parties to fully implement the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending a 21-year civil war between north and south Sudan. In a resolution passed unanimously, the 15-member council underscored the “importance of full and expeditious implementation of all elements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.” UNMIS was established by the Security Council in 2005 to support the accord between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. Successfully implementing the CPA is key to resolving the crisis in Darfur, as well, and to consolidating sustainable peace and stability in the region, the council said. It urged the full deployment in Darfur of the hybrid U.N.-African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, set to become the world's largest, as well as the protection of aid workers. Wednesday's resolution also praised the work of UNMIS' activities and on the “ability of the humanitarian community to reach affected persons.” The Security Council also called for all sides to take measures to defuse tensions in the disputed Abyei.
