UN Security Council extends mandate of Darfur monitoring team

UN Security Council extends mandate of Darfur monitoring team

2011-05-17 23:59:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the team of experts tasked with monitoring the sanctions imposed in Sudan's Darfur region.

The Security Council unanimously voted in favor of extending the mandate of the monitoring mission through February 19, 2012. The panel of experts will continue in the Sudanese region observing that the sanctions imposed on those obstructing the peace process are respected.

The panel was first established in March 2005 in order to monitor an arms embargo, travel ban and assets freeze, and inform the Council's sanctions committee about individuals who impede the peace process, violate international law or are responsible for offensive military over flights.

The strife-torn region of Darfur has been severely affected by the armed conflict between rebels and government forces since 2003. An estimated 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million others displaced.

The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been working for months with the Sudanese Government to provide humanitarian assistance to the hard-to-reach area.

In addition to the armed conflict, humanitarian agencies working in Darfur continue to face challenges in accessing populations due to the vastness of the territory, poor road conditions, erratic security and blockages posed by the parties.

In February 2003, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebelled against the Sudanese government due to the oppression of non-Arab people in Darfur.

After years of fighting, the Sudanese government and the JEM agreed on a ceasefire in February 2010. However, the armed conflict has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, leaving hundreds of thousands of people killed and millions more displaced.

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