The UN Security Council last week extended the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate until July 31, next year, deciding also to boost force, police levels, citing protection of civilians "by all necessary means” as the peacekeeping mission’s top priority.

By a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (Russian Federation, Venezuela), the Council adopted resolution 2252 (2015) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and decided to increase force levels up to 13,000 troops and 2,001 police personnel, up from the 12,500 uniformed personnel that UNMISS currently has on the ground.

The 15-member Council asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to prioritize the complete deployment at the new level, including tactical military helicopters and unarmed unmanned aerial systems. 

"While keeping intact the core elements of the Mission’s mandate – the protection of civilians, monitoring and investigating human rights and creating conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance – the Council made changes aimed at enabling the delivery of existing tasks,” reads a UN statement.

The tasks here include support for the implementation of the peace agreement signed in August by the President of South Sudan, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Opposition, and the representative of the former detainees.

By the terms of the text adopted today, UNMISS will support implementation of the Agreement in the planning and establishment of agreed transitional security arrangements, including the Joint Operations Centre. 

The mission will also support the Agreement’s incorporation into the Transitional Constitution, upon request by the parties, and assist in the permanent constitution-making process.

Thursday’s resolution also voiced grave concern that according to reports "there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity, including those involving extrajudicial killings, rape and other acts of sexual violence, enforced disappearances, the use of children in armed conflict, arbitrary arrests and detention, and attacks on schools and hospitals have been committed by both Government and opposition forces.” 

It asked Ban to, among others, develop a plan for UNMISS to take appropriate action to deter and respond to any escalation of violence in and around Juba, in order to effectively protect civilians, and to protect critical infrastructure.