Security Council agrees to extend mandate of three UN peacekeeping missions in Africa

The Security Council voted unanimously today to extend the mandates of the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia, which would have otherwise expired at the end of this month.

In a series of meetings this afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York, Council members adopted resolutions extending the UN Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE), the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (known by its French acronym, MONUC) and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

UNMEE has been extended until 31 January 2007, MONUC’s authority continues through 15 February 2007 and the mandate of UNMIL is now extended until 31 March 2007.

In the UNMEE resolution, the Council reiterated its demand that Eritrea reverse its restrictions on the Mission’s movement and operations, and repeated its call on Ethiopia to accept the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission without delay and take immediate and concrete steps to allow the Commission to demarcate the border.

The resolution extending MONUC’s mandate contains a provision maintaining the authorization until the end of the year for Secretary-General Kofi Annan to temporarily redeploy troops, military observers and a military hospital from the UN Operation in Burundi (known as ONUB) to support MONUC in its work.

The resolution on UNMIL also endorsed Mr. Annan’s recommendation for a phased, gradual consolidation and eventual withdrawal of the Mission’s troops, “as the situation permits and without compromising the security of Liberia.”