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UN Security Council extends UNAMID mandate

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The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN-African Union Peacekeeping force in Sudan's Western Darfur region (UNAMID).

The 15-nation council passed a resolution on Tuesday, extending the peacekeepers' mandate for 12 more months to July 31, 2013.

The resolution reduced the number of UNAMID peacekeepers from 19,500 military personnel to 16,200 while the Police personnel have been reduced to 2300 from 3700 police officers.

Sudan's ambassador to UN Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman however says the inclusion of a clause within the renewed mandate, authorizing UNAMID to participate in the hunt for LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony and his group was not necessary.

The resolution says the council "encourages UNAMID to co-operate and share information on the Kony-led rebels.