UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Mali until June 30, 2020.
In a unanimous decision, the Council adopted Resolution 2480 to renew the mandate of the mission known as MINUSMA, which was established in April 2013 to support the political process in Mali and carry out a number of security-related tasks.
Friday's resolution decided that MINUSMA shall continue to comprise up to 13,289 military personnel and 1,920 police personnel.
According to the resolution, MINUSMA is to be tasked "to facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive politically-led Malian strategy to protect civilians, reduce intercommunal violence, and re-establish state authority, state presence and basic social services in Central Mali."
The primary strategic priority remains to support the implementation of the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.
Council members have grown increasingly concerned with the deterioration of the situation beyond the north, which was the initial geographic focus of the mission. In late March, the Council's visiting mission to Mali coincided with the massacre in the village of Ogossagou of 160 Fulani civilians, including women and children, reportedly by Dogon armed elements (Dozos). Since then there has been a spate of intercommunal attacks, some retaliatory in nature.
The resolution requested the secretary-general to conduct in six months "a thorough assessment of the situation in Northern and Central Mali and of the mission's configuration in regard to the implementation of its primary and second strategic priorities."
The resolution expressed the Council's intent to respond with sanctions should these priority measures not be implemented by the end of MINUSMA's mandate in June 2020.
MINUSMA was established by Security Council Resolution 2100 of April 25, 2013 to support political processes in that country and carry out a number of security-related tasks. The mission was tasked to support the transitional authorities of Mali in the stabilization of the country and implementation of the transitional roadmap.
