UN SC establishes new peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The day before the proclamation
of South Sudan's independence the UN Security Council established a new
peacekeeping mission, whose purpose is to help this new African country to
consolidate peace and lay the foundations of statehood for the long term.
On Friday, corresponding resolution 1996 was adopted unanimously by the
Security Council. The UN mission in the Republic of South Sudan has been
established for a period of one year.
The new mission, will be led by the newly appointed special
representative of the UN Secretary-General, Norwegian Hilde Johnson. Until
recently she was deputy head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). In
addition, she managed to carry out a number of important diplomatic
missions in the "hot" spots around the world, including the Horn of
Africa, Afghanistan, East Timor and Guatemala.
The UN mission in southern Sudan will consist of seven thousand troops
and 900 police and civilian personnel.
The new mission is taking over the powers of the previous UN mission
in southern Sudan, which was established with the signing of the 2005
Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended years of civil war between the
North and the South. Its mandate is "to promote peace and security and
help create the conditions for the development of Southern Sudan." The
main purpose of the mission should be to "strengthen the ability of the
government of Southern Sudan to implement effective and democratic
governance" and "to establish good relations with its neighbors,"
according to the UN Security Council resolution.
The Security Council authorized a new mission to "use all necessary
means to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians."