U.N. Approves Peacekeepers for South Sudan

The United Nations Security Council has approved a peace keeping force of 7000 soldiers for the newly independent state of South Sudan. The approval was given on Friday.

This is a signal that the UN will support the new state which became independent on 9th of July. The peacekeepers will act under the mandate that is called UNMISS. There is also the provision for more 900 police officers for South Sudan. This was revealed by Ambassador Peter Wittig who is representing Germany in UN and doubles as the president of the council.

Wittig told journalists that UN was doing that to address the security challenges that will be faced by the people of South Sudan. This development is contrary to the stand of Khartoum which said that it is opposed to such forces in Sudanese soil.

The UN is concerned with what might happen to the border state of Kordofanian where the North Sudanese army is engage in gun battle with a group that is loyal to South Sudan. The initial assignment of the UNMISS was supposed to end on Saturday, UN started its mandate in South in 2005 when the civil war ended, but with the renewed mandate the forces will continue to stay in South Sudan.