UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year, till Dec. 20, 2023.
Resolution 2666 decides that the authorized troop ceiling of the mission, known by its French acronym as MONUSCO, will comprise 13,500 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 591 individual police officers, and 1,410 personnel of formed police units.
It invites the UN Secretariat to consider further reduction of MONUSCO's level of military deployment in line with the joint strategy on the progressive and phased drawdown of the mission.
The resolution decides that the strategic priorities of MONUSCO are to protect civilians and help with the stabilization and strengthening of state institutions and key governance and security reforms.
The resolution strongly condemns all armed groups operating in the DRC and their violations of international humanitarian law and international law, and abuses of human rights, and demands that all armed groups cease immediately all forms of violence, other destabilizing activities and the illegal exploitation and trafficking of natural resources.
