The UN Security Council has extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in the country until November.

The Council authorized the mission to use all necessary means to protect civilians, monitor and investigate human rights, and create conditions suitable for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Members decided that the military component of the mission will remain the same, comprising of up to 12,500 troops and more than 1,300 police.

In a resolution yesterday, the council calls for the implementation of the agreements signed between the government and the SPLM in Opposition.

“Urges all parties to engage in an open and fully inclusive national dialogue seeking to establish lasting peace, reconciliation, good governance, including through the full and effective participation of youth, women, diverse communities, faith-based groups, civil society and the formerly detained SPLM leaders,” raid the resolution.

It also “encourages the efforts of IGAD and the United Nations to reach a peace agreement between the parties, and further urges them to ensure that child protection provisions are integrated into all peace negotiations and peace agreements”.

It urged all parties to make a national dialogue to establish lasting peace, reconciliation and good governance.

Today is also the UN peacekeepers’ day. UNMISS says 15 peacekeepers have been killed in the country over the last 18 months.