The UN Security Council Monday told United Nations peacekeepers in strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prioritize the protection of civilians.
The Council called on MONUC, the 20,000-strong UN mission in the DRC, to make priority the protection of civilians, including aid workers, and assist the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons.
The Council extended the mandate of MONUC for another year until Dec. 31, 2009. Sanctions intended to stem illicit weapons inflow and mineral resources export were also renewed until Nov. 30, 2009.
The Council stressed the importance of MONUC implementing the mandate fully, and called on the mission to strengthen its efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
The Council also demanded rebels like the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP), the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the FDLR, immediately stop recruiting and using children, and release all children associated with them.
Source:Xinhua
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