"The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of the resolution 2363 today… This resolution makes important changes to the mission," Ambassador Peter Wilson said at the session in New York.
The UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)’s ceiling will be slashed to up to 11,395 troops and 2,888 police personnel over the next six months. Further reductions will come into force next January, according to the text of the resolution.
Wilson explained the decision was made to respond to positive changes on the ground. He admitted that the situation in the African region remained "fragile" but argued it had "evolved" and vowed that the UN "will not be taking our eyes off Darfur."
The conflict in Darfur began in the 1980s and escalated dramatically in 2003, when rebel groups launched a campaign to topple the Arab government of President Omar Bashir. In 2011, the Sudanese government and Liberation and Justice Movement, one of the rebel groups, signed a peace deal in Doha.
