Security Council to Extend UNIFIL Mandate after Cabinet Approval

The U.N. Security Council is set to extend the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The daily said that during a session, which was held last Thursday, the cabinet approved a request made by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil for a one-year extension of UNIFIL's mandate.

The Foreign Ministry is set in the coming days to ask U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to extend the mission’s mandate until August 31, 2016, said al-Mustaqbal.

Ban will likely call on the Security Council to convene next month to approve the extension.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 to monitor the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Its mission was extended and enlarged to include supporting Lebanese troops after the 2006 war between the Jewish state and Hizbullah.

G.K.

D.A.