United Nations, Dec 19 (IANS): The UN Security Council (UNSC) has voted to renew the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year.

Resolution 2556, adopted on Friday with 14 votes in favour and one abstention, extends the mandate known as MONUSCO until December 20, 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.

The resolution also decides that MONUSCO's authorized troop ceiling will comprise 14,000 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 591 police personnel, and 1,050 personnel of formed police units.

The resolution demands that all armed groups immediately cease all forms of violence and other destabilising activities.

It strongly condemns all armed groups operating in the DRC and their violations of international humanitarian law as well as other applicable international law, and abuses of human rights.

MONUSCO took over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation in the DRC on July 1, 2010.

It has been authorised to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders and to support the government of the DRC in its stabilisation and peace consolidation efforts.

As of October 2020, the deployed number of personnel stands at 17,474, while the top five contributors are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, South Africa and Indonesia.