The UN Security Council has called on Sudan and South Sudan to resume negotiations on the final status of the disputed territory of Abyei, saying it constitutes a serious threat to international order.

On Tuesday, the 15-member council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Forces for Abyei (UNISFA). The council underscoring that peacekeepers are charged with taking necessary action to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.

The resolution extending the peacekeepers' mandate stressed that future status of Abyei area should be resolved peacefully, through negotiations and not through the unilateral actions of either party.