United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council Wednesday opted to further downsize the number of peacekeepers in its Ivory Coast mission, which it said it will consider ending next year.
The council adopted a resolution that extends the UN operation in Ivory Coast, known as UNOCI, until the end of June 2015, by which time it will have decreased its uniformed personnel from 7,137 to 5,437 soldiers.
The resolution also capped the mission's police component to 1,500 personnel.
The Council said it would review the mission's mandate and consider "its possible termination after the October 2015 presidential election."
The decision would be made "based on security conditions on the ground and the capacity of the government of Cote d'Ivoire to take over UNOCI's security role."
The mission's peacekeeping contingent was already reduced by a third last year, reflecting the government's success in stabilizing the country.
The UN force played a key role in helping President Alassane Ouattara take power after his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo refused to acknowledge defeat in a 2010 election.
The months-long showdown, in which about 3,000 people died, was followed by efforts to disarm an estimated 65,000 militia fighters.
Ivory Coast is still wading through the aftermath of the 2010-2011 crisis.
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