UN mission in Iraq extended

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously voted to extend the mandate of its mission in Iraq and to expand it to cover monitoring of legislative elections set for October 10, acceding — in part — to a request from Baghdad.

The mission, known as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), will now run through May 27, 2022, according to a resolution drafted by the United States.

It calls for a “strengthened, robust and visible UN team, with additional staff, in advance of Iraq’s forthcoming election, to monitor Iraq’s election day with as broad a geographic coverage as possible.”

The world body’s help should come in a “manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty,” the text says.