UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously extended the mandate for the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission which has been slowly deploying in Sudan’s conflict-torn Darfur region.

The force’s mandate has been extended until the end of July 2010.

It’s a little surprising and sad that this War in Darfur is shaping up to last longer than the Iraq War. But there’s a little bit of good news.

Sawers said there have been some encouraging developments in Darfur. He welcomed the improved cooperation between the U.N. secretariat and Khartoum in deploying UNAMID, which is currently at just over two-thirds of its planned strength of 26,000 troops and police.