UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, recommending the U.N. mission in Timor-Leste be extended, said security in the impoverished nation is volatile.
However, he told the U.N. Security Council in a report Monday the overall situation in the former East Timor has improved over the past six months.
Ban says that the U.N. Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste has made "substantial progress" toward improving law enforcement, preparing for this year's planned elections and in other areas, although "much remains to be done."
"The overall situation in Timor-Leste has improved, although the security situation in the country remains volatile and the political climate fluid," he said. "The judicial sector, a key component of the rule of law, remains weak in a number of areas, and UNMIT, together with many partners in the wider international community, stands ready to assist in strengthening it."
Said the secretary-general, "In my view, an extension of the UNMIT mandate for a period of 12 months would send an important signal of the willingness of the Security Council to sustain its commitment to Timor-Leste."
He also supports the Timorese government's request for more U.N. police to be deployed during the electoral period.
The Security Council created UNMIT in August to help restore order after fighting, attributed to differences between eastern and western regions, broke out in April and May and led to the deaths of at least 37 people and forced about 155,000 people -- or 15 percent of the population -- to flee their homes. UNMIT's present mandate expires Feb. 25.
