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EU extends mandate of its Rafah mission

By NNN-KUNA,

Brussels : The European Union has decided to extend the mandate of its Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing for a further six months until Nov 24, 2008.

A statement by EU foreign ministers meeting here Monday reiterated the EU commitment and readiness to redeploy to the Rafah crossing point as “soon as conditions allow it.” The EU mission in Rafah took effect in November 2005 and expired on Saturday.

However; the mission is in limbo since June 2007, following the takeover of Gaza by the Islamic group Hamas. Ninety EU monitors had been overseeing the Rafah crossing with Egypt before the suspension.

The ministers also decided to expand the activities of the EU police mission for the Palestinian territories launched on Jan 1, 2006. Known as EUPOL-COPPS (COPPS stands for Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support), the objective is to support the Palestinian Authority in establishing sustainable and effective policing arrangements.

EUPOL COPPS’ activities will now expand in the area of the criminal justice system, including the judiciary, the prosecutors as well as penitentiary service.