The Security Council today extended for four months the mandate of U.N. ceasefire observers in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia in hopes that foes Russia and Georgia will reach a political deal soon, according to Reuters. The mandate for the mission, which has been in place since Moscow-backed Abkhazia threw off Tbilisi's control in 1993, had become politicized after last year's brief war between Russia and Georgia over another breakaway region, South Ossetia. All 15 members of the Security Council, including Russia, voted for a resolution prolonging the existing mandate of the 150 U.N. observers, which was set to expire on Sunday.
