On October 11, 2018, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2438 in which it extended modifications to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until April 15, 2019, stating that this will be the final extension unless the parties reach specified benchmarks regarding border demarcation. The Council noted that the “situation in Abyei and along the border between the Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security,” but also welcomed the progress that had been made towards implementing the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) and called on Sudan and South Sudan to fully implement the JBVMM. As noted in the press release, the modifications being extended “include the Force’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism in the Abyei border region.” The Council also determined that it would “maintain UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling of 4,500 until 15 November 2018; and further decides that as of 15 April 2019, the authorized troop ceiling shall decrease by 541 troops, unless it decides to extend the mandate modification.”