On May 15, 2017, the Security Council adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until November 15, 2017. The Council decided to reduce UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling from 5,326 to 4,791 and urged the all parties to resume direct negotiations in order to agree on a final settlement of the Abyei question. The Council also noted its regret regarding “the lack of significant progress made by both parties on the benchmarks for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) and the unnecessary impediments imposed upon the JBVMM” and called on the governments of Sudan and South Sudan “to make timely and effective use of the JBVMM.” The Council also stated that this extension of the mandate “shall be the final such extension unless both parties demonstrate through their actions clear commitment and steadfast guarantees for implementation of the JBVMM.”