The U.N. Security Council has approved a joint U.N.-African Union force of up to 26,000 troops for Darfur. The resolution invokes Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter to back the use of force to protect civilians in the area. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the measure.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “By authorizing the deployment of a hybrid operation for Darfur, you are sending a clear and powerful signal of your commitment to improve the lives of the people of the region and close this tragic chapter in Sudan’s history.”

Up to 400,000 people have been killed and two million displaced in the conflict between Sudanese-backed militias and Darfur’s rebel groups.