3 March 2014 – The joint African Union-United Nations mission in Sudan’s Darfur region said today it is deeply concerned over an escalation in violence that has led to the reported burning of villages and the displacement of large numbers of civilians, and called for unhindered access to the affected area. The mission, known as UNAMID, has received reports of looting, arson and civilian casualties as a result of the violence over the past several days in the vicinity of Um Gunya, located approximately 50 kilometres south-east of the South Darfur capital of Nyala. The violence has also led to…
Author: UN News
3 March 2014 – The United Nations mission in Libya has strongly condemned the attack that took place on Sunday against the country’s parliament and its members, and stressed the need for respecting state institutions and rejecting violence. Libya’s parliament, known as the General National Congress, has reportedly moved into a hotel in the capital, Tripoli, after rioters armed with knives and guns stormed the legislature building, torching furniture, killing a guard and wounding six lawmakers. In a statement issued today, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stressed “the importance of respecting the legitimate institutions, rejecting violence in politics…
2 March 2014 – The Security Council on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack that took place on 1 March at the train station in Kunming, China, and underlined the need to bring those responsible to justice. In a statement issued to the press, the 15-member body extended its deepest sympathy and condolence to the victims and their families suffering as a result of this “most heinous” terrorist attack, as well as to the people and the Government of China. According to media reports, some 29 people were killed and at least 130 wounded after a group of attackers, dressed…
1 March 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned an attack that took place on Saturday at the railway station in Kunming, China, and hoped that those responsible will be brought to justice. According to media reports, the attack by knife-wielding men left at least 28 people dead and over 100 injured. Mr. Ban condemned the “terrible” attack in the strongest terms, his spokesperson said in a statement. “He expresses condolences to the bereaved families and wishes those wounded a speedy recovery,” the spokesperson added. “The Secretary-General notes that there is no justification for the killing of innocent civilians and…
28 February 2014 – Calling on the United Nations and the wider international community to help the Government of mali strengthen its judicial system, the UN independent expert on human rights in the country expressed concern today at the difficulties facing Malian justice in the prosecution of serious crimes committed in during the violence that engulfed the north in 2012. Wrapping up a recent visit to Mali, Suliman Baldo said that despite the authorities’ laudable efforts in the fight against impunity for the crimes alleged against former military junta in the south, the justice system faced enormous difficulties in prosecuting…
28 February 2014 – Amid reports of retaliatory killings between armed Christian and Muslim factions the Central African Republic (CAR), a senior United Nations official today warned that “ethno-religious cleansing” is being carried out in the country, and now it is “most important” for mediation among the communities, and for more international forces to be deployed to protect civilians. “It is still possible for communities to continue to live together, but intensive mediation is necessary for that to happen,” said Philip Leclerc, who is in charge of the protection cluster in Car for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). “What is…
28 February 2014 – Good governance is essential for Nigeria – with its rich ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity – to ensure minority rights, equality and peaceful coexistence for all its citizens, an independent United Nations human rights expert stressed today. “I found evidence that in states where inclusive governance prevails and communities placed trust in their leadership, there are fewer communal fractures and concerns about minority rights,” said Rita Izsák, the Independent Expert on minority issues. “However, the exclusion of some groups, partisan politics, corruption, and the reality or the perception of bias and favouritism along ethnic or religious…
28 February 2014 – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that a major funding gap is forcing the agency to scale back geographical coverage of its work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to instead focus on what it describes as “acutely-insecure, conflict-affected areas” in the vast country. Speaking to the press in Geneva, WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs warned that the agency’s work in the DRC is being hindered by “severe funding constraints” and as a result it will begin to cut rations to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country’s eastern North Kivu…
1 March 2014 – Top United Nations officials on Saturday called for direct dialogue between all concerned amid the growing tensions in the Crimea region of Ukraine, as the Security Council held urgent talks for the second day in a row on the crisis. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is “gravely concerned” about the deterioration of the situation, spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin today. “It is crucial to restore calm and proceed to an immediate de-escalation of the situation. Cool heads must prevail and dialogue must be the only tool in ending this crisis,” Mr. Ban said afterwards,…
28 February 2014 – The United Nations Security Council held this afternoon what its President described as an “urgent” meeting on the situation in Ukraine, with the body’s members noting that it is important for all political actors in the strife-torn country to exercise maximum restraint and pursue inclusive dialogue. “The Security Council…reviewed with concern the recent developments in Ukraine,” said Raimonda Murmokaité, Permanent Representative of Lithuania, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation body for February. The Council held closed-door consultations at the request of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, which appealed in a letter…