In North Africa, Mali remains on a knife-edge, even though French troops declared their operation against extremists a success. The United Nations is now planning to deploy a new peacekeeping force, because leaders are locked in another battle – difficult talks with Tuareg separatists over the disputed north.
Nigerians Flee Government Offensive in Borno
June 15, 2013 | Posted by
The U.N. says thousands of people continue to flee violence in Nigeria, a month after the start of a military offensive in three northern states against the armed group Boko Haram. So far, more than 6,000 refugees have arrived in the town of Bosso in neighboring Niger. Boko Haram, a radical armed group, has been [...]
UN Estimates 93,000 Killed in Syrian War
June 13, 2013 | Posted by
The death toll in Syria reached at least 93,000 at the end of April, but the true number of victims from the violence now in its third year may be much higher, the United Nations human rights office said on Thursday. Navi Pillay, U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, voiced fears that the bloodshed in recent [...]
UN Anti-Cholera Plan in Haiti Failing
May 29, 2013 | Posted by
United Nations’ efforts to tackle cholera in Haiti are “almost non-existent”, a charity says, as the world body faces court action for inadvertently starting a cholera epidemic in the country. Late last year, the UN launched a $2.2 billion-appeal to improve water supplies in Haiti. But Medecins Sans Frontieres says this has had almost no [...]
Caricom Demands Change in UN Security Council
May 24, 2013 | Posted by
Caricom nations are pushing for a change in the composition of the United Nations Security Council. “We have argued that small states should have a political presence in the Security Council,” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran said on Wednesday night. “We have made the call for the change in the Security Council operations both in [...]
UN Struggling to Cope with Limited Darfur Funds
May 23, 2013 | Posted by
More than a quarter million people have fled fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region, adding to the 1.4 million already living in refugee camps. The U.N.’s humanitarian chief says a serious funding shortage is impacting on their needs.
UN Sends Troops to DRC to Fight Armed Groups
May 7, 2013 | Posted by
The United Nations is sending a 3,000-strong African force to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The troops have a mandate to neutralize armed groups in the area, particularly the M23 rebels, who are fighting the DRC government.
Caribbean Satisfied With UN Small Arms Trade Treaty
April 4, 2013 | Posted by
Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries yesterday expressed satisfaction with the roles they played in a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. The countries voted in favor of the treaty on Tuesday to regulate the $70-billion global trade in small arms, light weapons and ammunition. Lead Caricom negotiator, Ambassador Eden Charles of Trinidad and Tobago, speaking on behalf of the [...]
Departing UN Official Blasts Haiti’s Rights Record
March 29, 2013 | Posted by
The former United Nations human rights monitor in Haiti is taking a swipe at the Caribbean nation’s legal system as he leaves his post. In an open letter that was sent to the Haitian press and obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, Michel Forst criticized the government for the continuation of arbitrary and illegal [...]
Jamaica Eases Tourist Visa Policies For Eastern Europe, Latin America
March 16, 2013 | Posted by
The United Nations tourism agency yesterday welcomed the decision by the government of Jamaica to relax visa regulations for tourists originating in a number of Eastern European countries, while also extending its current visa waiver system for some Latin American nationals. The visa waivers are for tourists from Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia [...]
