United Nations, United States | AFP | France, Russia and the United States were locked in negotiations Wednesday to overcome differences over peace efforts in the Central African Republic ahead of a deadline for renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission there. The Security Council must vote on prolonging …
Read More »Libya warlord casts shadow over Italy’s bid to solve crisis
Palermo, Italy | AFP | Italy hosts Libyan and global leaders on Tuesday to try to kick-start a long-stalled political process and trigger elections, with eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar casting a shadow over the fresh bid to bring stability to the chaos-stricken nation. Italy is the latest country aiming …
Read More »UN report finds violations of South Sudan arms embargo
United Nations, United States | AFP | A UN panel of experts has found violations of the arms embargo imposed on South Sudan, reporting to the Security Council that there are “alarming levels” of sexual violence, hunger and human rights abuses in the war-scarred country. The panel’s 29-page report seen …
Read More »Libyan players in Italy for fresh bid to solve crisis
Palermo, Italy | AFP | Libya’s key political players meet with global leaders in Palermo on Monday in the latest bid by major powers to kickstart a long-stalled political process and trigger elections. A summit in Paris in May had seen the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and eastern …
Read More »Cash-strapped Libyans sceptical ahead of peace talks
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Queueing up outside banks in Tripoli, Libyans say they have little hope of an end to the political and economic turmoil shaking their country, on the eve of international crisis talks in Italy. Accompanied by his five-year-old son, architect Mohamad Kredigh was hoping to get …
Read More »Libya in chaos since 2011 overthrow of Kadhafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libya has been mired in chaos since the ouster and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with two rival authorities and a multitude of militias still vying for control of the oil-rich country. The capital Tripoli is the seat of an internationally-backed government led …
Read More »US names new envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes
Washington, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday named a scholar who once called for the disintegration of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the new US envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region, tasked with encouraging stability in the conflict-ridden area. J. Peter Pham, now …
Read More »Libya conference in early 2019 could pave way to elections: UN
United Nations, United States | AFP | A national conference will be held in Libya in the first weeks of 2019 to push for elections that could take place next year, the UN envoy told the Security Council on Thursday. UN envoy Ghassan Salame said the conference will provide “a …
Read More »UN to double food aid to Yemen
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said Thursday it will nearly double food aid to Yemen to reach 14 million people a month — almost half the war-ravaged country’s population. Yemen is in the grip of the world’s worst hunger crisis as government troops backed …
Read More »More than 200 mass graves found in former IS territory in Iraq: UN
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | More than 200 mass graves containing up to 12,000 victims have been found so far in Iraq that could hold vital evidence of war crimes by the Islamic State group, the UN said Tuesday. The United Nations in Iraq (UNAMI) and its human rights office …
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