Europe looks back with pride and looks forward with hope By: EU envoys The European Union will on 25th March mark 60 years since the signing of the Rome Treaties, the first step towards a united Europe. Since the birth of the European Communities in 1957, the citizens of our …
Read More »US to end funding for UN Population Fund over abortion claims
Washington, United States | AFP | The US government plans to stop funding the United Nations Population Fund because of the organization’s “coercive” family planning practices, including providing abortions, officials in Washington said late Monday. According to a State Department official, President Donald Trump has instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson …
Read More »UN to scale back DR Congo peacekeeping force
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United Nations Security Council will vote Friday to cut the number of troops in its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. US ambassador Nikki Haley said the force’s currently authorized strength of 19,815 would be cut by 3,600 — but …
Read More »Bodies found of two UN experts in DRC amid spiralling violence
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Two foreign UN experts who were kidnapped in DR Congo have been found dead, one of them decapitated, the government said Tuesday, as spiralling violence in the vast country sparked international condemnation. The bodies of American Michael Sharp and Swedish national Zahida Catalan were …
Read More »Six aid workers killed in South Sudan ambush
OCHA: South Sudan ambush highest number of aid workers killed in a single incident Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Six aid workers have been killed in an ambush in South Sudan, the UN said Sunday, in another blow to humanitarian efforts a country suffering from war-induced famine. A humanitarian source …
Read More »US, China disagree on South Sudan
China has disagreed with the United States, its major economic rival on how to ensure peace in South Sudan. Whereas the US has persistently called for sanctions against Uganda’s northern neighbour in a way of preventing the intermittent fighting that breaks out in the country, China, has said placing sanctions …
Read More »UN regional force to arrive in South Sudan in a month
United Nations, United States | AFP | The first soldiers of a United Nations-mandated regional military force are set to be deployed to South Sudan within about a month, the outgoing UN official in charge of peacekeeping said Friday. “The vanguard element of the force will be deployed between end …
Read More »UN Security Council again eyes sanctions on South Sudan
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council voiced alarm Thursday about the deepening humanitarian crisis and famine in South Sudan, with the United States, Britain and France raising anew the idea of sanctions and a weapons embargo. Attacks on humanitarian and UN missions, serial rapes, recruitment of …
Read More »Somali president pleads to UN for aid to avert famine
United Nations, United States | AFP | Somalia’s new president appealed to the international community Thursday for more aid to avert a famine threatening his country that could also undermine fledgling political hopes born in his peaceful election. “Almost half of our people are facing acute food shortages and about 15 …
Read More »UN finds 10 mass graves in crisis-hit DR Congo region
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The United Nations said Wednesday investigators found 10 mass graves in the violence-wracked Kasai region in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s centre. “We have communicated to the (Congolese) government the presence of seven mass graves in the town of Demba … and three mass …
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