Africa 

Moura: Over 500 killed by Malian troops, foreign military personnel in 2022 operation

That’s according to a fact-finding report from the UN human rights office (OHCHR) released on Friday, on what the Malian authorities had described as an anti-terrorist military operation against an al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as Katiba Macina. The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, called the findings “extremely disturbing” and stressed that “summary executions, rape and torture during armed conflict amount to war crimes and… Read More
Africa 

New arrest warrants seek justice for victims in Libya, ICC prosecutor says

To date, four warrants have been issued and two others are in the application process, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said, highlighting this key step as recognizing the rights of victims to justice. “If this Council’s referrals are to be vindicated, it requires everyone to step up,” he said. “Partnerships are key to justice.” The Council had referred the case to… Read More
Africa 

Sudan violence threatens fragile cross-border progress with Juba

“The outbreak of violence in the Sudan may deeply impact the chance for political progress on Abyei and border issues,” Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, told the Council. Security in Abyei, a disputed oil-rich border region straddling both African nations, had been a point of contention,… Read More
Africa 

Sudan crisis: Guterres condemns looting of main WFP compound in Khartoum

In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, António Guterres noted that “most, if not all, United Nations agencies and our humanitarian partners, have been impacted by large-scale looting”, since the military power struggle between the national army and rival RSF militia began, which fighting now entering a fourth week. Speaking to journalists at the daily UN briefing on Monday, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, said… Read More
Africa 

Mali: Ban slavery by law, say top rights experts

In a call to the Malian authorities to prevent people from being born into slavery, the experts said that the country is the only one in the Sahel region without specific legislation criminalizing enslavement. “Nothing can justify slavery, whether it be culture, tradition, or religion”, said the experts, Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, and Alioune Tine,… Read More
Africa 

First Person: Caught in the crossfire in Sudan

At the same time, UN agencies are also helping to provide emergency relief support, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), whose Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) aims at assisting refugees and third country nationals who are desperately trying to flee fighting by escaping to neighbouring countries. Sudan’s national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary unit, have been… Read More
Africa 

Midwives scramble to ensure safe deliveries amid violence in Sudan

“Health facilities and hospitals should be safe havens in times of crisis,” the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Saturday, condemning an attack on a hospital in Khartoum. Laila Baker, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) regional director, said pregnant women in capital city are facing perilous conditions. “We are acutely concerned,” she said. “There is no way we can monitor… Read More
Africa 

UN chief calls for bolstered efforts to end violence in Great Lakes region

“It is time to end the violence,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the high-level meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, held in Bujumbura, Burundi. Since the resurgence of the M23 armed group in DRC in 2021, more than 500,000 people have… Read More
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