News archive: March 2014
12 March 2014
International assistance is essential to helping Libya through its democratic transition, said Tarek Mitri, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in a statement to the Security Council on 10 March 2014. According to Mitri, there has been a ‘dramatic’ increase in violence over the past three months and ‘while the primary responsibility for reining in the perpetrators of this ugly campaign of terror lies with the State, this will only be possible with the concerted efforts by the Government, political, civic and revolutionary forces, aiming at the protection of the civilian population.’ Mitri said that the Libyan people expect the international community to help them with the difficult task of reconstructing the state.
(more…)
Source: UN News Centre | UN envoy stresses need for support as Libya risks facing ‘unprecedented violence’
Source: Reuters | Libya key source for illicit arms, fuelling conflicts - U.N. envoy
11 March 2014
On 10 March 2014, the heads of state of Caribbean nations unanimously adopted a 10-point plan requesting reparations from European states for the continuing suffering caused by the Atlantic slave trade. Sir Hilary Beckles, the chair of the reparations task force, insisted that the main objective of the plan was not money, but to enter into a dialogue with former slave-trading nations including the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Spain and Portugal. (more…)
Source: The Guardian | Caribbean nations prepare demand for slavery reparations
Source: The Washington Post | Caribbean adopts plan to seek slavery reparations
6 March 2014
All sides in the Syrian civil war are committing war crimes and the world powers bear responsibility for allowing these crimes to endure, stated UN human rights investigators on 5 March 2014. Their latest report on atrocities committed in Syria urges the Security Council to refer grave violations of humanitarian law to the International Criminal Court. It said that ‘the Security Council bears responsibility for allowing the warring parties to violate these rules with impunity.’ The independent investigators said that both sides in the conflict have been supported by the disagreeing world powers and that the diplomatic impasse has worsened the atrocities. They stated that not just the fighters and their commanders can be held accountable for the war crimes, but states which transfer arms to Syria as well.
Source: Reuters | World powers responsible for failing to stop Syria war crimes: U.N.
5 March 2014
While the US military involvement in Africa, Niger in particular, seeks to combat Islamist militants, the government does not want to put a lot of soldiers and money into the African region. Therefore, the Obama administration focuses their involvement on training and advising African troops, and providing assistance to European allies that have forces in the region as well. Part of the US mission in Niger is to train African troops to conduct combat patrols and how to foil terrorist ambushes, however, the US also helped organise a medical clinic in a nearby village. The US has spent USD 33 million in the past two years on building Niger’s counterterrorism abilities and providing equipment. Additionally, the US mission also focuses on assisting its European allies in the region, for example, the US has provided intelligence to France, which has soldiers in Mali. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.S. Takes Training Role in Africa as Threats Grow and Budgets Shrink
2 March 2014
The Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations confirmed on 26 February 2014 that a shipment of Syria’s reserve of mustard gas has left the country. The Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission, Sigrid Kaag, stated that the shipment is an ‘important step’ in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. Following international outrage over a sarin gas attack on civilians in August 2013, the Joint Mission was installed to supervise Syria’s compliance with its obligation to renounce its chemical weapons, agreed to by Assad after negotiations led by the United States and Russia. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre - Joint UN-OPCW mission welcomes mustard gas shipment out of Syria as ‘important step’
Source: Reuters | Syria agrees new April target to remove chemicals: diplomats