News archive: May 2014
14 May 2014
On 13 May at a special event in Vienna, Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), urged the international community to ‘come together at the highest political level’ to end wildlife and forest crime. Fedotov further warned that ‘[t]he rate of poaching is such that a number of iconic and lesser known species risk being wiped out over the next decade – and we will all bear responsibility for those losses.’ It is a shared responsibility to prevent such losses, stressed Fedotov. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | UN crime chief urges global action to disrupt ‘ruthless’ illegal wildlife trade
13 May 2014
On 12 May, The Guardian reported that the British Ministry of Defence revealed that British officers are based on the US military base in Djibouti, from which drone strikes against presumed terrorists in Yemen are launched. According to the Minster of Defence Mark Francois, ‘[the three officers] work within the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and are responsible for planning and supporting US military operations in the region. As embedded military personnel within a US headquarters they come under the command and control of the US armed forces, but remain subject to UK law, policy and military jurisdiction.’ (more…)
Source: The Guardian | UK troops working with US military at base for Yemen drone operations
Source: Human Rights Watch | A Wedding That Became a Funeral - US Drone Attack on Marriage Procession in Yemen | 2014
11 May 2014
Indonesian foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa launched a veiled attack on Australian policy, saying the region should be looking at ‘shared responsibility’ for the irregular movement of refuges, ‘not shifting responsibility’. The remark represented the opening statement of a conference that was opened on 5 May in Jakarta in order to discuss the protection of refugees in the region. 15 states, including Australia took part in this conference. (more…)
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald | UN representatives criticise Abbott government's boat tow-back policy
7 May 2014
On 5 May, the US signed a 20-year lease on its military base in Dijbouti, in the Horn of Africa. The focus of the talks between President Obama and the president of Dijbouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, were represented by the critical role played by Camp Lemonnier, a base of 4,000 American service members and civilians. The camp is the only American installation on the continent and represents a hub for training and counterterrorism operations in Yemen and Somalia, thus playing a critical role. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.S. Signs New Lease to Keep Strategic Military Installation in the Horn of Africa