Briefing ambassadors on the UN Security Council, Valentine Rugwabiza, Special Representative for the Central African Republic (CAR), recalled the 15 January explosion which targeted a patrol from the mission, killing one peacekeeper and wounding five others. “Explosive ordinance devices (EODs) and light weapons are not only a threat to the population and peacekeepers but equally…
Briefing the Security Council in New York, UN Special Representative Bintou Keita urged ambassadors to do all they can to prevent the fighting in North Kivu province from spreading beyond the border. “It is crucial to underscore the risk of an expansion of the conflict on a regional scale if the diplomatic efforts that are…
Briefing the Security Council, Hans Grundberg recalled “steady progress” in UN efforts to mediate the the complex decade-long crisis, set off by the overthrow of the Government by Houthi rebels in 2014. However, the locus of attention has shifted dramatically since December 2023 due to the Israel-Gaza war and the military escalation in the Red…
Tor Wennesland is in New York for discussions on how to “chart a way out of this crisis and how we can do it with the parties on the ground.” He told journalists that “we know very well” what the impediments are for this to happen politically, which must be overcome. No ‘quick fix’ “I…
“With the conflict raging in Gaza, as well as armed action elsewhere, the Middle East is at a critical juncture, and the same is true for Iraq,” said UN Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, calling for restraint. “With Iraq cloaked in an already complex tapestry of challenges; it is of greatest importance that all attacks cease.”…
“I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point,” said Maria Isabel Salvador, presenting the latest report of the UN political office there, BINUH. The Caribbean country remains plagued by mounting violence and insecurity at the hands of armed gangs, against a backdrop of political, humanitarian, and socioeconomic…
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, said that while some nations have made significant democratic strides, others have been subject to military takeovers, posing wider threats to regional stability. The presidential election in Liberia and the peaceful transfer of power was a decisive political moment for…
The development follows a series of meetings with the sides held in Riyadh and Muscat, his office said in a statement on Saturday. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg welcomed their commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, improve living conditions, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process…
Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria, noted that though there have been some diplomatic breakthroughs none led to tangible changes on the ground for civilians. He also raised the alarm over the impact on the region of the devastating Israel-Palestine crisis. On top of killings, injuries, displacement, abduction…
Abdoulaye Bathily, UN Special Representative for Libya, told ambassadors on the Security Council that the mood in the country “is ripe for a new political deal, a new dispensation for a brighter future”. “One group of unwilling officials clinging to their seats must not be allowed to fail the people of Libya and put the…
