World News in Brief: UNRWA investigation updates, new recruits for Haiti-support force, gun battles in Chadian capital

World News in Brief: UNRWA investigation updates, new recruits for Haiti-support force, gun battles in Chadian capital

The UN Secretary-General received an update on Wednesday from the Office of Internal Oversight (OIOS), which launched an investigation last month following allegations that a handful of UNRWA employees were complicit in Hamas’s October attacks that left almost 1,200 dead in Israel and 240 taken hostage. So far, investigators have reviewed initial information from a…

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‘Force alone is not the answer’ says UN counter-terrorism chief

‘Force alone is not the answer’ says UN counter-terrorism chief

“Force alone is not the answer,” Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, told ambassadors in the Security Council. “Comprehensive responses, firmly grounded in political strategies, anchored in international law, and based on all-of-government and all-of-society approaches, are indispensable.” Progress against Da’esh Referring to the Secretary-General’s report on the ongoing threat posed by Da’esh…

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UN force steps up patrols after weekend of bloodshed in Abyei

UN force steps up patrols after weekend of bloodshed in Abyei

Heavily armed assailants attacked civilians in the villages of Malual Aleu, Banton, Awolnhom, Abathok, Majbong, Awal, and east of Rumamier, using rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, reportedly over a land dispute. At least 37 people are reported to have been killed and several others injured, including women and children. Villages were also set on fire and…

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Civil society an ‘unwavering force’ for peace: UN official

Civil society an ‘unwavering force’ for peace: UN official

Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, emphasized the importance of civil society. “Civil society organizations are on the frontlines of peacebuilding, all over the world,” she said, adding: “As an unwavering force for peace, they are our strongest allies, from the grassroots to the global stage. We want to enable civil society to better…

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Haiti: Gangs move into rural areas as Türk says new force ‘must be deployed’

Haiti: Gangs move into rural areas as Türk says new force ‘must be deployed’

The report, published on Tuesday by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN political mission in Haiti (BINUH), calls for the urgent deployment of the multinational security support mission authorized by the UN Security Council in October. But alongside that, greater efforts will need to be made to strengthen the institutions of the…

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Haitian Prime Minister calls for urgent deployment of multinational force to quash gang violence

Haitian Prime Minister calls for urgent deployment of multinational force to quash gang violence

Armed groups control areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and some towns, blocking roads, driving citizens from their homes, and forcing the closure of schools, hospitals and businesses. Lives in danger The “non-exhaustive” list of violations and crimes they have committed includes massacres, kidnappings, pillaging, sexual violence, human trafficking and child recruitment, he said. Insecurity has…

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