The Security Council today called on United Nations missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan to coordinate strategies to protect civilians from the rebel Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which has killed, kidnapped and displaced thousands of people.
The top United Nations-African Union official for Darfur has highlighted the role of civil society groups in the search for a solution to the strife that has plagued the Sudanese region, encouraging their full participation in the peace talks that resumed in Doha today.
A hospital set up in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to care for United Nations peacekeepers is also bringing hope to hundreds of local people who might otherwise lack necessary treatment for their illnesses and injuries as well as screening that can ward off preventable sickness.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is for the first time scheduled to visit Somalia's restive capital Mogadishu where he is expected to hold talks with his Somali counterpart and inspect the peacekeeping operation of African Union troops.
Over 150 ex-combatants who once fought for armed militia in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region participated today in a United Nations-backed demobilization and reintegration programme which aims to ease the return of former soldiers to their communities.
A top United Nations human rights official today welcomed a deal agreed by a former rebel group in southern Sudan to end the use of child soldiers among its ranks, while warning of the threat posed to children by various armed militia operating in the region.
Nearly two years ago the world witnessed horrific images of murder and arson on a horrendous scale. We saw pictures of grim-looking, matchete-wielding young men roaming the dusty streets of shanty towns of South Africa hunting for foreign-looking Africans to hack to death.
Increased threats to international staff in Darfur, including "extremely alarming" kidnappings, ongoing military action by Chad, Sudan and rebels, and Government limits on peacekeepers' movements continue to hamper efforts to stabilize the Sudanese area torn apart by nearly seven years of war, says a new report by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
As part of a three-day visit to Sudan, a delegation of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council is expected to meet officials of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) at its El Fasher headquarters tomorrow, Tuesday 24 November.
As part of an agreement with the Sudanese Government, UNAMID has been tasked with providing technical assistance in Sudan's upcoming elections, currently slated for April 2010. UNAMID staff members are among 69 election teams working in Northern Darfur registering eligible voters.
Barring any last minute change, the Special Adviser to President Umaru Yar'Adua on National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji will today lay the 2010 budget to the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.
THE Federal Government has been charged not to renege on its commitment to rapidly develop the Niger Delta, especially now that the struggle has shifted from armed violence to ideological agitation.
As federal government continues its implementation of post amnesty programmes to ex-militants, Imo State governor, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, yesterday advised the government not to exclude political leaders in the Niger Delta in finding final solution to the region's crisis, just as he blamed escalation of Niger Delta crisis on negligence of past leaders in the country.
THE Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim has restated that the Navy is committed to policing the Nigerian waterways more effectively for maximum security of all marine operations.
The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) today said it will continue to deliberate with Government authorities in North Darfur to ensure that judicial processes are correctly followed with regards to the continued detention of a number of leaders of the Abu Shouk and El Salaam internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in El Fasher.
