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Tag: Ban Ki-moon

  • Ki-moon warns against reprisals after Burundi coup

    Ki-moon warns against reprisals after Burundi coup

    United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has warned against reprisals and revenge in Burundi after security forces arrested the leader of a failed coup and President Pierre Nkurunziza returned to the capital.

    Burundi was plunged into deep crisis after Nkurunziza announced he was running for another five-year term.

    Ban expects to speak with Nkurunziza in the coming days, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.

    “We remain deeply concerned about recent developments. There is an imperative need to restore calm and avoid violence in the wake of the attempted coup. There should be inclusive dialogue. Reprisals and revenge must be avoided, Reuters quoted Haq as saying to reporters.

    “Due process and full respect for human rights must be observed,” he added. “It is also essential that Burundians are able to fully exercise their freedoms of expression and assembly.”

    Major Gen. Godefroid Niyombare was captured two days after announcing Nkurunziza had been toppled in the African nation, which is still recovering from an ethnically fueled civil war that ended just a decade ago.

    Ban discussed the situation in Burundi with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in a telephone call, in which he emphasized the need for regional leaders to join efforts to help end the crisis, Haq said.

     

  • UN appoints new Director for Nigeria’s centre

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, has appointed Mr. Ronald Kayanja as the substantive Director of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria.

    UNIC’s National Information Officer, Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, said in a statement that Kayanja’s appointment takes effect from April 1, 2015.

    “The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald Kayanja of Uganda as the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Nigeria,’’ it said.

    Kayanja, a native of Uganda, holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wales in United Kingdom and Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Makerere University in Uganda.

    The statement said that Kayanja, until his new appointment, had worked in various capacities for the UN in Benin, Cote d’I voire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

    “Since November 2011, Kayanja has held the position of UNESCO Adviser for Communication and Information in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

    “Kayanja has supported capacity building of journalists, promotion of press freedom and safety of journalists, in addition to policy dialogue with member states on the use of community media.

    “Most recently he led UNESCO’s response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the use of community media,’’ it said.

    The statement added that he had also worked with the UN Mission, UN agencies, national authorities and the civil society on the mechanisms of strengthening media and civil society’s participation in democracy.

    Kayanja is married with four children.

  • Obama, Ban-Ki Moon, Carrington, Hollande, others greet president-elect

    Obama, Ban-Ki Moon, Carrington, Hollande, others greet president-elect

    The World rose in unison yesterday to endorse Saturday’s election won by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    The United Nations, the United States, France and the European Union observer team in separate statements commended the polls’ outcome and hailed outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan for being magnanimous in victory.

    United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and other world leaders congratulated President-elect Buhari on his hard worn victory.

    In a statement from in New York, Ban said he had spoken to Jonathan and Buhari on the outcome of the polls as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He commended Jonathan for his leadership qualities throughout the electoral process and his statesmanship in upholding the democratic process.  He also applauded the INEC for organising the elections in a professional and credible “manner under challenging circumstances”.  The UN Chief called on all Nigerians to accept the outcome of the elections

    Ban also appealed to them to address any complaints they may have through existing legal and constitutional channels.  The Secretary-General said the successful conduct of the polls was a testimony to the maturity of Nigeria’s democracy.  He expressed hope that the same democratic spirit would prevail in the conduct of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on April 11.

    United States President Barack Obama also congratulated President-elect Buhari.

    In a statement, Obama said: “The last few days have shown the world the strength of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic principles.  By turning out in large numbers and sometimes waiting all day to cast their votes, Nigerians came together to decide the future of their country peacefully.

    “I commend President Goodluck Jonathan and President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari for their public commitments to non-violence throughout the campaign.  President Jonathan has placed his country’s interests first by conceding the election and congratulating President-Elect Buhari on his victory.  I look forward to working with President Jonathan throughout the remainder of his term, and I thank him for his many years of service and his statesmanlike conduct at this critical juncture.  I urge President-Elect Buhari and President Jonathan to repeat their calls to their supporters to continue to respect the election outcomes, focus on unifying the country, and together lead Nigeria through a peaceful transition.

    “Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Attahiru Jega, deserve special recognition for what independent international observers have deemed a largely peaceful and orderly vote.  I commend INEC for its extensive efforts to increase the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.  Looking ahead to the gubernatorial elections on April 11, it is imperative that national attention turn to ensuring isolated logistical challenges are overcome and peace is protected, even in the most hotly contested races.

    “On behalf of the American people, I extend congratulations to the people of Nigeria and to President-Elect Buhari and look forward to continuing to work with the newly-elected government on our many shared priorities.”

    The President of the Republic of France, Mr François Hollande congratulated Gen. Buhari in a statement issued in Abuja by France embassy in Nigeria. It stated that Hollande welcomed the commitment of the Nigerian people and the professionalism exhibited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the polls.

    According to the statement, the French President will speak with Buhari today as France intends to continue its cordial relationship with Nigeria.

    “France continues to stand with Nigeria to uphold democratic values, fight against terrorism and promote economic partnership between the two countries,’’ it said.

    It added: “This is a victory for the president, but it’s also a victory for the people of Nigeria who affirmed their attachment to democracy and their confidence in the future, by refusing to allow themselves to be intimidated by terrorists.

    “Today, Nigeria can show the world that it is a major democracy. It is a source of pride for the population and a source of satisfaction to Nigeria’s partners.

    “We welcome the spirit of responsibility demonstrated by the political leaders and pay tribute to the action of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “I hope that President Buhari’s term of office will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the friendly relations between our two countries and to put an end to Boko Haram’s terrorist activities. We also hope that Nigeria will be able to continue its remarkable economic growth, in the interest of the continent’s prosperity.”

    President-elect Buhari has been receiving congratulatory messages from other world a and Nigerians leaders. He received former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his wife Hajiya Titi and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield and accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle, among others.

    They all pledged their support and commitment to ensuring the success of the Buhari administration and for better relations between their countries and Nigeria.

    In his response to the various leaders, General Buhari thanked the international community for working with Nigerians in providing the atmosphere that helped to bring about change through elections in the country.

    He promised to work with the international community to restore Nigeria’s full commitment and obligations to the international system.

    Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington in a statement said: “Nigeria has passed the most important milestone on the road to an enduring democracy – the peaceful transfer of power through the ballot box from one party to another.  President-Elect Buhari has achieved a decisive victory.  In spite of serious security threats the people of Nigeria turned out in impressive numbers to declare by whom they wish to be governed for the next four years.  President Jonathan has set the stage for a peaceful transfer of power through his gracious congratulatory call to his successor.

    ”I feel great optimism for the future of my wife’s homeland.  A united Nigeria under the leadership of a man so dedicated and capable of curbing corruption and restoring peace and security can reclaim its moral authority as the leader of the continent from which my ancestors came.

    ”Arese and I pray for the success of the Buhari administration and will do all we can to work for the strengthening of relations between the United States and Nigeria.”

    The European Union (EU) Observer Mission for the elections yesterday described President Jonathan as a good example to the world following the way he conducted the polls and conceded victory to his opponent without rancour.

    Head of the EU Observer Mission, Santiago Fisas said: “I congratulate him (Jonathan) for that and I seized the opportunity to give to him our preliminary report about the election.

    “He was very happy and of course, I will come back in July with the final statement at a press conference and to give it to the new President and our recommendations would be contained in the final report.

    “The elections are so important for the people of Nigeria, but it is an African example for all Africa and countries in the world.

    “You know many people didn’t expect that the elections will be peaceful, they expected a lot of violence after the elections but it turned out not to be true.

    “Also, I congratulate President Jonathan but I would like to congratulate Nigerian people because they showed a lot of commitment to that election.

    “Not in all circumstances would you see such that, people stood in the sun for a very long and hot day, despite some of these problems. It shows that you Nigerians are truly democratic.” he said

    According to him, it would remain the discretion of the Nigerian government to decide what recommendations to adopt or reject from the Mission’s findings about this year’s elections.

    He said: “It is up to Nigerian government to accept or not to accept the recommendations. We are observers and we have made our recommendations and I don’t want to advance the final report that will be finished after the gubernatorial elections.

    “When we can embark on a new ideas with a new President, probably that will be in July, then we will make recommendations public”, he said.

     

  • Ki-moon condemns Baga attack

    Ki-moon condemns Baga attack

    The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has condemned weekend’s bomb attack in Baga, Borno, which reportedly killed 20 people.

    Ki-moon, in a statement issued on January 11 at the UN headquarters, New York, assured Nigeria of the global body’s willingness to assist the country in its bid to defeat terrorists.

    The statement was made available to The Nation by the National Information Officer, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Oluseyi Soremekun, on Monday.

    The statement reads: “The Secretary-General is appalled about reports of hundreds of civilians killed around the town of Baga, Borno State, near Nigeria’s border with Chad in the past week.

    “The situation in Nigeria and the region remains at the top of the Secretary-General’s agenda. Only yesterday, it is reported that a 10-year old girl was used to detonate a bomb at a market in Maiduguri, also in Borno State, killing at least 19 people.

    “The Secretary-General utterly condemns this depraved act at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.

    “The United Nations stands ready to assist the Nigerian government and all affected neighboring states in bringing an end to the violence and to alleviate the suffering of civilians with all available means and resources.”

  • Ban visits Ebola countries, urges respect for health rules

    Ban visits Ebola countries, urges respect for health rules

    United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has started a visit to Ebola-hit countries in West Africa, urging local communities to strictly follow health regulations in the face of signs that traditional funerals are still spreading the disease.

    Ban arrived in Liberia on Friday at the start of a two-day tour of four nations struck by the worst ever outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever, including Sierra Leone, Guinea and Mali.

    The tour aimed to raise the profile of the efforts to fight Ebola and to thank the hundreds of organisations and thousands of health workers who have participated, he said.
    “Our goal is to see the last case identified and cured,” Ban told Reuters.

    “We would like to urge local communities that this is a temporary operation and we fully respect the cultural traditions but at this time it is important to abide by health protocols.”

    Traditional West African practices – such as washing the bodies of the dead by hand at funerals – have helped to spread the fever, which has no known cure.

    The death toll from the nine-month-old epidemic rose to 6,915 as of December 14, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The virus, which causes vomitting, diarrhea and bleeding in its final stages, is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of the sick.

    Rates of infection are rising fastest in Sierra Leone, which accounts for more than half of the 18,603 confirmed cases of the virus. Infection is spreading rapidly around the coastal capital Freetown, where some aid workers say public information efforts have lagged.

    Sierra Leone launched “Operation Western Area Surge” this week to contain the outbreak – with health workers passing street by street looking for the sick.

    Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had opened two new Ebola treatment centres in Sierra Leone to cope with the rise in cases – in Freetown and the central town of Magburaka, bringing its total in the country to four.

    “There is still a need to improve messaging about the disease. 70 per cent of people in our Freetown treatment centre got infected at funerals,” Thierry Goffeau, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Sierra Leone, told Reuters.

  • We can end Ebola outbreak in 2015 – Ban

    We can end Ebola outbreak in 2015 – Ban

    The deadly Ebola outbreak can be ended “by the middle of next year” if the world speeds up its response, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said.

    But he warned that although the rate of new cases was slowing in parts of West Africa, Mali – where six people have died – was now of deep concern.

    And the head of the UN Ebola mission, Anthony Banbury, said the world was “far away” from beating the virus.

    The BBC reports that Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have been worst hit by the Ebola outbreak.

    More than 5,400 people have died in those three countries, along with a handful of others in Nigeria, Mali, Spain and the United States.

    In a separate development, Liberian police said all the country’s beaches would be closed from 29 November until Liberia was declared free of Ebola.

    In a statement, the police said anyone using the beach in violation of the order would be prosecuted.

    Speaking at a meeting in Washington with officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr Ban said: “If we continue to accelerate our response, we can contain and end the outbreak by the middle of next year.”

    Meanwhile, the death toll in the Ebola epidemic has risen to 5,459 out of 15,351 cases identified in eight countries by the end of November 18, the WHO said on Friday.

    Reuters says the figures showed an increase of 39 recorded deaths and 106 new cases since those issued on Wednesday.

    “Transmission remains intense in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,” the WHO said, referring to the hardest-hit countries.

  • 2015 elections will meet global best practices – Jonathan

    2015 elections will meet global best practices – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the international community that next year’s general election in Nigeria will be conducted in accordance with global best practices.

    He gave the assurance at separate meetings with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban ki -Moon and the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, before leaving New York late Wednesday night.

    A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that President Jonathan reaffirmed his personal commitment to making elections in Nigeria progressively better, freer and more credible.

    In keeping with his administration’s dedication to openness and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, the President said that international observers will be allowed to freely monitor the 2015 elections in order to affirm that the elections are as free, fair and credible as promised by his administration.

    He thanked the UN chief and Mr. Cameron for their continuing support for Nigeria’s effort to curb terrorism, insurgency and violent extremism within its borders, saying the Federal Government will welcome even more assistance from Britain especially in the areas of intelligence sharing, anti- terrorism training and defence logistics.

    At a later meeting with the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, President Jonathan expressed Nigeria’s appreciation of the support it received from WHO for the successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

    Affirming that Nigeria was now Ebola-free, he called for greater international support to ensure that the virus is also eradicated from other West Africa countries presently battling with it.

    He said: “Nigeria is free of the virus now, but we know that to be permanently free from it, we must remain vigilant and work with WHO and the international community to eradicate it completely from our sub-region and forestall the possibility of its re-emergence on our shores through migration.”

    President Jonathan also assured her that despite hindrances by insurgents, terrorists and violent extremists, the government is fully committed to eradicating polio from Nigeria in the shortest possible time.

  • Gaza in critical condition, says UN chief

    Gaza in critical condition, says UN chief

    •Hospital, refugee camp hit

    UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged an immediate halt to violence in Gaza, saying the Palestinian territory is in a “critical condition”.

    “In the name of humanity, the violence must stop,” he told reporters.

    Shortly after he spoke, news agencies reported that the compound housing Gaza’s main hospital had been hit by an Israeli air strike.

    Israel launched an offensive against Hamas militants in the territory three weeks ago after a surge in rocket fire.

    Mr Ban, who spoke at UN HQ in New York after returning from a visit to the region, was critical of both sides for firing into civilian areas of the small coastal strip.

    He said Hamas had fired missiles into civilian areas of Israel, while Israeli forces had used high-explosive weapons in the crowded Gaza Strip.

    More than 1,030 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 43 Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians have been killed. A Thai national in Israel has also died.

    Mr Ban said the people of Gaza had nowhere to run to, and he emphasised that participants in conflicts had a responsibility to protect civilians.

    He reiterated the UN’s call for an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan.

    Both sides had behaved in an irresponsible, “morally wrong” fashion, Mr Ban said, in allowing the violence to continue despite the efforts of the UN and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

    More than 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes

    There were no Israeli air strikes overnight though they resumed in the morning after a rocket hit the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.

    Israel’s military launched three air strikes on rocket sites after the rocket attack on Ashkelon. A boy aged four was killed in one of the strikes, Gaza’s health ministry said.

    Rockets were also fired at the Sdot Negev and Eshkol districts of Israel, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports.

    An Israeli soldier was wounded in northern Gaza where the military wing of Hamas, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it had “clashed” with Israeli infantry.

    On Sunday night, the UN Security Council called for a “durable” truce based on an Egyptian initiative, under which a pause in hostilities would lead to substantive talks on the future of Gaza, including the opening of Gaza’s border crossings.

    The Palestinian representative at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said the statement did not go far enough and that a formal resolution was needed demanding that Israel withdraw its forces from Gaza.

    Israel’s ambassador Ron Prosor accused the Security Council statement of bias for not mentioning Hamas and the firing of rockets at Israel.

    Opinion polls published at the weekend suggest there is still widespread support among Israelis for the military operation.

    Israel launched its military offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping Hamas, the Islamist group which controls Gaza, firing rockets from Gaza into Israel.

    Fighting subsided in war-torn Gaza yesterday at the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr as world powers ramped up pressure on the warring sides to immediately end their 21-day confrontation.

    Following increasingly urgent calls by the UN and the US for an “immediate ceasefire,” a senior source in the West Bank said Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was heading to Cairo along with representatives of Hamas for fresh talks on ending the violence in Gaza.

    “Abbas is forming a Palestinian delegation including Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives to meet Egyptian leaders and discuss a halt to Israel’s aggression against Gaza,” the source told AFP, without saying when the talks would take place.

    “The aim is to examine with Egyptian leaders how to meet Palestinian demands and put an end to the aggression,” he said.

    Earlier US President Barack Obama phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to demand an “immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire”, in a call echoed several hours later by the UN Security Council.

    As diplomatic efforts intensified to broker an end to the bloodletting which has claimed over a thousand lives, both sides appeared to have settled into an undeclared ceasefire arrangement with the skies over Gaza mostly quiet.

    Military spokesman General Moti Almoz described the calm as “an unlimited lull” but warned that the army was ready to resume its activity at any time.

    The army said two rockets had struck Israel since midnight (2100 GMT) while in Gaza, an AFP correspondent confirmed there had been no overnight air strikes, although sporadic raids resumed in the afternoon with a 4-year-old boy and another person killed by tank shelling near the northern town of Jabaliya.

    Another three succumbed to their wounds overnight, raising the death toll in Gaza to 1,037.

    There was little mood for celebration in Gaza City as the three-day festival of Eid al-Fitr that ends the holy fasting month of Ramadan got under way.

    Several hundred people arrived for early-morning prayers at the Al-Omari mosque, bowing and solemnly whispering their worship. But instead of going to feast with relatives, most went straight home while others went to pay their respects to the dead.

    Among them was Ahed Shamali whose 16-year-old son was killed by a tank shell several days ago.

    “He was just a kid,” he said, standing by the grave. “This is the Eid of the martyrs.”

    Meanwhile in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, some 45,000 worshippers rallied in support of war-torn Gaza as they gathered for the Eid prayers, police and an AFP correspondent said.

    Early on Monday, the UN Security Council appealed for both sides to accept an “immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire” to permit the urgent delivery of aid, in a non-binding statement which elicited disappointment from the Palestinian envoy.

    The UN statement came after Obama phoned Netanyahu to stress “the strategic imperative” of implementing an immediate humanitarian truce.

    Despite the relative calm on the ground, a diplomatic row was brewing between Israel and Washington over US efforts to end the violence, which on Friday saw the Israeli cabinet unilaterally rejecting a truce proposal laid out by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

     

  • South Sudan rebel leader ‘will do best’ to attend peace talksm – Ki-moon

    South Sudan rebel leader ‘will do best’ to attend peace talksm – Ki-moon

    Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar had been invited to Ethiopia for peace talks and would “try his best” to go by the end of the week.

    Ban, the second world leader to visit Juba in less than a week to mediate between the warring sides, said he was told by Machar that his remote location could prevent him reaching Addis Ababa by May 9, when he and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir had been asked to arrive.

    “I expect the prime minister (of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn) will facilitate dialogue between the two leaders,” Ban told a news conference in Juba, after saying Kiir had confirmed his readiness to meet Machar.

    An advisor to Desalegn also said Machar had given his word to the prime minister that he would attend.

    “He is 100 percent willing to come to Addis to discuss issues of peace, including talks with President Salva Kiir,” Getachew Reda told Reuters.

     

  • Make vector control a priority-Ki-moon

    Make vector control a priority-Ki-moon

    Countries and development partners have been urged  to make vector control a priority.
    The call was made in the message of the Secretary-General, the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon while marking this year’s World Health Day, yesterday in Lagos. The theme was “Small bite, big threat”.
    Mr Ki-Moon, represented by National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun said everyone has a role to play in the fight against vector-borne diseases, including international organisations, governments, the private sector, civil society, community groups and individuals.
    “On this World Health Day, I urge countries and development partners to make vector control a priority.  Let us work together to tackle this serious but eminently preventable threat to human health and development.
    “Every year more than one million people die from diseases carried by mosquitoes, flies, ticks and other insects, such as triatomine bugs.  These vector-borne diseases, which include malaria, dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, cause chronic illness and immense suffering for hundreds of millions more,” said  Ki-Moon
    He said climate change, altered habitats and increased international trade and travel are exposing more people to the vectors that transmit these diseases.
    “They present a risk in all regions, including countries where the threat had formerly been eradicated, but the most affected are the world’s poorest people, especially those who live in remote rural communities far from health services or in urban shanty towns.  By profoundly affecting people’s health, vector-borne diseases are a serious impediment to poverty reduction and sustainable development.
    “Sustained political commitment can save millions of lives and yield substantial social and economic returns.  But it is important to recognize that vector control goes beyond the health sector.  Poorly planned development initiatives — such as forest clearance, dam construction or irrigation to boost food production — may increase the disease burden.  Addressing this issue demands an integrated, coherent and united effort across many sectors, including the environment, agriculture, water and sanitation, urban planning and education,” the UN Secretary General stated.