The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday established a sanctions regime for South Sudan but stopped short of imposing worldwide travel bans and asset freezes on officials in the conflict-torn country.
Reuters says the Council unanimously adopted resolution, drafted by the United States and threatened to blacklist anyone undermining security or interfering with the peace process after March 5 and April 1 deadlines set by the regional East African IGAD bloc.
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday urged West and Central African countries to improve regional military coordination to more effectively combat Boko Haram militants in northern Nigeria.
Boko Haram has become the main security threat facing Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, and increasingly threatens neighboring countries, Reuters says.
The African Union has authorized a force of 7,500 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to fight the insurgents.
In a statement, the UN Security Council welcomed a meeting in Cameroon from Thursday to Saturday to finalize how the force will operate. Diplomats said once that is complete, the AU is likely to ask for UN Security Council support.
Nigeria and Chad are currently both members of the Security Council.
Boko Haram insurgents seek to create an Islamist emirate in northern Nigeria, and killed some 10,000 people last year.
Chad has already deployed some 2,500 troops to the regional force that will take on the militant group.
Chadian troops clashed with Boko Haram fighters in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gambaru on Tuesday in a bid to break the insurgents’ grip on the town bordering Cameroon.
The UN Security Council “noted that the Chadian military counterattack against Boko Haram into Nigerian territory was conducted with the consent and the collaboration of Nigeria whose territorial integrity remained intact.”
The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned the April 19 terrorist attack against Algerian nationals in Tizi Ouzou, which left several people dead or seriously injured.
A statement issued in New York by the council’s President for the month of April and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu, expressed sympathy with families of the victims.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need to combat all threats to international peace and security, caused by terrorists, in accordance with relevant international laws.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Council also reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, was “criminal and unjustifiable.”
It said that perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism should be brought to justice and urged all states to cooperate actively with the Algerian authorities in this regard.
The council also reminded states to ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism complied with all their obligations under international law, particularly on human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.
The 15-member United Nations Security Council has condemned the Monday bomb explosion in a bus station in Abuja that killed 71 persons and injured 124 others.
Members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations was criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation.
They said in a press statement on Tuesday in New York that “wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the UN Council reaffirmed the need to combat threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice,’’ the statement said.
The UN Secretary –General, Ban Ki-moon, had earlier expressed shock at the attack.
He strongly condemned all indiscriminate killings and acts of violent extremism.
Nigeria on Tuesday assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for April.
Mrs Joy Ogwu, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, took over the role from Mr Sylvie Lucas, Luxembourg’s representative.
Nigeria was elected on Oct. 17, 2013 by the UN General Assembly as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for 2014-2015.
This is the fifth time Nigeria would be representing West Africa on the UN body. It was elected to serve on the council in 1966-67, 1978-79, 1994-1995 and 2010-2011.
Ogwu listed her priority for April to include three open debates to address the Middle East, women, peace and security and on the initiative of Nigeria, maintenance of international peace and security.
She also said other issues that could be taken up included the Central African Republic and Ukraine.
Under the UN Charter, the 15-member Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The council is composed of five permanent members – China, United States, Britain, France, and Russia and 10 non-permanent members.
The presidency of the Council rotates among the members on a monthly basis according to the English-language alphabetical order of the countries’ names.
The Federal Government should seize the opportunity of Nigeria’s membership of the United Nations Security Council to pave the way for the country to become a permanent member of the Council, the Senate said yesterday.
The upper chamber also said that the country should mobilise resources as well as assemble well-meaning Nigerians to work towards the realisation of the country’s aspiration to become permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The lawmakers stated this as it unanimously resolved to congratulate the country for its election to the UN Security Council.
Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, who brought a motion on the election of Nigeria to the UN Security Council, noted that on Thursday, 17th October, 2013, the UN General Assembly elected Nigeria to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning from January 1, next year.
Ndoma-Egba noted that the October 17 election was the fifth time since independence in 1960 the country will be elected to the UN Security Council.
The Cross River Central Senator observed that the election was the second time Nigeria will be elected to the position under the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, the first being in 2010-2011.
He noted that with the election, Nigeria has once again been placed at the centre stage of global politics
He prayed the Senate to resolve to congratulate President Jonathan, the government and people of Nigeria on the landmark achievement.
The prayer was unanimously adopted.
Senate President David Mark noted that the fact that Nigeria had been elected into the Council consecutively is an indication of the recognition of the country.
He noted that the important thing is that “whoever is our representative in the Council must be alert, up and doing and up to the task.”
The United Nations Security Council is riddled with double standards and has failed the Middle East, Saudi Arabia said Friday as it rejected an offer to join the body.
In a statement published by the Saudi foreign ministry, the kingdom claimed that the council is incapable of keeping the peace internationally.
“To have the Palestinian cause remaining without a fair and permanent solution for 65 years, which resulted in several wars that threatened international peace and security, is evidence and proof of (the) Security Council’s inability to perform his duties and responsibilities,” CNN quoted the ministry as saying in the statement.
It also blamed the Security Council for not preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region – especially nuclear weapons, a likely allusion to Saudi Arabia’s adversarial neighbor Iran.
Lastly, the kingdom brought up the civil war in Syria, blaming the UN for not punishing the government after a poison gas attack there killed hundreds of civilians.
Saudi Arabia backed the Syrian rebels and called for the overthrow of autocratic Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Nigeria should tackle the basics at home before seeking grand distractions abroad
President Goodluck Jonathan’s call for a non-permanent seat, in the 2014-2015 session of United Nations Security Council is legitimate and fair. But before the country can lead a credible campaign for the democratisation of that body – that principle is infallible – it must settle the basics at home. This is one area where foreign aspirations must help propel better governance at home, if the whole exercise were not to turn a grand distraction.
In making a demand for the non-permanent seat, President Jonathan did a brilliant presentation. Addressing other world leaders and delegates at the opening of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, in New York, United States on September 24, the president announced that both the African bloc, through the African Union (AU), and the West African bloc, through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have endorsed Nigeria’s aspiration. Therefore, support from other blocs in the global body should come as routine. That was well pitched.
But beyond regional support, Nigeria’s perennial support to the United Nations, in terms of global and regional peace-keeping missions, is another strong recommendation. If the Security Council drives these peace missions on behalf of the General Assembly, and Nigeria had always contributed contingents to keep and enforce peace in trouble spots all over, then it makes eminent sense for Nigeria to seek election into the Security Council.
This is a legitimate request that the president has well articulated. What must follow is effective diplomatic lobby to make the aspiration a reality.
But the much more difficult campaign is the democratisation of the UN Security Council. “Democratisation” is euphemism for either total equality of the 15 members without any member wielding veto powers as it is now; or Nigeria landing one of the permanent member seats, for the African Region too to hold some veto in the Council’s affairs and decisions.
To be sure, the principle of democratising decision-making in the Council is fair and just. It is an ideal that should be pursued, no matter how long it takes. Of all the 15 members, the Big Five including Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States hold the veto. So, no matter how reasonable or equitable or urgent a matter is, it suffers a fatal kiss should any of the five wield its veto.
Often, the veto has led to some balance of terror, resulting in delayed or even scuttling of actions, particularly when the Big Five members have ideological differences. But at times too, it has led to a conspiracy of the strong against the weak, which often buys poisoned peace, all too soon coming back to haunt the global community.
But even with the Big Five having veto power to cancel out themselves, it is always a roiling point that they are only one-third minority, dictating tunes to the two-third majority. The Big Five insist it is equitable, since they bear the brunt of any action the Council might decide to take – a not unreasonable argument.
But the “Weak” 10, on behalf of other members of the United Nations, counter it is patently undemocratic, for always being lorded over. There is, therefore, the difference between the pragmatic and the ideal.
For Nigeria to lead the campaign for such democratisation therefore, it must equip itself. It must build its economy. It must develop its people. It must earn enough international economic clout, prestige and respect to command global attention in the matter.
Ironically, the place of attaining such lofty goals is at home, not abroad. If the Big Five have literally muscled the global community into accepting the Council’s veto system, they base the “equitability” of the apparently unjust action on the likelihood of losing more than the non-permanent members, in case of any adverse consequences. That is no illegitimate argument, except of course the majority members in the Council can build themselves and effectively counteract the argument. They obviously can’t – at least, for now.
For Nigeria to make a bid for a permanent seat in the Council, therefore, and to angle for veto as the rest, it must fix the basics at home. The sad fact is that among the three contestants for the post in Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa, Nigeria, on the basis of socio-economic development indices, appears the least placed. Yet, it is not only the best centrally placed (virtually right at the heart of the continent), it is also the most populous – both in Africa and in the entire Black universe.
But neither the accident of geography nor the boom of population is enough. What is needed is birthing a country that functions well, meets the developmental needs of its citizens, forge its own economic niche, deliver local productivity and prosperity and earn respect among the comity of nations.
With such a profile, when Nigeria speaks, the world will listen. With renewed economic power, Nigeria can then challenge the “equitability” theory of the Permanent Five. It too can claim that it deserves more from the international system, since it has much to lose if it goes awry.
So, there is nothing wrong with Nigeria aspiring to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. But it must take the first steps by putting right the home front. Otherwise, such foreign aspiration would be nothing but grand distraction.
The United Nations Security Council has called for a com-prehensive regional approach to combat the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea.
It also reiterated its call on Member States to prosecute perpetrators in accordance with international laws.
“The Security Council expresses its deep concern at the reported number of incidents and level of violence of acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, in the first half of 2013,” the 15-member body said in a presidential statement.
The Council also reiterated its deep concern about the threat to international navigation, the security and economic development of states in the region, to the safety and welfare of seafarers and other persons, as well as the safety of commercial maritime routes, caused by the illegal activities off the western coast of Africa.
It also noted that international law, as reflected in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, sets out the legal framework applicable to activities in the ocean, including countering piracy and armed robbery at sea.
In the statement, the Council reiterated its calls on States in the region to criminalise piracy and armed robbery at sea under their domestic law, and to prosecute perpetrators, consistent with applicable international law, including international human rights law.
In addition, it urged the need to investigate and prosecute “anyone who incites or intentionally facilitates such crimes, including key figures of criminal networks involved in piracy who illicitly plan, organise, facilitate, or finance and profit from such attacks.”
The Council noted that neighbouring governments and regional organisations have taken steps to combat piracy. Most recently, Western African leaders met in June at the Summit of the Gulf of Guinea Heads of State and Government on maritime safety and security in Cameroon to establish an effective framework to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea.
At the Summit, participants adopted the ‘Code of Conduct concerning the Prevention and Repression of Piracy, Armed Robbery against Ships, and Illegal Maritime Activities in West and Central Africa’, which defines the regional maritime security strategy and paves the way for a legally binding instrument. The Council welcomed this move and encouraged the regional members to sign and implement the Code “as soon as possible.”
The Council also welcomed recent regional efforts between the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC).
These include a plan to establish an inter-regional centre in Cameroon responsible for coordinating the implementation of the regional strategy for maritime safety and security.
European Foreign Ministers on Friday called for greater representation of countries in the United Nations Security Council.
German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, Netherland Foreign Minister, Uri Rosenthal, and Malta Deputy Prime Minister, Tonio Borg, made the call at the ongoing debate of the 67 General Assembly of the UN.
They urged the Security Council to adapt to a dynamic and changing world.
“We will weaken the Security Council if we fail to adapt it to today’s world. It cannot be that Latin America and Africa have no permanent seats in the Security Council or that dynamic Asia has only one seat.
“That does not reflect the realities of today’s world, and more especially, it does not reflect the realities of tomorrow’s world. The challenges are too great for us to simply accept the status quo,” Westerwelle said.
On the crisis in Syria, the German Foreign Minister said that the Security Council had failed to live up to its responsibility to protect the people in that country and called on the Council to break its diplomatic deadlock.
The News Agency of Nigeria says he warned that the escalating violence in the Middle Eastern country risked engulfing the entire region.
“As we Germans have experienced what it is to lack freedom in the course of our own history, we will always stand by those who, wherever they are in the world, call for freedom.
“Our values and our interests compel us to take the side of those around the world who are fighting peacefully for freedom, dignity, and self-determination,” he said.