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Tag: UN

  • UN: Children, women carry out 75 per cent of suicide attacks in Nigeria

    UN: Children, women carry out 75 per cent of suicide attacks in Nigeria

    At least 75 per cent of the suicide attacks in Nigeria this year were carried out by women or children, the United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) said yesterday.

    Twenty seven attacks took place in the first five months of this year, according to the UN agency.

    Nine suicide attacks since July 2014, have been conducted by children between the ages of seven and 17, it added.

    Last week, a 10-year-old girl carried out a suicide attack in  Damaturu, Yobe State. No fewer than seven people were killed and more than 30 injured in the bombing.

    “Children are not instigating these suicide attacks; they are used intentionally by adults in the most horrific way,” UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Jean Gough said.

    Most of the suicide attacks are affiliated with the Boko Haram which has been active in Nigeria since 2009.

     

  • UN to honour peacekeepers

    The United Nations (UN) is to honour four Nigerians, who lost their lives while serving as peacekeepers in Liberia and Senegal.

    The honour is part of activities to celebrate the ‘International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers’ on Friday.

    This is seventh year  that the organisation will honour more than 100 “blue helmets”.

    Similarly, the 126 peacekeepers – military, police and civilian – who lost their lives last year- will posthumously receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.

    The International Day was established by the General Assembly in 2002, in tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping operations and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives.

    The Assembly designated May 29 as the day in 1948 when the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO), the world body’s first peacekeeping mission, began operations in Palestine.

    This year’s Peacekeepers Day falls during the significant 70th anniversary of the United Nations.

    “offering a chance to honour the Blue Helmets’ invaluable contribution to the proud history of the Organisation and to reaffirm our commitment to make them even more effective in the years ahead. Thus, the theme for this year is ‘UN at 70:  Peacekeeping:  Past, Present, and Future’.”

    In a message to mark the Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “United Nations peacekeeping has given life to the UN Charter’s aim “to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security”. Through years of struggle and sacrifice, the iconic Blue Helmet has earned its place as a symbol of hope to millions of people living in war-ravaged lands.”

     

     

  • UN@70, empowers Nigerian women

    UN@70, empowers Nigerian women

    As part of activities to mark the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations (UN) as well as the Post-2015 Development Agenda, over 152 women were trained on how to become better homemakers.

    The training on ‘Homemakers Lifestyle and Empowerment Workshop’ organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos and Brightlight Studios was themed: ‘A Better Me’.

    Defying the biting fuel scarcity in Nigeria, the women clad in beautiful dresses turned up in their numbers to be a part of the programme which also contributes to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3: Promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

    In his welcome address the Director of UNIC Lagos, Ronald Kayanja, reiterated that women remained a priority group for the United Nations and reassured that the organisation would continue to make a positive difference to the lives of millions of people especially in terms of vaccinating children and distributing food aid.

    The UNIC Director also mentioned sheltering refugees, deploying peacekeepers, protecting the environment, seeking peaceful resolution of disputes and supporting democratic elections, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law as other on the UN priority list.

    Quoting the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, Kayanja noted that “The theme of this anniversary year: ‘Strong UN: Better World’, captures the importance of multilateralism. This is a time of test but far more one of tremendous opportunities.”

    Represented by the UNIC National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun, Mr Kayanja further said that the empowerment workshop aligned with the message of the UN Secretary-General on UN@70 that the United Nations looks forward to working with people everywhere to build lives of safety, prosperity and dignity for all.

    The Homemakers Lifestyle and Empowerment Workshop featured the business side of beauty which included Make-up skills and head-gear (Gele) tying lessons; Marriage/Relationship Counselling; Building a Successful Fashion Designing Business; and the Art and Science of making Desserts, Cocktails and Mocktails.

    The programme also featured exhibition of women’s products from the cultural industry; beauty products; Cakes and Pastries and women wellness products among others.

    Exhibition - Cultural industry
    Exhibition of some wares at the workshop

    Having been asked to bring along their gele for the lesson on Head-gear tying which is gradually developing to be a thriving business in the country, the women brought out their different, colourful head-tie to go through the process of tying elegant, head-turning ‘Gele’.

    The ‘Gele’ tying session appeared to be the climax of the workshop as all the women looked upbeat and determined to learn the art of tying the head-gear.

    A participant, Ms Olaitan Ajilogba, expressed her delight that she eventually mastered the process after a long trial during the session and ‘tied a beautiful and glamorous head-gear.’

    Similarly, another participant, Ms Aisha Joy Omosun, noted that the Make-up session was very instructive and educating and would add both social and economic values to the women.

    Consequently, Ms Lanre Anjola-Oyebode, Executive Director of Brightlight Studios, who had earlier explained the rationale behind the programme, said it was meant to grow the number of women who are economically independent and sufficiently empowered to support their husbands in raising educated and morally upright children.

  • U.N investigates reports of executions, abuses in Mali

    The United Nations said on Friday it was investigating reports of serious human rights abuses, including the execution of civilians, in northern Mali following clashes this week between northern Tuareg separatist rebels and pro-government militia.

    U.N-brokered peace efforts in Mali’s north are in danger of unravelling because of repeated violations of a ceasefire between the Tuareg-led Coordination of Movements of Azawad (CMA) and the pro-government factions around the flashpoint northern town of Menaka.

    The clashes on Thursday killed at least six civilians, including a Malian aid worker, rebels and a local source told Reuters.

    The U.N mission in Mali said on Friday it had sent a team of investigators to verify reports of serious abuses and the execution of civilians, possibly including an aid worker in Tin-Hamma, in Gao region.

    “These abuses followed the clashes on May 20 between members of the Platform (pro-government militia) and the Coordination of Movements of Azawad,” the mission said.

    The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, a member of the CMA coalition, said in a statement that nine people including two who worked for international aid agencies were arrested by pro-government militia and executed. It added that several others were missing.

    “The execution took place in public, at the town’s cattle market and the bodies were still exposed in the public square as of 1500 GMT,” MNLA said in the statement, listing the names of the nine.

  • Insurgency: UN expresses displease

    Insurgency: UN expresses displease

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon has expressed a deep concern over the continuous attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on civilians.

    The Secretary-General was troubled by the continuing indiscriminate and horrific attacks by Boko Haram against civilian populations in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

    He regrets that in spite of the military gains made by the affected countries, Boko Haram continues its wanton destruction and killing of civilians.

    The UN boss is appalled by the continued abductions and use of children as ‘human bombs’, as well as the testimony that many of the girls and women held by Boko Haram were repeatedly raped while in captivity.

    He also expressed displease over the fact that these girls and women were compelled to marry their captors as part of a campaign of forced imprisonment and sexual violence.

    “The perpetrators of these despicable acts must be brought to justice,” he said, calling on the Government of Nigeria to scale up the provision of medical and psychosocial support to the survivors.

    The Secretary-General is also deeply concerned over the further displacement of some 40,000 civilians in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria in the last three weeks.

    He therefore urged members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin to advance the operationalization of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), and create a secure environment for the safe and voluntary return, resettlement or integration of displaced persons and refugees.

    In addition, he urged concerned states to ensure that all measures taken to address the terrorist threat of Boko Haram are conducted in line with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

    “To be remotely effective, the response to this threat has to go beyond a purely military one.  Legitimate grievances, past and current human rights violations, and the root causes of the conflict must also be addressed,” he summed.

  • UN praises Ondo healthcare

    UN praises Ondo healthcare

    The representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Nigeria,  Mrs  Ratidzai  Nahlovu, has recommended that Ondo State should be projected as the face of the country in terms of qualitative health care delivery.

    Mrs. Nahlovu made the recommendation yesterday when she led a delegation to visit Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the Government House in Akure.

    She said: “I was conducted round some health facilities by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju. These facilities portray Ondo State as the cynosure for health sector transformation in Nigeria.

    “Our visit revealed that Governor Mimiko has done so much for the people in the provision of quality health care service.”

    In his response,  Mimiko said his administration will ensure that more  health care services are  accessible to the citizenry.

     

  • ECOWAS, UN hail Jonathan at farewell

    •Mahama laments non-rescue of Chibok girls

    THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United Nations (UN) have lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for peaceful and successful conduct of the nation’s last general elections and promptly conceding defeat to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS and President of Ghana John Mahama Dramani gave the commendation on behalf of the community’s leaders at the 47th Ordinary Session of the Authority in Accra, Ghana.

    The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, in a message by read by his Special Representative, Muhammed Ibn Chambas, also praised Jonathan for his contributions to regional peace and security.

    According to Mahama, Jonathan’s place will be special whenever the history of Nigeria’s democracy is written.

    He congratulated Buhari for his victory at the March 28 presidential election.

    The Ghanaian president noted that the success of the Nigerian election and that of Togo has sent a strong message to the world that the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance was working.

    He lauded the progress recorded in the fight against Boko Haram, noting that atrocities committed by the insurgents were unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

    He regretted that Chibok girls have remained in the custody of the insurgents despite the rescue of over 1,000 people.

    He said: “People, especially of Northeast Nigeria, have been subjected to a reign of terror.

    “Today, thanks to the African Union (AU) and the multinational Joint Task Force formed by the Lake Chad Basin countries, a lot of progress has been made in the fight against Boko Haram.

    “We are pleased to note the success in liberating the territories that Boko Haram dominated and the release of over 1,000 people mostly women and children.

    “The fight is however far from over. We have not yet secured the release of the young Chibok girls and Boko Haram has shown that it still has the capacity to counter attack.”

    Ki-Moon said: “As this marks the final summit of President Jonathan, I wish to send our sincere appreciation for his valuable contributions to regional integration, maintenance of peace and security in West Africa, most notably in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Mali.”

    The UN Secretary General commended the smooth conduct of general elections in Nigeria and Togo with the close cooperation of ECOWAS.

    While recognizing the joint effort of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in the fight against Boko Haram, he paid tribute to the soldiers that lost their lives and expressed the world body’s deepest condolences to their families.

    The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, noted the credibility Nigeria has brought to ECOWAS with the just concluded general election.

    He said the commission would never forget the contributions of Jonathan to the management and resolution of crises in West Africa.

    He said: “I am confident that nothing will come to make us forget the great pride Nigeria has brought us only a few weeks ago.”

    The regional leaders are expected to extend the mandate of the ECOWAS Security Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB) and approve the 2015 budget for the mission.

    Present at the meeting were the leaders of Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Republic of Benin.

  • 2015 polls: ECOWAS, UN hail Jonathan

    2015 polls: ECOWAS, UN hail Jonathan

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the peaceful and successful conduct of the last general election in Nigeria and for promptly conceding defeat to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), who was later declared winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS and President of Ghana, John Mahama Dramani, gave the commendation during the opening address at the 47th Ordinary Session of the Authority in Accra, Ghana

    According to him, Jonathan’s place will be special whenever the history of Nigeria’s democracy is written.

    He also congratulated Buhari for his victory in the March 28 presidential election.

    The Ghanaian president pointed out that the success of the Nigerian election and that of Togo had sent a strong message to the world that the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance was working.

    He said: “Ladies and gentlemen, at our summit, I informed you that five member states of our sub-region would hold election this year. We are extremely proud of the elections held so far in two of our member states.

    “I salute the people of Nigeria and Togo for the peaceful elections held in those countries. This sends a strong message to the world that our protocol on democracy and good governance is effective and has strengthened the rule of law in our sub-region.

    “Let me on your behalf take this opportunity to highly commend our brother, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his personal show of mature statesmanship in the event that followed the presidential election held in Nigeria.

    “I believe his name will be recorded in a special place when the history of Nigeria’s democracy comes to be written.

    “Let me also on this occasion salute Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for his victory in the presidential election.”

    He also commended the progress recorded in the fight against Boko Haram, noting that the sect’s atrocities were unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

    He regretted that Chibok girls have remained in the custody of the insurgents despite the rescue of over 1,000 people.

    In a message by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, read by his Special Representative, Muhammed Ibn Chambas, he also praised Jonathan for his contributions to regional peace and security.

    “As this marks the final summit of President Goodluck Jonathan, I wish to send our sincere appreciation for his valuable contributions to regional integration, maintenance of peace and security in West Africa, most notably in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Mali,” he said.

    The UN Scribe also commended the smooth conduct of general elections in Nigeria and Togo with the close cooperation of ECOWAS.

     

  • Protesters want Burundi president’s third term bid halted

    Protesters want Burundi president’s third term bid halted

    Protest organisers in Burundi on Wednesday urged African leaders meeting in Tanzania to demand that their president halt his bid for a third term, a development that has triggered the nation’s worst crisis since an ethnically-fuelled civil war ended in 2005.

    Protesters have taken to the streets for more than two weeks saying Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for another five years violates the constitution and the Arusha peace deal that ended the civil war.

    Both documents limit a president to two terms, Reuters says.

    More than 20 people have been killed since unrest erupted, according to an unofficial count by activists.

    East African leaders and a top official from continental heavyweight South Africa met in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam to discuss the crisis that has already spilled over into a region with a history of ethnic conflict.

    More than 50,000 people have fled to neighbouring states. The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said the crisis was heading towards a “worst case scenario” that could see 300,000 people fleeing, some to other parts of Burundi and others abroad.

    That would mean displacing about three percent of the 10 million-strong population in one of Africa’s most crowded nations.

    “We expect the east African heads of state to tell President Nkurunziza that the constitution of Burundi and the Arusha peace agreement do not allow him to run for a third term,” Pacifique Nininahazwe, a civil society activist and protest leader, told Reuters.

    Nkurunziza, 51, who once led a rebel group from the majority Hutu population against the minority Tutsi-led army in the war, has pointed to a constitutional court ruling that said his first term did not count as he was chosen by lawmakers, not voted in.

  • NEMA, UN officials, others visit victims

    NEMA, UN officials, others visit victims

    THE Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mallam Sani Sidi, has visited victims rescued from Sambisa Forest, who are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola.

    He was accompanied by the United Nations Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Dauda Traure, and Adamawa State Deputy Governor Saad MC Tahir.

    Sidi sympathised with the 22 victims who were in critical conditions and donated drugs for their treatments.

    The FMC officials, led by Prof Auwal Abubakar, who received the drugs, said nine of the victims were in serious conditions.

    The medical team said the patients have been operated upon because of wounds from bullets and bomb blasts, adding they were responding to treatments.

    The NEMA and UN delegation also visited the Malkohi camp, where the NEMA DG also donated drugs.

    He urged the Sambisa returnees to remain calm as the Federal Government was determined to salvage their situation through adequate feeding and treatment.

    Sidi told the 275 women and children that NEMA had contracted tailors to sow clothes for them.

    He said the Federal Government required assistance from people around the world to take care of the Internally Displaced Persons in all the 4,000 camps in the country.

     The UN Coordinator directed United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to begin sanitation exercise at the Malkohi camp because of the open defecation by children to avoid an outbreak of diseases.

    He assured the victims that the UN would do everything possible to ensure that they were resettled after fully recovering from the trauma of been kidnapped and tortured by Boko Haram.