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Tag: UN

  • CAR conflict: UN warns 19,000 Muslims ‘face slaughter’

    The United Nation’s refugee agency has expressed fear for the lives of thousands of Muslims at risk of getting “slaughtered” by Christian militia in the Central African Republic.

    The UNHCR said it was trying to evacuate some 19,000 Muslims from areas near the capital, Bangui.

    Nearly 16,000 people had fled their homes in Bangui in the past 10 days amid an upsurge of violence, it added.

    Unrest broke out after Seleka rebels ousted the president in March 2013.

    Despite the deployment of some 6,000 African Union and 2,000 French troops in the country, violence has continued unabated.

    The conflict has taken on an increasingly sectarian nature, with UN human rights chief Navi Pillay earlier warning that hatred between Christians and Muslims in CAR had reached a “terrifying level”.

    Yesterday, the UNHCR said it was particularly concerned for Muslims who had fled to the so-called PK12 district in Bangui. Other danger zones include Carnot, Berberati, Boda and Bossangoa – cities all currently surrounded by Christian militia known as the anti-Balaka.

    “UNHCR stands ready to assist with their evacuation to safer areas within or outside the country,” spokeswoman Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba said.

    “We don’t want to stand by and watch people being slaughtered.”

    She added that “the only thing keeping them from being killed right now” was the presence of French and African Union troops.

     

    The announcement comes just days after Chadian troops deployed in CAR opened fire on residents of mainly Christian neighbourhoods in northern Bangui, killing at least 24 people.

     

    The International Committee of the Red Cross describes the situation in the country as one of constant danger, and one where all basic services have collapsed, the BBC’s Imogen Foulkes, in Geneva, reports.

    There have been widespread reports of horrific attacks, including acts of cannibalism and children’s heads being cut off.

    In February, Amnesty International said militia attacks had led to a “Muslim exodus of historic proportions”.

  • Boko Haram: Mark seeks UN support

    Boko Haram: Mark seeks UN support

    President of the Senate David Mark Thursday asked the United Nations (UN) to intervene and indeed rescue Nigeria from the clutches of insurgency bringing the nation to her kneels.

    Mark told the visiting Deputy Secretary General of UN , Mr. Jan Eliasson in Abuja that  the security challenges facing the country demands support and assistance from the UN.

    The Senate President, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, said: “We are pained by what is happening to us. The security challenge is enormous.

    “We truly need assistance from the UN to tackle the situation. If somebody had told me that Nigeria would face this kind of security challenge five years ago, I would have dismissed it.

    “Our security operatives are applying minimal force to address the situation. We are also appealing to the perpetrators to see reasons and give peace a chance.”

    He also told the UN boss, that Nigeria rightly deserve a permanent member at the UN Security Council and urged the global body to help Nigeria realize the ambition.

    Mark was further quoted to have said that: “Nigeria will continue to play key roles in international and regional affairs. We have excellent record in peace keeping operations.”

    The Senate President also requested the UN to put measures in place to help industrialize Nigeria as part of efforts to create job opportunities and engage the growing army of unemployed youths.

    He said Nigeria would continue to identify her challenges with a view to finding solutions to them.

    The Deputy Secretary General of the UN appreciated Nigeria for the continued support and cooperation to the global body.

    Eliasson noted that the UN anchors its operations on the peace, security, development, human rights,  justices and rule of law which he asked Nigeria to uphold.

    He promised that the UN would map out strategies to help Nigeria tackle the menace of terrorism now assuming a dangerous dimension in the land.

    He pointed out that the terrorists have the antics of harassment and intimidation to achieve their purpose but cautioned Nigeria not to be provoked or intimidated but confront them headlong.

    To Eliasson, Nigeria is a strategic partner to the UN  both at the regional and global perspective.

    “We, on our side will extend our cooperation to you,” he added.

    He said the UN building in Abuja destroyed by terrorists in 2011 was being rebuilt and asked for adequate security to forestall a recurrence.

  • Ihedioha seeks UN’s financial support for elections

    Ihedioha seeks UN’s financial support for elections

    The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has urged the United Nations to financially support the 2015 elections.

    Ihedioha, who spoke when a delegation of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs visited the House, said the funds would enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to successfully conduct the poll.

    The UN delegation visit, led by Mr. Tadjoudine Ali-Diabacte, Deputy Director, UN’s Department of Political Affairs (Electoral Assistance Division), was not unconnected with the coming elections.

    The Deputy Speaker, while observing that the estimate of INEC in the 2014 budget for the conduct of elections in 2014 and 2015 was inadequate, called on the UN to aid INEC financially to enable the electoral body conduct free and fair elections.

    His words: “The budgetary recommendation made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, appears insufficient. Therefore the request made by the INEC chairman for UN’s financial request is in order. We would appreciate UN’s financial assistance towards boosting our electoral process.”

    Ihedioha said the House Constitution Review Panel reviewed Section 202 of the constitution, thereby transferring the power to conduct local government elections from the State Independent Electoral Commission to INEC, to deepen democracy and ensure that council elections are conducted in a fair and free manner.

     

    He sought UN assistance towards ensuring an improvement in the nation’s electoral process, stability of the polity and consolidation of democracy.

    Ali-Diabacte said their visit was based on the need to get parliamentary input on how UN would assist the country to ensure a better election next year, based on the request made by INEC and Jega.

    He said the UN was ready to support next year’s election, adding that the success of democracy in Nigeria would affect other African nations positively.

     

  • UN gets report on broken food systems

    The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur, Olivier De Schutter has warned that food systems are efficient only from the point of view of maximising agribusiness profits and must be radically and democratically redesigned.

    He spoke at the presentation of his final report to the UN after a six-year term.

    He said: “At the local, national and international levels, the policy environment must urgently accommodate alternative, democratically-mandated visions.

    “Objectives such as supplying diverse, culturally-acceptable foods to communities, supporting smallholders, sustaining soil and water resources, and raising food security within particularly vulnerable areas, must not be crowded out by the one-dimensional quest to produce more food,” De Schutter said.

    “Of course, significant progress has been achieved in boosting agricultural production. But this has hardly reduced the number of hungry people,” he said.

    The report highlights the importance of demand-side issues. It suggests mitigating the negative impacts of industrial production by discouraging the increase in demand for meat, encouraging methods such as rethinking taxes and subsidies to “discourage the most polluting modes of production and to encourage the shift from ruminants to poutry for a more efficient conversion of cereals into meat protein” or improving land and manure management.

    It also stresses the need to improve the efficiency of food systems by reducing waste and loss, which has been estimated at about one third of the total produced for human consumption.

     

     

     

    “In low income countries, losses occur primarily as a result of inadequate storage and packaging and processing facilities, and a poor connection of farmers to markets, resulting in economic losses for food producers. In contrast, the levels of per capita food waste are much higher in rich countries than in developing countries: while a consumer in subSaharan Africa or South and South-East Asia wastes from 6 to 11 kg per year, this amount is between 95 and 115 kg per year in Europe and North America. These inefficiencies result in food production exerting a much higher pressure on natural resources than would otherwise occur.”

    To combat this issue, measures such as improved storage facilities, assistance to farmers to help them organize in a way that avoids overproduction, avoiding reliance of foods that meet a certain quality of appearance, and developing direct farmer-to-consumer marketing.

    With regards to seeds, the report states, “”Guaranteeing food security in the future requires that we support crop genetic diversity, including agrobiodiversity (…) States should : Not allow patents on plants and establish research exemptions in legislation protecting plant breeders’ rights; ensure that their seed regulations (seed certification schemes) do not lead to an exclusion of farmers’ varieties; and support and scale up local seed exchange systems such as community seed banks and seed fairs, and community registers of peasant varieties.”

    The expert argued that food democracy should “start from the bottom-up, at the level of villages, regions, cities, and municipalities” and that a system that secures smallholder farmers ability to thrive is required for food security. “Respect for their access to productive resources is key in this regard.”

    Mr. De Schutter emphasized the need for reforms tailored to local and regional needs. “By 2050 more than 6 billion people – more than two in three – will live in cities. It is vital that these cities identify logistical challenges and pressure points in their food supply chains, and develop a variety of channels to procure their food, in line with the wishes, needs and ideas of their inhabitants.”

    He argued that for developing countries to successfully improve their food security, parallel reforms would be needed in the ‘global north’, where the farming sector has become heavily dependent on subsidies; wealthier countries must shift from agricultural policies focused on exports to allow small-scale farmers in developing countries to supply their local markets. “They must also restrain their expanding claims on global farmland by reining in the demand for animal feed and agrofuels, and by reducing food waste.” The expansion of trade, he agrued, has resulted in “luxury tastes of the richest parts of the world being allowed to compete against the satisfaction of the basic needs of the poor.”

     

  • Syria ‘to ship chemicals by April’

    Syria has submitted a new plan for the removal of its chemical weapons, months after the expiry of the deadline set by the international community.

    The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Damascus hoped to ship its most dangerous chemicals abroad by the end of April. About a third of them will have been removed by the end of this week.

    Despite the delays, the head of the joint OPCW-UN mission insisted that there had been “good progress”.

    Dutch diplomat Sigrid Kaag said the end of June deadline for the total destruction or removal of Syria’s chemical arsenal was still achievable.

    Elsewhere, government forces backed by fighters from the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah reportedly stepped up their bombardment of Yabroud, the last rebel stronghold in the Qalamoun mountains.

  • ‘Protection squad’ for UN in Somalia

    Uganda will send a 410-strong special force to guard UN installations in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, a Ugandan army spokesman has said.

    The protection squad will free up thousands of UN-backed troops to pursue militant Islamists in the city, Paddy Ankunda said.

    The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has stepped up attacks in Mogadishu in recent weeks. At least 12 people were killed in a suicide bombing last Thursday.

    Last June, it carried out a major assault on the main UN base in Mogadishu, leaving at least 22 people dead.

  • Comments

    Comments

    For Dare Olatunji

    In Nigeria of today, awards are given to the most criminal to appriciate his or her criminality in the country. Very soon our leaders will be thinking on how to give awards to terrorists for terrorising people. Our money is being wasted on daily basis in the name of award giving. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa Lagos

    The criteria used as widely advertised were Sustainability, Empowerment, Impact, Change agent, Corporate brand (SEICC) in line with the UN development outlines for MDGs. Thank you. From MVGWA Team

    Re: ‘Annals of awards and coronations.’ The award of MVGF won by Abia State Governor’s wife among other wives further revealed the joblessness of these state first ladies! What have they done and what impact did they make on citizens’ welfare, none. This to me was part of joblessness by them further impoverishing many others. Corruption unlimited! Awards without efforts! Awards without credentials and awards without requirements. One day, all these fantasies shall come to a close. Awards, my foot! From Lanre Oseni

    Some of these awards are monetary-oriented-agenda organised to get money from the awardees. Award is no longer on merit but what belly will eat. From Gordon Nnorom

    Dare, when leadership is aimless and visionless, what it offers are myriads of senseless programmes and corruption aiding devices. The issue of First Lady started with the military and in spite of its continuity, constitutional reviews over time even by the military which initiated it, First Lady office has been refused constitutional right. Where, in the world, does such a permissive fraudulent platform exist except in Nigeria? It is nauseating that the election of a leader confers automatically the “first lady office” on his wife? What an insult on the Constitution and an abuse on the freedom of electoral right of Nigerians! Don’t be surprised if in future a governor’s wife initiates an award for the “best governor’s child”. Something urgent has to be done on this nauseating “first lady office”; an unconstitutional political creation, now. Nigerians’ mandate is to the elected person only. From Lai Ashadele

    But Tunji, how will there be a quarrel among our First Ladies when more awards are going to be invented? No prize to you for guessing who and who have been selected for the following, soon to be announced: Most Winsome First Lady, Best Dressed, Most Valuable Cook, Most Inventive Hair Stylist, Best Nollywood Fan, the Omoge Faaji, Most Valuable Prayer Warrior, etc. Watch out for the announcement. But I assure you there will be enough to go round. And enough funds from the governors office to celebrate them. Cheers! From Femi Osofisan

    It is a master piece indeed. However, I pity our generation that has refused to make sacrifices and rescue this country from the deep “mess” it has been thrown into by our “supposed” leaders.

    Please help me organise an award for the Best Driver. Did you say no money would be gotten from organising it? Poor attitude to issues has been woes. Arise O! Compatriots indeed! From Amadi Nicholas U., Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo-Ohaji.

     

    For Gbenga Omotoso

    Gbenga, these are funny up-to-date Nigerian stories well packaged for the Nigerian readers. I cannot stop laughing. Political madness I must say, nice work! From Eniola A.

    Mr. Gbenga, please note that the village where Boko Haram killed over 146 people is Izghe village in Gwoza Local Government not Konduga you referred to in your master piece tagged “Interesting times”. From Ismail

    More power to your elbow. I like your write-ups on the happenings in Rivers State. Anonymous

    Good analysis, Gbenga. I love that. Wish you the best. From Sammy, Lagos

    Mr. Omotoso, it is so unfortunate that our own dear native land has been deprived of nourishment and now made to scavenge on the carcasses of dead conscience. From Daniel Pedro McDaniel, Kaduna

    I read your interesting column tagged, “Interesting times” and I enjoyed it, but time is interesting and very unfortunate, while other countries like South and North Koreans are busy uniting themselves in development, we are busy stealing and dividing one another in so many things. Anonymous

    Your piece “Interesting times” is quite very interesting. Kudos! From Niyi Idowu

    The Nigeria Police is under-using and misusing the talents and skills of its officers and men. CP Mbu should have been deployed to Borno State where his skills at decimating the President’s real or perceived enemies and tough guy are needed to combat Boko Haram. From John Oko, Port Harcourt

    Thanks Gbenga, you have made my evening. We are really in very “Interesting times” in a country where we are helpless with virtually everything, including human beings, sitting with on their heads. A pleasant one; but when will you talk about a state in Southeast where local government service has been exterminated? From Kalu, Umuahia

    Although today’s Editorial Notebook dealt with serious issues, it sent me reeling with laughter when I got to poor lion heart Mbu’s new assignment in Abuja! Who says Gbenga is not the fearless gladiator of modern times that uses the pen! Bravo! From Dr. Yusufu Musa CON, Former Deputy National Chairman ANPP

    Your Editorial Notebook is fantastic. Please, keep on with this type of essential points so that everybody will know how Jonathan spends our money. From Peter Olaiya, Akure

    I weep for Nigeria. At a time that $20 billion probe is ongoing, the President suspended the CBN Governor. What is President hiding? We now know where the $20 billion is. Nigerians, rise up to this looting of our money. Interesting times, indeed. Go ahead Sanusi, challenge it in court. Nigerians are behind you. Anonymous

    The President is making these times to be because he is taking a wrong decision at the right time and right one at the wrong time. Things are going wrong under him and he is happy about that. If actually the President is in charge, this is the right time for him to correct the wrong impression about him. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa Lagos

    All the principal officers that encouraged Ms Stella Oduah to purchase the N255 million bulletproof cars should be dismissed too. Anonymous

    Interesting times indeed! Kudos; so comprehensive a piece. Cheers! From Yusuf Tukur

     

    For Tunji Adegboyega

    Re: “The crucifixion of truth.” What the happiest people on Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s removal/suspension fail to know is that as fair, strict, tough and honest to outsiders/public as Sanusi was, it was the same toughness, fairness, law-abiding and transparency tendencies that he exhibited at home – CBN. Again, if some people were happy at his removal, they need to remember that the cane previously used to deal with the senior wife is kept on the roof for a similar penalty for the new wife. Anonymous.

    I am at sea on why Sanusi’s sack is generating unnecessary press attention. Recently, Eze Festus Odimegwu revealed what had been going on at the National Population Commission as regards census figures. Some people went to the Presidential Villa and pressured President Jonathan to sack him. When President Jonathan agreed to their request, everyone had Odimegwu to blame for opening his mouth so wide. Sanusi should have learnt his lesson from what happened to Odimegwu. For failing to do that, I have no tears to shed for him. In fact, his sack is a case of good riddance to bad rubbish of an employee who wanted to become more powerful than his employer. It is the case of the proverbial bird, Nza, that challenged its ‘chi’ after a sumptuous meal, according to the late Chinua Achebe. From Chukwuma Dioka, Owerri.

    The President has finally legalised corruption in the country by removing transparency and replacing it with lies. It is very unfortunate that lies and deceit have overpowered the truth in the country we all call our fatherland. The earlier all of us stood up to challenge Sanusi’s suspension, the better. Anonymous.

    Yours was a great job; precise. Second, you hit the nail on the head. Regards. From Igbogbahaka, Enugu.

    At what point did the Presidency and Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) realise Sanusi’s imprudence? If those powers fail to at least restore Sanusi, they should at least condemn his suspension/sack, if only to stop such impunity. Today’s CBN population of about 9,000 from 6,000 was consequent upon many legislators, presidency, judiciary and traditional rulers lists of requests. Their quietness now is surprising. In 2009, after the promotion-appointment mess of 2008 at the CBN, Sanusi took up the massive mess that nearly threw the bank into turmoil and did justice without knowing the aggrieved. From Lanre Oseni.

    Tunji, so Jonathan even has a platform known as FRCN yet the case of Diezani spending recklessly on private jets was swept under the carpet. In fact, out of Oduah, Sanusi and Diezani, who should have been fired first? Let GEJ tell us. Anonymous, Makurdi.

    Tunji, your one-sided judgement portrayed Sanusi as a saint by making un-appropriated spending; you found nothing wrong. It is unfortunate. Please, always try to balance issues. You did not hide your hatred at all. From C.U. Onor.

    You should first ask about the veracity of the FRCN which reported Sanusi’s financial recklessness before becoming an apostle of APC. That is the right thing to do if really you are writing as an unbiased commentator. Anonymous.

     

     

     

  • UN condemms anti-homosexuality law in Uganda

    UN condemms anti-homosexuality law in Uganda

    UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, have kicked against the anti-homosexuality bill, signed into law in Uganda on Monday.

    A UN statement issued on Tuesday in New York stated that the law criminalises and imposes life imprisonment on same-sex marriage, homosexuality and aggravated homosexuality.

    Ban said the law violates basic human rights and endangers Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the country.

    He said he was seriously concerned about the negative impact of the new law and shares the UN High Commissioner’s view which states that the law violates human rights.

    The UN scribe added that the law would institutionalise discrimination, restrict the vital work of human rights activists and could trigger violence.

    He insisted that it would also hamper potentially life-saving efforts to stop the spread of HIV.

    The UN chief appealed for complete and universal decriminalisation of homosexuality, which is now a criminal offence in some 76 countries.

    Ban stressed that human rights must always trump cultural attitudes and societal strictures.

    On her part, Pillay said disapproval of homosexuality by some could never justify violating the fundamental human rights of others.

    She said the law institutionalised discrimination and was likely to encourage harassment and violence against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation.

    She added that it was formulated so broadly that it might lead to abuse of power and accusations against anyone, not just LGBT people.

    She said Uganda was obliged, both by its own constitution and by international law, to respect the rights of all individuals and to protect them from discrimination and violence.

    Pillay said the law violates a host of fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom from discrimination, to privacy, freedom of association, peaceful assembly, opinion and expression and equality before the law.

    The high commissioner expressed concern that the law might also threaten the critically important work of human rights defenders in the country and urged the Ugandan government to take immediate steps to ensure that LGBT people were not prosecuted for their advocacy. (PANA/NAN)

  • Trial of UN building bomber stalled

    •Prosecutor absent in court

    The absence of Mrs O. E. Ohakwe, the prosecutor in the trial of four suspected Boko Haram members being held for their alleged complicity in the 2011 bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja, stalled progress in the case yesterday.

    The case was fixed for yesterday to enable the prosecutor argue her two applications. One of the applications seeks the court’s leave for the prosecution to reopen its case, while the other seeks the court’s permission for the prosecution to amend the four-count charge on which the four accused are being tried.

    The four accused – Salisu Mohammed, Inusa Mukailu, Dan’azumi Haruna and Abdulsalami Adamu – were arrested in Kano after the bombing on August 20, 2011.

    They were later arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on terrorism.

    On November 22, last year, the trial judge, Justice Gladys Olotu, closed the prosecution’s case on the ground that it failed to handle the case diligently.

    The judge expressed dismay that the prosecution, after applying for and got the court’s permission for accelerated trial, was still reluctant to produce its witnesses months after its first witness testified.

    Justice Olotu ordered the defence to open its case, consequent upon which the defence filed an application for a “no-case” submission.

    Parties were to adopt their written addresses on the defence’s “no-case” submission on January 22, when Mrs Ohakwe informed the court about her two new applications.

    Although the defence lawyer objected to the new applications by the prosecution, describing them as a ploy to further delay the case, the judge later agreed to hear them.

    She said the court must hear any application, once it is filed, whether in makes sense or not.

    Justice Olotu ordered the prosecution to include necessary documents in the new applications before the next date and adjourned till February 17 for hearing.

    When the case was called yesterday, Mrs Ohakwe was absent.

    Defence lawyer, Obi Duruzo, argued that Mrs Ohakwe’s absence was an indication that the prosecution was not interested in prosecuting the case.

    Duruzo, who noted that Mrs Ohakwe did not inform the court about her absence, said he had tried unsuccessfully to reach the prosecutor on the telephone.

    The judge directed one of the court’s registrars to call Mrs Ohakwe’s telephone number.

    The registrar was also unable to reach the prosecutor, prompting the judge to adjourn further hearing till March 12.

    She also ordered the issuance of hearing notice on Mrs Ohakwe.

     

  • Don’t underestimate your will to succeed-Selimovic

    Don’t underestimate your will to succeed-Selimovic

    The United Nations in furtherance of its commitment to ensuring that Nigerian students are well informed about its activities in Nigeria, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, yesterday hosted some students of the Federal Science and Technical College, Akoka, Lagos at its Ikoyi Office.
    Twenty one students, led by three teachers, were treated to a film show: ‘UN4U’ and ‘2013: Year in Review’; presentation on the United Nations (UN) and UNIC mission and current undertakings. The two films and the presentations were discussed during interactive session.
    Speaking on the importance of education, the UNIC Lagos’s Officer in Charge, Ms. Envera Selimovic, urged the students to appreciate their parents for sending them to school and charged them to reciprocate their parents’ gestures by doing well in their studies.
    She charged the students never to stop schooling as that was the first step to better life. ‘Be dedicated; be focused; do not forget your purpose in life and never underestimate your will to succeed.’ She added.
    Responding to a question during the interactive session with the students, the National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun, explained that the UN system in Nigeria is working with the government and the civil society organisations to promote intercultural dialogue and build peace in the country. He added that the United Nations would always stand up for the rights of any individual, irrespective of her race, faith or geographical location.