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Tag: United Nations

  • UN to sack 9 staff for Oct. 7 attacks on Israel

    UN to sack 9 staff for Oct. 7 attacks on Israel

    The United Nations (UN) has said that nine staff working for its Palestine refugee agency UNRWA will be sacked for their involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks against Israel.

    The development follows the conclusion of an investigation by the UN Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), launched earlier this year.

    Israel alleged that several UNRWA personnel took part in the assault on its territory in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages.

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    However, OIOS was not able to independently authenticate information used by Israel to support the allegations.

    OIOS is the highest investigative body in the UN system and its reports are confidential but can be made available to Member States on request.

  • UN condemns attacks on Gwoza

    UN condemns attacks on Gwoza

    The United Nations has condemned the suicide bombing of civilian populations in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. 

    UN noted in a statement that Saturday’s attacks on the Borno town has left many dead and injured.

    The statement which was signed by the UN Resident Coordinator, Mohamed Fall, reads: “The exact number of people killed and injured remains unknown, but it appears that dozens of people have reportedly been killed and others seriously injured.

    “On 29 June, members of a non-state armed group allegedly attacked a wedding party in Gwoza town with a person-borne improvised explosive device. Dozens of people were reportedly killed in this attack, including children, women and men. Reportedly, this was followed by another two attacks later the same day.

     “I am horrified by this attack on civilian populations and condemn such acts in the strongest terms. I stand in solidarity with the Government of Nigeria, and the families and communities of all those affected.

    “On behalf of the United Nations, I remind all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians from harm.

    “I have reached out to the Borno State Government to express my condolences and offer any support that the United Nations and the humanitarian community can provide to aid the victims of the attack.”

  • Northwest governors solicit UN support for region

    Northwest governors solicit UN support for region

    Governors from the Northwest geopolitical zone of the country have appealed to the United Nations (UN) for support in tackling numerous development challenges in the region.

    They made the appeal during a meeting with the UN Country team led by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall on Friday,  a statement by National Information Officer, Dr. Oluseyi Soremekun said.

    According to him, the delegation was led by the Chairman, Northwest Governors Forum and Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, identifying other governors who attended the meeting in Abuja as  Senator Uba Sani (Kaduna). Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), Mallam Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Muhammad Gobir.

    He said the governors highlighted the major challenges faced by the region, including insecurity, multidimensional poverty, a large population of out-of-school children, increased cases of illicit drug abuse, high child and maternal mortality, and a large youth population that is unemployed. Soremekun said they indicated that nearly 80% of the population derives their livelihoods from agriculture, however, they face the challenges of land degradation and climate change which has reduced their yields.

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    Continuing, he said the governors also highlighted the high levels of child malnutrition. They also committed to providing a strong political support needed to ensure UN interventions in the Northwest are implemented with speed and at scale.

    “The only way we can surmount the challenges of Northwest is through a regional approach which demands that we work together in a coordinated manner. We need to collectively fight poverty and unemployment being the major root causes of insecurity in the region”, said the chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum.

    The UN Resident Coordinator expressed his delight at receiving six of the seven governors in the zone and he assured that the United Nations family would support the Northwest region to address those development challenges.

    He noted that with the varied high levels of multidimensional poverty, the sustainable development goals would only be achieved in Nigeria if the northwest got it right, and this in turn would impact positively on the African region.

    “The UN in Nigeria is encouraged to see the strong leadership and commitment of Northwest Governors to improving the wellbeing of their people.  We will continue to support the government and people of Northwest Nigeria. Together, we will rescue and accelerate the agenda 2030 for sustainable development in the region,” Fall said.

  • UN rights chief decries death of 50 people in Mali attacks

    UN rights chief decries death of 50 people in Mali attacks

    The United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said yesterday he was “appalled” by alleged summary executions of 25 people by Mali’s army and “foreign military personnel” last week in a region plagued by violence from armed groups.

    Turk also expressed alarm at the killing of approximately 30 others in attacks over the weekend in central Mali, a particular hotbed of violence.

    “I am appalled by credible allegations that Malian armed forces accompanied by foreign military personnel summarily executed at least 25 people in Welingara village, in the central Nara region on 26 January,” Turk said in a statement.

     “I am also alarmed by reports that about 30 civilians were killed in attacks by yet unidentified gunmen on two other villages – Ogota and Oimbe – in the Bandiagara region over this past weekend,” he added.

    Gathering and verifying information in Mali is made difficult by the country’s vast geography, deteriorating communications infrastructure and security concerns.

     Rebel violence that started in northern Mali in 2012 spread to the centre of the country in 2015, when Katiba Macina – an al-Qaeda-affiliated group – was established, led by the Fulani hardline preacher, Amadou Kouffa.

    West Africa recorded more than 1,800 attacks in the first six months of 2023, resulting in nearly 4,600 deaths and creating dire humanitarian consequences. According to an ECOWAS top regional official, this was just “a snippet of the horrendous impact of insecurity”.

    Mali is currently led by a military government that seized power in 2020 and turned away from former colonial power France, before pushing the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA to leave at the end of 2023.

    The government has chosen instead to pivot towards Russia, both politically and militarily. This January, it announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, which are also led by their militaries. The regional bloc has been central in condemning and imposing sanctions on the trio after the takeovers.

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     France once had a strong presence across the Sahel, but announced the withdrawal of its troops from the three countries after the coups.

    Many observers have claimed Mali has enlisted the services of Russian mercenaries, despite frequent Malian denials.

     The UN and local sources have regularly accused the Malian army and its allies of abuses against civilians, which Mali has also categorically denied.

    UN rights investigators and groups like Human Rights Watch said that Malian troops and foreign forces – presumed to be Wagner – were behind the massacre of at least 500 people in the central Malian town of Moura in March 2022.

    “It is essential that all allegations of arbitrary deprivations of life, including summary executions, are fully and impartially investigated and those found responsible brought to justice in trials observing international standards,” the UN rights chief said yesterday.

    To date, none of the investigations launched in Mali into abuses by the military has been successful.

  • The United Nations and the Israeli-Gaza war

    The United Nations and the Israeli-Gaza war

    The United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA) one of the principal organs of the United Nations , recently passed an almost unanimous resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in the ongoing military operations in the Israeli-Gaza conflict because of the thousands of largely civilian Palestinians and particularly children and women and the elderly being bombed out of existence by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) following the October 7 massacre of 1400 Israeli civilians and soldiers peacefully attending a fete just across the Gaza fence on the border with Israel as well as the kidnapping over 200 hostages by Hamas commando forces. It was obvious that Israel would have to retaliate to keep alive and credible its military superiority over the Palestinians and the wider Arab world in the Middle East, a superiority that has been demonstrated over and over in several military contestations since 1948.

    The question now is whether Israel has gone beyond proportionality in its retaliation. The UN Secretary General says it has. It should be said that the war is not a fair conflict between two conventional forces but between a powerful Israeli force made up of an army, navy and a modern air force and a ragtag Hamas combatants. It is the most unequal contest one can imagine anywhere. The problem is that the two people are fighting a just war. After the Spanish Inquisition, pogroms, holocaust and various anti-Semitic discriminations all over the world except in Africa, the Jews are entitled to a homeland even if their claim to Palestine belongs to biblical past while the Palestinian claim belongs to recent historical past. The two peoples are fighting what can be called a just war if any war can be so described.

    When the Israelis were attacked on October 7, they occupied a high moral ground in fighting back. After shedding thousands of human blood deemed out of proportion from the tragedy of October 7, the whole world is beginning to question the justification of a war largely against millions of defenceless women, children and old men simply because they are associated with the Palestinians who committed crime against the Jewish state. The United States which unusually committed itself to the Israeli cause leaving no room for possible arbitration has now found itself running around the Arab world and Israel itself asking for “military pause” rather than a ceasefire in the conflict. The backing of Israel by the United States has left it only supported by its western alliance while the rest of the world in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Russia are supporting the Palestinians.

    Of course, it does not really matter the number of countries supporting the Palestinians because what matters is the critical force of those supporting Israel. But the question of morality hangs very much on the side of beleaguered Palestine. Israel has also unfortunately acquired the enemies of the United States because as a hegemonic power, America despite what good it does for the world has many enemies. The way the Americans with its open diplomacy are telling the whole world what fiscal and military support it is giving to Israel has alienated itself and Israel from the whole world.

    This is the situation the United Nations has to deal with. It is natural for people to feel sorry for the underdog in a conflict and this is the situation in this conflict. The UN through the massive support for the Palestinian cause by the General Assembly has left the Secretariat of the UN no other choice than to manifest the support of it for the Palestinians. It has several offices and agencies ministering to the need of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank of the River Jordan. A large number of them or almost a hundred have been killed by Israeli bombs and artillery shells. Even though the Security Council, more or less the executive council of the world body has found itself deadlocked because of the rivalry between the USA and Russia and China cannot outrightly force a ceasefire on the two parties to the conflict, the Secretary General has found it necessary to issue statements asking Israel to avoid committing war crime and genocide against the Palestinians. This is a serious accusation which the Israeli government finds very onerous.

    From emotional arguments in the General Assembly and much more in the Security Council, the Israeli delegation has had to wear the yellow Star of David and to say that when six million Jews were killed in concentration camps in Europe, the whole world kept quiet but that they have said “never again” will they allow themselves to be slaughtered without response. This is a powerful argument which the world cannot ignore. The response of the world must be to find a workable territorial architecture in the Holy land to allow a secure and defensible Israel while at the same time finding a territorial arrangement for Palestinian self-determination. It will require swapping of territories and other arrangements that would guarantee statehood for unarmed Palestine whose security would be guaranteed by the Security Council. There are countries in the world that do not have armed forces and which saves large amount of money for development. Countries like Costa Rica, Kiribati, Dominica Andorra, Lichtenstein, Monaco and some of the small principalities in Europe do not waste significant resources on unnecessary armed forces. So a Palestinian state that only maintains internal peace with police force will not be unique in the world while Israel will continue to protect itself with its forces both nuclear and conventional. This suggestion will not be easy to work out but it is doable and workable. There is however no viable alternative.

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    Other suggestions such as a secular Israel-Palestine in which Arabs and Jews are free to live side by side and practise their religion will not work. What is primary consideration for the Jews is that they must control the security of the state, a state that is available to all Jews to run to when they are physically threatened. There is also the talk of the West Bank and other pieces being merged with the Kingdom of Jordan since the present Kingdom of Jordan is inhabited by almost 50 percent Palestinians. The Kingdom of Jordan would not agree to forfeit its identity in an extended Palestine- Jordan state. Some have suggested that the Palestinians could be assisted to settle in other Arab states. There is evidence to suggest that the Arabs are not amenable to this. This is not a serious suggestion because it will not fly because it does not meet the psychological needs of the Palestinians who see the land of Palestine as ancestral home where their ancestors are buried.

    The post of the Secretary General of the United Nations is not an easy one. With the limited resources at its command and with wars and conflicts all over the world, the UN is as effective as the world powers want it to be. Whatever each UN Secretary General may personally wish and be inclined to do, the limitation of his office imposes on him/her what can be done. It’s an office which puts a lot of demand on the holder even up to making supreme sacrifice as was done by Dag Hammarskjold who died in harness in the Congo in 1961 during the Congo crisis.

    Israel must understand the position of the UN Secretary General instead of angrily reacting to it as if the Secretary General is anti-Israel. Banning officials of the UN to Israel is not the way to go because Israel may need the organization in the future. Israel must walk back its position in which it hitherto had support from the whole world which had so much to learn from it rather than delude itself on overwhelming support from America and inheriting America’s enemies as its own. Africa must make its voice heard as a neutral continent owing nothing to Israel which in the past collaborated with apartheid South Africa to make a nuclear bomb; neither does it owe the Arabs which for years before the Atlantic slave trade were involved in this nefarious trade. It is nice to state this so that the whole world can realise that like an elephant Africa has a long memory.

  • Fed Govt.’s planned suit against the United Nations

    Fed Govt.’s planned suit against the United Nations

    SIR: Tuesday, October 17, it was widely reported in the media that Ms. Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, Minister of Women Affairs, while on an AIT interview , in an unexpected, haphazard manner gave the United Nations (UN) a one-month ultimatum from October 16, to November 15, to render published account on all the monies received in the name of Nigeria from donors. The minister promised to proceed to file a suit on November 16, against the UN if the accounts are not rendered. But can an international organisation like the UN be dealt with in such a cavalier manner?

    Asking for accountability and transparency is very proper. The spirit of seeking answers to lighten up grey areas that may be indicative of corruption is a great idea. Experience shows that some UN officials are corrupt and some have accordingly been jailed. However, there are laid down arrangements for such requests by a sovereign nation. Not to follow laid down procedure and embarking on media grandstanding can only portray Nigeria in bad light. Nigeria is telling the world that it lacks the requisite leadership and structures for appropriate operation in the community of nations.

    The United Nations system’s counterpart in Nigeria is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even, if the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after exhaustive dialogue within his Department of International Organisations has decided on the need to request for transparency from the UN, it is expected that he would take the case to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) before articulating, if at all, such a weighty position at a media show.

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    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the UN General Assembly last month and met with the UN Secretary-General. He was not reported to have indicated that Nigeria was experiencing lack of accountability and transparency with the UN entities working in Nigeria. So, it is a shock that a minister is so amateurish in diplomatic relations. Our inadequacies from lacking the appropriate arrangements for the necessary training and socialisation of new entrants into office is being shown to the world.

    In addition, one expects that the minister would have been apprised of the importance of diplomatic and functional immunities that the UN and its officials enjoy. In which court is our Minister of Women Affairs intending to embark on her frolic? What would be the charges? What is the expected outcome of such a litigation process? Would a more organized strategic follow through reporting of officials through diplomatic channels against a media-inspired, arrogant, poorly thought-out litigation choice, not have yielded a much better outcome?

    President Tinubu needs to have his ministers coordinated and appropriately socialised into their respective duties. The UN must readily support anti-corruption, including allegations against its own staff members when evidences are adduced through appropriate mechanisms.

    The Minister of Women Affairs will do well to address corruption in her ministry by collaborating with the ongoing probe, by at least one of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies. Charity is better if it begins at home. She needs to be more procedural and take advantage of available expertise in the government she is a part of. She could also make a big difference by embarking on ways to empower women and thereby reduce national poverty.

    • Prof. Babafemi A. Badejo, Chrisland University, Abeokuta.
  • Coalition seeks UN intervention in Israel/Hamas war

    Coalition seeks UN intervention in Israel/Hamas war

    A coalition of Islamic organisations, in collaboration with the Muslim community in Oyo State, has sought the intervention of the United Nations (UN) in what it described as violation of human rights law in the war between Israel and Hamas.

    The coalition, which comprises Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, (MSSN), NACOMYO, The Muslim Congress, TMC, Jama’atu Ta’awunul Muslimeen, Jama’atu Tadhomunul Muslimeen, among others at a peaceful rally in Ibadan displayed placards with inscriptions such as ‘Free Palestine from the River to the Sea,’ ‘Oh Allah Assists the Palestinians,’ ‘Where are the Arab Nations?’

    One of the protest organisers, who is the director, Institute of Human Heritage, Abdurasheed Atta, said there was need for Muslims and other Nigerians to join international struggle for the emancipation of Palestine.

    “Nigeria, regardless of its internal crises, has always been on the side of the oppressed for justice. We urge world leaders to rise up in defence of Palestinians as they rallied Ukraine against the invasion of Russia,” he said.

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    Atta advocated boycott of Israeli products and patronage of the country for tourism, saying the cut off of food, water, light and other aids to Palestinians was a grievous crime against humanity, which was condemnable in strong terms.

    The Chief Missioner, Muslim community in Oyo State, Dr. Daud Amoo-Alaga, said it became necessary for Muslims to always pray for restoration of peace and victory for the suffering Palestinians.

    Leading the gathering on special prayers for Palestine, Dr. Amoo-Alaga said the Qudus mosque in the country was an Islamic heritage, which must be protected by all.

    According to him, Al-aqsa Mosque in Palestine is the third sacred mosque and a point of convergence of humanity on the day of reckoning.

    Explaining the rationale behind the gathering, the Director, Solace Education Consult, Dr. Ismail Akintola, said Muslims are a united family, hence the sympathy and concern for the Palestinians, whose ancestral home has been encroached on by the Jews since 1948.

  • LightYear Entertainment to honour Gandhi with Indo African Peace Festival

    AS the United Nations and the government of India celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, LightYear Entertainment is in partnership with the High Commission of India in Nigeria to stage an Indo African Peace Festival in Lagos and Abuja.

    Some events slated for the festival include Gandhi: The Musical holding on August 9, 2019, Game of Peace concert, Indo African Fashion Week, Peace Exhibition, Peace March and Peace Symposium taking place at multiple venues across Lagos.

    The peace festival is geared towards extolling the virtues demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi.

    Speaking in Lagos, Mr Ovosa Precious Oroye, the Chairman of Indo African Peace Festival Committee said that the Indo-African Peace Festival which celebrates peace and non-violence is a six month festival.

    “The festival is a major call for value reorientation in all strata of society and also to raise awareness in peace building activities and non-violence in tackling violent extremism, mental health issues, youth restiveness, drug abuse, police brutality, religious feuds , tribalism,” said Oroye.

    “The Gandhi musical and fashion week will engage with talented youths and the 50,000 plus Indians in Nigeria that will promote Indo-African fashion values, sculpture and paintings.”

    A performance by the LightYear Entertainment Troupe had five artistes dressed to depict Fela Kuti, Moremi, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.

    Mr Sanjay Srivastava, president of Afro Asian Initiative For Community Development stated that the initiative was laudable and had the strong backing of High Commission of India.

    “The world has been celebrating Mahatma Gandhi as we look at his lifestyle and selflessness. Gandhi influence every sector including fashion of the Indians as his indigenous clothing proverbially weaved people into action, equal rights and non-violence as a powerful means of conflict resolution,” Sanjay said.

    “This peace festival will further preach his message as we aim to quell violence and promote peace in the society.”

    The #IAPF seeks both technical and financial support from well meaning Nigerians who believe in Gandhi’s ideals. Mr Azeez Oluwakayode who is a board member and media director stated that never has there been a festival of this magnitude that is being led by youths who are young professionals in their respective fields, and have a serious concern for societal issues. “Indo African Peace Festival is already being hailed as the Festival of the Decade,” Kayode added.

  • Africa records decline in maternal deaths – UN

    The United Nations has disclosed that there is a decline in maternal deaths in Africa and The Gambia, lauding the efforts of governments of the continent in achieving this feat.

    The Gambia Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, Ms. Seraphine Wekana made this disclosure during the Pan-African Youth Conference holding in Banjul, The Gambia.

    According to her, the decline has been reduced due to improved health services and an increase in childbearing.

    “Africa has recorded a significant decline in maternal death which can be contributed to improved health services in terms of access and quality. The age of childbearing has also increased significantly. ”

    Seraphine, however, said that Africa still experiences the highest number of child mortality deaths urging governments at all level to work towards reducing these indices.

    She lamented the high level of gender inequality in the continent saying women and girls continue to be disadvantaged in harnessing their potentials.

    Seraphine charged the youths to work at promoting gender equality and hold the leaders accountable for ending inequality.

    “We need to accelerate our efforts to work at safeguarding the future of women and girls by enabling them to fully harness their potentials.

    “It is the responsibility of youths to promote gender equality and hold leaders accountable for ending inequality, it is the youths that have the voice to end the inequality in the continent, it is your call and you can end this.”

    The Resident Coordinator reiterated the commitment of the United Nations towards ensuring that Africa achieves the SDG and contribute to the initiative in the position of education, health, skill empowerment, and youth employment by devising programme in agriculture, food security, entrepreneurship, migration, health as well as water and sanitation among others.”

    She declared that the united Nations System will work together with the youth to be able to change the indices if inequality in the continent.

    She then called on the youths to come up with recommendations during the conference that will move and develop the African continent.

  • Africa records decline in maternal deaths – UN

    The United Nations has disclosed that there is a decline in maternal deaths in Africa and The Gambia, lauding the efforts of governments of the continent in achieving this feat.

    The Gambia Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, Ms. Seraphine Wekana made this disclosure during the Pan-African Youth Conference holding in Banjul, The Gambia.

    According to her, the decline have been reduced due to improved health services and increase in the are of childbearing.

    “Africa has recorded a significant decline in maternal death which can be contributed to improved health services in terms of access and quality. The age of childbearing have also increased significantly. ”

    Seraphine, however, said that Africa still experiences the highest number of child mortality deaths urging governments at all level to work towards reducing these indices.

    She lamented the high level of gender inequality in the continent saying women and girls continue to be disadvantaged in harnessing their potentials.

    Seraphine charged the youths to work at promoting gender equality and hold the leaders accountable for ending inequality.

    “We need to accelerate our efforts to work at safeguarding the future of women and girls by enabling them to fully harness their potentials.

    “It is the responsibility of youths to promote gender equality and hold leaders accountable for ending inequality, it is the youths that have the voice to end the inequality in the continent, it is your call and you can end this.”

    The Resident Coordinator reiterated the commitment of the United Nations towards ensuring that Africa achieves the SDG and contribute to the initiative in the position of education, health, skill empowerment, and youth employment by devising programme in agriculture, food security, entrepreneurship, migration, health as well as water and sanitation among others.”

    She declared that the United Nations System will work together with the youth to be able to change the indices if inequality in the continent.

    She then called on the youths to come up with recommendations during the conference that will move and develop the African continent.