SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN FORCE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for an extra year as it commended its role, in concert with the national armed forces, in creating a new strategic environment in the south of the country.

In resolution 1884, the Council welcomed "the expansion of coordinated activities between UNIFIL and the Lebanese armed forces and encourages further enhancement of this cooperation."

The 15-member reiterated its call on all concerned parties to respect the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah following their 2006 war, as well as the entirety of the Blue Line along their border.

UNIFIL, established in 1978, is tasked with ensuring that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River is free of unauthorized weapons, personnel and assets, and it also cooperates with the Lebanese armed forces so they can fulfil their security responsibilities.

Today's resolution also welcomed UNIFIL's moves to implement Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse.

Addressing reporters, Philip John Parham, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, said that unanimous adoption of the resolution extending the Force's mandate "demonstrates the Council's clear and strong support for the very valuable work UNIFIL is doing."
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GAZA CRISIS MOST SERIOUS TEST OF UN AGREEMENT ON ISRAEL, LEBANON

GAZA CRISIS MOST SERIOUS TEST OF UN AGREEMENT ON ISRAEL, LEBANON
New York, Mar 9 2009 9:00PM

The recent hostilities in Gaza have posed the most serious challenge since the adoption of a resolution which helped end the war between Israel and Hizbollah in the summer of 2006, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report.

Rockets fired into Israel from south Lebanon and return fire led to heightened tensions along the so-called Blue Line that separates Israeli and Lebanese sides and "endangered the cessation of hostilities agreement," Mr. Ban wrote in his latest report to the Security Council on resolution 1701.

The 2006 resolution called for renewed respect for the Blue Line, the disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling, among other measures.

"The firing of rockets from southern Lebanon towards Israel, which I condemn in all instances, constituted a serious violation" of the resolution, he said. The attacks were launched from sites close to populated areas, including a school in session at the time, "putting innocent civilians at risk."

The Secretary-General added that "the fact that the Israel Defense Forces returned fire with artillery shells into Lebanese territory on 8 and 14 January without providing prior warning to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is also a cause for serious concern," noting that these acts endangered civilians, as well as UN blue helmets and soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

"At the same time, I was encouraged by the measures that were taken by all parties to avoid an escalation," he wrote, with the resolution's mechanisms having served as an "effective deterrent and prevented an escalation of the situation in southern Lebanon."

But he cautioned that these incidents "also highlight the precarious nature of the current cessation of hostilities and the necessity for both parties to take further steps to address a number of unresolved issues," including disarming militant groups.

Mr. Ban said that he is pleased that the parties have made strides to visibly mark the Blue Line, encouraging Lebanon and Israel to stay the course and build on existing momentum to curb inadvertent violations and boost confidence.

He reiterated his call on Israel to immediately end all over-flights of Lebanese territory which violate Lebanon's sovereignty and resolution 1701.

The report also called on all Lebanese leaders to exercise restraint ahead of the 7 June parliamentary elections, which "will bring added challenges that may test the country's frail domestic stability."

The Security Council will be briefed on the report by Michael Williams, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, in a closed meeting tomorrow.
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UN BLUE HELMETS INVESTIGATE SHOTS FIRED INTO LEBANON FROM ISRAELI SIDE OF DIVIDING LINE

UN BLUE HELMETS INVESTIGATE SHOTS FIRED INTO LEBANON FROM ISRAELI SIDE OF DIVIDING LINE
New York, Mar 3 2009 5:00PM

Shots were fired today into Lebanese territory from the Israeli side of the Line of Withdrawal in contravention of the United Nations resolution that helped end fighting between the countries two years ago, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports.

A team of UNIFIL blue helmets investigating the circumstances of the incident said that at least two of the 15 shots hit a wall 50 metres over the line separating Israeli and Lebanese forces in the area of El Adeisse.

The UNIFIL Force Commander, Major General Claudio Graziano, has been in contact with the Senior Commanders of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) on the matter, the Mission said.

There were no reported injuries, but a UN spokesperson told correspondents in New York that "This is a serious incident and a violation of Security Council resolution 1701," adding that UNIFIL has protested to the IDF.
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DARFURI SURVIVORS TO RALLY IN LONDON AS ICC DECIDES ON BASHIR ARREST WARRANT

Today the judges at the ICC will announce whether or not they are going to issue an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir, the President of Sudan, on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

If a warrant is issued, it will be the first time that such a step has been taken against a sitting head of state. As the ICC judges announce their decision in the Hague, Darfuri survivors will be gathered in capital cities across Europe to remember their murdered loved ones and destroyed communities – the victims of this crisis, whose slaughter demands justice.

London rally. In London, they will congregate for a commemoration outside the Sudanese Embassy from midday to 2.00pm, reading out the names of over a thousand victims and holding a minute’s silence at 1.00pm, the moment the ICC’s decision is announced.

“Khartoum will make a lot of noise that this is a politically motivated assault on the President, and through him, the Sudanese state and Sudanese people,” says Ishag Mekki, Humanitarian Officer for the Darfur Union – the umbrella group for Darfuri exiles living in the UK. “Amid that noise, just remember that on Bashir’s watch, millions of Sudanese men, women and children have been driven from their homes, killed or raped in Darfur. Not because they carry guns, but because of who they are. This is a matter of justice, not politics. And we, the survivors, know how desperately justice is needed.”

Darfur perpetrators implicate Bashir

Ahead of the ICC’s announcement, in a film released by the Aegis Trust (see earlier article) even the perpetrators themselves have begun to speak out against their masters in Khartoum; Janjaweed fighters describing how they call in Government airstrikes before attacking, and soldiers explaining how they were ordered by senior officers to rape girls as young as eleven or twelve.

“The rape and murder of the innocent is completely contrary to the tenets of Islam. It is contrary to basic principles of humanity. And it is a crime in International law. Would you accept it if your loved ones were the victims?”, asks Nejwa Gabir Ahmed, a survivor from Darfur living in the UK. She adds: “Unless the perpetrators are brought to justice, and unless justice is seen to be done, there will never be peace and reconciliation in Darfur. And we, the exiled, will never be able to return to our homeland with peace in our hearts.”

Call to UN Security Council: resist pressure from Khartoum over Article 16

It is widely expected that if the ICC issues an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir, politicians and diplomats in many quarters will increase the pressure for the UN Security Council to invoke Article 16 and suspend the process of international justice for Darfur.

“I ask the decision-makers at the UN Security Council; do not lightly trade away justice for the victims, or give it up in the face of blackmail from Khartoum,” says Darfuri survivor Khatir Mohammed, General Secretary of the Darfur Union. “A murder suspect is not let off the charges if he threatens to go out and kill more people. Nor should Omar Bashir, or any of those suspected of crimes against humanity in Darfur, be allowed to get off the hook by threatening peacekeepers, aid workers or our people in Sudan.”

A new report just released by Aegis, ‘The Enforcement of International Criminal Law’, addresses ways in which the international community could strengthen prospects for enforcement of any arrest warrant against Bashir.

DARFUR: AFTER LAST MONTH’S FLARE-UPS, RELATIVE CALM RETURNS, UN-AFRICAN MISSION SAYS

DARFUR: AFTER LAST MONTH'S FLARE-UPS, RELATIVE CALM RETURNS, UN-AFRICAN MISSION SAYS
New York, Feb 26 2009 6:00PM

The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force Darfur (UNAMID) today reported that relative calm had returned to the war-ravaged western region of the Sudan although concern remained over continuing violence in some areas.

UNAMID noted that there had been reports of banditry in North Darfur, the state that recently witnessed an influx of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to its camps due to a fresh outburst of violence in South Darfur.

In South Darfur, where heavy fighting broke out last month between Government troops, other armed groups and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), locals have told UNAMID that armed militiamen continue to attack and harass civilians.

For its part, UNAMID said, its blue helmets continue to intensify their routine patrols as well as their investigations, their escort functions and their confidence-building measures throughout the area.

The hybrid force was set up by the Security Council to protect civilians in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

One year on from transferring the task of suppressing the violence to UNAMID from the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), some 12,753 blue helmets are now in place across the region, a little more than 60 per cent of the 19,555 military personnel authorized by the Security Council.
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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TIMOR-LESTE PEACEKEEPING MISSION

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TIMOR-LESTE PEACEKEEPING MISSION
New York, Feb 26 2009 1:00PM

The Security Council today extended for one more year the mandate of the peacekeeping mission it sent to help stabilize the fledgling nation of Timor-Leste in the wake of violent clashes in 2006.

In the unanimously-adopted resolution extending the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), the 15-member body also requested the mission to provide support for elections currently planned for 2009, responding to an appeal by the Government.

Among other priorities, it underscored the importance of continued security reform, including the delineation of the roles of the national defence forces and the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), to whom the UN mission is asked to provide intensified training.

It supports the phased transfer of policing responsibilities now performed by UNMIT to the PNTL, beginning in 2009, stressing however, that the police must first meet all required criteria.

Reform of the justice sector and coordination of international donors efforts on institution-building are other areas emphasized by the Council.

In his latest report on Timor-Leste, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is encouraged by the strides made by the leaders and people of Timor-Leste since 2006, but warned that the root causes of that crisis, including poverty and unemployment, still linger.

In late April 2006, fighting – attributed to differences between eastern and western regions – erupted when 600 striking soldiers, or one-third of the armed forces, were fired.

Ensuing violence claimed dozens of lives and drove 155,000 people, 15 per cent of the total population, from their homes.

Through today's resolution, the authorized deployment level of UNMIT was left unchanged, but the Secretary-General was requested to include, in his next report, possible adjustments in the mission's mandate and strength as the PNTL begin to take over policing.
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SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACK ON AFRICAN UNION BASE IN SOMALIA

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACK ON AFRICAN UNION BASE IN SOMALIA
New York, Feb 25 2009 5:00PM
The United Nations today condemned in the strongest terms the suicide attack on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base in Mogadishu, which caused the deaths of 11 Burundian peacekeepers and injured 17 others on Sunday.

"The members of the Security Council express their condolences to the families of the victims, to the people and the Government of Burundi, and to the African Union," Ambassador Yukio Takasu of Japan, which holds the Council Presidency for the month, said in a press statement.

"The members of the Council reiterate their condemnation of all acts of violence and incitement to violence against AMISOM" following reports of further attacks yesterday, he added.

The 15-member body reiterated its commitment to supporting a strengthened AMISOM, which it said played a vital role in helping to bring peace and security to Somalia, and commended the Governments of Uganda and Burundi for their contributions.

In its statement, the Council applauded the ongoing political process in Somalia that led to the expansion of Parliament and the election of a new president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, who has made taken steps to "strengthen the political process and improve security."

Mr. Takasu said that "the members of the Security Council call on all Somalis to reject violence and extremism, to embrace peaceful means of resolving conflicts, and to support the government towards this goal," stressing the body's "determination to combat all forms of terrorism."
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NEWLY-ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY FOR IRAQIS, BAN SAYS

NEWLY-ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY FOR IRAQIS, BAN SAYS
New York, Feb 23 2009 3:00PM

Calling recent polls in Iraq "an important turning point" for the strife-torn country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges the newly-elected provincial officials to work together to improve the lives of Iraqis, in a report released today.

"I was delighted that millions of Iraqi people exercised their right to vote in an environment largely free of violence," Mr. Ban says in a report to the Security Council that outlines developments since 6 November 2008 and activities of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), and which follows his 6 February visit to the country.

"The onus is now on those who will take their seats in the governorate councils to engage in constructive political dialogue so that the benefits of the improved security situation can be turned into actions designed to deliver tangible benefits and essential services to the people of Iraq," he adds.

There was a 51 per cent turnout rate for the 31 January polls which took place in 6,471 polling centres across the country, and in which some 14,467 candidates vied for posts in 14 of 19 provincial, or governorate, councils.

During his visit to Baghdad, Mr. Ban writes, everyone he encountered strongly praised the role of UNAMI in providing logistic, strategic, and organizational support for what he called "well prepared elections."

In the coming months, he says, political attention is likely to shift towards disputed internal boundaries and the status of the city of Kirkuk, and he expects UNAMI to play a key role in helping the parties reach consensus on those as-yet unresolved issues.

The UN is also committed to supporting the Government to meet social and economic challenges as Iraqis increasingly look to both national and provincial institutions to provide the rewards of recovery, including jobs, clean water and streets, reliable electricity, better schools and adequate health care.

For those reasons, the Secretary-General welcomes the expansion of the UN presence since 2007, adding offices in Basrah, Kirkuk, Najaf, Ramada and Mosul, and he calls on Member States to continue supporting its efforts.

The Government decided to allocate $25 million towards the construction of a UNAMI integrated headquarters in Baghdad, he says, noting that a number of Iraqi leaders requested the mission and UN organizations to continue to increase their activities throughout the country.

However, Mr. Ban stresses that the November rocket attack which killed two staff members and injured 15 underscores the continuing threats to the Organization, asserting that: "It is for this reason that staff security must remain a priority."

The fact that threats of violence during most key political events were not realized can be interpreted as a sign that militia and insurgent leaders are losing influence, or that their capability and resources are being depleted, he says.

The discovery of new, large weapons caches demonstrates, however, that they intend to maintain some degree of military capability that could be unleashed in some point in time, the report adds.

In addition, Mr. Ban warns the new security agreement between the Governments of Iraq and the United States is being put in place and the gradual reduction of the multinational forces could begin to have an impact on the logistical and security resources available to support UN operations over the next six months.

For that reason, meetings were held with the Minister of Defence and US military officials to discuss UNAMI security in the Green Zone and the possibility of security provided by Iraqi defence forces.
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