A sharply divided United Nations Security Council discussed the political crisis in Venezuela during an emergency meeting called by the United States on Saturday, with the council’s African members pressing for a national dialogue and respect for Venezuelan sovereignty rather than the forced removal of President Nicolás Maduro. The contentious…
For the first time in five years, the United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday focused on a theme of drug trafficking and its security threats – and that put West and Central Africa at the center of the briefing. Yury Fedotov, the head of the UN Office on Drugs…
The government of Eritrea responded to Wednesday’s United Nations Security Council decision to lift international sanctions with a sharply worded statement that reflected both its acceptance of the decision and its longstanding defiance over the sanctions. “The Government of Eritrea welcomes this belated decision to redress injustice, almost a decade…
The Democratic Republic of Congo is among nations where authorities are working to reduce the impact of organized crime that is thriving among armed groups in conflict zones and financing international terrorism. That’s according to experts who briefed the United Nations Security Council this week. They discussed progress and challenges…
On Thursday, China takes over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for November and all indications are that African affairs will be a top priority. Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that, according to available information, the situation in the Sahel is a priority topic for Security…
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution Tuesday demanding that all armed groups in the eastern regions of Democratic Republic of Congo stop interfering with the response to a deadly and growing Ebola outbreak. “Humanitarian actors are operating under enormous difficulties to save lives,” said Taye Atske Selassie of…
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Russian government have signed a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of cooperation, the latest evidence of Moscow’s interest in the African continent and its development. SADC head Stergomena Tax and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed the document as African leaders…
It’s been 15 years since civil war broke out in Sudan’s Darfur region, but people still living in displaced person (IDP) communities say attacks and harassment are still cause for concern. That’s according to Jeremiah Mamabolo, the head of the African Union-United Nations mission (UNAMID), during a briefing to the UN…
During a briefing Friday with the UN Security Council, the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations said he is extremely concerned over the increasing number of attacks by armed groups in Mali. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations, also lamented delays with the implementation of the 2015 peace…
African nations appear at last to be making some headway in their quest for United Nations Security Council reforms. Since 2005, the African Union’s Committee of 10 – currently led by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone – has pressed for two permanent member seats on the UNSC, and…
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic serve as examples of how corruption is at the root of conflict, making war “good business” for profiteers who perpetuate atrocities. That’s according to John Prendergast, who with actor George Clooney co-founded the investigative work at The…
Sierra Leone’s new president will soon head to New York for meetings at the United Nations, according to the country’s foreign minister. Dr. Alie Sanjan Kabba, speaking with Radio Democracy 98.1 in Freetown, said President Julius Maada Bio will lead his delegation as head of state but also as the…
The election of non-permanent members to the United Nations Security Council is set for Friday morning in New York, with South Africa seeking to be elected to represent the African Group. The UN General Assembly will elect five members to two-year terms that begin in 2019. Ethiopia currently holds the…
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a body that counts half of all African nations among its 57 members, plans an extraordinary summit on Friday in Istanbul following the call of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to address the Israeli-Palestinian crisis in Gaza. The OIC has condemned the United States…
United States President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement has been met with a flurry of diplomatic responses, including concerns expressed by the African Union. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, released a statement Wednesday in support of the July 2015 agreement, known…