UN News stories

8 stories found over the past 45 days
DR Congo: In Goma, Secretary-General hails regional accord as ‘best chance for peace in years’

23 May 2013 – Arriving today in restive eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all the leaders of Africa’s Great Lakes region to throw their support behind a recently-signed peace accord which aims to ensure security, as well as development, for the long-troubled country.

UN report confirms nearly 200 women and girls raped by Congolese troops, rebels

08 May 2013 – Congolese armed forces, known by the French acronym FARDC, raped more than 102 women and 33 girls, some as young as six years old, as they fled the advance M23 rebels in country’s restive eastern region in November 2012, according to a joint UN report released today.

UN Envoy tells Security Council there is ‘renewed opportunity’ for DR Congo peace efforts

06 May 2013 – There are encouraging signs that the new push for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can succeed, Mary Robinson said today in her first briefing to the Security Council since taking her post as United Nations Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes Region.

Darfur: AU-UN joint mission chief assesses security and civilian needs on first field visits

01 May 2013 – The head of the joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur reiterated the commitment of the UN and its partners in protecting and assisting local communities in the region, following his assessment of the security, humanitarian and political situations in the five Darfur states.

Security Council unanimously approves new UN peacekeeping mission in Mali

25 April 2013 – The Security Council today approved a 12,600-strong United Nations peacekeeping operation to take over from the African-led mission in Mali on 1 July and authorized the blue helmets “to use all necessary means” to carry out security-related stabilization tasks, protect civilians, UN staff and cultural artefacts, and create the conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid.

Significant threats confront Côte d’Ivoire despite progress towards stability, UN reports

16 April 2013 – Despite considerable progress since the end of the violent post-election crisis two years ago, Côte d’Ivoire still faces significant threats to its long-term stability, including the presence of armed elements, transnational crime, terrorism, piracy, and a security sector in need of reform, a top United Nations peacekeeping official said today.

UN senior officials urge action to halt rights violations in Central African Republic

16 April 2013 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today urged action to stop the lawlessness and grave violations to civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) including torture, recruitment of children by armed forces, rape and kidnappings.

Conflict prevention in Africa must address poverty, marginalization, UN warns

15 April 2013 – The United Nations Security Council today held a debate on preventing conflict in Africa, with calls for top priority to be given to addressing underlying root causes such as poverty, hunger, human rights abuses, marginalization and impunity, especially with regard to sexual violence.