DR Congo: UN forces, army adopt new directives with civilian protection at core
16 December 2009 – United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the national army adopted new directives today for operations against rebels with the protection of civilians as the core focus following reports of massacres and other serious human rights violations by Congolese soldiers.
Security Council lengthens UN tribunals for war crimes in Balkans and Rwanda
16 December 2009 – The Security Council today extended the mandates of the United Nations tribunals set up to deal with the worst atrocities committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s and the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
UN chief thankful for the release of kidnapped civilian staff in Darfur
13 December 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep gratitude today on hearing of the release of two civilian staff members of the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) after more than 100 days in captivity in the war-torn western flank of Sudan.
Darfur blue helmets committed to staying the course, despite attacks – UN
09 December 2009 – Morale among peacekeepers in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur remains high, despite the recent attacks that have claimed the lives of five blue helmets, a top United Nations official said today.
Ban deplores deadly consecutive attacks against blue helmets in Darfur
08 December 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today spoke out against the second deadly attack in as many days on peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-United Nations mission in the war-ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur, issuing a call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice immediately.
Efforts to thwart rebels in eastern DR Congo a mixed bag, says Ban
08 December 2009 – Progress in bringing stability to the war-wracked east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is mixed, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, noting the heavy humanitarian toll wrought by a military operation to flush out a notorious ethnic Hutu militia.
Global minerals, arms smuggling networks fuel DR Congo conflict – UN report
07 December 2009 – Minerals and arms smuggling worth millions of dollars persists in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) despite international sanctions, fuelling rebel strength despite national army operations, and army and rebel soldiers continue to kill civilians, according to a new United Nations report that calls on the Security Council to take action to plug the gaps.
Ban urges Sudanese President to help secure release of abducted staff
07 December 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to become directly involved in securing the release of two staff members of the joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur who have been held hostage now for over 100 days, stressing that the situation is critical given that one of them is gravely ill.
Darfur: security situation worsens after attacks on UN-African peacekeepers
06 December 2009 – The security situation in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur has deteriorated in the wake of attacks that claimed the lives of five peacekeepers, the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in the area (UNAMID) reported today.
Darfur: UN-African Union force condemns 'cowardly' attack against blue helmets
05 December 2009 – The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) today spoke out against the “cowardly” attack against its forces yesterday that claimed the lives of three blue helmets.
