News by region: AFRICA

UN chief appoints head of peacekeeping mission in Mali

17 May – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Albert Gerard Koenders of the Netherlands as the head of the recently approved United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali.

UN agency prepositions for Darfur refugees in Chad ahead of rainy season

17 May – With tens of thousands of Darfur refugees in eastern Chad, the United Nations refugee agency today said it is “in a race against time” to deliver aid before heavy rains cut off access to the group escaping violence linked to tribal conflicts.

Nigerian rebels could face war crimes charges for ‘population cleansing’ – UN rights office

17 May – Members of Boko Haram and other extremist groups in Nigeria could face war crimes charges for deliberate acts leading to ethnic and religious cleansing, the top United Nations human rights official said today.

South Sudan: UN reinforces peacekeeping presence in Pibor town amid violence

16 May – Additional United Nations peacekeepers are on alert to protect civilians in the town of Pibor in South Sudan’s Jonglei state where the situation remains tense amid recent violence, looting and displacement, the Secretary-General’s spokesperson today said.

UN chief ‘very concerned’ about deteriorating security in northeast Nigeria

16 May – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all extremist groups in Nigeria to cease their attacks amid deteriorating security in the country and where a state of emergency has been declared in parts of the northeast.

UN welcomes donors’ €3.25 billion pledge to help rebuild Mali

16 May – The United Nations today welcomed the international community’s pledge of €3.25 billion to support a recovery plan for Mali, which is emerging from a recent crisis that saw its northern territory overtaken by extremists and hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by conflict.

CAR: UN envoy urges Security Council to bolster security, consider sanctions against rebels

15 May – A neutral security force is urgently needed to help restore the stability and counter the absence of law and order in the Central African Republic (CAR), a United Nations envoy today told the Security Council, while also calling on the body to consider sanctions against rebel groups for gross violations of human rights.

Ban pledges UN commitment to stable, prosperous Mali in message to Brussels meeting

15 May – The United Nations is committed to ensuring a stable and prosperous future for Mali, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message to a meeting in Brussels devoted to restoring the West African nation to the path of peace and security, good governance and long-term development.

Security Council condemns deadly attack near hospital in Benghazi

14 May – The United Nations Security Council has condemned ‘in the strongest terms’ an attack near a hospital in the city of Benghazi, and stressed that the international community remains committed to supporting Libya’s democratic transition.

UN chief discusses new UN mission in Mali with Togolese President Gnassingbé

14 May – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with Togo President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé to discuss recent developments in Africa, the importance of promoting sustainable peace and security in West Africa and the creation of a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali to which Togo has contributed.