Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Greek-Turkish Cypriot Talks Begin at UN

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders resumed negotiations Tuesday afternoon on the Secretary-General's plan for a united Cyprus. The plan calls for a single state with Greek and Turkish Cypriot federal regions linked through a central government. Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke of the benefits of a united Cyrpus. He told reporters Monday that a unified Cyprus entering the European Union would help reduce tensions in the Aegean region:

"It will improve relations all around in the region and it will facilitate Turkey's entry into Europe. It's a win-win situation al around and I hope the people of Cyprus will press their leaders not to miss this opportunity."

Mr. Annan is holding separate meetings with both parties before a 3-way meeting later in the day.

UN Team Continues Meetings with Iraqis

In Iraq, the UN assessment team is continuing discussions with Iraqi officials and groups. A UN spokesman says the team met with a non-governmental organization, the International Foundation for Electoral Assistance, which is providing advice to the Coalition Provisional Authority. Later the team met separately with three members of the Iraqi Governing Council representing different ethnic groups in the country. A UN spokesman says the representative of one minority faction expressed support for a unified Iraq in which Arabs, Kurds and others can live together.

UN Concerned about Deteriorating Violence in Haiti

UN officials are expressing grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Haiti. Aid officials warn of a looming humanitarian crisis. And the World Food Programme says the violence is hampering aid deliveries to tens of thousands of Haitians who rely on handouts from the agency. Meanwhile, the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, is especially concerned over political violence in the cities of Gonaives and St.Marc. Human Rights spokesman is Jose Luis Diaz:

"He condemns the use of violence on all sides and calls on all concerned to stop the violence and resolve the political crisis in a peaceful and constitutional manner. He urges the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for serious acts of violence and human rights violations according to national and international norms."

The human rights office is working to get a representative into Haiti to work with other officials of the UN system.

UNHCR Moving Sudanese Refugees Deeper into Chad

More than 900 Sudanese refugees have been moved from the border town of Tine to a transit centre 70 miles inside Chad. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR), is operating daily convoys until the more than 4-thousand refugees registered in the town have reached the safety of the transit centre. Meanwhile, a spokesman for UNHCR says the agency has not had full access to the 120-thousand people fleeing Sudan because they are scattered along the 600-kilometre border. Spokesman Kris Janowski says a sandstorm raging in the area has made things even more difficult:

"The situation is probably now worse than it was a few days ago because of the weather and the sandstorm but quite honestly as far as many of these people are concerned, we simply don't know what their situation is because we haven't seen them yet."

Janowski says when UNHCR gets the word that there's a group of people arriving, it goes to the area to check.

Deep Sense of Uncertainty and Fear in Cote d'Ivoire: UN Rights Official

A UN human rights official has warned that acts of violence seem to dominate various aspects of ordinary life in Cote d'Ivoire. Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo says there is a deep sense of uncertainty and fear because of the overwhelming presence of military forces and police check points which often harass and extort money from ordinary citizens.
He describes this as an additional negative element impinging on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and negating efforts towards reconciliation and peace. Mr. Ligabo has just concluded a visit looking at the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Cote d'Ivoire.

UN Anti-Drug Official Says Foreign Troops Crucial to Winning Afghan Drug War

There's been a call for international forces operating in Afghanistan to intervene in the drug war. The UN's top official on drugs and crime, Antonio Maria Costa, says it's crucial that the foreign troops move against drug smugglers and narcotics labs, if Afghanistan is to win the war on drugs.