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/ 27 February 2007
A South African teenager had a message for government ministers and officials attending a high-level United Nations meeting on ending discrimination and violence against girls: ”It’s time to listen to us!” Quilinta Nepaul (17) said participants at annual meeting should read a report reflecting the views of over 1 300 young people from 59 countries.
According to a report, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended against deploying UN peacekeepers in Chad and the Central African Republic to address spill-over from the Darfur conflict until all parties agree to a ceasefire and start talks aimed at a political solution.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the UN Security Council to immediately strengthen the 6 200-strong African Union force in Darfur and more than double it if the Sudanese government gives a green light for the UN to take over peacekeeping in the conflict-wracked western region.
The virulent H5N1 bird-flu virus has hit 45 countries, killing more than 100 people and leading to the death of 200-million birds and the impoverishment of millions of small-poultry farmers — and it seems to be spreading quickly, the United Nations bird-flu chief said on Wednesday.
Israel warned that a new ”axis of terror” — Iran, Syria and the Hamas-run Palestinian government — is sowing the seeds of the first world war of the 21st century. But the Palestinians accused Israel of an escalating and indiscriminate military campaign that targets civilians and entrenches its occupation.
The United Nations Security Council demanded that the Sudanese government and rebels reach agreement by April 30 to end the conflict in Darfur and reaffirmed its determination to hold accountable those blocking peace and violating human rights.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said she wants ex-president Charles Taylor handed over to a war crimes tribunal for prosecution for his role in Sierra Leone’s civil war, with the agreement of African leaders. Taylor was given asylum in Nigeria to help end the war and Johnson-Sirleaf said on Friday she and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo had agreed to seek African leaders’ views before any handover.
President Robert Mugabe’s government has blocked a -million (about R195-million) United Nations fundraising drive to provide food and medicine to Zimbabweans hardest hit by the state destruction of urban slum housing, UN relief officials said on Friday.
The United Nations increased its appeal to over -million to help 2,5-million people in desperate need of food in Niger and said more money will be needed to tackle the humanitarian crisis. The UN World Food Programme more than tripled the amount of emergency aid it is seeking for southern Niger — the epicentre of the crisis — from -million six months ago to ,6-million.
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/ 8 December 2004
Côte d’Ivoire has demanded an independent international investigation focusing on French reprisals for an Ivorian air strike that destroyed the country’s tiny air force in early November and sparked anti-foreigner riots.
Côte d’Ivoire agrees on peace timetable