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Ten jihadists and nine pro-government fighters died in clashes Thursday around the last positions of the Islamic State group in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte, medical and military sources said.
“Our forces are advancing on the last holdouts of Daesh” in the only district of Sirte still held by IS, said the media office of the pro-government fighters, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group. Read the rest of this entry »
The Obama Administration on Thursday announced a pledge of USD six million in humanitarian aid for those displayed from Sirte, north Libya, following the takeover by the so-called Islamic State (IS).
US Secretary of State John Kerry made the announcement which brings the total US contribution to Libya to USD 121 million since 2012. Read the rest of this entry »
The US, Morocco and several Arab, African and European countries reaffirmed, Thursday, their support to the implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed in Skhirat, Morocco, on December 17, 2015.
“We reiterate our support for the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) of Skhirat, Morocco signed on December 17, 2015 and its fulfillment, and for the Government of National Accord (GNA) as the sole legitimate government of Libya, as endorsed in UN Security Council Resolutions 2259 and 2278,” said the representatives of several countries, including the US, Morocco, France and Germany in a joint communique released in Washington following a ministerial meeting on Libya. Read the rest of this entry »
United Nations Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the violent clashes between protestors and security forces in Kinshasa, and several other locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“He condemns the violence that has already led to the death of at least 17 people, including three police officers in the capital,” according to a statement issued by Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson in New York.
The Secretary-General in his statement urged all concerned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from any further violence that could exacerbate the situation. Read the rest of this entry »
Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel underlined, Thursday in New York, that the political solution, based on the inclusive inter-Libyan dialogue and national reconciliation, “is the only means likely to preserve the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the unity of Libya, as well as the cohesion of its people away from any foreign interference.”
In his address at the ministerial meeting on Libya, co-chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Messahel reiterated Algeria’s firm and continuous support to the political process initiated by the United Nations for the resolution of the conflict, through the implementation of the Libyan political agreement, signed in December 2015. Read the rest of this entry »
A ministerial meeting on Mali took place Friday in New York to speed up the implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali, resulting from Algiers process.
This high-level meeting, in which partook Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramtane Lamamra, was co-chaired by Algeria, Mali, and UN. Read the rest of this entry »
Hundreds of Somalis took to the streets of Mogadishu on Wednesday in protest at Kenya’s territorial claim to a disputed portion of potentially lucrative Indian Ocean waters.
A long-running dispute between the two Horn of Africa neighbours went before the UN’s top court in The Hague this week, which is yet to decide whether it has jurisdiction to hear the claim that will determine the fate of offshore oil and gas reserves. Read the rest of this entry »
The United Nations human rights chief is warning that a “large-scale crisis could be just around the corner” in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where dozens of people have been killed this week in protests against a delayed presidential election. Read the rest of this entry »
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said that Egypt urges for an immediate resumption of talks to reach a political resolution in Syria.
Al-Sisi said in a speech at the United Nations security council meeting on the Middle East on Wednesday that the outlines for any political resolution in Syria are accepted, but in order to implement those outlines, the concept of unity, promotion of equality of all Syrian citizens, and security stability need to be enhanced. Read the rest of this entry »
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi welcomed the level of the Tunisian-US relations, saying they “are and will remain strategic.”
Mr. Caid Essebsi, who received Monday in New York, US Secretary of State John Kerry, spoke, in particular, of terrorism and said the end of 2016 will see the installation of electronic control on the Tunisian border lines. Read the rest of this entry »
Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj will visit Khartoum within the next few days, said Sudan’s foreign ministry.
In a press release released on Wednesday, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour has welcomed the upcoming visit of al-Sarraj, stressing his country’s support to the Libyan GNA.
He added that Sudan would harness all its capabilities to support the Libyan people. Read the rest of this entry »
The new clashes in Central African Republic (CAR) have left at least 20 people killed, said an official source.
An official from CAR Public Security Ministry who declined to be named told Xinhua Sunday that the clashes took place in Kaga-Bandoro, a town in central CAR from Friday night to Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »
More than 50 people were killed on Monday in clashes between protesters and security forces in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, opposition groups said, calling for further anti-government demonstrations.
The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise. Read the rest of this entry »
Islamic extremists said on Tuesday they killed more than 40 troops from a multinational force in an attack on a convoy in northeast Nigeria — the fourth attack in three days following a lull as Nigeria’s home-grown insurgency confronts a leadership struggle.
Analysts are warning that the struggle could lead to more violent attacks that will kill more people in a 7-year-old Islamic uprising started by Boko Haram that has killed more than 20 000 people, forced 2.6 million from their homes and spread to neighboring states. Read the rest of this entry »
Sudan said on Wednesday it is hosting at least 400 000 South Sudanese refugees who fled a brutal civil war that erupted in the world’s youngest country after it broke away in 2011.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 2.5 million driven from their homes since a new conflict gripped South Sudan in late 2013 following its split from Sudan under a landmark peace deal. Read the rest of this entry »
The UN voiced concerns over Mali’s shaky peace deal on Wednesday following deadly clashes between groups that have signed up to the agreement.
The clashes last week – between pro-government group GATIA [the Imghad and Allies Tuareg Self - Defence Group] and ex-rebels from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) – left around a dozen fighters dead around the flashpoint northeastern town of Kidal. Read the rest of this entry »
Russia had said it would export helicopters, Mil Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 helicopters to Nigeria, Angola, Mali and Sudan between this year and 2017.
The head of the delegation for Russia’s arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, Mr Yury Demchenko yesterday, said that Russia wished to maintain exporting to the four countries. Read the rest of this entry »
Leaked air traffic control recordings obtained by Middle East Eye have unveiled the sinister role Emirati military has been playing in eastern Libya as the leaks show UAE’s fighter pilots are involved in carrying out airstrikes in support of rogue General, Kahlifa Haftar, and his Dignity Operation forces against rival armed groups in eastern Libya. Read the rest of this entry »
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to present Egypt’s vision on efforts being made to settle regional crises in front of the UN’s General Assembly, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said.
In an interview with MENA agency, Shoukry said that El-Sisi is also going to present current political and economic developments in Egypt in front of the UNGA, which will be held next week in New York. Read the rest of this entry »
Egypt supports the Libyan army’s move to secure the country’s oil wealth and preserve stability and security, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told state-owned MENA agency.
The statement by Shoukry comes days after troops loyal to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar said on Sunday they had seized two major oil export terminals as the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), backed by the UN, struggles to assert its authority over the oil-rich country. Read the rest of this entry »
Egypt on Friday received the second Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Doc (LHD) warship from France, official news agency MENA reported.
Egyptian Navy Commander Osama Rabie and Chief of the French Navy Admiral Christophe Prazuck attended a ceremony marking France’s handover of the warship to Egypt in the western French port of Saint Nazaire, the report said.
“Egypt seeks to protect its coasts, national security, economic resources and water,” Rabie said after raising the Egyptian flag on the vessel. Read the rest of this entry »
The UN Security Council on Wednesday urged South Sudan’s government to take immediate steps to allow a new regional force to deploy in Juba as it weighed imposing an arms embargo.
Following a closed-door meeting, New Zealand Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council presidency, said it was time for “actions, not words” from President Salva Kiir’s government.
The council voted last month to deploy the 4 000-strong regional protection force (RPF) in Juba, which will be under the command of the UN peacekeeping mission. Read the rest of this entry »
Libya’s internationally recognised parliament, which is based in the far east and effectively runs this part of the country, has promoted a powerful general.
The gesture is likely to rile the UN-brokered government in the capital, Tripoli, which is not recognized by the east-based parliament. Read the rest of this entry »
Renewed fierce fighting has pushed more than 185,000 people to flee South Sudan since July, sending the number of refugees from the impoverished nation past one million, the UN said on Friday.
“The number of South Sudanese refugees sheltering in neighbouring countries has this week passed the one million mark,” the United Nations refugee agency said in a statement, pointing out that another 1.61 million people are displaced inside the country.
Security has been enhanced around Somali capital, Mogadishu on Tuesday as the Horn of Africa nation hosts a regional summit which is also expected to tackle crisis in South Sudan.
A statement from the Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said seven Heads of State and government from the seven-member bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority (IGAD) are expected to hold their summit in Mogadishu for the first time since the regional body was established in 1986. Read the rest of this entry »
South Sudan is implementing peace because “we have no other option than having peace”, visiting First Vice-President Taban Deng said here on Tuesday.
More violence is not an in South Sudan or anywhere elsewhere in Africa, Deng said at a press briefing after talks with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.
“We have to settle so that people develop, so that people can have health services, people have roads and people are food secure,” Deng said. Read the rest of this entry »
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has affirmed Egypt’s full support for Iraq in its war against terrorism, while Iraqi President Fuad Masum has revealed Iraq’s intention to improve relations between the two countries.
Media office of Masum, in a statement, said, “Iraqi President Fuad Masum received a phone call from his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi congratulating him and Iraqi people Read the rest of this entry »
Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry received a phone call from the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Tuesday to discuss the latest updates regarding the situation in Syria.
De Mistura informed Shoukry about the results and details of the ceasefire and truce in Syria, which the United States (US) and Russia agreed on in Geneva. Read the rest of this entry »
The United States and its major European allies on Monday condemned an offensive by faction commander Khalifa Haftar against a string of oil ports in eastern Libya.
Libya’s fledgling internationally-recognised government has in recent days lost control of three oil exporting towns to an advance by Haftar’s forces. Read the rest of this entry »
Seven Niger soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in two separate attacks by Boko Haram Islamists over the past week, the army has said.
The two attacks took place in the southeastern Diffa region near the border with Nigeria, according to a military statement released late on Tuesday. Read the rest of this entry »
An initiative to revitalise the Arab League’s role in resolving the Libyan crisis and urging stakeholders to settle disputes and iron out difficulties that impede the implementation of the political agreement was tabled Thursday by Tunisia as part of its presidency of the 146th Ordinary Session of the Arab Foreign Ministers’ Council. Read the rest of this entry »
Egypt and the Arab League (AL) welcomed on Saturday the ceasefire recently reached in conflict-stricken Syria after mediation efforts of the United States and Russia.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry hailed the truce that was reached Friday evening and will take effect on Sept. 12, the first day of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, calling on all Syrian parties to maintain complete ceasefire “while continuing to target terrorist elements.” Read the rest of this entry »
Libya’s last chemical weapons stocks have arrived safely in Germany after being shipped out of the country, and will now be prepared for destruction, a global watchdog said Thursday.
“Another crucial step has been taken toward eliminating Libya’s remaining chemical weapon precursors,” Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the UN-backed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement. Read the rest of this entry »
Morocco’s envoy to the United Nations has said Rabat is committed to a ceasefire in Western Sahara after the UN voiced fears of renewed hostilities in the disputed territory.
A 1991 UN-brokered truce ended 16 years of conflict between Morocco, which maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of its kingdom and the Algiers-backed Polisario Front independence movement. Read the rest of this entry »
Libyan forces loyal to a powerful general on Sunday recaptured two key oil terminals from militias in a surprise attack, according to officials familiar with the operation.
They said forces led by General Khalifa Hifter, who heads the Libyan National Army, took over the Ras Lanuf and al-Sidra terminals on Libya’s Mediterranean coast and were battling militias at a third terminal, al-Zueitina. Read the rest of this entry »
