March, 2015

• 17 March

  India has not taken final decision yet on Rafale deal

  Despite several meetings between Indian and French officials to close the 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal worth $20 bn before PM Narendra Modi travels to Paris next month, defence minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that “no final decision” has been taken yet.

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• 17 March

  UN, Sudan discuss peacekeeper withdrawal

  The United Nations and Sudan began talks in Khartoum on Tuesday to prepare for an eventual orderly withdrawal of UN/African Union peacekeepers from Darfur, a senior UN official said. Herve Ladsous, head of UN peacekeeping, said the team in Khartoum would set up a working group that would “look at …

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• 17 March

  Nigerian Security Council reviews North-east operations

  The National Security Council of Nigeria presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met at the Presidential Villa, where the operations of Nigerian troops in the North-east were reviewed. Also, Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah said there was now news yet on the abducted Chibok schoolgirls from the …

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• 17 March

  Nigeria military makes significant progress in fight against militants

  Nigeria has begun the “final onslaught” against Boko Haram, the country’s national security spokesman said on Tuesday, after the militants were ousted from the strategic town of Bama. On a visit to London, Mike Omeri said that “significant strategic military successes and gains” had been made against the Islamists in …

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• 17 March

  Two UN peacekeepers die in Mali in helicopter crash

  A U.N. helicopter crashed Tuesday in Mali, killing two Dutch peacekeepers. The two members of the United Nations’ Minusma mission were the only two on board the Apache helicopter when it crashed around 1 p.m. local time about 26 miles north of Gao, Mali. “The special representative of the secretary …

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• 17 March

  Ukraine parliament to grant special status on occupied eastern regions

  Ukraine’s parliament approved Tuesday a draft law to grant special status to the eastern regions of the country, which are controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Submitted by President Petro Poroshenko as part of the cease-fire agreement reached in the Belarus capital of Minsk in February, the bill establishes the boundaries of rebel-held areas that could be given special status …

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• 17 March

  Three soldiers killed in Eastern Ukraine

  Three soldiers were killed and five injured in eastern Ukraine, an army spokesman said on Tuesday, further undermining a month-old ceasefire between government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Some of the casualties were caused by fire from the rebels, the others occurring when a military vehicle drove over a landmine, spokesman …

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• 17 March

  EU appoints new special representative for Middle East

  The EU Monday decided to appoint an Italian diplomat, Fernando Gentilini, as new special representative for Middle East, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told a news conference at the end of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Analysts opine that the re-establishment of the post of the special EU envoy …

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• 16 March

  Nigeria army claims liberation of northeastern state of Yobe

  Nigeria’s military on Monday said that it had cleared Boko Haram from the northeastern state of Yobe, after reclaiming the town of Goniri. “We announced the reclaiming of Goniri today,” defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said on his Twitter account.

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• 16 March

  Serbia welcomes Mali peace agreement

  Serbia on Monday welcomed the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali, signed on 28 February in Algiers following the inter-Malian inclusive negotiations under the auspices of Algeria. “The Republic of Serbia welcomes the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali, signed on 28 February2015, after inter-Malian inclusive negotiations which lasted eight …

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