United Nations

The UN's new special envoy for Libya called on foreign forces and mercenaries on Wednesday to leave the conflict-torn country required in last year's ceasefire agreement. Speaking to the UN Security Council, Jan Kubis warned of "pitfalls" that could hinder or delay the December elections in order to provide a unified government for the nation after years of division. Kubis said the ceasefire agreement in October remains in force, but foreign forces and mercenaries have not provided and "there are reports of ongoing…

Libya's eastern administration on Tuesday officially handed over power to a new executive set to unite the war - torn country and steer it towards elections later this year. The Government of National Unity (GNU), elected through a UN-backed process, is the latest internationally supported bid to end a decade of chaos in the North African nation and unite rival administrations. Under the leadership of the caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the GNU replaces both the Tripoli-based National Accord Government…

Mohammad Menfi, head of Libya's presidential council, called for reconciliation between the war - torn country's institutions on Monday and expressed his support for the executive branch. Menfi received Jan Kubis, the UN Special Envoy to Libya, at his office in Tripoli and Raisedon Zenenga, the coordinator of the UN Libya Support Mission (UNSMIL), according to a statement from the Presidential Council. Menfi pointed out that the new executive is dependent on the decisions taken in Geneva and said that…

Ethiopia's request for an inquiry into the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in the country's northern Tigray region was approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet, according to a UN spokeswoman on Wednesday. Tigray residents have told human rights groups and journalists about massacres, widespread sexual violence and indiscriminate killings of civilians by security forces in the region. Aid workers say, however, that Tigray's health system has…

The Libyan interim government held its first cabinet meeting on Sunday after receiving a vote of confidence last week, and the international community continues to welcome the latest developments in the war-torn country. Led by caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the cabinet discussed the work plan as well as the plan that ministers will commit to establishing coordination with state institutions. Consisting of 26 ministers, the government is expected to take its oath on Monday. When the…

The Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that South Sudan is "a forgotten conflict" in the face of a "humanitarian crisis" exacerbated by the pandemic, while the UN chief warned that 60% of the world's newest nation "is becoming increasingly hungry. " South Sudan has struggled to recover from a five-year war that, according to a study, killed nearly 400,000 people. A coalition government formed last year between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek…

The new Libyan interim government under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has gained confidence and confirms the newly appointed government to lead the war-torn country through elections at the end of the year. The government of the Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah replaces two rival administrations that have ruled the North African country for several years. More than 130 members of the House of Representatives took part in two days of deliberations in the coastal town of Sirte. The…

Libya's caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Thursday presented his proposal to the new government for parliamentary approval in an attempt to unite the country's divided institutions, the prime minister's office said. "In accordance with the Roadmap to the Political Agreement ... (Dbeibah), the Speaker submitted to Parliament the Parliament's proposals for portfolio," the Office said in a statement. The names of Dbeibah's proposed government were not made public, but the House of…

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a $ 12 million humanitarian appeal late Thursday to improve deteriorating health and safety conditions for women and girls in northeastern Mozambique. In a statement, the UN authority said it was urgent to provide life-saving sexual and reproductive health services to 330,000 women, girls and young people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the province of Cabo Delgado, as well as by the secondary effects of the coronavirus pandemic . An armed…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says at least 20 migrants have been killed after smugglers threw 80 overboard during a trip from Djibouti in East Africa to Yemen. A statement said that "smugglers started shouting that there were too many on board" after the boat with 200 migrants, including children under 18, got off on Wednesday. IOM says five bodies have been recovered and survivors are being treated in Djibouti. This has happened in the past when thousands of migrants continue to…