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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations has honoured Ethiopia for its significant contributions to UN's vast Peacekeeping operations, the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday.

Ethiopian peacekeepers patrol the outskirts of the disputed Abyei town that straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan on 16 September 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

At a ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York to mark International Day of UN Peacekeepers, the United Nations has awarded Ethiopia a medal in honour of its peacekeepers, who sacrificed their lives during line of duty in different peace keeping missions.

Ambassador Tekeda Alemu, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nation, received the medal awarded to Ethiopia.

The Ministry said Ethiopia has been actively participating in UN peacekeeping operations based on its firm conviction on the principle of collective security enshrined in the UN Charter since the establishment of the United Nations.

Ethiopia, with nearly 8,000 peacekeepers currently serving in UN Peacekeeping Missions around the world is Africa's top contributing nation.

The horn of Africa's nation is also world's fourth largest contributor in terms of the number of its peacekeepers deployed under the United Nations umbrella

Currently Ethiopian Peacekeepers are serving in various UN peacekeeping missions including in Abyei, Darfur and South Sudan.

In addition, more than 4 thousand Ethiopian peacekeepers are deployed in Somalia as part of the AU peace support operation in that country.

The country has for years played significant role in the success of UN peacekeeping and its participation is the most tangible contribution to restoring international peace and security.

(ST)

Trotz des Widerstands aus einigen Mitgliedsstaaten will Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker die Vorschläge für ein faireres Verteilungssystem in der EU nicht ändern. Das gab er bei der Eröffnungsveranstaltung zu den Europäischen Entwicklungstagen bekannt. EurActiv Brüssel berichtet.

Im Rahmen der Vorschläge für eine "bessere Rechtssetzung" stellt der erste Kommissionsvizepräsident Frans Timmermans auch die Naturschutzgesetzgebung auf den Prüfstand. Umweltaktivisten warnen: Das könnte jahrzehntelange Naturschutzarbeit zerstören. EurActiv Brüssel berichtet.

The official Baku 2015 channels have added biographies of each of the 6,000-strong contingent of athletes taking part in the inaugural European Games.

Quer durch Europa verzeichnen rechts- und linkspopulistische Parteien einen starken Wählerzulauf. Bei den etablierten Parteien, denen im Gegenzug massenhaft Wähler abhanden kommen, herrscht ob dieser Entwicklung ziemliche Ratlosigkeit.

Iranian entrepreneurs and business owners gathered in Berlin Thursday for a three-day startup conference to explore opportunities in Iran’s hi-tech sector.

Près de 15 mois après l'enlèvement d'au moins 11 personnes par des troupes de la République du Congo déployées en République centrafricaine, le sort des victimes demeure inconnu, s'est inquiété vendredi le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme (HCDH).

Le Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, a déclaré vendredi que les témoignages d'individus victimes de Boko Haram dans le nord du Nigéria faisaient état « d'une terreur absolue et de graves violations des droits de l'homme », tout en notant également des informations concernant des abus commis par les forces armées nigérianes.

La Mission d'appui des Nations Unies en Libye (MANUL) a annoncé vendredi que la prochaine série de pourparlers politiques libyens à Skhirat, au Maroc, débutera lundi 8 juin.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced today that the next round of Libyan political dialogue sessions in Skhirat, Morocco, will commence on Monday, 8 June.

The human rights situation in Boko Haram-held areas of northern Nigeria is one of “absolute terror” and “grave” violations, the top United Nations human rights official said today amid a wider call for Nigerian authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of abuses committed by the country’s armed forces.

Armenian armed forces violated ceasefire with 72 times on various parts of the frontline within a day, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

L’Observatoire européen des drogues et des toxicomanies a rendu public ce jeudi son rapport annuel. Il constate une baisse de la consommation d’héroïne mais s’inquiète de la consommation excessive de combinaisons de médicaments psychotropes vendus légalement comme substituts aux drogues illicites. L’observatoire alerte également sur la consommation de cannabis, devenue préoccupante.

Russia has more interest in other formats.

Azerbaijani Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov has met Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Janusz Piechocinski to discuss prospects for cooperation in the field of education, AzerTag reports.

Réunie à Vienne, l'Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole a confirmé sa politique : le maintien de son quota officiel de production de 30 millions de barils par jour.

Among the countries participating in the upcoming Baku 2015- the first ever European Games, delegation and journalists from Spain, Britain, Israel and Sweden arrived in Azerbaijan, APA reports.

Turkish Minister Taner Yıldız said it is not possible for Turkey to cancel the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant as the project has been made upon an intergovernmental agreement between Turkey and Russia, in contrary to the opposition parties’ claims.

June 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar, has dismissed report that its forces were receiving weapons from Sudan.

A photo included in CAR's report showing small calibre ammunition in hessian bag pictured in Malakal on 11 December 2014

In a report published this week, Conflict Armament Research (CAR) unveiled what it said were findings pointing to evidences that Khartoum was supplying the rebels based on weapons and ammunition captured by pro-government forces from opposition forces in Jonglei state late last year.

Some of the weapons examined by the CAR's investigation team at South Sudan army headquarters in Upper Nile reportedly provided important details in the sources of arms supplied to the armed opposition forces.

The document pointed to new weapons manufactured in Sudan or from China in the possession of the rebels while some appeared damaged which suggested they were airdropped to the rebels.

But opposition officials refuted the claims made by the London-based entity, saying South Sudan's government had been buying weapons from Sudan many of which the rebels also captured in several military encounters against president Salva Kiir's government.

“For those who may not know it, South Sudan government buys weapons from Sudan. They also buy others from China as revealed last year when a consignment of $38 million worth of weaponry were shipped through Port Mombassa of Kenya destined for South Sudan,” Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

“Since we have been capturing sizable quantities of weapons from the government, seeing a Sudanese or Chinese manufactured weapon shouldn't be a surprise. It shouldn't also be alleged as evidence of receiving weapons from Khartoum,” he said.

Dak explained that even if the descriptions indicating sources of the weapons were to be true, this did not necessarily mean the weapons were delivered directly to the rebel forces.

He also said when the crisis erupted in December 2013 in South Sudan, the army began to split right from the national capital, Juba. In some areas as the fighting spread to states, he said, forces that joined the opposition also managed to take weapons and ammunition with them.

He said many of the weapons used by pro-government forces were purchased from Sudan and ended up in the hands of the different opposition forces in the country over the years.

(ST)

June 3, 2015 (RUMBEK) - Lakes state authorities have acknowledged that local communities were not in their control or cooperating, saying the public refused to share information with security agents of the government in ending the crisis in the South Sudan's central state.

Map detail of South Sudan showing Lakes state in red

Top state officials pessimistically confirmed that insecurity had further worsened in the state and effort to restore trust in the rural communities was becoming more difficult.

Lakes state security advisor, Marial Amuom Malek, an outspoken politician who also serves as member of state parliament representing Yirol West county, said communities had continued to turn their back on the government as inter-communal fighting escalates coupled with threats from rebels allied to former vice president, Riek Machar, under the command of General Abdel Latif, who hails from the state.

Amuom was reacting to current complex clashes that left 13 people dead on Monday. Two rival communities of Gony and Thuyic have 11 dead from both sides and two policemen were also killed in Abeer in a separate clash on Monday.

“It has been very difficult for the security apparatus to address this situation. We have tried all the levels that we have but still this situation will never give us a chance to rest,” he lamented.

He said the situation had been exacerbated by proliferation of arms in the hands of the civil populations, making it difficult for the security forces to control the heavily armed Dinka youth who had been turning against each other.

He also added that another challenge was those who intended to go for revenge attacks usually avoided areas where the police and army were being deployed.

“They go to the bush somewhere far from where we deployed our forces and they begin killing whoever they come across. This is a major challenge,” Amoum further explained.

He called on the government to carry out disarmament of the youth throughout the state as the best option in order to arrest the situation.

Activists and traditional leaders also criticized Lakes state government for allegedly having failed to stem violence, accusing the state administration of using violent approach that allowed pastoralist youth to become more hostile. The activist also said disarmament is not the best solution because of rebellion threats in the country.

Moses Ater, a Lakes state activist however suggested that disarmament by relatives and friends within the families would be the best model to disarm the hostile youth in the state. He also said intermarriage between the Dinka rival sections should be encouraged while justice is served without favouritism.

Lakes state has been embroiled in cycles of revenge attacks with many citizens blaming government for allegedly failing to curb insecurity. Hundreds of citizens have been killed over the last few years due to inter-sectional fighting.

The situation recently worsened when a joint force of the police and military withdrew from all hotspots in the state, claiming they had no way to collect information due to communities' failure to cooperate with the state authorities.

Data from the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reported an increase in crime-related incidences within the volatile region. Youth activists and traditional authorities have repeatedly called for the removal of the military caretaker governor Matur Dhuol amid claims he had failed to stem the violence. President Salva Kiir has however overlooked these calls.

Dhuol was appointed in 2013 after president Kiir sacked elected governor Chol Tong Mayay.

(ST)