Latest news with #MINUSCA
Canada News.Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
ICC jails former football chief for war crimes
Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and an associate have been found guilty of multiple charges, including murder The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced the former chief of the Central African Republic (CAR) football federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, to prison after finding him guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ngaissona was convicted alongside Alfred Yekatom, a rebel leader known as 'Rambo', during a ruling in The Hague on Thursday, with judges handing them prison terms of 12 and 15 years respectively. "The convictions were across multiple charges, including murder, attacks against a civilian population, forcible transfer, torture and other inhumane acts, and persecution," the court said in a press release. The charges relate to their roles as leaders of a Christian-dominated armed group called Anti-balaka (meaning 'anti-machete'), which carried out deadly attacks against Muslim communities in the Central African Republic between December 2013 and December 2014. Anti-balaka was formed in 2013 to counter the Muslim-majority Seleka coalition, which seized power after ousting then-President Francois Bozize. Prosecutors accused Ngaissona, also a former government minister, of supplying funds and weapons to Anti-balaka units operating in towns including Bossangoa, Gaga, and Berberati. Yekatom, a former parliamentarian, is said to have commanded an estimated 3,000 fighters and directed attacks in areas such as the capital, Bangui, and Lobaye. According to court documents, witnesses described his forces using grenades, machetes, and assault rifles in raids that terrorized Muslim civilians. Both men had pleaded not guilty when the trial opened in February 2021, after being extradited to The Hague. The ICC said it heard from around 75 witnesses, including victims and insiders from the armed groups. "The Chamber found Mr Ngaissona and Mr Yekatom guilty beyond any reasonable doubt of a number of war crimes and crimes against humanity," the court stated. The Central African Republic has experienced decades of militant violence and political insecurity, including six coups, since gaining independence from France in 1960. UN peacekeepers have been deployed under the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) since 2014, but rebel violence against the government has persisted.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Goment perfect plans to bring back Nigerians wey dey trapped on forced labour for CAR
Di Nigeria goment don begin moves to bring back a group of Nigerians wey dey stranded for Central African Republic (CAR) afta dia SOS video bin go viral on social media. A statement by di tok-tok pesin of di Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCom) Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Thursday say dem don contact di Nigeria Embassy for CAR to take up di issue. For di viral video, di men claim say na one Chinese company bin recruit dem wit promise say work dey for dem for CAR, but wen dem arrive di kontri, dem first chop arrest and detention for four months bifor security pipo later release dem. "Now, we don work here for six months, dem no pay us anytin. We arrive hia September last year, and delay us for four months for di capital city, dem arrest us, and wen we later come out dem bring us hia for dis bush," di man wey be like di tok-tok pesin for di group tok for di video. E say wia dem dey na one village wey di name na Senye, for di Bambari region of CAR. Bambari na di second largest city for CAR afta di capital Bangui, and for years armed groups bin dey control di area until just about a year ago wen troops from di United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in di Central African Republic (MINUSCA) declare di region free of militias. MINUSCA still dey do peacekeeping work for CAR till date as di kontri still dey struggle wit armed conflicts, especially for mining communities. Di men for di viral video tok say na mining work dem dey for dat village of Senye wia dem dey, but di Nigerian agent for di Chinese company wey carry dem come CAR, don abandon dem run bak to Nigeria. Anoda man wey be citizen of CAR don seize all dia passports so dem no go fit go back. "Even some of us dey ready to transport diasef back to Nigeria, but without our passports, security pipo go arrest us and na straight to prison," dem tok. 'We don secure dia passport bak' - Nigeria goment For di statement wey e release late Thursday, di Nidcom oga Abdur-Rahman Balogun say di commission don establish contact wit di Nigerian men and also retrieve dia passports. "Plans dey on to send a bus wey go carry dem to di embassy for Bangui wey be at least eight hour drive. Di agent in question don also dey identified," di statement tok. Nidcom also thank di Nigeria embassy for CAR for dia "swift action" for di matter. Dis no be di first time dis kind SOS video dey go viral from Nigerians wey dey trapped for forced labour and even prostitution for kontris around di world including African kontris. In July 2024, Nidcom facilitate di return of about 58 young girls wey dia video bin go viral say dem dey trapped for Ghana wia dia captors force dem to dey do prostitution. Dem later return eight more girls from Ghana for September and anoda 13 girls for November of 2024. For April dis year, Nidcom oga kpatakpata Abike Dabiri-Erewa, tok say di commission don recover more dan 200 victims of trafficking for 2025 alone, according to di News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). More dan 50 million pipo for di world dey live for modern day slavery, according to di Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, one international initiative wey di head na former British Prime Minister Theresa May. Wit more dan 1.6 million of Nigeria citizens as victims of modern day slavery and human trafficking, di kontri na di fifth African kontri wit di highest number, according to di commission latest report. Di top five kontris for Africa wit di highest vulnerability to modern slavery for Africa Eritrea, Mauritania, South Sudan, di DRC and Nigeria. Modern day slavery na di removal of somebody freedom to accept or refuse a job, dia freedom to leave one employer for anoda, or dia freedom to decide if, wen, and who to marry, in order to exploit dem for personal or financial gain, according to Walk Free, one international human rights group wey dey fight against modern day slavery. E include forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, forced commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, and di sale and exploitation of children.
Forbes
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
What Is The Future Of UN Peacekeeping?
Members of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol the road near the border ... More with Israel in the southern Lebanese coastal town of Naqura on March 19, 2025. UNIFIL, a mission of about 10,000 troops of various nationalities, was set up in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon and to help the Lebanese government restore authority over the border region. (Photo credit: MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images) In May 2025, the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial took place in Berlin, gathering over 130 Member States and international partners to reaffirm their support for UN peacekeeping and to pledge a concrete plan to enhance the effectiveness and adaptability of peace operations. The Ministerial focused on the future of peacekeeping, reflecting the need for innovative approaches to address complex conflicts, leverage emerging technologies, and address threats such as mis- and disinformation. Today, more than 61,000 military and police peacekeepers from 119 countries and more than seven thousand civilian personnel serve across 11 Peacekeeping Missions, including in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Kosovo, among others. In the CAR, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has been responding to security, humanitarian, human rights and political crisis in the country and its regional implications. Its other initial tasks included support for the transition process; facilitating humanitarian assistance; promotion and protection of human rights; support for justice and the rule of law; and disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation processes. In the DRC, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has been authorized to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate relating, among other things, to the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the Government of the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts. In Kosovo, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was there to provide an interim administration for Kosovo under which the people of Kosovo could enjoy substantial autonomy. Following the declaration of independence by the Kosovo authorities and the entry into force of a new constitution in June 2008, the Mission was modified to focus primarily on the promotion of security, stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo. While such peacekeeping missions have been doing important work, they have been marred by controversies, including allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse, and serious misconduct. For example, in March 2024, the UN reported that in the previous year, 100 allegations were reported in peacekeeping and special political missions. The UN has been trying to address the issue, with Secretary-General António Guterres repeatedly underlining that the UN has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, stressing that preventing and eliminating it is a top priority. Peacekeeping operations have also been facing mounting challenges, with a record number of global conflicts, the targeting of peacekeepers by drones and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the rising threat from disinformation campaigns. During the Ministerial in Berlin, participants agreed on the need to focus on a total of 74 Member States that made pledges to strengthen the future of UN peacekeeping. Among others: The Ministerial also fed into the UN's broader reform efforts, including an ongoing Review of Peace Operations announced in last year's Pact for the Future, aimed at making peacekeeping and peace enforcement more flexible, cost-effective, and aligned with real-world needs. With a record number of global conflicts, the world faces unimaginable challenges that require comprehensive and joint efforts to address them. Peacekeeping missions can provide some responses to the issues. However, to be able to do so, changes are needed. Changes in relation to the support granted to the peacekeeping operation, but also changes that can help to improve trust in such peacekeeping operations.
Dubai Eye
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
UAE strongly condemns attack on UN Mission in Central African Republic
The UAE has strongly condemned the attack that targetted a UN peacekeeping patrol near the town of Birao in the Central African Republic (CAR), that left one dead and another injured. The victims were members of the Zambian contingent serving with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) underscored the UAE's rejection of all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability. The Ministry reaffirmed that targeting UN and humanitarian missions constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of international law, stressing the UAE's full support for the vital role of MINUSCA in promoting security and stability in the Central African Republic. The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the victim, and to the government of Zambia, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The Ministry further expressed its solidarity with the United Nations, and the countries contributing to international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region and worldwide.
Zawya
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Strongly Condemns Attack on United Nations (UN) Mission in Central African Republic
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the attack targeting the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), near the town of Birao, which resulted in the death of a Zambian peacekeeper and the injury of another. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) underscored the UAE's strong condemnation of these criminal and terrorist acts, and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability. The Ministry reaffirmed that targeting UN and humanitarian missions constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, stressing the UAE's full support for the vital role of MINUSCA in promoting security and stability in the Central African Republic. The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim, and to the government and people of Zambia, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured peacekeeper. The Ministry further expressed its solidarity with the United Nations and its humanitarian missions, and the countries contributing to international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region and worldwide. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
