Latest news
8 June 2012
President Hamid Karzai has condemned an air strike on 6 June 2012 by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) where 18 Afghan civilians allegedly died, calling the attack ‘unjustifiable.’
The air strike against a house were Taliban commanders gathered was called for by NATO forces, after Afghan and NATO ground forces that had surrounded the house came under fire.
However, according to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF – NATO’s operation in Afghanistan), no civilians were killed and merely two women were injured as a result of the attack. The incident will be investigated.
Source: BBC News | Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemns NATO air strike
Source: ISAF | Joint Command morning operational update - 6 June 2012
6 June 2012
Rwandan military officials have recruited hundreds of men (and children) and sent them to support general Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), in his mutiny against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A report issued by Human Rights Watch reveals that, besides sending fighters, Rwanda is also providing weapons and ammunition, and has allowed general Ntaganda to enter Rwanda.
Source: Rwandan military 'aiding war crimes suspect' in Congo
31 May 2012
On 30 May, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) sentenced Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, to 50 years in prison for planning and aiding and abetting crimes that were committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone during the civil war (1991-2002). (more…)
Source: BBC | Charles Taylor: Preacher, warlord, president
27 May 2012
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreed at the recent summit in Chicago on the security transition for Afghanistan, starting in 2013.
President Obama stated at the summit that NATO member states are ‘unified behind a plan to responsibly wind down the war in Afghanistan’. The plan of withdrawing 130.000 NATO troops by 2014 is ‘irreversible’. He however also stated that Afghanistan will not be abandoned, at least some troops will stay after 2014.
France will withdraw its combat troops from Afghanistan already at the end of this year.
Source: New York Times | NATO Agrees on Afghan Security Transition in 2013
22 May 2012
After several states have criticised the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), now two airlines from India and eight airlines from China have refused to report to the European Union (EU) the amount of carbon dioxide they have emitted last year.
The ETS is applied to all airlines that use airports in the EU since January, aiming to charge carriers for the pollution they cause. Many states have criticised this system, on the ground that the EU would lack the power to enforce their laws on non-European carriers, or on the ground that the carbon tax which is imposed by the EU, is a “disguised” trade measure, taken unilaterally in the name of combatting climate change.
Source: BBC | Airlines 'are conforming' with EU rules on emissions