2 July 2014
According to a confidential report by the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts that was obtained by Reuters on 27 June 2014, a cargo of arms that was intercepted by Israel in March, came from Iran and constitutes a breach of the UN arms embargo on Iran. (more…)
Source: Reuters | Exclusive: U.N. experts trace recent seized arms to Iran, violating embargo
6 December 2013
The UN Security Council approved the French-sponsored Resolution 2127, which authorises the increase in military action in the Central African Republic (CAR) by French and African troops. The resolution provides for the deployment of African Union forces, known as the International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA), with the authorisation to use ‘appropriate measures’ to protect civilians and restore security. Additionally, French troops are now authorised ‘to take all necessary measures’ to support MISCA. Such mandate will last for a year and MISCA is expected to increase its troops from about 2,500 to 3,500, while French troops will double from the 600 currently present in the CAR.
The Central African Republic, a predominantly Christian country, has been plagued by Muslim-Christian violence after the ousting of President Francois Bozize by Muslim rebels from Chad and Sudan. The violence in the CAR includes waves of killings, torture, and rape that are attributed to the rival armed groups – the Christian Balaka fighters and the Seleka Muslim rebel army. Despite being rich in gold, diamonds, and uranium, the CAR is a poor and unstable country which often suffers from the spillover of conflicts in neighboring countries.
Source: Al Jazeera | UN passes resolution on CAR military action
Source: United Nations Security Council | Resolution 2127 (2013) | Adopted by the Security Council at its 7072nd meeting | 5 December 2013
13 February 2014
On 13 February 2014, Dr. Sarah Nouwen will give a lecture entitled: ‘Complementarity in the Line of Fire: The Catalysing Effect of the International Criminal Court in Uganda and Sudan’ on the occasion of the publication of her new book Complementarity in the Line of Fire: The Catalysing Effect of the International Criminal Court in Uganda and Sudan (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
Dr. Sarah Nouwen is a university lecturer in law at the University of Cambridge and fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law and of Pembroke College. Her book, Complementarity in the Line of Fire: The Catalysing Effect of the International Criminal Court in Uganda and Sudan (part of Cambridge Studies in Law and Society) explores whether, how and why the complementarity principle in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court has had a catalysing effect on the legal systems of Uganda and Sudan. She spent many months in both countries, interviewing officials, observing proceedings and searching documents to discover whether domestic legal reforms have taken place in response to the Court’s involvement. (more…)
25 September 2013
Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan signed a UN backed ‘Strategic Action Programme’, to ensure the equitable use of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, a water resource that lies beneath the four states. The Action Programme envisages improving cooperation among the four arid nations, and strengthening their capacity to manage and monitor the aquifer effectively. It also establishes a new Joint Authority for the Nubian Aquifer System.
13 August 2013
The New York Times reported that Sudan has provided weapons for the Syrian rebels, adding yet another layer to the unregistered multinational arms pipeline supplying the opposition forces first reported by the NYT in June.
According to Western officials and Syrian rebels, the Sudanese government sold anti-aircraft missiles and small arms cartridges to Qatar in publically unacknowledged deals, and Qatar arranged for them to be delivered to the Syrian opposition forces through Turkey. Sudan, that maintains close ties with Iran and China, has reportedly denied sending weapons to the opposition forces.
Source: The New York Times | Arms Shipments Seen From Sudan to Syria Rebels