Author Archives: Maggie Fick 
Get Ready for a Resumption of War in Sudan
On Saturday, the northern Sudanese army invaded the border town of Abyei, rolling tanks through the streets and firing mortar rounds into the United Nations’ compound. The Sudanese Armed Forces took the strategic town of Abyei with little struggle from the south’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army forces stationed in the town.
Uganda’s Big Man Politics
Spotted in Kampala Uganda: One bright yellow billboard festooned with President Museveni’s face, saying: “28 rebel movements have been defeated since 1986. Enjoy your peace and make it work for you.”
Post-elections in Nigeria: a mixed picture
ABUJA, Nigeria–After nearly a month-long elections cycle, the verdict on the 2011 parliamentary, presidential, and state governor polls is decidedly mixed.
The UN prepares its post-independence presence in Southern Sudan
The UN Security Council has extended its current peacekeeping mission in Southern Sudan and unanimously adopted a resolution committing to establish a “successor mission” in the soon-to-be-independent Republic of South Sudan.
Elections and Violence in Nigeria
Young men and boys took to the streets in several Nigerian cities, determined to protest the emerging results of Saturday’s vote, which–though not yet made official at that time–indicated the victory of “accidental incumbent” president Goodluck Jonathan.
Scenes From Nigeria’s Elections
KADUNA, Nigeria–The hundreds-strong crowd of young men–the same “ready army” often used by opportunistic Nigerian politicians to rig past elections–tensed, momentarily surged, then broke into rowdy cheers, satisfied with the result of a dispute during the ballot counting process
Straight talk on democracy and development in Nigeria
KANO, Nigeria–Nigerian voters have high hopes for this month’s elections, after two delays due to logistical hurdles resulted in the first round of the postponed polls finally getting off to a rocky start yesterday. Here are the words of a Nigerian citizen who expects more from the so-called democratic government than he has experienced in the 12 years since Nigeria abandoned military rule.
The view from the ground on the eve of Nigeria’s vote
A series of bomb attempts, explosions, and other security incidents struck across Nigeria yesterday, on the eve of Nigeria’s parliamentary elections
Up Close and Personal in Nigeria’s Election
Many Nigerians I’ve met are under no illusions about the extremely corrupt and dysfunctional nature of their government, but nonetheless, the 2011 elections are viewed as a chance for the country to change course.
A Fitful Start to Elections in Nigeria
In the twelve years since Africa’s most populous nation transitioned from military dictatorship to civilian rule, the three elections held have been far from democratic exercises—instead, they have been flashpoints for violence, igniting communal tensions across the country and disenfranchising large numbers of voters.
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Iran; Syria; Internet Governance; Libya; and more
UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano and top aides will travelto Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, a few days before Iran and world powers meet in Baghdad to discuss the broader nuclear dispute. News of the rare visit came as Western diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran were making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about Iran’s atomic activity.
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Sudan/South Sudan; State of the World Economy debate; International Day against Homophobia; and more
The U.N. Security Council has called on Sudan and South Sudan to reach an agreement on the status of the disputed, oil-rich Abyei border region and extended the U.N. security force’s mission there by six months. The council passed a resolution Thursday calling the situation a serious security threat and demanding the creation of a jointly administered Abyei police force.
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The top United Nations refugee official today voiced his alarm at new inflows of refugees into Rwanda and Uganda, fleeing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 8,200 refugees have crossed from DRC into Rwanda since 27 April, according to staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are in addition to the 55,000 Congolese refugees that Rwanda is already hosting.
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Syria: U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan is urging Syria’s government to accept U.N. conditions for expanding the distribution of humanitarian aid to roughly 1 million Syrians in need of assistance, the United Nations said today. Meanwhile, three vehicles belonging to … Read more
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Sustainable Future Symposium; ICT for Development; IAEA/Iran; Global Financial Transaction Tax; and more
Partnerships and development cooperation among countries will play a key role in accelerating sustainable development, the Secretary-General of the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), Sha Zukang said today, stressing that assistance will need to focus on helping developing countries find longer-term solutions to eradicate poverty and transition into a green economy.The two-day Australia High-Level Symposium, “Shaping a Sustainable Future – Partners in Development Cooperation,” which began today, seeks to facilitate an informal dialogue on development cooperation among high-level policymakers, multilateral and civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations and the private sector.
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DR Congo; South Sudan; UNHCR and OIC; and more
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, today voiced concern over the human rights situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has experienced a recent upsurge in violence. Mr. Šimonovic said he was “appalled” by the heightened levels of recent violence triggered by defections in the Congolese armed forces, including former members of certain militia groups, and welcomed joint efforts between the peacekeepers of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), humanitarian actors and the authorities to protect civilians and respond to human rights violations.
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Asia-Pacific Human Development Report; Syria; Horn of Africa; UNRWA
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region must find ways to continue to grow economically and lift millions out of poverty while also responding to climate change and environmental concerns, according to UN report released today, which stresses that new methods of production are needed to meet this goal.UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012 argues that policies and actions in the region will have a global impact as it is home to more than half of the world’s population and half of the planet’s megacities.
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SG on Rio/Post-2015 Development; Syria; Middle East; Global Fund; and more
Appealing for flexibility in reaching agreement on a final outcome document, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today, emphasized the need for Member States to agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the Rio+20 conference while also announcing the appointment of three co-chairs to his High-Level Panel on Post-2015 Development Planning. We should agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals that build on the Millennium Development Goals … find better ways to measure progress that goes beyond Gross Domestic Product …and advance action to improve people’s lives through decent work, social protection and the empowerment of women and young people,” the UN chief said in his address to the UN General Assembly.
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Syria; Guinea-Bissau; UNAIDS; Afghanistan; and more
Amid concerns from the international community over the prospects of a “full civil war” in Syria, the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, said today that the ongoing levels of violence and human rights abuses in the Middle Eastern country are unacceptable and the UN observer mission is possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize it.
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Peacebuilding; South Sudan; Indigenous Issues; Rwanda
The United Nations is determined to do everything possible to assist societies torn by war from sliding back into conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an audience in the United States capital today, adding that while there have been setbacks, peacebuilding remains a crucial element of the world body’s efforts.In a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D. C., Mr. Ban highlighted the work of the UN’s 16 peacekeeping operations and 15 political missions in the area of peacebuilding – a core mandate of the Organization.
