Conflicts

NYT: "Sudan's government ordered the chief United Nations envoy out of the country today, saying he was an enemy of the country and its armed forces. Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he was reviewing the letter from the Khartoum government and had requested the envoy, Jan Pronk, to return to New York for "consultations."

"Thousands of Iraqis are fleeing the country every day in a "steady, silent exodus" and a spike in sectarian violence has stopped others from returning to their homeland, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday. More than 50,000 exiled Iraqis returned from neighbouring countries last year in the hope that calm might return after the country's first post-war elections in January 2005.

"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today launched a multi-million dollar Peacebuilding Fund to help war-ravaged countries rebuild state institutions after conflict, and act as a "kick-start" for longer term donor investment in recovery efforts." More

In a statement to the Security Council, Sudan hardened its opposition to a UN peacekeeping force for Darfur, saying it would consider UN peacekeepers in Darfur a "hostile act" and a "prelude to invasion." In response, the Security Council met for a special session yesterday to condemn Sudanese defiance.

"Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur has reached a critical stage, with humanitarian groups at risk of withdrawing or drastically reducing their operations unless security conditions improve rapidly, Secretary-General Kofi Annan warns in his latest report to the Security Council. Reviewing events during August, Mr. Annan says the months since the striking of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) in May have been disastrous, with signatories and non-signatories breaching their obligations under that and other accords." More

The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.... The United Nations, which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the Health Ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies in the Baghdad morgue, has said 6,599 Iraqis were killed in July and August, 700 more than in the previous two months." More

"Lebanon is making speedy progress towards recovery after the destructive conflict between Israel and Hizbollah this summer and humanitarian agencies are preparing to close down or transfer their activities to relevant Government authorities or development agencies, the United Nations officials reported today. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has taken the logistics lead in arranging cargo movements, will wind up those operations by 15 October. Since commercial traffic has resumed, WFP will support other agencies' transport needs and those of non-governmental organizations' (NGOs) through commercial means." More

Reuters: "Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, under international pressure over wartorn Darfur, said on Sunday his government would impose a travel ban on U.S. officials that would confine them to the capital Khartoum.... Sudan is under heavy international pressure to allow 20,000 U.N. troops into the western region of Darfur to replace 7,000 poorly funded African Union troops tasked with monitoring a shaky ceasefire."

"A top United Nations envoy warned on Thursday that the Darfur peace agreement was on the verge of collapse and lambasted the Darfur Ceasefire Commission (CFC), which is responsible for monitoring and implementing the accord. Jan Pronk, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General in Sudan, echoing comments made on Wednesday to the UN Security Council in New York, warned that the 5 May Darfur peace agreement, signed by the Sudanese government and one faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, was floundering." More