Latest news with #UNMission
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
UN mission in Iraq closes key Mosul office as it winds down operations
A special mission established by the UN in 2003 at the request of the Iraq government has shut down a key office, in another step towards ceasing operations in the country by the end of this year. The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq closed its offices Mosul this week. Unami, which has its headquarters in Baghdad, was set up after the US-led invasion that toppled the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. It was given a broad mandate to help develop Iraqi institutions, support political dialogue and elections, and promote human rights. The agency's heads have shuttled between Iraq's political, security and judicial officials to help resolve conflicts. Baghdad requested last year that the mission end by 2025, saying it was no longer needed because Iraq had made significant progress towards stability. 'Iraq has managed to take important steps in many fields, especially those that fall under Unami's mandate,' Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said in a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. However, the mission will continue to deliver in its remaining mandate, 'including providing technical electoral assistance, promoting human rights, supporting humanitarian and development tasks', an Unami representative told The National. In the final months of the year, the agency's work will be 'transferred to the UN Country Team operating in Iraq or to the national authorities', the representative said. 'In short, while Unami is leaving Iraq, the United Nations is not. The United Nations will continue to engage in support of the Government and the people of Iraq.' Unami closed its office in the northern city of Kirkuk at the end of April. Its remaining offices in Erbil, capital of the Kurdish region, and in the southern city of Basra will be closed along with its headquarters at the end of the year. Mr Guterres, who was in Baghdad this month for the Arab Summit, said during a meeting with Mr Al Sudani that the world body 'remains fully committed to continuing to support the government and people of Iraq following the departure of Unami'. Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to Mr Al Sudani, told The National that ending the UN mission represents a significant milestone for Iraq. 'It reflects the international community's recognition of the progress Iraq has made in strengthening its institutions, achieving greater political stability, and moving beyond the post-conflict phase,' he said. 'This is not the end of Iraq's relationship with the United Nations, but rather the beginning of a new phase – one based on equal partnership, development co-operation, and mutual respect.' Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, said Mr Al Sudani's government was claiming the concept of sovereignty and that a monitoring mission such as the UN's that reports on the progress of the country should be abolished. 'This is not normal, and these are the words that are used by the Iraqi government: 'We want to be a normal country',' Mr Mansour told The National. 'From the perspective of the Iraqi government, the [UN mission] is outdated and does not fit with where Iraq is right now. From the UN perspective, they believe that they helped with rebuilding of the state.' Iraq expert Sajjad Jiyad, a fellow at Century International, said Baghdad still needs international support in areas such as fighting corruption and enforcing reforms across state institutions. 'It still needs international support for things that have troubled the Iraqi state for these past two decades – issues like corruption and financial management, engaging in reforms, economic ones, military logistics,' he told The National. The assistance may not come from the UN but other institutions, although Iraq will continue to deal with the UN, he said.
Libya Review
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Review
Libya's Former Envoy Warns of Civil War Risk
Adel Issa, Libya's former ambassador to Ukraine, has warned that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) must act swiftly and decisively to prevent the country from descending into renewed conflict. In a post published on Facebook, Issa described the UN Mission's current role as inadequate, stressing that its inability to take control of the transitional phase reflects a critical need for more decisive international support. 'The UN Mission's intervention in Libya has become urgent and necessary,' Issa wrote, adding that without a more forceful and effective mandate, the chances of restoring stability remain slim. He warned that the political impasse—exacerbated by the House of Representatives' insistence on forming a new government, and the Government of National Unity's refusal to step aside—could spark a dangerous confrontation and a devastating war that would engulf Tripoli and destroy what remains of the capital. Issa urged UNSMIL to take responsibility and immediately present a clear and actionable roadmap to end the crisis. 'The roadmap must be ready, urgent, and politically inclusive. We can no longer afford a vacuum,' he said, indicating that the situation requires urgent intervention to avoid chaos. Tags: franceFrench EmbassylibyaMostafa Mihrajeununsmil
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Armed Clashes Erupt in Libya's Tripoli After Reported Killing of Armed Group Leader
Armed clashes erupted on Monday evening and gunfire has echoed in the city center and other parts of the Libyan capital Tripoli following reports that an armed group leader was killed, three residents told Reuters by phone. The leader, Abdulghani Kikli, known as Ghaniwa, is the commander of Support Force Apparatus SSA, one of Tripoli's powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood. SSA is under the Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) of Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah through a United Nations-backed process. The GNU's interior ministry called on citizens in a short statement to stay at home "for their own safety." Following the ministry's call, drivers started speeding and honking in many Tripoli streets. The GNU media platform said early on Tuesday that the defense ministry had fully taken control of Abu Salim neighborhood. "I heard heavy gunfire, and I saw red lights in the sky," a resident said on condition of anonymity. The other two residents said the gunfire was echoing all over their neighborhoods of Abu Salim and Salaheddin. The University of Tripoli Presidency announced on Facebook the suspension of studies, exams, and administrative work at all faculties, departments and offices until further notice. The UN Mission in Libya urged all parties to "immediately cease fighting and restore calm," reminding them of their obligation to protect civilians. "Attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes," it said. Libya, a major oil producer in the Mediterranean, has had little stability since a 2011 uprising backed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The country split in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions. Major fighting paused with a ceasefire in 2020 but efforts to end the political crisis have failed, with major factions occasionally joining forces in armed clashes and competing for control over Libya's substantial economic resources. Tripoli and the northwest, where the GNU and most major state institutions are based, are home to rival armed factions that have repeatedly fought.
Al Arabiya
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Armed clashes erupt in Libya's Tripoli after reported killing of armed group leader
Armed clashes erupted on Monday evening and gunfire echoed in the city center and other parts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, following reports that an armed group leader was killed, three residents told Reuters by phone. The leader, Abdulghani Kikli, known as Ghaniwa, is the commander of the Support Force Apparatus (SSA), one of Tripoli's powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood. The SSA is under the Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) of Abdulhamid Dbeibah through a United Nations-backed process. The GNU's interior ministry called on citizens in a short statement to stay at home 'for their own safety.' Following the ministry's call, drivers started speeding and honking in many Tripoli streets. The GNU media platform said early Tuesday that the defense ministry had fully taken control of the Abu Salim neighborhood. 'I heard heavy gunfire, and I saw red lights in the sky,' a resident said on condition of anonymity. The other two residents said the gunfire was echoing all over their neighborhoods of Abu Salim and Salah Eddin. The University of Tripoli Presidency announced on Facebook the suspension of studies, exams, and administrative work at all faculties, departments, and offices until further notice. The UN Mission in Libya urged all parties to 'immediately cease fighting and restore calm,' reminding them of their obligation to protect civilians. 'Attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes,' it said. Libya, a major oil producer in the Mediterranean, has had little stability since a 2011 uprising backed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The country split in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions. Major fighting paused with a ceasefire in 2020, but efforts to end the political crisis have failed, with major factions occasionally joining forces in armed clashes and competing for control over Libya's substantial economic resources. Tripoli and the northwest, where the internationally recognized GNU and most major state institutions are based, are home to rival armed factions that have repeatedly fought.
TimesLIVE
05-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Libya UN Mission panel finalises set of options to resolve election issues
The UN Mission in Libya said on Friday its advisory committee finished its consultations and finalised a set of options to address contentious issues in Libya's current electoral framework, adding that the mission will start talks with Libyan stakeholders based on these options. The advisory committee was formed by UNSMIL in February to propose ways to resolve the issues hindering the holding of long-awaited national elections. "The committee's options will be a useful contribution towards securing political agreement for the holding of national elections and unifying state institutions, which are important steps to ending division and the cycle of transition," the mission said. A political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has been stalled since an election scheduled for December 2021 collapsed amid disputes over the eligibility of the main candidates. Libya has had little peace since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising, and it split in 2014 between eastern and western factions, with rival administrations governing in each area. A Tripoli-based government of national unity under Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was installed through a UN-backed process in 2021 but the Benghazi-based House of Representatives no longer recognises its legitimacy. Many Libyans have voiced scepticism that their political leaders are negotiating in good faith, believing them to be unwilling to bring forward elections that might remove them from their positions of power.
