Day: January 9, 2022

TRIPOLI— United Nations envoy Stephanie Williams welcomed a meeting between military leaders from the Libyan interim government and the eastern-based army, reiterating UN’s support for a peaceful resolution to the country’s longstanding conflict.

The UN secretary-general’s special adviser for Libya made the remarks after Muhammad Al-Haddad, chief of staff of the Government of National Unity, and Abdel Razek Al-Nadori, acting general commander of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, met on Saturday in the northern coastal city of Sirte.

A number of senior military figures from both sides also attended the meeting, the second of its kind between the two military leaders.

“I reiterate the support of the United Nations for all efforts made at various levels to unify the military institution,” Williams wrote on Twitter.

The oil-rich North African country has been in turmoil since the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi’s government in 2011. The escalating tensions between a number of political forces in 2014 resulted in two separate governments — the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord recognized by the UN and the House of Representatives allied with the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar.

On Feb 5, 2021, the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected a temporary unified executive authority to take Libya to national elections on Dec 24. The country’s High National Elections Commission suggested on Dec 22 that the elections be postponed by a month to Jan 24 over technical and legal concerns.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

UNITED NATIONS— The United Nations Women have set the theme for International Women’s Day, as “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” which will be marked by a high-level virtual event on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Executive Director of UN Women as well as gender equality and climate change activists and celebrities will participate.

“Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach,” the UN Women stated in a document.

According to the UN Women, the theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66): “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”.

The day would be used to recognize the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.

The UN Women document also acknowledges that advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century.

According to the UN Women, the issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have severe and lasting impacts on the environment, economic, and social development.

The UN Women noted that women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most.

At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership result in more effective climate action.

According to the UN Women, continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

HARARE— At least 11 Zimbabweans who attempted to cross the crocodile-infested Limpopo River into South Africa are feared dead after a boat transporting them capsized, while three others were swept away in different incidents.

Beitbridge Police District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo saidt only one body had been recovered so far.

“So far a body has been recovered, but yet to be identified,” he said.

He added that two more bodies were located in the river, on the South African side.

Nyongo said they had informed the South African Police Services (SAPS) who were expected to dispatch a helicopter to the area.

News was rife in the Beitbridge town that a boat carrying eight people capsized on Sunday near Gate 7 east of the border post, but Nyongo said: “We have not received that report; at times people do not report these incidents and that is cause for concern.”

Sources in Beitbridge alleged that the eight believed to have drowned were seen in an inflated boat near Dite Village, 40 kilometres east and downstream from the bridge.

Crossing the river is cheaper, but riskier than going through the border post. Speaking to journalists, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said they had observed the trend of illegally crossing into South Africa through the border and they had put in place “firewalls” to curb it.

Motsoaledi claimed that “corrupt” members of Zimbabwe’s border patrol unit allowed undocumented Zimbabweans to cross into South Africa.

Police and military personnel from both countries were working together in an operation “not to cross border crimes” and significant arrests had been made on both sides of the border.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK