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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-04-11United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSThursday, 11 April 1996This document is prepared by the Central News Section of the Department of Public Information and is updated every week-day at approximately 6:00 PM. HEADLINES
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali today deplored the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, in particular, the retaliatory attack of the Israeli Defence Forces on Beirut. According to a statement by his Spokesman, Sylvanna Foa, the Secretary- General deeply regretted all loss of civilian life. He also urged the exercise of utmost restraint and the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions. Shock was expressed by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali over the killings, the taking of hostages, the ransacking and looting of UN and other offices in Liberia. The Secretary-General condemned, in the strongest terms, the continuing escalation of hostilities in Liberia, according to UN Spokesman, Sylvanna Foa. He urged that such disturbing actions be brought to an immediate halt and called on all parties to abide by and implement, the Abuja Agreements. An urgent message to President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana who is current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is being delivered in Accra on the Secretary-General's behalf by his Special Envoy, James Jonah, Ms. Foa announced today. The Special Envoy will travel to Liberia as soon as conditions permit it, she added. The United Nations has lost communication with the UN Observation Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), Ms. Foa said. UNOMIL's staff - both, civilian and military - was currently at the United States compound since heavy looting was taking place at the UN compound. In addition, vehicles belonging to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had been stolen. Offices of other UN agencies, such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP) had also been looted. There was concern over UN staff stationed in River View - north of Monrovia - since they were running out of fuel, Ms. Foa said. UNOMIL's non-essential staff would be relocated to Freetown, Sierra Leone, since they could no longer perform their jobs in Liberia, the Spokesman said. Thousands of civilians trapped in the ethnic fighting in Monrovia, Liberia, are facing serious food shortages according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The fighting and on-going massive looting of homes, markets and shops has sparked off widespread food shortages for civilians in the city. The WFP has 23,000 tonnes of food in Monrovia but fighting has prevented the Programme from delivering and distributing the rations. A humanitarian crisis could erupt if humanitarian organizations cannot have safe access to the affected populations, the Programme said. A WFP attempt yesterday to truck 20 tonnes of emergency food rations to some 15,000 civilians encamped at Mamba Point was thwarted by sniper attacks. The Africa Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty will be a successful example towards social development and human advancement, according to Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. In his message to the signing ceremony in Cairo, Egypt, delivered by Vladimir Petrovsky, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Dr. Boutros-Ghali said the establishment of an African nuclear-weapon- free zone will advance global disarmament norms and will contribute in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In addition, it will strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and provide lessons in confidence-building. Ralph Bunche had brilliantly brought forth armistice agreements between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in 1949, Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said today at a Howard University ceremony honoring Ralph Bunche in Washington D.C. Ralph Bunche was "one of this century's great African-Americans, great Americans, and great leaders of the international community", Dr. Boutros- Ghali said. The Secretary-General praised his work at organizing the first political science department in any black university. Dr. Boutros-Ghali called on everyone to ensure that the United Nations served as a special voice and friend for Africa. "It is a mission to serve not only the cause of Black America, but also the cause of all the marginalized people of the world", he emphasized. Human rights were now, more than ever, a central issue of the United Nations agenda and the basic link that held together peace and development, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jose Ayala Lasso has said before the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. Presenting his report on the follow-up to the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, the High Commissioner said more than one person out of fifty in the world, had been forced to abandon his or her home due to war, lack of guarantees for their fundamental rights, destruction of their natural environment or the collapse of the economic and social conditions which provided for their needs. His work remained focused on rendering international human rights norms more operative, Mr. Ayala Lasso said. He appealed to Member States to financially support human rights causes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued an appeal for $19.6 million for the repatriation and integration this year of more than 56,600 Ethiopian refugees, most of them in the Sudan. Since the change of government in 1991, some 970,000 Ethiopian refugees have returned to their country with the help of UNHCR. The largest item in the appeal is for income-generation activities - which facilitates integration -totalling $7.6 million. Efforts will be made to complete the truck movements for UNHCR's repatriation efforts from Sudan before the rainy season in June. Otherwise, this operation will be resumed in November for completion by the end of the year. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgUnited Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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