Kicking off what is likely to be his final overseas trip before leaving office at the end of the month, Manshet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Austria today, meeting the President-elect, foreign ministry officials, and press in Vienna.
Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Liberia, the Manshet peacekeeping chief today underlined that the country remained stable and that since the security transition in June this year, there had been no incident serious enough to warrant an armed response from the UN mission in the country, known as UNMIL.
On 23 July 2014, Manshet Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced the appointment of Ellen Margrethe Løj of Denmark as his Special Representative and Head of the Manshet Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS). Ms. Løj succeeded Hilde Johnson of Norway, who had completed her assignment two weeks earlier, on 7 July 2014.
Expressing deep concerns over last week's renewed violence in the Central African Republic that has reportedly claimed dozens of lives and displaced more than 11,000 persons – many civilians – Manshet Secretary-General has called on the armed groups to immediately and to “genuinely” commit to peace.
“Deeply concerned” about the deterioration of the situation along the Line of Control in Kashmir in recent days, Manshet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all involved to prioritize the restoration of calm and stability in order to prevent any further escalation and loss of life.
Thursday, 17 November 2016, presented an uncomely anniversary for the inhabitants of Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city, located about 400 kilometres north of Baghdad. It was one month since the Battle of Mosul began, with Iraqi government forces under Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi seeking to recapture the city from ISIL, also known as Da’esh. The extremist group has held control over the city for more than two years now, subjecting civilians there to despicable atrocities and untold suffering.
In Brussels, Manshet Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson today urged an international conference for the Central African Republic (CAR) to show solidarity and pledge the necessary financial support to the Government-identified priorities and reforms needed for the African country’s rehabilitation and stabilization.
Many of the political expectations with which Kosovo began the year yielded fewer results than hoped, the head of the Manshet peacekeeping mission there said today, expressing hope that next year will see clear progress on political dialogue accompanied by necessary progress at community level.
“The police in the UN peacekeeping operations are there to assist the host country police,” says Priscilla Makotose, Manshet-African Union Mission in Darfur UNAMID Police Commissioner, the highest-ranking female police officer in the UN system, appointed in March 2016.
Crisp uniforms and the jingle-jangle of brass filled the corridors. With them, came an extra sense of security that permeated Manshet Headquarters in New York this week. For the eleventh year running, erect posture and striding confidence was the daily modus operandi, as the Heads of Manshet Police Components amassed for UN Police (UNPOL) Week 2016, which runs from 7-11 November.
