New UN force in South Sudan will have 7,000 military and 900 police

UNITED NATIONS — A new U.N. peacekeeping mission for South Sudan will have up to 7,000 military personnel and 900 international police with a mandate to keep peace and help promote development in the world’s newest nation, according to the draft U.N. resolution obtained late Thursday by The Associated Press.

The U.N. Security Council held intensive discussions this week to reach agreement on a resolution that would authorize the new mission and ensure its adoption before South Sudan officially becomes independent from Sudan’s Khartoum-ruled north on Saturday.
The council scheduled a meeting Friday morning, when diplomats said the draft resolution is almost certain to be approved unanimously.
Russian concerns about authorizing a mission before South Sudan becomes independent were overcome by including the phrase: “Welcoming the establishment of the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011 upon its proclamation as an independent state,” the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were private.
The draft resolution would establish a new United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan on July 9 for an initial period of one year, with up to 7,000 military personnel and 900 civilian police as well as civilian staff including human rights experts. It calls for reviews after three months and six months to determine if conditions on the ground would allow the military contingent to be reduced from 7,000 to 6,000 troops.
It also gives the U.N. mission, to be known as UNMISS, a mandate “to consolidate peace and security, and to help establish the conditions for development ... with a view to strengthening the capacity of the government of the Republic of South Sudan to govern effectively and democratically and establish good relations with its neighbors.”
The draft resolution specifically authorizes the mission to support the new government on its political transition, issues of governance and establishing state authority throughout the country, and to advise it on “an inclusive constitutional process,” holding elections, and establishing an independent media.
It authorizes U.N. peacekeepers to support the government in preventing conflict and demobilizing combatants, to conduct patrols in areas at high risk of conflict, and to protect civilians “under imminent threat of physical violence.” It also authorizes the mission to cooperate with U.N. agencies in supporting the government in peacebuilding activities, including promoting development, the rule of law, security and justice.
Independence for South Sudan is the culmination of a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war between Sudan’s Arab-dominated north and mainly ethnic African south, one of the longest and deadliest conflicts in Africa.
But there are fears that war could be re-ignited in the poverty-stricken nation because troops from the north and south are facing off in the contested oil-rich border region of Abyei and northern troops and forces loyal to the south are fighting in Southern Kordofan, a state just over the border in the north.
The U.N. has had a 10,400-strong peacekeeping force, known as UNMIS, monitoring implementation of the 2005 north-south agreement, which operates on both sides of the border. Its mandate expires Saturday and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed a three-month extension but the Khartoum government rejected any extension and said it wanted all U.N. troops out of the north.
Diplomats said the five permanent Security Council nations — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — jointly asked the Sudanese government earlier this week to allow a U.N. presence in the north after South Sudan breaks away.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, who will be leading the American delegation to South Sudan’s independence ceremonies, said Thursday in Washington that many council members are trying to persuade Sudan’s leaders “that it is not in their interest that the U.N. be compelled to leave abruptly or prematurely” while key issues from the 2005 agreement remain unresolved and “a volatile and grave humanitarian situation” exists in Southern Kordofan and possibly neighboring Blue Nile state.
“We will continue to do what we can to underscore to Khartoum that it is in their interests and the interests of the region that they not take this step,” Rice said. “But they seem thus far to be quite determined, and this poses a great deal of worry for the security of people in Southern Kordofan, for the common border, for humanitarian access and a number of other important issues.”
Haile Menkerios, the top U.N. envoy in Sudan, said Thursday in Juba that the “liquidation” of UNMIS will start on July 10. Diplomats said between 2,500-3,000 U.N. peacekeepers are currently based in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile where fighting continues.
“U.N. engagement in Sudan will, however, continue,” Menkerios said. “The United Nations will continue its support to the government of Sudan, the government of South Sudan and to the people of Sudan as a whole through its agencies, funds and programs, a new mission in South Sudan and a new mission in Abyei.”
Leaders from the north and south signed an agreement on June 20 to demilitarize Abyei and allow and Ethiopian peacekeeping force to move and a week later the Security Council authorized the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops in Abyei for six months.
One unresolved issue is future responsibility for monitoring the north-south border.
The governments of both Sudans signed an agreement on border security on June 29 and the draft resolution calls on the parties to propose arrangements for border monitoring by July 20. If they fail to do so, the resolution requests the new U.N. mission in South Sudan “to observe and report on any flow of personnel, arms and related materiel across the border with Sudan.”

Israel plots ways to repel new Gaza flotilla

Israel's security cabinet was to convene on Monday for a second day of discussions on how to stave off an international flotilla intending to breach the naval blockade of Gaza, local media said. On Sunday, ministers in the forum were told of the military's preparations for the 10-ship convoy which is expected to set sail from Greece later this week.
"Yesterday, the ministers decided not to allow the ships to anchor in the Gaza Strip, although they will be

allowed to unload their cargo at (the Israeli port) of Ashdod or the Egyptian port of El-Arish," Israeli army radio said.
"If no weapons or ammunition are found, the cargo will be transferred in its entirety to Gaza."
Public radio said Cairo had already agreed to allow the ships to dock at El-Arish, a Mediterranean port which lies some 30 miles (50 kilometres) west of Egypt's border with Gaza.
So far, there has been no official Israeli statement on the closed-door ministerial deliberations.
The free-distribution daily Israel Hayom, considered close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, quoted navy chief Eliezer Marom as telling ministers that his men were better prepared than they were last May, when marine commandos stormed the lead ship of a previous flotilla, killing nine Turks.
"Our forces are ready to stop the flotilla and not to allow the ships to reach Gaza," an unnamed political source told the paper.
About 350 pro-Palestinian activists from 22 countries are set to join the "Freedom Flotilla II" which is expected to comprise some 10 vessels.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and several international leaders have urged the flotilla not to set sail, and Washington has warned US nationals not to join the attempt to break the embargo.
Israel first imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2006 after militants there snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a deadly cross-border raid. He is still being held.
A ban on civilian goods and foodstuffs was eased last year but many restrictions remain in place.

Syria: US condemns 'brutality and violence'

The US has strongly condemned Syria's "outrageous use of violence" against anti-government protesters. 

The White House said the government was leading Syria down a "dangerous path" and called for "an immediate end to the brutality and violence". At least 28 people were killed in fresh clashes in Idlib province on Friday. The violence came as government forces moved on the town of Jisr al-Shughour where the government said 120 security personnel had been killed. Hundreds of civilians have fled north into Turkey to escape the assault. 

 Assad 'unavailable'

In a statement, White House spokesman Jay Carney repeated calls for the Syrian security forces to exercise restraint, and said the US stood by those Syrians who were "demanding dignity and the transition to democracy that they deserve". "The Syrian government is leading Syria on a dangerous path," he said. "For that reason, it is critical that all Syrians remain united, work to prevent sectarian conflict, and pursue their aspirations peacefully." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also expressed concern over the high civilian toll, describing the use of military force as "unacceptable". A spokesman for Mr Ban said he was "keen to speak to" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but that the president has repeatedly been "unavailable" in recent days. Syria has prevented foreign journalists, including those from the BBC, from entering the country, making it difficult to independently verify reports from there. But anti-government activists said about 15 people died in the northern province of Idlib on Friday, most of them in Maarat al-Numan where tanks and helicopters fired on protesters who had taken to the streets after prayers. Correspondents say it is the first reported use of air power to quell protests in Syria's three-month uprising. A Syrian opposition figure told the Associated Press news agency by telephone that thousands of protesters had overwhelmed security officers and set light to a courthouse and a police station in the town. State TV reported that armed gangs had attacked police stations in the town. Another five anti-government protesters were killed in the coastal city of Latakia, according to activist sources. Two people were reported killed by security forces in Busra al-Harir, southern Deraa province, and another four in the Qaboun district of the capital, Damascus. Jisr al-Shughour was said to be all but deserted as troops moved in on Friday, reportedly bulldozing homes and torching crops and fields on their way. Opposition activists earlier told the BBC that the army was adopting a "scorched earth policy" around the town. The Syrian government has not commented on the claim. "They said they even killed animals," one man who had fled Jisr al-Shughour told AP. "The people have no weapons, they can't defend themselves. The only thing they can do is escape." Witnesses reported explosions coming from near the town and helicopter gunships and tanks were said to be opening fire. The crackdown in Jisr al-Shughour had been long expected after the government blamed armed groups for the deaths of 120 security personnel in the town earlier in the week. Some reports suggested there had been a mutiny among security forces. State TV has been broadcasting images of what it says are soldiers and police shot dead in the town. Officials say local people requested military intervention to restore order. Since March, mass protests against the rule of President Assad have become a regular event following Friday prayers. Human rights groups say more than 1,300 people have died as the government tries to suppress dissent, most of them unarmed civilians. The government rejects the figures and says about 500 security forces have died. With the unrest showing no sign of abating, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for immediate access to those affected by the violence and those arrested or detained. Turkey - which shares a long border with northern Syria - says more than 2,000 Syrians have crossed over, seeking refuge from the expected retaliation on Jisr al-Shughour. The city has a population of about 50,000. It is not clear how many other residents have fled to other locations within Syria. Are you in Syria?

Have you travelled from Syria to Turkey to flee the situation there? Send us your comments and experiences.

Libyan Rebels Claim Control of Misrata Airport

Libyan rebels in the besieged western city of Misrata say they have taken control of the municipal airport following days of heavy fighting, seizing large quantities of weapons and ammunition in a significant victory against forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Opposition military sources in Misrata, including the commander at the airport, said Wednesday that rebels have secured the entire facility, which had become the main base for pro-Gadhafi forces in the city.

The rebels entered the airport after a series of coordinated NATO airstrikes on government artillery batteries and military vehicles. The New York Times reported that by Wednesday evening, residents in the battered city, under siege for almost two months, began celebrating.

Late Wednesday, Mr. Gadhafi made his first television appearance since a NATO airstrike on a house in the capital, Tripoli, killed one of his sons and three grandchildren on April 30. Libyan state television filmed him at a brief meeting with tribal leaders. A projection screen behind Mr. Gadhafi showed Wednesday's date.

Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski visited the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi Wednesday to demonstrate European support for their cause and deliver medical aid. Sikorski told opposition leaders that the people of Poland and the EU "wish the Libyan nation victory in the transition to democracy."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday urged the Libyan government stop its assault and allow humanitarian access to civilians in need. Mr. Ban made the request during a phone call to to Libya's prime minister, al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi.

Also Wednesday, a leading U.S. senator said he is drafting legislation to authorize the transfer of Mr. Gadhafi's frozen assets to the opposition Transitional National Council. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, did not disclose the amount of cash, but said it would be enough to impact the crises faced by the council.

Senator Kerry spoke after meeting in Washington with Libyan opposition leaders, including Mahmoud Jibril, head of the council's crisis committee.

Earlier, the U.N. refugee agency called on European nations and boat captains in the Mediterranean to rescue people fleeing Libya's conflict. Agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said Tuesday that any boat leaving Libya should be considered in need of assistance.

She urged governments and captains not to wait for distress calls but to head immediately to the vessels to see if the people on board are in need of help.

Fleming commented after a flimsy vessel reportedly overloaded with more than 600 passengers capsized Friday shortly after leaving Libya. At least 16 bodies have been recovered.

Sri Lanka war crimes: Main allegations

A thin strip of land in northern Sri Lanka was the brutal theatre of war during the closing phase of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil conflict. Thousands of civilians were hemmed in as the government battled Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate homeland.

The UN report focuses on alleged war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan armed forces and Tamil Tigers during the months leading up to the defeat of the rebels in May 2009.

Numerous allegations were circulating at the time and have emerged since. During that final stage of combat very few of the accusations could be independently verified. Journalists and most aid groups were barred from the region.

Civilian deaths 

In March 2009, the UN said it feared actions by both sides might amount to war crimes. The UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay described the level of civilian deaths as "truly shocking", and warned it could reach "catastrophic" levels.

The government was accused of repeatedly shelling safe zones set up to protect civilians. The rebels were accused of holding civilians as human shields and firing on those who tried to flee. Both denied the allegations.

At the time, The Times newspaper also claimed that more than 20,000 people had been killed in the closing stages of the conflict.

The UN estimated that up to 7,000 people had died by the end of April. The latest report now says it believes tens of thousands of civilians were killed in that final stage, adding that most civilian casualties in the final phases of the war were caused by government shelling.

Conduct of war

Sri Lanka's government was accused of using heavy weaponry and UN images obtained by the BBC appeared to show shelling damage in a government-designated "safe zone" for civilians.

The UN report claims the government shelled food distribution lines and near ICRC ships coming to pick up wounded civilians from beaches.

The government denied security forces had shelled the safe zone, saying there were a number of rebel suicide blasts in that area. The UN reportals is also said to condemn the rebels for killing civilians through suicide attacks.

Tamil Tiger rebels were primarily criticised for allegedly using civilians as human shields.

Britain and France said the rebels had been "forcefully preventing civilians from leaving" during a 48-hour ceasefire. The rebels said the truce had not been long enough to allow civilians to safely leave the conflict zone. They rejected the charge that rebels prevented civilians from leaving the war zone.

The UN report also alleges the forced recruitment of children by rebels.

Hospital shelled

The report accuses the government of "systematically" shelling hospitals on the front line. In May 2009, sources in one hospital in rebel-held territory claimed that government forces shelled it, killing dozens of people. One doctor described the artillery bombardment to the BBC.

At the time ,the Sri Lankan government denied the army had caused civilian casualties but said it had pierced rebel defences.

After the conflict ended, a group of doctors who worked in Sri Lanka's rebel-held war zone were arrested on suspicion of collaborating with rebels. They later retracted their accusations against the government.

Extra-judicial killings

After the war more allegations emerged. One video obtained by Britain's Channel 4 news purported to show the extra-judicial killing of what were thought to be Tamil rebels. Sri Lanka's army spokesman angrily rejected the video as a fabrication.

In late 2010, graphic video which apparently showed more footage from the same incident was aired by Channel 4 news. The pictures, which also showed bloodstained and blindfolded bodies, was rejected by Sri Lanka as an attempt by rebel sympathisers to tarnish Sri Lanka's image.

And one senior army commander told Channel 4 news that orders for the killings came from the top - Sri Lanka denied those allegations.

The authenticity of the footage and images cannot be verified.

Civilian ordeal

In the midst of the fighting, the BBC talked to civilians fleeing the war about their ordeal. They said they had lived under constant gunfire, intense shelling and an acute shortage of water, food and medicine.

They also confirmed accusations that the rebels were forcibly recruiting children. The head of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in Sri Lanka told the BBC of shrapnel wounds to the limbs of civilians.

The BBC was part of a trip organised by the government to part of the recently captured front line, where refugees in a state of shock were listlessly standing. The army said it would work on developing the area.

The BBC has also heard numerous allegations from Tamils that their relatives are missing, among them a number of senior rebel fighters.

The government says that the military inflicted no civilian deaths during the final stages of its victory.

International human rights groups, however, say a comprehensive and independent war crimes inquiry is needed.

Sri Lanka conducted its own inquiry into war crimes but human rights groups refused to participate, saying the inquiry does not meet international standards.

Estimates say that as many as 100,000 people were killed during 26 years of war.

Reports: Syrian Forces Kill 8 Mourners Attending Funerals

Witnesses say Syrian security forces and snipers have opened fire on mourners attending mass funerals on Saturday, killing at least eight people.

Rights groups and witnesses say Saturday's shootings took place in the Damascus suburb of Douma and southern town of Izraa. Thousands of people had gathered at the locations to pay their last respects to some of the 75 people reported killed on Friday after witnesses said security forces fired shots and tear gas at anti-government demonstrators.

Some mourners chanted anti-government slogans and renewed their calls for President Bashar al-Assad's immediate resignation.

Meanwhile, two Syrian parliament members have announced they are resigning in protest against the killings of civilians.

World powers have criticized the Syrian government's crackdown on opposition activists on Friday which was the deadliest day since anti-government unrest erupted in March.

On Saturday, the Syrian government responded to criticism made Friday by U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama condemned what he called an "outrageous use of violence" and accused Assad of seeking Iranian assistance in the brutal crackdown.

Syria's state-run SANA news quotes an official as saying Obama's statement is not based on an "objective" view of what's happening in the country. The official also said U.S. claims of Iranian assistance in Syria show a "lack of responsibility" that could put Syrian citizens at risk.

Also on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Moscow still considered Syria a "friend," but was "firmly convinced" that only constructive dialogue and accelerated reforms would bring stability to the country.

Also, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate stop to the crackdown in Syria.

Friday's deadly crackdown came one day after President Assad had signed a decree ending almost 50 years of emergency rule. The decree was part of his effort to end anti-government unrest by meeting some of the demands of protesters.

Libya: Gaddafi forces keep up assault on rebel cities

Fighting has been continuing in Libya for key cities after a fifth consecutive night of air strikes.

Overnight several loud explosions were heard in Tripoli

In Misrata, a rebel-held city east of the capital, government tanks have been shelling the area near the hospital.

There have also been reports of fierce fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces in strategic Ajdabiya. Residents fleeing the town described shelling, gunfire and houses on fire.

In Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, witnesses had said on Wednesday that tanks had pulled back from their positions under air assault from international forces.

But later residents said the tanks had rolled back into the city and resumed shelling.

An explosion was also reported at a military base in the Tajura region east of Tripoli.

Residents in Tripoli said plumes of black smoke could be seen coming from an area near a military base, although this has not been independently confirmed.

Earlier, the US chief of staff for the mission in Libya insisted there had been no reports of civilian casualties caused by allied action.

Rear Admiral Gerard Hueber's comments come despite claims to the contrary by Muammar Gaddafi's government.

Operational control

Earlier, British Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell said Col Gaddafi's air force no longer existed as a fighting force.

AVM Bagwell said the allies could now operate "with near impunity" over the skies of Libya and were now applying unrelenting pressure on the Libyan armed forces.

"We are watching over the innocent people of Libya and ensuring that we protect them from attack," he said. "We have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres."

His comments came as Nato members debated who should lead the intervention, with the US keen to hand over operational control to Nato.

Nato members have been holding talks about assuming responsibility for the no-fly zone over Libya, so far without agreement.

Turkey is an integral part of the naval blockade, but has expressed concern about the alliance taking over command of the no-fly zone from the US.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has again urged Col Gaddafi to step down and leave Libya.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides in Libya to cease hostilities. "All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable," his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is in the Egyptian capital Cairo for talks on both Libya and Egypt's hoped-for transition to democracy following the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

Gaddafi forces attack rebels anew, even as regime appears to seek talks

Government and rebel forces engaged in a fierce battle Monday for control of this oil depot on the Mediterranean coast, as regime loyalists mounted assaults on several fronts to reclaim ground lost since the Feb. 17 uprising began.

In a second day of heavy fighting for control of Ras Lanuf, the site of a major oil refinery east of Tripoli, loyalists bombarded the town with airstrikes. To the west, the besieged rebel-held city of Zawiyah faced a fourth straight day of lethal assault.

But with neither side able to muster overwhelming force, the result appeared to be a bloody stalemate, with the death tolls rising in both east and west from the burgeoning civil war over Moammar Gaddafi's 41-year-long rule.

"Yesterday, we were so optimistic," said Najla el-Mangoush, a law professor who works with the opposition's governing council in the eastern city of Benghazi. "Now I'm worried about what's happening." He said that Gaddafi "has used every dirty trick on us."

In an apparent government overture, a former Libyan prime minister appeared on state television to make what was called a direct appeal to the leaders of the opposition in Benghazi, the rebels' provisional capital.

"Give a chance to national dialogue to resolve this crisis, to help stop the bloodshed, and not give a chance to foreigners to come and capture our country again," said Jadallah Azous al-Talhi, who was prime minister in the 1980s.

The opposition, however, dismissed the notion of peace talks. "They've been asking for contact, but the council has refused," said Jalal el-Gallal, a spokesman with the opposition in Benghazi, referring to the revolutionaries' governing committee. Mohamed Fanoush, a member of the Benghazi city council who is allied with the opposition, also said overtures from Gaddafi's regime had been rejected out of hand. "The answer was: 'There will be no negotiations as long as you are killing Libyans,' " Fanoush said.

In the western city of Zawiyah, a rebel spokesman speaking by satellite phone said Gaddafi's troops had rolled into the city with tanks for a fourth day Monday. Phone, electricity and Internet services had been cut. "They demolished the mosque, came into the square, but after seven hours, we beat them back," said the spokesman, Mohamed Magid.

He said that at least 10 rebels were killed and more than 30 wounded in what he described as fierce urban warfare. "For a fourth day, they have come, and for a fourth day, we have beat them back. But they are still on the east, west and south of the city, and they are going to return. . . . We are low on supplies, medicines. We need support. We need help."

Another rebel-held city, Misurata, which is Libya's third largest, appeared quiet most of Monday, after weathering a major assault by government troops Sunday. A rebel spokesman at a Misurata hospital, Abed el-Salam Bayo, said 21 opposition fighters and civilians were killed along with 19 government troops. As night fell Monday, door-to-door alerts warned residents that loyalist tanks were again approaching.

"We still fear another attack, so everyone is preparing molotov cocktails that we are making from Pepsi-Cola bottles," said Salah Abed El-Aziz, a 60-year-old architect in Misurata. "The morale in the city is very high. It was a beautiful battle; the price was high. But this is the price we have to pay for our freedom."

In Ras Lanuf, which was seized by rebels Friday, the government launched a morning air attack. At least one bomb fell inside the grounds of an ethylene refinery, where chemical storage tanks posed a major risk of explosion. Although the Libyan jets dropped bombs in the area throughout the day, Gallal said that there had been no ground fighting and that rebels maintained control of the city.

"Ras Lanuf is definitely in the hands of the rebels," Gallal said. "But the other guys are well dug in." At least for now, the government appears to have succeeded in holding off what the rebels hoped would be a push westward to Sirte, a government stronghold halfway between Benghazi and Tripoli that is Gaddafi's home town.

Gaddafi made an appearance on state television Monday that was inexplicably cut short. He got more time in during an interview with a French television network, during which he said Libya was an important partner of the West and attempted to paint the rebels as al-Qaeda operatives.

Nearly 200,000 people have fled Libya since the fighting began, according to the United Nations, which said Monday that it expects the number to double over the next three months. In all, as many as 1 million Libyans and migrant workers will require assistance, the United Nations said in issuing an appeal for $160 million to cover the costs.

A summary of the appeal said that although "the clearest humanitarian needs" stem from the outflow of people fleeing the crisis, "there are likely to be many more migrants within Libya who want to leave" but have been unable to do so.

U.N. officials cautioned that the estimate is preliminary and that they do not have a complete picture of the extent of need in Libya, particularly in government-controlled Tripoli and the conflict zone in the west. Over the weekend, Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa acceded to a request by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send an assessment team to Tripoli to determine the extend of Libya's humanitarian needs. But as of Monday, the U.N. team had not been given the visas and guarantees of unhindered access it needs to carry out its work.

Ban has named Abdul-Illah Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, as a special U.N. envoy to Libya. Khatib has been directed to consult with Libyan authorities and others in the region "on the immediate humanitarian situation as well as the wider dimensions of the crisis."