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Officials fear UN failing Syrians as it did Tamils

Feb 3, 2016

Senior officials within the UN fear the organisation's role in Syria echoes its past failures during the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka where tens of thousands of Tamils were killed, reports The Guardian.

The UN's role in the siege of Madaya has come under particular scrutiny after correspondence revealed the UN was aware of the crisis since last July, but had hesitated to label it so due to a difficult relationship with Damascus.

See full report by The Guardian here.

British Airways to resume flights to Iran

Feb 2, 2016

British Airways will resume flights from London to Tehran from July reports Reuters.

The head of BA’s network planning division, Neil Conttrell, said,

“The recent lifting of sanctions opens up exciting new prospects for Iran as a tourist destination and with its rich heritage, unique architecture and world-class food it’s unsurprising Tehran is tipped to be a popular destination for 2016.”

Last week, Iran struck a $27 billion deal to but 118 Airbus jets and a dozen A380 jumbo jets.

UN envoy halts Syria talks amidst army offensive

Feb 2, 2016

The United Nations envoy halted his attempts to launch Syrian peace talks on Wednesday after Syria’s army, backed by Russian air strikes made major advances on the opposition held areas around Aleppo.

Kurdish leader calls for a non-binding independence referendum

Feb 1, 2016

The president of the autonomous region, Kurdistan, on Tuesday called for a non-binding referendum of the independence of the region.

"The time has come and the situation is now suitable for the Kurdish people to make a decision through a referendum on their fate," Mr Barzani was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"That referendum does not mean proclaiming statehood, but rather to know the will and opinion of the Kurdish people about independence and for the Kurdish political leadership to execute the will of the people at the appropriate time and conditions."

India set to agree on separate flag and constitution for Nagaland in peace accord

Jan 31, 2016

Nagaland may be given a separate official flag under the final accord expected between India’s government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), reports the Hindustan times.

According to sources from the negotiations, the decision for the north-eastern state of India to have its own flag is almost agreed on.

A separate flag is one of the 33 demands made by the NSCN, who have been in talks with the Indian government since an end to the armed conflict in 1997.

Syria opposition ready to leave UN peace-talks if progress not seen

Jan 31, 2016

The United Nations announced the formal start of peace talks for Syria on Monday and urged world powers to push for a ceasefire as Syrian forces backed by Russian air strikes launched their biggest offensive in a year, reports Reuters.

Reiterating that the opposition representatives had not formally accepted the UN peace talk process, Monzer Makhous form the High Negotiations Committee told press,

Syrian opposition meet UN envoy to reiterate precursory demands for political negotiations

Jan 30, 2016

A Saudi backed Syrian opposition delegation met the UN special envoy to Syria Staffon de Mistura for the first time with demands for tangible actions on humanitarian issues before participating in political negotiations.
Speaking from Geneva, where the peace-talks were meant to commence on Friday, a member of the opposition negotiation delegation Bassma Kodmani, said,

Guatemalan soldiers face sex slavery charges 30 years on

Jan 28, 2016

Guatemalan soldiers are to be prosecuted over sex slavery charges during the country's civil war, thirty years on, the Guardian reported.

The trial of the former base commander Esteelmer Reyes Giron and the former regional military commissioner, Heriberto Valdex Asij, is the first time worldwide that sexual slavery committed during an armed conflict will be prosecuted in that country.

The charges relate to the enslavement and rape of 11 Mayan women from Eastern Guatemala, who were systematic raped by many soldiers.

Satellite evidence of mass graves in Burundi says Amnesty

Jan 27, 2016

Amnesty International said on Thursday there is new satellite imagery and video footage depicting mass graves in Burundi following suspected killings by security forces in December.

"Before and after images and video footage clearly show five possible mass graves in the Buringa area, on the outskirts of Bujumbura," Amnesty said in a statement.

"The imagery, dating from late December and early January, shows disturbed earth consistent with witness accounts. Witnesses told Amnesty International that the graves were dug on the afternoon of 11 December, in the immediate aftermath of the bloodiest day of Burundi’s escalating crisis."

"These images suggest a deliberate effort by the authorities to cover up the extent of the killings by their security forces and to prevent the full truth from coming out,” Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said.

“African leaders gathering at the AU summit must call on the Burundian government to grant international investigators access to all suspected grave sites and launch an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into the killings and why most families were given no opportunity to retrieve and bury their dead,” Wanyeki added.

Syrian opposition to boycott UN peace talks

Jan 27, 2016

The Syrian opposition will not attend peace talks due to begin in Geneva on Friday reports Reuters.

An opposition council that convened in Riyadh said it would not be in Geneva on Friday after failing to receive convincing answers on its demands for good will gestures including an end to airstrikes and sieges.

Another representative of the opposition, said the decision could change if the outlined goodwill gestures were made or committed to.

A member of the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) George Sabra, said,

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