World leaders joined the United Nations in demanding an urgent response on Syria after scores of civilians including 32 children were massacred by regime forces. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said those responsible for the atrocity “must be held to account”.
UN observers counted 92 bodies, at least 32 of which were children, in the Syrian town Houla on Saturday the day after regime forces were accused of “massacring” civilians in the town. The act has outraged the international community.
Melissa Bell meets Michelle Bachelet, executive director of UN Women and former Chilean president. She is leading the UN's work to advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and also advocates that the UN's resources be used to meet these critical goals.
Christopher Moore speaks to Hervé Ladsous, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, about the deployment of UN observers in Syria. Hervé Ladsous explains that the current situation has no precedent in the history of UN peacekeeping. Although the ceasefire does not exist, the deployment of observers results in a reduction of the level of violence.
Six UN monitors stranded by an attack on a funeral that killed at least 21 civilians were reunited with their colleagues on Wednesday after taking refuge overnight with a group of rebels fighting troops loyal to the Syrian regime.
The United States and Europe joined international envoy Kofi Annan in strongly condemning the deadly bombings that rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday. The twin blasts left at least 55 people dead and 372 wounded.
An explosion struck a military truck escorting UN monitors to Syria’s southern city of Deraa on Wednesday, injuring at least six soldiers. It is unclear who is responsible for the blast, or whether it was meant to target UN monitors or the military.
South Sudan’s army said Wednesday that Sudanese war planes were bombing civilian areas inside its territory, in defiance of a UN resolution to end weeks of border conflict. Khartoum has denied it has bombed the South.
Marc Perelman meets Nickson Deng, the South Sudanese Ambassador to Belgium and the EU. They discuss the situation in South Sudan and the escalating tensions in recent weeks with neighbouring Sudan. The international community is very concerned and the UN Security Council passed a resolution on Wednesday demanding an end to hostilities between the two countries.
Sudan's government on Thursday said it seeks peace with South Sudan, following Wednesday's ultimatum from the UN that the two nations halt hostilities in 48 hours or face sanctions.
