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About What's In Blue

When the Security Council approaches the final stage of negotiation of a draft resolution the text is printed in blue. What's in Blue is a regular feed of insights produced by Security Council Report on evolving Security Council decisions. It is designed to help interested readers at UN Missions keep up with what might soon be "in blue". These insights supplement the Monthly Forecasts and other reports from SCR.

What's in the news

posted on Wed 19 Jun 2013

Asia

• U.S. Presses Taliban on Qatar Office in Bid to Save Talks. In a diplomatic scramble to keep alive the possibility of peace talks with the Taliban, American officials today pressed the insurgents to backtrack on their effort to present themselves as essentially an alternative government at the office they opened yesterday in Qatar, Afghan officials said. The Afghan government, furious that assurances from the Americans that the Taliban would not use the Doha office for political or fund-raising purposes had been flouted, suspended bilateral security talks with the Americans earlier today and said they would not send their peace emissaries to Qatar to talk to the Taliban until there was a change. (NY Times)

Africa

• South Sudan's Salva Kiir sacks Kosti Manibe and Deng Alor. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has sacked two high-ranking government ministers embroiled in a multi-million dollar financial scandal. Mr Kiir has also lifted the immunity of Finance Minister Kosti Manibe and Cabinet Affairs Minister Deng Alor to open the way for an investigation. The pair have not yet commented. Mr Kiir had ordered them to appear before an investigation committee "to answer queries relating to the transfer" of nearly $8m (£5m) to a firm called Daffy Investments Group Limited. The money was allegedly transferred to buy special fire-proof safes for government offices, but it is not clear if any of the safes were delivered, AFP news agency reports. (BBC)
• Somalia UN office attack by al-Shabab kills 15. A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up at the gate of the UNDP and several armed fighters went in and opened fire. The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab said it was behind the attack. This is the first time the UN offices have been attacked since it relaunched its mission in Somalia. (BBC)
• Guinea's June 30 poll date no longer possible: elections body. A repeatedly delayed parliamentary election meant to seal Guinea's transition to civilian rule will have to be postponed again after the government and opposition failed to agree on how to run the vote, a spokesman for the elections commission said. "It goes without saying that the June 30 date is no longer tenable," Alpha Yero Conde, the communications director for the elections body, known as the CENI, said on Monday. The president said over the weekend that, while the polls were technically feasible on the announced date, a delay might be necessary due to the fact that opposition politicians had not registered as candidates. (Reuters)

Middle East

• Yemeni kidnap 11 soldiers to swap for relative. Members of the Al-Marakisha tribe, in the southern province of Abyan, kidnapped two colonels on Wednesday and nine soldiers on Tuesday, to pressure authorities to release Ahmed al-Marakisha who faces a death sentence for murder. Kidnappings in Yemen happen frequently with foreigners sometimes taken hostage also as bargaining chips. (The Daily Star)
• Syrian tensions spill into a city in southern Lebanon. Violent sectarian spillover from the Syrian conflict reached across southern Lebanon on Tuesday, with armed clashes by rival groups of Sunni and Shiite militia members in the Mediterranean port of Sidon that left at least two people dead and forced the Lebanese Army to seal off the area. Lebanese news agencies said the Sidon clash had pitted fighters loyal to a militant Sunni cleric, Sheik Ahmad al-Assir, who has called for holy war against Mr. Assad, against armed members of Hezbollah occupying buildings in the Abra district of Sidon, which Sheik Assir's loyalists have historically controlled. (NYTimes)
• U.N. recommends bringing Iraq closer to ending 1990s sanctions. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday recommended bringing Iraq one step closer to ending all U.N. sanctions imposed on Baghdad more than two decades ago after former leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait In 1990. Ban has recommended that the remaining humanitarian issue between Iraq and Kuwait - related to missing Kuwaiti people and property - be dealt with under Chapter 6 of the U.N. Charter, which urges countries to peacefully resolve any conflicts. The issue is currently dealt with under Chapter 7 of the charter. (Reuters)

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