Farc declared a two month unilateral ceasefire on Monday in Havana, Cuba, following landmark talks between Farc and the Colombian government . Ivan Marquez, Farc's negotiator, said that they would halt all attacks from midnight on Monday, till 20th January. The government's top negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, had previously said that Farc must agree to disarm, and that the army would continue fighting Farc till a peace deal was signed. There has been no response as yet on the unilateral ceasefire.
While fighting intensifies in the Congolese city of Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo has out-ruled the prospect of negotiations with rebel group M23, dismissing the proposals as ‘blackmail’ from a Rwandan-backed group. Speaking to the Associated Press, government spokesman Lambert Mende said: “We refuse to enter into negotiations with M23. Because it’s Rwanda, not the M23, that is responsible. If Goma falls, it’s going to create a whole other set of problems. We refuse systematically to speak to them (M23). Because if we do, it would be a way to wash away Rwanda’s responsibility.” See...
A district court in Denmark has upheld a decision from the Danish Ministry of Justice to extradite a man to Rwanda, where he faces charges of genocide. The 50-year-old unnamed suspect was unable to prove to the court that he would not face a fair trial in Rwanda and now faces extradition back to the country. He has appealed against the decision. Rwandan authorities requested the suspect’s removal in 2008 or demanded that Danish authorities prosecute him themselves. Since no genocide law had existed in Denmark at the time, the man was indicted for murder, charges that he still faces, depending...
The newly formed National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces has been rejected by Islamist rebels in the country. Around 13 organisations were listed in a video released on the internet, denouncing the new group. "We are the representatives of the fighting formations in Aleppo and we declare our rejection of the conspiratorial project, the so-called national alliance," it says. "We have unanimously agreed to urgently establish an Islamic state." The new leader of the opposition, Moaz al-Khatib said they will reach out to the groups. "We will keep in contact with them for...
The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-Moon, is set to travel to Israel in order to intensify efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Ban arrived in Cairo, Egypt amid international concern surrounding the volatility of the conflict situation. Following a visit to Jerusalem for talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ban Ki Moon will meet with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Israeli officials have emphasised their readiness to launch a ground invasion, despite western governments urging Israel to avoid such measures...
The jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, called for an end to the 67 day hunger strike of Kurdish prisoners in Turkey, raising speculation that an agreement had been found to end the protest. In a statement, Ocalan's brother Mehmet said , "Today I went to see my brother Abdullah Ocalan face-to-face in Imrali prison," "He wants me to share immediately with the public his call about the hunger strikes... This action has achieved its goal. Without any hesitation, they should end the hunger strike." The hunger strike protest by over 1700 Kurds jailed in Turkey demanded an end to Ocalan's...
The Australian government has approved the extradition of a man accused of war crimes to Croatia, where he is wanted for questioning for charges which include murder and genocide. Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare’s decision that Dragan Vasiljkovic could be extradited, could make him the first ever accused war criminal to be extradited from the country. A spokesman for the Minister said , "The minister arrived at his determination following careful consideration of the provisions of the Extradition Act and taking into account representations made by, and on behalf of, Mr...
United Nations combat helicopters attacked Congolese M23 rebels as they advanced on the largest city in the eastern region of Congo, Goma. A UN peacekeeping spokesman, Kieran Dwyer, said that the UN helicopters had fired cannons and rockets at the rebels. The EU also joined the UN in calling on the rebels to halt their advance, with the foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton voicing concerns about the area. “I call on the M23 to immediately stop the military offensive against the city of Goma,” she said in a statement . A majority of the Western aid agencies in the city have been ordered to...
US President Barack Obama has insisted that Burma still has progress to make on reforms, as he becomes the first ever sitting US President to visit the country. Speaking from Thailand, President Obama told a press conference, “President Thein Sein is taking steps that move us in a better direction... don’t think anybody’s under any illusion that Burma’s arrived. The country has a long way to go.” "I'm not somebody who thinks that the United States should stand on the sidelines and not want to get its hands dirty when there's an opportunity for us to encourage the better impulses inside a...
Israeli jets have bombed government buildings in Gaza, as speculation mounted over reports that Israel was preparing for a ground invasion, with the call up of over 75,000 more reserve soldiers. Israel reportedly bombed 200 sites overnight, including Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya's office. Gaza militants were also reported to have fired rockets into Israel, with one being aimed at Tel Aviv having been intercepted. The violence continues as the Arab League met in Cairo and agreed to send a delegation to the Gaza strip in the next few days. Israel’s Interior Minister Eli Yishai meanwhile...