The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council this morning in closed consultations to discuss his visit to Afghanistan earlier this week. That meeting, he said, marked the official launch of the Kabul process, which will see a transition to greater Afghan responsibility and ownership, in both security and civilian areas.
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Meeting with his senior advisers this morning, the Secretary-General did raise the matter of the end-of-assignment report of the outgoing Head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), Inga-Britt Ahlenius. He noted that it is supposed to be a management tool, an internal document that, regrettably, was leaked.
B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, today told the Security Council meeting on the Middle East that, since Israel’s announcement of its new policy on Gaza, food and other products have entered Gaza and the volume of imports into Gaza has increased steadily, and while these are positive steps forward, it is hoped they can be enhanced to address the deplorable conditions in the Strip.
The Secretary-General opened the International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul this morning, saying that the Conference marks the true beginning of a very fundamental transition. He told the Afghan people that the officials gathered in Kabul share their aspirations and understand their frustrations.
The Secretary-General is travelling to Afghanistan, where he will co-chair the International Conference on Afghanistan with President Hamid Karzai tomorrow — the first international conference on Afghanistan to be held in the country, organized by the Afghan Government for the Afghan people.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the suicide bombings in Zahedan, Iran, which have reportedly claimed the lives of scores of people and left many more injured.
Joseph Mutaboba, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, briefed the Security Council this morning in an open meeting on the situation in that country. Mutaboba said that recent developments in the political and security areas have underlined the extreme fragility of the peacebuilding process in Guinea-Bissau, and its vulnerability to reversals.
The UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, UNAMID, reports that yesterday, Sudanese Armed Forces clashed with Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) fighters near the Adola Mountains and near Kuma, in North Darfur. The number of possible casualties has yet to be determined. UNAMID is also currently investigating reports of similar fighting in Daba Tago, also in North Darfur.
Said Djinnit, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, briefed the Security Council this morning on the situation in that region, and warned of the threat posed by the food crisis, particularly in Niger. But he also noted signs of progress, including the peaceful first round of presidential elections in Guinea.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the vicious bombings yesterday in Kampala that claimed the lives of dozens of people and left hundreds wounded among Ugandans and other nationalities at establishments where they were watching the World Cup final.