The UN position in southern Lebanon (photo from archive). Top news of the day | Friday: Middle East, Dag Hammarskjöld, Africa UN
Top news of the day in the UN and in the world: peacekeepers will remain at all positions near the “blue line”, new information on the circumstances of the death of the second UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, reaction to the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, UN Secretary-General goes to Ethiopia.
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
Despite demands from the Israeli military to leave areas near the Blue Line, all countries contributing personnel to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and members of the Security Council have unanimously decided that the peacekeepers will remain in their positions, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said on Friday. The UNIFIL spokesman also stressed that the mission is making efforts to coordinate the distribution of aid to civilians in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, humanitarian action is hampered by the lack of security guarantees in most cases.
The Death of Dag Hammarskjöld
Several countries have disclosed new information about the circumstances of the death of the second UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in a plane crash in what is now Zambia in 1961. The information is presented in a report released today by Mohamed Chande Othman, who is leading the investigation into Hammarskjöld’s death. The new information concerns possible interceptions of communications by states, the ability of the armed forces of the unrecognized state of Katanga or others to strike the plane, and the possible presence of foreign forces and intelligence officers in the area of the crash.
Hamas leader dies
Responding to questions from reporters about the Secretary-General’s reaction to the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said that while the UN chief does not comment on events of this kind, he is interested in it leading to an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. Haque added that the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Thor Wennesland, drew attention to yesterday’s killing of Sinwar in Gaza and called for the turning point to be seized to free the hostages and reach a ceasefire.
UN chief in Ethiopia
The Secretary-General will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday to attend the 8th annual conference of the African Union and the United Nations. The event will focus on progress in implementing cooperation agreements between the two organizations, as well as joint actions related to peace, security, development, human rights and the impact of climate change on the African continent. The Secretary-General also plans to hold meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Ethiopia.