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Afghan and NATO forces ready security for Kabul Conference

July 20, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Afghan and foreign forces are stepping up security in the Afghan capital for the biggest international conference in decades this week, where delegates will thrash out plans for handing more responsibility for the country to the government.

Over 60 envoys, among them some 40 foreign ministers and including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are expected to attend the conference on Tuesday, co-chaired by President Hamid Karzai and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

With violence at its worst levels since the Taliban were overthrown in late 2001, western diplomats are lauding the fact the conference is taking place in Kabul at all and the Afghan government is keen to see it run smoothly.

A major attack could be a disaster for the government and could score a valuable propaganda point for the insurgents.

While they say all necessary steps to thwart an assault on the day have been taken, both Afghan and NATO forces acknowledge they cannot be everywhere at once.

That message hit home on Sunday when in the latest spell of violence a suicide bomber killed two civilians and wounded several more, including a child, in a residential area in the capital, close to the U.S. embassy, the Interior Ministry said.

“We are 100 percent prepared but this doesn’t mean everything will go exactly to plan. We will try to do our best and we will also rely on the support of God,” said Zemarai Bashary, spokesman for the Interior Ministry which runs the police force.

PREPARE FOR ATTACK

NATO’s top civilian representative in Afghanistan said insurgents would try to launch an attack and no amount of security preparations could be infallible.

“We have to prepare ourselves for the fact that the insurgents are going to seek to disrupt this,” Mark Sedwill told reporters over the weekend.

“Nobody is going to offer a 100 percent guarantee, but they (security precautions) are very extensive and indeed intensive.”

Bashary said all police officers had been placed on “high alert” and had already taken up their positions in a “ring of steel” around the city. Policemen from other units such as the anti-narcotics police, would also be on standby, he said.

While Western forces are keen to point out the conference security plans have been drawn up by the Afghans, NATO said its troops would be out on the streets with their Afghan counterparts and would have a “quick reaction force” on standby.

NATO helicopters will also be circling over the city in a “show of force” to try and deter an attack, said Lieutenant Commander Katie Kendrick, a spokeswoman for NATO-led forces.

“NATO forces are also ready to assist the Afghan government with any other assets,” she said. Bashary said the ministry had not received any specific threats against the conference, but NATO forces said they had captured several militants inside the capital over the weekend who were planning to attack the meeting.

While not able to completely disrupt it, insurgents fired rockets and tried to stage a suicide attack on a peace “jirga,” or meeting, of tribal elders last month, while Karzai was addressing the gathering.

(Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by David Fox)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan capital, Afghan government, Ban Ki Moon, foreign ministers, hamid karzai, Hillary Clinton, insurgents, Interior Ministry, kabul, nato forces, necessary steps, police force, President Hamid Karzai, residential area, reuters, secretary-general, Security Precautions, security preparations, suicide bomber, western diplomats

Afghan, NATO forces ready security before Kabul Conference

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

July 18 (Reuters) – Afghan and foreign forces are stepping up security in the Afghan capital for the biggest international conference in decades this week, where delegates will thrash out plans for handing more responsibility for the country to the government. Over 60 envoys, among them some 40 foreign ministers and including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are expected to attend the conference on Tuesday, co-chaired by President Hamid Karzai and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

A major attack could be a disaster for the government and could score a valuable propaganda point for the insurgents.

While they say all necessary steps to thwart an assault on the day have been taken, both Afghan and NATO forces acknowledge they cannot be everywhere at once. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For Kabul Conference stories, see [ID:nKABCON]

For more on Afghanistan click [ID:nAFPAK]

or see link.reuters.com/syx62d

Afghan blog: blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

PREPARE FOR ATTACK

NATO’s top civilian representative in Afghanistan said insurgents would try to launch an attack and no amount of security preparations could be infallible.

“We have to prepare ourselves for the fact that the insurgents are going to seek to disrupt this,” Mark Sedwill told reporters over the weekend.

“Nobody is going to offer a 100 percent guarantee, but they (security precautions) are very extensive and indeed intensive.”

NATO helicopters will also be circling over the city in a “show of force” to try and deter an attack, said Lieutenant Commander Katie Kendrick, a spokeswoman for NATO-led forces.

While not able to completely disrupt it, insurgents fired rockets and tried to stage a suicide attack on a peace “jirga”, or meeting, of tribal elders last month, while Karzai was addressing the gathering.

The attack was quickly suppressed but caused embarrassment for the government and led to the resignations of the interior minister and the head of the country’s intelligence service. Karzai will want to avoid a repeat of the incident. (Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by David Fox) (jonathon.burch@thomsonreuters.com; +93 794 354 074; Reuters Messaging: jonathon.burch.reuters.com@reuters.net) (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to newsfeedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan capital, Afghan government, Ban Ki Moon, foreign ministers, hamid karzai, Hillary Clinton, insurgents, Interior Ministry, kabul, nato forces, necessary steps, police force, Police Office, President Hamid Karzai, residential area, reuters, Security Precautions, security preparations, suicide bomber, western diplomats

Afghans ready for more responsibility: U.N. envoy

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Afghanistan should be given more responsibility for its own security and administration with progress checked against six-month benchmarks, the United Nations’ top diplomat to the country said.

With around 150,000 NATO-led troops faced off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since their overthrow in 2001, Western governments are keen to pull out but fear the Afghans are not yet ready to take more charge.

“It is a chicken and egg situation, but the chicken is saying ‘we are ready to produce an egg’,” Staffan de Mistura, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative for Afghanistan, told Reuters in an interview.

Over 60 foreign ministers — including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — gather in the Afghan capital on Tuesday for a conference at which President Hamid Karzai will plead for more control of $13 billion in Afghan aid and development.

The country has received over $40 billion since 2002, but Karzai says the government has handled only around 20 percent of that and much of the graft and waste complained about in the West was lost through direct channels.

“They have a point,” de Mistura said, arguing that if the government institutions were seen to be driving development, ordinary Afghans would support it.

He drew parallels with Iraq, where he served as the U.N. special envoy at the height of violence there.

“The moment they started taking their own future in their hands, we saw an improvement — not perfect by any means, but an improvement.”

NOT READY FOR PEACE

Security remains the biggest factor.

“We all know, everybody knows, everybody recognizes, that there is no military solution to the conflict.”

“However there is, unfortunately, still a perception that the time for dialogue is not ready. The Taliban don’t seem to be indicating yet that they are ready for that dialogue.”

Although Washington did not want to see the Taliban leadership included in peace talks, it would be up to Afghans to decide “who was allowed inside the tent,” he said.

The government has offered amnesty and reintegration to low-level Taliban fighters who agree to abide by the constitution, renounce violence, and quit militant groups.

Asked if this should be expanded to Taliban leaders, he said: “… if anybody on the Afghan side would accept those three conditions, it would be difficult for the community … to say you aren’t allowed inside the tent.

The conference will hear Karzai and his ministers present blueprint of projects and timetables de Mistura believes could deliver results within a year.

Asked what differences he expected in six months, he said:

“First we will see the Afghans taking much more seriously the fact that responsibility has been given to them and therefore they need to make some major effort on the issue of accountability, corruption and delivering concrete assistance to their own people.

“Second, I hope we will be seeing progress on security, and therefore the ideal time for political dialogue, but between now and six months on the security side it will probably look worse before it looks better.

“What we need before the six months is over is … a vision by the Afghan government which will be articulated in a way that will engage and reassure every stakeholder — both internally and outside, and regional stakeholders as well — of what Afghanistan can and should be looking like in two years time,” he said.

(Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan capital, afghans, Ban Ki Moon, benchmarks, De Mistura, diplomat, foreign ministers, government institutions, graft, hamid karzai, Hillary Clinton, insurgency., military solution, own security, parallels, peace talks, reuters, secretary-general, Taliban Leadership, Western Governments

INTERVIEW-Afghans ready for more responsibility – U.N. envoy

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

KABUL, July 18 (Reuters) – Afghanistan should be given more responsibility for its own security and administration with progress checked against six-month benchmarks, the United Nations’ top diplomat to the country said.

For Kabul Conference stories, see [ID:nKABCON]

For more on Afghanistan click [ID:nAFPAK]

or see link.reuters.com/syx62d

Afghan blog: blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

“They have a point,” de Mistura said, arguing that if the government institutions were seen to be driving development, ordinary Afghans would support it.

He drew parallels with Iraq, where he served as the U.N. special envoy at the height of violence there.

“The moment they started taking their own future in their hands, we saw an improvement — not perfect by any means, but an improvement.”

NOT READY FOR PEACE

Security remains the biggest factor.

“We all know, everybody knows, everybody recognises, that there is no military solution to the conflict.”

“However there is, unfortunately, still a perception that the time for dialogue is not ready. The Taliban don’t seem to be indicating yet that they are readly for that dialogue.”

Although Washington did not want to see the Taliban leadership included in peace talks, it would be up to Afghans to decide “who was allowed inside the tent”, he said.

The government has offered amnesty and reintegration to low-level Taliban fighters who agree to abide by the constitution, renounce violence, and quit militant groups.

The conference will hear Karzai and his ministers present blueprint of projects and timetables de Mistura believes could deliver results within a year.

Asked what differences he expected in six months, he said:

“First we will see the Afghans taking much more seriously the fact that responsibilty has been given to them and therefore they need to make some major effort on the issue of accountability, corruption and delivering concrete assistance to their own people.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan capital, afghans, Ban Ki Moon, De Mistura, diplomat, foreign ministers, government institutions, graft, hamid karzai, Hillary Clinton, insurgency., kabul, military solution, own security, parallels, peace talks, reuters, secretary-general, Taliban Leadership, Western Governments

Suicide bomber kills four civilians in Kabul

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed four civilians in an attack apparently aimed at a convoy of foreign forces on Sunday, security sources said.

The attack happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign troops, one said, adding four more civilians were wounded.

There were no immediate word about casualties among the foreign forces, he said. The site of the attack was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said they were aware of the incident but had no details immediately.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aftermath, Ban Ki Moon, casualties, civilians, convoy, David Fox, foreign ministers, Hillary Clinton, insurgency., international security assistance, islamists, kabul, reuters, secretary of state, secretary-general, security sources, september 11 2001, spokesman, suicide bomber, Taliban

Suicide bomber kills four civilians in Kabul

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

KABUL, July 18 (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed four civilians in an attack apparently aimed at a convoy of foreign forces on Sunday, security sources said.

The attack happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign troops, one said, adding four more civilians were wounded.

There were no immediate word about casualties among the foreign forces, he said. The site of the attack was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said they were aware of the incident but had no details immediately.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aftermath, Ban Ki Moon, casualties, civilians, convoy, David Fox, e-mail, foreign ministers, Hillary Clinton, insurgency., international security assistance, islamists, Kabul Kabul, reuters, secretary of state, secretary-general, security sources, sept 11 2001, suicide bomber, Taliban

Bomb kills four civilians in Afghan capital

July 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

July 18 (Reuters) – A bomb killed four civilians in a crowded part of the Afghan capital on Sunday, security sources said.

It happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign forces, one said.

Some 150,000 foreign troops are squared off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since the hardline Islamists were overthrown by a U.S.-led force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox and Jonathan Thatcher) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan capital, aftermath, Ban Ki Moon, bomb, civilians, David Fox, e-mail, foreign ministers, Hillary Clinton, insurgency., islamists, Jonathan Thatcher, kabul, newsroom, reuters, secretary of state, secretary-general, security sources, sept 11 2001, Taliban

Sri Lankan president ends minister’s anti-U.N. fast

July 11, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday ordered a cabinet minister to end a hunger strike against a U.N. war crimes panel, part of a five-day protest that hurt ties with the world body and the West.

The president arrived outside the U.N. compound in Colombo, and offered water to a supine Construction Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who was in the third day of a “fast unto death” to get U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to relent.

The president made no public comment and a spokesman said he would not make a statement. Earlier in the day, medics had given an intravenous saline drip to Weerawansa, a nationalist ally of the president who gained popularity with anti-Western rhetoric.

“Don’t try to force me to stop. Not even the president can force me. Only Ban Ki-moon can stop this,” Weerawansa said then.

After Rajapaksa arrived, Weerawansa was taken away in an ambulance. Hunger strikes are a common tactic to bring attention to a cause in Sri Lanka and south Asia, but rarely end in death.

Sri Lanka’s relations with the world body and Western nations have been strained since it destroyed the separatist Tamil Tigers and won a 25-year conflict in May 2009, a victory that drew military praise but equal criticism over civilian deaths.

Weerawansa has been laying in front of the U.N. compound since Thursday, two days after police tried to escort trapped U.N. staff out until the minister got the president’s brother, Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to stop the officers.

Ban reacted angrily to the protest, recalling the U.N. country chief for talks and ordering the immediate closure of a regional U.N. office sited in Colombo, which local U.N. staff said had already been downsized for a planned move.

On Friday, the United States, European Union and seven European countries said the government’s handling of the protest could harm its international reputation.

Ban’s appointment of a three-member panel to advise him on “accountability issues” sparked fury from the government, which views the action as a prelude to the full probe demanded by human rights groups over thousands of civilian deaths.

Rajapaksa blames the West for applying double standards to Sri Lanka’s fight to destroy a group on U.S. and EU terrorism lists. The government says Ban’s panel violates its sovereignty, because it has its own commission probing the war.

Sri Lankan allies Russia and China both have criticized the panel as unnecessary. Rajapaksa denies soldiers committed any crimes and says the casualty figures are inflated.

Ban insists the panel is merely to advise him on international best practices for post-conflict reconciliation, and has no investigative mandate.

(Additional reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Andrew Caballero-Reynolds; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Ban Ki Moon, cabinet minister, Civilian Deaths, Construction Minister, hunger strike, hunger strikes, international reputation, Mahinda Rajapaksa, medics, Member Panel, president mahinda rajapaksa, reuters, Saline Drip, Separatist Tamil Tigers, south-asia, Sri Lankan President, supine, tamil tigers, war crimes, Wimal Weerawansa

Sri Lankan president ends minister’s anti-UN fast

July 11, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

COLOMBO, July 10 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday ordered a cabinet minister to end a hunger strike against a U.N. war crimes panel, part of a five-day protest that hurt ties with the world body and the West.

“Don’t try to force me to stop. Not even the president can force me. Only Ban Ki-moon can stop this,” Weerawansa said then.

After Rajapaksa arrived, Weerawansa was taken away in an ambulance. Hunger strikes are a common tactic to bring attention to a cause in Sri Lanka and south Asia, but rarely end in death.

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For a related Q+A click on [nSGE66809V]

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Weerawansa has been laying in front of the U.N. compound since Thursday, two days after police tried to escort trapped U.N. staff out until the minister got the president’s brother, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to stop the officers.

On Friday, the United States, European Union and seven European countries said the government’s handling of the protest could harm its international reputation. [nSGE6682BC]

Sri Lankan allies Russia and China both have criticised the panel as unnecessary. Rajapaksa denies soldiers committed any crimes and says the casualty figures are inflated.

Ban insists the panel is merely to advise him on international best practices for post-conflict reconciliation, and has no investigative mandate. (Additional reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Andrew Caballero-Reynolds; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Ban Ki Moon, cabinet minister, Civilian Deaths, Construction Minister, defence secretary, hunger strike, hunger strikes, Mahinda Rajapaksa, medics, president mahinda rajapaksa, reuters, Saline Drip, Separatist Tamil Tigers, south-asia, Sri Lankan President, supine, tamil tigers, third day, war crimes, Wimal Weerawansa

Sri Lanka war crimes rift with UN widens over protests

July 10, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

COLOMBO, July 9 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan demonstrators marched to Russia’s embassy on Friday to express gratitude for support against a U.N. war crimes panel, the subject of a fourth day of protests that have cracked open a rift with the world body.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday recalled the head of U.N. Sri Lanka for consultations and blasted President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government for failing to stop protesters from disrupting work at the world’ body’s office. [nN08108801]

Ban also ordered closed the regional office of the U.N. Development Programme, based in Colombo but which U.N. officials in Sri Lanka said had already been downsized in preparation for a planned move to Bangkok. The main country office remains open.

The protests led by Construction Minister Wimal Weerawansa, a popular nationalist ally of Rajapaksa, began on Tuesday with demonstrators clashing with police who tried to escort trapped U.N. staff out until the government ordered them to stand down.

While Weerawansa entered his second day of a “fast unto death” hunger strike until Ban dissolves the panel, around 300 demonstrators marched about a kilometre to the Russian embassy from the U.N. offices in central Colombo.

“We should thank Russia for standing by us,” demonstrator Anuruddha Perera told Reuters.

Members of the group flooded an embassy official with bouquets of flowers and handed over a letter. Others carried placards reading “Thank you Russia, we need your support again.”

Russia and China both have criticised the three-member panel as unnecessary. It is tasked with advising Ban whether war crimes were committed at the end of Sri Lanka’s 25-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

‘INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACIES’

Sri Lanka destroyed the LTTE in May 2009, but drew primarily Western criticism for the thousands of civilian deaths in the final months of the offensive. Both the government and LTTE were accused of putting civilians in harm’s way.

Rajapaksa in turn accuses the West of applying double standards to Sri Lanka’s fight to destroy a group on U.S. and EU terrorism lists. The government says Ban’s panel violates its sovereignty, because it has its own commission probing the war.

“We should all get together to defeat the international conspiracies and foreign interference with our nation and should protect our war heroes, the president and defence secretary who bravely defeated the LTTE,” marcher Madura Kularatne said.

Sri Lanka is concerned Ban’s panel is a precursor to a full-blown investigation, pressed for by rights groups and some LTTE supporters who live in Western countries as refugees. [nN22526612]

Ban is livid that some U.N. operations have been impacted. A U.N. spokesman on Thursday said Ban “finds it unacceptable that the Sri Lankan authorities have failed to prevent the disruption of the normal functioning of the United Nations offices in Colombo as a result of unruly protests”.

Essential staff were working in the offices on Friday, spokesman Mohan Samaranayake said in Colombo.

The government has given its tacit approval to the protests, which it says are lawful because they are peaceful. Politically, they also appeal to Rajapaksa’s power base, the Sinhalese people who make up 75 percent of the country’s 21 million population. Weerawansa, who gained power by mobilising street protests after splintering from Sri Lanka’s Marxist JVP party, has vowed to keep up the protest and his fast until Ban dissolves the panel. The secretary-general has refused to do so.

One of Weerawansa’s doctors, Wasantha Bandara, said the minister’s situation was deteriorating.

Hunger strikes to bring attention to a cause are a frequent tactic in Sri Lanka and south Asia, but rarely end with the strikers dying.

Ban says the panel is merely a resource to help Sri Lanka reconcile after thousands of Tamil civilians died in the war’s final months. Sri Lanka’s government says the casualty figures are hugely inflated. (Editing by Ron Popeski)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Ban Ki Moon, Central Colombo, Civilian Deaths, conspiracies, Construction Minister, Death Hunger, demonstrators, Embassy Official, hunger strike, liberation tigers of tamil eelam, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)., Mahinda Rajapaksa, Member Panel, Perera, president mahinda rajapaksa, reuters, Russian Embassy, war crimes, Western Criticism, Wimal Weerawansa

Timeline: Unrest in Kyrgyzstan’s south

June 29, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Here is a timeline on Kyrgyzstan in the past five years:

March 21, 2005 – Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second biggest city, falls to opposition control as protests sweep across the south to demand the resignation of President Askar Akayev.

March 24 – Kyrgyzstan’s opposition declares itself in power after seizing key buildings as Akayev vanishes after protests.

March 25 – Opposition party leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev is named acting president. Akayev confirms reports he has left the country, but says he has not resigned.

March 28 – Kyrgyzstan’s new parliament takes over and confirms Bakiyev as prime minister as well as acting president.

July 10 – Bakiyev wins presidential elections.

November 8, 2006 – Parliament adopts a new constitution reducing the president’s powers.

February 19, 2009 – Parliament votes to close the only U.S. air base in Central Asia. Washington later agrees to pay $180 million to Kyrgyzstan to keep the base open.

March 17, 2010 – Thousands of Kyrgyz protesters threaten to oust Bakiyev if he fails to accept their demands within a week.

April 3 – Visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on Kyrgyzstan to protect human rights after protesters shout “help us” as he drove to parliament.

April 7 – Bakiyev orders a state of emergency in Bishkek and three other areas after police clash with protesters. He later flees to southern Kyrgyzstan, his traditional power base.

April 8 – Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva says she is taking over the president’s and government’s responsibilities.

April 12 – The U.S. welcomes statements from the interim government that it will abide by agreements covering the U.S. air base that supports military operations in Afghanistan.

April 15 – The ousted president Bakiyev leaves Kyrgyzstan for Kazakhstan. At least 85 people are killed in the upheaval.

April 27 – The interim government says it has charged Bakiyev with “mass killing.”

May 13 – Bakiyev supporters seize control of government buildings in the cities of Osh, Jalalabad and Batken. A day later the interim government says it has regained control.

May 19 – A state of emergency is declared in Jalalabad after two people die and 74 are injured in clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan.

– Otunbayeva’s government says she will act as president until the end of 2011, after which she will be replaced.

June 10/11 – Ethnic conflict between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks flares up in Osh and the southern region. The interim government declares a state of emergency.

June 13 – Bakiyev issues a statement from Belarus denying he is behind the clashes.

June 18 – The United Nations says 300,000 are displaced in Kyrgyzstan and another 100,000 people have crossed over into Uzbekistan. June 20 – The government extends state of emergency in Osh and three surrounding regions until June 25.

June 21 – Otunbayeva pledges to press ahead with a referendum on June 27.Security forces clash with ethnic Uzbeks near Osh killing at least two. At least 250 people have been killed and the interim government says it could be up to 2,000.

June 27 – Kyrgyz vote in referendum that new rulers hope will pave the way for the creation of Central Asia’s first parliamentary democracy.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Acting President, Ban Ki Moon, Bishkek, Central Asia, government buildings, Interim Government, kurmanbek bakiyev, military operations, Moon Calls, opposition leader, Opposition Party Leader, Parliament Votes, police clash, President Akayev, President Askar Akayev, presidential elections, Roza Otunbayeva, s south, state of emergency, u s air

TIMELINE-Unrest in Kyrgyzstan’s south

June 28, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan voted on Sunday in a referendum whether to become Central Asia’s first parliamentary democracy after a wave of ethnic bloodshed.

Here is a timeline on Kyrgyzstan in the past five years:

March 21, 2005 – Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second biggest city, falls to opposition control as protests sweep across the south to demand the resignation of President Askar Akayev.

March 24 – Kyrgyzstan’s opposition declares itself in power after seizing key buildings as Akayev vanishes after protests.

March 25 – Opposition party leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev is named acting president. Akayev confirms reports he has left the country, but says he has not resigned.

March 28 – Kyrgyzstan’s new parliament takes over and confirms Bakiyev as prime minister as well as acting president.

July 10 – Bakiyev wins presidential elections.

Nov. 8, 2006 – Parliament adopts a new constitution reducing the president’s powers.

Feb. 19, 2009 – Parliament votes to close the only U.S. air base in Central Asia. Washington later agrees to pay $180 million to Kyrgyzstan to keep the base open.

March 17, 2010 – Thousands of Kyrgyz protesters threaten to oust Bakiyev if he fails to accept their demands within a week.

April 3 – Visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on Kyrgyzstan to protect human rights after protesters shout “help us” as he drove to parliament.

April 7 – Bakiyev orders a state of emergency in Bishkek and three other areas after police clash with protesters. He later flees to southern Kyrgyzstan, his traditional power base.

April 8 – Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva says she is taking over the president’s and government’s responsibilities.

April 12 – The U.S. welcomes statements from the interim government that it will abide by agreements covering the U.S. air base that supports military operations in Afghanistan.

April 15 – The ousted president Bakiyev leaves Kyrgyzstan for Kazakhstan. At least 85 people are killed in the upheaval.

April 27 – The interim government says it has charged Bakiyev with “mass killing”.

May 13 – Bakiyev supporters seize control of government buildings in the cities of Osh, Jalalabad and Batken. A day later the interim government says it has regained control.

May 19 – A state of emergency is declared in Jalalabad after two people die and 74 are injured in clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan.

– Otunbayeva’s government says she will act as president until the end of 2011, after which she will be replaced.

June 10/11 – Ethnic conflict between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks flares up in Osh and the southern region. The interim government declares a state of emergency.

June 13 – Bakiyev issues a statement from Belarus denying he is behind the clashes.

June 21 – Otunbayeva pledges to press ahead with a referendum on June 27.Security forces clash with ethnic Uzbeks near Osh killing at least two.At least 250 people have been killed and the interim government says it could be up to 2,000.

June 27 – Kyrgyz vote in referendum that new rulers hope will pave the way for the creation of Central Asia’s first parliamentary democracy.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Acting President, Ban Ki Moon, Bishkek, Central Asia, Interim Government, kurmanbek bakiyev, Moon Calls, opposition leader, Opposition Party Leader, Parliament Votes, parliamentary democracy, police clash, President Akayev, President Askar Akayev, presidential elections, reuters, Roza Otunbayeva, s south, state of emergency, u s air

U.N. to cut staff in Afghanistan over security fears

June 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Already facing chronic staff shortages, the United Nations has said it plans to withdraw some of its foreign workers from Afghanistan following sustained reports of insurgent threats against its workforce.

In a report on Afghanistan released over the weekend, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the world body continued to be a potential target for militant attacks across the country and it would be cutting the size of its international staff.

The United Nations evacuated hundreds of its staff last November, days after Taliban gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a U.N. guesthouse in Kabul killing five of the organization’s foreign staff.

While scores of those workers have now returned to Afghanistan, others quit their posts over security fears or left after their contracts ran out, leaving the organization critically understaffed.

Credible reports of threats by militants “continue to mention that the United Nations presence country-wide is a possible target of further attacks,” said Ban in a quarterly report to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council.

“The volatile security environment translates into a high security risk for United Nations personnel, assets and operations.”

The United Nations was planning to relocate “certain support operations,” possibly in the next three months, to Kuwait, where the U.N. mission for Iraq is based, Ban said, adding the move would not affect the mission.

The report did not say how many foreign staff would likely be withdrawn but a U.N. spokesman in Kabul, Dan McNorton, said it “would not be that many,” adding those that would leave “don’t have to be in Afghanistan to carry out critical work.”

In March the United Nations said there were between 900 and 1,000 foreign staff in the country, short of the 1,100 before last year’s attack. McNorton did not have an exact number of how many staff were now based in the country.

However, the U.N. mission had trouble recruiting staff even before last year’s attack and Ban said candidates’ reluctance to move to Afghanistan because of security fears was hampering aid delivery on the ground.

As of May 16, the international staff vacancy rate was over one-third, at 39 percent, and the vacancy rate for Afghan employees stood at 30 percent, the report said.

Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst levels since the Taliban were overthrown in late 2001, with an “alarming” rise in insurgent bomb attacks as well as suicide raids, Ban also said in the report.

(Editing by David Fox and Peter Graff)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Ban Ki Moon, credible reports, Critical Work, exact number, guesthouse, gunmen, high security, international staff, kabul, last november, Militant Attacks, November Days, Personnel Assets, reuters, security environment, security fears, security risk, Staff Shortages, Support Operations, target

U.N. to cut staff in Afghanistan over security fears

June 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

June 20 (Reuters) – Already facing chronic staff shortages, the United Nations has said it plans to withdraw some of its foreign workers from Afghanistan following sustained reports of insurgent threats against its workforce.

The United Nations evacuated hundreds of its staff last November, days after Taliban gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a U.N. guesthouse in Kabul killing five of the organisation’s foreign staff.

While scores of those workers have now returned to Afghanistan, others quit their posts over security fears or left after their contracts ran out, leaving the organisation critically understaffed. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For more on Afghanistan click [ID:nAFPAK]

or see link.reuters.com/syx62d

Afghan blog: blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

“The volatile security environment translates into a high security risk for United Nations personnel, assets and operations.”

The United Nations was planning to relocate “certain support operations”, possibly in the next three months, to Kuwait, where the U.N. mission for Iraq is based, Ban said, adding the move would not affect the mission.

The report did not say how many foreign staff would likely be withdrawn but a U.N. spokesman in Kabul, Dan McNorton, said it “would not be that many”, adding those that would leave “don’t have to be in Afghanistan to carry out critical work”.

As of May 16, the international staff vacancy rate was over one-third, at 39 percent, and the vacancy rate for Afghan employees stood at 30 percent, the report said.

Timeline: New clashes in Kyrgyzstan’s south

June 14, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Here is a timeline on Kyrgyzstan in the last five years:

March 21, 2005 – Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second biggest city, falls to opposition control as protests sweep across the country’s south to demand the resignation of President Askar Akayev.

March 23 – Police violently break up a protest in the capital, Bishkek, and the interior minister says prepared to use force and weapons to restore order.

March 24 – Kyrgyzstan’s opposition declares itself in power after seizing key buildings as Akayev vanishes after protests.

March 25 – Opposition party leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev is named acting president. Akayev confirms reports he has left the country, but says he has not resigned.

March 28 – Kyrgyzstan’s new parliament takes over and confirms Bakiyev as prime minister as well as acting president.

July 10 – Bakiyev wins presidential elections.

November 8, 2006 – Parliament adopts a new constitution reducing the president’s powers. The opposition, which had staged days of protests calling on the president to quit if he would not cede to their demands, hailed the vote as a victory.

February 19, 2009 – Parliament votes to close the only U.S. air base in Central Asia. Washington later agrees to pay $180 million to Kyrgyzstan to keep the base open.

March 17, 2010 – Thousands of Kyrgyz protesters threaten to oust Bakiyev if he fails to accede to their demands within a week, five years after violent protests propelled him to power.

April 3 – Visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on Kyrgyzstan to protect human rights after protesters shout “help us” as he drove to parliament.

April 7 – Bakiyev orders a state of emergency in Bishkek and three other areas after police clash with protesters. He later flees to southern Kyrgyzstan, his traditional power base.

– Some 1,000 people storm the prosecutor-general’s office in the capital.

– Plumes of smoke billow from the White House, the main seat of government, as crowds rampage through the building.

– Opposition activists also take control of state television channel KTR.

April 8 – Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva says she is taking over the president’s and government’s responsibilities. She says the government has resigned and the opposition is negotiating the resignation of Bakiyev.

– Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks to Otunbayeva effectively recognizing her government.

April 9 – Otunbayeva says she will guarantee the safety of Bakiyev and allow him to leave the country if he resigns.

April 12 – The U.S. welcomes statements from the interim government that it will abide by agreements covering a U.S. air base that supports military operations in Afghanistan.

April 15 – The ousted president Bakiyev leaves Kyrgyzstan for Kazakhstan. At least 85 people are killed in the upheaval.

April 27 – The interim government says it has charged Bakiyev with “mass killing” and has formally prepared an extradition request.

May 4 – Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko says he will not hand over Bakiyev to face charges over the violent upheaval last month.

May 13 – Bakiyev supporters seize control of government buildings in the cities of Osh, Jalalabad and Batken, kidnap the governor of Jalalabad region and try to take control of the area’s main airport in Osh.

May 14 – The interim government says it has regained control across the south after at least two people die in violent clashes with supporters of the ousted president.

May 19 – A state of emergency is declared in Jalalabad after two people die and 74 are injured in clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan.

– Otunbayeva’s government says she will act as president until the end of 2011, after which she will be replaced.

June 11 – At least 17 people are killed and 253 wounded as ethnic conflict flares up in Osh and in the southern region.

– The interim government declares a state of emergency in four southern regions.

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Acting President, Ban Ki Moon, Billow, Bishkek, Central Asia, interior minister, kurmanbek bakiyev, Moon Calls, Opposition Party Leader, Parliament Votes, Plumes, police clash, President Akayev, President Askar Akayev, presidential elections, prosecutor general, s south, state of emergency, u s air, violent protests

Timeline: New clashes in Kyrgyzstan’s south

June 12, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment