The General Assembly: Turtle Bay’s roundup of U.N. news

Sudan The United Nations confirmed today that Sudanese government forces bombed targets in southern Sudan, providing the first official confirmation of such air attacks in the run up to the south’s independence referendum, Reuters reported. Ivory Coast The European Union decided to impose sanctions on Ivory Coast’s long-time leader Laurent Gbagbo in an effort to ...

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Sudan

The United Nations confirmed today that Sudanese government forces bombed targets in southern Sudan, providing the first official confirmation of such air attacks in the run up to the south’s independence referendum, Reuters reported.

Ivory Coast

The European Union decided to impose sanctions on Ivory Coast’s long-time leader Laurent Gbagbo in an effort to press him to yield power after a disputed election, the Voice of America reports. The U.N. and key African and European powers have recognized opposition leader Alassane Outtara as the country’s victor in the election. Forces loyal to the two leaders reportedly clashed today.

Burma

The U.N.’s special rapporteur for Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana, called today for the release of at least 2,200 prisoners of conscience, saying that many are suffering serious health problems and at least one Buddhist monk died last month in detention.

Oil for Food Fallout

A Scotland-based engineering company, Weir Group, pleaded guilty to charges of violating the terms of the $64 billion U.N.-oil-for food program, which allowed companies to sell goods to Iraq under strict U.N. monitoring, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company agreed to pay $22 million in fines, according to the Journal.

South East Asia

Poppy cultivation in Southeast Asia increased by 22 percent this year, according to the finding of the UN Vienna-based drug agency, AFP reported.

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Colum Lynch was a staff writer at Foreign Policy between 2010 and 2022. Twitter: @columlynch

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