Local

Don’t let Ukraine become another Syria: UN investigators

Published

2 years ago

09/03/2022

MNN

Russian forces have been involved in the Syrian civil war since 2015
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said it hoped the disregard for civilian casualties would not be repeated in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine

United Nations investigators on Wednesday urged world leaders to do everything they could to avoid Ukraine becoming another Syria, a country “destroyed” by 11 years of conflict.

Russian forces have been involved in the Syrian civil war since 2015 and the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said it hoped the disregard for civilian casualties would not be repeated in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Rather than winding down, the investigators said the war in Syria was heating up again and warned that its participants may take advantage of world attention turning away toward Ukraine.

Commission chair Paulo Pinheiro spoke of the millions of people displaced, the more than 100,000 people missing or forcibly disappeared, the poverty rate at an unprecedented 90 percent, human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

“We can only hope that world leaders are doing everything now that they can avoid a similar fate for Ukraine,” he told reporters.

Syrian and Russian forces “operating side by side have continued to indiscriminately bomb densely populated areas in the northwest,” he said.

“Civilians have also been attacked with sophisticated precision-guided weapons and airstrikes — including in strikes where Russian fixed-wing aircraft were identified flying over targeted areas.”

Pinheiro also said Russia and Syria were insisting on humanitarian aid being delivered from Damascus rather than across the border, but “their attacks in the northwest occur along the very road where such humanitarian aid would travel.”
He added: “We are seeing since 2015 similar practices by the Russian Federation in the conflict that we are seeing in another country today.”

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international law since March 2011 in the country.
Hanny Megally, one of the three commissioners, said Russian forces were in Syria to help the government, while they were in Ukraine “to remove it.”

Another difference, he said, was that the Russians were using more air power in Syria, rather than the large number of ground forces seen in Ukraine.

Citing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and targeted attacks on medical facilities, he said: “The disregard for civilian casualties is one of our biggest concerns in Syria and I would hope that’s not being repeated in Ukraine.”
The Commission of Inquiry’s latest report covers the second half of 2021.

Megally said regular fighting had increased over the last six to nine months, with increased shelling and aerial attacks by President Bashar Assad’s regime and his Russian allies.

“Our worry is that it’s not a war that’s coming to an end; it’s actually on the uptick again,” said Megally.
“It’s a country that’s been destroyed and can’t take much more of this, and we’re seeing it now plunging more into crisis wherever you look.

“If eyes are gazing elsewhere, then we may see actors on the ground take advantage of that.”
The commission will present its report to the Human Rights Council on March 18.

Source: AN

Local

Nasheed to form new party

Published

12 months ago

17/05/2023

The main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s leader Mohamed Nasheed has decided to form a new political party.

Nasheed initiated a separate political movement within MDP, ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’, following his loss in MDP’s presidential primary held back in January. After major conflicts with the government and its policies – all lawmakers from the faction tendered their resignation from MDP on Wednesday.

The move came after Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim was expelled from the party on Tuesday and banned from rejoining for at least one year over involvement in opposition political activities surrounding the Chagos archipelago dispute.

The 12 members who resigned from MDP on Wednesday are;

Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla
Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed (Wadde)
North Maafannu MP Imthiyaz Fahumy (Inthi)
West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef
Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb
North Kulhudhuffushi MP Yasir Abdul Latheef
Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef
Central Maafannu MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde)
Madaveli MP Hussain Firushan
Thoddoo MP Hassan Shiyan (Gita)
North Mahchangoalhi MP Mohamed Rasheed (Boadhigu)
Gadhdhoo MP Ahmed Zahir
All 12 members are close acquittances of Nasheed. MP Hassan Latheef, during a meeting at Bodufenvalhuge on Wednesday, announced Nasheed’s decision to form a new political party. The meeting was attended by supporters of Nasheed.

Should Nasheed form a new political party, that party would be the largest opposition party in terms of members in the parliament, thereby, the minority party. The minority party at present, opposition PPM-PNC coalition has only eight members in the parliament.

Despite the resignation of the 12 MPs, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih continues to hold full control of the Parliament with 56 MPs.

Source(s): sun.mv

Local

MPs loyal to Nasheed leave MDP

Published

12 months ago

17/05/2023

Multiple members of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) loyal to the party’s leader Mohamed Nasheed have left the party.

The members who resigned from MDP include 12 MPs. They include Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla, MP Mohamed Waheed, MP Imthiyaz Fahmy (Inthi), MP Hassan Latheef, MP Ilyas Labeeb, MP Yasir Abdul Latheef, MP Hassan Afeef, MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde), MP Hussain Firushan, MP Hassan Shiyan, MP Mohamed Rasheed (Boadhigu), and MP Ahmed Zahir.

They submitted their resignation letters Wednesday.

The move comes after MDP’s parliamentary group had requested action against Inthi, Hassan Latheef, Ilyas, Yasir, and Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim earlier this week, for forming an alliance with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoory Party (JP) and Maldives National Party (MNP), after accusing the government of failure to protect the interests of the Maldivian people in the case lodged with the International Tribunal of the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) over the disputed maritime territory between Maldives and Mauritius.

The party’s disciplinary committee decided to expel Azim from the party on Tuesday.

They are all members of Nasheed’s ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ faction.

However, Nasheed has yet to resign from the party.

Despite the resignation of the 12 MPs, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih continues to hold full control of the Parliament with 56 MPs.

Source(s): sun.mv

Local

The Cambodian Prime Minister arrives in the Maldives on an official visit

Published

1 year ago

15/01/2023

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, arrived Sunday morning on an official visit to the Maldives at the invitation of H.E. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. It is Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen’s first visit to the Maldives.

The Cambodian Prime Minister and accompanying delegation were received at Velana International Airport (VIA) by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid (ODRI). The government will hold a ceremony on Monday to officially welcome the Cambodian Prime Minister to the Maldives.

During the visit, President Solih would meet with Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen and hold official talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation, followed by the exchange of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries. President Solih and the Cambodian Prime Minister would also deliver a joint statement on the outcomes of their discussions.

The Maldives and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on September 21, 1995.

Source(s): President Office.