Thursday, November 01, 2012
New York: Nov. (BNA) The UN Security Council (UNSC), last night extended the mandate for the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia for a week. At the same time, the UNSC continues to consider an application submitted by the African Union (AU) requesting the lifting of the ban on arms consignments imposed on Somalia over the past twenty years in order to help the Somali government beat the insurgents.
Diplomatic sources in the United Nations revealed that the UN Security Council was still divided over the request of the African Union to allow the selling of weapons to the Somali government and also divided over the calls to allow the exporting of stockpiles of coal which is considered the mainstay for militant's finances in the war-torn country.
The diplomats said that they will avail of the opportunity next week to resume the discussions which were disrupted by super-hurricane Sandy which caused East River to overflow in New York.
The UN Security Council emergency meeting was held in improvised container-like premises as the UN Headquarters undergo renovations likely to continue until 2013.
Sourc: Bahrain News Agency