News Timeline: International Organizations 2013

January 8: United Nations

The United Nations warns about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s two southern provinces of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where the government has been fighting the rebels. An estimated 700,000 people in the region have been affected as a result of months of clashes. The Sudanese government accuses South Sudan of fueling the unrest.

January 22: United Nations

The United Nations Security Council unanimously condemns North Korea’s December rocket launch, including China, North Korea’s sole ally. The Council also agrees to expand sanctions against North Korea. (January 24): In defiance, North Korea announces its plan to carry out a third nuclear test and more long-range rocket launches aimed at the United States. The UN banned North Korean from nuclear tests after two previous ones in 2006 and 2009.

January 31: United Nations

After three weeks of targeted air strikes in northern Mali, French troops regain the territory from Islamist militants who took control of the area in April last year. The intervention was backed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council and accepted by Malian Interim President Dioncounda Traore. Several thousands of African troops, mostly from Chad and Niger, are taking over from the French troops.

March 7: United Nations

The United Nations Security Council unanimously approves new sanctions against North Korea in response to its third nuclear test last month. The sanctions freeze assets and ban travel on some individuals and companies connected with North Korea’s military. (March 11): The United States and South Korea begin joint annual military exercises that involve more than 13,000 troops. (March 26): Angered by the new sanctions and the U.S.-South Korean military drills, North Korea threatens the U.S. territory with a pre-emptive nuclear attack and strikes of U.S. military bases in Japan. At the same time, it carries out large military exercises. (March 30): North Korea announces that it is entering into “a state of war” with South Korea.

March 26: Arab League

Syria’s opposition National Coalition represents the country of Syria during the Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar. The event is seen as a major diplomatic win for the Syrian opposition.

April 15: United Nations

Chad is withdrawing its troops from Mali, saying it does not want to get involved in a guerilla-type of war with the Mali Islamic insurgents. The troops from Chad, France and other African countries regained Mali’s northern territory from the rebels, but the insurgents that withdrew into the Sahara Desert continue attacks. Chad, however, offers to contribute 11,000 troops for the United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali. (April 25): The United Nations approves a 12,600-strong UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA for Mali.

July 1: United Nations

The United Nations takes control over the peacekeepers in Mali under the command of Major General Jean Bosco Kazura from Rwanda. By December, the force that goes by the acronym of Minusma will reach the strength of 12,640 soldiers. France plans to keep 1,000 of its soldiers in Mali.

September 19: Greenpeace

Russia seizes a ship belonging to Greenpeace and arrests 30 Greenpeace activists in the Pechora Sea in the Arctic on charges of piracy. The activists, who protested Russia’s Arctic oil drilling, say the protests were peaceful. Russia, for which the Arctic oil deposits constitute national security concerns, claims the activists broke the law by trying to seize the oil platform. The arrested Greenpeace activists represent 18 different countries.

September 27: United Nations

While addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Uzbekistan’s foreign minister, Abdulaziz Kamilov, and Kazakhstan’s foreign minister, Erlan Idrissov, warn of serious threats to regional and global security from terrorism, Islamic militancy, and drug trafficking after the U.S. withdraws its troops from Afghanistan in 2014. For several years, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and other groups, such as Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, Pakistani Punjabi group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, and the Islamic Jihad Union, have been trying to establish new bases in northern Afghanistan by borders with Central Asia. The most vulnerable countries in Central Asia are Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, which share over 1,200 miles of borders with northern Afghanistan.

October 18: United Nations

Saudi Arabia turns down a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, accusing the organization of double standards and inability to perform its duties of providing peace and security. It refers to failure to act on Syria, Palestine, and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. Ten rotating non-permanent members sit on the council for two years with the permanent five: United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France.

November 26: United Nations

United Nations Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson warns about the quickly deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) since rebels seized power in March, and calls for more peacekeeping troops. As a result of violence between armed gangs of the Muslim minority, now in power, and Christian majority, scores of people have been killed and about half a million have been displaced. Currently there are about 2,500 African peacekeepers in CAR. France is also planning to send a force of about 1,000 soldiers.