Author: M Barbu

Mali PM pledges to tackle terrorism

Mali’s prime minister promised the creation of specialist anti-terrorism prosecutors on Monday on a visit to the country’s restive centre, along with a disarmament campaign for militias operating in the area.

Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga is on a tour of Mali’s most dangerous regions after being appointed in December to bolster security ahead of a presidential election in July.

“We will soon set up a special judicial section to investigate and judge terrorist crimes,” Maiga said in Bandiagara, a former tourist destination abandoned by foreign visitors after the rise of a jihadist insurgency.

Iraqi PM: If Syrian Kurds change map, region will turn to bloodshed

If Syria were to collapse, the entire region would be under threat, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned on Thursday.

“We have a territory which is feeling very much threatened, controlled by the Syrian Kurds. If Syria disintegrates, God forbid, the whole area will be under threat,” Abadi said in an interview with the American weekly news magazine, Time.

Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) currently control large swaths of territory which they’ve liberated from the Islamic State (IS) over the past few years. Its troops, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), are supported by the US and the Global Coalition against IS.

Libyan gov’t to form military force to secure southern Libya

Libya’s UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Sunday announced formation of a military force to secure southern Libya, which is witnessing tribal clashes for days.

Serraj made his announcement during a meeting with military officials to discuss the situation in southern Libya.

Mogherini, Grandi discuss Syria, Rohingya in Brussels meeting

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini met in Brussels Monday with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and discussed the situation in Syria, including Ghouta, Libya and of the Rohingya refugees.

A press release by Mogherini’s office said she discussed in the meeting the second Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region” that the European Union and the United Nations will co-chair on 24-25 April.

Arab states discuss security threats in Algeria

The 35th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior kicked off in Algiers on Wednesday, as participants are tackling security threats and the fight against crimes, in addition to illegal migration.

Arab interior ministers are focusing on cooperation to deal with challenges threatening the region, including terrorism, trans-border criminality, violent extremism, illegal migration, as well as cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism.

Iraqi army announces fresh anti-Daesh ops in Diyala

Iraqi forces on Friday began fresh military operations aimed at finding and neutralizing Daesh terrorist cells in the eastern Diyala province, according to a local police source.

“Army forces backed by Hashd al-Shaabi fighters have launched a major security operation against Daesh remnants in Diyala’s Azim sub-district 60 kilometers north of Baqubah,” Police Captain

US reaffirms support for Iraq’s reconstruction

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan expressed during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi support for reconstruction efforts in the country.

Sullivan was quoted by a government statement as saying the US support for Iraq would continue, particularly to rebuilding the country, boosting economy, attracting investment and creation of

Algeria hosts conference on security instability in the region

The Algerian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Algeria will host the 14th Foreign Ministers Conference of Western Mediterranean 5+5 Dialogue on Sunday.

The conference will focus on “overall, shared and sustainable socio-economic development” in the western Mediterranean region, the statement said.

Egypt, French FMs discuss Syria

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Friday had a phone conversation with French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, with whom he discussed political developments relating to Syria.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, the two men agreed on the need to coordinate efforts between their two countries with a view to “encouraging Syria’s political process and preserving

Washington says committed to rebuilding Iraq’s Fallujah

The US has pledged to provide further assistance for the reconstruction of the city of Fallujah and other areas of Al-Anbar province, roughly 70 kilometers west of Baghdad.

In a press conference with Al-Anbar governor Suhaib Al-Rawi on Monday, the US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman that Washington is committed to helping in the reconstruction of Fallujah after the devastation afflicted on the city at the hands of the so-called Islamic State (IS).