By IANS,
United Nations : The UN Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the series of terrorist attacks in Iraq Aug 15 and underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors to justice,
The Council “urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with Iraqi authorities in this regard,” said a press statement read by Hardeep Singh Puri of India, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency this month.
The Council “reiterated that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Iraq, which is supported by the people and the Government of Iraq and the international community,” the statement added.
Separately, the Security Council encouraged the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) to form partnerships with other organizations to help countries in the region to address peace and security challenges, particularly the flow of illicit small arms, border security and the threat posed by the marauding Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
UNOCA should “continue to work with the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, in particular with regard to the reinforcement of confidence-building measures between the countries of the sub-region, as an element of conflict prevention,” the Council said in a statement read by Puri.
UNOCA was created in March to support efforts of Central African nations to consolidate peace and prevent conflict, while tackling cross-border challenges such as arms trafficking and organized crime in the region.