Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 5 February 2020
U.N. chief warns 'a wind of madness is sweeping the globe'

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — at least 500 demonstra-
U.N. Secretary-General tors have been killed, the
Antonio Guterres warned secretary-general called
Tuesday that "a wind of for the human rights of pro-
madness is sweeping the testers to be protected. The
globe," pointing to esca- protesters have decried
lating conflicts from Libya rampant government cor-
and Yemen to Syria and ruption, poor services and
beyond. lack of employment and
At a wide-ranging news are demanding the over-
conference, he said, "All throw of the political estab-
situations are different but lishment, electoral reforms
there is a feeling of grow- and snap elections.
ing instability and hair-trig- Guterres said militias have
ger tensions, which makes sometimes been "the worst
everything far more unpre- perpetrators of violations of
dictable and uncontrolla- human rights" and attacks
ble, with a heightened risk against protesters. It's criti-
of miscalculation." cal for the government to
The U.N. chief also ex- ensure that the army and
pressed great frustration policy regain the monopo-
that legally binding U.N. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Holocaust memorial event at ly on the use of force to en-
Security Council resolutions U.N. headquarters, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. sure the normal functioning
"are being disrespected Associated Press of the state, he said.
before the ink is even dry." He also said Iraq's unity must
Guterres singled out Libya steps toward a cease-fire. Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose arms deliveries. "We are be preserved and "exter-
where he called the cur- Libya has been in turmoil forces launched a surprise seeing more and more ci- nal interferences" must be
rent offensives by the war- since 2011, when a civil war offensive to capture the vilians being targeted, ... avoided because divisions
ring parties "a scandal" — toppled longtime dictator capital last April from their migrants in a desperate are deep and the "risks of
coming soon after world Moammar Gadhafi who base in the country's east situation and all the com- the country imploding are
powers and other key was later killed. and are backed by the mitments that were made high... (which) would have
countries adopted a road A weak U.N.-recognized United Arab Emirates and apparently were made devastating consequenc-
map to peace in Berlin on administration that holds Egypt as well as France without a true intention of es for the region."
Jan. 19 that called for re- the capital Tripoli and parts and Russia. respecting them," he said. On the decades-old con-
spect for a U.N. arms em- of the country's west is Guterres said the 55-point The secretary-general also flict between Israel and
bargo, an end to foreign backed by Turkey and to Berlin agreement has been expressed "enormous con- the Palestinians, the secre-
interference in the fighting a lesser degree Qatar and repeatedly violated by cern" at the escalation of tary-general said the U.S.
by rival governments and Italy. On the other side is fighting and continuing attacks in Idlib, Syria's last peace plan unveiled last
rebel-held province with a week doesn't comply with
population of 3 million, and U.N. General Assembly and
said the U.N. is "particularly Security Council resolutions
worried" that the escala- and international law. The
tion now includes the Syrian resolutions support a two-
and Tukish armies bomb- state solution based on
ing each other. He again 1967 borders and call all Is-
urged a cessation of hostili- raeli settlements in the West
ties "before the escalation Bank illegal.
comes to a situation that The secretary-general
then becomes totally out stressed that global prob-
of control." lems "feed on each other."
As for Yemen, Guterres said "As economies falter, pov-
he was very encouraged erty remains entrenched.
recently to see Iranian- As future prospects look
backed Houthi Shiite rebels bleak, populist and eth-
stop attacking Saudi Ara- nic nationalist narratives
bia and the Saudis, who gain appeal," he said. "As
back the country's interna- instability rises, investment
tionally recognized govern- dries up, and development
ment, limiting their military cycles down. When armed
actions. But unfortunately, conflicts persist, societ-
the last few days have seen ies reach perilous tipping
"a new escalation," he said, points. And as governance
adding, "We are doing ev- grows weak, terrorists get
erything we can for this stronger, seizing on the
escalation to be reversed, vacuum." Guterres said
and everything we can to that this year — as the Unit-
create the conditions for ed Nations marks its 75th
a true political dialogue to anniversary — he will press
be re-established." "to break the vicious circles
In Iraq, which has faced of suffering and conflict
mass anti-government pro- and push for a surge of di-
tests since Oct. 1 in which plomacy for peace."q