VOA英语2010年-UN Urges 50% Increase in Somalia Peacekeeper

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday urged a 50 percent increase in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.

The Security Council unanimously approved a resolution requesting the African Union to maintain its peacekeeping force in Somalia and to increase its size by 50 percent, from 8,000 to 12,000 troops. The council said the troop increase will enhance the ability of the peacekeeping mission, known as AMISOM, to carry out its mandate¹.

The peacekeepers are in place to support Somalia's Transitional Federal Government ,the TFG, which has been attacked by al Shabab and other opposition² groups. Somalia has not had an effective central government since the overthrow³ of its last dictator in 1991. The World Health Organization reported earlier this month that nearly one-third of Somalia's population, about two million people, are in need of humanitarian⁴ assistance.

The Security Council expressed its serious concern at the continued fighting in Somalia and its impact on the civilian⁵ population. The council also reiterated⁶ its serious concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Somalia, strongly condemning⁷ the targeting and obstruction⁸ of the delivery of humanitarian aid by armed groups.

Uganda's ambassador to the United Nations, Ruhakana Rugunda, described the Security Council action as a positive response to the African Union's request to strengthen its mission in Somalia. The largest number of troops in the mission come from Uganda. Rugunda said that ultimately, the primary responsibility for restoring peace and stability in Somalia lies with the government and the people of Somalia.

"It is essential that the international community continues to support the TFG in building the capacity of its institutions, especially the security sector," said Rugunda. "It is also crucial to ensure that AMISOM receives the requisite⁹ resources needed to fulfill¹⁰ its mandate effectively."

Rugunda said the African Union is committed to supporting the Transitional Federal Government and the people of Somalia in their efforts to restore peace and stability in their country.

1 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

4 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

7 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

9 requisite   

adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
• Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

10 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。