UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has warned that violence against women and girls continues to be fuelled by war, militarisation and entrenched inequality, urging governments to move beyond condemnation and take decisive action.

Speaking at a high-level meeting marking five years of the UN Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, she said conflicts around the world are exposing women and girls to severe and lasting harm.

The UN deputy chief spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.

CSW is the United Nations’ principal global body dedicated to promoting gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women.

Established in 1946 by the UN Economic and Social Council, the Commission plays a central role in setting global standards on women’s rights and reviewing progress on gender equality

According to the UN, more than 4,500 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were verified in 2024, although the true number is likely far higher due to stigma, fear and collapsed reporting systems.

The deputy secretary-general pointed to alarming patterns in several crises. In Sudan, UN experts have reported widespread sexual violence and attacks on women human rights defenders.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a child has been reported raped every half hour, while in Haiti, sexual violence against children surged dramatically in recent years.

Mohammed stressed that women must be central to peace processes and political decision-making, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved while women and girls remain excluded and unprotected.

In a related development, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said he was appalled by the devastating impact on civilians of increasing drone attacks in Sudan, amid reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drones since March 4 alone, in the Kordofan region and White Nile state.

“It is deeply troubling that despite multiple reminders, warnings and appeals, parties to the conflict continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas,”  the High Commissioner said.

He renewed his call for both sides in the brutal civil conflict between rival militaries to fully abide by international law, “particularly the clear prohibition on directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure, and against any form of indiscriminate attacks.”

In West Kordofan, at least 152 civilians have reportedly been killed by Sudanese army drone strikes, including at least 50 when a market and a hospital were hit.

Attacks on two separate markets in Abu Zabad and Wad Banda on  March 7 left at least 40 civilians dead, and a lorry carrying civilians was struck allegedly by a SAF drone on 10 March, reportedly killing at least 50 civilians.

In South Kordofan, at least 39 civilians were reportedly killed, including 14 in the state capital Dilling, in heavy artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces and allied SPLM-North between 4 and 5 March.

Many homes, schools, markets and health facilities were damaged or destroyed in the attacks, compounding the impacts on civilians and local communities.

The High Commissioner also expressed alarm at the recent expansion of the conflict to White Nile state, which has come under heavy attack by RSF militia drone strikes since 4 March. A secondary school and a health clinic in Shukeiri village were hit on 11 March, reportedly killing at least 17 civilians, one of them a health worker.

“It will soon be three full years since the senseless conflict in Sudan began, devastating millions of lives and livelihoods. Yet the violence, fueled by these new technologies of war, simply keeps spreading,” Türk said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which opens on Monday, will end on March 19.

Representatives of Member States,  UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations from all regions of the world, including Nigeria, are attending the session.

The priority theme of the session will be ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.

NAN

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President Donald Trump said that he thinks new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, whose father, the former supreme leader, was killed ​on the first day of the US and Israel’s war on Iran, is alive but “damaged.”

Khamenei has not been seen ⁠by Iranians since his selection on Sunday by a clerical ​assembly, and his first comments were read out by a television ​presenter on Thursday.

“I think he probably is (alive). I ​think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, ‌you ⁠know,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”

His remarks were published by Fox News late on Thursday.

In Khamenei’s first comments, he vowed to keep the Strait of ​Hormuz shut and ​called on ⁠neighboring countries to close US bases on their territory or risk Iran targeting them.

The US and ​Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. ​

Iran ⁠has responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf countries with US bases.

As the war approached the two-week mark, having ⁠killed thousands ​and shaken financial markets, the leaders ​of Iran, Israel and the United States all voiced defiance and have vowed to ​fight on.

Reuters/NAN

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the procurement of new equipment for the armed forces and other security agencies to enhance the fight against terrorism and banditry across the country, the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), has disclosed.

Musa, who briefed State House correspondents after a nearly two-hour security meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, said the President remained committed to supporting security agencies in their operations against insurgents.

“The President has promised more equipment for us to be able to protect the nation, and we assure victory,” Musa stated.

However, he did not specify the type or quantity of equipment approved by the President.

Rather, he explained that the meeting, which was the first attended by the new Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, since his appointment, was convened to brief the President on the current security situation following recent attacks on military formations.

“The mission of the meeting actually is just for us to review events. We came in here for the services to brief Mr President on the current situation on the ground.

“You know that there have been a series of attacks, and the security forces have actually risen to the occasion,” he said.

He disclosed that the briefing was necessary to ensure the President had accurate information about ongoing operations, noting that media interpretations sometimes did not reflect the full picture.

“We know sometimes interpretation, especially through the media, has not been too direct.

“We felt we should put this record straight, which we have done, and we are glad that Mr President has continued to support the armed forces and other security agencies in the fight against insurgency,” Musa stated.

The Defence Minister appealed to Nigerians not to be discouraged by reports of attacks, assuring that terrorists and bandits were suffering more casualties than security forces.

“Our appeal to Nigerians is not to get tired, not to be discouraged, because sometimes when you hear the news, you think it is just what is happening, but it is not. It’s far from that.

“The terrorists, the bandits, are taking more casualties. Their commanders are being killed,” he said.

Musa acknowledged that Nigeria had lost courageous officers and men in recent operations, describing the casualties as “highly regrettable.”

The former Chief of Defence Staff said, “We have lost a number of very, very courageous officers and men. Highly regrettable, but we want to assure Nigerians of the commitment we are putting on the ground to ensure that Nigeria is safe and secure.”

In recent weeks, insurgents have intensified attacks on military positions in Borno State, including assaults on Ngoshe, Konduga, Marte, Jakana, and Mainok, resulting in casualties among security personnel and civilians.

In the past week alone, the military lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operations bases following a surge in attacks on security formations and personnel.

The attacks prompted strong responses from both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who vowed to deploy overwhelming force to end the insurgency.

Musa attributed the recent spike in terrorist activities to the Ramadan period, explaining that insurgents believed dying during the holy month would guarantee them paradise.

“It is normal with terrorists during the Ramadan period. For them, they feel when they die, they are going to heaven, so they are ready to commit any offence or to get killed, because they feel they have a reward to do,” the defence minister explained.

He assured Nigerians that the military had adjusted its strategies and was recording successes against the terrorists.

“As I said, we have adjusted our strategies. You can see in the past few days, we’ve taken over those locations. We’ve killed their commanders, we’ve taken over their assets. We’ll continue to do more,” Musa stated.

When asked about the persistent insecurity despite military efforts, the minister said war naturally involves fluctuations but assured that the tide was turning in favour of security forces.

“As I said, it is war. And you know, war comes in and out. But Mr President has approved so many things that are coming on our line, and we’re working together as a team.

“You can see all members of the security forces are here to assure Nigerians and to assure Mr President that we’re on track and will succeed,” he said.

The Thursday meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and ended at approximately 5:10 pm, was attended by all service chiefs and heads of security agencies, marking the first such gathering since Disu assumed office as IGP on February 28, 2026.

Our correspondent observed that the security chiefs arrived at the Villa without their usual official vehicles, making identification difficult, but they were spotted as they departed the forecourt after the meeting.

In attendance were the Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Department of State Services, Mr Adeola Ajayi; Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Olufemi Oluyede; Minister of Defence Gen Musa (retd.); National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt Gen Emmanuel Undiandeye.

The meeting comes amid heightened security concerns across the country, particularly in the Northeast, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents have maintained pressure on military positions.

During an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, President Tinubu had assured the military of his administration’s commitment to defeating terrorism despite the Borno attacks.

Vice President Shettima, in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, also declared that the administration would end the insurgency with overwhelming force.

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