‘EU position on Jerusalem remains unchanged’
President of European Council says EU continues to be committed to a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine conflict
BRUSSELS
The European Union (EU) on Thursday underlined its “unchanged” stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, reiterating its support for a two-state solution.
“EU leaders reiterate firm commitment to the two-state solution and, in this context, the EU position on Jerusalem remains unchanged,” Donald Tusk, the president of European Council, said in his twitter account on Thursday while the EU leaders summit continues in Brussels.
On Dec. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The shift in longstanding U.S. policy on Jerusalem sparked angry demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in several Muslim countries.
An extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul and final declaration of East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem — now occupied by Israel — might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
PENTAGON — The United States is suspending aid for much of Somalia’s armed forces over corruption concerns, U.S. officials confirmed to VOA on Thursday.
The suspension reflects the Somali military’s repeated inability to account for aid items such as food, fuel and weapons.
A State Department official said the pause in aid is being made “to ensure that U.S. assistance is being used effectively and for its intended purpose.”
Somali security force members who are actively fighting al-Shabab and receiving some form of mentorship from either the U.S. or a third party will continue to receive appropriate assistance, the official said.
She added that the Somali government has agreed to develop new accountability criteria that meet American standards, in order for other Somali units to receive U.S. assistance in a way that “builds greater transparency.”
“We don’t want to give away support that isn’t working and isn’t helping the counterterror fight,” another official told VOA.
According to documents obtained by Reuters news agency, the Somali military has been unable to properly feed, pay or equip its soldiers, despite hundreds of millions of dollars of American support.
A U.S. and Somali team sent to assess nine Somali army bases between May and June of this year found that all but two of the bases showed no evidence that food aid had arrived or been consumed by the soldiers, Reuters reported.