Sudan today rejected UN Security Council involvement in efforts to end weeks of border clashes with South Sudan that have raised fears of a wider war. While expressing full confidence in the AU's role, Foreign Minister Ali Karti in a statement said, involvement by the Security Council would give priority to a political position which was announced before and has a hidden agenda. 

The African Union itself, in a decision last Tuesday, asked the Security Council to endorse its demand that the two Sudans halt hostilities in 48 hours, start talks within two weeks and complete a peace accord in three months. Meanwhile, there has been more fighting along the volatile border between Sudan and South Sudan.

A spokesman for the South Sudan Army said the troops fought out attempt by the rebels near the town of Malakal. Officials said, several soldiers were wounded. The rebels said, they captured two nearby villages on yesterday.

The Arab League plans to approach the U.N. Security Council to protect Syrian civilians under the U.N. charter.

According to reports, the Arab League is likely to take up the matter with the Security Council in its meeting on 5th of next month. Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter Authorizes the Security Council for actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention.

The Arab League Foreign Ministers met in Cairo yesterday and called for rapid deployment of U.N. observers to monitor the fragile ceasefire in Syria.

The UN secretary General has said that the Syrian government is violating the peace plan by keeping troops and heavy weapons in cities. The UN Chief also expressed concern over the reports of shelling of populated areas in Syria. Ban Ki Moon condemned violence from any quarter

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today expressed hope that the UN Security Council's reform process will be accelerated to meet the expectations of countries like India. These countries are keen to play a bigger role as permanent members of the powerful UN body. 

Mr. Ban Ki Moon told this in an interview on the eve of his three-day visit to India. Mr. Ban also said that UNSC reforms have been one of the most important and most debated issues, particularly during the last 20 years and has picked up pace in the last three years. He noted that UN member states have been working very hard to accelerate the pace of the reform process. 

While there is almost near consensus that the UN's powerful 15-nation body should be reformed, Mr. Ban said member states have not been able to find a clear formula, which would satisfy and meet the expectations of all member states.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will arrive tomorrow and would be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior political leaders in New Delhi. He will also receive an honorary doctorate degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University.

India has said that the 15-nation UN Security Council should be expanded to include about 10 more members, cautioning that delay in reforming the powerful world body will be at the international community's own peril.

Participating in the 8th round of inter-governmental negotiations on UN Security Council reforms, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said, India is of the view that reform and expansion of the Security Council are essential if it is to reflect contemporary reality. 

He said that a reformed UNSC, with expansion in the permanent and non-permanent categories, will enhance the Council's credibility and effectiveness in dealing with global issues. Mr. Puri outlined India's view that an expanded Council should have a total of 25-26 members.

He said structural reform of the Council should respond to the pressing need for credible improvements in the global governance architecture.

UN Special envoy, Kofi Annan has called upon the Security Council to push for peace plan in Syria by Thursday. In a letter to the 15 nation council, Annan said all efforts must be made to ensure Syrian government and opposition comply with the Thursday deadline to end the crisis. Annan visited Syrian refugee camps on Turkish border yesterday. He is now in Teheran to hold talks with Iranian leaders to put pressure on the Syrian regime to end the crisis in the country. Another deadline looms large on Syria as the violence continues unabated in the country. The UN security Council backed plan calls for Syrian Government and the opposition to end the fighting by Thursday morning. UN Special envoy Kofi Annan urged the Syrian Government to seize this opportunity to give peace a chance in Syria by implementing the six point peace plan in right earnest. At the same time he told the opposition to end fighting so that the Syrian Government doesn’t find an excuse to go back on its commitment. Damascus had agreed to a Security Council-backed Tuesday deadline to withdraw troops and heavy weapons and a complete ceasefire by the army and rebels on Thursday morning. The Tuesday deadline expired without much headway. Although the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said they have withdrawn forces and army units from some Syrian provinces. The focus is now on intense diplomatic efforts to resolve the year long conflict in the country.