Security Council
Topic area A: Building tensions on the Korean Peninsula
July 27, 1953, Panmunjom, Korea: The Korean War Armistice Agreement has just been signed by the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. In the preamble both parties declared their dedication to stop the Korean conflict. By signing the armistice they declared that they ‘individually, collectively and mutually agree to accept, and be bound and governed by the conditions of armistice’.
Nearly fifty eight years later, the peaceful settlement they were aiming for, has never been reached. Instead, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been rising again in the past year. In May 2009, North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test, prompting international condemnation. Later that same year, the North Korean government declared that they no longer considered themselves bound to the Armistice Agreement. Tensions reached a new height in 2010 with the South Korean navy ship being attacked. North-Korea went furious about investigation results claiming that the South Korean warship Cheonan was torpedoed by a submarine of the North. As consequence it declared the current situation as 'a phase of war', as South Korea vowed to take 'firm measures' against Pyongyang over the sinking of the warship. Over the past fifty years, history has been repeating itself. The cat and mouse game of passing blame has been the course of existence in the once united Korean state.
Topic area B: Chad
Chad became formally independent on the 11th of August 1960, even though northern and mid Chad remained under French ruling until 1965. The President of that time, François Tombalbaye, banned opposition parties, and established an autarchy shortly after. For the next three decades, the country suffered from both civil warfare and invasions by Libya. The reassemble of peace was finally restored in 1990.
This peaceful situation however did not last long. As of today, Chad is still struggling from rebel attacks and civil warfare. The conflict with Libya on the Aouzou strip has been taken to Court and the ICJ decided that this strip of land belonged to Chad. This decision did not lead to the peaceful agreement everybody hoped for. Over 16 years after the Court's decision on the Aouzou strip, the area is still tormented by Libyan groups. Next to that, new conflicts rose in the eastern part of the country, close to the border with Darfur. The flood of refugees from 2003 onwards, led to an instable region. If this was not enough, the region then suffered from armed conflicts and rebel attacks. In 2006 the rebels protested and the rebellion was stopped by the national army. The government as well as the rebels agreed on a peaceful settlement. Less than a year later, three rebel groups created an alliance that then retreated from the peaceful settlement. The Chad government is pointing its finger to the Sudan government, accusing them of supporting the rebels and therefore contributing to the instable situation.