United Nations published this video item, entitled “Afghanistan & other topics – Daily Briefing (Jan 5 2021)” – below is their description.
Daily Press Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General.
– Afghanistan
– Yemen
– Central African Republic
– Ethiopia Refugees
– Kenya
AFGHANISTAN
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed today’s return of negotiators to Doha and said that it looks forward to the speedy resumption of talks between the two Afghan negotiating teams in Qatar.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, urged both sides to use this opportunity to move ahead to create the conditions for a reduction in violence and reach a political settlement that is acceptable to all segments of Afghan society. She added that a cessation in fighting would create a better atmosphere for talks, provide hope to the people, and allow humanitarians to deliver much-needed winter assistance to Afghans across the whole country.
The Mission stressed that it will remain in close contact with both parties and, as the Secretary-General said at the opening of the talks in September, the UN stands ready to assist as necessary.
YEMEN
The Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, will be visiting Riyadh and Aden in the next few days to meet with the Yemeni President and the newly formed Cabinet.
The Special Envoy will first head to Riyadh, where he is scheduled to meet with Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi as well as senior Saudi officials. He will then proceed to Aden to meet with Prime Minister Muin Abdel Malek and members of the Government of Yemen.
The visit comes after the formation of the new Cabinet and the attack in Aden airport on 30 December, targeting the Government’s ministers, which resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The UN Mission, MINUSCA, reports that the security situation in Bangui remains relatively calm, with the Joint Task Force for Bangui maintaining operational readiness amid increased patrols in the city. The Mission reports the presence of armed combatants in Bangassou. MINUSCA peacekeepers continue to conduct patrols to ensure protection of civilians.
In a joint declaration issued yesterday, the head of the Department of Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, along with senior officials from the African Union, the Economic Commission of Central African States and the European Union, took note of the provisional results of the Presidential elections, announced yesterday.
They recalled that the country’s Constitutional Court will proclaim the final results and appealed to all political actors to respect the decisions of the Court.
Central African citizens have demonstrated their determination to exercise their right to vote, despite many obstacles, the senior officials said in the statement.
They reiterated their call on all political actors to settle any electoral disputes peacefully and in accordance with the laws and the Constitution of the country. They also called on the Central African Government and the entire political class to favour an inclusive, open, constructive and credible political dialogue to promote national stability.
The officials strongly condemned speeches and statements of disinformation, hatred and incitement to violence, as well as the violence perpetrated by certain armed groups aimed at compromising the electoral process.
They condemned violations of the Peace Agreement by armed groups and urged all signatory parties to fully honour their commitments. They invite them to relaunch the peace process, in particular by emphasizing consultation, strict compliance with commitments and accountability, because, they said, impunity is not a viable option.
Full Highlight: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=05%20January%202021
United Nations YouTube Channel
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