Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan & other topics – Daily Briefing (19 January 2021)

United Nations published this video item, entitled “Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan & other topics – Daily Briefing (19 January 2021)” – below is their description.

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– Central African Republic

– Mali

– South Sudan

– Ethiopia

– Libya

– Syria

– Israel/Palestine

– India

– Mozambique

– Madagascar

– U.N. Conference On Trade And Development

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

In the Central African Republic, today, the peacekeeping mission on the ground (MINUSCA) tells us that the security situation remains fragile throughout the country. Peacekeepers continue to maintain a robust posture to ensure the protection of civilians.

You will have also seen that, yesterday afternoon, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of Peace Operations, joined senior officials from the African Union, the Economic Commission of Central African States (ECCAS) and the European Union, in issuing a joint statement. The statement took note of the decision of the Central African Constitutional court, which proclaimed the final results of last month’s presidential election.

In their joint statement, they called on all actors to accept the results of the elections as certified by the Court, and reaffirmed their commitment to political dialogue, the consolidation of peace and democracy.

The UN mission will continue to provide its multifaceted support to complete the electoral process, particularly the legislative elections. 

Also on the Central African Republic, we have a few more details on yesterday’s attack in the country. Two peacekeepers – one from Gabon and one Morocco – were killed near Bangassou, in the Mbomou prefecture, by alleged combatants from the Coalition of Patriots for Change, the CPC.

The Secretary-General expressed his deep condolences to the families of the peacekeepers, and to the people and Governments of Gabon and Morocco.

The Secretary-General also reiterated his grave concern over the escalation of violence in the Central African Republic, and called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities, to engage in dialogue to advance the political process, preserve fragile gains and fulfil the country’s aspirations for lasting peace. 

Already this year, as you will have noted, nine UN peacekeepers have been killed in incidents around the world. The Secretary-General said this demonstrates, yet again, the perilous environment in which peacekeepers carry out their mandates to protect people and support peace processes. The task is made harder by the global pandemic. While progress has been made in reducing casualties among UN peacekeepers, recent incidents show that the threat continues. Our collective efforts to ensure the safety of peacekeepers, including through the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, need to keep pace.

The Secretary-General salutes the service, the sacrifice and the selflessness of the women and men who are serving, or have lost their lives while serving, under the flag of the UN in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

MALI

The Head of Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix is still in Mali today.

We wanted to note that, this morning, at the headquarters of the UN Mission (MINUSCA) in Bamako, he took part in a ceremony to honour the memory of the peacekeepers killed last week. 

The head of the Peacekeeping Mission in Mali, Mahamet Saleh Annadif, also attended the ceremony.

Since his arrival in the country, Mr. Lacroix has had a series of meetings with political leaders and the UN’s partners. His visit will continue tomorrow.

SOUTH SUDAN

From South Sudan, the UN Mission (UNMISS) says it is deploying additional troops and resources to Bunj in the Upper Nile region following recent clashes.

The Mission said it is enhancing its peacekeepers’ ability to conduct more frequent patrols.

Peacekeepers recently assessed the security situation in the area. They met with county commissioners and others to understand what the community is experiencing, given the current instability and tensions.

The Mission is also helping to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=19%20January%202021

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