Africa

SECRETARY-GENERAL, AT HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,

SAYS REAL HOPE EXISTS FOR PEACE, BUT ENORMOUS CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD

Following is the opening statement delivered today by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the high-level meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOLLOWING

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

DESPITE LIBERIA’S PEACE AGREEMENT, RIGHTS VIOLATIONS PERSIST

IN TROUBLED ‘POCKETS OF INSECURITY’, SAYS UN COORDINATOR

MONROVIA, 25 September (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia, Ross Mountain, today expressed his concern for civilians who, despite the signing of a peace agreement, continue to be subjected to serious human rights violations in north-central Liberia.

SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR LIBERIA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE END

TO USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS, KEY ELEMENT FOR LONG-TERM PEACE

MONROVIA, 22 September (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia, Ross Mountain, today backed a call from the Security Council for all parties to the conflict to immediately cease their use of child soldiers.

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE IN GUINEA REPORTS INCREASING

NUMBERS OF REFUGEES CROSSING BORDER FROM LIBERIA

STATEMENT BY ECOSOC AD HOC ADVISORY GROUP ON GUINEA-BISSAU

NEW YORK, 18 September -- The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau hereby calls on donors to consider extending emergency assistance for Guinea-Bissau to be able to return to democratic rule following the resignation of President Kumba Yala.

AS ZIMBABWE’S FOOD NEEDS INCREASE, UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES

STEP UP OPERATIONS TO ADDRESS UNDERLYING CAUSES

NEW YORK, 18 September -- United Nations humanitarian agencies in Zimbabwe are stepping up operations to address food shortages and their underlying causes.  The United Nations has also identified the need to strengthen a national immunization programme, which has been affected by the country’s economic downturn.

United Nations   Nations Unies

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA]

LIBERIA: BETTER ACCESSIN LIBERIAREVEALS ACUTE HUMANIATARIANAINNEEDS

2 MILLION ANGOLAN FARMERS TO GET SEEDS, TOOLS IN FAO’S LARGEST AFRICAN OPERATION

(Reissued as received.)

ROME/NAIROBI, 19 September (FAO) -- Almost 2 million Angolans will receive agricultural emergency assistance in the next few weeks before the start of the rainy season, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

AGREEMENT REACHED ALLOWING HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN

NEW YORK, 17 September (OCHA) -- The Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) signed an agreement today that would allow “free and unimpeded” humanitarian access to Sudan’s Darfur region, which covers some 20 per cent of that country’s territory.