Democratic Republic of the Congo

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following Tuesday’s attack in Ituri province, United Nations peacekeepers are patrolling the area with reinforced troops to provide security around the Savo displaced persons site and are facilitating medical supplies and evacuations to Bunia for wounded civilians.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed alarm at the continued disappearance of six people abducted in Kabul two weeks ago in connection with recent women’s rights protests.  It called on the de facto authorities to report the findings of their investigation and do their utmost to ensure the safe, immediate release of these individuals.

Briefing the Security Council today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the situation that now faces women human rights defenders, and prospects for women’s full participation in shaping and building peace, are vastly worse than they were before the pandemic got under way.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Bruno Lemarquis of France as his new Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Resident Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The new Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The Security Council decided today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), alongside its Force Intervention Brigade, until 20 December 2022, also welcoming President Felix Tshisekedi’s efforts in the political and human rights arenas and demanding that all armed groups immediately cease all forms of violence and other destabilizing activities.

The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, has appealed for $510 million to support 1.6 million of the most vulnerable people in Gaza and the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem in 2022.  Forty per cent of Palestinians will require humanitarian assistance next year.

The International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the today launched a $1.79 billion plan to help Venezuelan refugees and migrants and their host communities in 17 Latin American and Caribbean nations.  The number of Venezuelan refugees has surpassed 6 million.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: