The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today issued a fact-finding report on Mali which concluded that there are strong indications that more than 500 people were killed in March 2022 by Malian troops and foreign military personnel in the village of Moura in the Mopti region of central Mali.

In Somalia, the United Nations and the Government have just unveiled a revamped multi-donor trust fund in support of the country’s development priorities. The Somalia Joint Fund will provide flexible funding to address key challenges facing the country and its people.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the briefing to UN Member States on the first United Nations Food Systems Stocktaking Moment, in New York today:

In Sudan, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are increasing their response to the current crisis. With food insecurity expected to surge to record levels, affecting two fifths of the population, the World Food Programme plans to scale up emergency assistance to some 4.9 million people in the coming months.

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

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) dispatched two patrols to protect civilians after receiving two reports yesterday about the presence of members of the CODECO armed group in Blukwa, near Djugu, in Ituri Province, forcing the armed group to withdraw.

Fighting in Sudan continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians, and the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that many will die due to lack of essential services and disease outbreaks. Amidst critically low medical supplies and an increasing number of refugees, United Nations agencies are providing relief.

The 2023 edition of the online Africa Dialogue Series begins today. Titled “Market and Scale: Unlocking Industrialization through Intra-African Trade”, the series will focus on how the African Continental Free-Trade Area could accelerate sustainable development.

In Zambia, the United Nations team, led by Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali, reports it is helping authorities to tackle the droughts and floods which have affected over 373,000 people. Various United Nations agencies are providing cash transfers, health services and other relief to more than 1 million households.

The Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today condemned the arson incident against the Saint Pantelija Orthodox Church in Prizren, which took place earlier this week. She noted that attacks against religious and cultural sites undermine interethnic and interreligious relations.