The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):

Although the reintegration of former guerrilla combatants in Colombia was on track, the level of accumulated frustration with that process would not be easily overcome, the Security Council heard today, as representatives also expressed concern about the possible ramifications stemming from the broken ceasefire between the Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN).

Meeting today to discuss the updated situation in Darfur, Security Council members focused on the first of two phases for the reconfiguration of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), while noting developments with regard to the political process and the humanitarian situation on the ground.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that heavy rains and flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may exacerbate the country’s ongoing cholera epidemic.  The current outbreak, which began in July, is one of the most severe in years.  The latest reports find 55,000 cases, including nearly 1,200 deaths, for 2017 alone — double the number of cases in 2016.

About 83,000 people have been impacted by Tropical Cyclone Ava, with some 29 dead and 22 missing.  The cyclone damaged 17 health centres and affected 141 schools.  It also cut off road access to some south-eastern and south-western parts of the country.  Humanitarian partners are supporting the Government in the provision of sanitation, water and medical supplies, as well as camp management.

On 22 December 2017, the Group of Experts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo transmitted its midterm report to the President of the Security Council (S/2017/1091).  The report is currently available on the Committee’s website via the following link: www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1533/work-and-mandate/expert-reports.

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

Discussing the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, Security Council members expressed their concern about the recent protests in the country over the delays in holding presidential elections, as well as violence last December that left 15 United Nations peacekeepers dead and many others wounded.

On 29 December, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic held a meeting with Marie-Noëlle Koyara, Minister for National Defence of the Central African Republic, Henry Wanzet Linguissara, Minister for Interior and Public Security of the Central African Republic, Kenneth Gluck, Deputy Special Representative and Deputy Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Major General Fernando García Blázquez, Commander of the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA), and the Panel of Experts to discuss the issues related to the arms embargo established by resolution 2127 (2013) and renewed by resolution 2339 (2017).

The Security Council united in 2017 to enact increasingly stringent sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in response to Pyongyang’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, but failed to come together over the ongoing crisis in Syria, as it addressed a myriad of international peace and security challenges.