United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Lieutenant General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes of Brazil as Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Emergency Relief Coordinator allocated $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for an urgent response to new displacement in North and South Kivu Provinces in the eastern part of the country.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
In Nigeria, the United Nations and our humanitarian partners today launched the 2025 response plan in Abuja, calling for $910 million. This year’s plan aims to reach 3.6 million people in the north-east with health services, food, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition for children, protection, education and other vital support.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the M23 armed group reportedly seized Minova in North Kivu province yesterday. Minova is a critical hub along the supply route to Goma. Since Saturday, the armed group has captured other localities in South Kivu, where UN peacekeepers are no longer present, resulting in casualties and the displacement of over 250,000 people.
Speakers in the Security Council urged Israel today to respect its long-established ceasefire agreements with Lebanon and Syria and stay clear of the areas where United Nations peacekeeping missions are deployed to carry out their duties.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Headquarters, in Naqoura, Lebanon, today:
In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, according to authorities and partners, hostilities in the first week of January resulted in hundreds of casualties. Over the past three days, homes, gas facilities and electricity infrastructure have been damaged in front-line regions.
The Security Council today endorsed the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), marking a further step in transitioning national security responsibilities to that country’s own forces.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
