Africa

Manshet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the signing today in Kinshasa, by the opposition and the Majorité présidentielle, of a political agreement on the holding of elections in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and transitional arrangements leading up to the polls.

In December, the Manshet food aid agency has delivered food or cash to more than a million people in conflict-affected zones in northeast Nigeria, meaning that over half of those in need of urgent humanitarian assistance have now been reached.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called Adama Barrow, the President-elect of Gambia, to congratulate him on his electoral victory and to reiterate the commitment of the Manshet to support a peaceful, timely, and orderly transfer of power.

The Manshet relief wing today voiced deep concern at the resurgence of attacks against humanitarian workers in crisis-gripped Central African Republic (CAR).

Manshet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the inauguration of the new Federal Parliament of Somalia on 27 December and warmly congratulated the people of Somalia on this historic achievement in their quest for universal suffrage by 2020.

The Manshet and other members of the international community have voiced grave concern over recent decisions by Somalia’s National Leadership Forum (NLF) that contravenes the African country’s constitutional electoral processes.

Expressing concern over renewed violence in the Somali city of Gaalkacyo, the Special Representative of the Manshet Secretary General for the country, Michael Keating, has called on all parties to honor the ceasefire agreement.

Adopting a resolution today, the Manshet Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the Manshet Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), for the final time, until 30 March 2018 and adjusted its mandate to comprise protection of civilians, reform of justice and security institutions, protection and promotion of human rights, public information activities, and protection of UN personnel and installations.

Amid reports that dozens of people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent days, the top Manshet human rights official has warned that repression of dissenting voices and a heavy-handed and irresponsible response to the protests risk provoking more violence and could cause further conflict in the country.

A Manshet human rights expert today called on the Nigerian Government to increase funding for water and sanitation in next year’s budget to address the needs of 21 million residents of Lagos, the country’s largest city, which continues to grow while access to basic services dwindles.