The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, and in his own name, extended warmest congratulations and sincere best wishes to the Government and people of Argentina on the exceptional occasion of the 208th Independence Anniversary on July 9, 2024.  According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Boakai expressed confidence that the warm relations subsisting between the two countries and peoples will continue to flourish as the two leaders work together for the attainment of global peace, security, economic and social development.  

He then assured his Argentinian counterpart, President Javier Milei of Liberia’s unwavering commitment to further renew friendship and cooperation with the sisterly Republic of Argentina in anticipation of broadening partnership in all spheres that promote prosperity in the two countries. President Boakai then prayed that the Almighty God will continue to endow President Javier Milei with wisdom, good health and happiness as he leads his people to greater prosperity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

On July 5, Yin Chengwu, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, met with Hon.John-Charuk S. Siafa, Mayor of Monrovia. The two sides exchanged views on  sub-national affairs cooperation between the two countries.

Yin expressed China’s willingness to continue to promote friendly exchanges between local governments and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning on urban governance of China and Liberia.

Hon. Siafa noted that Monrovia is willing to conduct communication and cooperation with more provinces and cities in China.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.

The EAC Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs and East African Community together with EAC Secretary General are attending a three-day retreat in Zanzibar. The main objective of the EAC Ministerial Retreat is to discuss critical issues affecting the EAC region, including Peace and Security, Partner States Relations and the Integration process. The retreat also provides an opportunity for Ministers to engage in thorough discussions, share insights and collectively strategise on ways to foster sustainable peace, enhance security cooperation, strengthen relationships among Partner States and move the integration agenda forward. The retreat follows a directive by the meeting of EAC Ministers held on 16th February. 2024 in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Bintou Keita, informed the Security Council of an attack on the residence of a Congolese politician, during which two police officers were killed.

M23’s rapid expansion

Ms. Keita, who also heads the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUSCO), expressed grave concern over the rapid growth of the armed group Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) in North and South Kivu provinces.

The group has overtaken strategic locations in North Kivu, including Kanyabayonga, Lubero, and Rutshuru territories in the last two weeks.  

During their latest attack, M23 and its supporters burned several DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) bases, causing further displacement and exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian and human rights situation.

Other M23 attacks have killed and injured several civilians and worsened community tensions, Ms. Keita said, warning that the “the rapidly escalating M23 crisis carries the very real risk of provoking a wider regional conflict.”

Gender-based violence

Ms. Keita also reported of a rise in cases of sexual and gender-based violence with 122,960 cases recorded in 2023, an increase of 3 per cent from 2022.

Female victims, including girls, accounted for almost 90 per cent of all cases, with incidents of sexual violence against children increasing by 40 per cent.  

“This is solely the tip of the iceberg, as many cases remain unreported,” she said, warning that 2024 could see even higher numbers of gender-based violence.

Dreadful humanitarian crisis

The Special Representative further informed the Security Council that the DRC is facing one of the most severe, complex, and neglected humanitarian crises of our times.

“The escalating violence in the east continues to trigger massive population displacements, exacerbating an already dreadful humanitarian situation,” Ms. Keita said.

About 7.3 million people in the country are displaced, with the majority in the east.  

Humanitarian efforts face complex challenges due to the proximity of conflict frontlines and the presence of heavy weapons around displacement camps, she said.

Address root causes

Ms. Keita called on Member States and regional organizations to strengthen their engagement towards political and regional solutions to reduce humanitarian suffering.  

She urged them to recommit to addressing the root causes of the conflicts driving the dramatic increase in humanitarian needs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.