This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
End bloodshed now in Afghanistan, urges UN’s Guterres
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a strong appeal for an end to bloodshed in Afghanistan, to save lives and prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
Reiterating his call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, Mr. Guterres on Tuesday told a pledging-for-development conference in Geneva that an end to fighting could only help ongoing peace negotiations.
His message follows continued high levels of violence inside Afghanistan, including an attack earlier this month at Kabul University, where gunmen killed more than 20 students.
A halt to the high levels of violence blighting the country would represent a major opportunity to achieve the long-held aspirations of the Afghan people, the UN Secretary-General explained, as he called for an inclusive peace process in which women, young people and victims of conflict were represented in negotiations in Qatar.
Mr. Guterres highlighted how Afghan women had paid “a high price in the conflict”; many have been subjected to extreme violence, while others had lost loved ones or were denied opportunities.
Despite these setbacks, women continued to play a central role in creating peaceful, inclusive communities with more opportunities for all, the UN chief said, showing “on a daily basis” that their efforts towards sustainable and inclusive development can change lives for the better.
Ethiopian military must be given ‘clear’ orders to protect civilians: Bachelet
To northern Ethiopia and a call from UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to parties involved in the battle for Tigray to give “clear and unambiguous orders” to soldiers not to harm civilians.
The High Commissioner’s appeal on Tuesday follows the reported heavy build-up of federal government tanks and artillery around Tigray’s capital Mekelle, after a 72-hour ultimatum was issued to regional forces to surrender.
Ms. Bachelet’s statement responded to allegations that militants loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) were embedded among civilians.
This did not give the Ethiopian Government “carte blanche to respond with the use of artillery in densely populated areas”, she insisted, before reminding all parties to the conflict that the protection of civilians was paramount.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) around half a million people remain in Mekelle.
Here’s OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke, speaking in Geneva:
“We have finalised a humanitarian preparedness plan intended to help two million people with assistance in Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions. That includes existing humanitarian caseloads that were already helping and an additional 1.1 million people expected to be in need of assistance as a result of this conflict. To support this plan about $76 million will still be needed to finance it.”
High Commissioner Bachelet also said that she was deeply disturbed at the continuing communication blackout in Tigray province, which had made it very difficult for families to talk to each other, and for the UN to monitor the situation.
Brazilian man’s killing at hands of security guards condemned
Condemnation now from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, for the killing in Brazil of João Alberto Silveira Freitas.
Mr Freitas, who was black, died after being beaten by two private security guards in the southern city of Porto Alegre.
His killing – which happened on the eve of Black Consciousness Day in Brazil - prompted street protests.
OHCHR said on Tuesday that it was “an extreme but sadly all too common example of the violence suffered by black people in Brazil”.
The tragedy illustrated the “persistent structural discrimination and racism people of African descent face”, the UN rights office continued before insisting that the “deplorable act” should be condemned by everyone.
Daniel Johnson, UN News.
