TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jan25/03)
28 January 2025
Third World Network

Trade: Ministers underline significance of WTO amid moves by Trump
Published in SUNS #10152 dated 28 January 2025

Cochin, 27 Jan (D. Ravi Kanth) — Trade ministers and senior officials from almost two dozen countries gathering in Davos, Switzerland on 24 January reaffirmed the “significance of the WTO and the rules-based, transparent, and predictable multilateral trading system”, notwithstanding the seemingly “dark clouds” enveloping the global trading system and other international institutions due to the proposed actions by the new Trump administration, said people familiar with the development.

The Trump administration has already announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization, causing tremors in the global climate and health architecture.

On the trade front, the Trump administration has announced that it plans to impose from 1 February unilateral tariffs on Mexico and Canada as well as on China, while threatening the other members of the World Trade Organization.

The Trump administration’s proposed actions signal that Washington would set aside all the existing rules and procedures of the WTO to achieve the objectives of its proposed “America First Trade Policy”, according to analysts.

Against this backdrop, the trade ministers and senior officials meeting on the margins of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on 24 January issued a somewhat feeble call underlining “the significance of the WTO and the rules-based, transparent and predictable multilateral trading system.”

While the trade ministers may have discussed the dangers arising from Trump’s trade policies, the final communique issued by the Swiss trade minister Guy Parmelin as well as the WTO’s Director-General Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appears to have remained silent on the Trump administration’s systemic assault on the WTO rules, said people familiar with the discussions.

Speaking at an event at the WEF, the DG called for a “chill” amid the latest systemic challenges, underlining the need for new approaches.

She said, “the context is changing, we must deliver, and we must modernize.”

It is unclear whether any representative from the United States attended the annual Davos trade ministerial meeting on 24 January.

There are grave doubts that the Trump administration could question the selection of Ms Okonjo-Iweala for a second term as DG, said people familiar with the development.

Significantly, many countries who attended the meeting underscored the need for pursuing multilateral initiatives as compared to the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs), said people familiar with the development.

Although the trade ministers pointed to “building on the achievements at MC13,” and that “Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to delivering a successful result at the next Ministerial Conference”, which will be held in Yaounde, Cameroon in March 2026, the prospects look rather grim due to the existential threats posed by the Trump administration, said people familiar with the development.

According to the communique issued at the end of the ministerial gathering in Davos, “Ministers declared their determination to preserve and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system, especially now, in view of increasing geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation and threats of unilateral measures.”

However, attempts to bring about “differentiation” among developing countries for availing of special and differential treatment (S&DT) at a recent retreat convened by the chair of the WTO’s General Council (GC), Ambassador Petter Olberg of Norway, seem to suggest that the so-called “Friends of the System”, of which Norway is a member, are seeking to pander to the demands of the new Trump administration, said people who asked not to be quoted.

In their communique, the trade ministers pointed out somewhat meekly that “at the same time, Ministers have pointed to the need to adapt the WTO’s instruments and rules to the current challenges in global trade.”

“In this regard, Ministers also reiterated the importance of having a fully functional dispute settlement system.”

The above statement could raise serious doubts as to whether the two-stage dispute settlement system, with a binding Appellate Body, will be restored, said people familiar with the development.

The trade ministers, however, “urged members to find solutions that ensure the binding character of WTO rulings and preserve the WTO’s important role in guaranteeing a rules-based international trading system.”

Without binding WTO rulings, the enforcement function of the WTO could become redundant, said people familiar with the development.

DEVELOPMENT

The communique contains a paragraph on development, stating that the “ministers shared the view that the next ministerial conference must include outcomes that address the important topic of development.”

The issue of development must address the outstanding demands of the African Group through their 10 Agreement-specific proposals for making S&DT simple and effective, and not bring the issue of “differentiation” through the backdoor, said people familiar with the discussions.

AGRICULTURE

According to the communique,“ Ministers stressed the need to launch substantive negotiations on agricultural trade.”

It mentioned the outstanding mandated issues in agriculture since the WTO’s 10th ministerial conference (MC10) in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2015.

It said that “some Ministers called for a comprehensive or balanced treatment of all relevant negotiation topics.”

“Others argued that priority should be given to the topics mandated in earlier ministerial decisions. Ministers expressed their willingness to further engage in this matter.”

It further states that “many Ministers also called for a further extension of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at MC14.”

“The conclusion of the extension on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was also mentioned as a key deliverable for the organization,” said the communique.

The communique somewhat vaguely emphasized that, “Multilateral outcomes remain the preferred option.”

In an alleged attempt to tilt the balance towards “plurilateral initiatives”, it said “for many Ministers, plurilateral initiatives are an important tool for the WTO to tackle the pressing current challenges.”

“In this context, many Ministers welcomed the finalization of the negotiations of the Joint Statement Initiatives on E-commerce and Investment Facilitation for Development.”

“They called to find a solution for their integration into the WTO framework,” said the communique.

The communique said “the close interlinkage between trade and environmental sustainability as well as climate issues were highlighted by many Ministers as a topic highly relevant for WTO.”

However, at a time when the Trump administration has signalled its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, it seems rather unclear whether it is proper for the WTO to delve into the issue of trade and environmental sustainability at this time, said a person, who asked not to be quoted.

UN: Refugee Agency assisted in 43 emergencies globally last year

Penang, 27 Jan (Kanaga Raja) — Twenty-six new emergencies were declared last year, seven at the most severe level, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

In its 2024 Impact Report, UNHCR said that overall, it responded to or managed 43 emergencies, including 17 that continued from 2023.

New wars, unresolved conflicts and a spike in climate-related disasters resulted in appalling levels of death, destruction and displacement last year, forcing its global operations to respond to intensifying humanitarian needs, UNHCR pointed out.

It said extreme weather events, notably heavy rains and severe floods, forced UNHCR to issue a record nine climate-related emergency declarations in a single year – around 1 in 3 of those declared in 2024 – to relieve forcibly displaced and host communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Climate-related disasters impacted areas already hosting refugees and people displaced by war, worsening disease outbreaks and destroying livelihoods and critical infrastructure, said UNHCR.

“Sadly, the number of crises globally remains extremely high, but UNHCR is swiftly deploying where we are needed most, by land, air and sea,” said Ayaki Ito, Director of UNHCR’s Division of Emergency, Security and Supply.

“Integrating better technology into our systems is bringing new efficiencies. Enhanced early warning systems and data analytics have improved how we deliver aid and better prepare us for when new emergencies hit,” Ito added.

According to the UNHCR Impact Report, throughout 2024, UNHCR mobilized its teams worldwide to respond to new humanitarian emergencies that forced millions to flee, while continuing to deliver life-saving assistance and pursue solutions in situations of protracted displacement and deepening crises.

From swiftly delivering aid to those affected by escalating hostilities in Lebanon and supporting those beginning to return to Syria after the collapse of the former government, to providing crucial assistance to communities devastated by floods in Afghanistan, Brazil, Yemen, and throughout East and West Africa, to scaling up its operations in Haiti to address the displacement caused by gang violence, and ramping up efforts across Africa to ensure the inclusion of forcibly displaced populations in response to the mpox outbreak, UNHCR remained at the forefront of humanitarian action, it said.

Meanwhile, it said that away from the headlines, deepening crises continued to exact a heavy toll on displaced populations and drive further displacement, including renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, intensified Russian attacks in Ukraine, deepening conflict in Myanmar, and a widening war in Sudan that triggered refugee outflows spanning a vast swath of the African continent.

Additionally, mixed movements from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and dangerous crossings through the Darien continued while placing further strain on already limited resources, said the report.

By the end of June 2024 – the latest available data – an estimated 122.6 million people were displaced, a five per cent increase from the end of 2023.

“As new crises emerged within ongoing conflicts and escalating humanitarian emergencies, displaced people around the world endured repeated displacements, with hundreds of thousands of refugees forced to return home under adverse conditions.”

Furthermore, UNHCR said that an unprecedented rise in climate-related disasters exacerbated the already dire situation faced by many displaced populations, deepening their vulnerabilities and underscoring the fact that climate change is becoming a growing threat to people already fleeing war and violence.

With 91 per cent of its 20,000-strong workforce already deployed in the field, UNHCR said that it acted swiftly -working hand in hand with hundreds of partners, including the displaced people themselves – to mount an initial emergency response and save lives, whilst simultaneously coordinating with donors and humanitarian partners to secure additional resources to sustain aid operations.

For instance, UNHCR said it dispatched 5.1 million relief items worth $45.8 million from seven global stockpiles to assist around 6 million people last year. This is on top of the pre-positioned emergency supplies deployed from regional and local warehouses.

According to UNHCR, during 2024, its assistance included among others safe water supplied to 668,000 people in Sudan; essential items for 360,000 people in Myanmar; 12,000 emergency shelters supplied in Yemen; 260,000 people received documentation lost during floods in West Africa; and cash assistance to 521,000 people in Ukraine.

Despite generous contributions exceeding $4.8 billion, a global funding shortfall of $5.4 billion by year-end meant that the most basic needs of people forced to flee were unmet or inadequately addressed, including those fleeing emergency situations, it said.

The magnitude of 2024’s crises was staggering: UNHCR managed 43 active emergency declarations across 25 countries, including 26 new emergencies declared in 2024 and 17 ongoing crises from 2023.

It said among the new declarations, seven were Level 3 (L3) emergencies – the highest classification under its emergency policy – marking an increase from four in the previous year.

These L3 emergencies included the escalating war in Sudan – with regional impacts extending to Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Libya, and Uganda – as well as large-scale displacement caused by hostilities in Lebanon and Syria within the broader context of the Gaza conflict.

It said climate-related emergencies also surged, with nine declarations – a fourfold increase compared to 2023 – highlighting the urgent need to address the intersection of climate change and displacement.

EMERGENCIES & CRISES

Highlighting some of the new emergencies and protracted crises, the report said that Afghanistan experienced extreme weather in late March and April 2024, with rains worsening dramatically in May and causing severe flooding in the north-eastern, northern, and western regions of the country.

Widespread casualties and significant damage were reported and by early June, over 300 people had lost their lives, and more than 10,500 homes had been damaged or destroyed.

It said that tens of thousands of people were isolated in their communities as road damage cut off entire districts.

Loss of livestock and agricultural land severely impacted livelihoods, while critical infrastructure was also badly damaged including health facilities, water networks and schools.

“Baghlan province in the northeast suffered an estimated 75 per cent of all destruction and nearly all casualties, with neighbouring Badakhshan and Takhar also suffering significant damage.”

In July, heavy rainstorms and flooding struck the central and eastern regions, affecting thousands in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar, which are home to high numbers of displaced Afghans and refugee returnees.

Afghanistan has suffered over 40 years of conflict, natural disasters, chronic poverty, and food insecurity, with 23.7 million people – 53 per cent of the country’s population – estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024, said the report.

It said that more than 145,000 people were affected by natural disasters by year-end, with 33 of the 34 provinces experiencing some form of extreme weather.

It said that at the outset of the flooding, UNHCR deployed pre-positioned emergency tents, kits of emergency supplies – including items like blankets, jerry cans, gas cylinders, kitchen sets and buckets – and clothing, to support families affected by the floods, in addition to hygiene kits and sanitary pads.

In response to the floods, UNHCR delivered 918 emergency tents to affected families, more than 2,200 kits of emergency supplies and more than 2,600 sets of clothing to affected families across flood-struck areas.

However, it said that as of 31 December, UNHCR’s operations in Afghanistan had received 68 per cent of the required funding.

Pointing to the violence in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UNHCR said violent clashes erupted on 7 February in the town of Sake, North Kivu, reigniting the conflict between the government forces and non-State armed groups.

It said over 300,000 people were displaced within weeks, fleeing to the city of Goma and its surrounding areas, while another 85,000 sought refuge in the area surrounding Minova in South Kivu, which overwhelmed both spontaneous and official displacement sites.

By July, an additional 1.3 million people had been displaced within the country due to the ongoing conflict.

Throughout 2024, non-state armed groups intensified brutal attacks on civilians, including killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of homes. Aerial bombardment saw shells falling indiscriminately on schools, health centres and protected displacement sites, causing widespread harm to civilians and new waves of displacement.

Inter-communal violence, flooding, and epidemics further deepened suffering and escalating humanitarian needs.

By year-end, 21 per cent of the population required humanitarian assistance, said the UNHCR report.

It said with at least eight million Congolese displaced, including seven million inside the DRC and more than 1.1 million Congolese refugees in neighbouring countries, the DRC remains the second-largest internal displacement crisis in Africa, after Sudan.

“Displaced populations face significant challenges, including inadequate shelter, poor sanitation, and limited livelihood opportunities.”

UNHCR with its partners constructed and rehabilitated shelters for more than 95,000 people in North and South Kivu and distributed critical household items such as mosquito nets, blankets, and cooking pots to 45,000 people.

More than 16,800 women and girls also received dignity kits to address menstruation needs, it said.

However, as of 31 December, UNHCR’s response to the DRC situation had received only 44 per cent of the required funding, while UNHCR’s operations in the DRC remained funded at 42 per cent.

The report also highlighted the devastating floods that swept across East Africa, saying that El Nino-triggered heavy rains and severe flooding devastated the East Africa and the Great Lakes region and affected over 3.7 million people, including refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) across Burundi, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

The floods displaced hundreds of thousands of people within their country of origin; however, no significant cross-border population movement occurred during the floods.

While flooding is a recurring issue in the region, the 2024 crisis was exceptional due to the El Nino phenomenon which caused above-average rainfall levels, said UNHCR.

In December 2023, UNHCR in consultation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), issued early warnings in areas at risk of El Nino-driven flooding, allowing for preparedness measures to take place.

South Sudan was the hardest hit, with 1.3 million people affected and 327,000 newly displaced, including in areas hosting Sudanese refugees and returnees.

UNHCR and its partners provided life-saving assistance and protection to displaced people affected by flooding amidst the challenges and impacts of Sudan’s continued war, said the report.

UNHCR appealed for $39.6 million from June to December 2024 to address the needs of forcibly displaced people and host communities affected by flooding.

As of 31 December, UNHCR’s operations in the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region, which includes the countries involved in the flood response, only received 42 per cent of the total required funding.

The report also said gang violence in Haiti surged in 2024, resulting in severe human rights violations and the internal displacement of more than one million people.

“Gang violence began in Port-au-Prince and quickly spread to rural areas, with widespread abuses including gender-based violence (with nearly 4,000 incidents reported between January and May alone), kidnapping, looting and forced recruitment.”

Public infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and places of worship was targeted on several occasions. Displaced people suffered severe shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical care, said UNHCR.

It said that by the year’s end, there were over 404,000 Haitian asylum-seekers and refugees around the world, a 15 per cent increase from 2023, including unaccompanied children, trafficking victims and survivors of gender- based violence.

UNHCR said it continued to work with Haitian authorities and the UN Country Team to address the protection and humanitarian needs of Haitians, both within the country and across Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Haiti, UNHCR worked with national partners on community-based protection, establishing a collective system for accountability to affected people, protection monitoring and improving access to birth registration.

UNHCR said for the second year in a row, it extended the emergency response to the brutal war in Sudan and its regional impact, reflecting the persistence and magnitude of the needs.

The conflict in Sudan has continued unabated since April 2023, escalating into the largest displacement crisis globally in 2024, with over 12.3 million forced to flee inside and outside Sudan.

Extreme violence and human rights violations against civilians were widespread, including sexual violence, torture, extortion and targeting of ethnic groups, it added.

Clashes continued to spread across the country, forcing some 343,000 to be internally displaced from Al Jazirah state since October, and several hundred thousand new arrivals to South Sudan in December due to an escalation of fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile, White Nile and Sennar states.

The situation in neighbouring countries, including the Amhara region of Ethiopia and the Vakaga prefecture of the Central African Republic, also remained volatile, requiring relocation of refugees to other sites.

Sudan faced the worst levels of food insecurity in its history, with a staggering 26 million people suffering from acute hunger and famine conditions confirmed in August 2024. Above-average rainfall and flooding affected 13 of Sudan’s 18 states, while tens of thousands of refugees and host community members in Chad and South Sudan were also affected by heavy rainfall, worsening disease outbreaks, especially cholera, said the report.

It said refugees fleeing Sudan arrived in asylum countries – mainly the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan – in dire conditions, often with little to no assets or resources.

“Approximately 677,000 refugees, who had been residing in Sudan prior to the conflict, were forced to return under adverse conditions, mostly to South Sudan, or to self-relocate within Sudan, further straining their limited resources.”

Between May and August, over 69,000 people received shelter or housing assistance, 41,000 benefited from protection services, and 40,000 were provided with essential relocation or transportation support to help them move from border areas to safer locations, said the report.

UNHCR said as of 31 December, its response to the Sudan situation had received only 44 per cent of required funding, while its operations in Sudan were funded at just 36 per cent.

UNHCR also highlighted the severe floods in West and Central Africa, saying that torrential rains and severe flooding devastated over 4.9 million people across countries in West and Central Africa – an alarming 485 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The hardest-hit nations were Chad (with 1.9 million people affected), Niger (1.5 million), Nigeria (612,000), Cameroon (448,000), and Mali (370,000), all of which host large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people who are especially vulnerable to these climate shocks.

An estimated 330,000 forcibly displaced people were directly impacted, particularly in flood-prone areas like Maradi in Niger, Borno State in Nigeria, the Far North of Cameroon, Gao and Segou in Mali, and various regions of Chad.

The overlap of conflict and climate crises highlights the urgent need for stronger climate resilience and enhanced humanitarian responses to protect the most at-risk populations, said UNHCR.

The impacts of flooding extended beyond the year’s rainy season, making life harder for people already forced to flee. Displacement in these countries continued to surge in 2024, it added.

Niger experienced a 17 per cent increase since 2023, while Chad is now home to over 1.2 million refugees (more than one million from Sudan).

Across West and Central Africa, 14 million people remained displaced by year-end – double the number reported five years ago in 2019.

Through comprehensive risk assessments, UNHCR identified critical protection risks and prioritized the most vulnerable displaced households affected by the floods, providing assistance that included emergency supplies, cash support, shelter, water and sanitation, and protection services, along with referrals to specialized services, said the report.

By the end of December, UNHCR supported almost 454,000 flood-affected people with emergency supplies.

It said over 136,000 people received cash assistance, most of which was dedicated to shelter and latrine repair, and around 20,000 people received protection services, while 26,000 people were provided with essential documentation that was lost in the floods, including birth certificates, national identity numbers, and indigenous certificates.

As of 31 December, UNHCR’s operations in the West and Central Africa region, which includes the countries involved in the flood response, only received 43 per cent of the total required funding.

UNHCR also said from April to August 2024, heavy rains and flash floods devastated 19 governorates across Yemen, affecting more than 63,000 households, with a particular impact on sites hosting internally displaced Yemenis.

The most severely affected governorates included Hajjah, Al Hudaydah, Marib, Taiz, Sa’adah, Al Jawf, and Dhamar.

In Marib alone, rainstorms affected over 8,000 families across 73 internal displacement sites, including more than 1,100 families in six sites managed by UNHCR.

Most notably, UNHCR said Sa’ada City was severely impacted by heavy rains and hailstorms in July, while in August heavy rains in Al Mahweet’s Malhan district caused three dams to burst, triggering catastrophic flooding that devastated entire communities.

The floods washed away personal belongings, identification documents, livestock, and local markets, said the report.

These floods, which disrupted livelihoods and threatened food security, occurred within the context of ongoing conflict and localized escalations, it added.

In 2024, approximately 18.2 million people – 50 per cent of Yemen’s population – were in need of humanitarian assistance, including 4.5 million internally displaced people.

By the end of the year, Yemen hosted over 60,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from Somalia and Ethiopia.

UNHCR said as the lead agency for the Protection, Shelter/Non-Food Items (NFI), and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Clusters, it collaborated with local partners to provide urgent assistance, including cash transfers, which served as a critical lifeline for the most vulnerable.

It said this support included multi-purpose cash to meet essential needs, address immediate crises, facilitate the acquisition of documentation, and repair damaged shelters.

However, as of 31 December, UNHCR’s operations in Yemen had received just 29 per cent of the required funding.

UN: Concerns mount over worsening violence in eastern DRC

Penang, 27 Jan (Kanaga Raja) — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has expressed grave concern over the safety and security of civilians and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as conflict further intensifies across South and North Kivu Provinces.

Speaking at a media briefing at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 24 January, the UNHCR spokesperson, Matthew Saltmarsh, said the number of people displaced has now surged to more than 400,000 this year alone, almost double the number reported just last week.

Highlighting the unfolding humanitarian crisis that is largely unseen by the outside world, the UNHCR official said since UNHCR’s last update on 17 January, bombs have fallen on IDP sites.

He said: “On 20 January, explosions at Kitalaga site in South Kivu killed two children, while on 21 January, five makeshift shelters were destroyed in Nzuolo and yesterday, Bushagara site was heavily impacted, causing panic and new waves of forced displacement.”

According to UNHCR, violence has also escalated in South Kivu’s Minova and Kalehe territories, displacing an additional 178,000 people as intense clashes led to non-state armed groups taking control of the town of Minova and the locality of Kalungu. At least 80 per cent of the population fled towards the city of Goma.

Meanwhile, UNHCR said fighting intensified in the North Kivu town of Sake, approximately 25 kilometres from Goma, culminating in non-state armed groups seizing control.

Heavy bombardments caused families from at least nine displacement sites on the periphery of Goma to flee into the city to seek safety and shelter. Many spent last night sleeping on the streets and in green spaces across the city, it said.

According to the UN agency, persistent clashes between belligerents in these areas continue to deteriorate the protection environment for civilians in South and North Kivu Provinces which are already home to 4.6 million internally displaced people.

Human rights violations, including looting, injuries, murders, kidnappings and arbitrary arrests of displaced people mistaken for rebels have escalated. Hospitals are nearing capacity with injured civilians, it noted.

Vulnerable women, children, and the elderly are living in overcrowded and precarious conditions with limited access to food, water, and essential services, UNHCR said.

UNHCR echoed the Secretary-General’s call to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law, and to ensure immediate and unrestricted access to populations in need of humanitarian assistance.

It also urged all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, respect the civilian nature of IDP sites and refrain from using explosives and heavy weapons in overcrowded civilian environments.

Also speaking at the media briefing on 24 January, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani, said: “We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.”

She said that the M23 recently took control of the city of Sake following fighting with the DRC armed forces.

Recent hostilities between the M23, the DRC army and other armed groups in the village of Bweremana, about 50 km from Goma, left at least 18 civilians dead.

Some 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu since the beginning of this year alone, said the OHCHR official.

Ms  Shamdasani said any such attack on Goma risks catastrophic impacts on hundreds of thousands of civilians, putting them at heightened exposure to human rights violations and abuses.

The High Commissioner is calling on all parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and, consistent with their obligations and responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law, to ensure that civilians are unharmed, she pointed out.

They must also respect the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality, and ensure those in need have safe and unfettered access to humanitarian aid, she added.

The High Commissioner appeals to all States with influence on the parties to impress on them the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“The people in the DRC are exhausted by violence, exhausted by conflict, exhausted by the horrors of their daily life. And this must not be allowed to worsen further,” said Ms Shamdasani.