MYANMAR 
We issued a statement yesterday evening in which the Secretary-General strongly condemned the detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor, as well as President U Win Myint and other political leaders, and that was obviously on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar’s new Parliament.  
Mr. Guterres expressed his grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar. 
The Secretary-General stresses that the 8 November 2020 general elections provided a strong mandate for the National League for Democracy, reflecting the clear will of the people of Myanmar to continue on the hard-won path to democratic reform.   
Mr. Guterres urges the military leadership to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms, with any differences to be resolved through peaceful dialogue. All leaders must act in the greater interest of Myanmar’s democratic reform, engaging in meaningful dialogue, refraining from violence and fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. 
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Christine Schraner Burgener, remains actively engaged on the issue. She has spoken to Myanmar interlocutors outside the country. She is trying to connect with leaders in Naypyitaw, the capital, but communications with the Myanmar capital are very difficult at this moment. 
For her part, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that she is gravely concerned about the situation in the country, echoing the Secretary-General’s call for the military leadership to respect the outcome of the elections.
She is also alarmed by reports that at least 45 people have been detained – including parliamentarians under confinement – she called for their immediate release and noted that there are also disturbing reports of journalists being harassed or attacked. 
Meanwhile, our colleagues in the UN country team on the ground in Myanmar are also following the situation closely with deep concern, especially in light of the need to prevent and respond to the ongoing pandemic.  
They are working to ensure that the recent events do not adversely impact the most vulnerable people in Myanmar. The UN team has supported Myanmar’s COVAX application, as well as the national COVID-19 and vaccination plans by assessing the country’s readiness and mapped the cold chain capacity.  
Myanmar has so far received 1.5 million doses of vaccine under a programme that started last week. Some 70,000 healthcare workers have been vaccinated so far in 14 states and regions.  
The team in the country has repurposed nearly $100 million to address the impact of the pandemic, including to protect the most vulnerable groups. 
 
LIBYA 
Stephanie Williams, the acting Special Representative for Libya, opened the new session of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Switzerland today. She told participants that the decision to hold national elections on 24 December is a commitment which must be honoured at all costs. 
She noted that on Saturday, the UN Mission had published a list of candidates nominated for the positions of the Presidency Council and Prime Minister.  
She added she was encouraged by the high number of nominations that were put forward. She welcomes the diversity represented by the pool of candidates who are drawn from all political parties and social components of the Libyan society. 
 
SOMALIA 
The Secretary-General strongly condemns yesterday’s deadly terror attack against the Hotel Afrik in Mogadishu, which resulted in several casualties. 
He extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured. 
The Secretary-General reiterates the support and solidarity of the United Nations with the people and Federal Government of Somalia in their pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous future. 
For his part, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the ground, James Swan, said he is appalled by this reprehensible and senseless attack on a venue frequented by innocent civilians.  
 
ETHIOPIA 
Access constraints due to the ongoing conflict and administrative bureaucracy continue to challenge the scale-up of humanitarian assistance. 
Access to essential services, livelihoods and cash remains restricted across large swathes of Tigray. Two refugee camps remain inaccessible since November, hunger is increasing and the health system has reportedly collapsed. 
Access is particularly limited in rural areas, where 80 per cent of the population of Tigray lived before the start of the conflict. 
Although dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian commodities are being mobilized towards Tigray, most of the staff needed to carry out distributions have not been able to travel to the region. Many of them are waiting in Addis [Ababa], ready to move into Tigray. Our humanitarian coordinating team and our team on the ground are continuing to work closely with the government to make sure UN agencies and NGOs receive clearance to travel to the region. 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - HUMANITARIAN
Our colleagues on the ground are very concerned about the serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation there. 
The very high level of insecurity along the main supply route from Cameroon to the Central African Republic has caused the suspension of imports. Over 1,600 inbound trucks, including 500 with humanitarian supplies, have been blocked at the border since mid-December. Humanitarian organizations are beginning to report critical stock outages including food and trauma kits. The closure of the supply route also caused a worrying increase in the prices of basic foodstuffs, that’s cassava, oil, meat and rice. The increase has gone between 75 per cent and 220 per cent. This is impacting several markets in the country, including that of the capital Bangui, and we’re also seeing the closure of several markets because of the impossibility for traders to restock.  
This is happening in a context of an already severe food insecurity, as 2.3 million people were already projected to be food insecure. Rapid assessments show alarming figures of severe malnutrition among the newly displaced. 
On Friday, we reported that over 200,000 people had been displaced inside and outside the country.   
Refugee arrivals into the Democratic Republic of the Congo have reached 92,000 according to local authorities. Some 13,240 people have crossed into Cameroon, Chad, and the Republic of Congo. Refugees are continuing to arrive.  
Despite an increasingly difficult operational environment due to insecurity and access constraints, the humanitarian response has continued across several regions in the Central African Republic. 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - PEACEKEEPING   
The UN peacekeeping mission said that during Friday’s mini-summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region on the situation in the CAR, regional leaders of state and government acknowledged the validity of the December elections. They also called for a unilateral and immediate ceasefire and asked to immediately allow the free movement of people and goods on the Douala-Bangui corridor, while encouraging President Touadéra to pursue dialogue.   
Today, the Constitutional Court announced the final results of the first round of the legislative elections, which were also held last month. Twenty-two candidates were elected in the first round. The Constitutional Court ordered the National Election Authority to draw up a new timetable for the completion of the legislative elections in the remaining 118 constituencies where the votes could not take place or were cancelled.  
Meanwhile, one of the ex-Seleka chiefs, Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, made his first appearance in the International Criminal Court in the Hague on Friday to face charges of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.   
Our peacekeeping colleagues also tell us that one of their convoys was fired on by unidentified armed combatants near Bangassou on Saturday; no casualties were reported.  
  
HONOUR ROLL 
We welcome – and thank – two new members of our Honour Roll, India and Kiribati. They paid their regular budget dues in full. Our Honour Roll now has 25 members.