KAMPALA, Uganda, February 12, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative/Joint Chief Mediator, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, met in Kampala with the leadership of the Darfuri non-signatory movements during a three-day visit to the country which began on 10 February. The Joint Chief Mediator met with the leaders of the non-signatory movements sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW), sudan Liberation Army / Minni Minawi (SLA/MM) and the Justice and Equality Movement / Gibril Ibrahim (JEM/Gibril) to follow-up on the outcomes of the technical workshop on peace and security in Darfur held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in December2013.…
Author: apofeed
OTTAWA, Canada, February 12, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:“I was deeply saddened by news of the crash of a military transport plane in eastern Algeria today, which has claimed scores of lives.“On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed in this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and the people of Algeria as they face this terrible tragedy.”
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Six months after the process of expelling “undocumented migrants” started in Tanzania, IOM continues to receive returnees in Burundi, although at a small scale.In January, IOM received 3,220 expelled migrants, bringing the total number of registered migrants in Burundi to 43,145. Uganda, for its part, is hosting 4,669 expelled migrants in a transit camp.The majority of the arriving migrants say they have been incarcerated. They believe that more prisoners may be released in March and April, once they have served their time.IOM’s humanitarian assistance was initiated in quick response to the…
OTTAWA, Canada, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced an additional contribution from Canada to address the dire humanitarian needs of the people affected by conflict and food insecurity in the Central African Republic (CAR).The Government is providing financial support to UNICEF to address the water and sanitation, health and nutrition, emergency education, protection, and basic relief needs. Canada is also providing emergency food and nutrition assistance to vulnerable people across the country through the World Food Programme. With Canadian funds, Save the Children Canada will provide…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM facilitated two charter flights this weekend to repatriate Chadian nationals escaping violence in the Central African Republic (CAR).These are the last IOM evacuation flights scheduled out of Bangui, as funds for evacuations by air are now exhausted. The operation will be suspended until further funding is available.The two flights on 8 and 9 February evacuated a total of 609 vulnerable people, including the elderly, young children and medical cases. The oldest Chadian migrants at the transit site were selected for the 8 February flight to Chad. All families on the…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has opened a four-day refresher training course in business management and entrepreneurship in Borama, Somaliland. The training will benefit 30 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borama who are taking part in an IOM micro-finance grants project.The objective of the training is to review and supplement previously implemented business management training that was conducted by IOM and its implementing partner Somaliland Y-Peer over a period of four months. The 30 beneficiaries received this training prior to receiving micro-finance grants of USD 550 dollars each from IOM in November 2013.With this grant,…
NEW YORK, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Mali’s National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) are jointly organizing a workshop in Bamako, from 12 to 14 February, for the validation of the 2014-2018 National Action Plan to combat the proliferation and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons.Funded by Germany since December 2013, UNREC supports the National Commission’s development of Mali’s National Action Plan, which will guide the country’s small arms control activities for the period 2014-2018.The…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirms that on 8 February it lost contact with one of its vehicles, which had been travelling between Kidal and Gao, in northern Mali, with four staff and a veterinary assistant on board. “They were on the way from Kidal to their base in Gao. We don’t know yet in what circumstances contact was lost,” said Christoph Luedi, head of the ICRC delegation in mali. “It’s important not to speculate about what might have happened, although no possibility has been ruled out.” “We…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) confirme avoir perdu le contact samedi 8 février avec l’un de ses véhicules entre Kidal et Gao, dans le nord du mali. Quatre membres du personnel et un auxiliaire vétérinaire se trouvaient à bord. « Ils étaient partis de Kidal pour regagner leur base à Gao lorsque nous avons perdu le contact, dans des circonstances que nous ignorons encore. Il est important de ne pas faire de spéculation, bien qu’aucune piste ne soit écartée. », a declaré Christoph Luedi, chef de la délégation du…
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A staff mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited Nouakchott during January 26-February10 to discuss with the country’s authorities recent macroeconomic developments and future engagement with the Fund. The mission met with Central Bank Governor Sid’ Ahmed Ould Raiss, Finance Minister Thiam Diombar, Economic Affairs and Development Minister Sidi Ould Tah, as well as other senior economic and financial policymakers. The team also held productive discussions with representatives of the civil society, banking and private sectors, and donors.At the conclusion of the visit, Mercedes Vera Martin, Mission Chief for Mauritania,…
JUBA, South Sudan, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The deteriorating security situation in Leer and surrounding areas of southern Unity State in South sudan is having devastating consequences for thousands of people who are hiding in the bush, the international medical humanitarian organisation, Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders (MSF) said today. Just under two weeks ago, 240 MSF local staff left Leer Hospital, fleeing into the bush with several dozen of the most severely injured patients and thousands of local people. The security situation is worsening every day, living conditions are life-threatening and MSF has now lost contact…
KHARTOUM, Sudan, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union Liaison Office in sudan is happy to announce the resumption of negotiations on the situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. These talks follow an invitation by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) extended to the Government of sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) to attend the next round, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13 February, 2014. Both parties have received the invitation and have accepted to attend.The invitation indicates that the delegations should comprise nine representatives each who…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Council adopted the following conclusions: “1. Three years have passed since Egyptians from all walks of life rose against a repressive regime calling for freedom, human dignity, social justice and a better economy. The EU regards Egypt as an important neighbour and partner and has been standing by the Egyptian people throughout the transition period and remains committed in its support to them. 2. The EU reaffirms the importance of its relationship with Egypt and the continued support it gives to the Egyptian people in their desire to…
NEW YORK, February 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On 6 February, at its second formal meeting, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic held an exchange of views on the implementation of the arms embargo imposed pursuant to paragraph 54 of the resolution with the representatives to the United Nations of the Central African Republic and its neighbouring States Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, South sudan and Sudan.The Chair of the Committee encouraged the invited representatives to continue to engage with the Committee with a…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is hosting the meeting of African Police Chiefs from 10-11 February in Algiers. The meeting is held in support of the efforts towards the establishment of an African Union Police Coordination Mechanism (AFRIPOL). The meeting is attended by Police Chiefs from more than 40 AU Member States. The aim of the meeting is to provide opportunity for Member States to consult on the establishment of the continental mechanism of AFRIPOL. The opening session featured statements by Mr. Abdelmalek SELLAL, Prime Minister of Algeria; Ambassador…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Council adopted the following conclusions: “1. The EU congratulates Tunisia on its adoption of its new democratic constitution guaranteeing fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. The constitution is an important step forward in Tunisia’s democratic transition process. In a regional context beset with problems, it brings hope and sets an example for people struggling peacefully for their fundamental rights and freedoms to be recognised. On this occasion, the European Union would like to express its heartfelt congratulations on this…
TOKYO, Japan, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In the Republic of South Sudan, the local security situation has rapidly deteriorated since the middle of last December as a result of armed attacks by anti-government forces. Amidst such situation, the Government of Japan received a request from the Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United Nations to provide ammunition, which was in short supply for the ROK unit stationed in Bor, Jonglei State, in preparation for the use of arms to protect both the ROK personnel, the displaced people and others who had gathered within the…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The violence that has engulfed the city of Bangui for several weeks was this weekend punctuated by the killing of Jean-Emmanuel Ndjaroua, a member of the National Council transition (CNT), by unidentified armed persons. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), General Babacar Gaye, condemns this unnecessary and indiscriminate violence that creates a climate of fear and encourages the emergence of acts of banditry. He urges the Central African authorities to establish a functional criminal…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Council today established an EU military operation to contribute to a secure environment in the Central African Republic, as authorised by the UN Security Council in resolution 2134 (2014). Today’s decision creates the legal basis for the operation entitled EUFOR RCA and is another step towards its rapid deployment. EUFOR RCA is to provide temporary support in achieving a safe and secure environment in the Bangui area, with a view to handing over to African partners. The force will thereby contribute to international efforts to protect the populations…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Experts and stakeholders today met in Addis Ababa, at the AU Commission to discuss and draft the implementation plan and resource mobilisation strategy for the integrated African strategy on meteorology. The meeting is an implementation of the Decision of the Executive Council adopted at the January 2013 AU Heads of State and Government Summit, on the Report of the Second Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers responsible for Meteorology and the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) held in October 2012. The Summit endorsed the Integrated African Strategy…