BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — MEP Mariya Gabriel (EPP Group) and the European Network for Central Africa (EurAc)Have the honor to invite you to the Conference “DRC two years after the elections: state of play and perspectives”European Parliament – 5 December 2013 13h30-15h30Speakers:Koen Vervaeke EU Senior Coordinator for the Great Lakes regionFlavien Misoni Congolese National Electoral CommissionMarcel Wetsh’okonda Koso 11.11.11.Please register online https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xhyzjk55lwDOkIywEll5O6Ika6OhpFQ4QuqbJVJzuF0/viewform before 4 December 2013
Author: apofeed
WASHINGTON, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Société Générale have co-arranged a $300 million facility for Cote d’Ivoire’s only oil refinery that will help guarantee a steady supply of critical energy imports for the country and its landlocked neighbors.IFC and Société Générale will each participate with up to $100 million in the facility for Societe Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR), which supplies effectively all of the refined petroleum products in Cote d’Ivoire as well as Burkina Faso, Mali, and other countries in western Africa. BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered Bank will…
TUNIS, Tunisia, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessionary arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group (http://www.afdb.org), approved on Tuesday, December 3 a loan of US $65.0 million and a grant of US $900,000 to Malawi, and a loan of US $7.7 million to Zambia, respectively, for a total of about US $73.6 million, for the Multinational Nacala Road Corridor Development Project Phase IV. The facilities constitute part of the Fund’s contribution towards strengthening Malawi and Zambia’s transport infrastructure to promote inclusive growth and expand trade and…
KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), victims of sexual crimes are facing insurmountable obstacles to obtain justice and reparation. The cost of proceedings is prohibitive and judicial decisions are hardly implemented. This is the damaging picture described in a report FIDH and its member organisations in DRC are publishing today, following several missions in that country.For 20 years now, DRC has been the theatre of a conflict characterised by crimes of sexual violence of incredible magnitude and unprecedented brutality, amounting to crimes against humanity and war…
PARIS, France, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Schneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com), the global specialist in energy management, is inviting African students to take part in the Go Green in the City global business case challenge (http://www.gogreeninthecity.com), focusing on innovative energy solutions for the city and open to students from across the globe. Logo Go Green in the City: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ggitc_logo_2014.pngLogo Schneider Electric: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/schneider_electric.jpgPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/mohammed_saad_president_africa_schneider_electric.jpg (Mohammed Saad, President Africa, Schneider Electric)A total of 217 African students, representing 21 countries, have already signed up for this 2014 edition of Go Green in the City. These students come primarily from Nigeria (83 applications),…
NEW YORK, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia decided on 29 November 2013 to delist the following individual from the list of individuals subject to the travel restrictions imposed by paragraph 4 (a) of resolution 1521 (2003) (the travel ban list). The measures no longer apply to this individual.Mr. Slobodan TEŠIĆ.
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Wealth accounting and the valuation of ecosystem services are critical to Africa’s future growth, as the continent undergoes unprecedented development. Projections point, for example, to broad-based acceleration in growth in Sub-Saharan Africa to around 5.5 per cent in 2013-2014, reflecting robust domestic demand and increased investment in export-oriented sectors as the main economic drivers, according to the IMF World Outlook 2013. Achieving long term development and poverty alleviation in Africa relies on the sustainable and optimal management of the natural resource base. Natural capital is a critical asset, especially for low-income…
ROME, Italy, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Improving the quality, availability and relevance of data on food and agriculture has become a key priority as Africa strives to develop more effective policies to tackle its persistent food security problems. The issue took centre stage as an unprecedented number of experts from 35 countries met for the 23rd session of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS), an FAO statutory body. “We need timely, accurate, and reliable statistics to give us a better picture of how agriculture and food security are affected by, and how they impact, economic, environmental…
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The government of Sweden announced on 3 December 2013 the launch of a new trade facilitation training facility in Arusha, Tanzania. The Swedish government, through its development agency Sida, will provide an initial grant of approximately 1,6 milj USD per year for 2014-2015. The WTO, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Bank and the International Trade Centre (ITC), will participate in the development and implementation of the training facility and its forthcoming training programmes. The facility will provide training for participants from Africa, with a special focus…
WASHINGTON, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Media NoteOffice of the SpokespersonWashington, DCDecember 3, 2013Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) Russell D. Feingold will travel to Kigali and Paris to meet with government representatives and Great Lakes heads of state this week. He intends to discuss next steps in the implementation of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework, including the possibility of a regional mediated dialogue aimed at resolving the root causes of conflict in the region. The United States stands ready to support the region in launching…
PARIS, France, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Quai d’Orsay – Déclarations du porte-parole – 3 décembre 2013M. Laurent Fabius, ministre des Affaires étrangères, reçoit aujourd’hui M. Charles Gaëtan Xavier-Luc Duval, vice-Premier ministre, ministre des finances et du développement économique de Maurice.A l’approche du sommet de l’Élysée pour la paix et la sécurité en Afrique, MM. Fabius et Duval aborderont les enjeux régionaux, dont notre coopération au sein de la commission de l’océan Indien.Ils évoqueront également la situation politique à Madagascar ainsi que les priorités de la relation bilatérale.
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Judges of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone (RSCSL) have elected Justice Philip Nyamu Waki of Kenya as President of the Residual Special Court. The Judges also elected Justice Jon Kamanda of Sierra Leone as Vice President of the Court.Justice Waki joined the Special Court in 2012 as an Alternate Appeals Judge for the Taylor appeal. Before joining the Special Court, Justice Waki served as a judge of the Kenya Court of Appeal in 2003, after having been a Judge of the High Court of Kenya for nine…
LONDON, United-Kingdom, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The 2013 edition of Mergermarket’s Deal Drivers Africa reports a total of 115 deals worth US$26.6bn taking place in the first three quarters of 2013 across Africa (http://www.mergermarket.com). Robust M&A activity on the continent has been supported by increasing economic diversification among a number of countries, creating untapped investment opportunities in areas such as financial services, TMT and business services. To view the full report, please click here: http://mergermarketgroup.com/publication/deal-drivers-africa-2 Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/mergermarket.jpgSeven of the ten biggest deals of 2013 have been in the energy, mining & utilities sector. The largest of these…
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations – the two parties which created the Special Court eleven years ago – formally closed the Special Court at a ceremony late Monday held at State House in Freetown and hosted by the President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma.In a symbolic handover, uniformed Special Court security officers formally handed over the Special Court’s flag to a contingent of the Sierra Leone Police in the presence of President Ernest Bai Koroma, and Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — As part of the implementation of its mandate, the African Union High-Level Panel for Egypt convened in Addis Ababa, on 29 and 30 November 2013. The Panel seized the opportunity to review the situation in Egypt and the efforts undertaken to date, in fulfillment of the relevant decisions of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC).The Panel met with the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and briefed her on its latest efforts. The Panel also had extensive interaction with the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador…
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The AU- UN Joint Special Representative (JSR), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, concluded on 3 December a two-day visit to El Daein, East Darfur, where he congratulated the State authorities and the traditional leaders for their work toward a peaceful solution to the conflict between the Rezeigat and the Ma’aliya following violent clashes in August 2013. “UNAMID was actively engaged with all the authorities at different levels in an effort to facilitate the reconciliation and peace meetings between the two tribes,” Dr. Chambas said. “These meetings curtailed the escalation of further…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, December 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Integrated Peacebuidling Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) expresses its deep concern following the dramatic incidents in Boali, 95 km from Bangui, where innocent people were killed and wounded by armed groups. These serious exactions, which left at least 12 dead and 30 wounded, including children, are the result of blind violence and communitarian stigmatization. BINUCA is concerned over the increasingly violent environment and the related risks it entails. Therefore, BINUCA urges the transition authorities to exercise constraint and to uphold their duty to protect…
GENEVA, Switzerland, December 3, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A group of United Nations Special Rapporteurs today urged the Government of Kenya to reject legislation that would impose severe restrictions on civil society. “The Bill is an evidence of a growing trend in Africa and elsewhere, whereby governments are trying to exert more control over independent groups using so-called ‘NGO laws,’” the human rights experts warned. The Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 30 October, would amend Kenya’s Public Benefit Organization Act of 2012 and grant the Government sweeping and potentially arbitrary powers to deny registration for such organizations,…
BEIJING, China, December 3, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei announces at the regular press conference:At the invitation of Siyabonga Cwele, State Security Minister of South Africa and the government of Iran, State Councilor Yang Jiechi will go to Cape Town, South Africa to attend the Fourth Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues and pay a visit to Iran from December 5 to 9.
GENEVA, Switzerland, December 3, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM South Sudan released the findings of its recent Migrant Health Assessment last week, providing health partners in the country with an up-to-date overview of the health challenges encountered by migrants.Funded by the IOM Partnership on Health and Mobility in East and Southern Africa (PHAMESA), the assessment is the first of its kind in South Sudan. The assessment identifies the key health vulnerabilities and needs faced by migrants, and provides reliable evidence for future collaboration between the government, partner organizations and IOM to address these needs.“Addressing the health and wellbeing of…