WASHINGTON, November 26, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an advisory agreement with the government of Guinea to structure and implement a public private partnership for Electricité de Guinée, the national power distribution company. The mandate will be implemented in parallel with the World Bank’s power sector recovery project, providing a huge boost to Guinea’s efforts to improve EDG’s performance and attract significant new investment in the country’s power sector. Guinea has identified the challenges in the power sector as a key impediment to the country’s economic growth. Access to electricity is…
Author: apofeed
ALGIERS, Algeria, November 26, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Mr. Zeine Zeidane, visited Algeria November 12-25, 2013 for the annual Article IV discussions. The consultation will conclude with the preparation of a report to be discussed by the IMF Executive Board in January 2014. The team met with Finance Minister Karim Djoudi; Housing and Town-planning and Cities Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune; Labor, Employment, and Social Security Minister Mohamed Benmeradi; the Delegate Minister for Budget, Mohamed Djellab; and the Governor of the Bank of Algeria, Mohammed Laksaci. The mission also held discussions with several…
ABUJA, Nigeria, November 26, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Deputy Chief of Foreign Affairs in China’s Ministry of National Defence, Major General Hu Changming has declared the country’s intention to foster cooperation with ECOWAS in improving the effectiveness of the regional security architecture, particularly the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF).The visiting deputy chief said during a courtesy call on the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman on Thursday, 21st November 2013 that the support would help address the logistic and capacity development needs of the ESF.Under the regional security architecture, the ESF consists of…
GENEVA, Switzerland, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In the Central African Republic, tens of thousands of people who dare not leave the bush because of the lack of security are vulnerable to malaria and diseases caused by consuming unsafe water. “Even though the authorities of the Central African Republic and the international community are working to boost the presence of security forces in the provinces, tens of thousands of people have been forced by the lack of security to take refuge in the bush, where their living and hygiene conditions are appalling,” said Georgios Georgantas, who heads the…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A total of eight new agreements of an overall amount of almost €240 million have been announced during a visit by the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The financial assistance is for projects that will, among other things, help to ensure basic services such as primary schools, health care and water supply, and to support female entrepreneurs. Through one of the projects, for instance, EU funds will contribute to drastically reducing the number of mothers who die around the time of giving birth. Another…
TUNIS, Tunisia, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Tunisian civil society organizations are once again invited to compete for financing through the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA). The GPSA will fund civil society organizations in Tunisia working in the field of social accountability. Social accountability work is wide ranging and includes activities like public disclosure of budgets; access to information, user satisfaction surveys; community scorecards and IT-based citizen feedback mechanisms. Organizations that are working to strengthen the accountability of government to its citizens are welcome to apply. The GPSA is a coalition of donors, governments and civil society…
BAMAKO, Mali, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Head of ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM), Prof. Amos Sawyer has commended Malians for their orderly conduct during balloting on Sunday to fill the country’s 147-seat parliament.The legislative election is the last stage of the political transition process facilitated by ECOWAS to restore constitutional order and the country’s territorial integrity after its 10-month political and security crises.“The electoral process today has been orderly, security and the general atmosphere is fine and the preparation has been very good,” Prof. said after observing the elections in several voting centres in the Bamako…
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — – Kenya will be pilot country for the industrialization and commercializationSchneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com), the market leader in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, inaugurated the MiCROSOL project aims to develop a single, modular standard technology for producing electricity, drinking water and heat simultaneously, primarily to benefit micro-industries located in rural areas of countries with high levels of sunshine, especially in Africa.Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/schneider_electric.jpg Download the press kit: http://www.apo-mail.org/131121en.pdfWatch the video: http://youtu.be/9opfKp8gj0c TVs can download HD videos via FTP: Host: sd-27619.dedibox.fr; ID: user; Password: f1H3KnnNPhoto 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/dsc_9710.jpgPhoto 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/dsc_9720.jpgPhoto 3:…
GENEVA, Switzerland, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, expressed great concern about rampant human rights violations in Eritrea which caused hundreds of thousands to leave their country for an unknown and precarious future. “I call on the Eritrean Government to respect its human rights obligations and to put an immediate stop to human rights violations that are committed in the country”, Ms. Keetharuth stressed after interviewing Eritreans during an official mission* to Tunisia and Malta. The blanket disrespect of fundamental human rights in…
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An African Union- United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) convoy came under attack by unknown armed people on the road from Kabkabiya to Saraf Umra in North Darfur on 24 November. One soldier from Rwanda, who was shot during the assault, succumbed to his injuries later in the Mission’s hospital in Kabkabiya. One of the UNAMID vehicles was hijacked by the attackers. UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Mohamed Ibn Chambas strongly condemns yet another attack on a UNAMID convoy. He notes that this deplorable act that has caused the…
ROME, Italy, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Strengthening forest producer organizations should contribute significantly to reducing poverty, improving livelihoods and enhancing economic development of smallholder forest owners and farmers, FAO said today at the International Conference on Forest Producer Organizations, taking place in Guilin, China, 25-28 November 2013. Being part of a producer organization can give individual forest producers better access to markets, a stronger bargaining position, essential market information, a voice in policy development and help them to improve their entrepreneurial skills. Largely under-estimated Hundreds of millions of people depend on forests for their livelihoods. Despite these…
LAGOS, Nigeria, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Insurance Organisation has long warned that lack of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure is holding the African insurance market back. The additional challenge of getting legacy systems to provide improved risk management and mobile services, is forcing insurers to rethink their systems strategy.Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ssp.jpg Download the White Paper: http://www.apo-mail.org/131123.pdfPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=752 (Rhys Collins, Head of African Operations for SSP)Rhys Collins, Head of African Operations for SSP (http://www.ssp-worldwide.com/Africa), a leading provider of insurance technology to insurers across the continent, says modern technology overcomes these challenges, and this is increasingly drawing…
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — We cordially invite you to the swearing-in of the 16 Judges of the Residual Court for Sierra Leone and the hand-over of the Special Court complex to Government, to take place at the SCSL courthouse on 2 December 2013 beginning at 9:00 a.m. prompt. There will be photo opportunities.The Judges, ten of whom are appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and six by the Government of Sierra Leone, will comprise the RSCSL’s Roster of Judges. They will exercise judicial functions in an ad hoc capacity on matters arising…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, and the Development Bank of South Africa today convened a meeting of representatives from Japanese and South African companies, government, development agencies to explore opportunities to increase public and private investment and partnerships in the water sector in Southern Africa. The ‘Water Works’ seminar will focus on knowledge sharing in the areas of water supply, waste water and reuse, acid mine drainage, and improved efficiency.Shinichi Asazuma, Minister at the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of South Africa,…
TUNIS, Tunisia, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Statement by Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank (http://www.afdb.org), on the International Day for the elimination of violence against women, 25 November 2013Photo Donald Kaberuka: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/donald-kaberuka-afdb-president.jpg Violence against women is violence against us all. Violence against women is not “only” a “women’s issue”: it is a priority for all men and all women who are committed to contributing to the development of their societies. Africa knows that: its women face a terrible toll of violence. In countries affected by conflict, as many as two-thirds of women have experienced sexual…
WASHINGTON, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Remarks With United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague and Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan After Their MeetingRemarksJohn KerrySecretary of StateWinfield HouseLondon, United KingdomNovember 24, 2013SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you all. It’s our pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister of Libya Ali Zeidan here to Winfield House, our American enclave in the heart of the capital of the United Kingdom. We’re honored to be here with my colleague, William Hague, to do so.Libya has gone through great turmoil, particularly after the course of the last weeks, and the Prime Minister informed us of…
ABUJA, Nigeria, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Mali’s Prime Minister Oumar Tatam Ly has expressed his country’s profound gratitude to ECOWAS for its solidarity and contributions that facilitated the resolution of Malian crises and restoration of national unity and constitutional order.Receiving in audience in his office on Friday 22nd November 2013, Prof. Amos Sawyer, Head of ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Mali’s Sunday legislative poll, the Prime Minister mentioned in particular the laudable efforts by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Kadre Desire Ouedraogo and his management team in advancing the regional integration agenda.He noted that…
CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, November 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The recent oil and gas finds in Africa will continue to have a positive impact on local economies, if local African suppliers, service providers and other businesses are geared up to service this growth. Download the report : http://www.dhl.com/energywhitepaperLogo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/dhl_logo2.jpgPhoto 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/energy-1.jpgPhoto 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/energy-2.jpgPhoto 3: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/energy-3.jpgPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/charles-brewer.jpg (Charles Brewer, Managing Director for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa)This is according to Steve Harley, President of the Energy Sector, for DHL Customer Solutions & Innovations (http://www.dhl.com). Harley says that these energy finds provide many possibilities for local businesses, to echo the express operator’s own…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 23, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, today, appointed the leadership team of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (AFISM-CAR), following consultations with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). In this regard, Major General (Rtd) Jean Marie Michel Mokoko, of the Republic of Congo, has been appointed Special Representative in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Head of AFISM-CAR. General Mokoko has a long and rich experience in the field of peace and security. He held the position…
WASHINGTON, November 23, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Advancing Security and Counterterrorism CooperationMorocco is one of our closest counterterrorism partners in the Middle East and North Africa region and one of the most active members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). The Government of Morocco is implementing a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy, which reflects technical expertise as well as leadership in the religious and cultural dimensions of countering violent extremism. Rabat will host the 5th meeting of the GCTF’s Coordinating Committee in spring 2014.Morocco continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to building international cooperation during its 2012-13 membership on the United…