ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, will attend the Summit of the East African Community (EAC) being convened in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, today, to discuss the situation in Burundi. Yesterday, 12 May 2015, the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Sma?l Chergui, participated in the preparatory ministerial meeting. The AU’s participation in the EAC meetings is a further illustration of its continued support to the regional efforts to address the crisis in Burundi. In the meantime, the AU High-Level delegation, comprising former Togolese Prime Minister…
Author: apofeed
MONROVIA, Liberia, May 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Corinne Deléchat, visited Monrovia from April 25 to May 8, 2015 to conduct the fourth review of the government’s economic program supported by the IMF under an Extended Credit Facility (ECF)1 arrangement, which was approved by the IMF Executive Board in November 2012. At the end of the visit, Ms. Deléchat issued the following statement:“Liberia’s economy in 2014 was greatly affected by the Ebola crisis. Real GDP growth for 2014 is estimated at about 0.7 percent, compared to 8.9 percent in…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The newly appointed Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, will conduct his first mission to the Sudan from 13 to 23 May 2015, to assess and verify the situation of human rights with the view to making recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building for addressing human rights in the country*. During his ten-day mission, Mr. Nononsi will visit Khartoum and Darfur. He will meet with Government officials, civil society representatives, members of the diplomatic corps and UN agencies. At the end of his visit,…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has agreed with the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and humanitarian partners to assist in the voluntary return and reinsertion of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Mpoko IDP camp located next to the runway of Bangui International Airport.In early April, CAR’s transitional government announced plans to close Mpoko camp by the end of June 2015. There are an estimated 18,000 IDPs currently living in the camp, according to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). Based on a return intentions study facilitated by DRC in the camp, an estimated…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) on Somalia, consisting of EU member states, the EU, Norway, Switzerland and the United States has been following closely the developments surrounding the publication of the Human Rights Watch report on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by African Union Forces in Somalia and is encouraged by the recently published African Union’s response on this issue. The Group considers the response to reflect a positive attempt by the AU to investigate the allegations of sexual violence made in the HRW report. The Group is encouraged…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A rising number of shipwrecks is happening near the Libyan coast as migrants continue to embark towards Italy aboard unseaworthy vessels. Many of the boats are intercepted by the Libyan Naval Coast Guard before they even can reach the high seas. This has increased the number of migrants in need of urgent assistance in various Libyan ports.“The number of migrants departing who have up to now been trapped in Libya is soaring,” says IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi. “This is partly due to calmer seas that are encouraging people…
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Media NoteOffice of the SpokespersonWashington, DCMay 11, 2015Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield is traveling to Tanzania, May 11–14, for the East African Community (EAC) emergency ministerial on the situation in Burundi. The United States commends the EAC for its leadership and engagement on Burundi.In Dar-es-Salaam, Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield will participate in meetings on the sidelines of the EAC ministerial in order to express U.S. concern about the situation in Burundi as well as U.S. support for the Arusha Agreement and political dialogue among all parties to ensure peaceful, credible and…
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJeff RathkeActing Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCMay 11, 2015The United States warmly congratulates the people of the Central African Republic on the successful conclusion of the Bangui Forum. Hundreds of Central Africans from across the country and from all walks of life participated in this historic event, and many more, including diaspora and refugee populations, stayed engaged through live media coverage and conversations in their homes and communities.The United States welcomes the signature by armed groups and the transitional government of an accord on disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and…
KAMPALA, Uganda, May 11, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — • Merck kicks off their first combined diabetes and cancer awareness campaign as part of Merck Cancer Control Program (MCCP) in Africa• Merck provides more than 2.000 Ugandans with free cancer education and diabetes screening. Kampala, Uganda, April 23, 2015 – Merck (http://www.merckgroup.com), a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials, in partnership with Uganda Ministry of Health, Makerere University and Uganda Cancer Institute kicked off today their first combined diabetes and cancer campaign in Tororo , Uganda as part of Merck Cancer…
NEW YORK, May 11, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Mamadou Diallo (Guinea) as the Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), where he will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Mr. Diallo succeeds Moustapha Soumaré of Mali, who completed his assignment in March. The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Soumaré’s outstanding contribution and dedicated service for the past three…