GENEVA, Switzerland, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A group of United Nations experts* today condemned the violence in Burundi and urged the authorities to uphold human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. They also called for a thorough and independent investigation into the human rights violations so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Over the past days, Burundi has suffered a wave of killings, arbitrary arrests, intimidation, the closure of media outlets, and the targeting of human rights defenders. This has taken place in the context of peaceful protests against the decision…
Author: apofeed
DALIAN, China, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — During a historic visit to China the Government of Equatorial Guinea, represented by the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy (http://www.equatorialoil.com), has announced the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding on April 30 with Chinese companies covering large areas of cooperation in the electricity and industrial sectors. The agreements were made during the Equatorial Guinea-Asia Economic Forum, hosted by the Government of Equatorial Guinea at the Shangri-La Hotel, in Dalian. The economic forum was organized in Dalian to introduce investment opportunities in Equatorial Guinea to Chinese companies. Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/equatoil.pngThe Ministry of…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Brand South Africa (http://www.brandsouthafrica.com) has participated in a number of platforms aimed at condemning the violent crimes committed in the past few weeks and implementation of interventions to quell the violence.Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/bsa.jpgTrue to the spirit and letter of the South African constitution (which puts emphasis on the rule of law), all hands were on deck in the past week in acts of condemnation to the crimes committed against fellow human beings that led to the death offour nationals from various countries in our beloved continentand three South Africans. President Jacob Zuma…
BERLIN, Germany, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Christoph Strässer, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, issued the following statement today (29 April) on the Kenyan High Court’s decision on the rights of an LGBTI organisation:I warmly welcome the decision by the High Court of Kenya. It is a groundbreaking acknowledgement that the right to freedom of assembly and the rights of minorities, including sexual orientation minorities, must be guaranteed full protection, even in the face of widespread existing prejudice. The Federal Government calls upon the Kenyan Government to continue to work towards ensuring LGBTI…
NDJAMENA, Chad, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) have decided to support US$1.1 billion in total debt relief for Chad, of which US$1.0 billion is expected to be delivered by multilateral creditors and the remainder by bilateral and commercial creditors.The Boards of Directors of both institutions1 determined that Chad has made satisfactory progress in meeting the requirements to reach the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the stage at which the HIPC debt relief becomes irrevocable and the country will benefit from…
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementMarie HarfActing Department Spokesperson, Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCApril 29, 2015The United States strongly condemns the recent violence in and around Menaka, Timbuktu and Goundam, Mali. We call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and return to their previous positions in compliance with all applicable ceasefire agreements. This violence is an obstacle to peace. We recall that in statement by the President of the United Nation’s Security Council on February 6, 2015, the Council expressed its readiness to consider appropriate measures, including targeted sanctions, against those who resume hostilities and…
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of the Congo, April 29, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Government of Congo will incinerate nearly five tons of seized ivory, fuelled by seized timber, in a strong show of Africa’s opposition to wildlife crime. The ceremony will precede the announcement, in Brazzaville, of the first pan-African strategy to combat the illicit trade in flora and fauna. The document and a draft action plan will be taken to the African Union Summit to be held in Johannesburg in June. Wildlife trafficking devastates biodiversity and ecosystems, threatening the supply of food and freshwater and eroding livelihoods for millions…
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, April 29, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo follow with concern the situation in Burundi. Last Saturday, Belgium was one of the first countries to call for the respect of the public space and of human rights. Belgium condemns all forms of violence and intimidation against civilians, the political opposition and human rights activists. Those who commit violent acts or human rights violations will be personally held responsible.Belgium pays particular attention to the involvement of…
ROME, Italy, April 29, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Somalia in 2014 exported a record 5 million livestock to markets in the Gulf of Arabia thanks to heavy investments in animal disease prevention backed by the European Union and the United Kingdom, FAO said today. This is the highest number of live animals exported from Somalia in the last 20 years. The export data, collected by the FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), indicates that Somalia exported 4.6 million goats and sheep, 340,000 cattle and 77,000 camels in 2014, worth an estimated $360 million.Livestock is the mainstay of…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, April 29, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 500th meeting held on 27 April 2015, reviewed the situation in Libya on the basis of the report submitted by the Chairperson of the Commission [PSC/PR/3(D)] and the update provided by the AU Special Envoy for Libya, Dileita Mohamed Dileita. Council also listened to the statements made by the representative of Libya, as well as by those of Algeria and Egypt, on behalf of the Ministerial Committee of Libya’s neighbours, Ethiopia, the League of Arab States, the European…