MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 27, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, welcomed the release on 25 February of four remaining crewmen of the FV Prantalay 12 vessel, taken hostage at sea by Somali pirates on 18 April 2010. This is the longest period of captivity by any hostages of Somali pirates. The crew, all Thai nationals, were released by their captors into the hands of the Somali Regional Administration in Galmudug.”I am grateful to see the longest held hostages released from Somalia, and thank all those involved who made it…
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GENEVA, Switzerland, February 27, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM offices in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Yemen this week helped 125 Ethiopians – many of them unaccompanied minors – to return home from Tanzania and Yemen.The 54 returnees from Tanzania, who included six unaccompanied minors, were detained by the Tanzanian authorities while trying to reach South Africa and spent over four months in detention before IOM arranged their return home.The 71 returnees from Yemen, who were all unaccompanied minors, crossed the Red Sea and became stranded while trying to reach the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They spent between 2-3 months in…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 27, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In what is hoped will be the first of many evacuations of stranded third country nationals in the coming weeks, IOM today organized the successful departure of 133 Senegalese men from the Karareem reception center in Misrata, Libya, and their flight home from Tunisia.The evacuees are part of a group of 401 Senegalese IOM plans to return to their homeland over the next week, and perhaps the first of thousands who will be able to leave Libya safely after months of waiting.For this operation, IOM worked in close cooperation with the…
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 26, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A cholera outbreak is further jeopardizing the health of 230,000 people recently displaced by floods in Malawi. The majority of those affected are living in temporary camps where access to safe water and improved sanitation, both essential for the prevention of an epidemic, is an immediate challenge. The Red Cross, through its solid network of volunteers, is on the ground, constructing new latrines and repairing damaged boreholes, however, without an influx of resources, there is concern that the caseload will increase, increasing the vulnerability of already fragile families. “The Red Cross…
NAIROBI, Kenya, February 26, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will hold a press conference on Friday 27 February at the end of its 41st Session in Nairobi, Kenya. When: 14.00 Nairobi time on Friday 27 February 2015 (0600 ET, 11.00 GMT, 12.00 Geneva, 16.30 New Delhi, 19.00 Beijing, 20.00 Tokyo) Where: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya NB This press conference was previously scheduled 3 hours later at 17.00 Nairobi time. The Acting Chair of the IPCC, Ismail El Gizouli, and the Secretary of the IPCC, Renate…
STASBOURG, Belgium, February 26, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Elena Valenciano, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights in the European Parliament, welcomed the release of Bob Rugurica from Brurundi following Parliament’s resolution in February calling for his immediate release. Bob Rugurika thanked the European Parliament for its strong support and gave a statement which you can watch here.Ms Valenciano made the following statement:”The European Parliament welcomes the release, even if conditional, of journalist Bob Rugurika from Burundi. It is gratifying to see that our February urgency resolution on his specific case has had an impact on the ground.We trust…
ROME, Italy, February 25, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A cooperative of women in Ethiopia is set to reach the international market thanks to a partnership between Italian gourmet food store Eataly and FAO. The two joined forces in 2013 to support family farmers around the globe in boosting their production and finding ways to reach new overseas customers. The work with the women’s cooperative is one example of this collaboration. For a few years Tsega Gebrekidan Aregawi ran a small kiosk in the northern Ethiopian town of Mekelle, where local university students would stop by to purchase fresh fruit…
WASHINGTON, February 25, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJen PsakiDepartment SpokespersonWashington, DCFebruary 24, 2015President Obama, today, nominated Katherine S. Dhanani to serve as the first United States Ambassador to Somalia since 1991. This historic nomination signals the deepening relationship between the United States and Somalia. It also allows us to mark the progress of the Somali people toward emerging from decades of conflict. Somalia has considerable work ahead to complete its transition to a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous nation. The United States is committed to supporting Somalia on this journey as a steadfast partner. If confirmed, the Ambassador will…
NIAMEY, Niger, February 25, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Senior Minister, Minister of Economic Planning, Land Management and Community Development, H.E Dr. Amadou Boubacar CISSE and the CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (http://www.icd-idb.com), the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB), Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi, signed an agreement to setup a Sukuk program in an aggregate principal amount of CFA 150.0 billion. This program will be implemented during 2015-2020 for financing developmental projects. The Sukuk Program will be implemented in two equal phases of CFA…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 24, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations, African Union, European Union, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), United Kingdom and the United States of America have welcomed efforts by local elders and business people in Somalia’s central regions to mediate a peaceful solution to the recent conflict in Guricel. They expressed concern about the humanitarian impact and loss of life stemming from the conflict and called upon all parties to refrain from violence. They said: “We look forward to the conclusion of the valuable Dhuusamareb reconciliation conference, and look forward to the swift launch of the…