BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — One year after the Donors’ Conference for mali that was held in Brussels on 15 May 2013 and raised 3.3 billion euro to support the reconstruction of the country, EU Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, hosts an event in Bamako to follow-up on the commitments. During his visit, the Commissioner will inaugurate the resumption of works on the road between Niono and Timbuktu, in the north of the country, which had been interrupted during occupation of the area by rebels and terrorist groups. The road will be the first and…
Author: apofeed
OSLO, Norway, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — ‘Boko Haram’s kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls is an unacceptable attack on girls’ right to education. The Government has therefore decided to allocate NOK 10 million to efforts to promote safe schooling for girls in northern Nigeria and help to the communities affected by the abductions. Norway will also consider providing humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced people in the area,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. Boko Haram’s brutal attack on the school in Chibok in Borno state in northern Nigeria on 14 April and the group’s…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Wednesday firmly condemned the acts of violence against more than 200 girls who were abducted from their secondary school on 14 April 2014 during a violent raid by Boko Haram in the village of Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria. The Committee expressed deep concern about the fate of the girls, who have now been separated from their families for one month. “The Committee considers that this large-scale abduction from an educational institution for enslavement constitutes a direct violation of articles 5, 6…
NEW YORK, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Oh Joon (Republic of Korea):The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the killing of a French journalist near Bouar, Central African Republic, on 13 May.The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the family of the victim, as well as to the Government of France.The members of the Security Council recalled that, in accordance with international humanitarian law, journalists, media professionals and associated personnel engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict are generally…
NEW YORK, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an immediate investigation into the death of French freelance photojournalist Camille Lepage, 26, in the Central African Republic. In a statement issued today, the French government said that French troops had discovered Lepage’s body in a vehicle driven by fighters of the anti-Balaka Christian militia, according to news reports.”We call on the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic as well as French authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into Camille Lepage’s death,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. Lepage’s work has been…
LONDON, United-Kingdom, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — FCO Minister Mark Simmonds to travel to Nigeria for high-level meetings to discuss further UK assistance.Following the abduction of over 200 school girls in northern Nigeria on 14 April, Foreign Office Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds will visit Abuja on 14 May for high-level meetings with Nigerian authorities to explore what further assistance and advice the UK can provide in support of Nigeria’s efforts to secure the girls’ release and to deal with the threat posed by the extremist group Boko Haram.The UK team of experts, in Abuja since 9 May,…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is shocked and deeply saddened with the detention of journalists for allegedly “defaming” Somaliland officials and “publishing false Information”. Two journalists, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, owner and chairman of Haatuf Media Network, and Ahmed Ali Igeh, Editor-in-chief of Haatuf newspaper were arrested by Somaliland police on 10 May 2014 inside Hargeisa Regional Court after the court ordered their imprisonment. The Hargeisa court heard complaints by Somaliland’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Hussein Abdi Duale and Somaliland’s Minister of Interior, Ali Mohamed Waran…
ACCRA, Ghana, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On May 7, 2014, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation1 with Ghana.Ghana has experienced strong and broadly inclusive growth over the past two decades, and its medium-term prospects are supported by rising energy production. The country has outperformed regional peers in reducing poverty, with robust democratic credentials and a highly-rated business climate attracting significant foreign direct investment (FDI) and supporting economic growth. Expanding energy production over the medium term has the potential to generate new opportunities to channel resources into productive investment.The emergence…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has distributed some 13.7 tons of food to some 1,400 newly arrived displaced persons (IDPs) in Kabo and Moyen-Sido, Central African Republic (CAR).The distribution focused on the recently relocated PK12 community: a Muslim and minority population that had come under attack in the capital, Bangui, and decided to relocate to northern CAR.The IDPs are receiving emergency assistance through the combined efforts of IOM, InterSOS, UNICEF, Solidarity International and MSF-Spain, as they settle into their new surroundings.In Moyen-Sido, near the Chad border, food provided by the UN World Food Programme was…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with IOM, is this week hosting a four-day International Dialogue on Irregular Migration and Border Management in Abuja.The meeting, which began yesterday and includes senior immigration officials from Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon and Chad, aims to provide a platform for building formal policy and operational structures of cooperation and coordination between the Nigerian Immigration Service and its counterparts in neighbouring countries.The initiative, part of the European Union (EU)-funded project “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria,” targets broad areas of collaboration, including data collection, intelligence…
NEW YORK, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A regional court in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland remanded two journalists into custody on Saturday after charging them with libel, false publication, and anti-state propaganda, according to news reports and the local Somaliland Journalists’ Association. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, chairman of the Haatuf Media Network, and Ahmed Ali, chief editor of the network, were jailed after the hearing, the reports said.The judge denied the journalists bail, Hassan Ali, the journalists’ defense lawyer, told CPJ. The lawyer also said the court did not provide the defense team with adequate time to present…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, has condemned the attack in Baidoa today that resulted in the death of many civilians and injuries to many more. “I am shocked and saddened by the attack in Baidoa today. I urge the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly. The United Nations will continue to support the Somali people and their Government as they strive for a peaceful and stable future.” Mr Kay expressed his sincere condolences to the families and friends of all those killed…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The start of South Sudan’s rainy season has dramatically raised the threat level of waterborne diseases, in particular cholera, for an estimated 86,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in protection of civilian (PoC) sites in UN bases across the country.“Despite ongoing efforts to improve living conditions at PoC sites, heavy rains coupled with congestion, poor hygiene practices and overburdened sanitation facilities have created conditions ripe for waterborne diseases,” says David Derthick, IOM Chief of Mission in South sudan. IOM’s Health Unit is responding to the threat by conducting Oral Cholera Vaccination…
ALGIERS, Algeria, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Royal Philips (http://www.philips.com/africaroadshow) (AEX: PHIA, NYSE: PHG), the global leader in lighting, today unveiled the spectacular illumination of Algeria’s iconic Maqam Echahid with its latest LED lighting technology, boosting the beautification of the city of Algiers and cutting energy consumption by 75%. Philips is showcasing its LED lighting solutions in Algeria as part of the fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow (http://www.philipsafricaroadshow.com). By making a stopover in Algeria for the second consecutive year, Philips underlines its commitment to enhance life in Africa by improving energy efficiency in Algeria. Logo…
NEW YORK, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s briefing to the Security Council meeting on South Sudan, today:Thank you for inviting me to brief you. I thank the Security Council for its attention to the mounting crisis in South Sudan.I visited the country last week to sound the alarm about the violence and the risk of catastrophic famine, and to press the leaders to step back from the destructive path they are on. I had a long and productive meeting with President Salva Kiir last Tuesday in Juba, and spoke by telephone to…
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) Joseph Mutaboba travelled with Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Chair Tijani Seisi on 12 May 2014 to Buram, South Darfur, to meet with members of the local community, hear their concerns, assess the security situation and discuss progress on the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).As part of the trip to Buram, where UNAMID has an operating base, the DJSR and the DRA Chair met with South Darfur Governor Adam Mahmoud Jar El-Nabi, the Nazir of Habaniya and Buram’s Commissioner.…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 12, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -6 Church leaders, who were part of the negotiations between South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar, now urge that the peace agreement come into immediate effect, ending a five-month conflict in the world’s newest country. The peace agreement was signed by Kiir and Machar on Saturday, 10 May in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Yet the situation remains volatile until the truce actually takes effect on the ground.Church leaders who were present at the signing of the peace agreement in Addis Ababa include Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of the…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, May 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) followed with interest the ex-Séléka discussions held in Ndele (North), which included the participation of various combatants and respective political leaders. It notes with interest the organizational efforts of the ex-combatants and commends the discussions on the ex-Séléka’s participation in a disarmament process and the implementation of a political coordination. MINUSCA takes this opportunity to remind all political actors of the importance of disarmament. It encourages the Government to meet with the leaders of all armed…
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, May 12, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Tigo Tanzania (http://www.tigo.co.tz) announced today that it has created a “Tigo Business” unit to develop a series of products using high-speed fibre connections to support the needs of the country’s large corporate organisations as well as its small and medium-sized enterprises.Logo Tigo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/tigo-1.jpgPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1065 (Tigo Tanzania General Manager, Diego Gutierrez)The newly-established team plans to launch these new services from the third quarter of 2014 by deploying Tigo’s existing fibre network and expanding it. Local and international businesses will be able to benefit from Tigo’s own extensive fibre infrastructure, which…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 12, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIAWhen: Nairobi, Kenya from 12 – 15 May 2014 Kampala, Uganda from 15-17 May 2014The African Union Commission of Inquiry on South sudan is expected to meet with South Sudanese citizens in Kenya and Uganda as well as the other pressure groups. This is in addition to meetings with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other actors that could assist it in its investigations.Why: To fulfill the mandate of the South sudan Commission of Inquiry which is captured in the Communiqué of the PSC on 30…