JUBA, South Sudan, May 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “Given the enormous, immediate and medium-term humanitarian consequences of the past five months of fighting, I am pleased to note the parties’ agreement in Addis Ababa. An end to the violence will allow people some breathing space, to move around more safely and to plant and take better care of themselves in the coming months. The parties’ commitment to end conflict and to cooperate, unconditionally, with the UN and humanitarian agencies to ensure that aid reaches millions of affected people in all areas of South sudan is very welcome. It…
Author: apofeed
NEW YORK, May 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Secretary-General welcomes the signing in Addis Ababa today, by President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar, of an Agreement to Resolve the Crisis in South Sudan. He demands that the parties immediately translate these commitments into action on the ground, in particular the cessation of all hostilities. The Secretary-General commends the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and in particular its chair Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, for its ongoing efforts to mediate a peaceful and sustainable end to the conflict. The Secretary-General reiterates the steadfast commitment of the…
WASHINGTON, May 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJohn KerrySecretary of StateWashington, DCMay 9, 2014Today’s agreement to immediately stop the fighting in South sudan and to negotiate a transitional government could mark a breakthrough for the future of South sudan. The hard journey on a long road begins now and the work must continue.We urge both leaders to take immediate action now to ensure that this agreement is implemented in full and that armed groups on both sides adhere to its terms.We also acknowledge the effort of the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn,…
RABAT, Morocco, May 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement today in Rabat:“It is a great pleasure to return to Morocco, home of many cultures, and meet with its people. This is my first visit to Rabat and Casablanca, as Managing Director of the IMF.I had the privilege to meet with his Majesty Mohamed VI, Head of Government Mr. Benkiran, Minister of Economic and Finance Mr. Boussaid, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib Mr. Jouahri, and other senior officials. It was my honor to address the Conseil Economique…
KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Edward Gemayel visited Khartoum during April 29-May 8, 2014 to conduct the first review under Sudan’s 2014 Staff-Monitored Program (SMP). The mission held discussions with Minister of Finance and National Economy BadrEldeen Mahmood Abbas, Minister of Petroleum Makawi Mohamed Awad, Governor of the Central Bank of sudan Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelrahman Hashim, and other senior government officials. The mission also met with members of the diplomatic and donor community, as well as with members of the business community.Mr. Lodewyk Erasmus, the IMF’s Resident…
DUBLIN, Ireland, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello TD reiterated Ireland’s commitment to strengthening relations with Sierra Leone following the decision to open an Irish embassy in Freetown and the nomination of an Irish Ambassador. Speaking during at an event at Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin to mark Sierra Leone’s Independence, organised by the Sierra Leone – ireland partnership group (SLIP), Minister Costello said: “Irish Aid has been actively engaged with Sierra Leone since the country emerged from a period of brutal conflict between 1991 and 2002. We have worked closely with the…
TOKYO, Japan, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — 1. The Government of Japan is deeply shocked and enraged by the fact that more than 200 school girls were abducted in Borno State, the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Their basic human rights have been severely violated by the Islamic extremist group, “Boko Haram.” Any violence committed by Boko Haram against innocent civilians, including bombing on the outskirts of Abuja, cannot be justified on any grounds or for any purpose. The Government of Japan firmly condemns any act of terrorism.2. The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Church leaders from South sudan are arriving in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, all set to take part in the start of negotiations between South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar. The negotiations aim to find solutions for the world’s newest nation, reeling from violence since last year that has left thousands dead and millions homeless.Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Juba, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak of the Episcopal Church of sudan are mong these church leaders, as well as Peter Gai Lual Marrow…
NEW YORK, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Secretary-General congratulates the people and Government of South Africa on the peaceful holding of parliamentary and provincial elections yesterday, amid reports of high voter turnout.He applauds the determination of South Africans to participate meaningfully in the democratic system the country has fought so hard to establish, starting with the first multi-racial elections 20 years ago.The United Nations is committed to continue supporting South Africa in its efforts to advance justice and development for the benefit of all segments of society.
LONDON, United-Kingdom, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UK team has arrived in Abuja to support Nigerian government in its response to the abduction of over 200 school girls. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:“A team of UK experts who will advise and support the Nigerian authorities in its response to the abduction of over 200 school girls touched down in Abuja, Nigeria this morning. “The team is drawn from across Government, including DfID, FCO and the MoD, and will work with the Nigerian authorities leading on the abductions and terrorism in Nigeria. The team will be considering…
NEW YORK, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Marco Carmignani of Brazil as his Deputy Special Representative (Political) with the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).Mr. Carmignani brings with him a wealth of political and leadership experience spanning over two decades of service with the United Nations. For the past seven years, he served in peacekeeping and political missions in the Middle East as Senior Adviser and Chief of Staff. Prior to that, he held a number of senior positions at the United Nations Secretariat in New…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and IOM this week hosted a three-day Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Conference in Accra, Ghana, consisting of an Experts Meeting, followed by a Ministerial Meeting.The Conference brought together high-level government officials and policy-makers from all fifteen ECOWAS Member States, as well as national and international experts and civil society representatives to discuss free movement of persons, regional integration and economic cooperation in West Africa.MIDWA was founded in 2000 by ECOWAS, in coordination with IOM, to provide a regional platform for…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following an invitation from the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Guinea Bissau, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission has approved the deployment of an African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Republic of Guinea Bissau’s Presidential election run off scheduled for 18 May 2014.The AUEOM will be led by former President of the Republic of Mozambique, H.E. Joaquim A. Chissano. The mission comprises forty (40) trained African Union observers drawn from various African institutions including members of Pan-African Parliament, human right organizations and civil society organizations in Africa.…
OTTAWA, Canada, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following reports of the killing of more than 300 civilians in northeastern Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:“Canada condemns the massacre in Gamboru Ngala and offers its condolences to the families and friends of the victims. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured.“This attack follows on the heels of the abhorrent kidnapping of schoolgirls by Boko Haram. The kidnapping of schoolgirls to force them into marriage and slavery is immoral and an outrage. The young girls are in our…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Friday that a detailed new UN report describing gross violations of human rights in South sudan “on a massive scale,” including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, “underscores the extreme urgency of bringing the conflict to an end.” Pillay, who warned of the gravity of the situation after visiting South sudan two weeks ago in the company of the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said “the UNMISS* report’s detailed accounts of ethnic-based mass killings and revenge attacks, including…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, looks forward to the planned meeting between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and former Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar, in Addis Ababa, on 9 May 2014, under the auspices of Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn of Ethiopia, Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). She notes that the meeting, the first of its kind since the outbreak of the crisis, will take place against the backdrop of a deteriorating situation on the ground, marked by widespread abuses against civilians…
YAOUNDE, Cameroon, May 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Mr. Mario de Zamaróczy, visited Cameroon during April 24–May 8, 2014 to conduct the 2014 Article IV Consultation discussions. The mission met with the President of the Republic H.E. Paul Biya, Minister Secretary General at the Presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of Finance Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, several other ministers, Mr. Jean-Marie Benoît Mani, the National Director of the Bank of Central African States, other senior officials, and representatives of the private sector, labor…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In the context of the relevant decisions of the AU policy organs, regarding the situation in the Horn of Africa, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smaïl Chergui, visited the Republic of Djibouti and the State of Eritrea, on 19 April and on 6 May 2014, respectively. During those visits, the Commissioner was received by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and President Isaias Afewerki. He seized the opportunity of his interactions with the two Heads of State to apprise them of the AU’s peace efforts in the region and…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A group of United Nations and African human rights experts on Thursday called on the Boko Haram armed group to immediately release the girls abducted in Borno State, Nigeria. The experts also urged the Nigerian Government to take all necessary measures to ensure their safe return and to hold the perpetrators accountable. On 14 April, many girls – more than 200 according to different sources – were abducted at gunpoint from their secondary school during a violent raid by Boko Haram in the village of Chibok, Borno State, in the northeast…
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJohn KerrySecretary of StateWashington, DCMay 7, 2014The United States congratulates the Republic of South Africa on its national and provincial elections today.It is not lost on us that this is the fifth round of inclusive elections since the end of apartheid in 1994 and the first since the passing of Nelson Mandela. Madiba knew that the future demanded that people of good faith summon the courage and conviction to move beyond the past. With each democratic election in South Africa, we see the power and purpose of that vision.The United States…