WASHINGTON, April 4, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the “order”) declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in and in relation to South Sudan.The order does not target the country of South Sudan, but rather is aimed at persons who threaten the peace, stability, or security of South Sudan; commit…
Author: apofeed
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Four years ago, some four million South Sudanese voted to break with the past and usher in a new period of peace and prosperity. They expected their leaders to act with courage and conviction, to put the interests of the people first, and to be statesmen, not strongmen. Months of fighting between the Government of South sudan and forces loyal to rebel leader Riek Machar run counter to that vision and threaten to tear the young nation apart. Thousands have been killed. Nearly one million innocent civilians have been driven from their…
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement in Washington DC today:“It has been a great pleasure to meet Prime Minister Jomaa today and exchange views on the pressing economic and social challenges facing the country and the government’s economic program.“Our meeting was an opportunity to congratulate the Prime Minister on the progress made in Tunisia’s transition following the adoption of the new Constitution, which enjoyed the approval of an overwhelming majority at the Constituent Assembly and created a sense of hope.”“Yet, Tunisia’s economic situation…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, April 4, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, headed by Mr. Ekué Kpodar, visited Douala, Cameroon, from March 24 to April 2, 2014 to finalize discussions with the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) authorities on an emergency program that could be supported by the IMF’s Rapid Credit Facility (RCF). The mission held discussions with the C.A.R. Minister of Finance and Budget, Mr. Rémi Yakoro, his delegation, and with representatives of development partners (World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, and France).At the end of the mission, Mr. Ekué Kpodar issued the following…
ALGIERS, Algeria, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press AvailabilityJohn KerrySecretary of StateAlgiers, AlgeriaApril 3, 2014QUESTION: (Via interpreter, in progress) – makes a lot (inaudible) in the field of counterterrorism. However, we have two unshakable principles. The first one is noninterference in the states first, and the second one is the nonintervention of our army outside our territories. So how could we serve stability in this context and as part of these two principles?SECRETARY KERRY: Merci. We have great respect for Algeria’s principle of noninterference. At the same time, terrorism doesn’t know any borders. Terrorism moves indiscriminately across borders…
ALGIERS, Algeria, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — RemarksJohn KerrySecretary of StateAlgiers, AlgeriaApril 3, 2014Shukran, thank you. Good morning, everybody. It’s nice to be here. I want to thank Foreign Minister Lamamra for his – Ramtane for his very thoughtful, very wise and encouraging opening comments, a really very comprehensive statement, Ramtane, with a great deal of thought about the things that we need to cooperate on and work on. So I’m particularly encouraged at the opening of this plenary session to have heard the broad prospects of increased cooperation between us. I want to thank you for your…
VATICAN, Holy See, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — National reconciliation and the role the Church may play in this task twenty years after the genocide that devastated the nation were the central themes of Pope Francis’ address to the bishops of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Rwanda at the end of their five-yearly “ad limina” visit.The Holy Father acknowledges the suffering of the Rwandan people and the many wounds that must still be healed, and joined in heartfelt mourning with the population, assuring the bishops of his prayers for “your ecclesial communities, often torn; for all the…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — THIRD SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION Conference OF AFRICAN MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (CAMT) MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA / 07 – 11 April 2014What: The third session of the conference of African Ministers of Transport When Experts meeting 7th -8th Ministerial meeting 10th -11thWhere: Ciudad de Sipopo, Malabo II, Equatorial GuineaTheme “Speeding-up Transport Program Delivery for Facilitating Africa’s Economic Growth”Who: African Union Commission (AUC)Objectives: To review the implementation of the various sub-sector plans of action, target specific outcomes, and identify constraints as well as new challenges to facilitate rapid implementation of…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) denounces the increasing violations against the press in the town of Baidoa, after angry demonstrators attacked a Television journalist and beat him seriously in the town of Baidoa on Monday 31 March, 2014, the latest in string of attacks against the journalists in Somalia.The town of Baidoa become an increasing hostile environment for the journalists following the announcement of the two opposing regional states claiming from three to six regions. The journalists increasingly become target for the supporters of the opposing administrations.Demonstrators opposing the…
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission visited Freetown during March 17-April 1, 2014 for the first review of Sierra Leone’s program supported by the IMF through the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).The mission met with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Kaifala Marah; the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Mr. Sheku Sesay; other senior officials of the government and the central bank, representatives of the business community and civil society, and development partners.The following statement was issued today in Freetown by IMF Mission Chief Malangu Kabedi-Mbuyi:“Economic activity…
PARIS, France, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Schneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com), the global specialist in energy management, today announced the winners of the first edition of the Media Awards on Electrical Counterfeiting in Africa, which recognises African journalists who publish or broadcast outstanding investigative reports on issues relating to electrical counterfeiting in Africa.The First Media Awards on Electrical Counterfeiting in Africa was won by Adedeji Ademigbuji, Senior Correspondent at The Nation Newspaper (Nigeria) for his piece entitled “Checking the menace of fake electrical products” (http://bit.ly/1s2TO8u), and by Birame Faye, reporter at Le Quotidien newspaper in Senegal for his piece…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union (AU) Commission of Inquiry on South sudan held its second meeting yesterday and today. The Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other members of the Commission, namely Professor Mahmood Mamdani, Ms. Bineta Diop, Professor Pacifique Manirakiza and Lady Justice Sophia Akuffo were in attendance. Following the swearing in of Lady Justice Sophia Akuffo, the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Commission is now fully constituted. The second working meeting of the Commission dealt with a wide range…
LONDON, United-Kingdom, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Secretary meets Egyptian Foreign Minister to discuss the situation in Egypt and regional issues. The Foreign Secretary William Hague met the Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy in Brussels on 2 April. They discussed the political situation in Egypt, including the Presidential elections scheduled for 26-27 May.Speaking after the meeting, a Foreign Office spokesperson said:“The Foreign Secretary raised his strong concern over the death sentence imposed on 529 people on 24 March and the case of two British journalists who have been charged in Egypt and are currently being tried in…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Anti-balaka fighters killed at least 72 Muslim men and boys, some as young as nine, in two recent attacks in southwestern Central African Republic, Human Rights Watch said today. The assaults, on February 1 and 5, 2014, were in the village of Guen, in a region where abuses have been rampant, but not widely reported. Human Rights Watch interviewed survivors who had fled to a nearby village.In a separate attack in the southwest, armed Seleka fighters, supported by Peuhl cattle herders, killed 19 people on February 22 in the village of…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, April 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In implementation of UN Resolution 1325 and the conclusions of the workshop for women leaders of the Central African Republic (CAR) held in Bangui on 12-14 March 2014, the Human Rights Protection and Gender Unit of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA), in collaboration with the UN Integrated Office in the Car (BINUCA), yesterday organized an open forum for Car women leaders and the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and Head of MISCA, Gen. Jean Marie Michel Mokoko.…
NEW YORK, April 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the twentieth commemoration of the Rwanda genocide, to be observed on 7 April:This year marks 20 years since the genocide in Rwanda. Around the world people are coming together to “Remember, Unite, Renew”.We will always remember the more than 800,000 innocent people so brutally murdered as we pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of the survivors. We draw inspiration from the ability of the Rwandan people to unite and show that reconciliation is possible even after a monumental tragedy. And we pay…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, April 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) would like to inform the media and the general public, that its 23rd Ordinary Session will take place from 07 – 16 April, 2014, at the African Union Commission New Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Examination of State Party and Civil society complementary reports on the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) will be at the heart of this Session. Reporting under the African children Charter is crucial to…
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, April 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma paid an official visit to Abu-Dhabi on 20th January 2014. During the visit of His Excellency the President held fruitful discussions with high level officials of the government of the United Arab Emirates bordering on Economic cooperation. Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/sl.pngPhoto 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/140402-2.jpegPhoto 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/1404021.jpegAs a follow up to the visit of His Excellency the President of Sierra Leone, the Government of Sierra Leone sent a delegation to the UAE, headed by the Honorable Minister of Mines…
OTTAWA, Canada, April 1, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Today, Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, announced additional support to the people of South sudan in response to the escalation of violence in several regions of the country since December 2013.The security situation in South sudan remains deeply concerning, with reports of continued fighting, attacks on civilians and ethnic violence. Those affected by the crisis are in dire need of protection, food, health care, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services.”Canada continues to respond to the increasing needs in South Sudan,” said Minister Paradis. “People who have been…
JUBA, South Sudan, April 1, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Aid agencies in South sudan warn of even more dire humanitarian consequences if urgently needed funds are not raised in the coming weeks. The South sudan Crisis Response Plan, which covers January to June 2014, is only 30 per cent funded. Of the US$887 million shortfall in funding, $232 million is the bare minimum required for the next three months to avoid the humanitarian situation deteriorating sharply. The funding needed will enable rapid response teams to provide lifesaving aid including food, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, to communities in hard-to-reach…