BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of the Congo, March 24, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — CONCLUSIONS1. The International Contact Group on the Central African Republic (ICG-CAR) held its fourth meeting in Brazzaville, on Friday, 21 March 2014, under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Basile Ikouebe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of the Congo, and Ambassador Smaïl Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU). The list of countries and organizations that took part in the meeting is indicated below .2. The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of H.E. Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the…
Author: apofeed
NEW YORK, March 24, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Babacar Gaye, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), to the meeting of the International Contact Group on the Central African Republic, in Brazzaville, 21 March:I thank the African Union and the Mediator of the Economic Community of Central African States for the crisis in the Central African Republic, His Excellency President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, for inviting the United Nations to participate in the fourth meeting of the…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In an operation early this morning, Somali National Army backed by African Union forces overran Al Shabaab outposts to capture the key town of Qoryooley in Lower Shabelle.Located 120 kilometers Southwest of Mogadishu, Qoryooley has been under the brutal rule of the terrorists for five years. In the last one month, many of the al Shabaab’s commanders have been fleeing towards the town following a string of defeats by the SNA and AMISOM forces. The capture of Qoryooley is also critical for AMISOM future operations to liberate the port city of…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 21, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was killed in Al Fashir, Darfur, on 20 March. Najmaddin Salih Musa Bishara, a Sudanese national, was working as a warehouse storekeeper. He was hit by a stray bullet while on his way home from work in a private car accompanied by three others. “We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Najmaddin Salih Musa Bishara”, said Jean-Christophe Sandoz, head of the ICRC in sudan. “The exact circumstances remain unclear and we are in touch with the…
ROME, Italy, March 21, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the government of the Central African Republic are joining forces to help prevent a full-scale food and nutrition crisis in the conflict-stricken nation. The World Bank is funding an $8 million agreement with FAO as part of a $20 million programme to support food aid and agriculture production, which is being implemented in coordination with the World Food Programme (WFP). Midou Ibrahima, World Bank Resident Representative in the Central Africa Republic, said: “The emergency project is part…
BERN, Switzerland, March 21, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The state secretary, Yves Rossier, met today in Bern with the prime minister of Somalia, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed. Under discussion during the hour-long meeting were the strengthening of relations between the two countries and the implementation of Switzerland’s strategy for the Horn of Africa. The Somali prime minister expressed particular interest in Switzerland’s experiences as a federalist state.After years of conflict-ridden periods of transition, the Somali institutions in Mogadishu were rebuilt in September 2012 and set themselves the goal of drafting a new constitution for the country by 2016. At…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Opening remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay at a press conference during her mission to the Central African Republic Sadly, the situation in the Central African Republic is very different from when I last visited the country in February 2010. I will not attempt to run through all the very grave human rights problems facing Car. Instead, I will focus on a few of the key issues that have emerged during my two days of discussions here in Bangui with, among others, the Head of…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Cameroonian Martin Chungong has been elected as the new Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the first African to hold the post in its125-year history. A record attendance of IPU Members made their choice on the closing day of the 130th IPU Assembly in Geneva.Chungong, who is the current IPU Deputy Secretary General, will take over from Anders B. Johnsson who officially retires at the end of his fourth mandate on 30th June this year.Chungong had worked in the Cameroonian parliament for14 years before joining IPU in 1993. His career…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), the social partners of the country and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed an agreement establishing a Decent Work Programme for Somalia. H.E. Dr Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia and Mr. Aeneas Chapinga Chuma, ILO Regional Director for Africa signed the agreement at an official ceremony held at ILO headquarters in Geneva. The Decent Work Programme sets out priority areas to be implemented by 2015, including the promotion of youth employment, strengthening labour market services, improving livelihoods…
TOKYO, Japan, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — 1. The Government of Japan recently decided to dispatch one member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to the Ethiopian International Peace Keeping Training Centre (EIPKTC).One JSDF member (Lieutenant Colonel Norihisa Urakami) will spend nine weeks from March 24 in the Programme to Establish the EIPKTC, which began in January 2013. He is scheduled to design and develop a curriculum for the “Conflict Prevention, Management and Post-Conflict Recovery Course” as an international consultant.2. Based on the recognition that peace is a prerequisite for development, the Government of Japan has been providing assistance…
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJohn KerrySecretary of StateWashington, DCMarch 20, 2014On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the citizens of Namibia as you celebrate 24 years of independence on March 21.The United States remains committed to building on the strong legacy of partnership between our nations.I am proud of the work we have undertaken in the battle against HIV/AIDS. The success we have achieved in agriculture, education, and conservation is laying the foundation for a more prosperous future.Together, our countries are creating new opportunities for the Namibian people by working to…
JUBA, South Sudan, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The first torrential rains of the season have left large parts of Tomping camp, Juba, under water, worsening the already unacceptable living conditions for more than 25,000 people packed into the camp. Last week, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was forced to temporarily suspend medical activities at its clinic in the camp due to the flooding. Stagnant water, severe overcrowding, inadequate drainage and a dire shortage of functional latrines, all create ideal conditions for the spread of diarrhoeal diseases and skin infections. This is particularly worrying given the rainy…
CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, March 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Authorities in Swaziland should immediately release Bheki Makhubu, editor of the independent newsmagazine The Nation, and Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer, who were imprisoned earlier this week in connection with articles published in The Nation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.Swaziland’s Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi issued an arrest warrant for Makhubu and Maseko on contempt of court charges, according to news reports. The warrant was served at Makhubu’s office on Monday, but he turned himself in to the police on Tuesday, news reports said. Maseko was arrested at his…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — INVITATION TO MEDIA REPRESENTATIVESWHEN: 21-24 March 2014WHERE: ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. WHO: Organised by the Department of Economic Affairs of the African Union, in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria Objectives: The meeting will consider the following: proposals on the mechanisms for implementing the recommendations from the Report on Alternative Sources of Financing the AU; the Statute of the AMF; the technical study on the establishment of the Pan African Stock Exchange; and the Study Report on the African Integration Fund, with a view to finalizing…
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — President Obama will host Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa of Tunisia at the White House on Friday, April 4. During the meeting, the President looks forward to discussing the commitment Tunisia’s leaders have made to advancing Tunisia’s democracy and how the United States can further support Tunisia’s historic transition. The leaders will discuss a broad range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, including U.S. economic, political, and security assistance to support the Prime Minister’s reform agenda and Tunisia’s stability. Prime Minister Jomaa’s visit is a demonstration of the strong bonds of…
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The situation in Saraf Omar, North Darfur, has stabilized and the majority of the displaced community have returned to their homes after the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement between the warring communities. Nevertheless, some of those displaced who lost all their possessions and homes in the violence are still seeking protection outside the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)’s base in the town. The displacements were as a result of heavy inter-communal violence that erupted in Saraf Omra, on 7 March. According to humanitarian actors, an…
JUBA, South Sudan, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press invitationYou are warmly invited to a press conference with the Emergency Directors of eight leading humanitarian agencies (DRC, FAO, IOM, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO) who are currently in South sudan on a three-day mission to raise awareness of the crisis and boost the response to life-threatening needs.During the visit, the Emergency Directors will travel to Bor in Jonglei State, Mingkaman in Lakes State and Nyal in Panyijar County, Unity State. They will also visit displaced people sheltering in Protection of Civilians sites in the two main UN…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Navi Pillay, arrived in the Central African Republic on 18 March, for a three day visit, to discuss the dire human rights situation there with the interim Government and key international institutions and peace-keeping forces. “We all feel that the situation is urgent and we want to act collectively and individually to do the best we can to find solutions to the crisis here. I watched out for Human rights violation and also for humanitarian needs as well,” she said. “My…
STASBOURG, France, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Delegations The UN Security Council must authorise a UN peace-keeping mission to the Central African Republic (CAR), said MEPs and MPs from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) in Strasbourg on 19 March. They asked EU countries states to speed up preparations for the EUFOR Car mission and pointed to the urgent need to restore social and health services and reopen schools in the country. The international community must spare no effort in the fields of security, humanitarian aid, establishment of the rule of law and the economic recovery of the…
LUANDA, Angola, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On March 5, 2014, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Second Post-Program Monitoring with Angola.Macroeconomic performance in 2013 reflected a marginal increase in oil production and a moderation of non-oil growth compared to previous years’ growth rates. Overall real GDP growth is estimated to have decelerated to 4.1 percent, down from 5.2 percent in 2012. Growth in the non-oil sector was held down by the agricultural sector’s slow recovery from the drought that affected large parts of the country in 2012, but is still expected to…