ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — INVITATION TO MEDIA REPRESENTATIVESWHEN: 13 – 14 March 2014 The Ministerial Group meeting will be organised in two sessions as follows: – 13 March 2014: Expert meeting to prepare the Ministerial Session Working papers- 14 March 2014: Ministerial Meeting for adoption of the report on the Ministerial Working Group on tourism sector development strategy for Africa: AU Agenda 2063.WHERE: Republic of SeychellesWHO: Organised by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union, in collaboration with the Government of SeychellesWHY: Tourism as a service sector has clearly emerged as…
Author: apofeed
MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) today condemned guilty verdict and prison sentence against veteran Somali journalist Mohamed Aweys Mudey as “outrageous and unacceptable”, and urged Ethiopian authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.According to the family of Mohamed Aweys Mudey, the journalist was sentenced to 27 years in prison in the last week of February 2014, using Ethiopia’s Anti-terror law. He did not have a lawyer or family member with him during his trial. At least three people detained with Mudey at Ethiopia’s Crimes Investigations Sector (CIS), widely known…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — As plans progress for the voluntary return of hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees from Kenya to their home country, [1] M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF) has once again urged that this process is not carried out at the cost of the aid already being provided to people who remain in Kenya�s Dadaab refugee camps. With many organisations suffering funding cuts in the camps, and alongside a deteriorating security situation, MSF is urging international donors to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance, and calling upon the Government of Kenya to improve protection of…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In renewed joint operations between the Somali National Army (SNA) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces, five strategic towns in the Bay region of Somalia have been reclaimed from the control of the Al Shabaab terrorist group.In the last couple of days, SNA and AMISOM forces have regained control of Rabdhure Ted, and Hudur towns in joint operations that saw the terrorists defeated and driven out of these towns. Today, the SNA and AMISOM forces continued their march and secured the town of Wajid and Buudhubow in the…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Special Rapporteur on slavery, Ms. Gulnara Shahinian, hailed as “an essential step forward in the fight against slavery” the formal adoption by the Mauritanian Government of the road map prepared in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “I see the 6th of March 2014, as a turning point in the fight against slavery in Mauritania,” Ms. Shahinian said. “The formal adoption of the road map for the implementation of my 2010 recommendations* is not only symbolic, but marks a new phase in…
TOKYO, Japan, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — 1. The Government of Japan recently decided to dispatch one member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (Captain Hideki Hayashi) as an instructor for the “Peace Relief and Reconstruction Course,” which will take place at the South African National Peace Mission Training Centre (PMTC) from March 3 to 14.2. Based on the recognition that peace is a prerequisite for development, Japan has been providing assistance to African peacekeeping operations (PKO) training centers with the goals of enhancing the peacekeeping capabilities of African countries and of maintaining the stability of the region. The…
WINDHOEK, Namibia, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — 7th March, 2014: The African Union Commission (AUC), through the Infrastructure and Energy Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Communication Technology of Namibia today launched the Internet Exchange Point in Namibia.The Internet Exchange Point in Namibia will contribute to bringing efficiency in the routing of intra-country internet traffic and hence faster exchange of intra-country internet traffic.Through the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) project, the African Union Commission has so far extended capacity building support to facilitate the establishment of internet exchange points in 22 Member States including Namibia. The…
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is deeply concerned over an outbreak of inter-communal violence in Saraf Omra, North Darfur, which has led to a mass displacement of civilians and a number of casualties over the course of the past few days. Thousands of displaced from the town of Saraf Omra, which is located approximately 90 kilometres east of El Geneina, are currently seeking refuge in the vicinity of UNAMID’s base in the locality. The Mission is providing protection and water to those affected, as well as…
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press StatementJen PsakiDepartment SpokespersonWashington, DCMarch 8, 2014We are deeply concerned by the recent escalation of violence by the Sudanese Government-supported Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur. The United States strongly condemns attacks on civilians and calls upon the Government of sudan to prevent further violence and to cease its own campaign of aerial bombardments.On February 27th, the RSF, with media reports of support from the Sudanese Air Force, burned homes and attacked civilians outside of Nyala, resulting in multiple casualties and thousands of displaced civilians in Darfur. On February 23rd members of…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is profoundly shocked by the killing today of one of its staff members in northern Central African Republic. The killing occurred in connection with violence in Ndele. Armed men entered the Catholic mission there, where four ICRC staff were quartered, and killed one of them. The other three are safe. “We are outraged by this killing,” said Georgios Georgantas, head of the ICRC delegation in the country. “It is utterly unacceptable. We urgently call on all those bearing arms to respect and spare…
MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, joins the Somali people in celebrating International Women’s Day, and urges the Federal Government to broaden opportunities for women to contribute to the country’s peace-building and state-building processes. “Over the past two extremely difficult decades, Somali women have demonstrated great resilience and an immense capacity to contribute to reconciliation and respond to humanitarian needs at the community, regional and national level,” SRSG Kay said. “Despite their significant role in efforts to reconstruct Somalia, women continue to struggle to have their…
ABUJA, Nigeria, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On February 21, 2014, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation1 with Nigeria.Real GDP is projected to grow at 6.4 percent in 2013 owing to continued strong performance in the non-oil sector. Inflation declined to 7.9 percent at year end, supported by lower food price, fiscal consolidation, and a tight monetary policy stance. The external current account surplus fell to 3.1 percent of GDP from 7.8 percent at end-2012, but reserves remained at a comfortable 5.6 months of next year’s imports, despite uncertainties about…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has raised serious concerns over the safety of journalists in the Puntland/Galmudug state of Somalia (North-East) following the discovery of the names of seven journalists, including a radio director, in an Al-Shabaab hit list. According to IFJ affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), security forces from the autonomous region of Galmudug, in central Somalia, recently arrested an Al-shabaab fighter after he killed and wounded civilians in the town of Galkayo, the capital city of the north-central region of Mudug. The Al-Shabaab fighter was…
NEW YORK, March 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:The Secretary-General welcomes the verdict issued by the International Criminal Court against Germain Katanga, convicting him on four counts of war crimes and one count of crimes against humanity committed in 2003 during an attack on the village of Bogoro in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is an important verdict for the victims of these horrific crimes, for international justice and for the fight against impunity in the Democratic Republic of the…
OTTAWA, Canada, March 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), today issued the following statement at the conclusion of her visit to Rome, where she attended the Rome Ministerial Conference on Libya, convened to reconfirm international support for that country’s democratic transition:“Canada is proud to join with the international community in support of Libya’s transition process. Since 2011, Canada has been active in the security and development process and remains committed to supporting the democratic reform effort.“Libya must now work to promote security while securing political consensus for the transition…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “We have only one option: to work for a peaceful, unified, diverse sudan with a common identity”- Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini ZumaThe Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on Friday 7 March 2014,met with a delegation of the Darfur armed movements led by Mr. Minni Arko Minawi and Dr. Gibril Ibrahim Mohamed, Chairmen of the sudan Liberation Army (SLM/Minni Minawi) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), respectively. The Darfur armed movements’ leaders were accompanied by UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Dr Mohamed Chambas.The two armed…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union (AU) has signed an agreement with the European Union (EU), formalizing an EU contribution of Fifty (50) million Euros to support the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA). The agreement was signed today at AU Headquarters , by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, in the presence of the Head of the EU Delegation to the AU, Ambassador Gary Quince. The contribution which covers the period from August 2013 to June 2014 will be used to pay troop allowances…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following the celebration of the International Women’s Day observed on 8 March every year, women from the Cameroonian community in Addis Ababa (CAMLADIES) will tomorrow, Saturday 8 March 2014, join the rest of the women in Africa and worldwide, to commemorate the day through different humanitarian activities. CAMLADIES members will gather at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as from 2 pm before proceeding to some orphanages where they will interact with the less privileged girls and boys, distribute food items and clothes and sensitize them…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM launched a cash-for-work street cleaning project with local youths in the 3rd district (arondissement) of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR) this week.The 3rd district is one of the last areas in Bangui where Muslims and Christians continue to live in relative harmony, despite intense pressure from armed groups. The goal of the pilot project is to build and strengthen social cohesion and support the local economy.The cleaning crews have already made a noticeable improvement in the PK5 market area; large piles of street garbage have been…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The widespread absence of security, caused by the conflict, and rising crime are exacerbating an already disastrous situation for thousands of people. The ICRC and the Central African Red Cross Society are continuing to respond to the most urgent needs. In certain parts of the Central African Republic – for example, in the west, around Kaga Bandoro, and in Bangui – people are still living in fear for their lives and property. The widespread absence of security, caused by the conflict, and rising crime are exacerbating an already disastrous situation for…