Category: APO-OPA

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — EXECUTIVE ORDER

TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO ADDRESS THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE CONFLICT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

By the authority vested in me as President…

WASHINGTON, July 9, 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 (t…

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — President Obama today issued a new Executive Order (E.O.) that amends E.O. 13413 of October 27, 2006, to take additional steps in light of the continued threat to the peace, security, and s…

DAKAR, Sénégal, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Sahel, Mrs. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, concluded today her two day-visit to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

The Special Envoy conferred with the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and current President of the African Union, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, on issues related to peace and security in the Sahel.

Mrs. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie congratulated President Ould Abdel Aziz for his recent re-election, as well as for his efforts to improve the security situation in Mauritania and in the region. She also praised the work undertaken by the President of Mauritania and his Government to ensure peace and stability in the region, including his collaboration with the United Nations to resolve the Malian crisis.

While encouraging Mauritania to maintain an active role to address regional challenges the Sahel is facing, the Special Envoy commended the efforts made to promote regional cooperation. The two officials stressed the need to coordinate existing initiatives for the Sahel, particularly the implementation of the initiatives of the G – 5 Sahel and of the Coordination Platform for the Sahel.

During this visit, Mrs. Guebre Sellassie also met with the Prime Minister, Mr. Moulaye Ould Mohamed Fasseh, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mr. Sidi Ould Tah, and the President of the National Assembly, Mr. Mohamed Ould Asad, as well as with other Mauritanian leaders and representatives of the United Nations system in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

The Special Envoy will continue her consultations with the leaders of the region and will travel to Burkina Faso for a two day official visit on 9 July.

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Disease outbreak news

7 July 2014

Epidemiology and surveillance

WHO continues to monitor the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The current epidemic trend shows a mixed picture, as follows:

• Liberia reported 16 new EVD cases and Sierra Leone, 34 new cases –since 3 July. These numbers indicate that active viral transmission continues in the community.

• There has been a reduction in the number of new EVD cases reported in Guinea, with no new cases during the last 7 days.

WHO continues to encourage and support outbreak containment measures in the three countries.

Health sector response

Health Ministers and technical staff from 11 countries, representatives from WHO, and key international partner organizations met in an Emergency Ministerial meeting in Accra, Ghana July 2 and 3 to address the ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa. After hearing technical updates and sharing country and field experiences, they agreed on a strategy for an accelerated operational response to control the outbreak with priority actions to address the serious threat to countries in West Africa.

In agreeing to priorities and actions, it was acknowledged that a number of gaps and challenges remain. To address these, the World Health Organization (WHO) will establish a Sub-Regional Centre in Guinea to act as a coordinating platform to consolidate and harmonize the technical support to West African countries by all major partners and to assist in resource mobilization. Delegates to the meeting also emphasized the importance of WHO leading an international effort to promote research on EVD and other haemorrhagic fevers.

Among the key priorities at this time are:

• mobilization of community, religious, and political leaders to improve awareness about and understanding of EVD;

• strengthening surveillance, case finding, and contact tracing;

• deploying additional human resources with relevant qualifications to key hot spots;

• identifying and committing additional domestic financial resources;

• organizing cross-border consultations to facilitate an ongoing exchange of information; and

• working together and sharing experiences with countries that have previously managed EVD outbreaks in the spirit of south-south cooperation.

In addition, national intersectoral meetings involving key government ministries, national technical committees, and other stakeholders will be held to map out a plan for immediate implementation of a sub-regional response strategy. It has also been recommended that issues related specifically to the EVD outbreak be addressed at an upcoming summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of States.

WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.

Disease update:

New cases and deaths attributable to Ebola virus disease (EVD) continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 3 and 6 July 2014, 50 new cases of EVD, including 25 deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 0 new cases and 2 deaths; Liberia, 16 new cases with 9 deaths; and Sierra Leone 34 new cases and 14 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.

As of 6 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 844, including 518 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 408 cases (294 confirmed, 96 probable, and 18 suspected) and 307 deaths (195 confirmed, 96 probable, and 16 suspected); Liberia, 131 cases (63 confirmed, 30 probable, and 38 suspected) and 84 deaths (41 confirmed, 28 probable, and 15 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 305 cases (269 confirmed, 34 probable, and 2 suspected) and 127 deaths (114 confirmed, 11 probable, and 2 suspected).

Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 6 July 2014

New1 Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country

Guinea

Cases 0 294 96 18 408

Deaths 2 195 96 16 307

Liberia

Cases 16 63 30 38 131

Deaths 9 41 28 15 84

Sierra Leone

Cases 34 269 34 2 305

Deaths 14 114 11 2 127

Totals

Cases 50 626 160 58 844

Deaths 25 350 135 33 518

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ –A União Europeia envia uma missão especial para o restabelecimento das relações políticas e a definição de um programa urgente de apoio ao país Na sequência da tomada de posse das novas Autoridades eleitas, a União Europeia enviou à Guiné-Bissau uma missão especial que permanecerá no país até o dia 11 de Julho próximo.

A missão, integrada por membros do Serviço Europeu de Acção Exterior e da Comissão

Europeia, terá como objectivos prioritários duma parte, o restabelecimento das relações

políticas com as referidas Autoridades e de outra parte, avançar na definição de um

possível programa de apoio orçamental que permita reforçar a acção do Governo e

atender as suas prioridades mais urgentes.

A missão retomará igualmente os contactos no quadro do Acordo das Pescas em vigor entre a Guiné-Bissau e a União Europeia, no intuito de avaliar as possibilidades de

finalização de um novo protocolo financeiro e técnico ao dito Acordo com maior

brevidade.

Durante a sua estadia, a missão será recebida em audiência por S.E. o Presidente da

República, S.E. o Presidente da Assembleia Nacional Popular e S.E. o Primeiro-Ministro.

A missão tem previsto manter encontros de trabalho com distintos Ministérios e

Secretárias de Estado. Uma parte desses encontros será realizada conjuntamente com

agentes do BM, do BAD e do escritório de representação do FMI.

Também estão agendadas reuniões com a BCEAO e a UEMOA, bem como com outros

parceiros internacionais presentes no país, nomeadamente a UA, a CEDEAO, a CPLP e as

NU.

LOME, Togo, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — At their meeting held on 28 June 2014 in Dakar, the WAMU Council of Ministers re-appointed Mr. Chistian Adovelande, President of BOAD (http://www.boad.org) for another term of 6 years. As regards the Vice-president, Mr. Bassary Touré, he was renewed for another term of 5 years by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 24 June 2014 in the Senegalese capital city.

Photo 1 : http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1215 (Mr. Chistian Adovelande, President of BOAD)

Photo 2 : http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1216 (Bassary TOURE, Vice-president of BOAD)

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/boad-1.jpg

Born on 29 October 1950 at Porto-Novo (Republic of Benin), Mr. Chistian Adovelande joined BOAD in April 1978. After assuming office in various senior executive positions, he held from 1995 to 1999, the position of Deputy Secretary General of the Guarantee Fund for Private Investments in West Africa (“GARI SA”). From 2000 to 2002, he assumed office as Chairman and CEO of CAURIS MANAGEMENT SA, the first sub-regional private equity investment company in French-speaking West Africa, and Managing Director of CAURIS INVESTISSEMENT SA, a venture capital company. In 2002, Mr. Christian Adovelande was appointed President of ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for 9 years, prior to his appointment at the helm of BOAD on 14 February 2011.

For his part, Mr. Bassary Touré, born on 1st February 1950 at Thiès (Senegal), assumed high-level positions in the Malian civil service, before being appointed Minister of Economy and Finance of Mali from 1991-1992 and then from 2002-2004. He also served from 1998 to 2002 as a World Bank Executive Director for many African countries, and thereafter, from 2007-2009, as Resident Representative of African Development Bank to Gabon. He became Vice-president of BOAD in June 2009.

Established on 14 November 1973, the West African Development Bank (BOAD) is the common development finance institution of the eight member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Its purpose is to promote the balanced development of its member countries and foster economic integration in West Africa by financing public and private projects in various sectors. The institution’s share capital currently stands at FCFA 1,155 billion. As at 30 June 2014, the aggregate commitments of BOAD in the WAEMU region stood at FCFA 3,124.9 billion for 715 operations.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

For more information:

Direction de la Communication et des Relations Publiques

Tel : 228 22 23 27 09

Fax : 228 22 23 24 38

Email : boadsiege@boad.org

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM, in partnership with UNICEF and WHO, has provided and maintained basic Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) lifesaving services for displaced people affected by the recent heavy rains and flash floods in the most vulnerable states across Sudan.

IOM has carried out campaigns that aim to increase and maintain access to lifesaving waste management and hygiene promotion (personal and environmental) to promote preventive interventions of diseases outbreaks on the aftermath of floods, as accumulated waste and garbage poses health hazards, especially in urban areas with limited waste management capacity.

“Now we know that most of these diseases are linked to being clean and caring about waste. I can now talk to my family, relatives and neighbours and explain hygiene and waste management and the link some of the infectious diseases that we are suffering from,” said one beneficiary, who has been displaced since February 2014.

IOM has also has conducted 105 solid waste collection activities, transporting 7,158 tons of garbage to landfills and final treatment areas.

The campaigns have reached 740,000 beneficiaries in Khartoum (600,000), West Darfur (80,000) and South Darfur (60,000).

The campaigns included 31,709 health promotion house-to-house/shelter-to-shelter visits, during which 17,833 information and education materials and 2,000 hygiene kits were distributed.

IOM constructed and installed 5,014 waste collecting bins/basin in Khartoum and West Darfur, and rehabilitated two tractors and one lorry in West Darfur.

It provided active cleaning associations/commissions at West Darfur with seven cleaning kits (50 reusable garbage bags, 15 flat rakes, 5 wheelbarrows) and to the displacement camps 4,000 hand cleaners, 500 flat rakes and 500 waste collecting tools.

IOM has also trained 103 displaced people from Al Serif and Kalma camps in South Darfur on how to conduct hygiene promotion of minimum standards among their community over a period of four weeks.

The training aims to ensure sustainability of the intervention by ensuring that the information continues to be disseminated among the community and possible new arrivals. The trainees will also be focal points for emergency response.

“We noticed a change in the behaviour of people. Hopefully this will help – as we had been taught – to decrease the high incidence of malaria, scabies, diarrhea and acute jaundice,” says another beneficiary, who took part in the hygiene promotion training.

This project has been supported by the United Nation’s Central Emergency Fund (CERF), in close coordination with UNICEF and WHO.

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has welcomed the decision of Ministers of Health from Malaria-Endemic Countries in Southern Africa this week to adopt the Victoria Falls Declaration, in which they commit to eliminate and expand malaria control to hard-to-reach migrant and mobile communities.

This was the first high level meeting to discuss the issue of malaria in the context of migration and human mobility. The declaration was adopted by Ministers from Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as deputy ministers from South Africa, Mozambique and senior government officials from Swaziland and Kenya.

“We live in an era of unprecedented human mobility. Malaria is preventable and treatable, but the reality is that malaria remains a fatal disease that neither knows nor respects borders. As the world prepares for the post 2015 development agenda, it is imperative that migration and human mobility are included in the post 2015 health outcomes if we are to sustain our current achievements,” said IOM Director General, William Lacy Swing.

By adopting the Declaration, health ministers recognized that malaria continues to be an obstacle to economic progress, especially to the poorest of the poor around the world.

They also recognized that migrants still face barriers to access malaria treatment at different stages of the migration process and that if the status quo remains, gains in malaria control and elimination at national level will be unsustainable.

In addition, the ministers acknowledged that lack of data and poor health systems pose a challenge to malaria control in the region. They affirmed that there is need for strengthening operational research that will provide data/information for evidence-based planning and decision-making. The ministers also agreed to collaborate and strengthen existing cross border initiatives to combat malaria.

The Victoria Falls Declaration includes a ten-point action plan to put in place measures to sustain the good work on malaria control and elimination until all targets are met.

The plan includes a commitment in the form of a statement by health leaders to address malaria in the context of migration and human mobility. Through this statement, health leaders – including the private sector and development partners – committed to address the impact of migration and human mobility on malaria control and its elimination, and to jointly address the challenges in providing adequate and inclusive health services to cross-border, mobile and migrant populations.

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 8, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Fourteen Rwandan children have been repatriated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Rwanda, where they were reunited with their families. Scattered by the violence that has gripped the region for several years, the families were at last reunited thanks to the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to trace the children’s relatives. This hard work is paying off; 50 Rwandan children have now been reunited with their families since the beginning of the year.

“Today, after seven years apart, 15-year-old Jean-Claude and his 12-year-old brother Petit Olivier have at last been reunited with their mother,” said Elias Wieland, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Rwanda. “The boys became separated from their mother in the DRC in 2007, during clashes between an armed group and the army. They were taken in by a foster family.”

With the boys in the DRC and the mother in Rwanda, they turned to the ICRC in their bid to find each other. Unfortunately the names the boys had provided were wrong and every attempt to contact their relatives, such as through Red Cross messages, failed. It was only when the names of the parents and the children were broadcast on the radio that ICRC staff were at last able to track down the mother, who was in Gasoro, Kigoma sector, Nyanza district, Southern province.

“We and our colleagues in the DRC are naturally delighted about this outcome,” said Elias Wieland. “But we mustn’t forget that there are hundreds of other Rwandan children, whether in Rwanda, the DRC or other countries in the region, who are still waiting to be reunited with their families.”