Category: APO-OPA

ROME, Italy, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “I found Meriam in good physical and mental condition, although she’s naturally been tested by this experience. I assured her that the Italian government is making the utmost effort to see her case brought to a positive conclusion, which I believe will be very soon now”.

This was Deputy Minister Pistelli’s statement in Khartoum, at the end of his long meeting with Meriam Ibrahim, the young Christian woman sentenced to death for apostasy and then acquitted by the Sudanese Court of Appeal. “We chose the road of discretion and dialogue, with due respect for the Sudanese institutions and judicial system. And our choice proved to be the right one”.

According to diplomatic sources, and in line with the Italian government’s actions over the last two months, Pistelli’s visit should play a decisive part in reaching a positive outcome for Meriam.

During his visit – the highest-level visit by a member of the Italian Government and European Union to Sudan for nearly 3 years – Pistelli raised the question of Meriam’s release in all of his meetings with representatives of the Sudanese institutions. He discussed her case with the First Vice President, Bakri Hassan Saleh, Foreign Minister Ali Karti, and the assistant to the President, Ibrahim Ghandour. “They all said they were willing to cooperate to reach a positive and, I repeat, speedy solution to the case”.

The agenda for Pistelli’s meetings with the Sudanese leaders also included the national reconciliation process and the situation in conflict areas, most notably Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile region. The focus here was on Italy and the European Union’s contribution to stability, peace and development in Sudan. The talks also touched on developments in the region as a whole, and in particular on the crisis in South Sudan.

The importance of consolidating and developing bilateral relations and economic-commercial cooperation was stressed. This is particularly true in light of EXPO 2015 and the notable potential for collaboration by Italian and Sudanese companies, especially in the agriculture and agri-industrial sectors.

Deputy Minister Pistelli’s visit also provided an opportunity to examine Italian Development Cooperation initiatives in Sudan. In the “Country of the Two Niles”, Italy is financing an important package of bilateral and multilateral initiatives. To see for himself the role played by Italian cooperation and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Pistelli visited the “Salam” cardiac-surgery hospital run by Emergency, an NGO. At this Italian hospital, one of the African continent’s most outstanding, he met the founder of Emergency, Gino Strada.

At the multilateral level, the European Union has entrusted Italy with running its health sector improvement programme in North-East Sudan This is the first such EU-funded programme managed by an Italian Embassy in what is one of the poorest regions on the planet.

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 3, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of Malawi as they celebrate a half…

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Political and Security Committee today appointed a new Operation Commander for the EU
Naval Force Somalia – EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA , which aims to prevent piracy…

MOGADISHU, Somalia, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, condemned the murder of Mohamed Mohamud ‘Hayd’, a Member of the Somali Federal Parliament, killed in Mogadishu today and expressed his deep concern regarding recent attacks in the city claimed by Al-Shabaab since the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

Mr Mohamud and a security officer were shot and killed as they travelled in a vehicle in Mogadishu this morning. A parliamentary official accompanying them was also injured and a second MP escaped unharmed.

“I am appalled to learn of the murder of Mohamed Mohamud ‘Hayd’ and condemn his brutal murder in the strongest terms. Ramadan is a time for peace and reconciliation; to commit such callous crimes during the holy month demonstrates how little regard the perpetrators have for the Somali people,” SRSG Kay said.

“I call on the authorities to make every effort to bring the perpetrators to justice as quickly as possible. We remain resolute in our support for the Somali people and their representatives as they work to realise their hope for a peaceful and stable future.” he added.

SRSG Kay offers his sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Mohamud and the security officer, as well as to the Federal Parliament of Somalia, and wishes a quick recovery for those injured.

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by states, is meeting in Geneva from 7 to 25 July. …

VICENZE, Italy, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In partnership with Senegal and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), U.S. Army Africa conducted U.S. Africa Command’s Exercise Western Accord 14 to enhance ECOWAS’ ability to provide mission command capability to support regional peace operations. Training focused on developing the ability to plan, deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy a rapid deployment force in response to a regional crisis. Western Accord 14 is a key element in a broader series of military-to-military activities to demonstrate the strong partnership between the U.S and western regional African partners, and all of the participating militaries.

In an ongoing partnership, the U.S. along with 16 other countries participated in Exercise WA 14 in Dakar, Senegal from June 16-27.

“For the past few decades, America has partnered with African militaries in medical capacity-building events and various training engagements across a number of key skill sets,” said Col. Robert Dixon, strategy and plans director, USARAF. “During part one of the exercise, ECOWAS and partnering nations received academics that took them through the UN standards for mission analysis and focused on collective tasks, functional, and staff procedures in support of Command and Control of a peacekeeping operation based on real world events. During the command post exercise (the second part of the exercise), they prepared and executed their plan to move forces into a contested area, defeat the threat, and restore basic services and the rule of law while setting the stage for national reconciliation.”

The ‘Accord’ series is important not only to the U.S. Army, but to the AFRICOM leadership as well, noted Dixon.

“We do the exercise for the AFRICOM commander,” he said. “Primarily what we’re doing is training a joint force, familiarizing ourselves with the African environment, and working in Africa with our African partners. Working with countries participating in UN or African Union peacekeeping operations in countries like Somalia, Malawi, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Central African Republic helps with shaping exercises to replicate real-world environments that better prepares countries for the type of environment they will go into,” Dixon said.

For the first time in the exercise’s history, Dixon said Western Accord 14 has included non-government organizations, the civilian and police components along with the military component replicating peacekeeping operations in Africa to strengthen the relationship between the authorities and enhance regional security in West Africa.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The first meeting of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Establishment of the African Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) was held at the African Union (AU) Headquarters, Addis Ababa, on 2 July 2014. The meeting was organized in implementation of the Algiers Declaration on the Establishment of AFRIPOL, issued by African Police Chiefs and Directors General, during their meeting in Algiers on 10-11 February 2014 and endorsed by the 23rd AU Summit held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on 20-27 June 2014.

Co-chaired by Algeria and Uganda, the meeting brought together Heads of Regional Police Chiefs’ Organizations, including: the East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO), Central African Police Chiefs Committee (CAPCCO) and Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO). Representatives of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) also participated in the meeting.

In his opening remarks, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Amb Smaïl Chergui thanked Algeria and Uganda for their commitment to the operationalization of AFRIPOL, and expressed the hope that the Committee would work towards the expeditious realization of the desired cooperation among national law enforcement agencies and the restoration of the rule of law in post conflict societies. “Africa is faced with border security challenges which are exploited by criminal cartels engaged in human, arms, and drug trafficking and contraband smuggling. The situation is further exacerbated by the growing presence of terrorist groups that find safe havens in the border regions from which they organize and launch their criminal activities. The establishment of AFRIPOL is a demonstration of the recognition by AU Member States of the shared burden of combatting transnational organized crime and terrorism,” the Commissioner stated.

The Co-chairs emphasized the urgent need for AFRIPOL to become operational and commended the AU Commission for taking swift action to implement the Algiers Declaration.

The next meeting of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Establishment of AFRIPOL will take place in Kampala, Uganda, in October 2014.

NEW YORK, July 3, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — John Ging, Operations Director for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Ted Chaiban, Emergency Director of UNICEF, told media after a week-long mission to Somalia and Yemen that urgent action is needed to prevent worsening in crises in both of these fragile contexts, addressing both immediate needs and long term drivers of instability.

“Somalia is at a crossroads. Today, 50,000 children are severely malnourished, including many at risk of death within weeks if they do not get the treatment they need. We have a small but critical window to do what’s needed to prevent a repeat of 2011,” said UNICEF Emergency Director Ted Chaiban. “In Yemen, the sheer numbers of children suffering from life-threatening or debilitating forms of malnutrition are even greater due to chronic underdevelopment and persistent insecurity. In both Somalia and Yemen, the humanitarian community is working courageously on two tracks – immediate response, and resilience building – yet funding in both countries is at dangerously low levels.”

In Yemen more than half of the population – a total of 14.7 million people – need humanitarian assistance. Widespread acute food insecurity, ongoing instability and conflict and near absence of basic services make this one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, yet it is woefully underfunded, with only 33% of identified needs met. The country is also on the brink of economic collapse, and longer term fiscal and governance reforms, as well as significant investments in livelihoods, agriculture and basic service provision, are needed to prevent the crisis from worsening and to stem the instability which risks spilling over into the region.

In Somalia, the widespread food security crisis is set to deteriorate over the second half of the year. More than one million people are internally displaced and 875,000 people need urgent life-saving food assistance.

“Failure to act decisively to address humanitarian needs will not only lead to another humanitarian crisis but will also undermine the peace and state-building gains of the last two years, jeopardizing this rare window for Somalia to graduate from failed state status,” said John Ging. “All the signs we saw before 2011’s severe famine are here – reduced humanitarian access, insecurity, increasing food prices, delayed rains and rapidly worsening malnutrition among children. It is vital that we act now to avert another disaster.”

The Emergency Directors of OCHA, UNICEF, WFP, FAO, ICVA-IRC, IOM, IMC, WHO, UNHCR, UNFPA and UNDP met a range of senior officials in both countries, including the President and Prime Minister in Somalia and the Ministers for Health and Human Rights in Yemen.

“Despite the extremely challenging conditions in both Somalia and Yemen we saw at first hand the excellent, life-saving work that our humanitarian partners are able to do when funding is available, putting their own lives in danger to reach those who need assistance most,” stressed Mr. Ging. “I urge donors to help us build on the gains made in both countries. If we fail to act now set-backs are inevitable, which could have repercussions well beyond Somalia and Yemen.”

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, July 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — ONE.org (http://www.one.org) applauded African Union leaders today for solidifying their commitment to transforming Africa’s agriculture sector by improving upon the 2003 Maputo Declaration, under which they committed to spending at least 10% of their national budgets on agriculture.

Photo ‘Jakaya Kikwete petition delivery’: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1210

Photo ‘John Mahama petition delivery’: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1211

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

Logo Do Agric: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/doagric.jpg

The Malabo Declaration, coming out of the 23rd AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in Equatorial Guinea, commits member states to implement a number of essential policy reforms toward ending hunger and cutting poverty in Africa in half by 2025.

To meet these goals, African leaders re-affirmed their intention to devote 10% of their national budgets to agricultural development and agreed to targets such as doubling agricultural productivity, halving post-harvest loss, and bringing stunting down to 10% across Africa.

Reflecting on the announcement, Dr. Sipho S. Moyo, ONE.org’s Executive Director for Africa, said:

“This is a defining moment for agriculture in Africa. During this official AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security, African governments have heeded the call of 120 CSOs, and over 2 million African citizens who signed ONE.org’s Do Agric petition calling on them to invest more and better in agriculture. They have raised the bar with the Malabo Declaration, showing a real commitment to smallholder farmers and rural communities across the continent. This declaration is a clear demonstration that our leaders are committed to coming together on behalf of our farmers, our food and our futures.”

The new declaration prioritizes the operationalization of the African Investment Bank, responsible private sector investment, increased support for intra-regional trade, adoption of climate-resilient farming strategies, youth inclusion and employment targets, and mutual accountability for results.

These newly adopted measures form part of a set of joint recommendations put before the AU leaders by ONE.org and about120 civil society partner organizations in the months leading up to the summit, and reflect the voices of over 2 million African citizens who signed ONE’s Do Agric petition.

Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Yayi Boni of Benin, John Mahama of Ghana and Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger all received and supported the joint recommendations and petition ahead of the June AU gathering. President Kikwete took the stage to formally present them to the Heads of State at the summit. Delegations from Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mali also received and supported the petition and recommendations at the summit.

However, despite a strong commitment to meet or exceed the 10% budget target, African leaders failed to resolve the debate on establishing a common standard of measurement for the 10%. The declaration also falls short on the closely related issue of improving budget transparency, which makes accountability an ongoing challenge given that agriculture spending is by its nature fragmented across various government ministries, departments and agencies. Furthermore, the declaration is not explicit in its support of multi-stakeholder participation in government-led agricultural development processes, fostering access to markets for small-holder farmers, investing in agricultural research and extension services, closing the gender gap, and improving land rights for the poor.

Audax Rukonge, Executive Director of the Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF) of Tanzania was nonetheless, optimistic about the new declaration:

“Not only does the Malabo Declaration solidify 2003 Maputo Declaration, but it further identifies policy interventions targeted at benefitting smallholder farmers and enhancing their productivity. The smallholder farmers are ready to help ensure food and nutrition security for all African citizens, to grow jobs and boost our economies – and this is possible, if our leaders can now move from the Declaration to its effective implementation.”

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of ONE.org.

CONTACT:

Nde Ndifonka – nde.ndifonka@one.org – +27 60 528 2518

About Do Agric, It Pays

ONE.org (http://www.one.org) launched the rigorous Do agric, it pays campaign (http://www.one.org/doagric) on January 20 along the margins of the 22nd Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in support of the 2014 AU Year of Agriculture. In 2012, the AU declared 2014 as the Year of Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Security in Africa, after receiving a petition signed by over 30 000 ONE.org members.

The campaign encourages African governments to keep their 2003 Maputo promise to invest at least 10% of national budgets in agriculture, and makes a case for better strategic policies and transparent public investments that will better support smallholder farmers, especially women, and lift millions of Africans out of poverty.

Do Agric, It Pays was supported by the African Union Commission, various farmers’ associations, CSO and private sector partners that include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation, OXFAM, AGRA, ACCORD, ACTIONAID, PAFO, ROPPA, ESAFF, as well as Zambia’s CTPD and IAPRI, Benin’s PASCIB, Tanzania’s ANSAF and TGFA, South Africa’s Agri Youth Indaba and Nigeria’s NANTS, YPAED and BUDGIT.The campaign also benefitted from the support of various media partners including New African Magazine, Mail & Guardian newspaper, MTV Base, Tanzania’s Cloud Media, Africa Magic’s Good Morning Africa, South Africa’s METRO FM, and Nigeria’s Beat FM, Cool FM and Soundcity television.

About ONE.org

ONE.org (http://www.one.org) is a campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly 6 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Strictly nonpartisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs. ONE.org is not a grant-making organization and does not solicit funding from the public or receive government funding. We achieve change through advocacy. Our teams in Washington, D.C., London, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin, and Paris – and soon in Abuja – educate and lobby governments to shape policy solutions that save and improve millions of lives. To learn more, go to http://www.one.org.

ROME, Italy, July 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “It’s time for a new start”. This was Deputy Minister Pistelli’s comment during his visit to Asmara – the first visit to Eritrea by a member of the government since 1997, with the mission by the President of the Republic at that time, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. “I am here today to bear witness to our determination to revitalise our bilateral relations and try to foster Eritrea’s full reinstatement as a responsible actor and key member of the international community in the stabilisation of this region”.

Deputy Minister Pistelli took part in long working sessions with Eritrea’s foreign minister, Saleh, and the President’s adviser, Ghebreab. He then met President Isaias himself for a long and in-depth discussion to analyse the various bilateral and international issues of common interest to the two countries.

“I found my Eritrean hosts both well-informed and keen to engage”, observed Pistelli at the end of his meetings. “If we manage to resume our bilateral collaboration and to forget any recriminations, which belong to the history of our relationship and must no longer influence it the present, then the potential for both Italy and Eritrea is enormous, and all to our mutual advantage”.

Italy is Eritrea’s second commercial partner, but trade remains negligible, given Asmara’s isolation. One goal of Pistelli’s visit was to encourage the Eritreans to engage in a constructive dialogue with the countries of the region with a view to contributing to the stabilisation of the Horn of Africa, establishing development policies, and signing up to a shared commitment to protect human rights and to combat terrorism and trans-national crime.

“I came here to enable Italy and Eritrea to embark on the road to cooperation in all sectors of mutual interest, given that many of the security and migration problems that affect Italy actually originate in this part of the region. To achieve that cooperation, I wanted to clarify, in person, to President Isaias here in Asmara that Italy is ready to show a new willingness to engage and to rekindle that mutual trust that has been lacking between our two countries for many, too many, decades”.