Category: APO-OPA

GENEVA, Switzerland, June 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch called on all 47 member states of the Human Rights Council to vote in favor of creating a landmark commission of inquiry into human rights abuses in Eritrea, as proposed in a draft resolution, sponsored by Somalia, that is slated for a vote today.

(See resolution A/HRC/26/L.6, “Situation of human rights in Eritrea,” listed on today’s Order of the Day.)

If adopted, the resolution would “strongly condemn” the Eritrean authorities for perpetrating “widespread and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The text cites arbitrary and extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, the use of torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detention without recourse to justice, and detention in inhumane and degrading conditions.

The resolution would also condemn Eritrea’s widely-criticized forced conscription of citizens for indefinite periods of national service, “as a system that amounts to forced labor.”

Most critically, the resolution would create the first-ever commission of inquiry to investigate “all alleged violations of human rights in Eritrea” as outlined in the annual reports of the council’s already-existing Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, Sheila Keetharuth.

The inquiry would be composed of three UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur. The draft resolution would also renew Keetharuth’s one-year mandate.

UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer Commends Somalia

“It speaks volumes that thousands of Eritreans are fleeing every month to escape their country’s grave abuses,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.

“UN Watch commends Somalia for its leadership on the resolution, which is co-sponsored by France, and urges the international community to rally behind it and send the message that the time has arrived to seek minimal human rights accountability from the Eritrean government.”

“Let’s not forget that Eritrea is one of the few countries without any reporting on the human rights situation from within, and a complete lack of access by international human rights observers, rendering monitoring of human rights conditions on the ground extremely challenging,” said Neuer.

“It is unacceptable that Eritrea refuses to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur, that none of the UN rights council’s thematic mandate-holders have been allowed to visit, and that the government has still not responded to the request by High Commissioner Navi Pillay to dispatch a mission with access to places of detention.”

During the UN’s recent quadrennial review of Eritrea’s human rights record, the country was unable to document any tangible improvements.

Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees undertake perilous journeys to Europe and are now one third of the overall arrivals in Italy—above Syrians.

“The human rights crisis in Eritrea has been forgotten for too long,” said Neuer. “There’s an urgent need for the international community to increase efforts to explore additional means to tackle the situation effectively, at a time when Eritrean authorities continue to perpetrate human rights violations without any accountability.”

UN Watch: Leading Voice on Eritrea This Session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJKl2bzPNU

UN Watch has been a leading voice in the Council’s 26th session for accountability in Eritrea, taking the floor twice to condemn Eritrea’s abuses.

During last Friday’s review of Eritrea’s rights record, UN Watch brought Eritrean journalist and rights activist Meron Estafanos, who gave eyewitness testimony of the cruelty suffered by Eritrean refugees.

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, June 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The FAO-managed Africa Solidarity Trust Fund today gave a green light to four new, continent-spanning projects at a ceremony during the African Union Summit, being held here this week.

The President of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, a key supporter of the fund, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva were in attendance.

The projects, worth $16 million, will span 24 different countries in West, Central, East, and Southern Africa, focusing on youth employment and malnutrition, transboundary animal diseases and food safety and urban food security.

“In Africa we see the growing commitment of countries not only to improving their own food security, but that of their neighbours as well,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. “The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund is a concrete manifestation of Africa’s willingness to work together to guarantee the food security of the entire continent,” he added.

“I commend the African Union and heads of state who are using the opportunity of the 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa to adopt the resolution of ending hunger by 2025,” said Ban Ki-moon.

“By Africans for Africans” initiative expands

The four new subregional projects formalized today will cover the following areas of work:

Enhancing urban food security in Central Africa by increasing the availability of locally produced food for people living in towns and cities. Recipient countries: Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe.

Promoting greater diversity in agricultural production and activities to improve nutrition and to offer better job prospects to young people in Eastern Africa. Recipient countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Strengthening controls on food safety, plant and animal pests and diseases to boost agricultural productivity and trade in Southern Africa. Recipient countries: Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Creating more and better jobs for young people in West Africa through sustainable aquaculture and Cassava activities. Recipient countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Senegal.

About the fund

The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund was launched in 2013 as a unique Africa-led initiative to improve agriculture and food security across the continent. It includes contributions from Equatorial Guinea ($30 million), Angola ($10 million) and a symbolic contribution by civil society organizations in the Republic of the Congo.

Since its inception, the Fund has already provided financing for projects in six countries – Mali, the Niger, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Malawi– including building resilience for conflict affected rural communities, reducing rural poverty through youth employment opportunities and building best practices to increase crop and livestock production.

Next allocation planned will cover a continental intervention to support African rural youth future through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and a facility for South-South Cooperation from Africa to Africa, to allow a better sharing of knowledge and development solutions within the continent.

Administered by FAO in partnership with key collaborators, the fund aims to pool resources from Africa’s strongest economies and use them across the continent to implement initiatives in the framework of the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to boost agricultural productivity and food security in the region.

It is governed by a steering committee currently consisting of Equatorial Guinea, Angola, the Chair of the Africa Group, the Chair of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa, the African Union and the FAO secretariat.

OTTAWA, Canada, June 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement after an explosion in a shopping centre in Abuja reportedly killed at least 21 people and wounded another 17:

“Canada strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack in Abuja, Nigeria, and offers its condolences to the families and friends of the victims. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

“These indiscriminate attacks only strengthen our resolve in the fight against terrorism. We call for the perpetrators and supporters of this heinous violence to be held accountable for their actions.”

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, June 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, wrapped up the three-day South African leg of his trade mission to Africa together with his 19-member delegation, by celebrating 20 years of the Trade Commissioner Service’s presence on the ground. During this first visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, Minister Fast highlighted Canada’s commitment to deepening commercial ties with the announcement of a new EDC office and the relaunch of the Canada-South Africa Chamber of Business.

During a meeting with Rob Davies, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister Fast discussed Canada’s interest in South Africa as a priority market for Canadian trade and investment. At the Renewable Energy and Mining Summit in Johannesburg, Minister Fast delivered remarks about Canadian companies’ expertise and suitability as partners in the extractives and energy sectors. Canada helps to foster and promote sustainable development and responsible business practices in countries where Canadian extractive companies operate.

Minister Fast also highlighted a donation by SkyPower Global, a member of his trade mission, of solar-powered lights to children in poorer neighbourhoods of South Africa to facilitate studies at night.

Minister Fast is on a 10-day, four-country trade mission to boost Canada’s trade and investment ties with Burkina Faso, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania.

Quick Facts

• Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and South Africa totalled nearly $1.2 billion in 2013.

• Top Canadian exports to South Africa in 2013 were machinery, electrical machinery and equipment, inorganic chemicals, precision and technical instruments, and pharmaceuticals.

• Key imports from South Africa in 2013 included precious stones and metals (gold), fruits and nuts, machinery and beverages.

• Under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan, mining, information and communication technologies, agriculture and processed foods, education, transportation and infrastructure sectors as areas in which Canadian companies may find opportunities to do business in South Africa.

Quotes

“Opening markets, especially to our SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], to increase Canadian exports is key to our government’s focus on creating jobs and opportunities under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan. I am pleased to lead a group of Canadian companies on this trade mission to South Africa and to help them make linkages that will generate new business opportunities.”

– Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade

DAKAR, Senegal, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Board of Directors of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) (http://www.boad.org) held its 93rd ordinary session on Tuesday 24 June 2014 at the premises of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in Dakar under the presidency of Mr Christian Adovelande, Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of BOAD.

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During this session, the Board, having approved the minutes of its 92nd meeting held on 26 March 2014 in Lomé, examined and approved the report on operations for the mid-term review of the financial forecasts for the 2014 financial year.

It also approved four recommendations for long- and medium-term loans amounting to 29.04 billion CFA francs and one recommendation for a short-term loan of 5 billion CFA francs. These new funds bring the BOAD’s total long- and medium-term financing to 3,124.9 billion CFA francs, which corresponds to 715 projects, whereas the cumulative amount of short-term financing comes to 147.1 billion CFA francs.

The approved loan recommendations relate to the following operations:

• Partial financing of a project to reinforce the drinking water supply system in the town of Tafiré and its neighbouring communities in the Ivory Coast. The project aims to increase drinking water production in the area concerned from its current level of 72 m3/day to 1,500 m3/day with implementation of the infrastructure planned for 2016 and to 3,600 m3/day by 2035. It will also allow the drinking water supply system to be extended to the towns of Badikaha and N’golodougou to supply their approximately 40,000 inhabitants by 2020 and allow the prevalence rate of water-borne diseases linked to the consumption of non-potable water to be reduced by 50%. Loan amount: 2.342 billion CFA francs.

• Partial financing of a project to install a technical landfill centre for solid waste in the town of Lomé in Togo. The centre will cover a surface area of approximately 192 hectares and will have capacity for 300,000 tonnes of waste per year in line with international standards for a minimum period of 20 years. The implementation of the project will thus contribute to improved protection of the urban environment. Loan amount: 6 billion CFA francs.

• Consolidation of the outstanding balance of the initial loan for the Dakar – Diamniadio toll motorway project with the partial financing of its extension to Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) by the joint-venture company Société Eiffage de la Nouvelle Autoroute Concédée (SENAC) SA in Senegal. BOAD provided partial financing of 15 billion CFA francs for the construction of the Dakar – Diamniadio toll motorway, which entered into operation on 1 August 2013. To the outstanding balance of this initial loan, BOAD agreed to add a new loan of 5 billion CFA francs for the extension of this motorway to the new Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) located in Diass, 47 km from Dakar. Consolidated amount of the Bank’s financial assistance: 18.498 billion CFA francs.

• Installation of a cardboard packaging production unit by the company SCS Malienne de Cartonnerie SA in Mali. The planned objective of this project is to produce more than 5 million units of cardboard packaging and 1,200,000 packaging bags in the first year, increasing by 13% a year to reach 8,500,000 units of cardboard packaging and 2 million packaging bags in the fifth year, the break-even year. Loan amount: 2.3 billion CFA francs.

• Short-term loan to the Senegalese government for the partial financing of the Emergency Rural Electrification Programme (EREP). This programme is intended to help the government meet its target of increasing rural electrification from 26% in 2013 to 60% in 2016. Specifically, the current operation, co-financed with the local banking system, involves the electrification of 150 villages spread across 13 regions in Senegal. Loan amount: 5 billion CFA francs.

The Board of Directors also approved the establishment of a line of credit for BOAD with the Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector (ICD). This financial assistance, which represents the ICD’s first operation in West Africa, will strengthen BOAD’s capacity for intervention in the private sector, mainly with regard to SMEs.

Credit line amount: 30 million euros, or 19.68 billion CFA francs.

The Board of Directors also issued a favourable opinion on the status of the recovery of receivables on BOAD loans as at 22 May 2014. It further acknowledged the following documents:

• Progress report and main points of the project for the BOAD’s 2015-2019 Strategic Plan

• Implementation report on the issue of BOAD bonds for 2014-2021

• Summary of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the West African Economic and Monetary Union held on 27 March 2014 in Yamoussoukro

Bringing proceedings to a close, the Chairman Christian Adovelande thanked the Senegalese authorities on behalf of the Board of Directors for the warm and brotherly welcome extended to the Directors as well as for the material and organisational preparations made, which allowed this session to be held in the best of conditions.

Saïdou OUEDRAOGO

Director of Communications,

Marketing and Public Relations

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

For further information

Directorate of Communications and Public Relations

Tel.: + 228 22 23 27 09

Fax: + 228 22 23 24 38

E-mail: boadsiege@boad.org

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Africa team for Garmin Sub-Saharan Africa (http://www.garmin.co.za) will be hosting meetings in Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania from the 8th to the 15th July to meet with buyers, potential resellers and business partners. The purpose of our trade delegation is to engage and meet with prospective businesses partners who are involved in the fishing, farming, agribusiness, oil and gas, land development, surveying, navigation, and health and wellness industries.

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The CEO of Sub-Saharan Africa Walter Mech invites you to meet the Garmin trade delegation:

• Kampala, Uganda on the 8th and 9th of July 2014

• Addis Abba, Ethiopia on the 10th and 11th July 2014

• Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the 14th and 15th July 2014

Garmin’s products or tools are suited to developing economies where infrastructure requirements are extensive and mapping out of new boundaries, roads, waypoints are key to the countries expansion. Sustainable farming and the information required to plot out a field, calculate the area for planting seedlings or determining the land gradient of your farm to select the most suitable pump are just some key uses of our products.

Garmin navigation devices come preloaded with full map coverage for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and have free map updates for the lifetime of the unit. Over 54,000 Points of Interest allow you to find petrol stations, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centres.

Marine Echo range of fish finders make use of GPS and sonar technology to map and view fish under water, so fishermen can see where the fish are, and mark the exact waypoint so they can keep record of their fishing spots.

Garmin’s range of Fitness watches track time, speed, distance, calories, cadence and even heart rate, perfect for runners, cyclists and gym goers. Another exciting sector is the health and wellness market where Garmin VivoFit wellness band tracks your steps and sleeping patters encouraging you to stay active.

If you are involved in any of these associated industries either as a reseller, distributor or buyer, we invite you to meet with us. To register for a meeting visit http://www.garmin.co.za/eastafrica or email us directly on roan.rossouw@garmin.com

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Garmin Sub-Saharan Africa.

Contact: Michelle Hohls

Tel: +27 11 251 9964

Email: michelle.hohls@garmin.com

For review units and additional information on new products, features, pricing and availability regarding Garmin Southern Africa’s (GSA) products and services please contact Michelle or visit www.garmin.co.za. For additional fresh info, what’s happening, fun events and pics to prove it, follow GSA on:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/GarminSA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/GarminSA

ABOUT GARMIN:

Garmin (http://www.garmin.co.za), the global leader in satellite navigation has been successful in creating navigation and communication devices which embrace lifestyle needs and enrich the lives of customers’ since 1989. The brands innovative products span various areas of interest, including automotive, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, and aviation and wireless applications. Garmin Southern Africa (GSA) is a member of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq:GRMN). This group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Contact GSA for unmatched direct services and support on (011) 251 9999 or visit the GSA headquarters in Honeydew, Johannesburg, in the Kimbuilt Industrial Park at number 9 Zeiss Road, Laser Park.

Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns in the strongest terms possible to the harsh sentence handed down to two journalists and newspaper license revoking in the…

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 25, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I am delighted to congratulate the people of Mozambique as…

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 25, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the American people I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the government and …

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Sudanese government should immediately charge or release recently detained political activists, and investigate all allegations that they have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, and REDRESS said today.

Against a general background of restrictions on free speech and political organizing, the Sudanese authorities have clamped down in recent months on political opposition figures for criticizing Sudan’s abuses in conflict zones. President Omar al-Bashir promised in April 2014 to release all “political detainees.” But Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) continues to arbitrarily detain political activists and opposition party members, as recently as mid-June, the organizations said.

“Sudan needs to end its repressive and brutal tactics to silence criticism”, said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “President al-Bashir has promised to free political detainees but he needs to rein in his intelligence agents and police.”

Sudan should end arbitrary arrests of opponents and investigate all allegations of torture in accordance with international law, the groups said.

Three detained youth activists who may have been tortured are of immediate concern. On May 12, NISS officials arrested Mohammed Salah, 25, Taj Elsir Jaafar, 26, and Moammer Musa Mohammed, 27, near the University of Khartoum. The three were known activists who had participated in campaigns protesting the killing of a Darfuri student, Ali Abaker Musa Idris, by government security forces at Khartoum University on March 11.

“There are strong grounds for concern about the well-being of all three young men”, said Sarah Jackson, deputy regional director for Eastern Africa at Amnesty International. “Sudanese authorities must guarantee the safety of all those detained and ensure that anyone in detention is either charged with a recognized criminal offense or released without delay”.

Authorities detained the youths without charge at a NISS facility in the suburb of Bahri, where former detainees have reported being subjected to beatings and extremely cold temperatures as punishment.

Salah’s family, who were allowed to see him for the first time a month after his arrest, reported that Salah appeared to have severe injuries from beatings all over his body, including his right eye. Jaffar’s family also reported that he appeared to have been beaten. They said his face and hands were swollen, that he seemed to have trouble standing up and that his hands were trembling.

“The NISS has a track record of arbitrarily arresting and torturing human rights and political activists with complete impunity, and this practice must end”, said Carla Ferstman, director of REDRESS. “Sudan ratified the African Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which outlaw torture, and it is high time for it to show that these are more than just paper commitments.”

Sudan has arrested a number of other political opposition figures in recent weeks, On May 17, authorities arrested Sadiq Al Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party, after he publicly accused the government militia, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of human rights abuses against civilians in Darfur, including rape and looting. He was charged with undermining the Constitution but was released after a month.

On June 8, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, head of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, was arrested after he made similar statements about RSF abuses in conflict zones at a seminar in al-Nuhood, Western Kordofan, according to credible reports. Al-Sheikh is facing six charges, including incitement and acting against the constitutional regime. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

In the following days, authorities in al-Nuhood raided the offices of the Congress Party and arrested at least five student members, a journalist, and another young activist in town. One of the detainees, released after one week, said security officials beat him so badly he needed medical treatment.

Sudanese organizations have documented additional cases of the prolonged detention without charge of activists because of their real or perceived political opinions, some have been in detention for over five months.

Dr. Sidig Noreen Ali Abdalla, a university professor arrested on January 16, has been detained without charge in NISS custody in El Obeid town, North Kordofan state, well in excess of the legal period of up to four-and-a-half months permitted even under the country’s National Security Act of 2010. Although formal charges have not been brought, he is thought to have been detained on account of his advocacy on the situation in Darfur.

“These detentions of political activists are part of a wider human rights crisis in Sudan, where the space for freedom of expression, association, and assembly is severely restricted and dissenting political activists are censored with brute force”, said Katherine Perks, program director at ACJPS.

Torture is prohibited in all circumstances under international law as well as Sudanese law. If Sudan is to comply with its own obligations then it must adopt a zero tolerance to torture and ill-treatment by any government official or agent, the groups said. Sudan should enforce this absolute prohibition, investigate all allegations of torture and hold abusive officials to account, whether from within the police, military or NISS. Sudan should also ratify the UN Convention Against Torture, the groups said.

“Sudan continues to crack down severely on dissenting voices with complete impunity. The international community must take a strong stand against the current wave of detentions of political opponents and the security organ’s continued acts of torture against activists”, said Sheila Muwanga Nabachwa, vice president at FIDH. “The African Union and the United Nations must not only request that Sudan fully abides by its human rights obligations, but they must also envisage concerted actions to ensure it does”.