Category: APO-OPA

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, strongly condemns the massacre of over 50 people, by Al-Shabaab, in the town of Mpeketon…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma, welcomes the release of former Prime Minister of Sudan and President of the National UMM…

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — EMERGENCYRELIEF COORDINATOR VALERIE AMOS TO VISIT COTE D’IVOIRE

WHO: Valerie Amos, Emergency Relief Coordinator and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

WHAT: Mission to Cote d’Ivoire

WHEN: 18-20 June 2014

WHERE: Abidjan and field visit; West and Central African Consultations for the World Humanitarian Summit 2016

Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, will visit Cote d’Ivoire from 18 to 20 June. Ms. Amos is scheduled to participate in the West and Central Africa regional consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit. She is expected to visit Grabo in western Côte d’Ivoire to meet displaced people and the communities hosting them.

West and Central Africa is the first region to host a consultation in the lead-up to the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. During the consultation, community groups, national governments, regional organizations, humanitarian and development organizations, academics and businesses from the region will discuss the future of aid, focusing on humanitarian effectiveness; reducing vulnerability and managing risks; innovation; and serving the needs of people in conflict.

During her visit, Ms. Amos will meet Government officials and humanitarian representatives to discuss ways of strengthening capacities to meethumanitarian challenges in Côte d’Ivoire.

Ms.Amos is scheduled to give a press conference on Friday 20 June 2014 at 18:00 at Hotel Sofitel, Abidjan.

BERLIN, Germany, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On 18 and 19 June 2014, with the support of the Gerda Henkel Foundation the Federal Foreign Office is hosting an International Strategy Conference dedicated to the preservation of ap…

PARIS, France, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — During an aerial attack on a Sudanese village, Sudan’s air force bombed and partially destroyed a hospital run by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the war-torn South Kordofan region Monday, depriving civilians of critical medical care, the organization said today.

As bombs struck the village of Farandalla on June 16, two hit the MSF hospital there. Five people were wounded in the village and one MSF staff member was injured at the hospital. MSF medical teams treated the wounded and organized the transfer of three severely injured patients to another hospital.

“We are shocked that a medical facility can be bombed, especially since it was clearly identified with a flag and a cross on the roof,” said MSF Head of Mission Brian Moller. “We also had previously communicated the hospital’s position to the authorities in Khartoum.”

Hospital staff evacuated the patients in the surroundings at the time of the attack. Medical workers returned to treat the people wounded in the attack on the village.

MSF calls for the respect of patients, staff, and medical facilities in South Kordofan. Several other medical facilities in South Kordofan have been bombed in recent weeks.

The bombs in Farandalla destroyed the emergency room, a dressing room, the pharmacy, and the hospital kitchen.

“Damage to the Farandalla hospital is significant, but MSF will continue to work there,” Moller said.

The MSF facility, with both outpatient and inpatient wards, began operating in 2012. Nearly 65,000 consultations have been carried out since then, along with close to 2,300 admissions. MSF is one of the few health care providers in South Kordofan. In addition to running the Farandalla facility, MSF supports five health centers in the area.

BERLIN, Germany, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On Tuesday, 17 June 2014, Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier will meet the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Mozambique, Oldemiro Júlio Marques Balói, for talks at the Federal Foreign Office.

Besides discussing bilateral relations between Germany and Mozambique, the Ministers will focus on current developments in Africa.

NEW YORK, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on 15 June 2014 in Mpeketoni, Kenya, which reportedly killed at least 48 people and wounded many more. The Secretary-General…

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

June 16, 2014

Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom will travel to Senegal, Kenya, and Liberia from June 16 to June 20.

While in Dakar, Senegal, Deputy Secretary Higginbottom will meet with senior Senegalese officials, including Prime Minister Aminata Touré and the Minister of Economy & Finance Amadou Ba. The Deputy Secretary will also meet with prominent business leaders and American companies, visit U.S. Government-supported health and food security projects, and participate in a reception with Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) candidates, young entrepreneurs, and alumni of U.S.-funded exchange programs.

From Senegal, Deputy Secretary Higginbottom will travel to Nairobi, Kenya. In Kenya, the Deputy Secretary will meet with senior Kenyan Government officials to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest in the U.S.-Kenya partnership, such as health, wildlife conservation, economic development and commercial ties, and security. She will visit U.S.-supported health and economic development projects, including a Kenyan company that exports its products to the United States. She also will hold discussions with private sector and civil society leaders.

During her last stop in Monrovia, Liberia, Deputy Secretary Higginbottom will meet with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and other Liberian officials. Her visit will also include a discussion on promoting women entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as a reception with YALI applicants and the Ambassador’s Council of Youth Advisors.

OTTAWA, Canada, June 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement concerning Sunday’s attack in Kenya:

“Canada is appalled by Sunday’s attack on innocent civilians in Mpeketoni, Kenya, which claimed the lives of at least 48 people and wounded many more. Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack.

“I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, on behalf of all Canadians, and to convey our wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

“Canada calls on the Kenyan authorities to bring to justice those responsible for this senseless act of violence.

“The Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in Kenya, remain extremely vigilant in public places and monitor local media and travel.gc.ca’s Travel Advice and Advisories for Kenya website.”

PARIS, France, June 16, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Orange (http://www.orange.com) and the BNP Paribas group offer retail banking customers in Africa direct access between their BNP Paribas account and their Orange Money account through their mobile phones. This new service is available starting today in Côte d’Ivoire and will be extended to other countries in which BNP Paribas and Orange Money(1) are present, particularly Senegal.

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

The service allows customers of the BNP Paribas group (BICICI in Côte d’Ivoire) to carry out real-time banking operations without going to their banks, simply by using their Orange Money account.

Customers can transfer money to their Orange Money account directly from their BNP Paribas bank account, or vice versa, simply, quickly and securely.

This flexibility in transferring money between bank accounts and mobile accounts will make it easier to use the services already offered by Orange Money, such as payment for goods and services (water, electricity and television bills, etc.) and purchases of airtime credit.

The large network of licensed Orange Money distributors will supplement the network of BNP Paribas bank branches, offering a maximum number of cash withdrawal points to all customers, particularly in more remote areas.

“Orange Money and BNP Paribas are joining forces to deploy Orange Money services to banking customers in their common sales territories in Africa. BNP Paribas customers will thus benefit from Orange Money functionalities such as money transfers, bill payments, merchant payments and purchases of airtime credit. The synergies of our businesses will make it easier for customers to manage their money, wherever they are in the country and at any time of the day,” says Thierry Millet, Director of the Payments and Contactless Programme at Orange.

“This agreement gives Orange Money customers access to new banking services (savings account, international bank card, etc.) and gives BNP Paribas customers access to an extensive withdrawal/deposit network and the possibility of paying bills or buying telephone credit from their mobile phones,” adds François Benaroya, Retail Director in the International Retail Banking branch of BNP Paribas.

Through the new partnership, Orange Money and BNP Paribas pledge to increase the percentage of the population holding bank accounts by offering a fast, secure and reliable service for managing all daily banking operations.

Orange Money currently has more than 10 million customers in 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East. Subscription to the Orange Money service is free of charge.

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

(1) List of countries where Orange Money is available: Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt (under the name Mobicash), Guinea, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal and Uganda.

about BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is present in nearly 80 countries and has 190,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe. The group has key positions in its three major business areas: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions, and Corporate & Investment Banking. The Group has four domestic markets in Europe (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg), and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is number one in personal credit.

BNP Paribas also deploys its integrated retail banking model in the countries of the Mediterranean Basin, in Turkey and in Eastern Europe, and has a large network in the western United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions businesses, BNP Paribas is the European leader and has a strong presence in the Americas and a solid, growing activity in Asia-Pacific.

BNP Paribas press contacts:

Malka Nusynowicz, malka.nusynowicz@bnpparibas.com, +33 1 42 98 36 25

Malick Magueye Diaw, malickmagueye.diaw@bnpparibas.com, +221 33 839 04 10

about Orange

Orange (http://www.orange.com) is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2013 and has 164,000 employees worldwide at 31 March 2014, including 101,000 employees in France. Present in 30 countries, the Group has a total customer base of more than 239 million customers at 31 March 2014, including 182 million mobile customers and 16 million broadband internet customers worldwide. Under the Orange Business Services brand, Orange is also one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

Orange is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (ORAN).

For more information (on the web and on your mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.livetv.orange.com or to follow us on Twitter: @presseorange.

Orange and any other Orange product or service cited in this press release are trademarks held by Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

Orange press contacts: +33 1 44 44 93 93

Mylène Blin, mylene.blin@orange.com

Tom Wright, tom.wright@orange.com