Category: APO-OPA

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 26, 2014

The Department of State recognizes recent progress in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Republic of Rwanda towards developing legitimate supply chains for the conflict minerals (gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum, and their ores) identified in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). However, exploitation of these minerals by armed groups continues to fuel conflict, pose a threat to peace and stability, and undermine efforts by the DRC authorities, the United States, and other international partners to end decades of strife in the African Great Lakes region.

On Friday, May 2, 2014 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an order clarifying that companies are required to comply with most due diligence and reporting requirements related to conflict minerals from the DRC and adjacent countries under its rule implementing Section 1502. The Department welcomes the SEC action as a key step towards ending the illicit exploitation of the DRC’s minerals and establishing transparent, conflict-free production, processing, and export of these resources. The Department strongly encourages companies to continue conducting due diligence on their supply chains for these four minerals as required by law and the SEC guidance. Disclosure reports, pursuant to the SEC’s April 29, 2014 guidance, generate increased public confidence in companies’ due diligence efforts and significantly contribute to these important objectives.

Developing a legitimate mining industry is critical to building an economic foundation for a sustainable peace in the eastern DRC and the African Great Lakes region, which is an essential component of U.S. policy in the region. The importance of this goal within the region itself is reflected in the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement for the DRC signed by regional governments. It is also reflected in the call by the member states of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to combat the illegal exploitation of minerals and their use to undermine peace and security.

The Department appreciates the efforts of the many companies, industry associations, and civil society groups that have partnered to promote conflict-free sourcing for minerals from the African Great Lakes region and through commercial supply chains. Per its February 2013 guidance, the Department will continue to work constructively and pragmatically “to provide guidance to commercial entities seeking to exercise due diligence” on their mineral supply chains.

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultation (DIDC) Implementation Committee was launched on 26 May 2014 in a ceremony hosted by the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The DIDC mechanism, stipulated in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), is designed to consolidate peace in Darfur, promote confidence-building and encourage reconciliation as well as unity among the people of Darfur and Sudan in general through popular consultation and dialogue. The DIDC is facilitated by the African Union, the State of Qatar and UNAMID.

The Implementation Committee will be the governing and implementing arm of the DIDC process to ensure its ownership by Darfuris. It is an independent body comprising eminent people from Darfur and Sudan, such as representatives of the DDPD parties, leaders from civil society, youth and women’s groups, prominent academics, entrepreneurs, as well as leaders of internally displaced populations. The Chairman and two Deputies of the Committee who were elected are Saddig Adam Abdallah (Saddig Wada’a), Muhamed Ahmed Haroon and Suad Adam Albarjo.

The Committee will ensure all appropriate preparations, overseeing and conducting the dialogues and consultations, as well as guaranteeing thorough documentation and analysis of the process and outcomes. It will also ensure that the process remains inclusive, transparent and credible at all times.

Apart from the members of the Implementation Committee, the event was attended by the Assistant to the President of Sudan, Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, African Union representative, Ambassador Ibrahim Kamara, Ambassador of Qatar Rashid Abdel-Rahman Al-Neami, Chair of Darfur Regional Authority El-Tigani Seisi, and the African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

“This event marks the beginning of a process that is an important part of our effort to build peace in Darfur, promote confidence-building, encourage reconciliation and unity between communities in Darfur,” said Mr. Chambas. “The DIDC process will also address issues related to civic responsibility, democratic values, and enhancing time-tested traditional dispute resolution practices.”

The JSR expressed his hope that the DIDC process will become a crucial building-block in the national dialogue. “The DIDC, properly conducted, should be a dress rehearsal for the Darfuris to participate effectively and articulate their concerns in the proposed national dialogue,” UNAMID’s Head added, noting that it is therefore imperative that conducive conditions exist for free expression of opinions without fear of harassment or intimidation throughout the process.

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
Marie Harf
Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 26, 2014

The United States is closely monitoring the situation in Malawi following…

TOKYO, Japan, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — 1. Japan welcomes the fact that the second round voting for the presidential election in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau took place on May 18 in a peaceful manner, with the participation of…

DAKAR, Sénégal, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A new interactive map(1), published by the international development charity WaterAid (http://www.wateraid.org), has been launched online showing that 14 African governments are on course or within touching distance of reaching the historic mark of everyone in their countries having access to clean drinking water by 2030(2).

View the Africa Water Map: http://www.wateraid.org/africawaterweek

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

The map has been released on the day that African water ministers and delegates arrive for the start of African Water Week(3) conference in Dakar, Senegal for crucial talks as to whether they should back a proposed new global Sustainable Development Goal(4) for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene by the year 2030.

WaterAid are lobbying minister and delegates at the conference for the outcome communiqué to include such a commitment.

Nelson Gomonda, WaterAid’s Pan-African Programme Manager said:

“This map shows that a new water, sanitation and hygiene Sustainable Development Goal that puts Africa on track to everyone having access to these essential services by 2030 is realistic and achievable.

“Many African countries are already on course to achieve this historic milestone at current rates of progress, and most others can get there with relatively modest improvements in levels of access.

“Ministers at Africa Water Week conference should grasp this opportunity to set in motion a happier, healthier and more prosperous future for everyone on the continent.”

The map is understood to be the first online interactive data representation project produced with a predominantly African audience in mind, which is increasingly online and social media savvy.

According to the International Telecommunications Union, around 177 million African’s are now internet users(5), while over 50 million African’s have Facebook accounts(6).

The African Water Map shows that on average, 28 million people are gaining access to water each year across Africa, but that if this increased by an extra 17 million people, that everyone everywhere across the continent would have access to clean water by 2030(7).

Currently over a third of African’s, 325 million, lack access to clean drinking water, while over 70%, 643 million, go without basic sanitation(8).

A lack of access to these services costs sub-Saharan Africa over $50 billion USD every year in health care costs and lost productivity(9), more than the continent receives in aid(10).

Nearly half a million African’s (481,000) die every year because of diarrhoea diseases attributable to a lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene(11). A lack of access to these essential services is also understood have a substantial impact on the prevalence and mortality associated with pneumonia, and under-nutrition on the continent.

The UN has estimated that half the hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people suffering from diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene(12).

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

For more information or interview requests, please contact:

Dakar, Senegal –

Apollos Nwafor, (English Language) WaterAid Regional Advocacy Manager, West Africa on +221 77 679 66 66 / +221770990818 / ApollosNwafor@wateraid.org

Maimouna Tall, (French Language) WaterAid Regional Support Officer, West Africa on + 221 77 333 62 03 / MaimounaTall@wateraid.org

London, UK –

Hratche Koundarjian, (English Language) WaterAid News Manager on +44 (0) 7905 911 039 / hratchekoundarjian@wateraid.org

Editors Notes:

(1) http://www.wateraid.org/AfricaWaterWeek

(2) African countries currently on track at current rates of progress to reach 100% of coverage for clean drinking water by or before 2030: South Africa / Botswana / Namibia / Malawi / Uganda / Egypt / Tunisia / Guinea-Bissau / Ghana.

African countries currently on track at current rates of progress to reach over 90% of coverage for clean drinking water by 2030: Cameroon / Morocco / Mali / Guinea / Benin

(3) http://www.africawaterweek.com/5th

(4) http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org

(5) http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2013-e.pdf

(6) http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics

(7) http://www.wateraid.org/AfricaWaterWeek

(8) http://www.wssinfo.org

(9) http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2012/globalcosts.pdf

(10) http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentupload/2.%20Africa%20-%20Development%20Aid%20at%20a%20Glance%202014.pdf

(11) http://ihmeuw.org/1yu2 & www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/burden/en/

(12) http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR06-complete.pdf

WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation (http://www.wateraid.org). The international organisation works in 26 countries across Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific Region to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest communities. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 19.2 million people with safe water and, since 2004, 15.1 million people with sanitation. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org, follow @wateraidUK on Twitter or visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/wateraid.

• Around 1,400 children die every day from diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation.

• 748 million people are without safe water, or one in 10 in the world.

• 2.5 billion people are without adequate sanitation, or 36% of the world’s population.

BERN, Switzerland, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Today in Brussels, Switzerland and the Seychelles signed a tax information exchange agreement (TIEA). Such agreements are concluded within the framework of Switzerland’s administrati…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — SECOND FIELD MISSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON SOUTH SUDAN TO JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

When& Where: 25thMay– 7th June2014, Juba Grand Hotel, South Sudan.

The African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan is expected to meet with South Sudanese citizens as well as the other pressure groups. This is in addition to meetings with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other actors that could assist it in its investigations.

Why: To fulfill the mandate of the South Sudan Commission of Inquiry which is captured in the Communiqué of the PSC on 30 December 2013 and can be distilled as follows

a) To investigate the human rights violations and other abuses committed during the armed conflict in South Sudan;

b) To investigate the causes underlying the violations;

c) To make recommendations on the best ways and means to ensure accountability, reconciliation and healing among all South Sudanese communities with a view to deterring and preventing the occurrence of the violations in future; and

d) To make recommendations on how to move the country forward in terms of unity, cooperation and sustainable development;

e) To submit a report within a maximum period of three (3) months.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the South Sudan Commission of Inquiry are to:

a) Establish the immediate and remote causes of the conflict;

b) Investigate human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict by all parties from 15 December 2013;

c) Establish facts and circumstances that may have led to and that amount to such violations and of any crimes that may have been perpetrated;

d) Compile information based on these investigations and in so doing assist in identifying perpetrators of such violations and abuses with a view to ensuring accountability for those responsible;

e) Compile information on institutions and process or lack thereof that may have aided or aggravated the conflict resulting in violations of human rights and other abuses;

f) To examine ways on how to move the country forward in terms of unity, cooperation and sustainable development;

g) Present a comprehensive written report on the overall situation South Sudan to the African Union Peace and Security Council within a period of three (3) months from the commencement of its activities.

h) Make recommendations based on the investigation on the following:

i. appropriate mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the conflict;

ii. mechanisms to promote national healing and cohesiveness, particularly focusing on the need for all South Sudanese communities to live together in peace;

iii. modalities for nation building, specifically focused on building of a functional political order, democratic institutions and post conflict reconstruction;

iv. accountability mechanisms for gross violations of human rights and other egregious abuses to ensure that those responsible for such violations are held to account.

The Chairperson of the Commission, in consultation with the Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)and other relevant AU structures, established a Commission to investigate the human rights violations and other abuses committed during the armed conflict in South Sudan and make recommendations on the best ways and means to ensure accountability, reconciliation and healing among all South Sudanese communities.

Therefore, the Commission of Inquiry is inviting representatives from all segments of the South Sudanese society that may be interested in appearing before it.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — As part of the closing events of year-long celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the OAU-AU, held Sunday 25th May 2014, the African Union Commission, hosted the Golden Jubilee …

PARIS, France, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — After the CTIC incubator in Senegal and the Ebène project in Mauritius, Orange (http://www.orange.com) announces the opening of the first start-up incubator in Niger. Orange Niger and its local partners* have helped to set-up CIPMEN, a small- and medium-sized business (SME) incubator designed to encourage the creation of new and innovative companies in the country.

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

In sub-Saharan Africa, 85% of SMEs fail within the first two years, but 80% of companies that undergo an incubation process are still operating after five years.

Supporting the creation of innovative businesses in Niger

CIPMEN was designed to support small- and medium-sized enterprises from their launch phase until they reach a level of maturity and turn enough profit to fend for themselves in the long term. The purpose of CIPMEN is to help innovative SMEs grow on a market where many companies fail to see the light of day, and to bridge the gap between the informal sector and the larger national and international companies. Niger offers few suitable support mechanisms for upcoming businesses, despite the central role that companies play in creating jobs for young people, helping to form a middle class, and in creating and redistributing wealth.

The incubator will help companies in future-oriented sectors such as Information and Communication Technologies, renewable energy and the environment. The project, initiated by Orange, is a pilot program which should enable the launch of other regional initiatives in Niger. To find out more: http://www.cipmen.org

CIPMEN was inaugurated in late April 2014 at the first Startup Weekend held in Niamey, and during which 80 participants spent 54 hours working on innovative projects.

To find out more: http://www.niamey.startupweekend.org

innovation promoting social and economic development

Through its network investments and its presence in emerging countries, Orange plays an important role in social and economic development in Africa. What’s more, ICT services encourage the emergence of new economic models, new segments of activity, and the development of markets and local businesses.

Orange is keen to support new ideas that result in progress for all, in particular those that create economic value at a local level. This is why Orange supports partnership initiatives that help to speed up these positive changes. Orange has already contributed to the creation and support of the CTIC incubator in Dakar and the Ebène project in Mauritius, in addition to the organisation of Hackathons in Tunisia, Uganda and Mauritius. The Group has also set-up a specific prize designed to support African start-ups, the Orange African Social Venture Prize, the fourth edition of which was launched recently.

These projects embody both Orange’s innovation strategy and the responsible approach it takes when addressing people’s needs in the fields of education, healthcare and farming, as well as financial and administrative services.

Watch the video of the CIPMEN’s inauguration here: http://oran.ge/1kkMmCe.

* Total Niger, Sinergi, Gamma Informatique, BOA, Lundin Foundation, the city of Niamey, the Chamber of Commerce, The University of Niamey, the Trade Ministry, the High Commissioner behind the 3N initiative and Areva.

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

Press contacts: +33 1 44 44 93 93

Tom Wright, tom.wright@orange.com

Sylvie Duho, sylvie.duho@orange.com

Orange Niger: Roni Alhassan, (227) 90 23 24 09, Alhassan.RONI@orange-niger.ne

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 fixed broadband customers worldwide. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.

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

For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.livetv.orange.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will conduct her first official visit as the UN’s top human rights official to Morocco from 26 to 29 May 2014 at the invitation of…