Category: APO-OPA

COTONOU, Benin, May 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the sixth review of Benin’s economic performance under a program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement.1 The Board’s decision, which was taken without a formal meeting and enters into effect today,2 enables the immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 10.61 million (about US$-16.4 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to an amount equivalent to SDR 74.28 million (about US$114.5 million).

In completing the reviews, the Board granted waivers for the nonobservance of the continuous performance criterion on new non-concessional external debt with a maturity of more than one year.

The ECF arrangement for Benin was approved on June 14, 2010 (see Press Release No.10/243) for the equivalent of a total of SDR 74.28 million (about US$114.5 million).

Benin’s growth is projected to reach about 5½ percent in 2014 for the third consecutive year. This performance has closed the gap in per capita GDP growth between Benin and the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) average which was about 2 percentage points on average between 2005 and 2011.

Program performance was satisfactory and most criteria were met except for the ceiling on non-concessional borrowing. Thanks to prudent fiscal policy, macroeconomic performance remains satisfactory and progress has been achieved in structural reforms. The implementation of the new approach to customs reform is moving ahead well despite some delays.

Sound policies have created fiscal space for scaling up investment to create favorable conditions for sustainable long-term growth. To preserve the authorities’ achievements under this ECF arrangement, rising investment has to be accompanied by further progress in public financial management and integrated into a medium-term framework anchored in debt sustainability. In addition, the government has initiated reforms to strengthen the efficiency of investment spending. Government efforts to enhance the business environment are starting to show some results, but broad-based reforms will be necessary to improve productivity.

1 The ECF is the IMF’s main tool for medium-term financial support to low-income countries. Financing under the ECF currently carries a zero percent interest rate, with a grace period of 5½ years, and a maturity of 10 years (http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/ecf.htm).

2 The Executive Board takes decisions without a meeting when it is agreed by the Board that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — President Obama called South African President Jacob Zuma today to congratulate him on his re-election — the African National Congress’s fifth successful election in the post-Apartheid era. The presidents noted that they look forward to continuing to work together on bilateral and multilateral issues of importance, and to ensuring the upcoming U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit advances regional stability and economic growth.

DUBLIN, Ireland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Ireland will provide an additional €2 million to support life-saving work in South Sudan, where an estimated five million people are in urgent need of assistance, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore TD has announced.

Due to ongoing conflict in South Sudan, more than 1.2 million people have fled their homes.

The Tánaiste said:

“The grave humanitarian situation in South Sudan, which is affecting almost five million people, is truly shocking. Widespread killing of civilians and gross human rights violations are reported. Given the seriousness of the crisis and the urgent needs of innocent civilians, Ireland will provide a further €1.36 million to our NGO partners in South Sudan to provide healthcare and protection to vulnerable women and children.

“In addition, Ireland will provide €500,000 this week to support the World Food Programme’s work in South Sudan and €200,000 to assist South Sudanese refugees who have fled to Uganda. This funding of over €2 million brings our total contributions this year to approximately €5 million.”

Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD said the prospect of famine is now a reality as many people have been unable to cultivate their land:

“The devastating conflict has left thousands of families destitute, with hunger and under-nutrition now widespread. The UN has warned that more than a third of South Sudan’s population, or 4 million people, will be on the brink of starvation by the end of 2014 if urgent action is not taken.

“There are a number of major humanitarian crises now demanding international attention – including Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo – to which Ireland is also responding. It is vital that the international community not lose focus on South Sudan, whose people continue to need our urgent support.”

The €2 million will support the following projects:

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Almost €400,000 to Concern for their emergency response work and programme to help people recover from the impacts of the conflict in Unity State

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€472,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières to provide primary and secondary heath care in Lankien, Jonglei State

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€488,000 in 2014 for World vision’ s programme to provide emergency protection to children and women affected by conflict in Upper Nile State, Jonglei State and Warrap State

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€500,000 this week to support the World Food Programme’s work in South Sudan

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€200,000 to assist South Sudanese refugees who have fled to Uganda.

Ireland has already committed more than €2.9 million to South Sudan in 2014 in response to the current outbreak of conflict and resulting displacement, including:

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Two airlifts totalling 45 tonnes of emergency supplies – including blankets, mosquito nets and kitchen utensils – valued at €400,000

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€805,000 to assist South Sudanese refugees in Uganda and Ethiopia

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€100,000 in funding for key NGO partners for use in emergencies

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€1.5 million in funding to ensure that UN agencies and NGOs on the ground can respond to urgent humanitarian needs

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — More than 315 cholera cases have been recorded in South Sudan since the Ministry of Health (MoH) officially declared an outbreak in the capital, Juba, on 15 May 2014. In other locations around the country there are suspected cases, awaiting laboratory confirmation. Medical humanitarian aid organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) immediately responded, organising multiple donations of essential supplies to support MoH health facilities. In a race to help contain the outbreak, MSF’s emergency teams also began setting up a site for a cholera treatment center; prospecting further locations for other potential treatment centres; providing safe water; conducting awareness campaigns; and organising cholera vaccinations in camps for displaced people.

“Following five months of intense conflict, dire conditions in many camps for displaced people, and a worsening rainy season, we are concerned about the impact of the disease,” says Mr. Brian P. Moller, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan. “Yet cholera can be simply and effectively treated if caught early enough. MSF’s priority is to ensure a quick and efficient response to contain the outbreak as much as possible, working on both the treatment of patients and the prevention of the disease.”

In Juba, over the last week, MSF has been providing essential supplies to a number of small Ministry of Health clinics in the city, but in particular to Juba Teaching Hospital, currently the only cholera treatment centre. These donations included cholera beds, testing kits, chlorine solution, and oral rehydration salts (ORS). MSF also sent cholera-experienced clinicians and a water and sanitation expert to support hospital staff.

At the same time, MSF teams began constructing a 50-bed cholera treatment center (CTC) in Gudele district, one of the areas most affected by the outbreak. This CTC will be fully operational this weekend, with the capacity to expand to 100 beds, when necessary.

MSF also plans to open other CTC’s in the capital to increase treatment capacity in the coming weeks. In the IDP camps in Juba, where MSF has been providing healthcare since December, emergency teams have already identified CTC sites in the event of outbreaks there, and are also carrying out health promotion activities.

In the rest of the country, where suspected cases of cholera have been reported, MSF is responding in several states. In the camp for displaced people in Malakal, Upper Nile State, MSF pre-emptively set up a CTC, after vaccinating nearly 17,000 people there against cholera in April and May this year. In the same state, MSF sent an emergency team to Kaka, about 40km from Melut, to assess the situation in a local clinic, and to donate equipment and supplies. The organization is also preparing a contingency plan in Melut IDP camp in case of a cholera outbreak. In the displaced camp in Bentiu, Unity State, MSF is providing assistance to an ongoing cholera vaccination campaign and is prepositioning cholera related supplies.

In Lakes State, in Minkamman, where MSF has been providing assistance to an estimated 80,000 displaced people since December, MSF teams carried out a supplementary cholera vaccination campaign in the camp. This campaign is targeting displaced people who may have missed previous vaccine rounds conducted earlier this year. Two rounds of the vaccine are necessary for it to work effectively, yet even then it is estimated to provide only a 65% chance of protection from the disease. It is, however, one of the few methods, along with improving conditions, water supply and sanitation, of preventively giving a vulnerable community a better chance of avoiding an outbreak. MSF is also providing 500,000 liters of chlorinated water per day on this site, which is key to reduce the transmission of the disease. The teams on the ground are ready to set up a 20-bed isolation ward and a CTC in case of an outbreak.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria – Vibrio cholerae – found in unsanitary environments. The diarrhoea and vomiting brought on by the disease quickly lead to severe dehydration and can result in death. Cholera can be simply and effectively treated provided the treatment is started early enough. Treatment involves replacing the lost water and electrolytes such as potassium and sodium by rehydrating the patient with oral rehydration solution or, for the more serious cases, intravenously.

NEW YORK, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “The Security Council welcomes the Secretary-General’s 3 April letter to the President of the Security Council (‘the letter’ — S/2014/243), identifying options for supporting the federal Government of Somalia to meet its obligations under the partial suspension of the arms embargo. The Security Council underlines that improved arms and ammunition management in Somalia is a fundamental component of greater peace and stability for both Somalia and the region.

“The Security Council underscores the need for the federal Government of Somalia to show tangible progress in complying with the terms of the partial suspension of the arms embargo, as highlighted in both the letter and resolution 2142 (2014). The Security Council remains concerned about the diversion of arms and ammunition, including potentially to Al-Shabaab, which was also highlighted in resolution 2142 (2014). In that regard, the Security Council welcomes the federal Government of Somalia’s establishment of an Arms and Ammunition Steering Committee as the overall body responsible for arms and ammunition management. The Security Council highlights the important role which should also be played by the Weapons and Ammunition Management Technical Working Group (Working Group) with respect to improving weapons management. The Security Council reiterates that its decision in October 2014 on the continuation of the suspension of the arms embargo will be informed by the federal Government of Somalia’s compliance with its obligations to carry out Security Council decisions.

“The Security Council underlines the importance of the international community supporting the federal Government of Somalia in the areas identified in the letter. In particular the Security Council underlines the urgent need for international support to the Office of the National Security Adviser, which coordinates the federal Government’s reporting obligations to the Security Council, as well as oversees the national architecture for weapons and ammunition management. The Security Council appeals to Member States and relevant international and regional organizations to provide support and equipment which focus on:

i) Improving the federal Government of Somalia’s reporting to the Security Council on the structure of its security forces, as well as improving its notifications to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea (‘Sanctions Committee’);

ii) Completing a baseline registration survey of the Somali Security Sector;

iii) Starting a weapons marking and registration process, in order to inform future verification activities.

“The Security Council encourages Member States to provide financing and in-kind resources to accelerate key deliverables in the 2014 work plan of the Arms and Ammunition Steering Committee and its Working Group.

“The Security Council also emphasizes in particular the need for five weapons marking machines, equipment required for mobile marking units for armouries outside of Mogadishu and interim weapons storage facilities.

“The Security Council underlines to all Member States and international organizations that all deliveries of military equipment and notifications should be coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser, which the federal Government of Somalia has identified as the coordinating entity for arms and ammunition management.

“The federal Government of Somalia should consider establishing a joint verification team with international experts. The team should focus on physical verification of arms and ammunition provided to the federal Government, as well as the systems of control in place for arms and ammunition management. The team should focus on supporting the federal Government of Somalia in complying with the decisions of the Security Council and the Sanctions Committee, in particular with respect to arms and ammunition management. The Security Council underlines that this team would complement the work of, and should coordinate with, the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG), in order to avoid any duplication in their respective activities. The Security Council encourages Member States, UNSOM, and relevant UN agencies, funds and programmes, to support the establishment of this team. The Security Council further encourages Member States to provide sufficient financial resources to support the prompt establishment of this team.

“The Security Council highlights that the work of the SEMG is of paramount importance. The Security Council reiterates paragraph 32 of resolution 2111 (2013) and reminds the federal Government of Somalia of the importance of cooperating with the Group. In that context, the Security Council encourages the SEMG to increase its presence in Mogadishu and step up its interaction with the Office of the National Security Adviser, including by regular participation in the meetings of the Working Group.

“The Security Council encourages all relevant members of the international community, UNSOM, UN agencies and the African Union to support the federal Government of Somalia in improving its arms and ammunition management, including through providing financial and in-kind support to enhance their capacity. The Security Council underlines that the federal Government of Somalia is ultimately responsible for the management of its weapons and military equipment. The Security Council highlights its expectation that the Federal Government of Somalia will make substantive progress in the months ahead.”

WINDHOEK, Namibia, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — At a special high-level session of the Annual General Meeting of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) in Windhoek, Namibia, representatives from UNODC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) confirmed their commitment to make the SADC Region safer from crime and drugs through their Joint Regional Programme for 2013-2016.

The Regional Programme supports the Member States in responding to challenges within the mandate of UNODC through strengthening capacities at the national level and promoting regional cooperation in line with the priorities and needs of the countries concerned. Three interdependent substantive pillars, supported through the cross-cutting programme areas of data collection and analysis, legislative drafting and capacity building, form the framework for the Regional Programme’s areas of intervention:

1. Countering Illicit Trafficking and Organised Crime;

2. Criminal Justice and Integrity;

3. Improving Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Care, and HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care for People Who Use Drugs, including Injecting Drug Users and in Prison Settings.

In particular, it is envisioned to contribute to crime prevention measures in the region in the context of supporting a sustainable socio-economic development.

Importance of inclusive regional cooperation highlighted

Technical experts from all Member States were consulted in two Regional Expert Group Meetings to identify the key concerns and priorities to be addressed under the future Regional Programme. The resulting regional approach and programmatic framework were endorsed by the SADC and UNODC, and finalized in July 2013.

UNODC O-i-C, Ehab Salah highlighted in his speech on the day that:

“Challenges such as increasing drug use, HIV and Aids, organized crime, trafficking in persons, violence against women and children, corruption and money-laundering are shared challenges, which inhibit national and regional development, undermining justice and the rule of law, and threatening overall security in all SADC Member States. And only by working together, can these challenges be addressed in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

The implementation of the Regional Programme is ongoing in a number of thematic areas including HIV in Prison Settings, Trafficking in Persons, Gender-based Violence, Anti-Corruption, Asset-Recovery and many more. In order to expand the programming geographically and thematically, UNODC emphasized the joint responsibility of UNODC, SADC and Member States to mobilize additional funding. UNODC further acknowledged the financial support from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADA) for the development of the Regional Programme and its implementation.

BERN, Switzerland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On 22 May in Accra, Switzerland and Ghana signed a protocol amending the agreement for the avoidance of double taxation (DTA) with respect to taxes on income, capital and capital gai…

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Music and dance are among the ancient forms of art that have flourished for many centuries in Africa. Music entertains, educates, soothes and unites. We all have that one song that moves us too deeply and leaves us almost in tears when we listen to it. That is the power of music, the right combination of lyrics, rhythm and instruments can inspire change and shape society. This makes music one of the perfect ingredients for social change in our communities.

To mark Africa Day and celebrate African unity, IOM in South Africa will today launch a music video: ‘I am a Migrant’ to promote unity, Ubuntu, peace and diversity in South Africa. Africa Day is the annual celebration of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on May 25 of the 1963. The day has been designated by the African Union as an annual celebration of the continent’s unity. Africa Day presents a great opportunity to unite and celebrate the diversity of Africa.

Since the collapse of apartheid, the number of people crossing borders into South Africa has increased significantly with Africans from other countries seeing South Africa as a place to trade, shop, be educated and seek asylum. But alongside this trend has come a new and dangerous prejudice: xenophobia. Some 20 years into democracy, xenophobia remains a challenge in South Africa and in some locations and communities it has moved from latent prejudice to actual violence directed against foreigners.

It is against this background that IOM commissioned the production of a song aimed at promoting social cohesion in South Africa. This song was recorded as part of IOM’s ‘I Am a Migrant Too’ campaign which was launched in 2012.

The campaign was aimed at sensitizing the South African public to the fact that migrants are an integral part of society. In fact, we are all either migrants or we are related to migrants. Campaign messages focused on the similarities between migrants and host communities, as well as the richness and diversity that migrants bring.

The ‘I Am a Migrant’ song features a group of award winning as well as upcoming, talented South African artists, who pledged their time and talent to produce a song that will help to promote social cohesion amongst Africans.

These include Bozoe Nkomo, Jacqui Carpede, Kabomo Vilakazi, Khabonina Qubeka, Masechaba Lekalake, Mabongi Mabaso, Monde Msutwana, Moonga Mkandawire, Simphiwe Gwegwe, Shatti Mogapi, Thebe Lection Lekhonkhobe, Tribute Mboweni, Tumelo ABCRAZY Dibakwane and Xolisa Lady X Mvula.

“We need such social activism especially spearheaded by artists due to their social status as opinion leaders and activists. Art has always played an integral role in conveying messages and acting as a strong catalyst for social commentary. It’s also an important element to inspire unity and harmony amongst diverse individuals. As we are celebrating Africa Day, this initiative by IOM comes at an ideal time, as the aim was to highlight the diversity within our society and its benefits, promote understanding, and celebrate the journey towards a united African community,” says Tribute Mboweni, one of the featured artists.

“Ubuntu has no borders; the values of love and kindness are part of African culture. It’s in our nature to welcome our visitors, and we have depended on these values in the past when we needed our neighbours. The dignity of all human beings must be respected, irrespective of where they are from,” says Dr. Erick Ventura, IOM South Africa Chief of Mission.

The music video will be launched on the 23rd of May 2014 at the Bioscope in Johannesburg. The video will be available on the IOM website (http://southafrica.iom.int) from Friday 23 May.

You can also listen to the song on Soundcloud by following this link: https://soundcloud.com/iom-south-africa/i-am-a-migrant.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM and the Government of Uganda have organized a two-day workshop in Kampala to discuss procedures, regulatory frameworks, systems and mechanisms for an improved border management system in Uganda.

The workshop, which was part of a broader IOM border management project funded by the Government of Japan, brought together 15 Ugandan government officials involved in the development of a comprehensive border and migration management assessment.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Uganda Junzo Fujita underscored the need to improve border management in Uganda and the region. “Since the world has become borderless, a threat to one means a threat to all. In other worlds, vulnerable borders in Uganda can even affect Japan,” he said.

Ugandan Minister of State James Baba noted: “Although Uganda is a peaceful and stable country, there are many border challenges that we have to solve. With an improved border management through a coordinated multi-agency approach we will come up with solutions.”

East Africa is a volatile region, facing numerous challenges from political, military and economic instability. This has placed great strain on Uganda’s border management, exposing its borders to irregular movements, transnational crime and the movement of terrorists.

Uganda is a landlocked country and its national borders are particularly difficult to manage. It shares an estimated 2,698km border with South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC.) Cross border challenges include trafficking in persons and smuggling of precious materials, which often fuel conflicts.

Uganda has more than forty border crossing points and few of them have the equipment to electronically register a machine-readable passport. The country also needs basic travel document verification equipment, staff training, communication systems and transport to conduct a greater number of border patrols.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has completed a registration of a total of 28,968 internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in two of South Sudan’s largest protection of civilian (PoC) sites in Juba – UN House and Tomping.

Biometric technology was incorporated into the process for the first time in South Sudan in a biometric pilot registration at the UN House site.

IOM’s Displacement Tracking and Monitoring (DTM) unit conducted the registration over one week, covering 3,587 households representing 14,448 individuals in UN House and 4,314 households representing 14,520 individuals in Tomping.

It gathered baseline information on the displaced population, including demographic statistics, household size, and tracking data linked to IDP intentions regarding future movement. A thumb print record of the head of each IDP household was also taken.

These records will serve as a vital record for aid agencies to identify vulnerable groups during the distribution of food, shelter and non-food relief items.

“IOM plans to use biometric technology, where possible, to digitally register IDPs facing long-term displacement and to improve the overall registration process. The methodology has been refined so that registration of any one site can be carried out within a day in order to enable more effective identification of the displaced population,” says Vlatko Avramovski, an IOM human mobility tracking expert.

“The new technology and revised methodology aims to provide more accurate demographic data that can be used by emergency service providers to plan efficient interventions, while at the same time facilitating discussions to identify potential displacement solutions for the ongoing crisis,” he adds.

Registration exercises were carried out in close cooperation with the IDP communities involved. IOM engaged with community leaders and employed site residents to assist in each stage of the process, including community mobilization, sensitization and data collection.

Thousands fled from neighbourhoods in Juba during the first week of the crisis in December 2013 to the safety of PoC sites in the UNMISS base and UN House. The vast majority of IDPs at the two sites are from the Nuer community, together with smaller numbers of foreign nationals, many of whom are migrant workers, transit nationals or undocumented refugees from countries in the region.

There are currently an estimated 1.3 million South Sudanese internally displaced or seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. In total, over 87,000 IDPs continue to seek protection in eight UN bases across South Sudan.