Category: APO-OPA

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has now provided transport and pre-departure medical checks for over 91,000 South Sudanese arriving in Ethiopia through the country’s Pagak and Akobo-Tergol border crossing poin…

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM’s 4th return intention survey of camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bangui in the Central African Republic shows that the number of people considering return to th…

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, today called on to the Government of Eritrea to put an immediate end to the widespread practices of arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and persecution.

“I urge the Eritrean authorities to immediately release, or charge and bring before a court of law, all detainees, including the members of the ‘G-15′, the journalists arrested in 2001, as well as those arrested for their opinions or religious beliefs,” Ms. Keetharuth said.

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the reported release of eight detainees in Eritrea, which took place in April 2014, but which has not been publicly acknowledged by the Eritrean authorities. “Their release is a positive development, which I hope will be followed by more systematic releases,” she said, expressing the hope that “Eritrea will abide by its obligations under international human rights law more consistently.”

Reportedly, most of those men released had been arrested in 2005/2006 in Keren, 90 km North West of the capital Asmara. Among them were several government officials and two medical doctors. It is unclear whether reasons have been provided for their arrest in the first place, or for their release. None of them has ever been brought before a court of law to review the legality of their detention.

The human rights expert expressed concern about the unknown number of Eritreans who continue to be held in Eritrea’s secret detention centres. Thousands are believed to be detained incommunicado at unknown locations, without charge or trial.

“Those detained incommunicado and in undisclosed locations are at high risk of being tortured or submitted to other forms of ill-treatment, “Ms. Keetharuth said. “I call on the authorities to disclose the whereabouts of all detainees held incommunicado and provide immediate access to their families, medical doctors and legal representatives.”

Eritrea’s human rights record was reviewed in February 2014 by numerous UN member States, recommending that the Eritrean authorities stop the prevalent practices of arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and persecution in the country. (Check Eritrea’s Universal Periodic Review: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/Highlights3February2014pm.aspx)

Special Rapporteur Keetharuth will submit her second report on the human rights situation in Eritrea to the Human Rights Council in June 2014.

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 5, 2014
Three years ago, I was in Juba to witness the birth of the world’s newest nation, and last week as I returned to Sout…

GABORONE, Botswana, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Lamin Leigh visited Gaborone during April 22-May 2 to conduct the 2014 Article IV Consultation discussions with Botswana. The mission’s work focused on reviewing recent economic developments and prospects and policies to ensure continued macroeconomic stability and growth. The mission met with Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Honorable O. Kenneth Matambo; Bank of Botswana Governor, Linah K. Mohohlo; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Solomon Sekwakwa; senior government officials; development partners; and representatives from the private sector and civil society.

At the end of the mission, Mr. Leigh issued the following statement in Gaborone today, outlining the mission’s preliminary conclusions:

“Botswana is undergoing a cyclical recovery in line with its major trading partners. The economy grew faster than expected in 2013 at about 6 percent, owing to the improved performance of the mining sector. However, the non-mineral sector slowed down from about 6 percent in 2012 to about 5 percent in 2013, partly reflecting recurring power supply disruptions and to some extent the drought. For the first time in 15 years, both headline and core inflation stayed well inside the Bank of Botswana’s medium-term objective range of 3-6 percent for a considerable period, which is a testament of the authorities’ good macroeconomic management. Preliminary data show that the government also recorded a small surplus in the fiscal year 2013/14 in the fiscal accounts through reining in current expenditure along with higher mining revenue. On the external front, the current account balance turned into a surplus in 2013 supported by a rebound in diamond exports.

“Looking ahead, real GDP growth is expected to moderate to 4½ percent in 2014, as the slowdown in diamond recovery and continued problems in electricity production and water supply will likely soften the pace of economic activity.

“The 2014/15 budget should help to rebuild the net financial position of the government. While the current size of the Pula Fund is adequate for stabilization purposes, the mission welcomes the authorities’ intentions to create additional savings from non-renewable resource revenues to transfer diamond wealth across generations. The budget’s emphasis on improving the performance and finances of parastatals is also well placed. Delivering good outcomes in the implementation of the public investment program would require improving public financial management (PFM), including in the area of project management, monitoring and oversight. Thus, the mission welcomes the initiatives that have been put in place to strengthen public financial management within the government and improve the quality of the public investment program.

“The mission recommends that macro prudential measures be used to address the continued rapid increase in household indebtedness. In this context, the mission welcomes steps being taken to strengthen the capacity of the non-bank financial institutions regulatory agency. The ongoing diagnostic study on the current credit reporting system (CRS) in Botswana which was conducted by the authorities to identify the gaps, and provide recommendations on improving the current credit reporting system is a step in the right direction. The government’s emphasis on enhancing greater financial inclusion, while committing to provide adequate safeguards to preserve the stability of the financial system, is also welcome.

“Returning to an era of strong growth and accelerating Botswana’s convergence to higher income levels would require a set of policies to reinvigorate economy-wide productivity including addressing the skills shortage in the economy. These include improving the quality of public spending, the efficiency of the tax system and addressing the skill mismatch in the labor market. In this regard, the mission commends the government on the skills development policies announced in the 2014/15 budget which should be seen as an integral part of a broader set of policy actions that include employment, investment and innovation policies in order to reinforce the links between the educational system and labor market outcomes. The authorities should also continue to improve the country’s competitiveness, including reducing further the regulatory burden on firms to create the enabling environment to facilitate structural transformation of the economy.

“Finally, the mission would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Botswana authorities for the consistently high quality of the policy discussions and for their warm hospitality.”

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (NOFSA), osteoporosis is on the rise in Africa, especially among African women, due to urbanization and a general lack of awareness, among other factors; figure-conscious females keep an increasingly watchful eye on their weight, impacting negatively on the density of their bones and increasing their risk of contracting bone diseases. The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) (http://www.africaninnovation.org) has named Dr Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Peres, from South Africa, as the winners of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2014 (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org). The announcement was made during an Awards ceremony hosted by the African Innovation Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria where Honorable Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister delivered the Keynote speech. Dr Duneas and Mr Peres will receive USD 100,000 for the Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM TM), the first injectable porcine derived BMP medical device in the world – an innovative product for the treatment of bone injuries and voids through the use of a regenerative biological implant.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ipa-2.png

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1036 (The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) has named Dr Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Peres, from South Africa, as the winners of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2014)

Selected from about 700 applications from 42 countries, Dr Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Peres were recognized at the 2014 Innovation Prize for Africa Awards Ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria. Before the Altis OBM was invented, patients with serious bone trauma or degradation would have to endure the removal of bone tissue from their own hips or from deceased donors in the hopes of undergoing successful bone crafting surgery- both very invasive methods. The injection of OBM leads to the rapid, safe and effective healing of problematic bone injuries, leading to the complete and natural restoration of the bone, including the bone marrow. OBM is the only bone graft substitute containing naturally extracted bone growth proteins that cooperate with high efficacy and are sourced from mammals, making it cost effective to produce.

The IPA 2014 also recognized two runners up for their contributions to African innovation. In the business potential category, Logou Minsob (Togo) received USD 25,000 for his Foufou Mix, a food processor designed to replace the mortar and pestles used to prepare Foufou, a popular dish in West Africa. In the social impact category, Melesse Temesgen (Ethiopia) received USD 25 000 for developing the Aybar Broad Based Furrow Maker (BBM), a low-cost farming device that is used to easily drain excess water from waterlogged fields.

“This year’s Innovation Prize for Africa winners showcase that Africans can find solutions to African challenges,” said Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, founder of the African Innovation Foundation and the IPA. “We encourage partners from both the public and the private sectors to coherently work together to support African innovation.”

Winners were selected by a skilled panel of jurors based on the marketability, originality, scalability, social impact and business potential of their respective innovations. They are provided with unrestricted funds in recognition of their achievements and are free to use the Prize to take their innovations to the next level..

“We are delighted by this recognition,” said Nuno Peres, Altis OBM Chief Executive of Business Development. “Our team has managed the development of Altis OBM over the past 10 years, from the initial idea to commercialization, with the hope that the innovation will radically change the way orthopedic surgeons treat bones injuries. Winning the IPA gets us closer to that goal.”

Founded by the African Innovation Foundation, the IPA is focused on building Africa’s capacity by investing in homegrown innovation. The Prize mobilizes leaders from all sectors – private sector, donors and government – to promote and invest in African development through innovation. The foundation believes that the best solutions to the challenges Africans face on a daily basis can and will come from Africans themselves.

The call for applications for IPA 2015 will be announced in July 2014. For detailed information of competition categories, conditions of entry, and submission details, please visit: http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org. For highlights and more information, follow the IPA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/IPAprize) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/InnovationPrizeforAfrica).

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA).

Contacts

Mimi Kalinda, Weber Shandwick

Phone + 27 72 688 1250

Email mkalinda@webershandwick.com

Pauline Mujawamariya, AIF

Phone + 41 44 515 5466

Email ipainfo@africaninnovation.org

About IPA

The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org) is an award founded by the African Innovation Foundation. It mobilizes African innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a total of USD 150 000 to winners who deliver market-oriented solutions for African-led development. The IPA honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or saving cost in Africa. The prize also encourages private equity investors, government and development leaders to invest across sectors and build a climate that fuels Africa’s economic growth. For more information visit http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org.

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Availability

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Luanda, Angola

May 5, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. President Dos Santos and I had a very constructive conversation today. We discussed a broad array of the issues concerning not just the bilateral relationship, but also concerning regional and broader security issues and challenges of the region.

I want to emphasize that Angola is a very important partner in the region, and the relations between Angola and the United States are, in fact, moving on an upward trajectory and getting stronger with each meeting that we have. And I was very encouraged today by the discussions we had about enlarging our cooperation, engaging in a security dialogue, and in the near term building on the visit of the African leaders to Washington for the summit with President Obama and engaging in further meetings between ourselves on a bilateral basis during that time.

Over the past few days, I have – oh, excuse me. We have – I’m sorry. We have translation.

Over the past days I’ve spoken often about African leadership and this moment of promise and of decision for Africans. Angola is committed to making the most of this moment increasingly through an important role as a leader in the region and particularly on security issues. Angola is playing a central role – integral role, really – in bringing African nations together and in leading them towards an enduring peace, we hope, in the Great Lakes region. I thank President Dos Santos for his personal work and commitment to that effort, for his leadership, and particularly for the International Conference of the Great Lakes, which Angola is chairing, and which he has committed to continue to try to bring to completion.

Our special envoy to the Great Lakes, Senator Russ Feingold has been to the region nine times prior to coming this time in order to help support that effort. I worked very closely with Russ during our days in the Senate, and then, as now, he is a tireless worker, deeply committed to Africa, knowledgeable about Africa, and ready to try to work with the Angolan Government and help – in an effort to achieve the peace in the Great Lakes region. And I know that President Obama very much appreciates the fact that today President Dos Santos and Foreign Minister Chikoti both committed to continue to work with Senator Feingold and with our team in order to advance the peace process.

I also commended Angola for their commitments in the Central African Republic where the United States has provided $100 million in security assistance to the French and the AU-led forces, and 67 million in humanitarian assistance. And today, President Dos Santos informed us that he intends to remain strongly committed to the Central African Republic initiative and that he will be having meetings shortly in furtherance of that effort.

President Dos Santos and I also discussed the importance of bilateral trade and diversifying the Angolan economy. Angola’s economy has experienced, and continues to enjoy, a remarkable amount of economic growth. We talked today about specific ways in which the United States and Angola can grow the relationship and, in particular, we talked about increased possibilities of cooperation in agriculture, in technology, in energy diversity, and also in infrastructure.

I want to say that we are very pleased to see that growth in the economy now means growth of opportunity for Angolans and more and more – more and more Angolans are participating in the progress that is taking place here and in the vital industries. Yesterday at the port here in Luanda, I had the opportunity to visit General Electric’s operations and also meet with energy company executives who informed me about the numbers of Angolans that they are hiring and training and providing new opportunities to, and we think that is a critical component of any relationship. The people of Angola must receive benefit. We also hope that more Angolans will be able to bring their talents to the use of their country through greater engagement with their government and in a more open and engaged civil society.

I have learned that Angola will be conducting its first-ever national census since gaining independence. The collection of complete information and statistics about a population is a very important step in development and in providing services to citizens. So we wish the Angolan people well in carrying out this important task, and we also look forward to hosting African leaders in August in Washington at President Obama’s U.S. leadership summit. This meeting in Washington will provide one more opportunity for Angola and for its leaders to be able to share with us their successes, as well as to explore the ways in which we can build on our relationship.

I was genuinely impressed by the common agenda that we talked about today and felt as if there is an opportunity for both of us to be able to grow this relationship, and we look forward to continuing our work. We set some specific homework for each of us to do, and we’re going to follow up on it. So I look forward to growing this partnership in a very constructive, productive way.

Thank you. I’m happy to take a couple questions.

MS. PSAKI: The first question is from Phil Stewart of Reuters.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. South Sudan’s rebel leader Machar has said in an interview that he does not see the point of face-to-face talks at this point and that he didn’t think the transitional government could happen before elections. Have you tried to contact him again since your attempt Friday? Are we safe to assume these talks are not going to happen this week? And if he doesn’t go for face-to-face talks, will the U.S. now finally impose sanctions on him?

Also, on Angola, did you manage to formalize any commitment from Angola to airlift troops to Central African Republic, if needed, or secure any additional security commitments from President Dos Santos?

SECRETARY KERRY: I didn’t hear you. I’m sorry, but that part of the question got swallowed up.

QUESTION: On Angola? Okay, did you manage to secure any additional security commitments from President Dos Santos? You spoke – talked about deepening your security dialogue, and did you manage to secure commitment from them to potentially airlift troops to Central African Republic, if needed, or formalize any of their previous —

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah. Well, let me – with respect to your question – with respect to Riek Machar, I saw the interview and he left the door open. He expressed some doubts, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t go. And I talked to Prime Minister Hailemariam — Hailemariam – who made it clear to me that Mr. Machar made a commitment to him that he would come. And he – the Ethiopians will be in touch with him. They said to me they will make the arrangements. In my conversation he expressed some concerns about the logistics, but his wife is in Ethiopia and we are convinced that that is the only way forward.

So he has a fundamental decision to make. If he decides not to or procrastinates, then we have a number of different options that are available to us. We said we are serious. There will be accountability and implications if people do not join into this legitimate effort. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and I had a conversation yesterday. He will be going to Juba tomorrow, and we talked about the process going ahead.

And let me make it clear that if there is a total refusal by one party or the other to engage in a legitimate promise which they have previously promised they would engage in, not only might sanctions be engaged, but there are other serious implications and possible consequences. So –

The parties need to recognize that they signed a cessation of hostilities agreement – both of them. And the international community is prepared to take steps to see that that is honored by putting additional forces in. I talked with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the UN process with respect to that, and he is committed to see to it that we live up to our part of this bargain. So we encourage both leaders to take advantage of this moment to try to make peace with their people, and we’ve made it very clear that there are other choices available to the international community if they do not.

With respect to President Dos Santos’s commitments to the Central African Republic, the answer is yes, he is absolutely committed to further engagement. He will be directly engaged with the leaders in the region and providing additional assistance, as will we. And we agreed that the United States effort is already providing lift and assistance to the French in addition to resources, and I think that Angola’s prepared not only to do the same but to take a leadership role in convening leaders in order to try to diminish the level of violence and protect the civilian population. We did talk about that.

MS. PSAKI: The next question is from Mateus Gaspar.

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me – I didn’t (inaudible).

MS. PSAKI: Oh.

QUESTION: So (inaudible), what are the other possible consequences?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, you know there are. They’ve been talked about. There’s accountability in the international community for atrocities. There are sanctions. There are possibilities of peacemaking forces. There are any number of possibilities.

MS. PSAKI: The next question is from Mateus Gasper from TPA TV.

QUESTION: (In Portuguese.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Can you hear? You got – a bit closer?

PARTICIPANT: Do you have a mike?

SECRETARY KERRY: He has a mike, yes.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) The United States and Angola have had diplomatic relations since 1973. They’ve had a strategic agreement since 2009. But really, very little has been done. There have been very few developments. What is the United States’s reason and where do you envision that this relationship will grow and get stronger, and in what areas?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much. You are correct that there was a strategic dialogue agreement signed. And there has not been enough ability to follow up, and some meetings that were supposed to have taken place unfortunately got delayed. That’s why I’m here. I came here specifically because we have a desire to make sure that we build on that dialogue. And I can guarantee that today we laid out a schedule that over the next few months will wind up with our meeting probably in Washington, somewhere maybe even around the President’s summit. We will have our first meeting in order to follow up. We’ve agreed to set a specific timetable and a specific agenda. And that agenda will include a broad array of ways in which we work together. We currently do many – let me let him translate.

We have agreed today that we will continue to work together closely with Senator Feingold and the International Conference on the Great Lakes. We agreed that we will work on the Central African Republic and we will work on other security issues in the region. We agreed we will have an energy dialogue and we will have further discussion about the bilateral business economic relationship, including infrastructure, agriculture, oil and gas, energy, energy diversity.

We agreed we will continue to do the work we do now with respect to health in Angola, work on malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. And we will continue to be engaged in the health sector, and we particularly are excited about the possibilities of working on technology. We agreed to have a specific energy dialogue and we agreed that we will share the agenda with each other in the next days in preparations for the next round of meetings.

Thank you.

MS. PSAKI: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The abduction of more than 250 young women by the Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria has prompted “profound concern” from the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. In his letter to Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, Tveit encouraged a “swift and peaceful” action to restore these students back to their homes.

The letter from the WCC general secretary was issued on Monday, 5 May.

“This tragic situation is devastating not only to the immediate community, but also to all Nigerians praying and working for peace. It touches the World Council of Churches directly, as many who have lost their daughters are members of our church families in Nigeria,” said Tveit.

He added that the WCC’s concern for the abducted Nigerian students is “intensified in the face of increasing global sexual exploitation of girls and women, and the possibility that these abducted students may become victims of just such injustice and violence.”

“Following the rescue of these children for which we pray, the impact of exploitation may require long-term accompaniment of the young women and their families by the Nigerian government, faith communities and local networks of care and support,” he added.

Assuring the WCC’s support to the Nigerian government, Tveit said that the WCC is ready to assist in “mobilizing the inter-religious and international communities to seek effective and peaceful means towards safely restoring these students to their homes, loved ones and communities.”

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 5, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “The senseless war in South Sudan must end now,” said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, following the pastoral visit of a high-level ecumenical delegation to local churches in Juba, South Sudan on 2 May.

“It is shocking to see how leaders in both parties involved in the conflict have led their own people to such pain and suffering,” Tveit said. “From the stories I was told, it is impossible to comprehend the scale of killings and atrocities taking place.”

Tveit stressed the need for leaders on both sides to use the negotiations resuming this week as an opportunity to agree and implement a ceasefire immediately. This will enable aid groups, including ACT Alliance, to respond effectively to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the violence.

The ecumenical delegation, led by the WCC Central Committee moderator Dr Agnes Abuom, included: the ACT Alliance general secretary John Nduna; general secretary of the World YWCA Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda; the WCC’s former general secretary and ecumenical special envoy for South Sudan and Sudan, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, who also represented the All Africa Conference of Churches; and the WCC programme executive for advocacy for Africa, Dr Nigussu Legesse.

During their visit the group expressed solidarity with the local churches, advocated for a cease-fire, urged progress in the ongoing peace talks and encouraged support to humanitarian initiatives in the country. They first met with the South Sudan vice-president, James Wani Igga, the UN representative to South Sudan, Hilde Frafjord Johnson and four political detainees from the opposition in Juba, released recently by the South Sudanese government.

Calling on South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and rebel commander Riek Machar to engage in peace talks, the group said the leaders must find a political solution to end the conflict, as enough damage has already been done.

Tveit said that thousands of people have been killed and many have been displaced. Unless people can plant their seeds in the coming months, “they will be faced with an acute threat of famine,” he warned.

Standing in solidarity with South Sudanese churches

One goal of the pastoral visit was to encourage the churches in Sudan to keep pressing for an end to the violence. The delegation also brought the message that there are churches around the world who stand in solidarity with them. “The people and the churches in South Sudan should know they are not left alone as they cry for peace and justice,” Tveit said. “The world cannot leave South Sudan alone.”

“As we have supported South Sudanese in their struggles for independence, we must support them in this time of crisis. The international community must address the risks of famine and hunger,” Tveit added.

Tveit expressed his appreciation for humanitarian efforts by the United Nations and the ACT Alliance in South Sudan, saying that he hopes to see visible results from an upcoming meeting in May in Oslo aimed at providing an increase in humanitarian aid to the country.

Speaking about the South Sudanese churches, the delegation recognized that the churches there have “rich spiritual resources to help find a way towards peace”.

“Churches in South Sudan have a significant role in national dialogue affirming unity and a sense of nation-building by strengthening a process of reconciliation,” Tveit said. “In this process of reconciliation, youth and women must be empowered.”

“We will pray and work with the churches in South Sudan, while they continue addressing these struggles in their pilgrimage for justice and peace,” Tveit added.

Tveit also urged that justice be restored after peace is established. He said that there should be a justice mechanism both at the national and international levels which should investigate atrocities in South Sudan and pave the way for reconciliation.

The delegates also met with South Sudanese Bishop Michael Taban Toro, Rev. Mark Akec Cien, and representatives of the ACT Alliance, Finnish Church Aid, Caritas Internationalis and Norwegian Church Aid in Juba.

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, May 5, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On 1 May 2014, UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Mohamed Ibn Chambas visited the Malha and Mellit localities in North Darfur to inaugurate a new rural courthouse in Malha and meet with community leaders in Mellit.

In Malha, UNAMID’s Rule of Law Section had partnered with Jibal Midoub Development Organization, to build the new courthouse and bring judicial services closer to the people living in the remote area. The inauguration ceremony, attended by Chief Justice Taj Elsir Othman, Head of the North Darfur Judiciary, and Justice Alhadi Ali Abdallah, Head of the North Darfur Legal Department, drew hundreds of people from the locality.

In his speech at the event, JSR Chambas commended the partnership between UNAMID and the North Darfur judicial authorities. “Facilitating access to justice for remote and rural communities is the main purpose of this project,” he said. “Today, we hand over this project to you to provide the opportunity for every man, woman and child to receive judicial services under Sudanese Law.”

The JSR called the new courthouse “a significant step toward achieving peace, security and stability in Darfur,” and noted that easy access to justice services promotes and reinforces the principles of rule of law, ensuring that ordinary individuals have readily available methods of addressing their grievances through peaceful and legal means.

Chief Justice Othman also delivered a speech during the inauguration ceremony, and said that justice is the fundamental basis of ruling nations and is indispensable for the peace, stability and prosperity of countries and communities. “I hope that this step will speed up the elevation of the rural court to a permanent courthouse for the locality very soon,” said the Chief Judge, noting that UNAMID’s contribution has led to the North Darfur Judicial Authority approving the creation of the offices of Prosecutor General and Attorney General in Malha.

In Mellit, JSR Chambas met with local leaders, including representatives from women’s groups and civil society organizations. During his meetings, he emphasized UNAMID’s role in peacekeeping and his role as Chief Mediator in relation to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

“The DDPD remains the main framework for achieving hoped for peace in Darfur,” said the JSR. “I welcome President Bashir’s national dialogue initiative and encourage all parties to engage with it in a serious and determined effort toward achieving peace not only in Darfur but also in the whole of Sudan.”

Additionally, the JSR briefed the Mellit community leaders on the outcomes of the Implementation Follow-up Commission meeting that was hosted on 28 April 2014 at UNAMID headquarters, where Qatari delegates signed a US$88 million grant agreement to finance the recovery and reconstruction priorities of the Darfur Development Strategy launched at the International Donors Conference in Doha in April 2013.