Category: APO-OPA

BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Navi Pillay, arrived in the Central African Republic on 18 March, for a three day visit, to discuss the dire human rights situation there with the interim Government and key international institutions and peace-keeping forces.

“We all feel that the situation is urgent and we want to act collectively and individually to do the best we can to find solutions to the crisis here. I watched out for Human rights violation and also for humanitarian needs as well,” she said.

“My team has gone around the country, so we know of actual cases of atrocity and killings, first by the Ex-seleka and now by the anti balaka, and we recorded them and submit the report to the Human Rights Council, and of course, I’m deeply concerned about the interreligious thrive, I’m very concerned about the incited language, hateful language, language such as we have to cleanse the place, we have to clear out all the Muslims because this kind of incitation could lead to greater conflict”, she added.

“So I’m here to offer my call and also to add my voice to the call for resources for the UN Country Team, for Misca, and for the people of the Central African Republic. As the Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mrs. Valerie Amos, said, donations are not coming in, in the way we’ve asked for, and it is crucially urgent that some of us also add their voices to that call to make these governments to donate funds urgently to the CAR”, she concluded.

In the CAR, Mrs Pillay will meet with the Head of State of the Transition, Catherine Samba-Panza, the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Justice and Communication and Reconciliation. Her agenda also includes meetings with representatives of the African Union, Economic Community of Central African States and European Union. She will also hold discussions with the Ambassador of France, the Representative of the President of the Commission of the African Union and Head of the African Union peace-keeping force MISCA, as well as with the Force Commanders of both MISCA and Sangaris. In addition, the High Commissioner will visit sites of destruction and displacement, and meet some of the approximately 650,000 internally displaced people in CAR.

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — President Obama will host Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa of Tunisia at the White House on Friday, April 4. During the meeting, the President looks forward to discussing the commitment Tunisi…

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The situation in Saraf Omar, North Darfur, has stabilized and the majority of the displaced community have returned to their homes after the signing of a cessation of hosti…

STASBOURG, France, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Delegations

The UN Security Council must authorise a UN peace-keeping mission to the Central African Republic (CAR), said MEPs and MPs from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) in Strasbourg on 19 March. They asked EU countries states to speed up preparations for the EUFOR CAR mission and pointed to the urgent need to restore social and health services and reopen schools in the country.

The international community must spare no effort in the fields of security, humanitarian aid, establishment of the rule of law and the economic recovery of the CAR, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) said. It called on all political forces in the country to help bring about peace and economic recovery. Members backed the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections in February 2015 and suggested establishing a truth and reconciliation commission.

The JPA’s 27th session was marked by sharp clashes between ACP members and MEPs over the recent law against homosexuals in Uganda in the debate on the fight against AIDS. Members also discussed education and vocational training in ACP countries, the state of play in the WTO negotiations, renewable energies and climate change.

The Assembly passed resolutions on Wednesday on the Central African Republic; the rights of migrants in ACP and EU countries; regional integration and the modernisation of customs regimes; mining on the seabed; and terrorism and the Internet.

Rights of migrants

Well-managed legal migration can benefit both EU and ACP countries, members said, stressing that a more coordinated approach to the management of migration should ensure full respect for the human, social and economic rights of migrants. The JPA also calls for stronger partnerships and shared responsibility between countries of origin, transit and destination and the active combating of xenophobia and xenophobic violence against migrants.

The urgent resolution was passed unanimously.

Modernisation of customs regimes

The Assembly called for the modernisation of customs regimes and a stronger regulatory framework, with ACP customs authorities given more powers so as to facilitate regional integration and trade and boost the fight against trafficking and crime. The JPA recognises that customs duties are an important source of revenue for the public budgets of ACP countries but stresses that they should not be the sole source of revenue. Members pointed to the need to strengthen tax collection and to the introduction of VAT as an alternative source of revenue.

The resolution was passed unanimously. Rapporteurs Piet Van Der Valt (Namibia) and Oldřich Vlasák (ECR, CZ).

Mining on the seabed

ACP countries must put their rich mineral resources at the centre of their development strategy for the benefit of the whole population, the JPA said. It called on them to boost the legal framework governing the seabed mineral resources industry, deploy experts when negotiating contracts for seabed mining and ensure that licences are issued in a transparent, competitive and non-discretionary way. Members also say that the licences must include legally-binding provisions on social and environmental standards.

The resolution was passed unanimously. Rapporteurs Joe Koim Komun (Papuya New Guinea) and Christa Klass (EPP, DE).

Global spread of terrorism: the role of the internet and social media

MEPs and their ACP counterparts stress that while the internet and social media are used for the purposes of terrorism, they can also be used to combat its spread. They call on ACP and EU countries to boost their counter-terrorism cooperation and underscore that counter-terrorism can only be effective if human rights are respected. ACP and EU states should also establish democratic and transparent procedures allowing websites used for terrorist purposes to be closed down swiftly. They also want them to focus on prevention and information to ensure that the internet is used safely and responsibly.

The resolution was passed unanimously. Rapporteurs Moses Y. Kollie (Liberia) and Zita Gurmai (S&D, HU).

Statement by Co-presidents on AIDS

Louis Michel (ALDE, BE) and Fitz Jackson, ACP-EU JPA Co-Presidents, also issued a declaration on “Ending AIDS in the post-2015 agenda.”

Next meeting in Vanuatu

The 28th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu (Pacific) from 1 to 3 December 2014. It will be preceded by meetings of the three standing committees and the Bureau on 29 and 30 November 2014.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — INVITATION TO MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

WHEN: 21-24 March 2014

WHERE: ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
WHO: …

MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has launched a petition to the Ethiopian government to free Somali journalist Mohamed Aweys Mudey was sentenced to 27-year jail.

Somali journalist Mudey, 48, was accused by the Ethiopian prosecutors of having information about Al-Shabaab operations in Ethiopia and was charged for participating in terror activities. He was arrested in Addis Ababa in November, 2013 and in the month of February, 2014, he was found guilty of charges and imposed sentence as the 4-month period prescribed in the Ethiopia’s anti-terror law to interrogate suspect elapsed.

During his trial, no lawyer or family member was with Mudey, and he was later shifted to an undisclosed place dedicated for people accused of terrorism to serve his jail term.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has stated that the guilty verdict and prison sentence given to veteran Somali journalist, Mohamed Aweys Mudey, is unacceptable and appealed to Ethiopian authorities to quash his sentence and release him with immediate effect.

“We are dismayed at this unbelievably severe ruling against the respected veteran journalist, Mohamed Aweys Mudey, who is not guilty of any crime,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. “The charges against him are ludicrous and we urge the relevant authorities in Ethiopia to release him immediately and unconditionally.”

As pointed out by the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism law is overly broad and ambiguous; and undermines the international guarantees of freedom of expression, especially through its broad definition of “terrorism”. AFEX is concerned as to how the Ethiopian media environment has been characterized by arrests and prosecution of journalists recently.

LUANDA, Angola, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On March 5, 2014, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Second Post-Program Monitoring with Angola.

Macroeconomic performance in 2013 reflected a marginal increase in oil production and a moderation of non-oil growth compared to previous years’ growth rates. Overall real GDP growth is estimated to have decelerated to 4.1 percent, down from 5.2 percent in 2012. Growth in the non-oil sector was held down by the agricultural sector’s slow recovery from the drought that affected large parts of the country in 2012, but is still expected to have reached 5.8 percent in 2013 due to government spending bolstering performance in the construction and power sectors. Inflation, after reaching single digits for the first time in decades at end-2012, declined to 7.7 percent by end-2013, comfortably below the authorities’ 9 percent target. The favorable inflation performance allowed the Monetary Policy Committee of the National Bank of Angola (BNA) to reduce its policy rate by 100 basis points cumulatively throughout 2013, a bit less than the decline in inflation. Gross international reserves stood at US$33.2 billion at end-December 2013, the equivalent of about 7 months of projected 2014 imports.2

Preliminary fiscal data indicate that Angola returned to a fiscal deficit for the first time since 2009, reflecting a sharp decline in oil revenue, while non-oil revenue and investment expenditure fell short of their targets. The fiscal surplus, which had reached 5.1 percent of GDP in 2012, is expected to have turned to a deficit of about 1½ percent of GDP in 2013. To finance the deficit and pay down domestic arrears, Angola drew down its government deposits from the equivalent of about 5 months of domestically-financed government expenditure to around

4 months. As a result of arrears repayments, total public debt is estimated to have declined to about 27 percent of GDP.

Three significant institutional reforms were introduced in 2013. First, a new oil-sector foreign exchange law was implemented. The law requires oil firms to channel payments through the domestic banking sector and to settle payments to resident suppliers in domestic currency. The legislation has helped deepen Angola’s financial markets and aided with the de-dollarization process. The second was the launch of Angola’s sovereign wealth fund, the Fundo Soberano de Angola (FSDEA), which will be funded from some of the proceeds previously allocated to the Oil for Infrastructure Fund. Part of the funds from FSDEA will be invested in infrastructure projects with the objective of reducing bottlenecks and supporting growth. The third was the legislative package which introduced, as part of the 2014 budget, a legal definition of arrears and a new procedure requiring the co-signature of the Ministry of Finance for authorizing investment expenditure. These measures, along with institutional capacity building efforts, are intended to address the recurrence of domestic arrears.

The pace of economic activity in 2014 is expected to accelerate gradually as public investment in infrastructure creates opportunities for non-oil sector growth. Non-oil sector growth is expected to reach 6.4 percent, underpinned by expanded investment in the power sector and road construction. The 2014 budget, if fully implemented, implies a further relaxation of the fiscal balance, with a projected increase in the overall fiscal deficit to about 5 percent of GDP to finance a sizeable expansion in public investment needed to address infrastructure bottlenecks. Efforts to ease infrastructure gaps, improve the business environment, and reform the financial sector are expected to support diversification and further non-oil sector growth. However, a rapid increase in government spending in 2014 may also contribute to renew price pressures, limiting the scope for further interest rate reductions.

Executive Board Discussion3

Executive Directors commended the authorities for Angola’s return to solid economic growth, with single-digit inflation, strong international reserves, and a stable exchange rate. However, they regretted the continued weaknesses in public financial management and called for decisive efforts to address arrears.

While recognizing the continued improvement in the non-oil primary deficit, Directors expressed concern that, based on preliminary data, the Angolan economy returned to an overall fiscal deficit in 2013. Directors stressed the importance of mobilizing domestic resources, especially non-oil revenue, and cautioned against permanent increases in government spending not accompanied by a broadening of the non-oil tax base, to avoid accumulation of debt. Directors also recommended replacing fuel subsidies with targeted transfers for the most vulnerable.

Directors commended the progress in reducing inflation, while advising continued readiness to address any inflationary pressures. They were encouraged by the decisive progress toward reform and better oversight of the financial system, in line with the recommendations of the Financial Sector Assessment (FSAP), as well as by the creation of a Financial Stability Committee. Directors noted that the implementation of the foreign exchange law has proceeded as planned, and underscored the need for continued careful monitoring, further strengthening of supervisory capacity, and enforcement of prudential rules. Directors saw merit in the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, but noted the need to clarify its objectives, integrate it into a broader asset-liability management strategy, and ensure an effective accountability and transparency framework. They commended efforts to improve compliance with international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Directors underscored the importance of addressing key challenges for public financial management. They urged the authorities to strengthen their efforts to reconcile oil revenue data, ensure a timely and complete transfer of oil revenue to the treasury, and continue to make progress in integrating quasi-fiscal operations in the budget, including infrastructure expenditure undertaken by Sonangol. Directors noted the need to increase public investment in the context of enhanced efficiency of public expenditure and service delivery, while taking into account absorptive capacity. They encouraged the authorities to put in place reforms that will lead to higher, more inclusive, and diverse growth.

Directors expressed disappointment over the inaccurate reporting of data on domestic arrears during 2010 and accounts payable during 2011, which led to noncomplying disbursements and breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5. Directors noted that capacity constraints and the lack of a clear definition of arrears under Angola’s legal framework were among the factors contributing to this inaccurate reporting. They took note of the authorities’ corrective measures and new legislation clarifying the legal definition of arrears and requiring the co-signature of the Ministry of Finance on contracts for public investment projects. They underscored the need for resolute implementation of the corrective measures, firm commitment to ending recurrent domestic arrears, and further progress in strengthening public financial management, taking advantage of Fund technical assistance.

In view of the corrective actions taken by the authorities, the Executive Board decided to waive the nonobservance of the performance criteria, the conditions for granting prior waivers for nonobservance of performance criteria, and the prior action that gave rise to non-complying purchases by Angola following the second through sixth reviews under the 2009 Stand-By Arrangement, and determined that no further remedial action is required in connection with the breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5.

Angola: Main Economic Indicators, 2009–20141

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Proj. Proj.

Real economy (percent change, except where noted)

Real gross domestic product

2.4 3.4 3.9 5.2 4.1 5.3

Oil sector

-5.1 -3.0 -5.4 4.3 0.6 3.0

Non-oil sector

8.1 7.6 9.5 5.6 5.8 6.4

Nominal gross domestic product

-5.2 26.6 29.0 12.6 6.7 8.7

Oil sector

-25.4 27.6 36.7 8.2 -1.6 2.4

Non-oil sector

21.1 25.7 22.8 16.6 13.6 13.3

GDP deflator

-7.4 22.4 24.2 7.0 2.5 3.2

Non-oil GDP deflator

12.1 16.8 12.2 10.4 7.4 6.4

Consumer prices (annual average)

13.7 14.5 13.5 10.3 8.8 7.7

Consumer prices (end of period)

14.0 15.3 11.4 9.0 7.7 8.0

Gross domestic product (billions of kwanzas)

5,989 7,580 9,780 11,011 11,745 12,767

Oil gross domestic product (billions of kwanzas)

2,662 3,396 4,641 5,020 4,937 5,056

Non-oil gross domestic product (billions of kwanzas)

3,327 4,184 5,139 5,991 6,808 7,711

Gross domestic product (billions of U.S. dollars)

75.5 82.5 104.1 115.3 121.7 129.8

Gross domestic product per capita (U.S. dollars)

4,081 4,329 5,305 5,706 5,846 6,052

Central government (percent of GDP)

Total revenue

34.5 43.5 48.8 45.9 38.1 39.3

Of which: Oil-related

24.2 33.0 39.0 37.3 29.6 30.6

Of which: Non-oil tax

9.0 7.8 7.3 6.6 7.0 7.1

Total expenditure

41.9 40.0 40.2 40.8 39.6 41.3

Current expenditure

29.5 28.6 30.0 29.0 28.9 29.3

Capital expenditure

12.4 11.4 10.2 11.8 10.6 12.0

Overall fiscal balance (budget basis)

-7.4 3.4 8.7 5.1 -1.5 -2.0

Non-oil primary fiscal balance

-29.8 -26.2 -26.9 -28.6 -28.9 -30.1

Non-oil primary fiscal balance (Percent of non-oil GDP)

-53.7 -47.4 -51.1 -52.6 -49.9 -49.8

Money and credit (end of period, percent change)

Broad money (M2)

62.6 14.0 33.5 8.4 15.3 22.7

Percent of GDP

38.5 34.6 35.9 34.5 37.3 42.1

Velocity (GDP/M2)

2.6 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.4

Velocity (non-oil GDP/M2)

1.4 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4

Credit to the private sector (12-month percent change)

59.5 25.0 30.4 24.2 10.9 11.0

Balance of payments

Trade balance (percent of GDP)

24.2 40.1 45.2 43.6 37.6 33.2

Exports of goods, f.o.b. (percent of GDP)

54.2 60.4 64.6 62.9 58.3 55.1

Of which: Oil and gas exports (percent of GDP)

52.8 58.8 62.3 61.5 56.8 53.6

Imports of goods, f.o.b. (percent of GDP)

30.0 20.2 19.4 19.4 20.7 21.8

Terms of trade (percent change)

-28.6 16.7 23.2 7.7 -2.8 -2.0

Current account balance (percent of GDP)

-9.9 8.1 12.6 9.2 5.0 2.2

Gross international reserves (end of period, millions of U.S. dollars)

13,238 19,339 28,396 33,035 33,154 33,931

Gross international reserves (months of next year’s imports)

4.5 5.3 7.0 7.5 7.0 6.9

Net international reserves (end of period, millions of U.S. dollars)

12,621 17,327 26,087 30,632 30,945 31,993

Exchange rate

Official exchange rate (average, kwanzas per U.S. dollar)

79.3 91.9 93.9 95.5 96.5 …

Official exchange rate (end of period, kwanzas per U.S. dollar)

89.4 92.6 95.3 95.8 97.5 …

Nominal effective exchange rate change (depreciation -)

-23.8 -5.0 -2.2 1.9 -1.2 …

Real effective exchange rate (depreciation -)

-14.6 7.4 4.9 9.5 5.9 …

Debt (percent of GDP)

External public sector debt (including IMF)

20.2 21.7 19.7 19.3 17.3 18.7

Total public sector debt (gross)

49.9 39.8 33.7 29.3 26.6 29.2

Oil

Oil production (millions of barrels per day)

1.809 1.755 1.660 1.731 1.742 1.794

Oil and gas exports (billions of U.S. dollars)

39.9 48.5 64.8 70.9 69.1 69.5

Angola oil price (average, U.S. dollars per barrel)

60.8 76.5 110.3 110.9 107.3 104.7

Brent oil price (average, U.S. dollars per barrel)

61.9 79.6 111.0 112.0 109.1 104.7

WEO oil price (average, U.S. dollars per barrel)

61.8 79.0 104.0 105.0 104.1 99.3

Sources: Angolan authorities and IMF staff estimates and projections.

1 The central objective of PPM is to provide for closer monitoring of the policies of members that have substantial Fund credit outstanding following the expiration of their arrangements. Under PPM, members undertake more frequent formal consultation with the Fund than is the case under surveillance, with a particular focus on macroeconomic and structural policies that have a bearing on external viability.

2 As of end-December 2012, reserves included US$7.4 billion earmarked for the Oil for Infrastructure Fund (OIF), of which US$5 billion are being gradually transferred over the course of 2013–14 to the Angolan Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSDEA for its acronym in Portuguese).

3 At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Government of Equatorial Guinea and the African Union Commission have signed an agreement to host the third session of the Conference of African Ministers of Transport in t…

JUBA, South Sudan, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press invitation
You are warmly invited to a press conference with the Emergency Directors of eight leading humanitarian agencies (DRC, FAO, IOM, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO) …

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Yesterday, the 10th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform officially opened in Durban at the International Convention Centre. On the 10th anniversary of CAADP inception, this meeting is a pivotal moment, asking members to objectively reflect on previous goals and actions and call upon African Heads of State and government to enhance their ownership and commitment to CAADP.

The meeting brought together Africa and global leaders from a number of international organisations, African Governments including ministers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, farmers, NGOs and civil society organizations to discuss and develop concrete investment plans for scaling agricultural development success in Africa.

As a proven engine for growth, the conference emphasised that, agriculture is essential to Africa’s long-term and sustainable economic growth, and a solution to most of the continent’s most pressing challenges, such as youth employment and climate change.

The meeting was officially opened by Mr. James Nxumalo, Mayor of Durban, who acknowledged CAADP’s success over the last decade saying, ‘’this meeting will foster a spirit of mutual learning and growth for Africa.”

Addressing the meeting on behalf of the AUC Chairperson, H.E Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, said tremendous progress had been achieved in the last decade of CAADP implementation.

“The deeper we commit to the CAADP process, the greater the level of coordination, harmonisation and alignment to the strategy and priorities of Africa’s agricultural transformation, “she said.

Commissioner Tumusiime said the agenda of agricultural transformation was strategically positioned to provide enormous opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. (The complete speech is available on www.au.int).

Giving a keynote presentation during the opening, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD said, “CAADP has now become a recognised and irreversible ‘’brand” throughout Africa and the rest of the world.” “It has been a catalyst for African leadership in driving agriculture at all levels, as well as for the process of Africans regaining control of the dialogue with technical and financial partners.” (The full speech is available on www.au.int).

Other speakers at the opening event included Mr. Stephen Muchiri, representative of the Pan African Farmers Organisation, Ms. Abby Mgugu Mhene representing civil society organizations and Mr. Roberto Ridolfi representing the development partners, who all reiterated their support of CAADP.

The four day meeting will encompass numerous discussions, pledges, and ultimately, goals, actions and targets with clarity on execution strategies, for the next decade of CAADP in line with the thrust of the AU Agenda 2063, a huge part of which is agricultural transformation.