Category: APO-OPA

VICTORIA, Mahé, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An IMF staff mission led by Mr. Marshall Mills visited Victoria during February 26-March 11, reaching agreement with the Seychellois authorities on their request for a new 3-year arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility, in support of the economic and financial program of the government and Central Bank of Seychelles. Subject to IMF management approval, the staff-level agreement is expected to be submitted to the IMF Executive Board for its consideration by end-June 2014. Under the arrangement, Seychelles would be able to access up to SDR 11.5 million (about US$17.8 million), subject to semi-annual reviews.

The mission met with His Excellency President James Michel, Vice President Danny Faure, Minister of Finance, Trade, and Investment Pierre Laporte, and Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles Caroline Abel, as well as members of the National Assembly and representatives of the private sector and civil society.

At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Mills issued the following statement:

“The objectives of the IMF-supported program that concluded last December were largely achieved. That program aimed to place Seychelles firmly on the path to fiscal and external sustainability, by reducing public debt, rebuilding reserves, and implementing structural reforms to raise growth performance and reduce fiscal risks. Macroeconomic performance last year continued to improve. Growth accelerated to 3.5 percent in 2013, supported by strong policies and robust tourism earnings that enabled the Central Bank of Seychelles to continue to rebuild official external reserves. Inflation fell to 3.4 percent at the end of the year. The authorities also attained their target of a strong fiscal primary balance and remain on track to meet their objective of reducing public debt below 50 percent of GDP by 2018.

“Notwithstanding remarkable progress in recent years, Seychelles still faces vulnerabilities and pressures, as a small island economy in a challenging global economic environment. The authorities have requested a program to support their efforts to consolidate macroeconomic stabilization, enhance resilience, and foster sustained and inclusive growth. A new generation of reforms will aim to combine continued reduction in public debt with efforts to increase investment spending and to enhance the performance of the public sector. Under the IMF-supported program, reserve coverage will continue to strengthen, and the monetary policy framework will become more forward-looking, continuing to target the maintenance of low inflation. Structural reforms will buttress the foundations for growth and address structural risks to stability, including continuing improvements in the oversight of state-owned enterprises.

“With the strong macroeconomic policies under the program, IMF staff expects the economy to continue to strengthen this year, despite an uncertain global economic environment. Growth is projected to reach 3.7 percent.”

DAKAR, Senegal, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Today, March 10, a team of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Sailors had the great pleasure of joining with personnel from 13 partner nations to kick off the at-sea portion of Exercise …

NEW YORK, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, late in the evening of 4 March, after a stopover in Monrovia. Upon arrival in Freetown, the Secretary-General was greeted by Samura M.W. Kamara, the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The next day, Wednesday, 5 March, the Secretary-General had a brief meeting with Jens Toyberg-Frandzen, the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone. He then took part in a working breakfast with the United Nations country team and the senior management of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), followed by a town hall meeting with United Nations staff in the country.

The Secretary-General then held a tête-à-tête with the President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, which was followed by an expanded meeting with members of his Cabinet. In the joint press conference afterwards, the Secretary-General said that he had had very constructive discussion with President Koroma on a number of issues, including the continued cooperation between the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. He said that Sierra Leone represents one of the world’s most successful cases of post-conflict recovery, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, with great strides taken towards peace, stability and long-term development. The Secretary-General then attended a luncheon hosted by the President in his honour.

Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with representatives of the 10 main political parties in Sierra Leone, as well as with representatives of civil society.

He then attended the ceremony marking the closure of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that Sierra Leone had taught the world many lessons, but none more important than the power of people to shape the future. He added that here we see that a strong investment — in material resources, human energy, international support and national goodwill — can bring lasting peace. (See Press Release SG/SM/15686.) During the ceremony, he presented the President of Sierra Leone with a blue helmet as a symbol of past engagement and future cooperation between the United Nations and the country. Later that evening, the Secretary-General and his wife attended a dinner hosted by the President in his honour.

On Thursday, 6 March, early in the morning, the Secretary-General and his wife left Freetown. In a stopover in London, the Secretary-General met with Fahma Mohamed, a campaigner against female genital mutilation. He arrived in New York late that evening.

NEW YORK, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence and its effect on civilians in Darfur. Since late February, fighting between rebel groups and local militia in South Darfur has left thousands of people homeless, with reports of looting and villages burnt. In North Darfur, over the past few days, thousands of people have fled inter-communal fighting and sought protection at the African Union–United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) camp in Saraf Umra. UNAMID is doing everything it can to support the settlement of these conflicts, protect civilians and support humanitarian partners in providing assistance to those in need.

The Secretary-General urges all parties to immediately cease hostilities and negotiate a peaceful settlement to these conflicts. He calls on the Government of Sudan and warring parties to cooperate with UNAMID and humanitarian partners in providing access to conflict areas and ensure the protection of civilians, as well as the provision of assistance to those in need.

KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “I urge all FDLR rebels to immediately break away from their leaders who are being prosecuted by justice, otherwise they will be forcibly disarmed,” declared Martin Kobler, the Head of MONUSCO.

MONUSCO calls on all FDLR members to surrender without delay and to join the Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reinsertion and Reintegration (DDRRR) process.

Martin Kobler welcomes the launch of FARDC operations against the FDLR and affiliated armed groups. He announced MONUSCO’s support and direct engagement alongside the Congolese army.

“The operations aim to neutralize the FDLR and their allies. They will also help reestablish State authority, in accordance with our mandate to protect civilians and our rules of engagement,” concluded Martin Kobler.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following the Moroccan National Human Rights Council’s September 2013 thematic report on the situation of migrants and refugees in Morocco and King Mohammed VI’s strategic guidance to improve the situation of undocumented migrants in the country, the Moroccan government has been working on implementing the new policy, including the regularization of several categories of migrants.

To ensure the sustainable integration of migrants allowed to stay, IOM, in collaboration with the Ministry of Moroccans Residing Abroad and Migration Affairs, and with support from the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), is organizing an international conference in Rabat on 10th and 11th March 2014 entitled: “The New Migration Policy: Which Integration Strategy?”

The event brings together politicians and experts from countries of origin and from Europe to share their experiences. Important contributions will also be made by local experts and NGOs, who work with migrants on a daily basis.

The conference will address four thematic areas, including social integration, access to basic rights and services, the cultural contribution of migrants and the role of civil society.

“Given that to date more than 12,000 migrants have filed requests for regularization and the first have already received their decisions, it is crucial to discuss integration now,” says IOM Morocco Chief of Mission Anke Strauss.

“While it is relatively straight forward to determine whether or not a migrant meets the eligibility criteria established by the government in November, successful and durable integration is a significant challenge,” she notes.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM, in close collaboration with the Government of Somaliland and in partnership with UN agencies, has opened a new Digaale permanent settlement in Hargeisa, Somaliland, for 500 displaced (IDP) families who in the past lived in destitute temporary settlements.

IOM is providing durable solutions for the IDPs through voluntary relocation, livelihoods, healthcare and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for some of the 85,000 vulnerable IDPs in Somaliland. Its Somaliland livelihoods and migration health programmes are funded by the government of Japan.

Among others, IOM has partnered with a local NGO, Kaaba Micro-Finance Institute, to provide micro financial support to 52 families as part of its livelihoods program.

Speaking at the opening of the settlement, Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman Ismail Abdullahi said: “Our strategy is to continue to shift from providing care and maintenance to searching for durable solutions for people seeking to integrate back into our society.”

“IOM will continue to help this vulnerable community by providing them with basic health care during the relocation exercise. I am thrilled to see these people move from makeshift shelters to permanent homes,” said IOM Hargeisa head of sub-office Dr Samir Hadjibduli.

IOM is now working closely with the Ministry of Health to provide free primary healthcare services at the new settlement. The services include ante-natal and post-natal care, immunization, day treatment and stabilization prior to hospital referral and medication.

An IOM-supported health post in the settlement has also received in-kind donations of primary healthcare kits and vaccines for routine immunization of children and pregnant/lactating women.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM is continuing to assist thousands of people displaced by the ongoing conflict in South Sudan, while preparing for the challenges of the upcoming rainy season.
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GENEVA, Switzerland, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM today began to repatriate by road the first of thousands of Chadians who fled to Cameroon in January to escape fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR.)

IOM yesterday (10/3) completed the registration of the first 1,000 Chadians scheduled to return home with IOM road convoys.

The group, who have been stranded in Garoua Boulai, east Cameroon, with no shelter and little or no assistance for over two and a half months, are among some 7,000 Chadian and other migrants who fled the CAR and are currently stranded in Cameroon.

The movements from Garoua Boulai to Moundou in southern Chad will begin today and continue through the coming weeks.

At the request of the Chadian authorities, each convoy arriving at the Moundou transit site will be limited to 300 people to allow time for processing and onward transport provided by IOM. The convoys will be organized at three day intervals.

IOM, with the Chadian authorities, has constructed tarpaulin shelters and will help to manage local authorities to manage the site. When the returnees arrive, it will also register and profile them to identify their immediate and longer terms needs.

The fighting in the CAR has forced thousands of Chadians, CAR nationals and other migrants to flee the CAR to neighboring countries. As of 8th March, IOM registered an influx of over 82,000 Chadian returnees, CAR nationals and third country nationals into Chad.

While some of the evacuees continued their journey to final destinations in Chad, over 56,000 are still living in the transit sites, many in difficult conditions in the south of the country and in N’Djamena.

“At the request of the government, IOM has been trying to assist migrants fleeing from the CAR. But the needs are far too great to be met with the internal IOM funding and we need more help for this life saving operation. We have appealed for USD 19 million and have thus far received USD 350,000,” says IOM Chad Chief of Mission Dr. Qasim Sufi.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 11, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed deep concern on Tuesday that civilians in South Darfur, Sudan, have been bearing the brunt of recent attacks.

“There has been a disproportionate use of force by armed groups in areas in South Darfur that are not military targets. There must be an immediate halt to attacks on unarmed civilians,” she said.

According to witnesses, these groups have attacked some 45 villages in the Um Gunya area, approximately 50 km south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, since the end of February. While it is difficult to ascertain the number of people killed, an estimated 50,000 civilians have been displaced amid looting and arson.

“I urge the authorities to protect civilians and hold to account those who have committed grave breaches of human rights and humanitarian laws,” said Pillay.

The High Commissioner voiced concern that peacekeepers from the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), as well as human rights and humanitarian agencies had been prevented from reaching areas affected by the attacks.

“The Sudanese government must allow UNAMID to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians, and grant access to populations in need,” she said.

The High Commissioner noted that the attacks were adding to the number of internally displaced people (IDPs), with many of those fleeing ending up in camps in South Darfur such as Kalma and Al Salam, near Nyala, where the number of IDPs was close to 200,000 before the recent attacks.

“Their arrival is having an overwhelming impact on the already limited water, food and health care available in the camps. The increase in displacement is a worrying trend at a time when civilians were being encouraged to return to their villages of origin,” Pillay said.

The High Commissioner called on all parties to the conflict to participate in UNAMID’s mediation initiative. She also urged all armed groups to avoid using civilian populations in many regions of Darfur as a shield for military operations.

“A military approach will not bring about the peace that the people of Darfur deserve after so many years of armed conflict,” Pillay said.