World Bank Vice President commends Rwanda’s Growth

KIGALI, Rwanda, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, Rachel Kyte has commended the Government of Rwanda’s vision and commitment for implementing successful growth-driving policies.

“Rwanda has been a great development success story over the last decade, now as Rwanda builds on that success, making the transition from aid to more investment, we stand ready to support this transformation” said Kyte.

She highlighted the need for the Rwanda Government to continue enhancing Foreign Direct Investment, facilitate public-private partnerships to maximize opportunities from existing growth sectors, and to focus public expenditure on the key bottlenecks for economic growth especially transport and energy. She emphasized that with infrastructure investments that are efficient, realistic, and sustainable, Rwanda will achieve its medium-term growth targets.

Kyte, who wrapped up her three -day visit to Rwanda yesterday, met with the Prime Minister and various senior government officials, representatives of the private sector and the donor community, and visited World Bank-funded projects.

On the field trip to Gatsibo District, the Vice President appreciated sustainable land management and agricultural intensification activities supported by the WB-financed Land Husbandry, Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) and the third Rural Sector Support projects under the Ministry of Agriculture. In addition to the scale and replicability of the activities supported by these projects, the purposeful design to maximize environmental and socio-economic benefits was remarkable achievement.

In her dialogue with community members present, Kyte said: “Our job in the World Bank is to lend a hand –a hand that can lend you money and which can lend you technical support. However, what makes our job wonderful is when we all step back and watch you –the community–carry out this work and achieve such incredible and sustainable results”.

In Nyagatovu Village, Kyte joined residents in the nationwide community work known as Umuganda and assisted with the construction of a household vegetable garden and participated in the distribution of milk to children under the Government’s Milk for the children initiative.

She also visited the Government’s low-cost household electricity connection program which the Bank-financed Electricity Access Project intends to scale up.

Kyte has overall responsibilities for the World Bank Group’s global work in infrastructure, agriculture, environment, energy, climate change, urban development, and social development, among others. This is her second visit to Rwanda since 2008 when she was Vice President for Business Advisory services at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group.

For more information on the World Bank please visit: www.worldbank.org

SOURCE 

The World Bank

Somalia: Terzi meets with Premier Ali: Italy still supporting stabilisation

ROME, Italy, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Italy is “strongly determined to continue its support for Somalia’s efforts at stabilization, and especially on the security front”, Minister Giulio Terzi assured at the end of a meeting today at the foreign ministry in Rome with the Prime Minister of the Somali Transitional Government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali. “A fundamental aspect of our relations with our Somali friends”, Terzi underscored, “is our support for development and the eradication of poverty”.

In addition, Terzi believes that “the process of transition in Somalia, which has been going on for 8 years now, must come to an end, according to the principles of Garowe (guidelines adopted last summer by the Somali government for the establishment of new institutions), which must be enacted by next summer”. Speaking of the conference on Somalia to be held in London on 23 February, Terzi said he expected “the international community’s heavy commitment and strengthening of the stabilization process, in terms of security but also of the launch of a process leading to the creation of a new Constitution, a parliament and a government that is no longer transitional but the expression of the voice of the Somali population in all its various components”.

The Somali Prime Minister urged Italy to take a “guiding role in the peace process and in the reconstruction of Somalia”. “Ours is an historic friendship”, he added. “The Somali people have high expectations of the Italian government’s support for security and the further development of our institutions”.

As for the situation on the ground, Terzi asserted that the fundamentalist Shabaab rebels were in increasing difficulty both militarily and on the level of consensus”, and that the goal is to “undermine the environment of complicity and consensus that has allowed the Shabaab to root themselves in some areas” of Somalia.

With regard to piracy, “We will do everything possible to return the kidnapped to their families”, the Somali Prime Minister promised, referring to the abduction of the Italian ship Enrico Ievoli and its 18 crew members, six of whom are Italians. “We will do our best with our limited means”, Ali added, and that “a common strategy is needed” to confront the threat of piracy, which, he maintained, “is not only a Somali problem but a regional concern that involves the entire international community”.

SOURCE 

Italy – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Statement by the spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative, on Madagascar

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

“The High Representative, who has followed with concern the recent events surrounding the return of former president Ravalomanana to Madagascar, reaffirms her support for SADC’s mediation efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in Madagascar.

She notes and supports, in its entirety, the statement of the SADC Ministerial Committee of

the Organ Troika dated 26 January 2012, stressing the importance for all political parties in

Madagascar to accelerate the implementation of key elements in the roadmap, within the time

allowed and in keeping with the letter and spirit of the roadmap.

The High Representative, who was pleased with the satisfactory progress made to date on the

gradual establishment of the transition institutions, reiterates the EU’s willingness to give political and financial support to the ongoing transition process, in close cooperation with the international community, provided that this process is consensual and leads to the holding of credible, free and transparent elections allowing a swift return to constitutional order.”

SOURCE 

European Union

Niger Emergency Appeal: Over 3 million at risk as food crisis looms

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Over three million people in Niger are facing the risk of severe food shortages with poor harvests, resulting from erratic rainfall and pest attacks, contributing to a looming humanitarian and food crisis in the country.

Rising food prices and already chronic levels of malnutrition, particularly amongst children, are also compounding the crisis which is affecting many regions of the country. The six most affected regions of Niger being targeted by the Red Cross are Tillabery, Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has today launched an emergency appeal for 3,7 million Swiss francs (USD 4 million/ EUR 3.1 million) to help the Red Cross in Niger to assist 350,000 people.

“The food crisis will further weaken people who have not yet recovered from the food crisis of 2010, and who have already exhausted all their coping mechanisms” explained Nathalie Bonvin, regional food security delegate, for the IFRC in Dakar.

Funds from the appeal will be used to distribute emergency food, and seeds and tools to vulnerable people and to support health centres in providing nutritional services to affected communities. Through the “cash for work” program, jobs will be created providing cash for communities whilst also improving the environment for increased agricultural production and access to water. The Niger Red Cross will also provide cash to the most vulnerable, who cannot work but have access to markets to buy food supplies.

“The situation began to deteriorate with households who have no cereals left in stock” said Yayé Mounkaila, Food Security and Program Coordinator of the Niger Red Cross “Poor households have had to use their reserves stocks. At that point they have become more vulnerable and at risk of increased malnutrition and health impacts.”

Rates of acute and chronic malnutrition among children under five in Niger are systematically high. With the situation worsening, the last week of 2011 saw 3,245 cases of severely malnourished children being referred to Intensive Nutritional Recovery Centres and 6,278 moderately malnourished diagnosed and referred.

The Niger Red Cross, with support from the IFRC and other partners from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, has responded for many years to the food crises that regularly hit Niger and will build on that experience in its response to this crisis. Some of its long term food security programmes provided effective protection to communities, indicating that a more sustainable approach pays off. “If we act now, we can mitigate the impacts of this drought by increasing community resilience and saving lives,” said Pierre Kana, IFRC country representative in Niger. “But we also need to ensure that we advocate and raise funds to support longer-term interventions that will reduce the communities’ food insecurity in the future.”

Many countries across the Sahel risk a major food crisis if urgent measures are not taken. The most affected countries are Niger, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and localized areas in Senegal. The IFRC has already launched a preliminary emergency appeal for Mauritania and sent money from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to the other at risk countries.

SOURCE 

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

France / Sénégal (30 janvier 2012)

PARIS, France, 30 janvier 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Le Conseil constitutionnel du Sénégal vient de confirmer la liste des candidats à la présidentielle qu’il avait publiée le vendredi 27 janvier. La France regrette que toutes les sensibilités politiques ne puissent être représentées. En outre, elle étudiera avec la plus grande attention les observations que fera la mission de l’Union européenne sur le processus de validation de ces candidatures.

Nous sommes extrêmement préoccupés par la mise en garde à vue des membres du M23 et notamment celle de son Porte-parole, M. Alioune Tine, également Président de la Rencontre africaine pour les droits de l’Homme (RADDHO) survenue samedi 28 janvier. Face aux multiples arrestations, la France rappelle son attachement au respect des procédures judiciaires et des droits de la défense. Nous condamnons, par principe, toute instrumentalisation de la justice à des fins politiques.

La campagne électorale à venir doit se dérouler dans le calme et la pluralité. Les autorités sénégalaises en sont les garantes. Nous appelons l’ensemble des acteurs à la responsabilité.

SOURCE 

France – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Africa / Opening Remarks to Regional Journalists on the Margins of African Union Summit

WASHINGTON, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Remarks

William J. Burns

Deputy Secretary

U.S. Mission to the African Union

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

January 30, 2012

Thank you very much and good afternoon.

I am very pleased to be in Addis Ababa. My visit to Ethiopia concludes a week-long trip to Africa, which also included visits to Ghana, Uganda, and South Sudan.

My trip, which comes on the heels of Secretary Clinton’s visit to West Africa last week, reaffirms the high priority the Obama Administration attaches to Africa. It highlights our ongoing commitment to work with African partners both to seize opportunities and address common challenges.

America’s commitment to the continent is underscored by our work to support gains in democratic governance, sustainable development, economic growth, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. This includes our support for democracy and governance programs across the continent, our ongoing efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the U.S. and Africa, and our steadfast support for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The United States is committed to supporting programs that both support Africa’s long-term goals and short-term needs. President Obama’s Feed the Future Initiative, to which we committed $3.5 billion over 3 years, promotes food security and helps reduce vulnerability to drought and other shocks in partnership with governments across Africa. In the near-term, we are leading international efforts to respond to drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, including by committing over $870 million in relief for the crisis.

The United States also continues to provide extensive assistance to combat disease and to build the capacity of health systems across Africa, part of a $63 billion over five years commitment. On Thursday, I visited one excellent example of that effort, a public-private partnership at Wagagai in Uganda, one of more than a hundred such clinics that we support across Uganda to provide preventive care and comprehensive maternal and child health services.

Over the last week I have also had the pleasure of meeting with civil society leaders engaged in compelling and vital work in their communities. This includes meeting with a cross-section of young leaders who are engaged in dynamic work in every sector of society. As many of you already know, the Obama Administration has made a special point of engaging the continent’s next generation of leaders to discuss the broad spectrum of U.S.-African issues.

At the same time, this last week of discussions also covered a range of security, political, and humanitarian challenges facing the continent. The humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile featured prominently in many of these discussions. The U.S. remains deeply concerned regarding the Government of Sudan’s continued denial of humanitarian access to those two states. Conflict and aerial bombardments have disrupted the planting season. Experts predict that, absent immediate humanitarian access, we could see emergency levels of food insecurity in a matter of weeks. The international community will not be able to stand by as this preventable humanitarian crisis unfolds.

My consultations also underscored the need for Sudan and South Sudan to quickly reach agreement on oil and related financial issues. The time has come to reach an amicable and negotiated solution. Unilateral actions on both sides only risk greater tension and further economic losses for both countries. Resolving this and other pending issues is the best path to achieve long-term peace, stability, and economic prosperity.

The challenge of Somalia came up frequently in my meetings and of course during discussions here at the African Union as well. As I said to President Museveni and others, the United States commends the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia. We hope that the African Union will continue to move quickly in finalizing a concept of operations for an expanded AMISOM so that we can discuss this issue in the UN Security Council as soon as possible. These discussions also centered on the need for the Transitional Federal Government to make steady and sustained progress on the Roadmap in advance of the end of the TFG’s mandate in August.

Additionally, various leaders expressed concern about the situation in Nigeria. Boko Haram poses a growing threat to the region. We will continue to support the Government of Nigeria on this and other challenges facing the country.

I was particularly delighted to be able to lead the U.S. delegation in attending the opening of the African Union Summit. The United States has a special relationship with this vital regional organization, including by being the first non-member state to accredit a diplomatic mission dedicated exclusively to the African Union. And last year Secretary Clinton became the first Secretary of State to address a formal session of the AU. We collaborate and partner with the African Union on a broad range of issues and will continue to assist in augmenting the AU’s capacity to address the many opportunities and challenges facing the continent.

And now I’d be glad to take some questions.

SOURCE 

US Department of State

International Trade Minister Ed Fast to Discuss Canada’s First Trade Mission to the New Libya

OTTAWA, Canada, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, will hold a media teleconference from Rome on Monday, January 30, 2012, to discuss Canada’s first trade mission to the new Libya.

Event: Media teleconference

Date: Monday, January 30, 2012

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

SOURCE 

Canada – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Le ministre du Commerce international Ed Fast fait le point sur la première mission commerciale du Canada dans la nouvelle Libye

OTTAWA, Canada, 30 janvier 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Le ministre du Commerce international et ministre de la porte d’entrée de l’Asie-Pacifique, l’honorable Ed Fast, tiendra une conférence téléphonique à l’intention des médias depuis Rome, le lundi 30 janvier 2012, pour faire le point sur la première mission commerciale du Canada dans la nouvelle Libye.

Événement : Téléconférence à l’intention des médias

Date : Le lundi 30 janvier 2012

Heure : 15 h 30 HE

SOURCE 

Canada – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

NUJ condemns journalist murder in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Journalists Great Britain and Ireland (NUJ) has joined its sister union, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in strongly condemning the murder of Hassan Osman Abdi, a senior journalist and trade union branch secretary, he was also the director of Shabelle Media Network, the leading private radio and television network in Southern Somalia.

Abdi was shot dead on Saturday 28 January 2012 as he arrived home in the Madina district in Mogadishu at 18:30 local time. He was trailed by five men in a sedan who fired five shots at him.

Widely known Hassan Fantastic, Abdi suffered serious injuries to his head and chest and died on the way to Madina hospital.

Abdi was a highly acclaimed journalist who has been busy unearthing politically complex issues and corruption within public institutions. Abdi was also a trade union branch secretary in Mogadishu city.

Hassan Osman Abdi was born on 1 July 1982 in the Jilib district of the Lower Juba region of Somalia and was appointed as Director of Shabelle Media Network in October 2011.

“This is a terrible tragedy, both for Hassan Osman Abdi’s family and for the Somali journalist community,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ general secretary.

“All of the union officials are alarmed and saddened by the murder of Abdi which has removed cherished official in the union ranks and a respected colleague from the journalism fraternity,” added Osman.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary said: “Somalia is a deadly place for journalists and trade unionists. Over the last few months we have seen Abdisalan Sheik Hassan gunned down and now Hassan Osman Abdi has been murdered.

“Their deaths are a loss to journalism and the trade union movement as a whole. The NUJ sends its condolences to their colleagues and families and calls on the authorities to take action to protect the safety of journalists.”

The NUJ and NUSOJ express their condolences and sympathy to the members of Abdi’s family, as well as to the staff at Shabelle Media Network.

Local journalists believe that Abdi was murdered because of his leading role within the Shabelle Media Network in reporting the political crisis in Mogadishu as well as uncovering corruption cases. “This was calculated killing,” said one journalist who was close to Abdi.

“The use of violence to stop journalists from exercising their basic human right of freedom of expression is unacceptable reality facing Somali journalists. We demand that vicious circle of impunity of crimes against journalists to be ended,” declared Osman.

Hassan Osman Abdi’s death has left a family without a husband and three children have lost their dad.

Abdi has sadly become the first journalist to be murdered in Somalia in 2012, he is the fifth journalist of Shabelle Media Network to be slayed and the fourth union official to be killed.

SOURCE 

National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)

FAJ Condemns Assassination of Prominent Journalist in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African Regional Organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has joined its affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) in firmly condemning the assassination of prominent journalist and director of Shabelle Media Network, Hassan Osman Abdi.

According to NUSOJ, Hassan Osman Abdi was trailed from work place, shot and riddled with bullets by assassins travelling in a sedan on Saturday 28 January 2012. Abdi died on the way to Madina hospital.

“We strongly condemn the cowardly act of the perpetrators of this villainous crime and call on the Somali authorities to ensure that justice is done and that the perpetrators are hunted down and brought to book,” said Foster Dongozi, FAJ Vice President.

FAJ mourns the death of Hassan Osman Abdi who was a committed and highly respected personality in the field of journalism in Somalia and within the national journalists union, where he was Branch Secretary of the union’s Banadir region branch.

“We are disturbed by the frequency at which journalists are being violently attacked in Somalia often resulting in a senseless loss of dear lives,’ added Dongozi.

More than two dozen of journalists have been killed, scores arrested and several independent media houses shut down in the country since 2006.

“Killings of Somali journalists reflect the vulnerability of the media professionals in our country and the dangerous climate to which they are exposed,” said Abdi Aden Guled, NUSOJ Supreme Council Senior Vice President.

SOURCE 

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)