Day: June 3, 2023

Angolan Head of State João Lourenço defended Saturday the urgency of greater coordination among all the actors in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in view of the defined peace objectives.

João Lourenço made the appeal at the Extraordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL) on peace and security in the East of the DRC and in the Republic of Sudan Saturday in Luanda.

The Angolan president also defended the need to hold a Quadripartite Summit in Luanda, with the presence of representatives from Southern Africa Development Conference (SADC), East African Community of States (IAC), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Economic Community of Central African States, under the coordination of the African Union (AU).

“I would like count on your support for the implementation of this intention”, he underlined.

As for the situation of the armed conflict on the ground in the East of the DRC, President João Lourenço acknowledged that, in general, the ceasefire has been complied with, with the exception of small incidents normal in processes like this.

However, the Angolan statesman highlighted the need to speed up the process related to the creation of conditions for the cantonment of Congolese citizens who are members of the armed movement “M23”.

João Lourenço, current President of the ICGLR, welcomed the decision that approved the deployment of a regional force as part of the SADC Standby Force, as a regional response to efforts to restore peace and security in the territory of the DRC.

Situation in Sudan

On the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan, since April 15 of the current year, the Angolan President referred to it as being an intricate conflict with dramatic consequences on the humanitarian, economic and regional security levels.

In his speech, João Lourenço noted that in his capacity as Acting President of ICGLR and Champion of the African Union for Peace and Security in Africa, he has sought to monitor the situation very closely.

In this regard, he informed that he held a conversation with Adbel Fattah Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, with whom he analysed the current situation in that country.

He appealed, at the time, for the belligerent parties to try to find, through the dialogue, a solution to the problem.

He recognised that the situation remains tense, but argued that the fact that a ceasefire is in operation, whose validity should be encouraged, gives some hope that it will be possible to define a negotiating framework that will lead to an effective and lasting peace, -chamber for the transition of power to a civil government that emerges from the will of the people at the ballot box.

At the end of his speech, Angolan Head of State expressed optimism that the conclusions emerging from summit, which ends this Saturday (3), will be useful and likely to help revive the peace processes in the DRC and Sudan.

The event, which includes the participation of some Heads of State or their representatives from the ICGLR, takes place under the motto “For a stable Great Lakes region, towards sustainable development”.

ICGLR was created in 1994, after the political and military conflicts that marked the Great Lakes Region in the early 1990s.

CIRGL brings together Angola, Burundi, the Central African and Democratic Republics of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda , Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, defended Saturday (03) the joint efforts for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.

Delivering his speech, at opening of the Extraordinary Summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL), Moussa Faki called for the need to find lasting solutions to African crises through dialogue and strong commitments.

At the time, he described the security situation in the region as catastrophic and with major human consequences.

Moussa Mahamat called for the coordination of efforts to correspond to the summit’s motto “For a stable Great Lakes region, towards sustainable development”.

He noted that, despite some progress, there are challenges in terms of security that hinder development, such as the resurgence of the emergence of armed groups like the M23 and the illicit exploitation of natural resources.

He said that the situation calls for the need to revive the deployment of the African force to assist in the rapid implementation of the Rwanda and Nairobi processes.

The continental leader appealed to the UN and other partners to support the pacification efforts underway in the DRC and Sudan in the technical and logistical fields.

However, he announced that the African Union Commission is preparing to hold a Summit with the participation of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Community of East African States (EAC) to coordinate efforts and share responsibilities, taking into account the potential of each State.

To AUC, it is crucial to act effectively and increase trust among the leaders of organisations.

On the other hand, he spoke of the coup d’état in Sudan, at a time when the country was getting ready for holding its elections, which led to the deterioration of the internal situation, with consequences for other countries.

He added that in addition to the exodus to other countries, the dead are yet to be buried and the wounded without assistance, which could lead to yet another chaos on the continent.

The AU is making efforts to reach a ceasefire, while urging the contenders to avoid actions that would further damage the country and create long-term disturbances.

He argued that the AU engaged with specialised agencies to help the affected populations.

Moussa Faki believes in a negotiated solution to the Sudanese conflict, to save the country from civil war and the region from widespread chaos.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Tamale Metropolitan, and the Sagnarigu Municipal Directorates of Education have taken delivery of 2,070 pieces of furniture to help improve the furniture situation in schools within their jurisdictions.

Out of the figure, 103 tables and chairs, and 914 dual desks would be distributed to 28 schools in the Sagnarigu Municipality, including Kindergartens, Primary and Junior High Schools, whilst 97 tables and chairs, and 956 dual desks would also be distributed to 34 schools including Kindergartens, Primary and Junior High Schools in the Tamale Metropolis.

ActionAid Ghana, an international NGO, procured and distributed the furniture within the two Assemblies through their Education Directorates as part of efforts to improve teaching and learning in the area.

Nana Yaw Okyere Aduachie, Board Chairman of ActionAid Ghana, who handed over the furniture to the authorities at separate events in the two Assemblies, said the gesture followed a needs assessment, which revealed that the furniture situation at the schools was not good for effective teaching and learning.

He said the assessment saw most of the pupils sit on the floor or on makeshift benches, which was uncomfortable and distracting.

He appealed to the two Assemblies to institute a campaign for stakeholders to support schools in the area with at least a dual desk to help ensure adequate furniture in schools for proper teaching and learning outcomes.

Mr Mohammed Yakubu Ahmed, Municipal Chief Executive of Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly, said the Assembly was not oblivious to the furniture situation at schools in the area. However, he noted it was challenged with resources to address the situation.

He commended ActionAid Ghana for complementing the government’s efforts to address the furniture situation in public basic schools in the country.

He gave assurance that the Assembly would continue to do its best to improve the furniture situation and urged other development partners to emulate the gesture.

Mr Sule Salifu, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the move by ActionAid Ghana would help bring comfort, dignity and hope to pupils who hitherto laid on their bellies to write during classes.

He said the Assembly was currently facing a furniture deficit of 30,000, adding that the gesture had come to augment the efforts of the two Assemblies.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Angola’s Vice President of the Republic Esperança Costa arrived on Friday night Ankara, Turkey, for the inauguration ceremony of the country’s re-elected President, Recep Erdogan.

Esperança Costa is representing the Angolan President, João Lourenço.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been sworn in as head of state after winning an historic run-off election for another five years.

Saturday’s inauguration was followed by a ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital attended by dozens of world leaders.

Turkish leader won the run-off on May 28, 2023.

POST COMMENTS

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

One of the strongest pillars of the Social Democratic Front party, SDF, Hon. Dr. Cyprian Mbaya Awudu, has died.

His death was announced by the Fon of Njap, from where he originated. Njap is a village in Donga Mantung Division, North West, Cameroon. He was a titled man, called Ta Nformi Yinkfu.

The Fon of Njap revealed that the former Member of Parliament died in Dallas- Texas, after a protracted illness.

Hon. Dr. Ta Nformi Yinkfu Cyprian Mbaya Awudu, on November 19, 2019, backed out of the race for another mandate as MP for Donga Mantung Central covering Nkambe and Ndu Constituencies. He had served three mandates as MP under the SDF.

The General President of the Wimbum Cultural and Development Association, WICUDA, Nforgwei Rogers, said, this is a great loss not only to the family but “the entire Wimbum community that has lost one their fathers.”

The Fon of Chup noted that the passing of the politician “is a big shock to the whole Wimbum community and Cameroon at large.” he described him as a hard worker, “who is not indebted directly or indirectly to him. That’s an example of a man of integrity, a bulldozer that the Wimbum community will ever cry, not to talk of his Warr family.”

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Yvonne Mulango who beat her child to death in Kumba, Meme division in the South West region, is being questioned by the Police.

She was rescued from a mob who beat her to near death, for killing her child. Neighbors said Mulango has been maltreating her seven-year-old child but they did not know it would come to the extent of killing her own baby.

Police forced her to carry the deceased to the mortuary.

“You maltreated her until her death, it’s your cross, you will carry it. You must put her in the mortuary. This is her own child, she personally gave birth to her…we are at the mortuary, and the population wanted to kill her but we saved her life and asked her to take the dead child to the mortuary herself,” a police officer said.

Source: Cameroon News Agency