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The stability of North Africa, its economic development and the political participation of its people are all of paramount importance to Germany and the European Union.
BERLIN, Germany, October 16, 2021 / APO Group / -The Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Ministry, Niels Annen, will embark today (October 16) on a trip to North Africa, with stops in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.
In Algeria, he will hold political consultations with government officials and meet representatives of civil society. Its agenda also includes a visit to a German-Algerian cultural project and a meeting with German intermediary organizations.
His visit to Tunisia will focus mainly on recent political developments and the economic challenges the country is currently facing. Here, too, Minister of State Annen will meet with representatives of the government, the country's political parties and members of civil society. A meeting with the partners of the Ta'ziz Partnership project of the Federal Foreign Office is also planned.
In Libya, Minister of State Annen will participate in Tripoli in an international conference organized by Libyan Foreign Minister Mangoush. The conference will focus on preparations for the upcoming elections, the necessary reform of the security sector and the necessary withdrawal of all foreign fighters.
Before leaving for North Africa, the Minister of State made the following statement:
The stability of North Africa, its economic development and the political participation of its people are all of paramount importance to Germany and the European Union. We therefore regularly conduct political discussions with the respective governments and representatives of civil society, in order to actively support these processes. By hosting the Libyan Stabilization Conference in Tripoli, the country is showing that it is taking its destiny back in hand. This is something that we expressly support; furthermore, we urge that foreign fighters be withdrawn from the country and that national elections be held as scheduled.
We hope that during this conference we will reflect together on new ways to protect our common cultural heritage.
ALGIERS, Algeria, October 13, 2021 / Groupe APO / -How can we work together to preserve Algeria's rich historical sites and artefacts for future generations? This was the question debated at a conference on the security of cultural heritage sites from October 4-7. Twenty-one officials from the Algerian Ministry of Culture participated alongside 16 officials from the Ministry of Culture of Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.
The U.S. Embassy in Algeria and the Algerian Ministry of Culture hosted the conference, which was originally scheduled to be held in person, but has been moved to a virtual format due to COVID-19 considerations. US subject matter experts from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Bureau of Investigations' Art Crime Team and Homeland Security each made presentations at the conference, as did Algerian experts from the National Museum of Antiquities of Algeria, of Algeria Maritime National. Museum, Ahaggar National Park, and the National Office for the Management and Exploitation of Protected Cultural Property (OGEBC). The participants engaged in stimulating discussions on best practices for preserving cultural heritage sites, with the help of simultaneous interpretation in Arabic and French.
In his opening remarks, US Chargé d'Affaires Gautam Rana said: “We hope that during this conference we will jointly reflect on new ways to protect our common cultural heritage. "
The director of cooperation of the Algerian Ministry of Culture and Arts, Saadene Ayadi, declared: “The safeguarding of cultural property is a major priority.
The conference also marked the launch of a public awareness campaign on the importance of protecting Algerian cultural heritage sites. The conference is part of a 2019 memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Algeria on the safeguarding of cultural property and the fight against looting.
As part of the deal's implementation, the United States recently donated equipment to the Tipaza cultural heritage site, including light poles around the Roman theater, outdoor cameras to monitor the grounds and a wireless fire detection system for the museum. The United States is also working closely with Algeria on cultural heritage preservation projects, including the Roman ruins of Djamila and the mosaics at the Museum of Antiquities.
The dissolution of the RAJ would be a new low for freedom of association in Algeria
BEIRUT, Lebanon, October 11, 2021 / APO Group / -Algerian authorities should abandon their efforts to dissolve a large civil society group for alleged violations of the law on associations, five international human rights organizations said today. An administrative court is due to rule on October 13, 2021 in a case brought by the Ministry of the Interior against the Rassemblement Action Jeunesse (RAJ).
The Bir Mourad Rais court in Algiers examined a request on September 29 to dissolve the RAJ, claiming that the group's “political” activities violated the objectives set out in its own statutes. RAJ leaders deny the accusation and claim that authorities have targeted the association because of its support for the pro-democracy movement Hirak, which began in 2019.
The five human rights groups are Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the International Federation for Human Rights and the MENA Rights Group.
"Seeking to ban one of the main civil society associations on spurious grounds is yet another attempt to crush the Hirak," said Eric Goldstein, interim director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. “This decision comes amid the ongoing arbitrary arrests and prosecutions of activists and journalists, and raids on demonstrators. "
Algerian security forces have regularly cracked down on individuals and groups associated with the Hirak protest movement, which has mobilized large numbers of demonstrators since February 2019. Demonstrators, demanding democratic reforms, continued to take to the streets after the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019 and Abdelmadjid Tebboune succeed him seven months later, following a contested election.
The RAJ was created in 1992 to "promote cultural activities, human rights and the values of citizenship", according to its statutes. He became known for his local popular mobilization among Algerian youth.
RAJ openly supported the Hirak; its headquarters have become a place of meeting and debate for activists. In 2019, the RAJ co-founded the Pact for a Democratic Alternative, a collective of opposition parties, civil society groups, trade unionists, lawyers and intellectuals. The Pact rejected Tebboune's election and called for deep reform of state institutions. Authorities have prosecuted 11 of its members, imprisoning at least nine of its leaders and activists for speech offenses on several occasions since 2019 and have banned some of its activities, such as a summer school in August 2019.
"The dissolution of the RAJ would be a new low for freedom of association in Algeria," said Nadège Lahmar, researcher on the Maghreb at the Institute for Human Rights Studies in Cairo (CIHRS). “By targeting a youth organization supporting the Hirak, the authorities seek to silence independent and peaceful voices. "
On May 26, RAJ announced that it had been informed of a petition presented by the Interior Ministry to an administrative court asking for the group to be dissolved. The petition claims the group had engaged in activities "different from those for which it was created", that it "initiated and carried out suspicious activities with strangers", "helped incite citizens to rally together without authorization "and" adopted strategies of a political nature with the aim of creating chaos and disturbing public order.
“The Interior Ministry's accusation that RAJ violated the law is based on the daily public activities RAJ carried out during the Hirak, such as forums, debates and citizens' initiatives… alongside millions of Algerians in order to find a unifying and consensual outcome. of the crisis, ”RAJ president Abdelouahab Fersaoui told Human Rights Watch.
The Algerian law on associations of 2012 provides in its article 43 that the authorities can request a court decision to dissolve an association "when it carries out activities other than those provided for in its statutes". The government petition also cites article 13, which stipulates that "associations are distinct from political parties, by their objectives, name and functioning, and cannot maintain any type of relationship with them". The authorities claim that the group "adopted strategies of a political nature" by maintaining relations with two opposition political parties, called and participated in marches in 2019, and chanted slogans demanding a "democratic and free Algeria". The petition also claims that the RAJ constitutes a "danger to national sovereignty, state foreign policy and public order and security".
Article 2 of the Law on Associations stipulates that the objectives of an association "must be in the general interest and not be contrary to national foundations and values or to public order and morality". These provisions are worded too vaguely to allow associations to reasonably predict whether any of their activities constitute a crime, and the provisions threaten the exercise of freedom of expression and association, Human Rights Watch said.
The petition also argues that the group violated article 23 of the law, which provides that cooperation with international and foreign associations must "respect national values and fundamentals" and "require the prior approval of the competent authorities". The petition accuses the group of having met representatives of Amnesty International and the Tunisian League for Human Rights.
The legal provisions used by the Algerian authorities to demand the dissolution of the RAJ are incompatible with the right to freedom of association, Human Rights Watch said. Associations should be free to determine their statutes and activities and to make decisions without state interference and should not face the ultimate sanction of dissolution for legal and peaceful activities. They should be free to engage in relationships with foreign entities subject to reasonable disclosure laws, but without prior government approval.
The petition cites as "evidence of political activities" a 2019 television program in which RAJ President Fersaoui expressed support for arrested politicians, and a political debate on Facebook in which Fersaoui criticized the crackdown on Hirak activists and called for the resumption of street protests after Covid. -19 related public health restrictions are lifted.
Fersaoui was arrested on October 10, 2019 during a sit-in in solidarity with the Hirak detainees, and charged with "undermining the integrity of the national territory". He was sentenced to one year in prison in April 2020 and released a month later, after his sentence was reduced on appeal. The government cited Fersaoui's prosecution and conviction as evidence that RAJ is carrying out illegal activities.
In 2019 and 2020, several prominent members of the RAJ, including its founder Hakim Addad, were arrested during the Hirak marches, and prosecuted for “illegal assembly” and “undermining the integrity of the national territory”. On June 22, a court in Sidi Mhamed acquitted these activists - Djalal Mokrani, Hakim Addad, Kamel Ouali, Hmimi Bouider and Massi Aissousse - of the charges against them.
In another case, the Sidi Mhamed court on July 8 sentenced Addad in absentia to one year in prison for "inciting an unarmed rally" and other charges, based on online publications supporting the Hirak movement.
Human Rights Watch has documented in the past how Algerian authorities have used the law on associations to suppress the right to free association. In February 2018, authorities closed the offices of two women's rights groups in Oran, a city west of Algiers, on the grounds that they were not legally registered, even though the two associations have declared having filed a registration request.
In May 2012, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association called the law on associations "a step backwards".
Article 52 of the Algerian constitution guarantees the right to free association, as does article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, that Algeria ratified in 1989.
"The Algerian authorities' petition to dissolve the RAJ is an alarming indicator of their determination to further suppress independent activism and suppress the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly," said Amna Guellali, Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. “The authorities should repeal Algeria's repressive law on associations rather than using it to crush dissent. "
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday demanded France’s “total respect”, following a row over visas and critical comments from Paris about the North African country.
Last weekend Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military planes from its airspace, which France regularly uses to reach its forces battling jihadists in the Sahel region to the south.
The moves came after a bitter row over visas, followed by media reports that French President Emmanuel Macron had told descendants of Algeria’s 1954-1962 war of independence that Algeria was ruled by a “political-military system” that had “totally re-written” its history.
The office of Algeria’s president responded by saying the comments, which have not been denied, were an “interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
On Sunday Tebboune spoke publicly for the first time about the row with France, demanding “total respect” from the former colonial power.
The return of the Algerian ambassador to France “is conditional on total respect for the Algerian state”, Tebboune told local media outlets.
“We forget that it (Algeria) was once a French colony… History should not be falsified,” he added.
“We can’t act like nothing happened,” Tebboune said of Algeria’s history and its French colonial past.
Relations between the two countries have often been strained but never had they hit such a new low as in recent days.
‘Never-ending memory war’
Macron’s remarks last week to French daily Le Monde were widely picked up by Algerian media, which slammed them as “vitriolic”.
The French president reportedly criticised what he called the “official history” which Algeria had written for itself, saying it was “not based on truths”.
And he described Tebboune as being “trapped in a system which is very tough”.
Macron also said that a French decision to slash the number of visas it grants to citizens of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia would have no impact on students or business figures.
The move denounced by Algeria was aimed at “annoying people in leadership”, he said.
On Tuesday, Macron said he hoped tensions with Algeria would ease.
“My wish is for a calming down because I think it’s better to talk and to make progress,” he told France Inter broadcaster.
He also said that relations with Tebboune were “truly cordial”.
Algeria once before recalled its ambassador from France, home to a very large community of Algerian descent.
It happened in May 2020 after French public media broadcast a documentary about the Hirak pro-democracy protest movement which had forced Tebboune’s veteran predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power the previous year.
Nevertheless, Macron has gone further than previous French presidents in seeking to face up to the legacy of France’s colonial history.
In 2017, while campaigning for the presidential election, he declared that the colonisation of Algeria was a “crime against humanity”.
Last month he asked for “forgiveness” from the families of Algerians who fought alongside the French in Algeria.
And last year, Macron tasked French historian Benjamin Stora to assess how France has dealt with its colonial legacy in Algeria.
Algiers rejected the Stora report, saying it was “not objective” and failed to prove an “official recognition by France of war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrated during the 130 years of the occupation of Algeria”.
In his report Stora said France and Algiers were locked in a “never-ending memory war” and competing claims of victimisation.
Source Credit: TheGuardian
Mr. De Mistura has served the organization in several sensitive and difficult positions, including as UNSG Special Envoy to Syria
PRETORIA, South Africa, October 7, 2021 / APO Group / -Italian-Swiss diplomat Staffan de Mistura has been officially appointed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as his new personal envoy for the Moroccan Sahara.
The Moroccan Sahara conflict has lasted for more than 43 years, and the dialogue moderated by the UN has traditionally led to new differences and mutual mistrust.
Mr De Mistura will succeed former envoy Horst Kohler, who resigned on May 22, 2019 for health reasons.
Mr. De Mistura has 40 years of experience in diplomacy and political affairs, particularly in the area of conflict management and resolution.
A seasoned UN diplomat, De Mistura has held the organization in a number of sensitive and difficult positions, including as UNSG special envoy to Syria.
Mr. De Mistura has held several other positions, including that of Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Iraq, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon and Director of the United Nations Information Center in Rome.
In addition to Syria, the diplomat has also served as the UN focal point in various conflict zones, including Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia, among others.
Apart from his career at the UN, Mr. De Mistura was also Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and subsequently Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy.
Fluent in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish, as well as (colloquial) Arabic, the diplomat will have to tackle one of the most complicated files in the world. .
The Moroccan Sahara conflict has been going on for more than 43 years, and the UN-assisted dialogue between the conflicting parties has mainly led to further differences and mutual mistrust.
After months of renewed hopes around a "new momentum" between 2017-2019, the political process led by the UN was frozen for more than two years after the resignation of Kohler, who was able to summon the warring parties for peace talks around two round tables in Geneva.
Parties to the conflict - Morocco, Mauritania, the pseudo-Polisario and Algeria, had all expressed satisfaction with Kohler's approach at the time, and the mood at the UN was largely optimistic about it. the outcome of the political process of the Moroccan Sahara.
But Mr Kohler's resignation killed the long-awaited new impetus, and the resumption of hostilities in Guerguerat late last year appears to have widened the existing chasm of mistrust.
· Seventh edition of digital literacy program to reach all 54 African countries· New mobile app and coding challenge to kickstart youth innovation· Virtual teacher training model to help scale online learning across the continent
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 6, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Africa’s biggest digital skills initiative, SAP Africa Code Week (ACW), officially launched yesterday with a strong focus on virtual learning as the continent struggles to recover after COVID-19 disruption. The launch coincided with World Teacher’s Day, which focuses this year on “teachers at the heart of education recovery”.
Speaking at a virtual event to mark both World Teacher’s Day and the start of SAP Africa Code Week, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, said that the pandemic has had a devastating effect, not only on the world’s health system and economy, but also on education and the teaching profession. Research shows that African children at primary-school level have been most impacted by the pandemic, while a UNICEF study estimated that many African schoolchildren are at least a year behind. “Teachers are at the heart of global education recovery efforts and are key in accelerating progress towards inclusive, equitable and quality education for every learner in every circumstance,” Jelassi said.
In light of COVID and the need for virtual learning, Jelassi highlighted the importance of digital skills for Africa’s youth. “Understanding information technology, computational thinking, and problem-solving are all fundamental information literacy skills. Everyone should have access to information and be able to obtain the necessary competencies to turn information into knowledge and knowledge into practical value which enhances their lives and well-being,” he said.
The necessity of digital fluency
Since its inception in 2015, Africa Code Week has empowered more than nine million youth and provides free opportunities for students and teachers to learn much-needed technology skills. Last year the format of the program shifted entirely to the exciting world of virtual, making it even more accessible to youth across the continent.
A key highlight for ACW this year is the AfriCANCodeChallenge, a coding competition for students aged 8 to 16 to create a game that solves a community-issue using the Scratch programming language. The theme for this year is “Change the world with your superpowers”. Last year the competition drew entries from 1,800 participants from 40 African countries, with the top three winners from Ethiopia, South Africa and Algeria – all three of whom are girls.
Speaking at the virtual launch, Honorable Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and ACW patron, said that coding offers new ways for young people to find solutions, although he acknowledged that infrastructure on the continent remains a challenge. “Coding is a language which young people need to be fluent in,” he said. “It gives our children computational skills and the ability to creatively solve problems.”
Encouraging teachers and girls to embrace technology
As part of ACW, a host of Train-the-Trainer virtual sessions are aimed at empowering teachers with critical digital teaching skills. Training opportunities also encompass a Women Empowerment Program which seeks to teach, mentor, and inspire African women and girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Although Africa has the world’s highest population of young people according to the UN, less than 25% of African higher education students are in STEM fields and female students in particular are critically underrepresented.
Speaking of the need to educate educators, Claudio Muruzabal, SAP Regional President of EMEA South, said, “Education has an unbelievably powerful multiplier effect for a positive future. The more we can do to create opportunities for young people to embrace digital literacy, the more we contribute relevantly towards creating a better future for them, for their families, and for their communities.”
Smart switch to mobile technology
With over 650 million smartphone users in Africa, a major innovation of last year’s ACW was the introduction of a smartphone app. “While we are immensely proud of this and the fact that millions of learners and teachers are being exposed to the endless possibilities the tech world offers, we are also excited to be sparking conversations about access to quality education for all and addressing the gender and special-needs barriers for Africa’s youth,” said Claire Gillissen-Duval, head of SAP Corporate Social Responsibility for EMEA and Africa Code Week founder.
The driving force behind ACW is to empower young people and help them to become digitally literate and enable Africa to leapfrog into the 21st century. “This could only be possible through the collaborative relationships between the public, private and non-profit sectors that are at the heart of ACW,” said Michelle Winthrop, Policy Unit Director at Irish Aid, which together with SAP and UNESCO, is one of the program’s main sponsors.
Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID, last year’s initiative successfully reached 1.5 million youth, of which nearly half (48%) were girls. Over 10,500 workshops were held across 43 countries and 21,000 teachers participated in Train-the-Trainer sessions.
The live workshop season of Africa Code Week 2021 officially commenced on World Teacher’s Day, 5 October, and is now open to more than 54 pan-African countries. For more information about Africa Code Week or to get involved, visit www.africacodeweek.org
Urges the Libyan parties to exert every effort to ensure that free, fair and inclusive parliamentary and presidential elections are held on 24 December 2021
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, October 2, 2021/APO Group/ --Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1035th ministerial meeting held on 30 September 2021, on the projected impact of withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya on the Sahel and the rest of Africa,
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling its previous decision on foreign fighters and mercenaries, in particular communique [PSC/BR/COMM.(CMXCVI)] adopted at 996th meeting held on 14 May 2021, which condemned the use of violence by mercenaries, foreign fighters and rebels in pursuit of political power in Chad, demanded; immediate cessation of hostilities and the unconditional and expeditious withdrawal of all mercenaries, and foreign fighters from Chad, in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa;
Drawing particular attention to the OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa [(CM/817(XXIX)], adopted by the 14th Ordinary Session of the OAU Heads of State and Government held July 1977, in Libreville, Gabon, in particular Article 2(c) and Article 4(b); the OAU Convention on the prevention and combating terrorism adopted in Algeria, 14 July 1999 and the AU Non-Aggression and Defense Pact adopted in Abuja on 31 January 2005;
Referring in particular to the findings in the Report of the PSC/AUC Fact-Finding Mission to Chad from 29 April to 5 May 2021, especially paragraph 77(ii)(g) and (k) which highlighted the grave and multi-pronged attacks against the Chadian State from the rebels, armed groups, mercenaries/foreign fighters and terrorists and the destabilization impact on the security of Chad and whole region;
Recalling the UN Security Council resolution 2570 (2021) and the conclusions of the two Conferences of Berlin on Libya, which among others, called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay;
Noting the opening statement delivered by H.E. Ambassador Cherif Mahamat Zene, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad of the Republic of Chad, and Chairperson of the PSC for September 2021, and the presentations by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and H.E. Madame Zainab Ali Kotoko, Executive Secretary of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA);
Also noting the statements made by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Libya, and the representatives of the neighboring countries of Libya and other countries concerned, namely Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, and Burkina Faso, as well as the representatives of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); further noting the statements of the Special Representative of the Secretary General to the AU and Head of the United Nations Office to the AU (UNOAU) and the Head of the European Union Delegation to the AU;
Re-affirming the unwavering commitment of the AU for the preservation of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member as enshrined in the AU Constitutive Act;
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
1. Welcomes the positive political progress marked in Libya towards the unification of the country’s security institutions since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement on 23 October 2020; but stresses that the situation in Libya and its borders remain volatile, exacerbated by the presence and activities of the foreign forces and mercenaries and in this regard, calls for an immediate and full withdrawal of all foreign forces/foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya with a view to creating space for national peacebuilding and conflict resolution processes;
2. Expresses grave concern over the violent conflicts which continue to exacerbate the security situation in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Lake Chad Basin Region and Central Africa, as well as the potential impact on other parts of the Continent, perpetrated by foreign forces and mercenaries;
3. Strongly condemns the use of violence and any form of mercenarism in pursuit of destabilizing the countries in the Continent, and demands the immediate cessation of hostilities and the unconditional and expeditious withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign fighters in the Continent, in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa;
4. Strongly rejects any interference in the internal affairs of Libya and Calls for an immediate halt to external interference and reaffirming that Council will not hesitate to name and shame those who continue to fuel the conflict in Libya, including through supply of arms and military equipment, thus violating the United Nations arms embargo;
5. Urges the Libyan parties to exert every effort to ensure that free, fair and inclusive parliamentary and presidential elections are held on 24 December 2021, as set out in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) Roadmap, including arrangements to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth, with a view to building a robust democratic governance that promotes sustainable peace; in this regard, appeals to Member States and partners to provide the necessary support to the High National Elections Commission of Libya while requests the AU Commission to closely work with the Libyan Authorities and provide the necessary support towards the timely holding of the elections;
6. Endorses the conclusions of the Ministerial meeting of Libya’s neighboring countries, held on 30 and 31 August 2021, in Algeria, and expresses appreciation for Algeria’s continued efforts towards the restoration of peace and stability and the achievement of national reconciliation in Libya and appeals for support from the international community on the planned Libyan National Reconciliation Conference to be organized by the AU in full coordination with the neighboring countries;
7. Commends the efforts by neighboring countries, the region and the UN, in supporting and facilitating the Libyan-owned political process, and stresses the importance of consistent cooperation and sharing of information both at regional and continental level, as well as strengthening mechanisms on border management and surveillance; in this regard, appeals for the reactivation and operationalization of the 2018 Quadripartite Agreement between Libya, Niger, Sudan and Chad on the security of common borders;
8. Emphasizes the need for participation of all the neighbouring countries of Libya in all efforts, and in this regard, urges all partners and international community to ensure participation of the neighbouring countries in all meetings on the situation in Libya, with a view to enhancing cooperation and coordination of efforts towards supporting peace process in the country;
9. Stresses the urgency of the immediate withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, however, expresses serious concern over the impact of the movement/displacement of the foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya into other countries and regions in Africa, posing a serious security threat; in this regard, underscores the need to ensure that the withdrawal is undertaken in an orderly, coordinated and incremental manner, and looks forward to the upcoming Libyan Ministerial meeting on 21 October 2021 aimed at consolidating international consensus for a comprehensive withdrawal of foreign elements from Libya, and the reunification of Libyan military institutions;
10. Calls for cooperation and synergy between the AU and UN, in close cooperation with neighbouring countries, in the development and implementation of the withdrawal plan of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, in order to ensure that their withdrawal does not adversely impact the stability of the region;
11. Calls on Member States to take advantage of the existing security cooperation mechanisms, including the Nouakchott Process, the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), and G5 Sahel Force, as well as the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), to enhance security in the region and strengthen sharing of information and intelligence; in this regard, commends CISSA and AFRIPOL for their efforts towards the establishment of a date base of foreign fighters, mercenaries and militant groups active in the Continent and requests CISSA and AFRIPOL to work closely with Member States and provide support in intelligence gathering and sharing, within the concerned countries;
12. Emphasizes the need to strengthen the capacity of the G5 Sahel Force and the MNJTF in order to eliminate foreign fighters, mercenaries and terrorist groups in the Sahel region and prevent their possible spread to other parts of the Continent; in this regard, reiterates its request to the AU Commission to scale up consultations with the relevant stakeholders on the possibility of deployment of 3000 troops to the Sahel in line with the relevant decision of the AU Assembly, and report back to Council before the next AU Assembly of January/February 2022;
13. Stresses the urgency to operationalize the Special African Fund for the fight against terrorism and decides to reactivate the PSC sub-committee on counter terrorism in order to enhance efforts aiming at the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and in the whole Continent; also decides to expedite the implementation of the previous decisions, notably with regard to the establishment of an African list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorists acts, including foreign terrorist fighters, and to put into practice the African arrest warrant;
14. Further requests the AU Commission to mobilize resources in conjunction with Libyan Authorities and other Member States, to support Libyan efforts to develop a people-centered plan for Security Sector Reform (SSR) and design a robust Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program, to mitigate resurgence of non-state armed groups and assist countries of origin of returned fighters and mercenaries in the Continent, including addressing the influx of illicit weapons;
15. Reiterates its request to the AU Commission to take the lead to develop a comprehensive and integrated strategy by for the Sahel region in partnership with ECOWAS, ECCAS, UN and EU, to address the dire situation and prevent the deterioration of stability in the region and the Continent, including repatriation of foreign forces and mercenaries, and the improvement of regional border management mechanisms; in this regard, underscores the urgent need for the AU Commission to expedite the process and report back to the Council during the first quarter of 2022;
16. Welcomes the dispatch of a multidimensional team of the AU Commission on needs assessment to Libya, through its Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, to engage with the Libyan authorities and identify areas in which the AU can provide support aimed at stabilizing the country and report back to Council during the first quarter of 2022;
17. Underlines the need to expedite the revision of the OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa, adopted by the 14th Ordinary Session of the OAU Heads of State and Government held July 1977, in Libreville, Gabon, in order to reflect the new dynamics of the situation of the foreign forces, terrorism and mercenaries in the Continent and submit it to PSC Committee of experts for consideration and subsequently to the PSC and STC Defense and Security;
18. Takes note, with deep concern, of the humanitarian situation in Libya including the smuggling of migrants and refugees and human trafficking; and calls for the revitalization of the Joint Tripartite Task Force on the Situation of Stranded Migrants and Refugees in Libya, which brings together the AU, the EU, and the UN to address the issue of migration in the region in line with international humanitarian and human rights law; while encouraging the international community to continue to provide humanitarian support to the population in need in the country;
19. Commends the AU Commission for drafting a Policy Paper on the impact of withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya by the ACSRT and encourages it to finalize and share the Policy Paper with all Member States for information;
20. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Climate change hits the world's poorest and most vulnerable
GENEVA, Switzerland, September 29, 2021 / APO Group / -A month before the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, new testimony from Mali exposed how climate risks threaten communities in conflict zones.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns that the climate crisis is worsening an already dire situation, with people struggling to adapt and recover from repeated climate shocks.
Patrick Youssef, ICRC regional director for Africa, said the world's most vulnerable people - often those living in conflict - are the least able to cope with the impact of climate change.
“Climate change is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. Unfortunately, farmers and other communities are unable to cope with climate change. At COP26, we call on world leaders to take concrete action, a concrete commitment, to bring climate action closer to those who suffer in silence, ”said Mr. Youssef.
The situation in Mali shows how hard people in need are struggling. Lake Faguibine is located in northern Mali, 80 kilometers from Timbuktu. In the 1970s, following increasingly disastrous droughts, the lake began to evaporate.
Gradually, the sand dunes replaced the vast expanses of water and agricultural land irrigated by the floods of the Niger River. Today, the inhabitants of the region have to be content with a rainy season of only three months, from July to September. The rest of the year, temperatures approach 50 ° C. *
For the six lakeside municipalities, the consequences were catastrophic. Fishing is a thing of the past, and there has been a huge decline in farming and ranching activities. The sand devours the houses in the villages of Bilal Bancor, Bintagoungou and Mbouna.
Usable land is becoming scarce, causing regular conflicts between farmers and herders. Mahamadou Ousmane is a farmer: “Not a day goes by without conflict between herders and farmers. There isn't a lot of space and everyone wants a little of what there is. So there are tensions.
People cut down the last remaining trees, exacerbating soil erosion and dehydration. But for some, there is no alternative to survive. Alhousna Walet Alhassane is a lumberjack. As a widow, she has to fend for herself. “I know it destroys the environment, but if I don't, how am I going to buy food? "
Since the lake has dried up, flammable gases are escaping from the ground. When it ignites, it destroys the few remaining trees. And it leaves the soil unsuitable for agriculture. Moussa Mouhamadou Touré shows us the fields where he grew food. “Look how the color of our soil has changed. It's red, it's black, it's granules. The gas burned all the land and the trees.
Poverty has arrived, and the younger generation has no choice but to leave the villages and the region. Food security and the economic survival of villages are in danger.
In the past, the area around the lake exported timber, livestock, fish and cereals to other regions of Mali and to neighboring countries such as Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritania. People could buy textiles, motorcycles, household appliances and spare parts.
Moussa Mahamadou Touré's son settled in the capital, Bamako: “The village only functions thanks to our courageous children who have left. Fifty to sixty percent of the population has left.
His son tells the same story: “I came to Bamako because before, our parents were farmers. But there was drought throughout our childhood. Those of us who live here share what we earn with ourselves and our families in the North.
For the young people who remain in the region, there is another danger: recruitment by armed groups. There is little work and the Bintagoungou school is closed.
The mayor, Hama Abacrene, shows us a school building full of sand. “It's a school for nearly 400 students. 400 students. It's a whole generation. A lost generation, a generation condemned to flee. Or be recruited.
The ICRC has set up a project to stabilize 10 hectares (25 acres) of sand dunes in Bilal Bancor. The idea is to block the main road by which the sand advances on the village. More than 100 people from vulnerable households participated, which enabled them to earn a daily wage for around 20 days.
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world and has been in the throes of conflict for many years. The humanitarian situation is critical and the conditions are harsh. Mali is mainly composed of a desert or semi-desert and is among the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-Gain) index.
* The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts an average temperature increase of 3.3 ° C for West Africa by 2100, with a risk of an increase of 4.7 ° C in northern Mali over the same period.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 28, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- As survivors of a global crisis, bright young professionals are entering the labour market equipped with new skills, fresh perspective, and boundless energy.
This is all thanks to a highly successful graduate program driven by SAP and supported by a thriving ecosystem of public and private sector partners and customers.
According to Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa, while many educational programs struggled with the complex demands of distance learning during the pandemic, the SAP Young Professionals Program went from strength to strength.
“By opening our online classrooms to tap into new markets, we were able to attract talented, qualified university graduates who may not have been able to attend classes in-person otherwise. As a result, our customers and partners across Africa have access to a wider pool of qualified SAP consultants who can help drive digital transformation using SAP’s latest innovations.”
Skills investment to support continent’s digital ambitions
SAP is investing to increase the number of trained and certified SAP consultants in the SAP ecosystem to support customers with digital transformation.
IDC estimates new employment in the ecosystem will rise to 1.6 million employees by 2024, up from 1 million in 2020. Of the 600,000 new employees added to the SAP ecosystem, 280,000 will be net-new consultant roles, making SAP skills a valuable commodity in the job market.
In June, the SAP Young Professionals program achieved a new milestone with the graduation of its first-ever class in Portuguese-speaking Africa, comprising Angola and Mozambique.
Constantin Zelenty, deputy head of Mission at the German Embassy in Angola, joined SAP customers, partners, and executives in celebrating the milestone with a virtual graduation ceremony. “In order for Angolan companies to grow and succeed in our modern age, they need to harness the transformative power of digital technologies along with rightly skilled talent,” he said. “We hope this may be the first of many groups of graduates who can apply their expertise in service of Angola’s ambitions for the modern digital economy.”
Leading enterprises, graduates laud program’s success
For customers like Dangote Group, the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent, working with SAP Young Professionals is a win-win opportunity for talent development.
“At Dangote Group, we always encourage young, talented professionals to kick-start their careers. We are happy to partner with the SAP Young Professionals program by continuing our commitment to hire fresh program graduates,” says Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director, Dangote Group. “This programme enabled us in recruiting bright young minds who are trained in the latest SAP technologies and soft skills like design thinking to be readily deployed in our SAP Centre of Expertise.“
Having earned the sought-after professional designation of SAP associate consultant, graduates of the SAP Young Professionals program are skilled on the most recent versions of SAP software and career-ready for placement with SAP partners and customers in their region. The program boasts a job placement rate of 95% globally. To date, more than 3,220 people have graduated from the program since its inception in late 2012. The program is free of cost for its selected learners.
One such graduate is Rebecca Akello from Uganda, who until she became part of a recent SAP Young Professionals Program cohort was underemployed with few prospects for advancement in a volatile job market. The motivated young self-starter had begun to study toward an MBA in the hopes of securing a better job, and was unfamiliar with SAP when she first saw an advertisement for the SAP Young Professionals Program.
“When I came across the program advert on LinkedIn, I thought to myself, ‘Okay this is going to be like any other internship or apprenticeship done by big corps for public relations.’”
However, once Akello had successfully completed the program, she underscored the intrinsic value of the SAP certifications and professional soft skills that she earned through the program.
“We have been energised to strive towards our dreams relentlessly, and today we have been honoured with our SAP certifications,” she said at a recent virtual graduation ceremony. “Our networks have also grown beyond local and regional borders.”
Track record of skills success
The SAP Young Professionals program has already trained more than 1,550 young people in Africa as part of SAP Skills for Africa, an SAP umbrella initiative focused on skills development and job creation. Training multi-country cohorts in a virtual setting, a necessity of the pandemic, has accelerated the expansion of the program’s footprint on the continent.
In 2021 alone, talents from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Angola, and Mozambique have graduated from the program. The latest group of graduates, hailing from Nigeria, celebrated a virtual graduation ceremony on September 23rd.
Since mid-2019, SAP has been working with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with the aim to jointly create 450 jobs for highly qualified personnel in the IT sector in 10 African countries over the course of three years.
The cooperation project is part of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation and the develoPPP program that GIZ implements on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is executed by the SAP Training and Development Institute as part of the established SAP Young Professionals program.
If you look at the four-week period between August 30 and September 19, we saw an average 19% decrease in new cases reported during that period.
ADDIS-ABABA, Ethiopia, September 25, 2021 / APO Group / -The African Union (AU) through the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) continues to lead the continent in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic.
Since its outbreak, the viral infection has affected economies and millions of families, causing a change in the usual way of life. As several member states battle the disease, the Africa CDC has continued to lead the fight against the pandemic by supporting several governments in a number of ways, including through the acquisition and distribution of vaccines.
To this day, the highly contagious variants of the coronavirus continue to spread across the continent. As of September 23, 8.1 million cases have been reported across member states, representing 3.6% of COVID-19 cases reported globally.
“The continent is still going through a severe third wave. 78% of our Member States are currently going through the third wave. And among them, 32 are experiencing a severe third wave. Seven countries, including Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia and Tunisia, are currently experiencing the fourth wave, of which four are going through a fourth wave ”, said Africa CDC Director Dr John Nkengasong.
However, the Africa CDC is encouraged by the recent downward trend in the number of recorded COVID-19 coronavirus cases in the region.
"Between the period September 13-19, a total of 104,000 new cases were reported across the continent, representing a 22% decrease in the number of new cases reported during this period compared to the previous week . "
“If you look at the four week period between August 30 and September 19, we saw an average 19% decrease in new cases reported during that period. We continue to be encouraged by the progress we are seeing in several countries as they move towards full vaccination, ”said Dr Nkengasong.
