Day: June 1, 2023

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Angola stresses the deal on green hydrogen production

The agreement providing for the installation of a green hydrogen production plant in the country was highlighted by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça.

The deal is part of the Angolan-German partnership in the field of energy transition in Angola, under bilateral cooperation on the most varied areas of political, diplomatic, economic and social life.

Esmeralda Mendonça was speaking to the press at the end of a meeting between Angola and Germany delegations.

At at meeting, in which the German side was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Kátia Keul, Esmeralda Mendonça welcomed the Angolan-German partnership.

She highlighted the need to create an economic and business roadmap between Angola and Germany.

The roadmap, she said, would be used to identifying and implementing the projects in the fields of Agriculture and Forestry, Fisheries and Transport.

The official also mentioned the regular exchanges of high-level visits between the two countries, highlighting the President João Lourenço’s visit to Germany in August 2018, and that of the former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to Angola, in February of 2020.

As for the bilateral issue, the parties focused on the fields of Energy Transaction, Defence, Scientific Research, Energy and Water, among others. The two countries are working towards the creation, as soon as possible, of the Bilateral Commission in order to streamline the implementation of the legal instruments that already exist between the parties.

During the meeting, both delegations reviewed bilateral and common interest issues, as well as talking about multilateralism and current African issues, with emphasis on the conflict between the DRC and Rwanda, and the insecurity situation in CAR, Sudan and Mozambique.

The strengthening of political dialogue, at the highest level, on the main issues of international politics, with a view to contributing to the implementation of the Goals of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development was another aspect analysed at the meeting.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Bengo: São-Tomese minister commends teaching conditions at “Kimamuenho”

The minister of Education, Culture and Sciences of the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe Isabel Viegas de Abreu Thursday commended the teaching conditions of the Kimamuenho in Caxito, northern Bengo province.

This was at the end of a visit to the institution, aimed to learn of the country’s reality in the field of training of teachers.

São-Tome’s minister said that boarding school regime, school curricula and extra-school classes for learning handwriting are among the conditions that contribute to better learning for teachers.

“I leave Bengo with a good impression. Everything I found in that education institution constitutes the necessary conditions to ensure the training of teachers”.

In turn, the deputy governor of the province of Bengo for the Political, Social and

Economic Sector, José Francisco Pedro, said the visit will strengthen bilateral relations between the two peoples.

Kimamuenho Magisterious has 20 classrooms, five laboratories, cafeteria, gym, two boarding schools (female and male) and 32 rooms.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Parliament speaker pledged to preserving children’s rights

National Assembly (AN) speaker Carolina Cerqueira reiterated Thursday in Luanda her institution’s responsibility, duty and commitment to protect the children’s rights.

The Parliamentary made the pledge during her visit to the “Nossa Senhora de África” school, accommodating the pupils, as part of the World Children’s Day.

The Speaker highlighted the importance of the MPs to continue to defend the rights to health, education, housing, security and other obligations inherent to child.

Carolina Cerqueira stated that the AN role, however, is to make society healthy, with civic and patriotic moral values, aiming at dignifying the human person.

The Parliamentary leader stressed the focus on the family and the preservation of values for the strong nation and the dignity of the democratic rule of law.

She appealed to the children to preserve the environment, treat animals and take care of plants, “as these activities help children to discover the beauty of life”.

Carolina Cerqueira conveyed the congratulations from the 220 members of the Parliament on celebration of June 1, the World Children’s Day.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Fon of Bambalang released after long silence of NW Fons union

The Fon of Bambalang, His Royal Highness, Yakum Kevin Teuvih Shumetang II who doubles as the President of the Northwest House of Chiefs was released on Thursday, June 1, 2023. He was set free following a military raid in the Bui division where he had been held hostage for nearly 18 months in separatists’ captivity.

According to sources, he was released, thanks to the collaboration of a former Separatist fighter self-styled ‘general’ Mbashie Ferdinand alias Shina Rambo who informed the military on where the Fon was being kept.

Since Fon Yakum Kevin was abducted, the North West House of Chiefs, exerted very little pressure on the government to secure his release.

The silence of the authorities and Fons Union was questioned by some villagers who were worried about their Fon “Yes of course they abandoned him, for close to 18 months he has been in captivity, the government and Fons Union did nothing to secure his release” a villager said

The President of the Northwest House of Chiefs was on 7 December 2021 kidnapped by armed separatists. He was being interrogated over his close ties with the Francophone-dominated Cameroon government military deployed to the English-speaking regions.

This kidnap happened during a planned 84th edition of the Cultural Festival of the Mbaw Yakum People dubbed “Sha’atang”, which is an annual event that had not been held for close to 4 years due to the Anglophone crisis.

A senior Ambazonia official hinted to the media that Fon’s arrest was ordered by “General No Pity” who himself hails from Bambalang.

Amid speculations that he had been killed, he surfaced in a video on November 13, 2022, and revealed he was being held by “General No Pity”.

In the video which was visibly masterminded by the separatists, the traditional ruler who appeared in shabby clothes said: “I came out today to cry because I have been held by No Pity and he has vowed not to release me until his family members are released. I am using this medium to cry and to plead to the powers that be that they should facilitate the release of his family members so that I can be freed.”

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Cameroon Bar president condemns arrest, torture of member

The President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Mbah Eric, has condemned the arrest of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement Activist and lawyer, Fabien Kengne, and has cautioned authorities concerned about the consequences such acts could have on public order.

Barrister KENGNE Fabien was arrested by elements of the Military Security Service, SEMIL in front of Equinox Tv building in Akwa, Douala on Monday, May 29, after participating in the “Équinoxe Soir” program.

According to the Cameroon Bar president, the arrest of his colleague is an “illegal and villainous act, unworthy of a rule of law, perpetrated against a citizen, who happens to be a lawyer,”

He stated that Barrister Kengne was subject to harsh interrogation without any legal assistance.

“ Fabien was subjected to a harsh interrogation without any legal assistance after being forced to undress with his cell phone and watch taken away from him as well” he revealed,

He regrets the fact that such violations of public rights and liberties are becoming frequent in the country.

He demands clarifications on his arrest and calls on the security forces to respect the Laws and Regulations of the Republic in general, and specifically issues concerning freedom of expression and human rights.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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“Outlook positive”: IMF approves $56m EFF and $46m RSF for Seychelles

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved on May 31 a total of $56 million for a three-year arrangement for Seychelles under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and $46 million in a three-year arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), according to a press release on Thursday.

The new EFF will replace the previous one approved on July 29, 2021.

Gita Gopinath, first deputy managing director and acting chair of the board, said that “Under the 2021 EFF, the Seychellois economy showed resilience to shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The authorities’ policy measures helped the economy recover quickly from the pandemic-related disruptions and provided necessary support for households and the private sector.”

She furthermore pointed out that “Strong growth and better than expected fiscal outturns contributed to the rapid decline in public debt and the restoration of macroeconomic stability. Monetary policy has remained appropriately accommodative in light of moderate inflation. However, the authorities should remain vigilant to signs of inflationary pressures and adjust the monetary policy stance if needed.”

According to the IMF statement, Seychelles’ economic outlook is “positive”, noting that tourism performance had almost reached its pre-pandemic level, while inflation is expected to remain moderate. “However, Seychelles continues to face substantial risks, including from global financial and economic developments, which could severely impact tourism, and climate change,” the institution said.

Furthermore, the IMF is noted that Seychelles’ government authorities have “satisfactorily” implemented policies to restore macroeconomic stability following several shocks, namely those caused by COVID-19.

“All quantitative targets through end-December 2022 were met and all but one structural benchmark were met or implemented with delay,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, the RSF is expected to support the island nation’s plans to build resilience to climate change by “lifting bottlenecks to climate-related investments and by facilitating the integration of climate-related considerations into macroeconomic policies and frameworks.”

The RSF arrangement for Seychelles, the second in Africa, will exploit synergies with other sources of public financing and help catalyze further private financing for climate-related investments.

The arrangement is also intended encourage more private financing together with other official financing, with a focus on “mainstreaming climate change in the government budget, strengthening climate-related risk management for financial institutions, and undertaking climate adaptation and mitigation reforms, including through measures to facilitate energy transition.”

Finance minister welcomes new EFF

Seychelles’ finance minister, Naadir Hassan, welcomed the IMF decision to approve a new EFF, according to a press statement.

“The IMF has proven to be a strong and faithful partner of the Seychelles, throughout the country’s economic downturn. The support provided by the Institution towards our economic reform programme after the COVID 19 pandemic in 2021 onwards, has enabled the country’s economy to recover and allowed the government fiscal space to finance budget gaps. As we move on the next phase of our development, the government is grateful to the IMF for the additional support under the new EFF, he said.

Hassan added that Seychelles is “equally grateful to the IMF for recognising the vulnerability of our country to climate change and the high cost of boosting our resilience to such phenomenon, which has enabled Seychelles to also benefit under the RSF programme.”

Source: Seychelles News Agency

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