L' Observateur Burundi

After one of the most serious terrorist attacks in Russian history, in which gunmen fired indiscriminately at concert-goers at a venue on the outskirts of Moscow, killing 133 people, many questions remain.

Another 152 people were injured, with many of them remaining in critical condition on Sunday, according to a report from the state news agency TASS, which cited the Moscow regional Civil Protection. Five children are reportedly among the injured.

Russia observed a national day of mourning on Sunday.

The Islamic State (IS) militia claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on the concert hall Friday night.

Eyewitnesses reported the perpetrators shot indiscriminately at visitors and that they heard explosions in the building before a major fire broke out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at a Ukrainian connection to the assault, without providing any evidence. Putin also claimed that the perpetrators of the attack attempted to flee in the direction of Ukraine.

Ukraine has adamantly denied any r
esponsibility for the attack.

Intelligence services from the United States and other Western countries at the beginning of March warned of a potential imminent terror attack in Moscow. However, Putin dismissed the warnings as a Western provocation.

On Saturday, the so-called Islamic State’s propaganda channel Amak published a picture of four people whose faces had been blurred.

Armed with assault rifles, pistols and bombs, the fighters had dealt Russia a ‘heavy blow,’ the statement said, adding that the attack targeted ‘thousands of Christians in a music hall.’

During the night, heavy machinery cleared debris from the grounds of the Crocus City Hall.

According to the authorities, the clearing and recovery work should continue until at least Sunday evening.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kofi Nugo, a 49-year-old farmer, has been arrested by the police for allegedly shooting his brother, Robert, and one Hunor Adza after a misunderstanding ensued between them at Agbedorkofe in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region.

Adza’s conditions is said to be stable with Robert ‘s critical as he was rushed to the Ho Teaching Hospital.

Police sources have confirmed the incident and said investigations have been activated.

An eyewitness, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that on the evening of Thursday, March 21, Kofi Nugo, accompanied by Hunor Adza, came to see his mother, Madam Agbowugbe Abadzivor, who was then in a meeting at AgbedorKofe.

He asked his mother to follow him to his house for some discussions but his mother refused resulting in Kofi Nugo applying force by dragging her.

The source said, his brother, Robert, who was also at the meeting, asked Kofi to stop that action, which he refused, leading to Robert pushing Kofi to the ground.

This infuriated Kof
i Nugo, who then rushed to his house and returned wielding a gun in an attempt to shoot his brother.

Hunor Adza, who was a bystander, was mistakenly shot by Kofi Nugo, the source told the GNA.

Robert then rushed to rescue Hunor Adza, who was then crawling on the ground. Kofi Nugo, realising he had shot the wrong person, opened fire again on Robert, hitting the abdomen and chest.

He absconded after the incident but was later arrested by the police from his hideout on Friday, March 22, currently assisting the police in investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Environment and Agroforestry Foundation (EAF), an environmental non-for-profit organisation in Sunyani, has organised a capacity building workshop for participants on its restoring farmland, riparian ecosystem, and livelihood improvement project in the Bono Region.

Held at Berekum in the Berekum East Municipality of the Bono Region, the programme also saw the launch of a six-year project, being funded by TerraFund for AFR100, an international funding consortium established in 2021, comprising the World Resources Institute, One Tree Planted, Realize Impact and Barka Fund.

It was attended by about 100 participants, including 70 participating farmers from four project beneficiary communities – Namasua, Oforikrom, Tainso and Berekum.

Other participants comprised representatives of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC), the Berekum East Municipal Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Municipal Assembly.

The tradi
tional authorities of the four beneficiary communities, the leadership of Fulani herdsmen, media and Green Waterhut, an environmental and water conservation non-governmental organisation, headquartered in Sunyani, were all present as stakeholders.

Mrs Emma Baah Agyapong, the Founder/Director of EAF, in an overview, said the project was the Foundation’s contribution to achieving the Government’s commitment to restoring two million hectres of degraded farmlands.

It would also support the achievement of ‘Africa’s ambitious journey of restoring 100 million hectares of degraded farmlands by 2030,’ she said.

Mrs Agyapong, who doubles as the project coordinator, said besides the restoration of degraded farmlands and its adjoining riparian forests sharing border with the Tain II Forest Reserve, it would improve the livelihoods of community members for sustainable forest management in the region.

As part of the project’s plan to use; ‘Participatory Rural Approach’ to achieve the goals, the capacity of locals would
be built to fully participate during the implementation and monitoring activities.

Mr Francis Brobbey, the Sunyani District Manager, Forest Services Division, assured of the Division’s support for the successful implementation of the project.

He said the Government’s commitment to restoring two million hectares of degraded forest and farmlands was a sole mandate of the Forestry Commission, and that if the EAF, through TerraFund, was helping to achieve that, it was vital for the FSD to fully support it to realise the set goals for the success of the Green Ghana Project.

Mr Hassan Sali, the Berekum East Director of MoFA, expressed the enthusiasm of the Ministry to collaborate in achieving the objectives of the project.

The MOFA had a target in climate smart agriculture and agroforestry and would support farmers to achieve the project’s target, he said.

Assistant Divisional Officer I Issahaku, the Berekum Municipal Deputy Commander of the GNFS, expressed worry over the number of fire incidents recorded in t
he municipality in 2023, saying as at mid-February 2024, bush fires had the highest percentage of fire incidents recorded.

He, however, pledged prompt response and support of the GNFS to fighting fires and related incidents in and around the project sites.

Mr Kofi Adjei, the Berekum East Municipal Chief Executive, commended the EAF and TerraFund for AFR100 for choosing the municipality for the project.

He lauded the traditional authorities of the project beneficiary communities for releasing vast tracts of land for its implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Reverend Father Theophilus Addo-Botchway, Assisting Priest, Saint Anne Anglican Church, Abeka, has urged Christians to live life of sacrifice as they commemorate Palm Sunday.

In his message themed: ‘My Expensive Sacrifice,’ based on Mark 14: 3, he said Mary Magdalene, who was seen as a sinner, sacrificed expensive oil to prepare for Christ’s death and burial.

That remarkable act, he said, served as an example for Christians to follow by sacrificing something precious unto God.

‘So, as God is about to sacrifice His Son for us, we also have to sacrifice something for Him,’ he said.

He added: ‘In the olden days, the Israelites sacrificed human beings and animals. In our days, Christ has died for us, so we don’t need to sacrifice animals and human beings again.

‘Whatever God has blessed us with, we have to sacrifice that thing for Christ,’ he said.

Rev Addo-Botchway noted that God had blessed His people with many gifts and talents that Christians could apply to serve God.

He urged Christians to help th
e work of God by giving their money, time, and possessions.

Rev Addo-Botchway stressed that: ‘As a Christian, for your sacrifice to be acceptable unto God, you must go deep within your heart and search for the most expensive thing that you can sacrifice unto the Lord.’

Rev Fr Dr Samuel Quartey, the Parish Priest, St Anne Anglican Church, said Palm Sunday signified the bold decision that Jesus took to enter Jerusalem regardless of the consequences that awaited him.

He said Christians must also be bold witnesses for Christ so that others may know the victory of the sacrifice that Christ had brought to mankind.

‘Palm Sunday also teaches us to be humble, loving and steadfast in the Lord, as Christ’s victory is an assurance that even though the Christian life will be full of trials, persecutions and tribulations, through it all, God will be there to save us and bless us,’ he noted.

As Ghana prepared for the 2024 General Election, Rev Quartey called on the country’s political party leaders to let Christ be the
ir example by humbling themselves.

He said: ‘In elections, is either you win or you lose. So when you win, you give glory to God. When you lose too, you give glory to God.

‘It’s God that appoints leaders. It’s God that appointed Jesus to come and die for mankind.

‘As we go into elections, Christians must pray to God for Him to grant the nation victory as He granted Jesus Christ victory over the devil.’

Rev Quartey urged Christians to be channels of peace and unity throughout the elections to maintain the nation’s stability and speed up growth and development.

The Church Choir led the congregation to sing the Passion according to Saint Mathew with meditations on Jesus’ trial, death, victory over sin, and mankind’s reconciliation with God.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A Tanzanian delegation has visited Ghana to understudy the operations of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in the downstream sector.

The five-day visit by the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy and the fuel agency was focused on NPA’s effective regulation and administration of the petroleum downstream, which according to them, proved to be convenient, cost-effective and worth emulating.

They were in Ghana from Monday, March 18, 2024, to Friday, March 22, 2024, and were received by the Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, who welcomed them at an opening session held at the NPA.

In attendance were the Deputy Chief Executive, Perry Okudzeto, Directors, Heads of Department and some staff of the Authority.

In his welcome remarks, the Chief Executive expressed excitement to host the delegation and assured them that the NPA was more than willing and ready to share the NPA experience with them particularly in respect of how the Authority was administering the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF), w
hich was a key area of interest to the Tanzanians.

He added that the Authority had put everything in place to make their five-day visit including the scheduled field-tours, worthwhile.

On his part, Head of the delegation, Mr. Msafiri Mtepe of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority, Tanzania, commended the Authority for the warm reception and expressed optimism that they would, indeed, have the best of learning experience on the Ghanaian model of petroleum regulation, which he said, had become the envy of many countries in Africa and beyond.

He stated that the primary objective of their study visit was to appreciate the successful implementation of Ghana’s Unified Petroleum Price Scheme and other pricing mechanisms instituted in Ghana.

In the course of their stay in Ghana and with the NPA, many formal engagements and sessions were held with technical persons at the Authority focusing on wide range of subjects on relevant aspects of Ghana’s petroleum value chain.

There were presentations on va
rious subjects including Ghana’s pricing policy objectives, the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF), legal framework for petroleum regulation among others.

The delegation, whilst in Ghana, visited the Ministry of Energy, where they were taken through Ghana’s petroleum downstream policies.

They were received by the Chief Director, Mrs. Wilhelmina Asamoah, on behalf of the Minister of Energy.

The delegation also embarked on field visitations to the BOST terminals in Tema and Akosombo to acquaint themselves with some of the practical operations of NPA and other key actors in Ghana’s petroleum.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (also referred to as the African Court Coalition) has inducted into its membership the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA CONSULT) based in Tema, Ghana.

The African Court Coalition is a membership-based organisation made up of Civil Society Organisations, independent human rights institutions, and individual members and based in Arusha, Tanzania.

The key purpose of the establishment of the Coalition is to advocate an effective and independent African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to provide redress to victims of human rights violations and strengthen the human rights protection system in Africa.

The CDA Consult is a development communication non-governmental advocacy group that seeks to empower citizens through relentless public education, sensitization, and attitudinal transformation.

It also undertakes broad-based advocacy, engages in monitoring and evaluation of projects, promotes human rights, advocates
for the recognition of minority rights, and builds capacity across diverse professional fields.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director of CDA Consult, applauded the African Court Coalition for acknowledging its viable contributions to strengthening the pillars of human rights advocacy and relentless promotion of the works of the African Court.

He said the CDA Consult Board of Directors and staff would commit and contribute their expertise towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of the African Court Coalition.

Ms. Sophia Ebby, Coordinator, African Court Coalition, commended the CDA Consult for its valuable advocacy over the years and dedication to the African Court and classified its full membership in the Coalition a great accomplishment.

‘On behalf of the Executive Committee of the African Court Coalition, I welcome you into full membership,’ Ms. Ebby stated.

As a full member of the African Court Coalition, CDA Consult is entitled to attend and participate in the African Court Coalition’s
General Assembly held every three years; attend awareness-raising events organised by the Coalition; and participate in advocacy events and legal assistance to victims before the African Court if Pan African Legal Empowerment Initiatives has that expertise.

CDA Consult is also qualified to apply to be a focal point or a member of the Executive Committee of the Coalition.

Ms. Ebby explained that the African Court Coalition believed in access to justice for all, particularly individuals, stressing that in light of the complimentary relations between the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court, the Coalition works towards a strengthened complementary relations between the two institutions.

She said the African Court Coalition was formed during the first conference for the promotion of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Niamey, Niger, in May 2003.

It was formally registered as an NGO in
Tanzania in September 2007, and its secretariat is in Arusha, Tanzania, where the African Court is also based.

The African Court Coalition has seven focal points, which are responsible for, among other things, organising awareness-raising and advocacy events in their respective sub-regions or thematic groups.

Source: Ghana News Agency