Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

July 18, 2013

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired in 2013 by the United States, the Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities. The European Union will assume the chairmanship in 2014.

Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on a wide range of international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach to piracy, working closely with Somali officials from the central government and regional administrations and officials in Indian Ocean States. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on operational naval coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on disrupting the pirate criminal enterprise ashore, including the illicit financial flows associated with maritime piracy.

This unique international partnership is contributing to a significant decline in piracy off the Horn of Africa. The last successful pirate attack on a merchant vessel in the region occurred on May 10, 2012.

Recent Developments

On July 9, the governments of The Bahamas and the United States signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding to formalize their joint handling of Somali piracy cases where U.S. forces capture individuals suspected of attacks on Bahamian flagged-ships. This MOU between a major flag state (The Bahamas has the fifth largest merchant fleet in the world) and a major force provider in counter-piracy operations marks a significant step forward in international cooperation. The CGPCS Chair urges states with similar interests (whether as flag state or force provider) to consider similar agreements that serve to formalize and streamline the disposition of piracy cases.

Piracy Trials and Prosecution Support

• On July 8, a federal jury in Norfolk, Virginia convicted three Somali pirates of the 2011 murder of four Americans aboard the yacht QUEST off the coast of East Africa; sentencing proceedings will begin later in July. Eleven of the pirates who attacked the QUEST pleaded guilty in federal court in 2011 and were given life sentences. The onshore negotiator working for the pirates also received multiple life sentences.

• On June 10, a Kenyan court sentenced nine Somali citizens each to five years in prison after finding them guilty of violently hijacking the MV MAGELLAN STAR in the Gulf of Aden in September 2010. The court issued the relatively short prison terms in recognition of time served.

• On July 2, seven suspected pirates apprehended by U.S. forces in February 2009 were convicted in Kenya for the attempted hijacking of the MV POLARIS and sentenced to four years imprisonment.

• The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provided a Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) to Tanzanian authorities in support of that country's two ongoing piracy trials. The UFED enables the Tanzanian police's Cyber Crime Unit to develop its capability to extract information from the phones of suspected pirates and those suspected of other transnational organized crimes.

Apprehensions at Sea

• On June 5, EU Naval Force warship HSwMS CARLSKRONA and NATO counter-piracy Dutch warship HNLMS VAN SPEJIK rescued fourteen Indian sailors after Somali pirates abandoned their captured dhow in the Gulf of Aden

Prisoner Transfers

• In Seychelles, the UNODC supported talks for the next round of prisoner transfers to Somaliland and Puntland. A total of 23 convicted Somali piracy prisoners consented to be transferred immediately, while two elected to wait for their appeals to be heard. UNODC also supported arrangements for the return of one Somali juvenile to his family after completing his sentence for piracy and subject to his informed consent, as well as funding of defense lawyers for the last group of nine suspected pirates detained by EUNAVFOR.

Meetings

• Working Group 2 held its twelfth meeting on April 10-11 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Discussion focused on three areas: 1) prosecution and in-depth review of current legal challenges and solutions, including with regard to human rights issues, 2) implementation of the post trial-transfer system and prosecution, including the legal framework for prosecuting piracy organizers and the handling of child pirates, and 3) use of privately contracted armed security personnel and Vessel Protection Detachments.

• Working Group 5 held its meeting on April 12 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants agreed to the Ten Key Principles in Information Sharing for Identifying and Prosecuting Pirates, which recognizes the need for international information sharing, cooperation and coordination to effectively identify and prosecute pirate financiers and facilitators. WG 5 Chair's report indicated it has made great strides in identifying pirate networks and the identity of financiers and facilitators.

• On May 1, the Contact Group held its 14th plenary session, chaired by the United States, at UN Headquarters in New York. In videotaped remarks, Somali President Mohamud condemned piracy and announced a new national maritime resources and security strategy for Somalia, which was welcomed by the Contact Group and received international endorsement at the Somalia Conference in London on May 7., along with pledges of further support to Somalia. Moving forward, the Contact Group agreed to focus on four cross-cutting areas in addition to the work of its five working groups: communication, collaboration with related programs, strengthened legal efforts to disrupt networks ashore, and proactive discussion of policy issues associated with the use of armed security on commercial ships. Djibouti will host a Counter-Piracy Week November 10-14, culminating in in the Contact Group's 15th plenary session.

• On May 2, the Contact Group and the Colorado-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) co-sponsored a symposium in New York entitled “Creating Economic Opportunities for Somalia.” The symposium focused on the emerging climate for economic development in Somalia.

• On June 27, Working Group 1 met in Nairobi, for the second consecutive in the Horn of Africa region. This meeting complemented the latest round of meetings of the Kampala Process, at which representatives from the Somali Federal Government, Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug came together with international partners to progress the detail underpinning the Somali maritime security and resource strategy endorsed at the 14th plenary session. The WG1 meeting also covered several further topics including an operational naval update with discussion on the high risk area, information sharing between capacity-building stakeholders, a status update on work to coordinate international actors' capacity building activity through the WG1 Capacity Building Coordination Group and web-based tool, and a series of briefs from EU colleagues on the status of their regional capacity building efforts.

Significant developments

• The Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution and Intelligence Coordination Centre formally opened for business with the joint signing in February of the Partnership Agreement between the UK and the Republic of Seychelles, adopting an operating model in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Treaty on Trans-national Organised Crime. Following the inaugural signings, Australia, INTERPOL, The Netherlands, and the United States have signed formal Partnership Agreements, with additional agreements expected in the coming months. RAPPICC continues to build close relationships with the European External Action Service, the Indian Ocean Commission and the International Maritime Organisation in order to enhance closer-working with regard to capacity-building.

• The European Commission announced that it will provide USD $59 million to several Eastern and Southern African countries to help fight maritime piracy in Africa. The new EU Regional Maritime Security program will include assistance for legal and judicial system development to assist authorities with prosecuting suspected pirates, as well as material logistic support to help improve regional maritime surveillance. The program will also help fund anti-piracy awareness campaigns in areas where piracy is prevalent, particularly Somalia.

• The Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia approved a package of five projects worth $2 million in support of anti-piracy efforts in Somalia and other affected States in the region. The projects will support piracy trial efficiency, detainee repatriation, skills training for detainees, equipment to monitor fisheries resources, and capabilities to investigate illicit financial flows.

• The UNODC's Counter Piracy Programme held a planning conference with the future managers of the new Garowe prison for convicted pirates transferred home from the States where they were tried. Junior prison staff training began in June and will continue until opening day. UNODC also supports the Prisons Commissioner in developing the management structure, routines, and orders for prison operation.

• In Hargeisa, Somaliland, the UNODC-funded education and skills training work for piracy and other prisoners continues to make progress. The prisoners are being taught to weld, make bricks and tailor school and prison uniforms. The prisoners skills have allowed the authorities to open the final block with improved facilities and security arrangement. The prison authorities have identified areas where the items can be displayed and sold to the public. As well as providing skills for the prisoners, this work allows the authorities to raise revenue to assist with the feeding and other running costs of the prison.

• Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) released its new report The Human Cost of Piracy. OBP also published a study entitled Burden-sharing Multi-level Governance: A Study of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The authors conclude the Contact Group “will be a useful model for collective efforts that address problems requiring fast and adaptive responses to changing situations on the ground, and on issues where power imbalances between actors will not scuttle the collaborative execution of collective goals.”

Hostages in custody

Sinking of the pirated M/V ALBEDO. On July 8, the pirated Malaysian-flagged and –owned M/V ALBEDO sank at anchor off the coast of Haradhere, Somalia, endangering the lives of both hostages and their captors; reports of casualties are as yet unconfirmed. M/V ALBEDO was seized by pirates on November 26, 2010, and its 15 crewmembers held hostage since that date. This dangerous situation highlights the enduring humanitarian plight of abducted mariners, and the Contact Group calls upon hostage-takers in Somalia to immediately and unconditionally release the remaining innocent victims of maritime piracy.

At least 50 hostage seafarers remain in pirate custody. Only F/V NAHAM 3 is still held by pirates; M/V ALBEDO sank at anchor off Haradhere on July 8, 2013, and urgent efforts are underway to ascertain the whereabouts of the crew.

• 15 hostages from M/V ALBEDO

• 28 on F/V NAHAM 3 (Oman-flagged), hijacked March 26, 2012

• 4 held since April 18, 2010 from PRANTALAY 12 and 7 held since April 16, 2011 from M/V ASHPALT VENTURE

For further information, please visit www.thecgpcs.org or contact the specific offices below.

2013 Chair: Ms. Donna Hopkins HopkinsDL@state.gov

Working Group 1: Mr. James Hughes james.hughes@fco.gov.uk

Working Group 2: Ambassador Thomas Winkler thowin@um.dk

Working Group 3: Ambassador Hayong Moon hymoon78@mofat.go.kr

Working Group 4: Ambassador Hussein Mubarak portermr@state.gov

Working Group 5: Mr. Giuseppe Maresca Giuseppe.maresca@tesoro.it

UNODC: Mr. Alan Cole alan.cole@unodc.org

RAPPIC: Mr. Garry Crone Garry.Crone@rappicc.sc.

Oceans Beyond Piracy: Mr. Jon Huggins, jhuggins@oneearthfuture.org

Armed men shot at Mascud Abdulahi, correspondent for Dalsan Radio, and Mohamed Farah, correspondent for Goobjoog Radio, at 11:30 a.m., according to local journalists and news reports. The National Union of Somali Journalists blamed the government-affiliated militia Raskomboni for the shooting, according to Agence France-Presse. Armed militias, along with African Union troops, patrol Kismayo, where several clan-based rival militias are vying for control of the town, according to news reports.

Mascud was wounded in the back and the stomach, and Mohamed was hurt on the shoulder, the news reports said. Dalsan Radio Director Hassan Ali Gesey told CPJthat Mohamed had left the hospital after being treated for his wounds, but that Mascud remained in critical condition and was to be evacuated either to Mogadishu or Nairobi, in neighboring Kenya, for surgery.

"Reporting in Kismayo is extremely challenging with rival factions attacking the city and now even the press," said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. "The Somali government must investigate this attack, including the possibility that its military allies may have been responsible."

Unidentified gunmen shot at Mustagbal Radio and Royal TV journalist Abdulkadir Abdirisak in May, according to news reports. Abdulkadir recovered from the attack, but the perpetrators were never apprehended.

More than 30 media representatives coming from radio stations, television network operators, newspaper and international news organisations expressed their objections to the proposed draft law and raised the question whether there is a need for such a repressive law on media in Somalia.

As noted in the discussions, the draft Law goes well beyond the area of broadcasting media, the only media sector traditionally licenced by a legal system, and pushes the media and the journalists further into self-censorship. National Media Council is not independent and journalists will have to disclose their confidential sources and while representatives and journalists working for foreign media are discriminated.

The draft law met unanimous condemnation of the meeting and it was termed another attempt against the freedom of expression and media.

“The media community has taken a unified position on this draconian and repressive draft law on media” said Mohamed Bashir Hashi, Chair of NUSOJ Branch in Mogadishu and Editor of Radio Shabelle. “This draft has a lot of problems and we cannot accept it”.

The Mogadishu media representatives called on the Federal Government to amend this severely restrictive bill, thus reaffirming the government's commitment to media freedom and freedom of expression.

Parliamentarians who attended this meeting were informed that the draft law is an affront to the Constitution of Somalia, and the parliament was called on to reject the current draft. The draft fails to categorically state that it is an amendment to December 2007 Media Law thus raising the question of where is the amendment of December 2007 media law.

Mogadishu Media representatives expressed their preparedness to engage dialogue with the government and parliament to organize an active, inclusive and open process of consultations to come forward with a proposal for amendments to the existing draft media legislation that would best respond to the needs of a free media.

I am deeply shocked and saddened by the violent death of Eric Ohena Lembembe. He fought for human rights with great courage. He stood up in Cameroon to publicly criticize violence targeting gay, lesbian and transgender people.

This killing needs to be subject to proper investigation and criminal prosecution. There can be no impunity – on the contrary, the Government of Cameroon has an obligation to take action against hatred and homophobia and to protect those who stand up for human rights.

The findings were presented at the 2nd Ministerial Conference on the Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) in Maputo, Mozambique.

The study was commissioned by IOM in 2012 as a direct response to the growing phenomenon of mixed or irregular migration from the three regions to Southern Africa. The main aim of the study was to generate data that responds to the policy needs of mixed migration flows between the concerned regions and to improve the health conditions of migrants throughout the process.

In addition the study sought to collect further data and update the findings of the 2009 IOM study, “In Pursuit of the Southern Dream,” which assessed the trafficking of men and boys from Eastern Africa to Southern Africa, focusing on populations migrating from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The findings from the initial stage looked at the demographics of the migrants, evolving gender dynamics, push and pull factors, the route and means of transportation, estimated numbers, modus operandi of smugglers, and types of abuse and exploitation faced by migrants, as well as health issues in transit and destination countries.

The study investigated and analysed mixed migration movements from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia and Somalia en route to Southern Africa. While South Africa is still considered to be the traditional destination country for these migrants, countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are increasingly being viewed as alternative destinations.

The precise number of migrants who undertake this journey is unknown, as they have to pass through several transit countries. There are reportedly growing numbers from the DRC, Ethiopia and Somalia arriving in South Africa. But many remain in transit countries like Mozambique to take up jobs, particularly in the booming mining sector.

Although the majority of the migrants involved in mixed migration flows are young men, there are growing numbers of young women from Ethiopia and Somalia making these journeys. Migrant groups from the DRC include more families, including elderly people, mothers and children. There is also growing evidence of more unaccompanied minors making the journey.

Better life and opportunities in South Africa remain the main pull factors. But most of the migrants interviewed cited war, poverty and political violence as the main reasons for leaving their countries.

By land, the most popular transit countries include Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Container trucks, boats and travel on foot are the usual modes of transport for most migrants, although some use commercial transport including buses and air. Travel by boat has apparently declined.

Conditions under which many migrants are transported or detained pose serious health risks. Migrants often travel in container trucks, which pose serious risks of suffocation and sometimes death. They also lack access to water, food and shelter along the route. Women, in particular, suffer physical and gender based violence resulting, inter alia, in serious psychological harm.

Detention in transit countries can also pose significant health risks, including exposure to tuberculosis (TB) and in some cased multi-drug resistant TB, as there are very few screening programmes in prisons and detention centres in the region.

The study also found that smugglers play an important role in facilitating the movement and transit of most migrant groups, especially the Ethiopians and Somalis. Migrants can pay up to US$ 5,000 for a journey through transit countries like Zambia and Mozambique. The smugglers assist with various local issues in transit such as paying bribes, arranging local transport and guides. The complete journey may take up to six weeks, including stops in ‘safe houses', refugee camps and other transit centres along the route.

Corruption is also rampant. While some migrants may have legal travel documents, there is evidence that forged documents including passports, border passes and visas obtained from some transit countries are also used. Smugglers collude with immigration and border officials to facilitate smooth transit of undocumented migrants.

There continues to be mixed feelings towards migrants in various transit and destination countries. There is reported discrimination against Somali and Ethiopian migrants in several transit countries as they are not recognized as ‘real' refugees and are sometimes referred to as “illegal immigrants” by law enforcement and immigration officials.

“This study will help governments and other stakeholders in origin, transit and destination countries gain a better understanding of the different vulnerabilities, including health vulnerabilities, faced by migrants undertaking this journey and to comprehensively respond to their needs,” says Dr. Erick Ventura, IOM Migration and Health Regional Coordinator.

The study was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the PHAMESA Programme.

The findings are available for download at www.iom.org.za.

The objective of the workshop was to gain a common understanding of labour migration and labour market information terminology and concepts, as well as the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders.

The workshop was organized against a backdrop of concern about the size and age of the Ugandan population and the effect this will have on the national labour market. Uganda's population has been growing at an exponential rate during the course of the past decades, from 9.5 million in 1969 to 24.2 million in 2002 and to an estimated 31.8 million in 2010. Approximately 69.3% of the population is under 24 years of age.

Rapid growth of the population hampers the ability of the economy to generate sufficient employment opportunities for the increasing labour force, in particular for young Ugandans. At the current rate of growth, the labour force expansion requires the creation of at least 600,000 new jobs per year. Indeed by 2025, it is estimated that 28 million jobs will be required for the working age population.

In order to address these issues, IOM brought together, for the first time, officials from different government ministries and other key stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues related to labour migration for the development of the country.

The trainers organized dynamic sessions on bilateral labour arrangements, circular migration, labour market needs assessments and labour force surveys.

Participants discussed the challenges for obtaining practical information on labour markets in order to match supply and demand in an efficient and effective manner. In addition, clear recommendations emerged on the need to protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation by regulating private recruitment agencies.

The workshop took place in the framework of the project: “Contributing to Improved Labour Market Information” funded by the UK through the UN / Government of Uganda Joint Programme on Population and the IOM Development Fund-supported project: “Strengthening Labour Migration and Productivity in Uganda.”

General Guibert, from France, will take up his duties on 1 August. He will succeed Brigadier

General François Lecointre, who had been in the position since the mission was established in January.

The EU training mission supports the training and reorganisation of the Malian Armed Forces. It is intended to help improve the military capacity of the Malian Armed Forces in order to allow, under civilian authority, the restoration of the country's territorial integrity. The mission's mandate currently runs until May 2014.

Today's decision was taken by the EU's Political and Security Committee.

The match between Cape Verde Islands and Equatorial Guinea played on 8 June 2013 was declared a 3-0 forfeit victory for Cape Verde Islands, with FEGUIFUT also receiving a fine of CHF 30,000 after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee considered the association liable for the breach of art. 55 par. 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and art. 8 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Regulations.

FIFA can also confirm today that the FIFA Appeal Committee has rejected the appeal lodged by FEGUIFUT against the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 7 May 2013 to sanction the association for fielding the same ineligible player during the team's earlier qualifying match against Cape Verde Islands on 24 March 2013.

The Appeal Committee upheld the FIFA Disciplinary Committee's decision to award Cape Verde Islands a 3-0 forfeit victory over Equatorial Guinea in their FIFA World Cup™ qualifier on 24 March and to impose a fine of CHF 12,000 against FEGUIFUT after the Disciplinary Committee considered FEGUIFUT liable for the breach of art. 55 par. 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and art. 8 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Regulations.

The player concerned in both proceedings is Emilio Nsue López.

"Although the situation has been calm since yesterday and there have been no further clashes, people are still in serious need of humanitarian assistance," said Jean-Jacques Tshamala Mbuyi, head of the ICRC delegation in Guinea. ICRC staff, with the help of Red Cross volunteers, have been using two vehicles to criss-cross the city collecting the wounded and the dead. Mr Tshamala reminded all parties that medical workers and the teams taking people to hospital must not be prevented from doing their work.

A hospital director described the situation: "Casualties were flooding in and we ran out of supplies. That's when we turned to the ICRC in N'zérékoré and asked them for IV fluids, syringes, needles and dressings to treat the wounded."

The ICRC duly delivered medical supplies to the hospital. Like five other hospitals in Guinea, N'zérékoré regional hospital has been receiving ICRC training for its personnel since 2007. That training has included mass-casualty management. An ICRC nurse will be arriving in N'zérékoré on 20 July to boost the ICRC team already on-site.

1. We, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank Group convened in Tunis for our regular coordination sessions.

• We were joined by the Heads and senior official of the following organisations: East African Community, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Economic Community of Central African States, Economic Community of West African States, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Arab Maghreb Union, Southern African Development Community, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency

• In attendance were also the following sub regional financial institutions: Africa Finance Corporation, Bank of Central African States, West African Development Bank, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank

2. Recognized the milestone reached by the continent in 2013 in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the African Union (AU)/Organization of African Unity (OAU).

3. Committed to implement the mandate from Heads of State and Government for the development of the Africa Agenda 2063, as a transformation vision for Africa over the next fifty years. Our institutions will therefore speed up the consultations on the Agenda before the AU Summit in 2014.

4. Reiterated that a rising Africa will require adequate infrastructure as a key catalyst for the continent's transformation agenda, industrial development and intra-Africa trade. We strongly support the articulation of African Development Goals which build on existing development frameworks and knowledge base.

5. We carefully reviewed the global economic situation and implication for the African economy, in particular the latest reports indicating slowdown in the emerging markets.

6. We deliberated on measures needed to keep the momentum and quality of growth. We observed that, up to this point, Africa's performance was still robust. However we emphasised the need to 1) rebuild economic buffers, 2) strengthen economic integration and promote policies of inclusion for sustainability.

7. We in particular noted that there was a need for a game change on infrastructure financing, one of the most important obstacles to the sustainability. We agreed that overcoming this bottleneck urgently was capital. To this extent we welcomed and endorsed the proposed Africa 50 Fund as proposed by the African Development Bank, a vehicle for the mobilisation of private capital, Africa's own savings to finance transformational bankable projects.

8. In the context of the African Visions for the next fifty years (Africa 2063) which our institutions are piloting, we concluded that this was an excellent vehicle which requires all of our support.

9. Noting the very large gap in financing of projects that require public finances, we agreed to work together to explore all options in line with our ambitions. We requested the African Development Bank to conclude the technical work for submission to NEPAD Implementation Committee for the Heads of States Summit in Dakar 2014.

10. We agreed, each one of us, in our respective mandate to play our part. Going forward, the African Union Commission will provide leadership on the regional and international advocacy, with strong engagement of African Heads of State and Government. The NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency will maintain the momentum including around the Africa 50 Fund, through the November 2013 Financing for Development Conference in Dakar. The Economic Commission for Africa will contribute in enhancing the capacity of member states and regional economic communities to undertake studies for transformational projects, as well as monitor and evaluate their implementation. On their part, the regional economic communities will collaborate on necessary financial, policy and regulatory actions to enable the development of the regional transformational projects. The African Development Bank as the premier development financial institution for Africa, using all its expertise, to create the structure of the Africa 50 Fund, while the regional development financial institutions will serve as relays for the Fund at sub-regional level, and the mobilization of additional resources.

11. We have agreed to deepen the coordination of the three institutions and to reconvene before the end of the year at a date and place to be agreed upon.

12. We thank the African Development Bank for its hospitality.

On this day, 19 July 2013, in Tunis, Tunisia.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Read the joint declaration: http://bit.ly/13Lf0jx

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-development-bank-2.png

Photo Donald Kaberuka: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/donald-kaberuka-afdb-president.jpg

“We, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), regional Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) and NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), take forward our cooperation in search of new and innovative ways for substantially scaling-up investments in regional and continental infrastructure to support Africa's transformation,” the communiqué said.

The meeting “welcomed the Africa50Fund as a new, credible and innovative vehicle for infrastructure financing in Africa”. They commended AfDB's initiative, “which is essential vehicle for ensuring that the vision and goals of the Africa Agenda 2063 on the delivery of regional transformational infrastructure projects is achieved.”

The Africa50 Fund will be innovative in its design and structure, leveraging infrastructure financing resources from sources as diverse as African central bank reserves, African pension funds, African sovereign wealth funds, the African Diaspora, and high net worth individuals on the continent.

It was endorsed in May 2013 by the Finance ministers at AfDB's Annual Meetings in Marrakech, is a new initiative that will partner with regional institutions for transformational projects. The focus will be trans-continental infrastructure, including priority projects under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

Setting the stage at the opening ceremony, President Kaberuka underscored the critical role of infrastructure in Africa's development. “The one thing which can really slow down the recent performance in its tracks is infrastructure. No country in the world has been able to maintain 7% GPD growth and above (sustainably) unless the infrastructure bottleneck is overcome,” he said.

“We are today, all sources combined, hardly able to put together 45 billion dollars a year, leaving an annual gap of similar volume. We are all doing different things in our respective regions with new initiatives and funds being created, but let us face it: there is limited additionally and no critical mass,” Kaberuka added.

Taking a pragmatic approach, AfDB President said that Africa's regional economic entities, as well as development institutions should go beyond reflection on scenarios for financing infrastructure. They should outline how it will be financed. “That is the idea of the Africa 50 vehicle. I first mentioned this idea at the SADCC Summit in Maputo,” he said.

For Kaberuka, the Bank is ready to accompany African countries ‘development efforts with this new vehicle. “It will be a vehicle which can build on the AfDB track record and financial strength as investor, financial engineer, attract local and international pools of savings, utilize smart aid and leverage that to up our funding of infrastructure. It will be a strongly rated instrument able to issue a bond of significance – a bond attractive to investors.”

Kaberuka concluded by reiterating AfDB's commitment: “The African Development Bank, given its experience and mandate, will play a lead role, but this is our collective instrument.”

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Photo of Mr. Saïdou M. Ouédraogo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=586

The APO immediately expressed "its warmest congratulations" to the WADB's new Director of Communication.

"I am all the more delighted with this choice since it recognises a former economic journalist. (...) I would like to wish every success to Mr. Ouédraogo and assure him of the full support of the African Press Organization in his duties", declared the Secretary-General of the African Press Organization (APO), Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard.

Originating from Burkina Faso, Saïdou M. Ouédraogo holds a Master's Degree in the Arts from the University of Ouagadougou.

Having graduated from the Graduate School of Journalism in Lille (France) in 1986, he then went on to join the editorial team at Afrique-Elite magazine, in Paris, before taking up a post with Burkina Faso Television as economic correspondent, which he held from 1988 to 1996.

In 1996, Saïdou M. Ouédraogo was appointed Director of Communication for the Presidency of Burkina Faso.

Saïdou M. Ouédraogo was appointed Director of Assets at the West African Development Bank (WADB) in February 2009, before then being appointed Director of Communication, Marketing and Public Relations at the West African Development Bank (WADB).

The WADB is the common finance development institution for the eight Member States of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA): Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Its purpose is to promote balanced development of its Member States and to foster economic integration in West Africa by funding priority development projects.

Distributed by the African Press Organization.

Contact:

sec.sg@apo-opa.org

+41 22 534 96 97

More than 50% of the country remains mired in poverty, with one quarter of ‘ultra poor' Malawians earning less than the estimated costs of a diet providing minimum recommended calorie intake, and about half of all children suffering from acute or severe malnutrition.

“Malawi is often held up as an example of how hunger can be tackled by subsidizing inputs for farmers. However, considerable challenges remain. Opportunities can be missed when too little is done to empower the poor and break cycles of dependency – on chemical fertilizer, on low-paying plantation work, and on tobacco.”

“Malawians need a durable agricultural resource base and living wages – and currently they are getting neither,” the UN expert stated, adding: “It is particularly important to redress the balance at a time when Malawi is about to absorb a new wave of agricultural investment under the G8's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.”

Through its Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) more than a million beneficiaries have gained access to discounted fertilizers and seeds, allowing the country to raise yields. Yet, again this year, the country will need to import maize for humanitarian food aid to Malawian farmers who are unable to feed themselves.

There is a need to reassess whether FISP is the most effective use of available resources to protect the right to adequate food for all Malawians. FISP – dependent on costly fertilizer imports – takes up more than 50% of Malawi's agricultural budget and crowds out other priorities such as extension services and social protection.

“It is time for Malawi to move beyond the fertilizer-led “green revolution” and invest in the Brown and Blue Revolutions needed to rebuild soil fertility and water retention,” the Special Rapporteur urged. He noted that the integration of legumes in cropping systems and agroforestry systems in Malawi are yielding more food than fertilizer-driven systems while rapidly restoring soil fertility. They are the foundations of sustainable food security. He emphasized the need to move away from the maize economy, and to link agricultural development to nutritional needs, an indispensable condition for lasting victories over malnutrition.

The Special Rapporteur also identified wage and taxation policies as a major driver of poverty and hunger.

The Malawian minimum wage, currently fixed at around US$ 1.12 per day, is one of the lowest in the world, and 300,000 tenant families on tobacco plantations – where 78,000 child labourers are employed – are only paid depending on the quantity and quality of tobacco sold to landlords. “The policy of providing abundant, cheap and non-unionized labour to plantation owners must be consigned to the past,” De Schutter stated.

Meanwhile Malawi has lost over 10 percent of GDP to illicit outflows over the period 1980-2009, with mining companies exempted from customs duty, excise duty, VAT on mining machinery, plant and equipment. The UN expert warned: “Malawi's poor pay twice for the red carpet treatment given to multinational investors – in the suppression of their wages, and in the services deprived them by corporate tax exemptions.”

He outlined a series of steps must be taken to redress the balance: Malawi must enforce a living wage, reserve open public tenders to companies paying it, allow workers to bargain collectively in all sectors, sign up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), and work coherently across Government to negotiate fair taxation arrangements for investors.

The UN expert concluded: “The country urgently needs a national food security strategy, underpinned by a Right to Food Framework Law, to hold policies to account when they do not yield benefits for the most food insecure and to ensure a coherent approach across sectors. By improving participation and accountability in the design and implementation of food security policies, Malawi can ensure that public investment will truly reach the poorest within the population.”

De Schutter welcomed the wide support and inclusive discussions around a Draft Food Security Bill that could help to ground food entitlements in law. Noting that a trust fund could be established under the draft bill, De Schutter recommended seizing the opportunity of the investments attracted by the New Alliance, as well as the expected boom in the extractive industry, to fund urgently needed social policies and a new deal for agriculture. “It is essential that the country does not pursue investment for investment's sake, but uses it as an opportunity to engage corporations in a genuine commitment to help improve the situation of Malawi's poor and food insecure."

(*) Check the full statement:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13567&LangID=E

The participants of the meeting categorically stated that the proposed new media would impose potentially wide-ranging restrictions on freedom of the media and freedom of expression.

The meeting unanimously decided to welcome improvements in the current draft with regard to elimination of heavy fines and imprisonment of journalists in comparison to December 2007 Media law but to oppose all restrictive articles and clauses in this draft law and provide the government an alternative text.

The current draft regulates and licenses all media, whether broadcast, print or web-based, whether public or privately owned. It forces journalists to reveal their confidential sources, while it requires media houses to reveal names of reporters whose names were concealed for genuine reason. It also grants broad powers to a new media authority – National Media Council – to enforce ill-defined standards.

The vagueness and lack of clarity of several terms in the draft law is very concerning to the media community. There are also concerns about the independence of the National Media Council which will operate under auspices of the Ministry of Information. Ethics in journalism is restrictively specified in the draft, and journalists are strongly opposing this article.

The media community considers that the draft media law can be misused to curb alternative and differing voices in Somalia for political reasons and editorial independence will not be guaranteed.

The media community strongly rejected assertions made by the Ministry of Information that the media was consulted with and provided inputs to the current draft law, and warned the dangerous move by officials within the government to use individuals who have no mandate to represent neither journalists nor media managers as camouflage.

“The Somali government must work with the media genuinely to bring this draft law in line with Constitution of Somalia and AU's Charter of Human Rights, a binding guarantee of freedom of expression. The current draft constitutes a potential threat to media freedom,” said the concluding statement of the meeting.

The participants of the media further called on the Prime Minister of Somalia Abdi Shirdoon and the Ministry of Information Abdulahi Ilmoge to make broad consultations with the media instead of talking to individuals whose aim to set the media against the government in their bid to undermine the interest of journalists, editors and media managers.

Journalists, editors, media managers and owners resolved to carry out cohesive campaign against restrictive articles of current draft.

“The Federal Government needs to provide assurances that this draft law will be refined, genuinely consulted with the media and take steps to ensure that it is implemented with full respect for the freedom of expression and freedom of the press” said Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

Logo NEXIM: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/nexim.png

Photo Mr. Roberts U. Orya, Managing Director of Nigerian Export-Import Bank: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=588

In order to ensure successful take-off for the service, these agencies had earlier on in 2012 formed a special purpose vehicle, Sealink Promotional Company Limited to drive the strategy and business model for the successful implementation of the Project.

According to the Managing Director of Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Mr. Roberts U. Orya, the purpose for setting up a regional/transnational maritime shipping company is to link seaports on the West & Central African coast in order to facilitate trade and ensure smooth transportation of cargo and passengers within and between the two regions. This objective is primarily towards realizing the objectives of the founding fathers of ECOWAS for free movement of persons, goods and services within the sub-region.

The current board of directors of Sealink is comprised of representatives of these agencies. The board is assisted by an advisory committee (referred to as the Technical Committee) which is composed of experienced technocrats in the maritime industry across West and Central Africa.

The Sealink project is currently endorsed and supported by various regional bodies that identify with the Project. Notable among these bodies are the ECOWAS, the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Union of African Shippers' Council, African Development Bank, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development and West African Development Bank (BOAD). The Project has been presented to the governments of member countries as well as their various maritime and ports organisations and authorities of member countries.

Why Invest in the Sealink Project

According to Mr. Orya, the Sealink Project offers a unique and compelling investment proposition in the fast growing West and Central African region for the following reasons:

1. A sector poised for growth: Inter and intra-regional trade in West and Central Africa has been hampered by the poor state of transportation infrastructure. Introducing a direct coastal link between the two regions is expected to have a multiplier effect on rate of economic growth in these regions thus providing adequate returns for investors.

2. National and supranational support: The Sealink Project is a private sector initiative which has gained the full support of various supranational bodies across West and Central Africa including ECOWAS Commission, FEWACCI, and the Maritime Organisation of Central Africa (MOWCA). This is expected to enhance funding and assist the company to navigate the maritime regulatory regime in the region.

3. Diversification opportunity: The investment provides an opportunity to enable investors without prior exposure to the maritime sector or to the West and Central Africa region to diversify their portfolio and would grow with other sectors including oil and gas, agriculture and mining which are currently witnessing exponential growth in West and Central Africa.

4. Large capacity for passengers and cargos: With the push for free and unrestricted movement of goods and services, the Sealink Project is expected to benefit from its capacity to carry large cargo and passengers.

5. Strong economic fundamentals: The Project will enjoy a near monopoly status with its connection of the West and Central African ports. The unique proposition of Sealink ensures that the company is able to charge premium fare owing to its offering of a safe, secure, modern fleet with modern communication equipment that guarantee passenger safety onboard.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).

Media Contact: Chinedu Moghalu (234-8088-353-804, moghaluc@neximbank.com.ng)

About NEXIM Bank - The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (http://neximbank.com.ng) was established by Act 38 of 1991 as an Export Credit Agency with the broad mandate to promoting the diversification of the Nigerian economy and deepening the external sector, particularly the non-oil through the provision of credit facilities in both local and foreign currencies; risk-bearing facilities through export credit guarantee & export credit insurance; business development and financial advisory services etc.

In pursuit of its mandate of promoting export diversification and deepening the non-oil sector, the Bank's current strategic initiatives are targeted towards boosting employment creation and foreign exchange earnings in the Manufacturing, Agro-processing, Solid Minerals and Services (Tourism, Transportation and Entertainment) industries.

"1. Two years on since the independence of South Sudan, the European Union (EU) remains convinced that Sudan and South Sudan must co-exist peacefully as two viable states. The EU believes that the Addis Agreements of 27 September 2012 must be fully implemented without further delay or preconditions; failure to do so would have serious implications for the viability of both states. In this context, the EU calls on the Governments of both Sudan and South Sudan to prevent any support going to rebels in the other country and to comply with the agreed Safe Demilitarised Border Zone. The EU urges the Government of Sudan to continue to maintain the free flow of South Sudan's oil exports. The EU encourages the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to recover the spirit of cooperation they exhibited in past months and to cooperate fully with the African Union (AU) and the Chair of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) to resolve current difficulties.

2. The AU High Level Implementation Panel led by former President Mbeki continues to play an invaluable role in the peace process. The EU urges the Parties to engage with the Panel to resolve the remaining outstanding issues including the final status of Abyei and border-related issues. The EU will continue to support the efforts of the Panel and looks forward to the renewal of its mandate.

The AIM is comprised of three senior military officers, namely Brigadier-General Luis InacioMuxito, Defense and Security Advisor to the Chair of the Commission, as Chair of the Mechanism, Major-General (Retired) Julius Olakunle Sunday Oshanupin, and Brigadier-General Jean Baptiste Tine. It is expected to complete its work in 6 weeks.

The AIM was established in response to a proposal made by the Chair of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan and South Sudan, former President Thabo Mbeki, to address persistent allegations made by Sudan and South Sudan, that the other state was supporting and harbouring armed rebel movements which aimed either to overthrow the Government, or to cause mayhem and destruction, with untold humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. The mistrust caused by such allegations has jeopardized the implementation of the Addis Ababa Agreements signed on 27 September 2013, as well as the normalization of relations between the two states. The Commission of the African Union and the Chair of IGAD call on both states to cooperate fully and unconditionally with the Mechanism as it carries out its work to ascertain the facts of these allegations.

Today also marks the launch of another mechanism proposed by President Mbeki to address security relations between Sudan and South Sudan, namely the AU Border Programme's determination of the centerline for the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ) between Sudan and South Sudan, to facilitate the full operationalization of the SDBZ.

The launch of these Mechanisms underscores the seriousness with which the African Union and IGAD regard relations between Sudan and South Sudan. Since 2010, Africa has been working tirelessly to promote two mutually viable states, and these current allegations threaten this objective, and in fact pose a threat to regional peace and security. The Commission and the Chair of IGAD call on both states to meet their international obligations and to promote mutual cooperation for the benefit of their citizens.

Together, these two mechanisms will facilitate the full implementationof the Addis Ababa Agreements, leading to the normalization of relations between these two neighbouring states. The Commission and the Chair of IGAD call on both states to refrain from any unilateral action, while these two processes are underway, that may jeopardize the successful completion of their work.Furthermore, it is expected that the investigation team into the murder of the Paramount Chief of the DinkaNgok community, as well as a peacekeeper from the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), will be fully constituted, and will be deployed on the ground soon to commence its investigation as defined by the AU Peace and Security Council.

The AU and IGAD urge South Sudan to respect all aspects of the Security Agreement and to ensure that all its forces are redeployed out of the SDBZ. The AU and IGAD further strongly urge that Sudan refrain from any action to shut down the oil pipeline used to transport South Sudanese oil to Port Sudan, bearing in mind that any decision to do so threatens to cause irreparable damage to the integrity of the pipeline and adversely affect the economies of both states.

1. "Recalling its long standing engagement in the region, the European Union (EU) confirms its determination to continue to contribute to lasting stability and development in the Great Lakes Region (GLR). The latest crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has demonstrated the need for a reinvigorated comprehensive approach, addressing the local, national and regional roots of conflict, especially those of the Kivus. Renewed fighting in recent days around Goma and tensions between the DRC and Rwanda underscore the need for urgent action. The EU calls for an end to violence and the protection of civilians.

2. In this context, the EU strongly welcomes and supports the "Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region” signed in Addis on 24 February 2013 (the Framework Agreement), the appointment of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes, Mary Robinson, and the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2098 (2013). These measures and regional efforts constitute a window of opportunity that must be seized. The setting-up of both a national and a regional oversight mechanism should allow coordinated support and monitoring of the implementation of the commitments undertaken by the Signatory Parties

"1. The European Union (EU) welcomes the progress made in Somalia in establishing the foundations for re-building the Somali state by the Federal Government of Somalia. It reconfirms its support for the Federal Government and urges it to reach out to all regions of the country and engage in inclusive dialogue to build a viable and stable representative federal State. The EU equally urges regions to engage with the Government in this process. Swift establishment of interim regional and local administrations remains critical to provide governance and deliver social services to the population in newly accessible areas of Somalia. Rapid progress on the Constitutional Review process is therefore essential and will underpin the political and reconciliation processes.

2. Political progress remains the key to ensuring long-term stability for Somalia. The EU commends the role of the Federal Parliament in developing an institutional roadmap that sets benchmarks until 2016 when general elections are due to take place in Somalia. The EU welcomes the steps taken by the Federal Parliament in reaching out to the regions in order to assure that the roadmap is owned across the country. The EU looks forward to the Federal Government's overarching political vision resulting from an inclusive dialogue with all Somali stakeholders and regions, which will be presented at the Brussels New Deal Conference for Somalia in September. This vision should underpin the New Deal Compact framing Somalia's most urgent reconstruction priorities until 2016, which would be endorsed by the international community in September.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/logogpp.jpg

As the Conference Chairman, Dr Duncan Clarke, remarked: “With a consistent record of oil and gas discoveries, and rising oil and gas reserves across its hydrocarbon terrains, growing oil/gas production, new ventures and discoveries, and several LNG developments, with large oil/gas potential in the north, and the world-class onshore/offshore discoveries in the fast-emerging east coast, Africa remains one of the key regions in the global oil and gas game.”

The 20th Africa Oil Week, organised and hosted by Global Pacific & Partners, is the landmark occasion for Africa' energy industry, a meeting with established global reputation and one of the top world-class Conferences held annually in the international oil/gas industry calendar.

The Conference provides the highest levels of networking across the oil/gas-LNG and energy industry on the Continent. Delegates obtain unrivalled insights on Africa's fast-moving oil and gas game, exploration strategies, corporate assets/portfolio, bid rounds, open acreage, investment potential, emerging technologies and key themes, with Discussion Panels for direct interface between senior executives, governments and stakeholders. This makes Africa Oil Week not to be missed: and in 2012 the event sold out weeks prior to the Conference.

The Program for this year's Africa Oil Week includes the 15th Scramble For Africa Strategy Briefing on November 25th, the 10th Africa Independents Forum on November 26th, the 20th Africa Upstream Conference during November 27th-29th, with Annual Board Awards, and the 54th PetroAfricanus Dinner on November 25th with Guest Speaker – plus with Book Launch for author Babette van Gessel, Our World Safari, So Far (Jacana, 2013).

During the Scramble for Africa Strategy Briefing, Dr Duncan Clarke (Chairman & CEO) provides original insights on the Continent's competitive upstream oil and gas game based on in-depth tracking of changing competitor maps across Africa for oil and gas-LNG companies and state oil entities, built on seasoned insights and interpretations of around 750 players, thus drawing an unique image of Africa's emerging and fast-changing petro-cartography.

In 2013 the Conference takes place at a new venue: the Cape Town International Convention Centre, able to accommodate 1500 delegates in the Auditorium, and with added capacity for Exhibition Stands, Corporate Showcases and Parallel Sessions which feature special themes.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Global Pacific & Partners.

Note to Press:

For further information please contact Babette van Gessel, Global Pacific & Partners,

Tel: +31.70.324.6154, e-mail: babette@glopac-partners.com – visit www.petro21.com