Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO – Report:

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South Sudan’s escalating political crisis is driving renewed armed violence, compounding already dire human rights and humanitarian conditions, while heightening regional instability, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned today.

Despite one decade of efforts by the African Union and regional actors to support the peace process, South Sudan’s leaders have deliberately stalled progress and brought South Sudan to yet another precipice. Armed clashes are occurring on a scale not seen since a cessation of hostilities was signed in 2017, with civilians bearing the brunt of human rights violations and displacements.

Concluding its mission to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Commission underscored that South Sudan’s justice and accountability vacuum continues to fuel political intransigence, impunity, conflict and corruption. The latest political fracture at the centre has emboldened armed groups, triggered renewed conflicts, and displaced thousands. As highlighted in the Commission’s recent report — Plundering a Nation: How rampant corruption unleashed a human rights crisis in South Sudan — grand corruption and systematic diversion of public resources remain a key driver of conflict, depriving South Sudanese of their most basic rights.

“The ongoing political crisis, increasing fighting, and unchecked, systemic corruption are all symptoms of the failure of leadership and consensus in implementing the commitments of the peace agreement and political transition,” said Commissioner Barney Afako, who led the Mission to the AU. “Unless there is immediate, sustained and coordinated political engagement by the region, South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict with unimaginable human rights consequences for its people and the wider region. South Sudanese are looking to the African Union and the region to rescue them from a preventable fate.”

The Commission also engaged African Union officials, emphasizing the need for urgency in establishing the transitional justice mechanisms reaffirmed in Chapter V of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, notably the Hybrid Court. More than a decade after the conflict broke out in December 2013, South Sudanese victims still await credible justice measures and reparations for the serious violations and crimes they have endured. Despite repeated calls by the AU Peace and Security Council in March and June 2025, for the Government of South Sudan to work with the AU on developing guidelines and modalities for the establishment of the Hybrid Court, no tangible progress has been made.

“More than ever, justice is essential for South Sudan,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. “The promises made to victims years ago remain unmet. The Hybrid Court must move from paper to concrete action — the African Union has the mandate and the moral responsibility to ensure holistic transitional justice for South Sudan in line with its Transitional Justice Policy. A Hybrid Court that delivers accountability for past crimes — while at the same time strengthening South Sudan’s own justice institutions based on complementarity— can leave a transformative legacy, strengthening cohesion, the rule of law and human rights in the country.”

Renewed armed clashes have forced thousands of South Sudanese to flee once more. In 2025 alone, an estimated 300,000 South Sudanese fled the country, largely due to the increasing conflict: with 148,000 new arrivals into Sudan; 50,000 to Ethiopia; 50,000 to Uganda; 30,000 to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and 25,000 to Kenya. Their protection and survival continue to fall upon the region, which now hosts more than 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees.

South Sudan is also grappling with an internally displaced population of 2 million, while hosting an additional 560,000 refugees fleeing from the war in Sudan. Women remain disproportionately affected, bearing the greatest burdens and risks of forcible displacement.

“The mounting armed clashes, mass displacement and fracturing of a peace agreement signed seven years ago demonstrate that South Sudan cannot rebuild without stability and justice,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. “Credible and independent mechanisms for justice and accountability are needed to deter the repeated cycles of atrocities, break cycles of impunity and heal the wounds of war. The AU and regional partners must act now — not only to prevent another war, but to build the foundations of a just peace, based on the rule of law.”

In Addis Ababa, the Commission consulted with the AU Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan (C5 group), members of the AU Peace and Security Council, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, diplomats, UN, IGAD, and senior AU officials, including from the Office of the Legal Counsel. The Commission stressed the need for intensified regional efforts to de-escalate and address political tensions and surging armed contestation in South Sudan and called for sustained progress to advance a holistic transitional justice agenda. It urged the Office of the Legal Counsel to expedite the development of broad guidelines for the establishment of the Hybrid Court to complement ongoing processes to set up the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing and the Compensation and Reparation Authority.

With members of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council set to meet in Addis Ababa later this week for their annual joint seminar and consultative session, the Commission urged both Councils to take decisive and coordinated action to address South Sudan’s escalating crisis. The Commission called on them to place justice and accountability — including the prompt establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan — at the centre of their deliberations, recognising that impunity and corruption remain the principal obstacles to peace, stability and human rights in South Sudan.

The Commission underlined that only an inclusive and credible political transition, supported by the AU, IGAD, the United Nations, and guarantors of the peace agreement, working in tandem with the international community, can prevent further deterioration and violations. It urged sustained and focused diplomatic engagement to ensure that all actors, including armed and political groups currently outside the peace framework, are brought into a consensus-based process committed to peace and human rights.

“The crisis unfolding in South Sudan is the result of deliberate choices made by its leaders to put their interests above those of their people”, said Commissioner Sooka. “The region and the international community must now prevail upon South Sudan’s leaders to make a different choice — one that puts their people first.”

– on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO – Report:

Zambia has voiced strong backing for African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) President Dr Sidi Ould Tah’s push for a new African financial architecture that strengthens the continent’s economic sovereignty.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema expressed this support during discussions with Dr Ould Tah at State House in Lusaka on 9 October 2025, following Zambia’s successful hosting of a third meeting for the 17^th replenishment cycle of the African Development Fund (ADF-17).

The talks underscored the strong partnership between the African Development Bank and Zambia, as well as the country’s growing leadership in Africa’s drive for economic transformation and financial sovereignty.

Dr Ould Tah thanked President Hichilema and the Zambian people for hosting the ADF-17 replenishment meeting, a key milestone in mobilising concessional resources for Africa’s most vulnerable countries. He also commended Zambia for a pledge of $5 million to ADF-17.

“Zambia’s generosity, leadership, and partnership inspire us all,” said Dr Ould Tah. “Your country’s development trajectory embodies what the ADF seeks to achieve: resilience, inclusion, and self-determination.”

President Hichilema emphasised the need for Africa to reduce its dependence on external financing and to address structural imbalances that impose high borrowing costs on African economies. Global credit assessments, he noted, often undervalue African assets and potential, resulting in a persistently high cost of capital.

As one of the African Union’s Champions of Global Financial Architecture Reform, which advocates strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and putting Africa in a stronger position in the global financial system, President Hichilema welcomed Dr Ould Tah’s commitment to greater coherence and harmonisation among Africa’s financial institutions. This includes multilateral development of banks and regional funds, to scale up domestic resource mobilisation and blended finance solutions.

Energy Access and Economic Transformation

The two leaders also reviewed progress under Mission 300, a joint African Development Bank Group-World Bank initiative working to extend electricity to an additional 300 million Africans by 2030.

President Hichilema highlighted that Zambia had been among the first countries to sign a Mission 300 National Energy Compact during the Africa Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam in January 2025. Under the compact, Zambia aims to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, raise the share of non-hydro renewables to 33 percent and mobilise $11.9 billion in investment, 82 percent of this coming from the private sector.

“Energy access is the lifeblood of industrialisation,” President Hichilema said. “Zambia stands ready to work with the African Development Bank Group to expand this compact model into manufacturing and regional value chains.”

The leaders also agreed on the strategic importance of developing transport and trade corridors as the backbone of Africa’s economic integration and industrial growth.

“By working together, we can turn transport corridors into corridors of prosperity,” said Dr Ould Tah. “The African Development Bank Group will remain a steadfast partner in building the infrastructure that connects markets, creates jobs, and powers Africa’s integration.”

President Hichilema outlined Zambia’s plan to transform itself into a land-linked hub through investments in the North–South and Lobito transport corridors, both supported by the African Development Bank Group.

A Partnership for Sustainable Development

Dr Ould Tah commended Zambia’s progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and investor confidence under President Hichilema’s leadership, with GDP growth projected to reach 6.2% in 2025, driven by gains in energy, agriculture and record copper production.

He noted that Zambia’s reform momentum and improved debt sustainability are creating renewed space for growth and investment, positioning the country as a model of fiscal discipline and resilience.

The African Development Bank Group has committed to supporting Zambia’s structural transformation through its 2024-2029 Country Strategy Paper, which focuses on energy, agriculture, transport, skills, and private-sector development.

Cumulative ADF support to Zambia exceeds $900 million, financing transformative projects such as the Kazungula Bridge, the Nacala Road Corridor, the Livestock Infrastructure Project, and the Science and Technology Education Project, which has strengthened STEM capacity in universities and technical institutions nationwide.

The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to deepen collaboration between Zambia and the African Development Bank Group to advance Africa’s sovereignty, integration, industrialisation, and human capital — the four cardinal points of Dr Ould Tah’s strategic vision.

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Additional images: https://apo-opa.co/4n2frVV

Media contact:
Emeka Anuforo
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

Source: APO

Now in its third edition, the International Carpet & Flooring Expo (ICFE) (https://apo-opa.co/4qmxfOy) — previously known as CFE, has rapidly established itself as one of the most important meeting points for the sector worldwide. Organised by Tüyap Exhibitions Group (https://Tuyap.com.tr/) in collaboration with the Istanbul Carpet Exporters’ Association (İHİB) and the Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters’ Association (GAHİB), the fair has taken on a truly international identity, drawing buyers, manufacturers, and decision-makers from across six continents.

Even in an era when the winds of e-commerce sweep through every corner of trade, face-to-face networking continues to be where enduring connections are made that get deals done. For the carpet and flooring industry, no event embodies this better than ICFE, taking place at the Istanbul Expo Center from 6–9 January 2026.

A new hall added

The growth trajectory is striking. Responding to strong demand, ICFE has expanded to an 11^th hall for 2026. All halls are already fully booked, with world-renowned brands securing their place early, reflecting the Expo’s role as a central hub for the industry.

ICFE’s global influence is powered by a comprehensive marketing strategy that spans more than 80 countries. Through digital media, targeted campaigns, and international B2B matchmaking systems, the Expo connects exhibitors and visitors directly and efficiently. This global outreach not only differentiates ICFE from other sector events but also ensures that each edition creates new opportunities for trade and partnership.

Over 50 thousand attendees expected

Looking ahead, ICFE 2026 is expected to host nearly 500 companies from 25 countries, including China, Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Belgium, and France. Around 50,000 professional visitors from 105 countries are anticipated, with particularly strong attendance from Germany, Italy, China, India, Iran, Belgium, the USA, Russia, and the Middle East. Building on the 2025 edition—where 78% of exhibitors reported new business connections—the organisers have set an ambitious target of 85% for 2026.

“Our industry may embrace digital tools, but it thrives on the trust and connections that come from meeting in person,” said İlhan Ersözlü at Tüyap Exhibitions Group. “The expansion of ICFE to an 11^th hall and the diversity of international participation demonstrate how vital Istanbul has become as a global centre for carpets and flooring. ICFE 2026 will be a platform where new partnerships are formed, and the future of the industry takes shape.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TÜYAP.

Contact:
Burcu Buse Arseven
burcu.arseven@unite.com.tr

About Tüyap:
Founded in 1979 by Bülent Ünal as Türkiye’s first private fair organisation company, Tüyap has shaped the industry for more than 46 years. It has hosted over 370,000 companies and 75 million visitors through specialised fairs at home and abroad. Today, Tüyap operates three fair centres in Türkiye and maintains offices in six countries, working with more than 100 professional organisations worldwide. It pioneered Turkish export product fairs in China, Russia, and Africa, and continues to support international trade with an average of 10 foreign fairs each year. As the only private organiser in Türkiye with its own fair centre, Tüyap combines physical events with digital platforms to deliver hybrid fairs that meet the needs of a globalised market.

Source: APO

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 Italy should revoke its damaging migrant cooperation agreement with Libya, Human Rights Watch said today. The Italy-Libya Memorandum of Understanding on migration cooperation will renew automatically for three years on November 2, 2025, if neither party revokes it or makes any revisions by that date.

The agreement, signed in 2017, includes significant material and technical support from Italy to the Libyan Coast Guard, which answers to one of the two rival authorities competing for legitimacy and control in Libya, the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU). This assistance has enabled Libyan Coast Guard forces over the last eight years to intercept tens of thousands of people at sea and return them to Libya, where they face inhumane conditions of detention, a high risk of torture, and other ill treatment. Libyan Coast Guard forces also threaten and endanger nongovernmental rescue vessels trying to bring people to safety.

“The Italy-Libya Memorandum of Understanding has proven to be a framework for violence and suffering, and should be revoked, not renewed,” said Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Italy needs to stop its complicity with the Libyan Coast Guard, who are implicated in the torture, exploitation, and degrading treatment of the people they interdict and bring back to Libya.”

Civil society organizations, including Refugees in Libya, a group of survivors of migrant-related violence in Libya, are mobilizing action against the Italy-Libya agreement and calling on the EU to suspend all migration cooperation with Libya.

Libyan migration officials from both the GNU and the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, the rival entity that controls eastern and southern Libya, were scheduled to visit Frontex headquarters in Warsaw and the European Commission in Brussels on October 14-16. EU officials should use any contact with Libyan officials to emphasize respect for human rights and call for accountability for abuses, Human Rights Watch said.

Despite overwhelming evidence of horrific detention conditions and abuse of migrants in Libya, the EU supports the Libyan forces’ efforts to detect boats and pull people back, including through aerial surveillance by the EU border agency Frontex over the central Mediterranean. The EU, like Italy, has supplied the Libyan Coast Guard with vessels and has spent hundreds of millions of euros on migration control in Libya since 2015.

On August 24, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat, donated by Italy, opened fire on the SOS MEDITERRANEE rescue ship Ocean Viking causing significant damage, while another patrol boat, also built in Italy, shot at a Sea-Watch rescue ship on September 26. The European Commission has insisted it will continue to support Libyan authorities, saying “to improve the situation, we need to remain engaged.”

People forced back to Libya experience serious abuses in migrant detention centers and prisons controlled by unaccountable armed groups and militias nominally linked with the authorities. The abuses include arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and unlawful deaths, including as result of torture. Detainees also experience inhuman and degrading treatment and conditions including sexual violence, beatings, overcrowding, deprivation of food and water, forced labor, and denial of access or a right to legal counsel.

The United Nations has said there is evidence of collusion between state forces, including the Libyan Coast Guard forces, and trafficking and smuggling networks, and concluded that state security forces and armed militias have most likely committed the crimes against humanity of sexual slavery and rape against migrants in Libya.

“Continued support for abusive, unaccountable forces in Libya is indefensible,” Sunderland said. “The EU and all of its member states, including Italy, should stop financing and legitimizing violence against migrants and fundamentally reorient its Mediterranean policies to prioritize rescue at sea and safe and legal pathways for migration.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).