Category: Africa

Source: APO

Leading operators active in Angola reaffirmed their commitment to driving Angola’s next phase of exploration and production during an ENSA-sponsored panel discussion at the Angola Oil & Gas 2025 Conference and Exhibition last week. Representatives from ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Chevron, Sonangol and Cabship highlighted how the last 50 years of industry success has laid the foundation for Angola’s next phase of growth.

With a proven track record in delivering major offshore projects in Angola, ExxonMobil continues to invest heavily in exploration projects in the country. The company has made forays into frontier basins such as Namibe and is also reinvesting in producing assets with a view to maximize resources.

“ExxonMobil has produced more than 2.5 billion barrels and developed a capable workforce of over 200 people. After 30 plus years, we are still committed to many more years in Angola. ExxonMobil signed a license extension for Block 15 in 2025. These extensions enable further exploration. We also invested in Namibe last year, which is still an evaluation in progress,” stated Katrina Fisher, Country Manager, ExxonMobil Angola

With a rich history in Angola, TotalEnergies also reaffirmed its commitment investing in Angola’s oil future. The company enhanced its production capacity in Angola in 2025, with two major projects adding 60,000 bpd to the market. Looking ahead, the company will continue to bolster production, leveraging its history to deliver new projects.  

“Angola has not only progressed in developing and producing offshore projects but made the [global] oil and gas industry progress. TotalEnergies has accompanied the country through this move with a pioneering spirit. I am sure that this will continue,” stated Martin Deffontaines, Country Manager, TotalEnergies E&P Angola.

Meanwhile, Sonangol continues to advance onshore and offshore developments, seeking to support national production goals while consolidating its position as an upstream driver.

Edson Pongolola, Director of Planning & Management Control, Sonangol, stated that “As a company, Sonangol – built by the government – has a mission to drive the goals of Angola. Sonangol has been growing and is exposing itself to various sectors across the country. Using Sonangol as a vehicle for the growth of other sectors in Angola, the government has been promoting economic development.”

For Chevron, a strategic focus for the company’s future investments in Angola is natural gas. The company has been at the forefront of Angola’s natural gas development strategy, with offshore projects providing vital feedstock for the country’s Angola LNG project.

According to Frank Cassulo, Managing Director, Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit, Chevron, “We continue to think of a future where gas can help us transition and grow the economy. Angola LNG is almost at maximum capacity and we continue to look at opportunities to deliver that gas reliably.”

Celebrating 16 years of operations in 2025, Cabship continues to strengthen Angola’s logistics sector with a view to support upstream and downstream projects. The company has expanded its infrastructure portfolio in recent years, secured contracts with major operators and is working to introduce an offshore diving and offshore support company in the Cabinda Special Economic Zone.

João Filipe, Chairman & CEO of Cabship, highlighted the company’s capacity as a strong local partner for operators. He said: “We manage oil and gas units in Malongo. From this base, we expanded in Soyo and we also came to Luanda where we do work for SONILS and Azule Energy. Last week, we signed a new contract with Angola LNG. We have been trying to give value to the logistics ecosystem. We want to build strong relationships.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Source: APO

The Global Mercy™ (www.MercyShips.org), the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship, has officially launched her third consecutive field service in Sierra Leone, with the successful surgery of its very first patient, 40-year-old kekeh driver Mohamed. This pivotal moment represents the beginning of a mission dedicated to providing hope and healing while strengthening the nation’s anesthetic and surgical systems.

For more than five years, Mohamed endured the daily pain of a hernia while navigating Freetown’s bustling streets to provide for his wife and four children. Despite the relentless discomfort, fear of complications kept him from seeking surgery.

Unlike in high-income countries, hernias often remain untreated in Sierra Leone. A population-based survey (https://apo-opa.co/464vE81) found a hernia prevalence of 7.7% among adult males, among the highest recorded globally.

When Mohamed heard that the Global Mercy was once again docked in Freetown, he found the courage to register. On August 29, after a thorough medical screening, he was cleared for surgery, marking the official start of this new season of service.

Shortly before, the field service was formally inaugurated with a Partner Welcome Event on board the Global Mercy. Government leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, churches, nonprofit organizations, and private sector representatives gathered to celebrate this new chapter. The event reflected on past achievements while setting a hopeful vision for the work ahead.

Vice president Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was visibly moved as he reflected on the impact of Mercy Ships’ work:

“We have seen Mercy Ships providing clinical services to children who were then able to reintegrate into the school system and their communities. This is a service that restores hope and dignity to patients who regain their eyesight, and importantly, supports countries like Sierra Leone that are working to strengthen their healthcare workforce.”

The floating hospital has been fully prepared for the start of surgeries, and the entire hospital community gave thanks for this momentous beginning.

“This milestone marks also a powerful testament to the dedication of our incredible hospital volunteers, whose commitment makes our mission possible every day,” said Dr. Steven Purdon, newly appointed Hospital Director.

Before Mohamed’s surgery, volunteer surgeon Dr. John Zwiacher (USA) arrived in Freetown to join the international team of medical professionals serving on board. Having volunteered with Mercy Ships nine times, Dr. Zwiacher emphasized the strength of the mission.

“We’ve all come here from every corner of the world; Canada, USA, UK, Sweden, and so many others. No matter our language or background, we share the same purpose; to provide surgery and care for patients.”

Mohamed’s one-hour surgery on board the Global Mercy successfully removed his hernia. For Mohamed, this was a major hallmark in his life. This surgery not only removed this physical ailment, but restored dignity, relief, and hope for his family’s future.

“This surgery is going to have a huge impact,” said Dr. Zwiacher. “It allows Mohamed to return to work without pain.”

With Mohamed’s surgery complete, the Global Mercy has made an impactful start to her field service and looks forward to welcoming many more patients on board.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

For more information about Mercy Ships, contact:   
international.media@mercyships.org 

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.      

Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal.

Source: APO

.

Thirty Libyan journalists, media professors, students and fact checkers joined a UNSMIL-backed online training session Thursday to sharpen their skills in digital research and verification, as part of wider efforts to strengthen the country’s media sector against the spread of false information.  

The Zoom-based workshop was organised by the UNSMIL as part of its Basirah professional development programme. Pamela Kesrouani from the Google News Initiative presented the training, which detailed how to use Google Fact Check Explorer, reverse image search, Google Maps, Google Earth, and fact-check information panels on YouTube.  

“These tools don’t do the work for me,” she said. “They just help me. It remains essential for us to check a picture or a news story ourselves before presenting it to the public.”  

Concern about the manipulation or fabrication of information, images, audio and video is rising as more people exclusively get their news from social media and the use of artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, Kesrouani said, citing a study published by the Pew Research Center, which found people perceived misinformation on the Internet as a top global threat, second only to climate change.  

“Manipulating photos or video — whether by changing context or altering content with artificial intelligence — has become common during wars and natural disasters,” Kesrouani said. “Sometimes even the largest media outlets have used pictures in the wrong context.”  

Digital research and fact-checking training is essential for Libyan media professionals, participants said, because of an abundance of rumours, manipulation and a lack of transparency in local media, limited access to original sources, and quickly changing dynamics. They also expressed concern about the impact spreading misinformation and disinformation online on the security situation, by potentially deepening divisions or inciting conflict.  

Mahmoud Mukhtar, a fact checker from Tripoli who participated in the training, said he is finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate between authentic content and that created or manipulated using artificial intelligence or other techniques.  

“It’s becoming really hard to tell, even for someone who has worked with Photoshop, who knows how AI operates and has had fact-checking training,” he said. “Even using AI to detect AI use is limited in its efficacy.” 

Participants, in a post-training survey, said the skills they learnt, such as tips to cross check sources, verify source credibility and spot bias, would help strengthen their work. 

“I feel more confident in detecting misinformation after this session because I learnt step-by-step methods to check content,” said Suad Kashlout, a journalist from Zliten. “I now know how to identify red flags more effectively.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

Source: APO

.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper at Al-Ittihadiya Palace.

The meeting was attended by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production General Abdel Mageed Saqr. From the US side, US Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa, Senior Defense Official at the U.S. Embassy and Defense Attaché Colonel Jason Wimberly and Senior Advisor to the USCENTCOM Commander Gabrielle Lamport attended the meeting.

The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the CENTCOM Commander conveyed the greetings of US President Donald Trump to President El-Sisi, which the President appreciated, praising the deep historical relations between the two countries.

The meeting reaffirmed the strategic nature of Egyptian-American relations. President El-Sisi emphasized the importance of the “Bright Star 2025” military exercises as a continuation of the close security and defense cooperation between the two nations.

The meeting also covered ways to enhance and develop the bilateral partnership across various fields in a manner that serves the interests of both the Egyptian and American peoples, in addition to supporting joint coordination on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

There was agreement on the necessity of continuing close coordination between Egypt and the United States to contain the escalation in the Middle East and enhance efforts to maintain security, peace and stability, in light of the current security challenges.

Discussions also addressed developments in the Gaza Strip. President El-Sisi stressed the importance of the mediation undertaken by Egypt, the United States and Qatar to reach an immediate ceasefire, ensure the release of hostages and captives, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip.

President El-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s continued intensive efforts to achieve calm and reduce tensions in a sustainable manner, so as to revive the political process and lead to lasting and just peace in the Middle East.

The meeting also addressed developments in several countries in the region. Both sides emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination between Egypt and the United States to contain regional escalation and support effective and sustainable political solutions to existing crises, therefore contributing to achieving development and prosperity for the region’s peoples.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.