Category: Africa

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Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri paid an official visit to the Republic of Mauritius on 01 July 2025. This was his second visit to Mauritius as Foreign Secretary.

2. The visit followed the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, on 24 June 2025, during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing cooperation across a broad range of areas and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthen the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Mauritius.

3. During the visit, Foreign Secretary called on the President, H.E. Mr. Dharambeer Gokhool, the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Paul Berenger and the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Mr. Dhananjay Ramful and met key Mauritian leaders and officials.

4. In his meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Foreign Secretary reiterated the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to PM Ramgoolam to visit India. Both sides held discussions on the entire range of bilateral cooperation. Foreign Secretary sought guidance to further strengthen the special and close ties and conveyed India’s continued commitment to the development, progress and prosperity of Mauritius. As part of the commitment to work together to address challenges faced by Mauritius on account of increase in drug-addiction and related social issues, Foreign Secretary handed over specialized anti-drug equipment to FM Ramful.

5. The visit is part of continued high-level exchanges between two countries and reflects the importance India attaches to its relations with Mauritius. In line with our Neighbourhood First policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and our commitment to the Global South, the visit reaffirmed the continued commitment from both sides to deepen the multi-dimensional bilateral partnership for the prosperity and development of both countries and the larger Indian Ocean Region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a message of congratulations to the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency Mary May Simon, on the occasion of her country’s national day.

In this message, the Sovereign extends His sincere congratulations to May Simon and His warmest wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the Canadian people.

The Kingdom of Morocco looks forward to working together with Canada to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest, HM the King underlines.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, chaired a consultative meeting with the Kenya Red Cross Society to explore areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening Kenya’s health system, particularly at the community level.

The discussions focused on epidemic preparedness and response, community-based surveillance and early warning systems, mental health, and the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

PS Muthoni emphasized the need to streamline efforts between the Ministry and partners to ensure visibility, sustainability, and long-term impact of health interventions.

“We must align and consolidate our efforts to deliver measurable impact, build resilient communities, and ensure no one is left behind,” she stated.

Looking ahead, the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross agreed to expand their collaboration to include joint emergency preparedness and response initiatives, data sharing as well as coordinated capacity building for emergency response personnel.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Radio Miraya, a stalwart among South Sudanese broadcasters, is slowly becoming a young adult. What better way to celebrate its 19th anniversary than doing so together with its avid listeners?

In Juba, the station did a live broadcast at the Women Union’s Centre together with media colleagues, other stakeholders, a crowd of invited Miraya fans and with listeners from across the country interacting with the presenters of the day.

It was a day of indulging in decades-old poems and singing and dancing along to songs which, over time, have become milestone moments in the young nation’s history. It was indeed a good occasion for a long walk down memory lane.

Laurence Ladu Luka, a volunteer teacher, has been closely following the broadcaster’s path since 2012, when he was a student in Yei. At the time, he would often schedule his time not to miss his favourite Miraya mainstays, like its Breakfast Show, Nationwide and Roundtable Discussions on the hottest issues of the day, with the latter segment having left a lasting impression.

“The discussions I used to absorb inspired me to follow governance, cultural, social and economic issues, and I still do,” he said, adding that he proudly remembers that he was once also invited to participate in a talk show, speaking about waste management problems in the capital.

Never generations have also discovered and joined Radio Miraya’s on-air journey.

“You may mostly be working from your studios, far removed from us, but you give a voice to the voiceless, voices and reliable information that reach faraway towns and villages, affecting the lives of young and old people alike. Long may that continue,” said Apen Abraham, a senior student at the Darling Wisdom Academy.

His peer Safa Sarif confessed that the live broadcast on the anniversary had a profound impact on her.

“It has made me a fan because now I understand the importance of radio. From now on, I’ll be listening closely and learning a lot,” she vowed, pointing to the solar-powered device that she and others in attendance had received.

Patricia Okoed, Miraya’s Head of Programming, will have been pleased with these testimonies.

“What makes us unique is that we reach 80 per cent of the country, more than anybody else, and hopefully with more to come. Our microphones are open for everyone who wants to tell us and South Sudan about what is going on in their minds and lives,” she said.

Radio Miraya is run by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

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The thriving, lively rural town of Totota, Bong County will never be the same, according to women beneficiaries of the Totota Peace Hut. “This town is growing and changing in terms of mentoring and improving the attitude, skills, and public-speaking confidence of women so we can reach to that height we all aspire to acquire in life,” said Annie G. Saah, 53, member of the peace hut and Chairlady of the One Voice Group.

“Our peace hut in Totota has helped in improving the lives of women and young girls. Through this peace hut, women and girls have gained valuable skills in literacy, computer training, group and individual farming, village savings and loan scheme as well as conflict resolution and mediation outreach at household and community-levels, and I am one such example. I have my individual potatoes garden, my house-side bag garden together with a group farm. We use the proceeds for our children’s tuition and other family needs,” added Annie G. Saah.

Annie, Miatta Borbor, and nearly 50 other women meet at the peace hut on a weekly basis to support one another in peacebuilding, literacy, computer skills, petty business management, and small-scale farming. “Thanks to UN Women, Plan International, Orange Foundation, and the Peacebuilding Fund for their support in giving women the skills they need to become marketable and active contributors not just to our families but also to the community of Totota,” said Miatta Borbor, a member of One Voice Group at the peace hut.

True to Annie and Miatta’s words on the empowerment of women, in November 2024, during an indoor programme at Totota Peace Hut in Bong County, visiting Peacebuilding Commission Chair and Sweden’s Ambassador to the UN in New York, Amb. Nicola Clase and delegation witnessed a life-changing moment. Three formerly illiterate women – Mary Sheriff, Gbentelo Kennedy, and Oretha Jallah – proudly demonstrated their peace hut-acquired literacy skills by writing their names and telephone numbers on paper to the admiration of the visitors. The audience applauded them for their literacy achievements. Ma Mary Sandiman, Chairlady of Totota Peace Hut, emphasized the need to continue the peace hut: “This peace hut must continue here so more women can learn to read and write and to enhance women’s unity so women themselves can drive the change they need.”

The vegetable gardens, small businesses, the conflict mediation roles, and the computer training have all had tremendous impact on women beneficiaries by enabling them to earn money, support their households, participate in public and community discussions, and enhance peaceful co-existence among people. Rev Fahnlon A. Mulbah, Coordinator of the Orange Digital Center (ODC) within the Totota Peace Hut, underscored the life-improving results of the peace hut and the ODC on young women. “Computer literacy is a globally required skills area especially for women and girls to earn income and advertise their work on phone and on a computer.” He disclosed that Grace Pope, a resident of Totota, acquired digital skills in the application of cell phone for business and started advertizing and doing Orange Mobile Money, and then relocated to Monrovia where she’s living and working.

The empowerment and results-oriented achievements at the Totota Peace Hut was made possible through the seamless collaboration among UN Women, Plan International, Government of Liberia, Orange Foundation, and other partners with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Each organization lent its own comparative advantage, garnered resources, and provided backstopping and technical inputs to make the peace hut functional and effective.

Peace huts across Liberia have become a useful model for driving rural women’s collective empowerment. According to UN Women, the women of Liberia gained national and international acclaim as champions of peace through their mass action campaign that pressured warring factions to agree to a peace settlement in 2003.  As part of this effort, the women, under the banner “Liberian Women Mass Action for Peace”, launched the Peace Hut model in 2004 to provide a space for community women to discuss issues of peace, including ongoing community and domestic violence. Since then, the Peace Huts have evolved into a multi-faceted platform that promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women especially in rural communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the winners of the 2025 FAO Awards, recognizing organizations from Colombia, Egypt, and the Philippines, whose work has led to outstanding progress in building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

On Monday, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu presented the Champion Award and Partnership Award during the 44th FAO Ministerial Conference held in Rome.

“These Awards are more than an acknowledgment of achievements – they represent FAO’s core values and aspirations. The ceremony is a celebration of possibility and hope of what happens when commitment and innovation meet the urgent call to transform global agrifood systems,” he said.

The FAO Champion Award, the Organization’s highest corporate award, which carries a prize of USD 50,000 and recognizes significant and outstanding contributions towards advancing FAO’s overall goals, was conferred to la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), for its tangible results across organizational, social, economic and environmental dimensions, including championing social protection measures for fishers and played a key role in drafting laws against illegal fishing, thereby improving the welfare and rights of fishing communities.

Since 2017, COMENALPAC has represented over 800 groups of marine and freshwater fishers across Colombia. Its work has contributed to the design and implementation of key legislation, including Law 2268 of 2022, which guarantees social benefits for commercial and subsistence fishers.

Through an FAO–COMENALPAC partnership, the organization has strengthened fisher communities in Tumaco by eliminating intermediaries, increasing incomes, and promoting inclusive market opportunities. It has also led to the restoration of 83 wetlands, contributing to aquatic biodiversity and more sustainable food systems. The organization was further praised for helping secure the legal recognition of more than 120,000 fishers and for its role in incorporating the concept of “Aquatic Agrifood Ecosystems” into Colombia’s National Development Plan.

In addition, within the same category, a Special Mention was also awarded to Youth Uprising, a Philippine-based non-profit organization recognized for its intense engagement of young people in transforming agrifood systems.

The FAO Partnership Award — valued at USD 10,000 and recognizing outstanding cooperation with FAO in advancing the Organization’s work by its Members — was presented to The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), the first Egypt NGO focused on addressing food insecurity, providing support to over 24 million people through comprehensive food assistance, nutrition, and empowerment programs.

Among the EFB’s most notable initiatives are the Community Nutrition Programme, the Ramadan Food Loss Initiative, and the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA). EFB’s programs have benefited over 150,000 families and more than 60,000 schoolchildren. Its work also includes capacity-building for small-scale producers and support to 1,200 farmers — particularly women — promoting sustainable agricultural practices and economic inclusion.

The FAO Director-General bestowed the awards to representatives of the organizations who attended the ceremony in person.

Adriana Rocío Cadena Cancino, Director of la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), received the Champion Award on behalf of the organization.

Mohsen Sarhan Ali Gamal Ali, Chief Executive Officer of The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), accepted the Partnership Award on behalf of his organization.

“These awardees remind us that transformation is already happening and must accelerate. Let us continue working hand in hand for the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” Qu added in his closing remarks, with a reference to the FAO Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).