Africa – Page 49 – MIL Africa Engine

June 25, 2026

India: State Visit of Prime Minister to Seychelles (June 27-29, 2026)

Source: APO – Report:

At the invitation of the President of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie, Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi will undertake a State Visit to Seychelles from 27-29 June 2026 to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the National Day of Seychelles as the Guest of Honour. Prime Minister last visited Seychelles in 2015. A contingent of the Indian defence forces, along with two Indian Navy ships, will participate in the celebrations.

2. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks with President Herminie to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister will also address the National Assembly of Seychelles and interact with members of the Indian diaspora.

3. India and Seychelles share a longstanding partnership rooted in shared historical, cultural and people to people ties. As a key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean region, Seychelles holds a special place in India’s Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and our commitment to the Global South.

4. The visit will reaffirm the strong and enduring friendship between India and Seychelles and reinforce the shared commitment of both countries to enhance the bilateral relationship across all sectors.

– on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

June 25, 2026

Bénin – Assemblée Nationale : La loi portant exercice en clientèle privée adoptée en seconde délibération

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

L’Assemblée nationale a adopté en sa séance plénière du mercredi 24 juin 2026 et en seconde délibération, la loi N° 2025-01 portant organisation de l’exercice en clientèle privée des professions médicales et paramédicales de santé humaine en République du Bénin.

Ce texte de loi désormais complet intègre des dispositions qui garantissent une meilleure cohérence et une plus grande clarté du texte adopté antérieurement. À l’article 4 de la loi, il est précisé qu’à l’exception des cabinets, des acteurs non professionnels de la santé, personne physique ou morale, peuvent également financer la création et l’équipement d’un ou de plusieurs établissements privés de santé.

Ce texte précise toutefois que : « la qualité des prestations et la sécurité des patients ainsi que la validation des normes techniques d’équipements et de ressources humaines notamment sont assurées par un professionnel de la santé membre de la profession concernée ».

Dans les nouvelles dispositions, il est également stipulé que le professionnel de santé faisant partie d’un Ordre ne devra plus désormais solliciter une quelconque autorisation avant d’exercer en clientèle privée, ce qui n’est pas le cas pour ceux dont la profession n’est pas organisée en Ordre.

Ce sont les article 6 et 7 de la loi qui le prévoient de façon plus formelle. « L’inscription au tableau d’un Ordre professionnel de la santé humaine au Bénin confère d’office au professionnel de la santé concernée, le droit d’exercer sa profession en clientèle privée ou non », article 6. « Les professionnels de la santé dont la profession n’est pas organisée en Ordre sont astreints à une autorisation d’exercer avant tout exercice en clientèle privée », précise l’article 7.

L’article suivant apporte une certaine flexibilité pour le professionnel de la santé qui souhaite exercer en clientèle privée avant son admission à l’ordre. Dans ce cas, il peut être autorisé à exercer par arrêté du Ministre en charge de la santé mais dispose d’un délai de 6 mois pour obtenir son inscription à l’ordre professionnel concerné.

Le texte de loi adopté en seconde délibération aborde plusieurs autres aspects dont entre autres, l’autorisation spéciale accordée à une catégorie de professionnels de la santé exerçant à l’étranger.

Distribué par APO Group pour Gouvernement de la République du Bénin.

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June 25, 2026

São Tomé e Príncipe: The European Union deploys an Election Observation Mission

Source: APO

In response to an invitation from the Santomean authorities, an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) will be deployed to observe the presidential elections as well as the legislative, local and regional elections scheduled for 19 July and 27 September 2026 respectively.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has appointed Sérgio Humberto, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.

Chief Observer Sérgio Humberto declared: “I am honoured to lead this EU Election Observation Mission to São Tomé e Príncipe. This is the second time since 2022 that the EU deploys an electoral observation mission to the country, and this time the Mission will observe two distinct elections. The Mission will provide an independent and impartial assessment of the respective electoral processes. As Santomean people prepare to vote, the EU reaffirms its support for São Tomé e Príncipe.”

Background

The EU EOM will provide a comprehensive, independent, and impartial assessment of the entire electoral processes based on international and regional standards for democratic elections.

The Mission is composed of different groups of observers. A core team of seven analysts arrived in São Tomé on 14 June, supported by logistics and security experts. A team of long-term observers will join the mission on 26 June to observe the electoral process throughout the country. As election day approaches, they will be joined by 14 short-term observers and locally recruited observers from diplomatic missions accredited to São Tomé e Príncipe. Finally, a delegation from the European Parliament will join the EOM for the legislative, local, and regional elections in September. The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of the entire electoral processes.

In line with the EU election observation methodology, the Mission will publish its initial findings in a Preliminary Statement, which will be presented in a press conference after Election Day. A final report will be published within two months of the completion of the electoral process and will include recommendations – offered for consideration to the authorities – for possible future improvements of the electoral framework.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Union External Action: The Diplomatic Service of the European Union.

June 25, 2026

As limitações da rede elétrica africana ganham destaque à medida que os mercados regionais avançam rumo à integração

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

Prevê-se que a procura de eletricidade em África quase duplique para 2 291 TWh até 2050, exigindo um investimento estimado de 30 mil milhões de dólares em infraestruturas de transmissão e rede elétrica para desbloquear e integrar nova capacidade de produção. No entanto, em todo o continente, as redes elétricas têm dificuldade em acompanhar o ritmo da rápida expansão dos projetos de fornecimento e do aumento da procura.

Na Nigéria, as repetidas falhas generalizadas da rede elétrica, ainda em fevereiro de 2026, sublinham a fragilidade das infraestruturas de transmissão envelhecidas. Na África Oriental, falhas nas torres ao longo da linha Loiyangalani-Suswa, com 428 km, bloquearam temporariamente a produção da Lake Turkana Wind Power — a maior instalação eólica de África. Entretanto, as pressões decorrentes do crescimento da procura estão a acelerar em toda a África do Norte, onde se prevê que o consumo de eletricidade aumente cerca de 50 % até 2035, impulsionado pela urbanização, pelos projetos de dessalinização e pelos aumentos de temperatura relacionados com as alterações climáticas.

Apesar destas limitações, o investimento na produção continua a acelerar em toda a África, particularmente em energias renováveis, sistemas de conversão de gás em eletricidade e sistemas híbridos. No entanto, sem um investimento equivalente em transmissão e interligação, grande parte desta nova capacidade corre o risco de ficar subutilizada ou ociosa. Este desequilíbrio crescente entre a produção e a capacidade da rede está a impulsionar um foco mais acentuado no planeamento a nível do sistema e na conceção de mercados regionais — questões que serão centrais na conferência «Power Africa Today», recentemente lançada no âmbito da African Energy Week 2026. A plataforma reunirá decisores políticos, empresas de serviços públicos, investidores e promotores para explorar de que forma a interligação regional, os quadros de comércio transfronteiriço e as estruturas de financiamento podem alinhar melhor o crescimento da produção com a expansão da rede.

Os mercados de energia experimentam reformas

A par dos desafios de infraestruturas, o setor elétrico africano está a passar por uma reforma de mercado gradual — mas desigual. A maioria dos países ainda opera sistemas verticalmente integrados, dominados por empresas de serviços públicos estatais, mas um número crescente está a introduzir quadros competitivos para atrair capital privado e melhorar a eficiência.

O Zimbábue abriu o seu mercado de eletricidade à participação privada total nas áreas da produção, transmissão e distribuição em 2025, com o objetivo de atrair 9 mil milhões de dólares em novos investimentos. A África do Sul está a avançar com um dos programas de expansão da rede mais ambiciosos do continente, com planos para 14 500 km de novas linhas de transmissão e 133 000 MVA de capacidade de transformadores até 2034, a par de mecanismos concebidos para atrair financiamento privado. Entretanto, o Quénia introduziu regulamentação de acesso aberto que permite aos produtores independentes de energia transportar eletricidade diretamente para vários consumidores, redefinindo a forma como os ativos de produção interagem com a rede.

A integração regional continua fragmentada

Os esforços para ligar os sistemas elétricos fragmentados de África estão a avançar, embora a ritmos diferentes consoante as regiões. Na África Austral, o programa RETRADE SAPP do Banco Mundial, aprovado em 2025, está a investir 12 milhões de dólares para reforçar a integração das energias renováveis e a capacidade de transmissão em 12 Estados-Membros. Na África Oriental, a «Autoestrada Elétrica» Etiópia–Quénia–Tanzânia encontra-se agora em fase de operações experimentais com uma capacidade de até 2 000 MW, marcando um passo significativo rumo a uma rede regional mais interligada.

A África Ocidental também está a avançar para uma integração mais profunda, com a sincronização permanente do Pool Elétrico da África Ocidental prevista para 2026. Analistas, incluindo a African Finance Corporation, defendem que essa sincronização é fundamental para desbloquear o potencial hidroelétrico em grande escala e a procura industrial em toda a região. A longo prazo, a sincronização total entre os pools de energia da África Oriental e da África Austral — prevista para o final de 2026 — poderá criar um dos maiores corredores transfronteiriços de comércio de eletricidade do mundo.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para African Energy Chamber.

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June 25, 2026

Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

Source: APO

Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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June 25, 2026

Les contraintes du réseau électrique africain au cœur des débats alors que les marchés régionaux s’orientent vers l’intégration

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

La demande en électricité de l’Afrique devrait presque doubler pour atteindre 2 291 TWh d’ici 2050, ce qui nécessitera environ 30 milliards de dollars d’investissements dans les infrastructures de transport et de réseau afin de libérer et d’intégrer de nouvelles capacités de production. Pourtant, à travers le continent, les réseaux électriques peinent à suivre le rythme de l’expansion rapide des sources d’approvisionnement et de la hausse de la demande.

Au Nigeria, les pannes répétées du réseau à l’échelle nationale, survenues encore récemment en février 2026, soulignent la fragilité d’une infrastructure de transport vieillissante. En Afrique de l’Est, des pannes de pylônes le long de la ligne Loiyangalani-Suswa, longue de 428 km, ont temporairement bloqué la production de Lake Turkana Wind Power, la plus grande installation éolienne d’Afrique. Parallèlement, les pressions liées à la croissance de la demande s’accélèrent en Afrique du Nord, où la consommation d’électricité devrait augmenter d’environ 50 % d’ici 2035, sous l’effet de l’urbanisation, des projets de dessalement et des hausses de température liées au climat.

Malgré ces contraintes, les investissements dans la production continuent de s’accélérer à travers l’Afrique, en particulier dans les énergies renouvelables, la production d’électricité à partir du gaz et les systèmes hybrides. Cependant, sans investissements équivalents dans le transport et l’interconnexion, une grande partie de cette nouvelle capacité risque d’être sous-utilisée ou de devenir « bloquée ». Ce déséquilibre croissant entre la production et la capacité du réseau conduit à accorder une attention accrue à la planification à l’échelle du système et à la conception des marchés régionaux – des enjeux qui seront au cœur de la conférence « Power Africa Today », récemment lancée dans le cadre de l’African Energy Week 2026. Cette plateforme réunira des décideurs politiques, des services publics, des investisseurs et des développeurs afin d’étudier comment l’interconnexion régionale, les cadres d’échanges transfrontaliers et les structures de financement peuvent mieux aligner la croissance de la production sur l’extension du réseau.

Les marchés de l’électricité expérimentent des réformes

Parallèlement aux défis liés aux infrastructures, le secteur électrique africain connaît une réforme progressive – mais inégale – du marché. La plupart des pays exploitent encore des systèmes verticalement intégrés dominés par des services publics d’État, mais un nombre croissant d’entre eux mettent en place des cadres concurrentiels pour attirer les capitaux privés et améliorer l’efficacité.

Le Zimbabwe a ouvert son marché de l’électricité à une participation privée totale dans les domaines de la production, du transport et de la distribution en 2025, avec pour objectif 9 milliards de dollars de nouveaux investissements. L’Afrique du Sud met en œuvre l’un des programmes d’extension du réseau les plus ambitieux du continent, avec des projets visant à construire 14 500 km de nouvelles lignes de transport et à atteindre une capacité de transformation de 133 000 MVA d’ici 2034, parallèlement à des mécanismes destinés à attirer les financements privés. Le Kenya, quant à lui, a introduit une réglementation d’accès ouvert permettant aux producteurs d’électricité indépendants d’acheminer directement l’électricité vers plusieurs clients, redéfinissant ainsi la manière dont les actifs de production s’interfacent avec le réseau.

L’intégration régionale reste fragmentée

Les efforts visant à interconnecter les réseaux électriques fragmentés de l’Afrique progressent, bien qu’à des rythmes différents selon les régions. En Afrique australe, le programme RETRADE SAPP de la Banque mondiale, approuvé en 2025, consacre 12 millions de dollars au renforcement de l’intégration des énergies renouvelables et des capacités de transport dans 12 États membres. En Afrique de l’Est, l’« autoroute électrique » Éthiopie-Kenya-Tanzanie est désormais en phase d’essai à une puissance pouvant atteindre 2 000 MW, ce qui marque une avancée significative vers un réseau régional davantage interconnecté.

L’Afrique de l’Ouest s’oriente également vers une intégration plus poussée, la synchronisation permanente du Pool électrique d’Afrique de l’Ouest étant prévue pour 2026. Des analystes, dont l’African Finance Corporation, affirment qu’une telle synchronisation est essentielle pour libérer le potentiel hydroélectrique à grande échelle et répondre à la demande industrielle dans toute la région. À plus long terme, la synchronisation complète entre les pools électriques d’Afrique de l’Est et d’Afrique australe – prévue pour fin 2026 – pourrait créer l’un des plus grands corridors transfrontaliers d’échange d’électricité au monde.

Mettre en place des architectures financières viables

Si l’interconnexion progresse, les infrastructures ne suffisent pas à elles seules à créer des marchés de l’électricité attractifs pour les investisseurs. Ces derniers citent régulièrement l’absence de structures d’achat standardisées, de contreparties solvables et de garanties de paiement transfrontalières comme des obstacles majeurs à l’augmentation des investissements.

De nouveaux modèles voient le jour pour remédier à ces contraintes. Africa GreenCo, qui opère en Zambie, en Namibie et en Afrique du Sud, contribue à regrouper les producteurs d’électricité indépendants sous l’égide d’un seul intermédiaire solvable, ce qui permet de normaliser les contrats d’achat d’électricité et de réduire le risque de contrepartie. À un niveau plus large, l’AUDA-NEPAD estime que l’Afrique a besoin d’environ 30 milliards de dollars d’investissements supplémentaires pour achever les corridors de transport prioritaires et mettre en place trois blocs commerciaux régionaux entièrement interconnectés d’ici 2030.

« Les marchés de l’électricité interconnectés constituent le fondement de l’avenir industriel de l’Afrique », a déclaré NJ Ayuk, président exécutif de l’African Energy Chamber. « La question posée lors de l’Africa Energy Week n’est pas de savoir si l’intégration est possible – les preuves en existent déjà. La question est de savoir quels cadres réglementaires et quelles structures financières permettront de mener les projets à leur terme financier, et quels marchés seront prêts lorsque les capitaux chercheront à s’investir. »

La conférence «Power Africa Today» se tiendra en marge de l’AEW 2026, qui aura lieu du 12 au 16 octobre au Cap, et se concentrera sur l’architecture réglementaire, financière et infrastructurelle nécessaire à la mise en place de marchés de l’électricité interconnectés, capables d’attirer des capitaux institutionnels et de fournir une énergie transfrontalière fiable à grande échelle.

Distribué par APO Group pour African Energy Chamber.

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June 25, 2026

Radisson Hotel Group shapes the future of healthcare meeting design

Source: APO

Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) (www.RadissonHotels.com) is helping drive a new era in healthcare meeting planning, contributing to the industry’s evolution from operational event delivery to a structured, strategic discipline focused on improving scientific exchange, decision-making, and healthcare outcomes.

The findings emerge from the Radisson Hotel Group Knowledge Exchange: Healthcare Planning, Design and Strategy Summit held in Florence, Italy, where 75 experts from across the pharmaceutical, healthcare agency, and venue production sectors came together to explore the future of healthcare meeting design. Built to drive tangible outcomes, the two-day summit centered on collaborative working sessions and practical workshops that translated industry insights into actionable frameworks, rather than a traditional conference format.

The resulting report identifies a clear industry shift: healthcare meetings are increasingly being recognized not as standalone events, but as strategic communication systems that require structured design, measurable methodologies, and continuous improvement.

“Healthcare meetings are no longer simply logistical exercises—they are strategic communication platforms that can drive measurable educational, scientific, and organizational outcomes,” said Muriel Poulenc, Senior Director, Sales Strategy at Radisson Hotel Group. “Across the industry, we are seeing growing recognition that better outcomes require more than flawless execution. They require structured design, integrated workflows, and a more deliberate approach to how meetings are planned, delivered, and measured. The organizations embracing this shift will be best positioned to create meaningful impact.”

Healthcare meeting design is becoming a discipline

A central theme emerging from the Florence summit is the growing professionalization of healthcare meeting planning. As regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectations, and organizational complexity continue to increase, the industry is moving toward shared methodologies, frameworks, and measurement systems that support more consistent and effective outcomes.

Building on discussions first initiated at the 2025 Knowledge Exchange, participants worked to translate industry insight into practical, repeatable tools designed to improve meeting effectiveness, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. The report argues that healthcare meetings should no longer be viewed as isolated events, but as intentionally designed systems that support learning, collaboration, and decision-making across the healthcare ecosystem.

The healthcare meeting planner is becoming a decision architect

As healthcare meetings become more complex, the role of the planner is evolving beyond coordination and logistics. The report highlights the emergence of meeting planners as strategic decision architects, responsible for aligning stakeholders, structuring workflows, and helping organizations make better decisions throughout the planning lifecycle.

Workshop discussions revealed that many organizational challenges, including delays, inefficiencies, and rework, are often the result of fragmented decision-making rather than execution shortcomings. Participants concluded that better meetings depend on better decision structures, greater alignment, and earlier strategic involvement from planners.

AI won’t fix healthcare meetings. Better systems will

While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to dominate industry conversations, the Florence summit challenged the assumption that technology alone will solve healthcare meeting challenges. According to discussions and data presented during the summit, while AI adoption across the industry is high, relatively few organizations are achieving its full value. Participants agreed that the real challenge is not technology adoption, but the integration of AI into coherent workflows, governance models, and decision-making systems.

The report identifies fragmented processes, disconnected workflows, and inconsistent planning structures as some of the industry’s most significant barriers to progress. In many organizations, as much as 40–60% of planning activity remains focused on non-value-creating work.

To address these challenges, RHG advocates for the adoption of structured methodologies, including Lean Six Sigma, Agile, and Sprint thinking, to redesign healthcare meeting planning around flow, efficiency, and measurable outcomes.

Build. Measure. Learn.

One of the report’s key contributions is the introduction and exploration of the Meeting Flow Efficiency Ratio (MFER), a framework designed to measure the balance between value-creating activity and reactive planning effort. The model demonstrates how organizations can increase productive planning time by improving workflow design, reducing friction, and creating greater alignment across teams and stakeholders.

The report also reinforces the need to move beyond one-off event thinking toward a continuous engagement model. This evolution is particularly important given the report’s finding that 66% of healthcare professionals change their clinical practice or prescribing behavior following participation in industry-sponsored symposia, highlighting the significant influence healthcare meetings can have on professional decision-making and patient outcomes.

An industry ready to evolve

A panel featuring senior leaders from Inizio Engage XD, MCI, Emota, and Open Audience reinforced the report’s conclusions.

Drawing on longitudinal industry data spanning 2018 to 2026, the panel identified a common challenge: not structural failure, but structural inertia. While participation remains strong and investment continues, many traditional meeting formats have failed to evolve alongside changing expectations and technological capabilities.

The report concludes that the future of healthcare meetings will belong to organizations that combine methodology, intelligent orchestration, and strategic design to create more impactful, measurable, and scalable engagement.

By combining sector expertise, collaborative industry engagement and methodology-driven approaches, Radisson Hotel Group continues to support the advancement of healthcare meeting design and contribute to the ongoing development of the discipline globally.

Read the full report here (https://apo-opa.co/4alYzGl).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Radisson Hotel Group.

Media Contact:   
Roberto Tamayo
Director Global PR, Social Media & Influencer Marketing
Roberto.tamayo@radissonhotels.com

Amber April
Manager, Global Corporate PR
Amber.april@radissonhotels.com

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About Radisson Hotel Group:
Radisson Hotel Group is a rapidly expanding international hotel group, operating in EMEA and APAC with more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in +100 countries. The Group’s overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos.

The Radisson brand portfolio includes Radisson Collection, art’otel, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and Prize by Radisson — brought together under one commercial umbrella brand, Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards (https://apo-opa.co/3R5O3fL) is Radisson Hotel Group’s loyalty program, which delivers an elevated experience that makes Every Moment Matter, counting more than 29 million members. As the most streamlined program in the sector, members enjoy exceptional advantages and can access their benefits from day one across a wide range of hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Radisson Meetings (https://apo-opa.co/4oKXIVo) provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions, placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional, and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely Carbon Compensated.

At Radisson Hotel Group, we care for people, communities, and planet (https://apo-opa.co/4eGTsBB) and aim to be Net Zero by 2050 based on the approved Science Based Targets. With unique solutions such as carbon-compensated Radisson Meetings, we make sustainable hotel stays easy. To facilitate sustainable travel choices, all our hotels are becoming verified on Hotel Sustainability Basics.

The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group’s portfolio are subject to health and safety requirements, ensuring we always care for our guests and team members.

For more information, visit our corporate website www.RadissonHotels.com

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June 25, 2026

Morocco’s hidden history: archaeology, DNA and carbon dating rewrite the story of the ancient world

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hamza Benattia, Prehistory, University of Cambridge

For decades, stories about the ancient Mediterranean have centred on the grand cultures of Greece, Rome, Phoenicia and Egypt. North-west Africa seldom enters the picture before the arrival of Phoenician traders on the Moroccan coast about 3,000 years ago.

But archaeology is now revealing a different story.

Long before the first Phoenician ships (from today’s Middle East) sailed the western Mediterranean (between today’s north Africa and southern Europe), communities in what is now Morocco were farming and herding animals. They were also crossing the Strait of Gibraltar and participating in long-distance exchanges.

Map of the study area. Author provided

Over the past decade, I’ve worked on archaeology projects across Morocco. We’ve been investigating the origins of farming, long-distance exchange and the emergence of complex societies there. In my most recent study, I brought together archaeological evidence, radiocarbon dates and genetic data spanning nearly three millennia.

The study reveals that between roughly 3800 and 500 BCE – a period that saw the construction of Stonehenge, the flourishing of New Kingdom Egypt and the rise of Phoenician maritime trade – north-west Africa was not a marginal frontier. It was a crossroads linking the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Saharan worlds.

This has important implications for how we understand Africa’s past. For too long, interpretations of the continent’s history have underestimated the complexity and dynamism of its societies. By bringing north-west Africa back into the picture, archaeology is helping to correct that imbalance and reveal a richer, more interconnected reality.

A centre of multiple worlds

Geography helps explain why north-west Africa occupied such a strategic position in Mediterranean prehistory. The Strait of Gibraltar, which separates present-day Morocco and Spain, is only about 14km wide at its narrowest point. It served as a natural corridor linking Africa and Europe.

Strait of Gibraltar from Africa. Hamza Benattia, CC BY

Far from being isolated, communities in today’s northern Morocco were embedded in long-distance networks for millennia. They maintained contacts with Iberia and other Atlantic regions and they interacted with Saharan populations. Later, they engaged with Mediterranean traders and settlers.

They were not passive participants in these exchanges. Archaeological evidence increasingly suggests that local communities actively participated in the networks that connected the western Mediterranean.

Early farmers and innovation

Farming was present in north-west Africa from at least 5400 BC, during the Neolithic period when agriculture was spreading across much of the western Mediterranean.

By around 3800 BC, communities in what is now Morocco were practising increasingly intensive farming and animal husbandry. One striking example is Oued Beht. At this large open-air settlement people cultivated crops, raised livestock and stored surplus food in hundreds of large underground pits.

Painted pottery from Oued Beht. OBAP

Recent excavations reveal this was no small farming village. Covering around ten hectares, Oued Beht is among the largest agricultural settlements known in prehistoric Africa. The site may have supported a population of more than a thousand people, pointing to a level of organisation rarely documented in north-west Africa at this time.

These developments coincided with broader environmental changes, including the Sahara gradually becoming a desert. The dryness may have encouraged communities to invest more heavily in agriculture, food storage and long-term settlement in order to adapt to a less predictable environment.

At the same time, there’s clear evidence of interaction with Iberia, the peninsula that includes today’s Spain and Portugal. Shared painted pottery styles, together with ivory and ostrich eggshell objects, point to regular contacts across the Strait of Gibraltar. These local communities were already active participants in wider networks of exchange.

New influences and local continuity

During the third millennium BC, north-west Africa became part of the wider Bell Beaker phenomenon. It takes its name from distinctive bell-shaped drinking vessels which appear across a network of communities that stretch across Atlantic Europe and the western Mediterranean.

Beaker vessel. Wikimedia Commons

For decades, the presence of Bell Beaker pottery in the region was interpreted as evidence that local communities were simply adopting cultural innovations from Europe.

Yet in Morocco, Bell Beaker objects are found alongside distinctive local traditions. This suggests local communities were selectively integrating new elements into existing cultural frameworks.

Copper objects from Morocco. Ignacio Montero

This was clearly a process of exchange, adaptation and local agency.

The elusive Bronze Age

The second millennium BC remains one of the least understood periods in north-west African prehistory. In Iberia, large, fortified settlements and clear social hierarchies emerge. The archaeological record in north-west Africa is more fragmentary.

Even so, there are important clues.

Burial practices such as stone-built cist graves point to changes in social organisation. At sites like Kach Kouch, there is evidence for settled farming communities with round houses, storage facilities and animal herding.

Ballintober sword found in Morocco. Claudia Plamp

There are also signs of long-distance connections continuing into this period. For example, a bronze sword recovered from the bed of a river in northern Morocco has close parallels in the British Isles. This suggests links extending far beyond the Mediterranean.

Encounters with the Phoenicians

By the early first millennium BC, Phoenician traders and settlers from the eastern Mediterranean – today’s Lebanon – began establishing settlements along the north African coast. Traditionally, this has been interpreted as a process of colonisation, with local populations as passive recipients of a more advanced culture.

Recent archaeological evidence challenges this.

Aerial image of the hilltop settlement at Kach Kouch, Morocco. Hamza Benattia, CC BY

At sites like Kach Kouch, local communities continued their own architectural traditions and lifestyle. They selectively adopted new elements, like wheel-made pottery and iron tools.

Kach Kouch and other settlements suggest that these societies negotiated encounters with incoming groups. They incorporated new ideas into existing cultural traditions on their own terms.

The arrival of the Phoenicians, then, did not mark the beginning of complex societies in Morocco. It was a new chapter in a much longer history of interaction, adaptation and exchange.

These advances reflect decades of work by Moroccan and international research teams. Much remains for archaeologists to do. Large parts of the region are still underexplored and new discoveries have the potential to transform our understanding even further.

What is already clear, however, is that the prehistory of north-west Africa is a story of local communities actively shaping their own place in the ancient world.

– Morocco’s hidden history: archaeology, DNA and carbon dating rewrite the story of the ancient world
– https://theconversation.com/moroccos-hidden-history-archaeology-dna-and-carbon-dating-rewrite-the-story-of-the-ancient-world-279226

June 25, 2026

Government intensifies immigration crackdown, strengthens borders

Source: Government of South Africa

Government intensifies immigration crackdown, strengthens borders

Government has unveiled a wide-ranging and coordinated migration management strategy aimed at strengthening border security, intensifying enforcement against illegal immigration, addressing asylum system backlogs, and closing legal and administrative gaps in the country’s immigration framework.

President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the measures while responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, where he said government had adopted a comprehensive approach to managing migration challenges.

He said illegal immigration has been identified as a significant national concern.

“The government has identified illegal immigration as a significant challenge in our country, which has implications for social cohesion, national security, and the provision of services to our people,” he said.

The President said Cabinet adopted a comprehensive migration management approach on 3 June 2026, which has since been endorsed through various governance structures, including the Presidential Coordinating Council, and engagements with social partners.

The first pillar of the strategy focuses on strengthened enforcement of immigration and labour laws.

“Law enforcement agencies are intensifying the identification and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. This work will be supported by dedicated immigration courts,” he said.

He said compliance monitoring at workplaces will also be increased through inspections and stricter penalties for employers who violate immigration laws.

“The Department of Employment and Labor is recruiting 10 inspectors, as I announced in the State of the Nation address, and will increase penalties for employers breaching the immigration act,” he said.

The second pillar focuses on border management and infrastructure upgrades.

“We are directing resources to border infrastructure technology, as well as bringing in more personnel to guard our borders,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said government will redevelop the country’s six busiest ports of entry, while refugee reception centres will be relocated closer to border posts to improve efficiency and control.

The third pillar of the approach is the modernisation and digitisation of the immigration system.

“We are establishing an intelligent population register with biometric data underpinned by a digital ID and phasing out the green ID books that enable identity theft,” he said.

He added that the electronic travel authorisation system will be expanded to all airports and major land ports of entry.

Government is also taking steps to address corruption and inefficiencies in the system through increased use of technology and data integration across departments.

The fourth pillar focuses on legal and policy reforms.

Cabinet has approved a revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, which will guide a unified legal framework for migration management.

The National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill are expected to introduce quotas for the employment of foreign nationals as part of efforts to regulate labour migration more effectively.

On asylum management, the President said government is working to resolve long-standing backlogs in the system.

“The Refugee Appeal Authority has recruited a number of advocates as additional adjudicators and continues to receive capacity support from the UN High Commission for Refugees to determine and finalize outstanding appeals,” he said.

The fifth pillar focuses on regional and continental cooperation, recognising that migration pressures cannot be addressed in isolation.

“South Africa cannot address migration alone through SADC, the African Union and bilateral relations that we have with many countries, we will work together to tackle political instability, conflict, and economic hardships that drive people to leave their homes and to come here,” he said.

President Ramaphosa emphasised that migration enforcement must remain a state function and warned against vigilantism.

“We’ve made it clear that every person within the borders must be here more. We have also said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the state and the state law, and that no individual may stop any person to demand documentation or proof of identity or nationality,” he said.

He warned against discrimination and intolerance. The President said government remains prepared to deal with any attempts to destabilise the country.

“As government, as government, we have put in place security and other measures to deal with any attempts to destabilize our country, whether by citizens or foreign nationals, and we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilize the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise.”

“Our security forces are ready, and those who transgress the measures that we are putting in place will definitely meet the might of the law,” the President said.

On labour enforcement, President Ramaphosa said government will continue strengthening compliance mechanisms, including inspections and enforcement actions against exploitative practices.

He also addressed the recruitment of labour inspectors, confirming that government remains committed to deploying 10 000 inspectors announced in the State of the Nation Address, but said implementation will be phased due to fiscal constraints.

“Regarding immigration, we have determined that indeed we will be bringing in all those 10,000. We are doing it in phases. We’re doing it in phases largely because of the budgetary concerns and restrictions that we have,” he said.

He said training will be prioritised to ensure inspectors are properly equipped for their responsibilities.

Responding to concerns over migrant deaths in the Northern Cape, the President expressed condolences and emphasised the need for humane treatment of all people within South Africa’s borders.

“As South Africans, we pay our condolences to their families and to the governments of their countries, and we want this whole process of immigration to be handled within the parameters of our law and as smoothly as possible, for they too are human, and as South Africans we must handle all these matters in accordance with our human rights culture and in accordance with our values,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa also noted that a number of undocumented migrants have opted for voluntary return processes.

“A number of them have opted to leave on a voluntary basis, and so therefore we are facilitating that almost 10,000 of them, particularly from Malawi, have opted to leave, and our officials are processing all that through the various reception centers in a number of our provinces,” the President said.

He added that government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, through NatJoints, has developed contingency plans to respond to any potential unrest linked to migration enforcement operations.

The President concluded by stressing that migration reform must be balanced, lawful and coordinated across all spheres of government and regional partners. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 15:40

June 25, 2026

No place for xenophobia, vigilantism in South Africa – President Ramaphosa

Source: Government of South Africa

No place for xenophobia, vigilantism in South Africa – President Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against vigilantism, xenophobia and any attempts to destabilise the country, stressing that the enforcement of immigration laws remains the responsibility of the state.

The President said this while responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday on government’s response to illegal immigration and migration management.

President Ramaphosa said while government had identified illegal immigration as a significant challenge, South Africans should not take the law into their own hands.

“We have also said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the state and the state law, and that no individual may stop any person to demand documentation or proof of identity or nationality,” the President said.

He emphasised that South Africa remains committed to upholding human rights and protecting all people within its borders.

“There is no place for sexism, for xenophobia, for Afrophobia, or any other form of intolerance,” the President said.

The remarks come amid growing public debate around illegal immigration and calls by some groups for stronger action against undocumented foreign nationals.

President Ramaphosa said government had already put measures in place to address illegal immigration through strengthened law enforcement, border security, immigration reforms and regional cooperation.
At the same time, he cautioned against actions that could fuel social tensions or undermine the rule of law.

“As government, we have put in place security and other measures to deal with any attempts to destabilise our country, whether by citizens or foreign nationals, and we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise.”

The President said security agencies remain on high alert and are prepared to respond to any threats to public order.

“Our security forces are ready, and those who transgress the measures that we are putting in place will definitely meet the might of the law,” he said.

Responding to a supplementary question on contingency plans to prevent possible violence and attacks against foreign nationals on the 30 June, President Ramaphosa said government was prepared to maintain law and order.

This as the South African Police Service (SAPS) working closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the metro and private security stands fully prepared for the planned demonstrations on 30 June.

“Our security forces are ready. Natjoints is firmly in charge of what could happen. Therefore, it is our responsibility collectively and it is all of us who are accountable, particularly all of us who are here as leaders,” he said.

The President expressed confidence that South Africans would reject violence and unlawful conduct.

“I am a strong believer that South Africans are peaceful people. They are not xenophobic, they are not Afrophobic as well, and they want peace,” he said.

He said citizens want to go about their daily lives without disruption and that leaders across society have a responsibility to promote calm and stability.

President Ramaphosa called on political leaders and communities to work with government and law enforcement agencies to prevent any attempts to destabilise the country.

“Where there might be people who want to destabilise the country, we should speak out. We should take whatever action that is necessary on a legal basis, and work with our security forces, and work with our government officials.”

The President reiterated that while government remains committed to tackling illegal immigration, all actions must be carried out within the confines of the law and in a manner consistent with South Africa’s constitutional values and human rights culture. – SAnews.gov.za.

DikelediM
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 15:34