Category: Africa

Source: APO

The upcoming Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) programme features the continent’s entire carbon markets value chain in what is a compelling combination of successful early carbon market movers, climate-finance-ready projects, regulatory bodies as well as global institutional development organisations and investors. The event is taking place in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 October, with pre-conference sessions on 21 October.

CMAS is dedicated to unlocking Africa’s carbon market potential, incorporating integrity, investment and impact. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) are official supporters of the event.

Shifting global landscape
Day 1’s opening session will focus on the continent’s pivotal opportunity to define its own carbon trajectory, attract meaningful investment and align carbon market growth with the priorities of climate resilience, equity and sustainable development. Speakers already confirmed include:
– Iain Banner, Chairman, South Africa
– Fenella Aouane, Global Green Growth Institute, Luxembourg
– Maxwell Gomera, UNDP
– Javier Manzanares, Allen Manza, Panama
– Caroline Tixier, EU Delegation to South Africa
– Angela Churie Kallhauge, Impact, Environmental Defence Fund, USA

Aligning strategy with global agendas
The session on the “Road to COP30: Aligning Africa’s Carbon Strategy with Global Agendas” will look compare Africa’s carbon strategy with global frameworks such as Article 6. High-level representatives from the GMEX Group, AfDBm Verra and ACMI will be part of this panel discussion.

Carbon market frameworks
As African countries move from climate ambition to implementation, regulatory clarity is becoming the cornerstone of carbon market development. A session titled “Turning Policy into Action,” will explore how national frameworks are evolving post-COP29, what integration of Article 6 looks like on the ground and how public-private collaboration can drive effective execution. Strong representation from across the continent and value chain bodes for an enlightening discussion, including the UNDP, Government of Nigeria, the South African Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment, Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and Uganda Climate Change Department.

The challenges with regards to integrity that carbon markets have faced will be tackled head-on during CMAS. Promethium’s Principal Climate Change Advisor Olivia Tuchten will lead the panel discussion around standards, verification and market oversight with experts from Verra, Gold Standard and Anthesis.

Financing Africa’s carbon pipeline
Day 2 of the packed CMAS programme features investor roundtables in a more intimate setting, aimed at “Connecting Climate Capital with Scalable Carbon Solutions,” during which a select group of carbon market investors and financiers can present their funds, strategies and investment opportunities to both potential capital partners and carbon project developers.

Keynote on investment
Day 2’s keynote session on “Financing Africa’s Carbon Pipeline: Derisking, Scaling and Innovating” will address both sides of the investment equation with participants from Shell Nature Based Solutions, Standard Bank, MIGA, AfDB and South Pole.

Jonathan First, Senior Advisor at Climate Policy Initiative will also unpack the question of how to mobilise private capital for Africa’s carbon markets with several financiers from TransEnergy Global, FSD Africa, the JSE and JP Morgan.

Pre-conference day
The CARBON 101 masterclass will provide investors, policymakers and developers with the necessary insights into the burgeoning business of carbon markets. The expert facilitators in this relatively new field will cover everything from international frameworks, African policy landscapes, credit integrity and investment fundamentals.

“Trust plays a key role”
As part of CMAS 2025’s mission to catalyse high-integrity, African-led carbon markets, Dominic Wilhelm, Executive Director of the Global Trust Project, will also lead a high-impact dialogue working session.

“While the current value of carbon markets as of 2023 is about $950 billion, within the next 10 years, it’s going to be worth $16 trillion,” says Wilhelm. “However, the full value chain of carbon markets is very fragmented, and it’s not transparent. Therefore, the full value chain needs to rapidly come together in a high-level dialogue, in which trust plays a key role to solve some of these challenges.”

VUKA Group 
Carbon Markets Africa Summit is organised by VUKA Group, which has more than 20 years’ experience in serving the business community across Africa.

Event dates and location:
Dates:
21 October: Pre-summit day
22–23 October: Summit
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Additional Information:
Download the Carbon Markets Africa Summit Programme Brochure here:
https://apo-opa.co/44xg9Dg

Contact details for Carbon Markets Africa Summit:
Tailor-made partnerships: Natalie Kruger
Cell: +66 (0) 65 614 8605
Email: natalie.kruger@wearevuka.com

Project Lead: Emmanuelle Nicholls 
Cell: +27 83 447 8410  
Email: emmanuelle.nicholls@wearevuka.com  

Event website: 
www.CarbonMarketsAfrica.com

Source: APO

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany met HIS EXCELLENCY MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Republic of Mauritius, during a high-level meeting, to share the impact of their programs and underscore their long-term commitment to transform public healthcare in Mauritius.  

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother” Campaign emphasized, “It was a great honor to meet H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Mauritius and share with him the impact of our partnership and programs since 2017 that aim to transform patient care, build healthcare and media capacity, to empower women in STEM, support girl education and raise awareness about social and health issues in Mauritius and the rest of Africa. 

I am proud to share that we have provided 100 scholarships for Mauritian doctors in 42 critical and under-served specialties. During our meeting, we also discussed the possibility of providing specialized training for Mauritian doctors in innovative and emerging fields such as Stem Cell Therapy in pathology, CAR T-cell treatment, AI in Radiology, Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology, Robotic Surgical Oncology, Neurology, Nephrology, Urology, and Neurosurgery.” 

She further added, “We are strongly committed to work closely with Ministry of Health to improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions.” 

The 100 scholarships for local Mauritian Doctors have been provided for One-Year PG Diploma and Two-year Master Degrees in many critical specialties including Fertility, Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Oncology, Preventative Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Acute Medicine, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Neuroimaging for Research, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, Critical Care, Neonatal Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Advanced Cytopathology and many more.

Merck Foundation has so far provided more than 2280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, with many of them becoming the first specialists in their countries.

During her visit, Merck Foundation CEO also met the Hon’ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare,  and senior officials from the Office of Hon’ble Minister of Health, Mauritius. 

Merck Foundation also conducted the 4th Edition of their Health Media Training for the Mauritian Media Representatives in partnership with Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius. The training session was conducted to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, Stopping GBV, Diabetes and Hypertension awareness. It was co-chaired by Merck Foundation CEO and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius.  

During the training session, the Call for Application for 8 important Merck Foundation Awards were announced for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.  

The award announced are: 

1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels. 

Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.  

2. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025, in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels. 

Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.  

3. Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels. 

Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.  

4. Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels. 

Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.  

5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. 

Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.  

6. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”, in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. 

Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.  

7. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. 

Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.  

8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. 

Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.  

Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at: submit@merck-foundation.com 

For information on the above awards, please visit our website: www.Merck-Foundation.com 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Contact:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager
+91 9310087613
+91 9319606669
mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

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About Merck Foundation:  
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/45OYtFD), X (https://apo-opa.co/4la7sWx), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4nxsBM9), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3Ib03rE), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/44tqLDg) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/45VKr5e). 

The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors. 

Source: APO

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A new study carried out by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) confirms the critical role international health teams have played in strengthening outbreak response across the African continent. The study also highlights the need for more strategic and locally tailored support models to ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

Presented and validated during a high-level virtual workshop held from 23 to 24 June 2025, the study offers one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of international technical deployments and their impact on national outbreak preparedness and response systems in African Union (AU) Member States between 2020 and 2023.

The findings show that international teams provided crucial short-term surge capacity across several public health domains, including surveillance, laboratory systems, epidemiology, infection prevention and control, clinical care, and risk communication. Notably, nearly half of all deployments supported two or more of these areas, underscoring their value in addressing multifaceted outbreak challenges.

Beyond emergency response, the study details how international teams supported countries through the provision of equipment and infrastructure, the development of operational systems and protocols, the transfer of skills through training, the enhancement of coordination structures, and rapid deployment of human resources during critical capacity gaps.

“These deployments have delivered vital expertise, resources, and rapid response capacity at crucial moments,” said Dr Radjabu Bigirimana, Programme Lead for Africa CDC’s African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC). “However, they also raise important questions about sustainability, coordination, and how we strengthen long-term national preparedness systems.”

While national stakeholders widely appreciated the contributions of international teams, the study also captured reflections from international partners on the importance of aligning deployments with local needs, existing national capacities, and longer-term health security goals. Effectiveness, the study found, often depended on the expertise of deployed personnel and their integration into existing national response systems.

“This workshop reinforces the need for global partnerships to evolve—where international deployments are not just reactive measures, but deliberate investments in national systems, tailored to local realities and long-term goals,” said Dr Edmund Newman, Director of the UK-PHRST.

“Evidence-informed learning must guide how we improve emergency public health deployments,” added Dr Femi Nzegwu, Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning lead at UK-PHRST. “The findings of the report validate experiences across Africa but also point to what must change to ensure deployments are more effective, context-specific, equitable, and empowering for Member States.”

The workshop resulted in the collaborative development of a roadmap to operationalise the report’s recommendations, serving as a good practice guide on how to enable sustainable solutions in outbreak management among AU Member States. In turn, the report lays a foundation for reducing long-term reliance on external surge capacity by strengthening national health systems.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Source: APO

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On a hot and humid Thursday afternoon, the courtyard of The Gambia’s Central Medical Store swarms with people. Despite the oppressive heat, dozens of people gather under a large tent.

From time to time, clouds appear before dissipating, while the small puddles left by a light rainfall the day before remind everyone of the onset of the rainy season, a period known to bring a surge in malaria cases.

Against this backdrop, the Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) officially handed over a vital consignment of anti-malarial medications to the Ministry of Health in support of the upcoming Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.

This life-saving donation is part of the “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, funded by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 

“This delivery comes at the right time,” said Lamine Dampha, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health during the handover ceremony. “The rainy season, commonly referred to as ‘malaria season’, has just begun. These medications will allow us to protect tens of thousands of people, especially children under five, who continue to bear the highest burden of malaria, across the country”.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Charles Businge, the IFRC’s regional director for Africa emphasized that these medications come at a crucial time when global funding for malaria is declining.

In this context, Ibou Fye Njie, secretary general of the GRCS, says these medicines take on even greater significance. 

“Delivery of these medicines marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to achieve a malaria-free Gambia, while emphasizing that the project will finance the operational costs for the implementation of four SMC cycles during the 2025 malaria season in Kombo North District,” he said.

Supporting a nationwide mosquito nets distribution campaign

Valued at over USD 108,000 (excluding transport costs estimated at USD 35,000), the medications handover follows a large-scale mosquito net distribution campaign, conducted in partnership with the Senegalese authorities as part of a coordinated cross-border malaria control effort. 

More than 1.5 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed free of charge to households across The Gambia.

Supporting this nationwide effort, 280 Red Cross volunteers were mobilized across all regions to raise awareness about malaria prevention. They went door-to-door educating families about the proper use of mosquito nets, provided information on where to collect them, and assisted Ministry of Health staff with registering beneficiaries.

“I’m very grateful to have received a mosquito net,” said a mother of three from the Central River Region. “This year, I know my children and I will be protected from malaria.”

Malaria: a major public health threat

Malaria is one of the top ten causes of death in The Gambia, with the entire population of the country at risk of the disease. It also remains a leading cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in The Gambia, where under-five mortality rate remains high at 56 per 1,000 live births. 

Despite significant progress in recent years, global malaria funding is insufficient to sustain essential services for a growing population and addressing biological and non-biological threats. 

Speaking on behalf of His Excellency Liu Jin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to The Gambia, Mr. Zhan Tong, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, reaffirmed China’s commitment:

“We are confident that, with the strong support of the Chinese government and the international community, we will see tangible progress very soon,” he said.

The “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, launched in September 2024, will run through September 2026, with a total budget of USD 1,978,879.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Source: APO

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In the village of Dalafilani, Guinea, discover how the Guinean Red Cross supported the community to come together, building a network of canals to reduce the risks of flooding and infectious diseases.

For as long as they can remember, the people of Dalafilani—a small, rural village of 2,000 people in central Guinea—have faced a recurring and significant problem: flooding. 

Every time heavy rains came, water coursed through the village, damaging homes and leaving large pools of polluted, stagnant water—the perfect breeding ground for waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases. 

Not only did the floods jeopardise people’s homes and health, they also caused economic pressures. Villagers used to have to frequently buy medicine to treat relatives who fell sick from flood-related diseases, diverting precious income from other daily needs. 

So when local Guinean Red Cross volunteers rallied the community together to discuss potential solutions, the community decided it would do whatever it takes to keep the floods—and diseases—at bay.  

A community diagnosis at the heart of change

Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), trained Guinean Red Cross volunteers led the community through a participatory risk assessment to understand the problem, discuss the community’s needs and resources, and come up with a workable solution. 

“As members of this community, we worked together to identify the priority problems. During a community diagnosis, the residents recognized that flooding and wastewater were a major source of disease, and that their environment had a direct impact on their health, safety and livelihoods,” explains Guinean Red Cross volunteer, Sekou Oularé. 

“Together, we came up with the idea of constructing a system of canals through the village to evacuate flood and wastewater. The Red Cross facilitated this process, providing tools and logistical support,” he adds. 

Taking collective action

With a plan of action agreed, villagers in Dalafilani quickly got to work turning their idea into reality. 

“We decided to mobilize the whole community. Men and women worked hand in hand to build the canals. We made bricks, dug trenches and transported materials. This work has enabled us to create a functional drainage system that carries rainwater and domestic wastewater away from our village,” explains Fanta Bö Kourouma, president of the Dalafilani youth group.

Guinean Red Cross volunteers were on hand throughout the process—helping to build the canals, map out where they should run to most effectively carry water away from the village, and procure the necessary materials. 

A healthier, safer community in the long-term

Following the construction of the canals, it didn’t take long for the community to see a positive change. The village is cleaner, there are no more pools of stagnant water following the rains, and families are relieved to see their children in better health. 

“Before, we had problems with illness, especially among children. They used to play in the dirty water and it made them sick. It was a heavy burden on our finances because of the cost of medicines. Today, thanks to the drainage system, there are fewer mosquitoes and fewer children are getting sick,” says Gbè Traoré, a resident of Dalafilani.  

Local health authorities have also reported a decrease in diseases, with head of the Dalafilani health post, Bernard Camara, recording significantly fewer medical consultations relating to malaria and water-borne diseases.

Guinea Red Cross volunteers continue to support people in Dalafilani, conducting regular community meetings to raise awareness of epidemic risks and reinforce cleanliness efforts. 

Dalafilani village chief, Fodé Oularé, is relieved to see improvements to his community’s health, and understands they need to keep working together to keep disease risks at bay in the long-term. 

“Before, rainwater was running off in all directions, creating puddles of stagnant water. Now, with the system we’ve built, the water is drained away and we have a cleaner environment. The Red Cross has been working with us to raise awareness and maintain this progress, but it’s up to us, the residents, to keep things clean to prevent disease,” he explains. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Source: APO

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Central African Republic authorities arrested activists holding a memorial event for students who died in a high school explosion, Human Rights Watch said today.

On June 27, 2025, civil society activists organized a vigil in memory of the students who died in the explosion on June 25 at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital, where they were taking year-end exams. The death toll was reported in the media to be 29, with at least 250 others injured. The authorities arrested seven people at the memorial event, including three of the organizers, although all have since been released.

“Students should not fear death or injury when they are attending school and have a right to full public accountability,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should follow through on its obligation to conduct transparent and effective investigations and not target those calling for accountability.”

The government issued a statement on July 1 saying that 20 students died and 65 others were hospitalized. The government has promised an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

The explosion at the school, which occurred when power was being restored to an electrical transformer on the premises, caused a stampede of 5,000 students who were taking exams, according to witnesses and media reports. One student told Human Rights Watch that it took a long time for ambulances to arrive, and that bystanders had to transport the injured to hospitals by motorcycle taxis.

“My daughter had jumped out of a second story window,” the father of a 21-year-old victim, who was not at the scene, told Human Rights Watch. “Her friends and classmates waited for over an hour for an ambulance and decided to take her on a motorcycle, but she died on the way to the hospital. This was her baccalaureate exam, and she was excited for her future. We buried her yesterday and we are still in shock.”

Journalists who covered the incident told Human Rights Watch that the number of dead is 29 and that the number of injured, including those seriously injured, is also higher than the official number. The government should carry out an effective, transparent, and public investigation into both the cause and the extent of the damage immediately, Human Rights Watch said.

The president announced three days of national mourning, which took place from June 27 to 29. Civil society activists from an umbrella group, the Civil Society Working Group (Groupe de Travail de la Société Civile, GTSC), organized a vigil on June 27 to commemorate the victims, call for safer schools, and demand an investigation.

One of the activists told Human Rights Watch the organizers tried to hold the memorial ceremony at the school but were denied access by the Education Ministry because investigations were underway. Understanding this reason, they selected a different location, but the security minister said the vigil was not authorized, citing a 2022 ban on protests in public spaces.

The organizers along with the students and their families started to hold the vigil anyway, but police broke it up and arrested seven people including the three organizers, Gervais Lakosso, Fernand Mandéndjapou, and Paul Crescent Beninga, the activists said.

Photos showing police beating vigil participants, seen by Human Rights Watch, circulated on social media. Human Rights Watch was also sent photos from one of the vigil organizers showing wounds from when he was thrown in a police truck.

“We were trying to light candles and put down flowers in memory of those we lost,” Beninga said. “Where is the security risk in that? We were trying to mourn our young people that were studying for their future and the police came, beat, and arrested us and took us away.”

During their interrogation, three civil society activists were informally accused by the police of “association with criminals” and of having ties to the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution, BRDC), a coalition of opposition parties. People close to the government often disparage the coalition and accuse it of supporting armed groups.

“We were treated like criminals and traitors,” Mandéndjapou said.

The Internal Security Ministry posted its rejection of the activists’ request to hold the memorial event on its Facebook page, along with photos of the three activists in handcuffs. The post says that the “detained,” while free, will “be subject to close police surveillance.”

Authorities took Lakosso and Mandéndjapou to a cell at the National Security Unit and Beninga to a cell at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (Office Central de Répression du Banditisme, OCRB), a police unit in Bangui notorious for abuses, where they spent the night. Sending an activist detained for organizing a memorial for dead students to a facility run by a unit known for torture, executions, and shooting suspects on sight can only be designed to intimidate and send a threatening message to activists.

The three activists, as well as the four others arrested with them, were released after President Faustin-Archange Touadéra intervened, according to the activists and the ministry’s Facebook page.

Since 2022, Central African authorities have cracked down on civil society, media, and opposition political parties. The police have prevented opposition political protests and government officials have made unfounded accusations that civil society activists are collaborating with armed groups.

Repression increased ahead of local and national elections in 2023, and a referendum in 2023 led to a new constitution that removed term limits and allows Touadéra to run for a third term, which had not been permitted under the 2016 constitution.

“When tragedies like this occur, civil society should be able to commemorate, call for accountability, and support people in their grief,” Mudge said. “The government’s crackdown on this memorial event shows how much it relies on repression and assumes the worst from civil society.”

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