Category: Africa

Source: APO

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I have learned with deep sadness of the passing of former Deputy President and former Premier of Mpumalanga, David Dabede Mabuza.

Deputy President Mabuza passed away today, Thursday, 3 July 2025, at a hospital following a short illness. He was 64 years of age.

On behalf of Government and the nation, I offer my profound condolences to the late Deputy President’s wife, Mrs Mabuza, and the children.

I extend my condolences to Deputy President Mabuza’s friends and the people of Mpumalanga whom he served as Premier from 2009 to 2018, and previously as a Member of the Executive Council of Mpumalanga across a range of portfolios.

My thoughts are also with Deputy President Mabuza’s comrades in his political home, the African National Congress, where he was elected as the organisation’s Deputy President in December 2017.

During his service as Deputy President of the Republic, Deputy President Mabuza applied his leadership and mobilisation abilities to his role as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament; leading the South African National Aids Council; coordinating anti-poverty initiatives in the form of Public Employment Programmes, Integrated Service Delivery and Enterprise Development.

Deputy President Mabuza also represented South Africa on global platforms and consolidated relations between South Africa and its closest partners.

As Deputy President, he chaired the Cabinet Committees of Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development (GSCID) as well as Justice, Crime-Prevention and Security (JCPS).

We are saddened today by the loss of a leader who was grounded in activism at the early stages of his political career and who came to lead our nation and shape South Africa’s engagement with our continental compatriots and the international community in his role as Deputy President.

The former Deputy President deserves our appreciation for his deep commitment to the liberation struggle and to the nation’s development as an inclusive, prosperous, democratic state.

Further announcements will be made in due course on memorial arrangements and the honours with which the country will pay its final respects to the former Deputy President.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

Source: APO

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI addressed a message of congratulations to the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, on the occasion of his country’s national day.

In this message, the Sovereign conveys to President Lukashenko His warmest congratulations, along with His best wishes for good health and happiness, and for further progress and prosperity to the people of Belarus.

“I avail myself of this opportunity to commend the relations based on close friendship and mutual esteem between our countries. I therefore look forward to continuing to work with Your Excellency to strengthen our ties and expand our cooperation, for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” HM the King writes.

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

Source: APO

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The Republic of Guatemala affirmed on Thursday that the autonomy initiative put forward by Morocco in 2007 is “the only serious, credible and realistic basis to move towards a lasting agreement for a definitive settlement of this artificial conflict, in full respect of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity and its national sovereignty.”

This position was conveyed by Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Ramiro Martinez Alvarado, during a press briefing following his meeting in Rabat with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

The Guatemalan top diplomat also expressed his country’s full support for the Kingdom’s efforts to reach a political, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to this regional dispute.

Morocco and Guatemala also underlined their commitment to the sacred principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It is worth noting that the Republic of Guatemala was the first Latin American country to open a Consulate General in the city of Dakhla, in December 2022.

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

Source: APO

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Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala, Mr. Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado hailed the outstanding Morocco–Guatemala relations, which are marked by a very positive dynamic, on Thursday in Rabat.

At the end of their meeting, the two ministers highlighted the excellent ties of friendship and solidarity uniting the two nations and agreed on the need to continue these exchanges and to take stock of bilateral relations to bolster them.

They also underscored that international law is fundamentally based on respect for territorial integrity, state sovereignty, and the fulfillment of obligations under treaties and other sources of international law.

Furthermore, the two ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues, particularly the situation in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

They also expressed their shared willingness to continue strengthening the bilateral legal framework to address areas of common interest for cooperation.

To this end, Ministers Mr. Bourita and Alvarado welcomed the signing of the Morocco–Guatemala Cooperation Roadmap for 2025–2027, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding in academic and diplomatic cooperation between the Moroccan Institute for Training, Research, and Diplomatic Studies and the Diplomatic Academy of Guatemala.

They also emphasized that multilateral cooperation remains essential to intensify efforts in areas of shared interest such as trade, food security, sustainable development—including access to energy, water and food, fuels and fertilizers—as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, education, health, pandemic prevention and response, and the fight against terrorism and transnational crime, which are sources of insecurity and corruption.

The ministers also discussed the importance of implementing the SDGs in an integrated and holistic manner, particularly with the goal of eradicating poverty and combating climate change, while promoting sustainable land use and water management.

Concerning migration, which both countries face, Morocco and Guatemala commended the efforts made in this area, particularly within the framework of the Marrakech Pact, the Rabat Process, and the Los Angeles Declaration, reiterating their shared commitment to dynamic mobility that enables a safe, smooth, and orderly movement of people.

On the economic front, both countries highlighted the importance of launching projects aimed at decarbonizing the economy, which offers great potential for investors, especially in the field of renewable energy.

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

Source: APO

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The Eritrean community in Sweden organized a program in Stockholm aimed at transferring the experiences of successful Eritrean youth.

The program, conducted by the Eritrean community in Husby-Kista-Akalla under the theme “From Asmara to Husby,” sought to showcase the efforts and achievements of Eritrean youth in education, nationalism, and the preservation of their culture and identity.

Mr. Yonas Tesfay noted that, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Eritrean communities, many youths have succeeded in various professions—including research, medicine, engineering, computer technology, banking, sports, politics, and the arts. He added that efforts will continue to expand similar initiatives to all Eritrean communities.

During the event, several professionals shared their experiences, including Dr. Haben Mogos: Ms. Sabela Temesgen, innovation and investment expert; Ms. Simona Abraham, television production expert; Mr. Simon Mateos, artist; Mr. Paulos Yohannes, athlete; Mr. Tedros Goitom, film editing expert; and Mr. Dejen Meles.

Founding members of the Husby-Kista-Akalla community, Mr. Gebrehiwet Abraham and Priest Ezra Gebremedhin also provided briefings on the establishment of the community, the stages it has passed through, and the benefits of communal gatherings in fostering nationalism.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

Nigeria is working towards fast-tracking implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock opportunities for businesses in the country across the continent.

Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon. Jumoke Oduwole noted that intra-African trade has been improving.

“Intra African trade exports grew by over 13% from last year supported by new trade corridors and the initial success of AfCFTA’s guideline initiatives. Nigerian businesses are already key participants, exporting, ceramics, garments, pharmaceuticals and agro products across the continent,” Hon. Jumoke said in a keynote address to government officials, the Nigerian trade community, business leaders and investors attending the Nigeria IATF2025 Business Roadshow.

“As we talk about expanding and unlocking new trade markets, we must recognize the creative economy as a serious trade frontier. Platforms such as Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) led by Afreximbank are proving that African culture is bankable not just beautiful.” She added.

The event that was attended by over 700 people focused on promoting intra-African trade under the theme: ‘Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness through AfCFTA.’

The Nigeria IATF2025 roadshow is one of the five in a series of five high-level events in key cities including Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, and Algiers ahead of the fourth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) that will be held in Algiers, Algeria from 4 – 10 September 2025 under the theme ‘Gateway to New Opportunities’. IATF is Africa’s premier trade and investment event that serves as a crucial platform for fostering economic growth, collaboration, and innovation across the continent.

Addressing the forum, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni noted that IATF offers an unparalleled platform for the exchange of trade and investment information and is Africa’s marketplace of ideas, opportunities, and partnerships.

“With frameworks like AFCFTA and platforms like IATF we now have the tools to bridge the trade gap, boost Intra African trade and tremendously grow our economies in a sustainable and inclusive way. We need to build structured, sustainable and competitive value chains that can power inclusive growth both here in Nigeria and across the continent in Africa. We know that AfCFTA promises to be the largest single market in the world, connecting 1.3 billion people across 54 countries in Africa,” Ms Ayeni said.

Building on this, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, Mrs. Kanayo Awani highlighted the tangible results borne out of the trade fair across the continent and in Nigeria specifically.

“In just three editions, IATF has achieved what once felt aspirational: over $100 billion in trade and investment deals, more than 70,000 participants, and 4,500+ exhibitors from across 130 countries. This is not just a conference, it is Africa’s trade engine, designed to connect our producers, unlock demand, and operationalise the promise of the AfCFTA. And in every edition—whether in Cairo, Durban, or beyond, Nigeria has not just participated. Nigeria has led. At IATF2023 alone, Nigerian enterprises generated over $11 billion in signed deals, the highest of any country,” Mrs Awani added.

IATF is a platform for boosting trade and investment in Africa. The last edition held in Cairo attracted nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries and generated US$43.7 billion in trade and investment deals.

Some of the activities lined up for the week-long IATF2025 include a trade exhibition by countries and businesses; the CANEX programme with a dedicated exhibition and summit on fashion, music, film, arts and craft, sports, literature, gastronomy and culinary arts; a four-day Trade and Investment Forum featuring leading African and international speakers; and the Africa Automotive Show for auto manufacturers, assemblers, original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.

Special Days will also be held at IATF2025, dedicated for countries as well as public and private entities to showcase trade and investment opportunities, and tourism and cultural attractions, as well as Global Africa Day to highlight commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora, featuring a Diaspora Summit, market and exhibition, cultural and gastronomic showcase.

Also planned is a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) platform for matchmaking and business exchanges; the AU Youth Start-Up programme showcasing innovative ideas and prototypes; the Africa Research and Innovation Hub @ IATF targeting university students, academia and national researchers to exhibit their innovations and research projects; the Trade Exhibition offering large corporations and SME’s the opportunities to showcase their goods and services, the Trade and Investment Forum, a four day conference featuring sessions and training discussing trade opportunities and barriers.

Others include the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), a showcase of African and Diaspora creative talent, the Special Days segment offering countries, private and public sectors the opportunity to sponsor their special event on specific days, the Africa Automotive show, a platform for auto manufacturers to exhibit their products and interact with potential buyers, IATF Virtual, an interactive online platform that will continue after the live event is over, Diaspora Day highlighting the commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora and the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) to promote trade, investment, educational and cultural exchanges at the local level. The IATF Virtual platform is already live, connecting exhibitors and visitors throughout the year.

To participate in IATF2025 please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

– on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media contact:
media@intrafricatradefair.com 
press@afreximbank.com

About the Intra-African Trade Fair:

Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.

Source: APO – Report:

• Fighting between warring parties is creating a desperate situation for civilians in El Fasher, Sudan, and its surrounding areas.
• MSF’s new report exposes systematic patterns of violence in the area, that includes looting, mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and starvation.
• MSF urges the warring parties to spare civilians and grant access for humanitarian organisations to provide critical aid to people in need.

Mass atrocities are underway in Sudan’s North Darfur region, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned in a report today, urging the warring parties of the conflict in Sudan to halt indiscriminate and ethnically targeted violence and facilitate an immediate large-scale humanitarian response. While daily fighting in El Fasher is already putting lives at risk, MSF is extremely concerned about the threats of a full-blown assault on the hundreds of thousands of people in the city.

As fighting has intensified in the area since May 2024, civilians have continued to be the main victims. The report, Besieged, Attacked, Starved, outlines a desperate situation for civilians in and around El Fasher that requires immediate attention and response. 

“People are not only caught in indiscriminate heavy fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their respective allies – but also actively targeted by the RSF and its allies, notably on the basis of their ethnicity,” says Michel Olivier Lacharité, MSF head of emergencies.

Based on MSF data, direct observations and over 80 interviews conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 with patients and people who were displaced from El Fasher and nearby Zamzam camp, the report exposes systematic patterns of violence that includes looting, mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, starvation and attacks against markets, health facilities, and other civilian infrastructure. 

“As patients and communities tell their stories to our teams and asked us to speak out, while their suffering is hardly on the international agenda, we felt compelled to document these patterns of relentless violence that have been crushing countless lives in general indifference and inaction over the past year,” says Mathilde Simon, MSF’s humanitarian affairs advisor.

Besieged, Attacked, Starved also details how the RSF and their allies conducted a large-scale ground offensive in April on Zamzam camp for displaced people, located outside of El Fasher, which caused an estimated 400,000 people to flee in less than three weeks in appalling conditions. A large portion of the camp’s population fled to El Fasher, where they remained trapped, out of reach of humanitarian aid and exposed to attacks and further mass violence. Tens of thousands more escaped to Tawila, about 60 kilometres away, and to camps across the Chadian border, where hundreds of survivors of violence received care from MSF teams.

“In light of the ethnically motivated mass atrocities committed on the Masalit in West Darfur back in June 2023, and of the massacres perpetrated in Zamzam camp in North Darfur, we fear such a scenario will be repeated in El Fasher. This onslaught of violence must stop,” says Simon.

Several witnesses report that RSF soldiers spoke of plans to ‘clean El Fasher’ of its non-Arab community. Since May 2024, the RSF and their allies have besieged El Fasher, Zamzam camp, and other surrounding localities, cutting communities off from food, water, and medical care. This has contributed to the spread of famine and debilitated the humanitarian response.

Repeated attacks on healthcare facilities forced MSF to end our medical activities in El Fasher in August 2024 and in Zamzam camp in February 2025. In May 2024 alone, health facilities supported by MSF in El Fasher endured at least seven incidents of shelling, bombing or shooting by all warring parties. Indiscriminate airstrikes conducted by the SAF had devastating consequences.

“The SAF bombed our neighbourhood by mistake, then came to apologise. SAF planes sometimes bombed civilian areas without any RSF [presence], I saw it in different places,” says one woman.

The harrowing level of violence on the roads out of El Fasher and Zamzam means that many people are trapped or take life-threatening risks when fleeing. Men and boys are at high risk of killing and abduction, while women and girls are subjected to widespread sexual violence. Most witnesses also report increased risks for Zaghawa communities.

“Nobody could get out [of El Fasher] if they said they were Zaghawa,” says a displaced woman.

Another man tells us that RSF and its allies were “asking people if they belonged to the Zaghawa, and if they did, they would kill them”.

“They would only let mothers with small children under the age of five through,” says a woman about her journey fleeing to eastern Chad. “Other children and adult men didn’t go through. Men over fifteen can hardly cross the border [into Chad]. They take them, they push them aside and then we only hear a noise, gunshots, indicating that they are dead, that they have been killed […] Fifty families came along with me. Not even one boy of 15 years old or above was among us.” 

The catastrophic nutrition situation continued deteriorating as the siege tightened on Zamzam camp.

“[Three months ago] in Zamzam, we sometimes had three days a week without eating,” one man tells our teams. 

“Children died from malnutrition. We were eating ambaz [residue of peanuts ground for oil], like everyone, although usually it’s used for animals,” says a displaced woman.

“Zamzam was completely blocked,” another displaced person tells us. “Water wells depend on fuel and there was no access to fuel, so all of them stopped working. Water was very limited and very expensive.”

MSF urges the warring parties to spare civilians and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. The RSF and their allies must immediately stop ethnic violence perpetrated against non-Arab communities, lift the siege of El Fasher, and guarantee safe routes for civilians fleeing violence. Safe unrestricted access to El Fasher and its surroundings must be granted for humanitarian agencies to provide critically needed assistance.

International actors, including UN institutions and members states, and states who provide support to the warring parties must urgently mobilise and exert pressure to prevent further mass violence and allow emergency aid delivery. The recent unilateral announcements of a possible local ceasefire have not yet been translated into concrete change on the ground, and time is running out.

– on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).