Category: English

Source: APO

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The Judiciary of South Sudan (JoSS), with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, today commenced expedited trials at the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Court in Juba.

The two-week initiative, which will conclude on 29 September 2026, aims to advance proceedings in pending criminal cases, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

The court is expected to hear 81 pending criminal cases, including 66 cases of rape, currently before the Gender-Based Violence and Juvenile Court in Juba. Three judges will preside over the proceedings, which will be guided by the principles of judicial independence and due process. A survivor-centred approach will seek to safeguard the privacy and well-being of victims and survivors throughout the judicial process.

Prosecutors, defence advocates and legal counsel representing victims will perform their respective roles in accordance with the law and established judicial procedures.

The initiative forms part of the continuing collaboration between UNMISS and the Judiciary of South Sudan in support of the implementation of the Judiciary’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2029), which identifies clearing case backlog and improving access to justice as key priorities.

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

Source: APO

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The East African Community (EAC) recorded strong growth in trade during the second quarter of 2026, with total trade reaching USD 52.3 billion. Rising exports sustained a regional trade surplus, while trade within the Community and with major African and global markets continued to expand.

According to the EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin for April–June 2026, total trade increased by 37.0 percent from USD 38.2 billion in the same quarter of 2025. Exports rose by 41.3 percent to USD 26.3 billion, while imports grew by 32.9 percent to USD 26.0 billion. The region recorded a trade surplus of USD 0.3 billion, compared with a deficit of USD 945.3 million a year earlier.

African markets remained important to the region’s export growth. Exports to African countries increased by 44.3 percent to USD 7.2 billion, accounting for 27.5 percent of total EAC exports. Exports to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) grew by 50.8 percent to USD 5.1 billion, while those to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) rose by 48.3 percent to USD 3.1 billion.

Trade within the Community also strengthened, with intra-EAC exports rising by 33.2 percent to USD 3.2 billion. Their share of total EAC exports, however, declined from 12.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025 to 12.1 percent in the same quarter of 2026. This reflected faster export growth to markets outside the Community, despite the increase in trade among Partner States.

China remained the EAC’s largest individual export destination and source of imports. Exports to China nearly doubled, rising from USD 5.7 billion in the second quarter of 2025 to USD 10.7 billion in the same quarter of 2026, largely driven by mineral commodities and other raw materials. Imports from China also increased from USD 4.7 billion to USD 7.1 billion. The United Arab Emirates and South Africa were also major export destinations, while India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States of America and Japan were other leading sources of imports.

The Bulletin notes that copper and precious metals accounted for 61.9 percent of total exports, up from 58.7 percent a year earlier, highlighting the region’s continued reliance on mineral export earnings. Coffee, tea and spices remained important agricultural exports. Petroleum products were the largest import category, alongside significant imports of machinery, transport equipment and industrial supplies.

Inflationary Pressures

The EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin notes that inflationary pressures eased across the quarter, with annual headline inflation in the EAC region, as measured by the EAC Harmonised Consumer Price Index (EAC-HCPI), declining from 11.1 percent in April to 10.7 percent in May and 7.8 percent in June 2026. The June rate was substantially below the 22.7 percent recorded a year earlier. On a month-on-month basis, the regional price index fell by 0.8 percent in June, following a 1.2 percent increase in May.

Core (underlying) inflation, which excludes selected products with volatile prices, rose from 6.2 percent in April to 6.4 percent in May and 7.0 percent in June. Although well below the 19.3 percent recorded in June 2025, this increase showed that underlying price pressures persisted despite the decline in headline inflation.

Food inflation increased to 10.1 percent in June from 9.5 percent in May, but remained markedly below the 37.5 percent recorded in June 2025. Food prices therefore continued to rise compared with a year earlier, although at a considerably slower rate.

Energy, Fuel and Utilities inflation eased to 11.1 percent in June from 14.2 percent in May. However, it remained above the 6.3 percent recorded in June 2025, indicating stronger annual price pressures in this category than a year earlier.

Inflation varied across the Partner States covered by the EAC-HCPI. In June, annual headline inflation stood at 13.0 percent in both Rwanda and South Sudan, 8.0 percent in Burundi, 6.5 percent in Kenya, 4.0 percent in Tanzania and 3.7 percent in Uganda. South Sudan’s rate fell from 23.1 percent in May, while Rwanda’s remained unchanged at 13.0 percent.

For the 2025/26 fiscal year, regional annual average headline inflation declined to 14.2 percent from 23.0 percent in 2024/25. The Bulletin attributes this decline to lower inflation in South Sudan and Burundi, where annual average rates fell from 179.4 percent to 43.2 percent and from 33.3 percent to 18.0 percent, respectively.

Monetary Developments and Credit Growth

The EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin notes that the interest rate movements varied across Partner States in the second quarter of 2026. Compared with the first quarter, Tanzania recorded the largest decline in the 91-day Treasury bill rate, falling by 60 basis points to 3.6 percent, while Kenya recorded the largest increase, rising by 120 basis points to 8.7 percent. Uganda registered the highest rate among the reporting Partner States, at 10.2 percent.

Lending rates increased in Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, with Rwanda recording the largest rise of 30 basis points to 14.4 percent. Rates declined in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan. Despite falling from 18.9 percent to 16.9 percent, Uganda’s lending rate remained the highest among the reporting Partner States.

Deposit rates rose in Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, declined in Kenya and Uganda, and remained unchanged in South Sudan. The gap between lending and deposit rates also varied considerably: South Sudan recorded the widest interest rate spread at 15.6 percentage points, while Rwanda had the narrowest at 4.3 percentage points.

Credit expanded across key economic sectors, although the pace of growth differed. Lending to wholesale and retail trade increased by 29.1 percent year-on-year, agriculture by 25.6 percent and construction by 22.9 percent. Real estate lending grew by 6.2 percent, while manufacturing recorded a modest increase of 0.9 percent. The household sector accounted for the largest amount of outstanding loans, at USD 17.6 billion, followed by wholesale and retail trade at USD 11.6 billion.

Broad money supply (M3) grew by 15.3 percent year-on-year to USD 107.7 billion, supported mainly by growth in credit to the private sector, which rose by 15.0 percent to USD 75.9 billion. Net foreign assets increased by 19.0 percent to USD 25.4 billion.

Public-sector credit showed different trends. Net credit to central government increased by 7.5 percent year-on-year to USD 37.5 billion, while net credit to public non-financial corporations declined by 3.1 percent to USD 0.65 billion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East African Community (EAC).

Source: APO – Report:

The Foreign Minister reiterated Ghana’s desire to see an amicable resolution of the historical impasse.

While acknowledging that Ghana’s decision of January 6, 2025 has not been reversed, the Government of Ghana welcomes the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 which expressed full support for the Secretary General and his Personal Envoy in facilitating and conducting negotiations taking as basis Morocco’s Autonomy proposal with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable resolution to the dispute, consistent with the UN Charter.

Ghana commits to continue with positive engagements with all parties and the international community in the pursuit of lasting peace and justice.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO – Report:

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The East African Community (EAC) and four United Nations agencies have committed to establish a structured partnership framework that will anchor coordination and joint action on regional health and development priorities.

The proposed framework will provide a coordinated mechanism for supporting regional priorities and translating them into action that improves the lives of East Africans.

The framework was discussed during a high-level meeting between the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The delegation was led by Ms. Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, and comprised Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa; Ms. Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa; and Ms. Medhin Tsehaiu, UNAIDS Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Welcoming the delegation, Amb. Mbundi expressed appreciation for the longstanding collaboration between the EAC Organs and Institutions and the UN agencies. The Secretary General welcomed the proposed framework, noting that it would help consolidate existing areas of collaboration, strengthen regional coordination and support more coherent action on priorities affecting the lives and livelihoods of East Africans.

Amb. Mbundi emphasised the importance of formalising the framework through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to define the areas of cooperation and provide a clear basis for implementation. He called on the EAC and the UN agencies to fast-track the development of the framework, with the process to be completed within the next three months.

The Secretary General further underscored the importance of strengthening public awareness of the EAC integration process and demonstrating its practical contribution to improving the lives and livelihoods of citizens across the region.

The discussions highlighted health and human capital development as important areas for strengthened regional action. The meeting noted that sustained investment in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), HIV, gender, adolescents and youth, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is critical to human capital development and to harnessing the demographic potential of East Africa’s youthful population. It also underscored the importance of sustainable financing and supportive legal and policy environments in improving health outcomes and advancing inclusive development.

The four UN agencies reaffirmed their commitment to working with the EAC and Partner States to protect and build on progress made in RMNCAH, HIV, UHC, gender, and adolescent and youth health across the region.

The EAC and the four UN agencies have previously collaborated to strengthen regional coordination in these areas, including through regional forums on RMNCAH, HIV and health data management, as well as the development of regional minimum standards for integrated RMNCAH and HIV services.

The partnership framework will provide a more coordinated platform for the EAC, UN agencies and Partner States to align efforts, strengthen regional capacities and translate regional priorities into practical interventions that improve the health and wellbeing of East Africans.

– on behalf of East African Community (EAC).

Source: APO – Report:

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Members of Parliament and Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola have questioned how Uganda can break Karamoja’s recurring hunger cycle, with calls for a shift from emergency food distribution to irrigation, commercial agriculture, water infrastructure and other long-term interventions.

Appearing before Parliament’s Presidential Affairs Committee on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, Engola said the current food intervention was necessary to save lives but could not provide a lasting solution to a problem that has persisted for about 40 years.

“The problem of Karamoja, which is 40 years, is very easy to finish, but there is no sitting where people sit and plan for Karamoja,” Engola told the committee.

He said government had secured Shs45 billion from the Consolidated Fund for the emergency food response after he presented a 16-page Cabinet memorandum, adding that there was still a balance after food had been supplied to all districts in Karamoja.

The Minister said his long-term ideas include building silos, expanding irrigation and improving water infrastructure, arguing that Karamoja’s population could produce food if the necessary infrastructure was provided.

Engola also pointed to mini-irrigation projects started by the World Food Programme, saying government was working with the new Minister for Karamoja Affairs and the State Minister to develop longer-term solutions.

Committee Chairperson, Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, had earlier challenged the Office of the Prime Minister to explain its long-term strategy, given that Karamoja repeatedly faces severe drought and hunger.

“Every year Karamoja faces severe hunger as a result of prolonged drought,” Mapenduzi said, asking how long government would continue mobilising resources to feed the region when interventions such as water technologies and irrigation could address the underlying causes.

Bushenyi District Woman Representative, Hon. Annet Katusiime, similarly pressed for a deliberate programme to move Karamoja towards food production, while Dodoth East County MP, Peter Pex Paak, questioned how long government would continue feeding the region.

“For 40 years, you have been feeding Karamoja. You want to feed Karamoja for another 40 years? … Why don’t we have permanent solutions? A ministry for disaster must be having plans to prevent certain things,” he said.

Manafwa District Woman Representative Hon. Rose Mutonyi also called for a deliberate agricultural strategy.

Responding to the concerns, Assistant Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness Catherine Ahimbisibwe said the long-term solution was being developed under the Karamoja Development Plan, prepared by the Ministry for Karamoja Affairs together with the National Planning Authority.

She said the plan includes a shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture, irrigation, large-scale water infrastructure and environmental conservation.

Ahimbisibwe said the immediate relief operation had reached all nine Karamoja districts, 102 sub-counties, 480 parishes and 313,987 households, with 9,419,610 kilogrammes of maize flour and beans distributed. Each household received 20kg of maize flour and 10kg of beans.

However, she said poor roads, vehicle breakdowns, inadequate storage and discrepancies between households found on the ground and the 2024 census figures had left some vulnerable households out.

The Office of the Prime Minister also told the committee it needs additional trucks to strengthen disaster response. Principal Disaster Management Officer Cyprian Dhikusooka said the ministry wants a minimum fleet of 10 trucks, with each estimated to cost between Shs800 million and Shs1 billion.

“We need extra six trucks,” Dhikusooka said.

Mapenduzi directed the ministry to submit detailed documentation on the emergency response, including the El Niño plan, its budget implications, households relocated, Shs10 million payments and land acquired.

– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.