Category: English

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).

Source: APO

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The Ministry of Finance wishes to officially inform the public that the Government of Ghana has, through the Bank of Ghana, successfully effected a payment of US$349,523,674.56 in respect of Eurobond debt service obligations today, Thursday, 3rd July 2025.

 Since the conclusion of Ghana’s Eurobond debt restructuring in October 2024, the Government of Ghana has cumulatively serviced US$1,174.64 million in Eurobond debt payments as follows:

• In October 2024, the government made an initial payment of US$475.60 million, covering obligations due under the restructuring agreement, including the first post-restructuring debt service.
• In January 2025, the government paid US$349.52 million.
• And now, in July 2025, a further US$349.52 million has been paid

This brings Ghana fully up to date on all scheduled Eurobond debt service obligations for 2025.

Looking ahead to 2026, a total debt service of US$1,409.06 million is scheduled.

This timely payment reaffirms Ghana’s commitment to macroeconomic stability, prudent debt management, and constructive engagement with external creditors.

It is expected to:

• Positively influence Ghana’s credit ratings trajectory in the months ahead, as it demonstrates continued discipline in debt servicing post-restructuring.
• Boost investor confidence in Ghana’s sovereign credit profile and economic recovery programme.
• Support foreign exchange market stability, as it has been incorporated into the Bank of Ghana’s reserves and liquidity management strategy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance – Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must speed up the preparation and implementation of a regional cobotting scheme for the implementation of the Praia-Dakar maritime link project and other links in West Africa. This is one of the recommendations of the workshop on the evaluation and validation of the various financial options for the implementation of the Praia-Dakar maritime link, which ended on Wednesday 2nd of July 2025 in Dakar, Senegal.

The ECOWAS Commission is requested to put in place the operational, infrastructural and technical preconditions to create the necessary environment for the launch and sustainability of the Praia-Dakar maritime services and other regional maritime links. It is also asked to ensure that the study on the Praia-Dakar maritime link is completed on schedule, and to follow up with the consultants, with a view to following up the resolutions resulting from this meeting.

The Commission is also required to initiate discussions and processes for the creation of a regional register of ships flying the West African flag, with harmonised operational guidelines and procedures for the smooth functioning of maritime operators. Ensuring the participation of regional investors and citizens in the provision of maritime services, through an appropriate procurement mechanism with provisions for regional preference, is another resolution addressed to the Commission.

The participants also urged ECOWAS to draw up management procedures for the Praia-Dakar maritime link, considering the creation of the Corridor Management Authority provided for in the project Treaty. As far as ECOWAS member states are concerned, Liberia and Guinea-Bissau are urged to complete as quickly as possible the ratification of the Corridor Treaty, which constitutes the main legal basis for the creation, financing and operation of maritime services.

The Member States of the regional organisation will have to support the creation of a working group of maritime experts and collaborate actively with the ECOWAS Commission in order to ensure that the group functions properly. They will also be asked to provide information on examples of maritime transport services in the region, to assist the consultants in their review of the final report to be submitted.

The participants have instructed the consultants to consider the comments and observations of the Member States, ECOWAS and development partners and to submit their final reports on time. They should also ensure that cost estimates are optimised to present a favourable economic and financial rate of return. This will include a review of vessel costs, residual value, existing potential and available financial inputs in the region.

The consultants will also have to revise the economic analysis to take account of specific local market conditions to improve the viability of the projects, and provide clear details of port infrastructure requirements for Member States. In order to save time, participants urged consultants to propose an innovative tendering process that differs from the usual traditional one.

The implementation of these various recommendations should facilitate and guide the rapid finalisation of the study and the launch of the implementation of the Praia-Dakar maritime link project. At the end of the proceedings, the Corridor Member States and participants validated the Phase 3 reports on the financial and implementation strategy for the creation of the Praia-Dakar maritime transport link.

Speaking at the close of the meeting, Mamoudou Alassane Camara, Chairman of the Committee of Experts from the Member States of the Praia-Dakar maritime link, welcomed the quality of the recommendations made by the participants. The Director General of the Senegalese Maritime Affairs Agency, Becaye Diop, called for the rapid completion of the Praia-Dakar maritime link.

This maritime link is a component of the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan multimodal transport corridor project. Considered strategic, it should be the subject of a specific management model proposal. The implementation of this maritime link will mark an important stage in regional integration in the ECOWAS region.

As far as the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan multimodal transport corridor project is concerned, it represents an essential element in the wider strategy of ECOWAS to facilitate the free movement of people and goods within the Community area, strengthen trade cooperation, promote economic development and stimulate regional trade.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

Positioning natural gas at the center of its growth strategy, independent oil and gas company Perenco is driving one of Central Africa’s most ambitious energy developments through the Cap Lopez LNG terminal in Gabon – a flagship project set to come online in 2026. Situated at the existing Cap Lopez oil terminal, the $2 billion initiative will introduce a floating LNG (FLNG) vessel designed to monetize the country’s offshore gas reserves and reduce gas flaring. Following completion, the project is expected to serve as a catalyst for energy diversification and broader economic growth in the country.

Marking Gabon’s first large-scale gas development following a final investment decision in 2024, the project signals a major step forward for regional energy security and industrialization. Currently under construction in Dubai, the FLNG unit will boast a production capacity of 700,000 tons of LNG and 25,000 tons of LPG annually, supported by storage infrastructure capable of holding 137,000 cubic meters. In support of this venture, engineering and construction company Technomak recently signed an agreement with Dixstone – a Perenco affiliate – for the integration of the offshore FLNG barge. Perenco is a Gold Partner at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies in Cape Town.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

The project forms part of a broader energy strategy being implemented by Perenco in Africa. In the Republic of Congo, the company continues to expand its upstream footprint with the commissioning of the Kombi 2 platform on the Kombi-Likalala-Libondo II permit. Currently under construction by Dixstone at the Nieuwdorp shipyard in the Netherlands, the platform is scheduled to depart in October and enter into operation offshore Pointe-Noire by early next year. With an estimated investment exceeding $200 million – and forming part of broader developments nearing $900 million – the project includes new drilling phases, infrastructure upgrades and the optimization of existing wells. The Kombi 2 platform will feature an integrated wellbay module to accommodate new wells, aiming to unlock an additional 10 million barrels of oil equivalent, with targeted output gains of 4 million cubic feet per day. Power generation for the platform will be supported by dual gas turbined linked to a 33-kV electrical hub, reinforcing Perenco’s commitment to operational efficiency and sustainable resource development in Congo.

On the exploration front, Perenco continues to cement its role as a premier independent in Africa’s energy landscape through a robust portfolio of upstream and gas infrastructure developments across the continent. In early 2024 an appraisal well in Gabon spudded near the Hylia South West discovery revealed substantial oil-bearing columns in the Ntchengue Ocean reservoir and reinforcing the potential of the lower Madiela carbonate formation. In Cameroon, the company launched its inaugural gas-to-industry project in July 2024, supplying 3.5-6.5 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Sanaga South field to the Keda tile factory via a 6-km pipeline – a milestone following its 9.9% equity acquisition in offshore operatory Golar LNG a month earlier.

These initiatives underscore Perenco’s integrated energy strategy, with the company’s participation as a Gold Partner at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 set to showcase their strategic role in shaping Africa’s energy future through large-scale gas monetization, infrastructure expansion and frontier exploration. Taking place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, 2025, the event promises to shine a light on these transformative projects and drive high-level dialogue on investment, innovation and sustainable development in Africa’s oil and gas sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Source: APO

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Halai Technical School today graduated 25 students who completed two years of theoretical and practical training in computer technology and network installation.

Mr. Raguel Tekle, Director of the school, stated that the institution—equipped with modern facilities and infrastructure—is contributing to the development of competent youth. He added that the school has also begun offering training in metal and woodwork, and will soon launch programs in cooling and heating systems.

Mr. Tesfay Seium, Director General of Technical and Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education, highlighted the Government of Eritrea’s substantial investment in the education sector. He urged the youth to fully utilize these opportunities to improve their livelihoods and support national development.

A representative of the graduates expressed their commitment to contributing meaningfully in their future workplaces, applying the knowledge and skills acquired during their training.

Since its establishment, Halai Technical School has graduated 652 students.

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

Source: APO

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As part of its continued support to Sierra Leone’s health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated essential medical supplies, mpox test kits, and laboratory equipment, including five medical-grade refrigerators valued at over USD 126,000 to the Ministry of Health.

The handover ceremony took place at the Hastings Treatment Centre, with WHO Country Representative Dr George Ameh officially handing over the supplies to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Mustapha Kabba.

The donation comes at a critical time as the country continues to respond to the ongoing mpox outbreak, with over 4,000 confirmed cases to date. The supplies will strengthen diagnostic and case management capacity at key treatment and testing sites: Lakka Hospital, Benguema Reference Laboratory, and Hastings Treatment Centre.

“Our support today reflects WHO’s commitment to ensuring that frontline health workers have the tools they need to manage cases effectively and reduce transmission,” said Dr George Ameh, WHO Representative in Sierra Leone. “These supplies will help improve the quality of care and expand diagnostic capabilities at a time when rapid response remains crucial.”

Receiving the supplies, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Mustapha Kabba expressed deep appreciation for WHO’s ongoing support and used the occasion to commend frontline healthcare workers at Hastings.

“We are sincerely grateful to WHO for their continued and timely support throughout this mpox response,” said Dr Kabba. “I want to encourage the hardworking team at Hastings Treatment Centre to continue the work. Your dedication is making a real difference, and we thank you for your tireless efforts in protecting the health of our communities.”

The Hastings Treatment Centre, one of the designated facilities for mpox case management, is expected to receive a share of the supplies and equipment, which will be used to bolster patient care and improve cold chain storage for samples and medicines.

“With these additional resources, we can ensure better storage of lab reagents, enhance patient care, and maintain the quality of our services,” said Dr Darlinda Jiba, the facility In-charge at Hastings Treatment Centre. “WHO’s continued support is a true morale booster for our clinical teams.”

The support is part of WHO’s continued commitment to strengthening Sierra Leone’s health system and response capacity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – Sierra Leone.

Source: APO

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H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, convened a landmark working lunch with Permanent Representatives of the AU Regional Economic Community (RECs) & Regional Mechanisms. He reaffirmed their central role in delivering on continental priorities for integration, peace, security, & resilience, in line with AU protocols.

He underscored the importance of institutionalised coordination, & joint planning to help achieve AU Agenda 2063.

The Representatives commended the Chairperson for this historic engagement – the first of its kind by an AUC Chair, & welcomed his consultative, inclusive leadership & commitment to reinforce subsidiarity & complementarity across the African governance architecture.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

Source: APO

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The European Union (EU), UNICEF and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched a €2.7 million multi-donor initiative in northern Ghana to significantly strengthen the resilience and improve the lives of forcibly displaced persons and their host communities.

The two-year, “Supporting the Resilience of Forcibly Displaced People and Host Communities in Northern Ghana” project, known as the UNITE Project, is implemented by UNICEF Ghana and UNHCR, and co-funded by the EU.

Implemented in the Tarikom and Zini communities of Ghana’s Upper East and Upper West regions respectively, the project will enhance the inclusion and access to basic services for forcibly displaced populations and host communities (particularly women and children) while also strengthening national systems for inclusive development.

This collaborative effort, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, National Identification Authority, and local government and traditional authorities, seeks to improve access to essential services, foster social cohesion for forcibly displaced persons and other vulnerable groups, and promote long-term sustainable development with the objective of aligning with national strategies and complementing existing efforts like the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion (SOCO) programme, as well as other EU and UN projects.

“Prolonged conflict in the Gulf of Guinea has forced thousands to flee their homes with over 17,000 asylum seekers estimated to be living in the Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana. Through the UNITE project and other initiatives, the EU is supporting forcibly displaced people and the communities generously hosting them. The EU will continue to play its role on the global stage and in Ghana to uphold refugees’ rights, in line with EU and international law.” said Irchad Razaaly, EU Ambassador to Ghana.

“This initiative, profoundly supported by the European Union, is about restoring dignity, strengthening community resilience and building a future where every child and family has equitable access to the services and opportunities they deserve in a dynamic and changing environment” stated Osama Makkawi Khoghali, UNICEF Ghana Representative.

“UNHCR is committed to ensuring that forcibly displaced persons and their host communities in Northern Ghana have the protection and support to not only survive but thrive. This comprehensive program, with the generous backing of the European Union, allows us to work collaboratively to build sustainable solutions that empower these communities and foster peaceful coexistence,” added Needa Jehu-Mazou, Head of UNHCR Office in Ghana.

The project is also being replicated in Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, highlighting a concerted regional approach with a total financing amount of €12million (€10million from the EU and €2 million from four UN agencies: World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNICEF and UNHCR)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to Ghana.