Category: English

Source: APO

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Today, the Council approved conclusions strongly condemning the ongoing conflict in Sudan, that has been causing the loss of thousands of lives and immense hardship for the Sudanese people for more than two years, and poses a serious threat to stability and security across the wider region.

The EU is extremely concerned about the unity, territorial integrity and stability of Sudan, which are at serious risk, with increasing fragmentation along political and ethnic lines further exacerbated by the emergence of parallel governing structures. The EU rejects any attempt to partition Sudan.

The Council conclusions emphasise that the primary responsibility for ending the conflict lies with the leadership of both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and those supporting these entities. The EU has defined certain asks to all parties to the conflict. These are as follows:

a) constructive engagement in negotiations towards an immediate ceasefire and in a credible inclusive peace mediation process, leading to a sustained cessation of hostilities;

b) ensuring rapid, unimpeded and sustainable humanitarian access and the protection of civilians across all of Sudan;

c) credible commitments to facilitate a genuinely inclusive, representative and independent civilian governance;

d) restoring and strengthening rule of law, accountability, respect for international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, and justice in Sudan.

The EU is ready to increase its engagement with the parties to the conflict, provided there is credible progress towards achieving the EU’s key asks.

As co-chair of the Paris and London conferences for Sudan and its neighbouring countries, the EU has illustrated its commitment to support the people of Sudan and to play an active role in addressing the conflict in a comprehensive way. The EU will remain actively engaged, including at the highest level, and will act with one voice, promoting inclusive formats and ensuring full coordination with relevant like-minded actors. It will continue to employ, and where possible intensify the use of the full range of foreign policy instruments at its disposal – including, where appropriate, targeted restrictive measures – to achieve a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

The EU acknowledges the inherent rights of the Sudanese people to freedom, peace, and justice, and reiterates its steadfast commitment to accompanying Sudan in its efforts to preserve its unity and territorial integrity, and to achieve lasting stability, democracy, and sustainable prosperity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Council of the European Union.

Source: APO

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A UN expert today welcomed the publication of a Guiding Note on Reporting on the Rights and Welfare of Children with Albinism in Africa, a critical tool developed by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) in collaboration with the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism. She issued the following statement:

“Children with albinism continue to face systemic discrimination, violence, ritual attacks, and exclusion, particularly in areas of education, healthcare, parental care and protection, social protection, and access to justice among others. We urgently need targeted action to protect and promote their human rights.

The Guiding Note on Reporting on the Rights and Welfare of Children with Albinism in Africa provides key indicators to assist African Union Member States in fulfilling their reporting obligations under the African Children’s Charter, with a specific focus on addressing the peculiar challenges faced by children with albinism. The indicators guide States on which specific areas they should report on in relation to children with albinism when submitting their State Party reports to the ACERWC.

I call on all African Union Member States to integrate these indicators into their reporting frameworks and to take concrete steps to implement the recommendations. It is only through sustained commitment and collaboration that we will be able to eliminate the barriers faced by children with albinism and uphold their rights to non-discrimination, life, survival and development, and full inclusion and participation in society.

The Guiding Note is also a critical tool for other stakeholders such as children, NHRIs, and CSOs in their alternative or complementary reports to the Committee. It also serves as an important advocacy tool for all stakeholders. This Guiding Note is a testament to the power of partnership between regional and international mechanisms on issues of Children with Albinism and beyond.

Let us seize this opportunity to transform the lives of children with albinism across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO

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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Minister of Religious Endowments (Awqaf), Dr. Usama Al-Azhari.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the meeting reviewed several key files pertaining to the Ministry’s work. The President followed-up on progress of the ministry’s religious outreach efforts, emphasizing the importance of continuing efforts to protect and prevent the spread of extremist thought, while promoting correct values.

In this regard, President El-Sisi gave directives to continue efforts toward improving the conditions of imams, preachers, and religious educators, and to further enhance training and qualification programs in alignment with the latest relevant systems and methodologies. The President emphasized the need to confront religious extremism in all its forms and counter negative values and behaviors.

Moreover, the President followed-up on the latest developments of the “Correct Your Concepts” awareness initiative, which is a cornerstone of the Ministry’s strategy to build enlightened religious and societal awareness. The Minister of Religious Endowments pointed out that the ministry has recently launched an educational program for children for the current year (2025-2026), with the participation of 20,880 mosques across the country, as part of the initiative. This initiative aligns with the ministry’s scientific, religious, and educational role, and its ongoing efforts to instill religious, moral, and national values in the younger generation and build a balanced Egyptian character based on religious principles. President El-Sisi confirmed the necessity to provide children and youth with correct religious knowledge and instilling in them values of moderation and pride in national identity.

The meeting also discussed ways to maximize the benefits from the assets of the Egyptian Awqaf Authority, including identifying promising investment opportunities that could be leveraged to achieve further goals through more efficient and effective management of these assets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Source: APO

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The Committee on Education and Sports is expected to present a report to Parliament within two weeks, on two petitions on disparity in teachers’ pay. The petitions were brought before Parliament by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) and the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers’ Union (UTVTU).

While chairing the House on Monday, 20 October 2025, the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa said the petitions were received by the Speaker, Anita Among on Wednesday, 08 October 2025.
“The teachers petitioned Parliament and the Speaker invoked her authority under Rule 31(7) of our Rules of Procedure where she referred the petitions to the committee,” Tayebwa said.

Tayebwa’s communication followed renewed concerns by Members of Parliament about the effect of the industrial action by arts teachers on learners in public schools across the county.

Tororo District Woman Representative, Hon. Sarah Opendi said students are in a critical school term where they need attention and reiterated the call to address the pay disparities between science and arts teachers expeditiously.

“It is very sad to see children loitering in villages rather than being in school. Even when the industrial action was called off, the motivation of arts teachers to teach is not there. Children in private schools are studying yet those in public schools are not learning,” Opendi said.

Hon. Joseph Ssewungu (NUP, Kalungu West County) expressed concern over the expected performance of students in final exams like the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) without sufficient attention from teachers in subjects like English and Social Studies.

“UNEB sets exams depending on the syllabus and curriculum that has been given to the children. Primary seven candidates have not been studying but will be graded after PLE.  Parents work hard to pay fees but their children are not studying; this matter must be addressed urgently,”  Ssewungu said.

He added that children are fending for themselves by studying educational material printed in daily newspapers which he said is not sufficient.

“This challenge should be solved once and for all. The same issue came up in the Ninth Parliament and it was resolved that teachers’ pay would be increased in a phased manner. We can adopt the same approach,” Ssewungu added.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi made a proposal for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to avail supplementary funding to solve the matter.

“The Minister of Finance can commit that he will bring a supplementary schedule because there are several supplementary schedules brought here every financial year. The point is that government should give the teachers some kind of commitment,” Ssenyonyi said.

The Deputy Speaker guided that the Finance Minister could only give such a commitment after interfacing with the committee handling the petitions of the teachers’ unions.

“The committee is going to meet the Ministries of Education, Public Service and Finance. Rule 86(4) of our Rules of Procedure is clear on anticipation; that a matter that is before a Committee cannot be discussed in the House,” Tayebwa said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO

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On the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., H.E. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance of the State of Qatar, and Mr. Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development.

The meeting focused on forging a strategic partnership between Ethiopia and Qatar, with an emphasis on expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including infrastructure development, private investment, and development assistance.

During the discussions, H.E. Minister Ahmed Shide underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries and highlighted the growing opportunities for investment in Ethiopia.

“Ethiopia highly values its partnership with the State of Qatar,” said Minister Shide. “There is significant potential to enhance collaboration, and our Government remains committed to facilitating Qatari investments in key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and services.”

For his part, H.E. Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari reaffirmed Qatar’s strong interest in deepening bilateral relations with Ethiopia. He expressed appreciation for Ethiopia’s economic reform efforts and emphasized the immense potential for collaboration on impactful trade and investment projects.

Mr. Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti reaffirmed Qatar Fund for Development’s readiness to identify and support projects that promote inclusive development, investment, and trade between the two nations.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a joint technical team to identify concrete projects for implementation and to develop a roadmap for deeper, long-term cooperation between Ethiopia and Qatar.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance, Ethiopia.

Source: APO

On October 24th and 25th, 2025, the AFRICA24 Group (https://Africa24TV.com) will provide an exceptional coverage of the investiture and swearing-in ceremony of Dr. George Elombi, elected 4th President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

This ceremony is a major strategic platform to honor the legacy of Professor Benedict Oramah and lay the foundations for a new era of pan-African leadership with Dr. George Elombi. The event marks a historic transition for the institution, with a review of the previous decade and an ambitious vision to accelerate intra-African trade and Africa’s prosperity.

The Investiture: A major event in two phases

● Friday October 24th : Series of thematic conferences on “A decade to build the pillars of future prosperity,” devoted to the achievements and legacy of outgoing President Benedict Oramah

● Saturday October 25th : The official investiture and swearing-in ceremony of Dr. George Elombi, who will present his vision for Afreximbank to a prestigious audience of heads of state, ministers, business leaders, institutional partners, representatives from the Caribbean, and shareholders. A press conference will conclude the ceremony.

The stakes of this event are: securing funding for intra-African trade, strengthening economic integration through the AfCFTA, stimulating international partnerships, and promoting inclusive growth based on innovation, sustainable industry, and entrepreneurship among young people and women.

360° editorial coverage by AFRICA24 and global distribution to 120 million households

The AFRICA24 Group, a leading pan-African media outlet, is rolling out an impressive audiovisual and digital setup to cover the Afreximbank 2025 investiture :

• Live broadcast of thematic conferences, the investiture ceremony, the swearing-in ceremony, and the press conference.
• Exclusive interviews with the new President, the outgoing President, heads of state, economic leaders, financial institutions, and international partners.
• Immersive reports from the event venues, behind the scenes at conferences, profiles of key figures, and the expectations of African economic players.
• In-depth analysis of Afreximbank’s leadership prospects, continental economic transformation, and adding value to intra-African trade.
• Special Afreximbank Days October 24th and 25th n AFRICA24 English

Follow Dr. George Elombi’s investiture with AFRICA24 on all your screens; live, replay, and on-demand formats.

• AFRICA24 (channel 249) et AFRICA24 English (channel 254) on Canal+ Afrique
• On myafrica24 Africa’s first HD streaming platform.
• On https://Africa24TV.com which offers you full access to all programs

With the AFRICA24 Group, Together, let’s transform Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AFRICA24 Group.

Contact:
Head of Communication Department – AFRICA24 Group
Gaëlle Stella Oyono
Email: onana@africa24tv.com
Tél.: +237 694 90 99 88
@ africa24tv
https://Africa24TV.com

About Dr. George Elombi:
Dr. George Elombi is a pan-African lawyer and banker with a master’s degree and doctorate in law (international commercial arbitration) from the University of London. A former lecturer at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, he joined Afreximbank in 1996 as a lawyer. He held several senior positions, including Executive Vice President in charge of Governance, Legal and Corporate Services, before being elected as the 4th President of the Afreximbank Group. With nearly 30 years of experience, he embodies a pan-African vision focused on intra-African trade, regional integration, and African prosperity.

About d’Afreximbank:
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. For 30 years, Afreximbank has been deploying innovative structures to provide financing solutions that facilitate the transformation of Africa’s trade structure and accelerate industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby supporting economic expansion in Africa. A strong advocate of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, Afreximbank launched the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to support the implementation of the AfCFTA. In collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to help countries participate effectively in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, the Bank’s total assets and guarantees amounted to approximately US$40.1 billion, and its shareholders’ funds stood at US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank is rated A by GCR International Scale, Baa2 by Moody’s, AAA by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI), A- by Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR), and BBB by Fitch. Over the years, Afreximbank has grown into a group comprising the Bank, its impact financing subsidiary called the African Export Development Fund (AEDF), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (the three entities form “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

About AFRICA24 Group:
Launched in 2009, the AFRICA24 Group is the continent’s leading TV and digital media publisher, with four full HD channels distributed in the largest cable networks. A leader among decision-makers and senior executives on the continent, AFRICA24 in French and AFRICA24 English, the Group is the pioneer and leader in African news channels. AFRICA24 has strengthened this leadership through sports with AFRICA24 Sport, Africa’s first channel dedicated to sports news and competitions, and AFRICA24 Infinity, the first channel dedicated to creative industries that showcase the creative genius of African youth in art, culture, music, fashion, and design…

Leading audiovisual brand on the continent, the AFRICA24 Group has four full HD television channels, each a leader in its segment::

• AFRICA24 TV : Africa’s leading news channel in French, published by AMedia
• AFRICA24 English : Africa’s leading news channel exclusively in English
• AFRICA24 Infinity : The channel for creative talents dedicated to music, art, and culture.
• AFRICA24 Sport : The leading sports news and competition channel

The AFRICA24 Group publishes myafrica24 (Google store and App Store), the world’s first HD streaming platform in Africa, available on all screens (television, tablet, smartphone, computers) … More than 120 million households have access to Africa24 Group channels through major operators such as Canal+, Bouygues, Orange, Bell, etc., and more than 8 million subscribers on various digital platforms and social networks.

Source: APO

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The Congo Basin, home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, holds immense value for not only the six countries it spans, but for the planet. A new World Bank report reveals the region’s forests are not only essential for climate stability and biodiversity, but also a foundation for economic resilience. The value of forest ecosystem services nearly doubled in just two decades, rising from $590 billion in 2000 to $1.15 trillion in 2020. During the same period, the total forest asset value surged from $11.4 trillion to $23.2 trillion.

The report shows that forest management, conservation, and data readiness vary widely across the region. Countries such as Gabon and the Republic of Congo stand out, embedding forest sustainability into national planning with relatively low deforestation rates and strong biodiversity indicators. Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea are in transition, strengthening forest governance and piloting policies that integrate ecosystem values. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic face complex pressures — from rapid population growth to informal logging, mining, and agriculture — that threaten the region’s forest resilience.

The Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem Accounts report, alongside the country reports, provides a basin-wide overview of how forests can be fully integrated into macroeconomic planning to support economic diversification and climate finance strategies. The findings show how the forest sector can drive new opportunities from community-based ecotourism, forest monitoring, to value-added processing of non-timber forest products, and results-based climate financing — shifting the development narrative toward long-term sustainability and resilience.

“For the first time, Congo Basin countries have developed a detailed forest ecosystem accounts showing the true value of their natural wealth,” said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa. “These forests, managed sustainably, can serve as powerful engines for sustainable development contributing to creating jobs, supporting climate-smart growth, and strengthening local economies.”

The report highlights a critical imbalance: Congo forests generate over $1 trillion in global ecosystem services — with over 90% of that value stemming from climate regulation — yet local governments captured only $8 billion in domestic benefits in 2020, primarily from timber, bushmeat, wild foods, and ecotourism.

“We can only manage what we can measure –this is why the forest ecosystem accounts for the Congo Basin will be so key for countries to unlock the power of their forests to drive development and jobs,” said Valerie Hickey, World Bank Global Director for Climate Change, “This accounting can also help Congo Basin countries demonstrate the huge value that their forest conservation efforts bring to the rest of the world.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.