English – Page 753 – MIL Africa Engine

October 17, 2025

Eritrea: Meeting to Enhance Nationalism and Organization

Source: APO – Report:

Mr. Romodan Ahmedin, Head of Public and Community Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy in South Sudan, conducted a meeting on 12 October in Juba focusing on enhancing nationalism and strengthening organizational capacity.

The objective of the meeting, which was attended by heads of Eritrean community, the National Union of Eritrean Women, and the YPFDJ, was to discuss the basic strategic objectives of the Fourth Front as well as initiatives to strengthen national organizations and enhance their effectiveness.

Mr. Romodan stated that the objectives of the Fourth Front include nurturing Eritrean citizens who possess a strong national identity and awareness, who preserve unity and deep attachment to their homeland, who play an active role in national development and in safeguarding national sovereignty, and who are equipped with education, skills, and economic capacity.

Highlighting the role and contribution of Diaspora nationals in the successful implementation of national development programs, Mr. Romodan emphasized the significance of organization and unity for the realization of national objectives.

Mr. Tsegay Mehari, Eritrea’s Consul in the Republic of South Sudan, and Mr. Marikos Merhatsion, Head of the National Committee, gave briefings underscoring the importance of strengthening organizational capacity to ensure the rights and participation of citizens.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

October 17, 2025

Egypt: Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Participates in a Number of Events during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) Annual Meetings

Source: APO – Report:

“Al-Mashat”:

• We appreciate the World Bank’s efforts for integration among its organizations, which enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of work and offers more integrated solutions to member countries.

• The country platform for the “NWFE” program established an integrated model for finance, technical support, and international partnerships based on state ownership.

• More than $4.5 billion in funding for the private sector within the program, and signing of power purchase agreements for 8.25 GW of renewable energy out of a targeted total of 10 GW.

As part of her ongoing participation in the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, participated in two panel discussions organized by the Center for Global Development (CGD), to discuss the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in addressing current global challenges, as well as country platforms for boosting the effectiveness of development efforts.

The first session, was moderated by Sir Masood Ahmed, CGD President emeritus, and attended by Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, and Bertrand Dumont, Director General of the French Treasury. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized that middle-income countries are working to support less developed countries through their contributions to the International Development Association (IDA).

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat reaffirmed that development finance is no longer directed solely towards financing specific projects, but is being directed towards policy-based financing and fostering the role of the private sector, while also highlighting the importance of the “One World Bank Group” concept, which aims to achieve cooperation, coordination, and integration among the World Bank Group organizations, in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of work, and offer more integrated solutions to address global challenges and support development in member countries.

Dr. Al-Mashat added that the world today is witnessing new financing patterns, such as debt-for-development swaps, which can be implemented at the bilateral level or within a multilateral framework. She noted that middle-income countries are presenting an important model and a useful experience for how to use financing tools in different and more efficient ways.

Dr. Al-Mashat stressed that responsibility in the current phase does not fall solely on international institutions, but also extends to include national efforts and internal reforms. She highlighted that the world is currently witnessing a broad dialogue about the importance of transitioning towards an investment-led economy, where economic growth is based on attracting productive investments rather than an increasing reliance on debt, as countries share the willingness to reduce public debt levels and limit their burdens on national budgets.

Minister Al-Mashat explained that most countries in the world, including middle-income countries, suffer to varying degrees from the burdens of external and domestic debt, which makes the transition towards more sustainable growth necessary, through the implementation of deep and comprehensive structural reforms that affect the structure of the economy and ensure the enhancement of its efficiency and competitiveness.

Country Platforms

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation also participated in a session on country platforms. Dr. Al-Mashat reviewed Egypt’s efforts in attracting climate investments through the implementation of the Country Platform for the “NWFE” program – the nexus of Water, Food, and Energy projects – which served as a model for creating constructive partnerships between various international partners, based on national ownership, to drive green transition efforts.

Dr. Al-Mashat pointed out that the country platform of “NWFE” program changed the concept of how to obtain development financing, by establishing an integrated structure that links policy reform, investment-attractive projects, and financing instruments, which has enabled the local and foreign private sector to obtain concessional financing of more than $4.5 billion to implement renewable energy projects with a capacity of 5.2 GW.

Dr. Al-Mashat mentioned that the total power purchase agreements signed by the government with the private sector under the “NWFE” program reached 8.25 GW out of the program’s total target of 10 GW by 2028, and plans are also underway to halt thermal power plants with a capacity of 5 GW, which enhances Egypt’s direction towards becoming a regional hub for renewable energy.

Minister Al-Mashat underscored that the program includes many financing mechanisms, not only concessional financing but also grants, private investments, debt-for-development swaps, and technical support. She reiterated that multilateral development banks played a pivotal role in providing financing for the implementation of the program’s pillars.

– on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

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October 16, 2025

AMAN UNION and Swiss Re Host Exclusive Webinar on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Sustainability Risk Management

Source: APO

The AMAN UNION, the leading professional forum for commercial and non-commercial insurance and reinsurance companies across the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in collaboration with Swiss Re, is hosting an exclusive virtual session titled “ESG Sustainability Risk Management.” The webinar will bring together leading experts to explore the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in the insurance and reinsurance industry, particularly in the context of export credit and investment insurance.

This session aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of AMAN UNION members by deepening their understanding of sustainability-related risks and offering practical insights on integrating ESG considerations into underwriting, portfolio management, and corporate strategy. It forms part of AMAN UNION’s continued efforts to support its members in aligning with global best practices and advancing sustainable development objectives across the Islamic finance and insurance ecosystem.

The webinar will feature presentations from Swiss Re’s Senior Sustainability Manager, Maren Bodenschatz, and Sustainability Risk Manager, Ahmed Ayoub, who will provide an in-depth overview of ESG trends shaping the insurance and reinsurance landscape and share practical examples of Swiss Re’s sustainability strategy and risk management frameworks.

Commenting on the event, Mourad Mizouri, Secretary General of AMAN UNION, said: “Sustainability is no longer an optional agenda—it is a defining pillar of resilience, competitiveness, and trust in our industry. Through this collaboration with Swiss Re, we aim to empower our members to better understand and manage ESG risks, strengthen institutional frameworks, and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive global economy.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).

Media Contact:
Aman Union, General Secretariat of Aman Union
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Email: iciec.ausecretariat@isdb.org
Website: www.AMANUnion.org

About AMAN UNION:
The AMAN Union is a professional forum that brings together insurers and reinsurers covering commercial and non-commercial risks in the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman). The Union was established on October 28, 2009, following a bilateral agreement between Dhaman and the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) to unify their efforts in creating a platform that enhances cooperation among insurers and reinsurers operating within their respective member countries.

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October 16, 2025

Advisor to Prime Minister, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson meets EU Special Representative for Gulf Region

Source: Government of Qatar

Naples/Italy, October 16, 2025

Advisor to Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, met on Thursday with the European Union Special Representative for the Gulf region, Luigi Di Maio, on the sidelines of “Mediterranean Dialogues 2025” Forum held in Naples, Italy.

The meeting reviewed cooperation relations between State of Qatar and European Union and discussed ways to support and enhance them. It also touched on the latest developments regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip, in addition to several issues of common interest.

October 16, 2025

Raila Odinga: the man who changed Kenya without ever ruling it

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Justin Willis, Professor of History, Durham University

Raila Amollo Odinga, who has died at the age of 80, was something of a paradox in post-independence Kenyan politics.

A leader who repeatedly ran for president, he never won – in part due to the 2007 election being manipulated in favour of Mwai Kibaki. Despite this, Odinga will be remembered as a figure who profoundly shaped the country’s politics as much as any president.

The son of a famous anti-colonial leader, he was born into influence. Yet he became bitterly critical of Kenya’s enduring political and economic inequalities, speaking out on behalf of the county’s “have nots”, which earned him a place in the hearts of millions.

He was a fiercely nationalist politician who mobilised support across ethnic lines. But he was also the dominant leader of the Luo community – one of the country’s larger ethnic groups mainly based in Western Kenya – whose voters formed the core of his support.

Having self-identified as a revolutionary, Odinga later proved to be committed to institutional reform and democratisation. His greatest legacy is the 2010 constitution, which attempted to devolve power away from the “imperial presidency”, which he campaigned for over many years.

This was not the end of the contradictions. A leader who often spoke about economic development and deprivation, his agenda was typically more focused on political change. Odinga did so in part because he believed that rights and freedoms would anchor nation-building and development.

Perhaps most strikingly, although he scorned the elite power sharing deals that dominated Kenyan politics – he repeatedly made such agreements himself, often invoking the need for national stability.

Odinga embodied Kenya’s political contradictions, so the impact of his life and death will be debated. This article explores this contested legacy and what it means for Kenya’s future.

Early years

Born in western Kenya on 7 January 1945, Odinga – popularly known as Baba (father) – was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the redoubtable community mobiliser who was a thorn in the side of the colonial state. Oginga famously insisted that he and other nationalists would make no deals with the British until Jomo Kenyatta was released.

When Kenyatta became prime minister in 1963, and later president in 1964, Oginga became Kenya’s first vice-president and minister of home affairs. However, he fell out with Kenyatta in 1966 over the government’s failure to overturn colonial inequalities. This meant that the Oginga family was excluded from the country’s powerful political elite. Oginga spent the following decades in and out of detention.

Raila Odinga spent his early years in Kenya before leaving in 1962 to study in East Germany. Returning in 1970, he became a university lecturer. Later, he joined the government standards agency – a job he lost abruptly in 1982 when he was linked to a failed coup against Daniel arap Moi. Charged with treason, he was detained until 1988, when he became active in the growing opposition to Moi’s rule. He was detained twice more during the turbulent years of protest that followed and fled briefly to Sweden.

Odinga returned before Kenya’s 1992 elections, the first multi-party polls since the 1960s, siding with his father when the opposition split. Aided by that division and state manipulation, Moi won, but Odinga’s role confirmed his status as a major political figure.

Blazing his own trail

When Oginga died in 1994, Odinga sought to take over his father’s party but, defeated, left to form his own. He ran for president in 1997, which Moi again won against a divided opposition.

When Moi did not seek re-election in 2002, it seemed Odinga’s moment had come. However, after briefly supporting Odinga as his successor Moi ultimately decided to back Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Jomo. In response, Odinga threw his weight behind Mwai Kibaki, a move which was critical to Kibaki’s victory in 2002.

Odinga’s support for Kibaki was conditional on major constitutional and political reforms. Yet where Odinga had expected widespread constitutional reforms to devolve power away from the executive, Kibaki offered limited changes. Refusing to simply prop up the administration, Odinga successfully campaigned against the government’s flawed draft constitution in the 2005 referendum.

Once again, Odinga seemed on the brink of power: he led a broad coalition into the 2007 elections on a promise of fundamental change. Early results put him ahead of Kibaki in the elections – but then Kibaki was declared the winner in a hasty process that raised widespread suspicions of malpractice and triggered Kenya’s greatest crisis, including ethnic clashes and state repression.

A power-sharing deal brought the violence to an end and made Odinga prime minister in a government of national unity. He focused his energy on political reform and constitutional changes, as well as other long standing concerns. In August 2010 a referendum approved a new constitution that devolved power to Kenya’s 47 counties. The constitution also reformed key institutions including the judiciary and electoral commission and expanded citizens’ rights.

A contested final act

The 2010 constitution remains Odinga’s signal achievement. Certainly, it created the potential for the country to forge a new and more democratic future.

Yet in its aftermath he struggled to find an equally compelling narrative. Constitutional reform had been a long-standing demand that allowed him to mobilise opposition around the promise of a new Kenya. Without this single over-arching “cause”, Odinga’s ability to sustain mass mobilisation became more fragile.

Furthermore, the progressive constitution did not prevent the continuation of older political logics. It proved no barrier against the rise to the presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta and his then deputy, William Ruto, who had faced charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.

Odinga faced increasingly difficult choices, particularly after repeated presidential defeats in 2013, 2017 and 2022 amid allegations of electoral manipulation.

These losses convinced some that he would never win the presidency – and not only because of the use of state power to deny him. That recognition, coupled with advancing age and ill health, led Odinga to make compromises once unthinkable, revealing an increasingly pragmatic reasoning in his later years. This was starkly illustrated after the 2017 elections, when – having claimed he was rigged out and led mass protests – Odinga struck the “handshake” deal with Kenyatta in March 2018. This was framed as nation-building but viewed by some as a betrayal.

The handshake led Odinga to stand as Kenyatta’s preferred candidate in the 2022 elections. This backing proved doubly damaging, however. On the one hand, it undermined Odinga’s opposition credentials and lowered turnout in his Nyanza strongholds. On the other, it meant that his loss could not be blamed on a “deep state” conspiring against him.

The difficulties that followed were magnified when, after suggesting the 2022 results had been manipulated by those around Ruto, Odinga agreed to prop up Ruto’s struggling government in March 2025. The formation of what was billed as a “broad-based” administration was presented as nation-building, but critics saw it differently. Coming after mass youth-led protests – first against tax increases and later against corruption, state repression, and Ruto’s leadership – Odinga appeared to some to side with power against the people he once represented.

Not flawless, but consequential

These turns complicate how history, and Kenyans, will remember him – not as a flawless icon, but as a deeply consequential and sometimes contradictory figure. Yet those with longer memories will also understand what led Odinga there.

Imprisoned and tortured under Moi, sold out by Kibaki, and denied victory in 2007, Odinga endured more than a lifetime’s share of misfortune and betrayal. He made his own choices, but rarely under conditions of his own making, and arguably did more than any other Kenyan to make the country’s political system more responsive to its people.

His absence will generate a political vacuum that other leaders will struggle to fill. Ruto was banking on Odinga’s support to win the 2027 elections. He will now have to work harder to put together a winning coalition. Meanwhile those leaders who coalesced around Odinga – including those who depended on him for their positions – will need to decide how they can most effectively mobilise in his absence.

As they do so, Kenya’s leaders will all be operating in his shadow, and in a context in which the country’s marginalised people and communities will feel even less represented by those in power.

– Raila Odinga: the man who changed Kenya without ever ruling it
– https://theconversation.com/raila-odinga-the-man-who-changed-kenya-without-ever-ruling-it-267643

October 16, 2025

African languages for AI: the project that’s gathering a huge new dataset

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Vukosi Marivate, Chair of Data Science, Professor of Computer Science, Director AfriDSAI, University of Pretoria

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Siri or Google Assistant are developed by the global north and trained in English, Chinese or European languages. In comparison, African languages are largely missing from the internet.

A team of African computer scientists, linguists, language specialists and others have been working on precisely this problem for two years already. The African Next Voices project, primarily funded by the Gates Foundation (with other funding from Meta) and involving a network of African universities and organisations, recently released what’s thought to be the largest dataset of African languages for AI so far. We asked them about their project, with sites in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Why is language so important to AI?

Language is how we interact, ask for help, and hold meaning in community. We use it to organise complex thoughts and share ideas. It’s the medium we use to tell an AI what we want – and to judge whether it understood us.

We are seeing an upsurge of applications that rely on AI, from education to health to agriculture. These models are trained from large volumes of (mostly) linguistic (language) data. These are called large language models or LLMs but are found in only a few of the world’s languages.

Languages also carry culture, values and local wisdom. If AI doesn’t speak our languages, it can’t reliably understand our intent, and we can’t trust or verify its answers. In short: without language, AI can’t communicate with us – and we can’t communicate with it. Building AI in our languages is therefore the only way for AI to work for people.

If we limit whose language gets modelled, we risk missing out on the majority of human cultures, history and knowledge.

Why are African languages missing and what are the consequences for AI?

The development of language is intertwined with the histories of people. Many of those who experienced colonialism and empire have seen their own languages being marginalised and not developed to the same extent as colonial languages. African languages are not as often recorded, including on the internet.

So there isn’t enough high-quality, digitised text and speech to train and evaluate robust AI models. That scarcity is the result of decades of policy choices that privilege colonial languages in schools, media and government.

Language data is just one of the things that’s missing. Do we have dictionaries, terminologies, glossaries? Basic tools are few and many other issues raise the cost of building datasets. These include African language keyboards, fonts, spell-checkers, tokenisers (which break text into smaller pieces so a language model can understand it), orthographic variation (differences in how words are spelled across regions), tone marking and rich dialect diversity.

The result is AI that performs poorly and sometimes unsafely: mistranslations, poor transcription, and systems that barely understand African languages.

In practice this denies many Africans access – in their own languages – to global news, educational materials, healthcare information, and the productivity gains AI can deliver.

When a language isn’t in the data, its speakers aren’t in the product, and AI cannot be safe, useful or fair for them. They end up missing the necessary language technology tools that could support service delivery. This marginalises millions of people and increases the technology divide.

What is your project doing about it – and how?

Our main objective is to collect speech data for automatic speech recognition (ASR). ASR is an important tool for languages that are largely spoken. This technology converts spoken language into written text.

The bigger ambition of our project is to explore how data for ASR is collected and how much of it is needed to create ASR tools. We aim to share our experiences across different geographic regions.

The data we collect is diverse by design: spontaneous and read speech; in various domains – everyday conversations, healthcare, financial inclusion and agriculture. We are collecting data from people of diverse ages, gender and educational backgrounds.

Every recording is collected with informed consent, fair compensation and clear data-rights terms. We transcribe with language-specific guidelines and a large range of other technical checks.

In Kenya, through Maseno Centre for Applied AI, we are collecting voice data for five languages. We’re capturing the three main language groups Nilotic (Dholuo, Maasai and Kalenjin) as well as Cushitic (Somali) and Bantu (Kikuyu).

Through Data Science Nigeria, we are collecting speech in five widely spoken languages – Bambara, Hausa, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba. The dataset aims to accurately reflect authentic language use within these communities.

In South Africa, working through the Data Science for Social Impact lab and its collaborators, we have been recording seven South African languages. The aim is to reflect the country’s rich linguistic diversity: isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana, isiNdebele and Tshivenda.

Importantly, this work does not happen in isolation. We are building on the momentum and ideas from the Masakhane Research Foundation network, Lelapa AI, Mozilla Common Voice, EqualyzAI, and many other organisations and individuals who have been pioneering African language models, data and tooling.

Each project strengthens the others, and together they form a growing ecosystem committed to making African languages visible and usable in the age of AI.

How can this be put to use?

The data and models will be useful for captioning local-language media; voice assistants for agriculture and health; call-centre and support in the languages. The data will also be archived for cultural preservation.

Larger, balanced, publicly available African language datasets will allow us to connect text and speech resources. Models will not just be experimental, but useful in chatbots, education tools and local service delivery. The opportunity is there to go beyond datasets into ecosystems of tools (spell-checkers, dictionaries, translation systems, summarisation engines) that make African languages a living presence in digital spaces.

In short, we are pairing ethically collected, high-quality speech at scale with models. The aim is for people to be able to speak naturally, be understood accurately, and access AI in the languages they live their lives in.

What happens next for the project?

This project only collected voice data for certain languages. What of the remaining languages? What of other tools like machine translation or grammar checkers?

We will continue to work on multiple languages, ensuring that we build data and models that reflect how Africans use their languages. We prioritise building smaller language models that are both energy efficient and accurate for the African context.

The challenge now is integration: making these pieces work together so that African languages are not just represented in isolated demos, but in real-world platforms.

One of the lessons from this project, and others like it, is that collecting data is only step one. What matters is making sure that the data is benchmarked, reusable, and linked to communities of practice. For us, the “next” is to ensure that the ASR benchmarks we build can connect with other ongoing African efforts.

We also need to ensure sustainability: that students, researchers, and innovators have continued access to compute (computer resources and processing power), training materials and licensing frameworks (Like NOODL or Esethu). The long-term vision is to enable choice: so that a farmer, a teacher, or a local business can use AI in isiZulu, Hausa, or Kikuyu, not just in English or French.

If we succeed, built-in AI in African languages won’t just be catching up. It will be setting new standards for inclusive, responsible AI worldwide.

– African languages for AI: the project that’s gathering a huge new dataset
– https://theconversation.com/african-languages-for-ai-the-project-thats-gathering-a-huge-new-dataset-266371

October 16, 2025

African Development Bank Approves $500 Million Strategy to Drive Inclusive Growth and Economic Resilience in Sierra Leone

Source: APO

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a new Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Sierra Leone for 2025–2030, committing approximately $500 million over the next five years to foster sustainable economic growth, strengthen resilience to fragility, and promote inclusive development.

The strategy is built around two key priorities: developing sustainable infrastructure to enhance private sector competitiveness and supporting agricultural value-chain development to boost job creation and food security. These focus areas directly target Sierra Leone’s core development challenges, notably infrastructure gaps, limited private sector value addition, and high vulnerability to climate change.

With an estimated $2.1 billion in total financing, including co-financing from development partners, the CSP aligns with the government’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Vision 2030, which aim to position Sierra Leone as a middle-income economy.

Flagship infrastructure initiatives will focus on expanding renewable energy generation, increasing electricity access from 41% in 2024 to 60% by 2030—alongside upgrading climate-resilient road networks and improving water and sanitation systems to provide an additional 1.2 million people with access to safe drinking water.

The agricultural component prioritizes agro-industrial transformation, aiming to reduce food import dependency, currently at 70% for staple crops like rice, while creating over 500,000 jobs, particularly for women and youth, through support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Sierra Leone’s economy has demonstrated resilience with real GDP growth averaging 6.7% from 2020-2024, driven by the agriculture and services sectors. The new strategy builds on this momentum and leverages the Bank’s existing portfolio of 10 ongoing projects worth $150 million, which have already improved road connectivity and energy access.

“This strategy represents a bold step toward building a resilient and inclusive economy in Sierra Leone. By investing in sustainable infrastructure and agriculture, we are empowering communities, creating jobs, and supporting Sierra Leone’s vision for transformative growth,” said Halima Hashi, Country Manager, Sierra Leone

Programmes such as the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) will provide targeted financing and training to women-led agribusinesses, while digital tools will enhance supply chain efficiency and market access throughout the agricultural sector.

The CSP aligns with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy. The strategy also supports Sierra Leone’s commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by enhancing trade infrastructure and agricultural exports.

The strategy incorporates cross-cutting themes including climate change mitigation, gender equality, and youth empowerment. It aims to reduce Sierra Leone’s carbon footprint through renewable energy projects and promote climate-smart agriculture to mitigate impacts from floods and droughts that have increasingly affected the country.

Implementation commences immediately with close coordination between the government, private sector, and civil society to maximize impact and ensure alignment with national priorities. Environmental and social safeguards will ensure compliance with national regulations, including Sierra Leone’s 2022 Environmental Protection Act.

The strategy addresses structural drivers of fragility through targeted investments in infrastructure and agricultural value chains, with monitoring systems designed to track progress toward measurable development outcomes and gender-inclusive results.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contact:
Natalie Nkembuh
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

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October 16, 2025

Arab Coordination Group (ACG) Celebrates 50 Years of Driving Global Sustainable Development

Source: APO

The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) has celebrated its golden jubilee marking five decades of highly impactful work in supporting sustainable development around the world.

The event, held on 15 October 2025, in Washington, D.C., was a chance to look back on the ACG’s achievements and lasting impact while also sharing its vision for the future—one focused on inclusive growth and global cooperation.

Organized under the theme “ACG at 50: United in Collaboration, Transforming Development for a Sustainable Future”, the celebration honored ACG’s legacy and opened the door to new opportunities for working together.

On behalf of ACG members, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, said: “This 50^th anniversary is more than a milestone; it is a turning point. As the global development architecture evolves, the world is calling on development institutions to be bigger, better, and bolder. The Arab Coordination Group is answering that call. We are forging a shared vision to guide our collective action for decades ahead”

The celebration also highlighted the importance of collaboration among member institutions and showed ACG’s role as a reliable partner in development. Key future priorities include climate resilience, digital transformation, inclusive growth, and investing in people.

Two roundtables were held in collaboration with the Arab Coordination Group (ACG) during the celebration. The first roundtable was held in cooperation with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), featuring the GPE–IsDB High-Level Roundtable on the Smart Financing for Education Initiative (SmartEd), marking the launch of Phase II of the initiative. The second roundtable organized in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which was a high-level event with Ministers of Finance from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), held under the theme: High-Level Roundtable: Strengthening Gulf–LAC Partnerships.

As it begins its next chapter, the ACG remains committed to working together to create a more sustainable and resilient world for all.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

About the Arab Coordination Group (ACG):
The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a strategic alliance that provides a coordinated response to development finance. Since its establishment in 1975, the ACG has been instrumental in developing economies and communities for a better future, providing more than 13,000 development loans to over 160 countries around the globe. The ACG works across the globe to support developing nations and create a lasting, positive impact.

The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is considered one of the most important and effective development partnerships at the international level. The group actively works to adopt the best global practices in sustainable development work. It also aims to align the efforts of these institutions to achieve convergence and harmonization in the policies governing their financing operations.

The Group comprises 10 national, Arab regional, and international institutions, including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Arab Gulf Programme for Development, the Arab Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Qatar Fund for Development and the Saudi Fund for Development.

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October 16, 2025

United Nations Peacekeeping Chief briefs stakeholders on impact of United Nations (UN)-wide financial crisis on United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) operations

Source: APO

Touching down in Juba, the Under-Secretary-General for United Nations Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is on a whirlwind visit to conflict-affected South Sudan to urge progress in the peace process and to strengthen understanding of the impact of the UN-wide financial crisis on peacekeeping missions.

Immediately on arrival, Mr. Lacroix headed into a series of meetings with the country’s political leaders, briefing them on the impact of the financial crisis, caused by delays and shortfalls in cash contributions to peacekeeping by Member States, on the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

“South Sudan is a fragile country. It is a country that is impacted massively by the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, by climate change, and the drastic reduction of humanitarian assistance,” said Mr. Lacroix.

“The country is really at a crossroads. There is a need for international support, but we need to work together to make progress on the political front and to make the best possible case, so that Member States will be convinced that it is in the collective interests of the South Sudanese people, the region, and global security, to continue providing assistance.”

In response to the fiscal crisis, UNMISS is required to reduce its spending by 15% which means downsizing its presence and reducing activities across the country.

“UNMISS has a very important mandate and has been with us since we earned our peace under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and it has impacted many institutions, including the security sector and law sectors,” said the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Lomuro.

“We will wait for the plan that UNMISS will come up with and we will have a high-level team that will discuss and make an input into the plan so that the process is smooth with no negative impact.”

“I’m very confident that despite all the challenges we are facing, we will be able to overcome them through the strong coordination and cooperation with the authorities of South Sudan,” responded Mr. Lacroix.

The cost-saving measures come at a time when the political, security and humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. Political tensions and violence between forces aligned with the main parties to the peace deal are rising. Intercommunal conflict continues to have a catastrophic impact and almost eight million people are facing crisis-level food insecurity.

Despite the challenges, the United Nations is committed to staying and delivering for the people of South Sudan.

“We are committed to keeping working with those we serve to support and protect them,” said Mr. Lacroix.

“At the same time, there will be a negative impact because we are forced to implement the savings. We will try to minimize this impact, but we also need the advocacy of the civil society in South Sudan to support continued delivery of adequate resources to UNMISS and humanitarian partners.”

To find shared solutions to the challenges ahead and ensure a smooth downsizing process, the mission will continue engaging intensively with all partners, including the Government of South Sudan and affected communities, to de-escalate tensions, end political violence, and build a better future for the world’s newest nation.

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

October 16, 2025

Sanlam Investments Renews Sponsorship of Africa’s Green Economy Summit 2026

Source: APO

Sanlam Investments (www.SanlamInvestments.com) has confirmed its third sponsorship of Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES), taking place in February 2026, reaffirming its commitment to financing Africa’s sustainable future through innovation in renewable energy, water security, waste reduction, ocean and climate finance.

Since its inception in 2023, AGES has become a key platform for connecting global capital with African green projects. To date, the summit has showcased more than 90 investment-ready initiatives valued at over US$8.7 billion, spanning entrepreneurial start-ups to national-scale infrastructure projects. The event bridges the gap between investors and project owners, accelerating Africa’s transition to a just and inclusive green economy.

“Africa stands at the frontline of climate change, and on the frontier of opportunity,” said Carl Roothman, CEO of Sanlam Investments. “From renewable energy to the blue economy and circular industries, the continent is leading a new era of sustainable growth; one defined by innovation, inclusion, and long-term value creation.

“We recognise that meaningful change requires collective action through strategic partnerships, which is why we are supporting Africa’s Green Economy Summit for the third year. Every investment, every solution we implement, creates lasting returns for ecosystems, communities and investors. Now is our moment to invest in the future we need.”

Roothman added that Sanlam’s investment philosophy of ‘holistic return’ reflects the company’s goal to pair measurable financial returns with regenerative impact for people and the planet. “We have consistent evidence that investing for impact yields outperforming returns – financial, social and environmental. Doing good is good investing.”

Emmanuelle Nicholls, Project Lead for the event said: “Thanks to the vision and leadership of partners like Sanlam Investments, Africa’s Green Economy Summit has become an unmatched platform for changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs shaping a sustainable future for Africa.

She added that the 2026 Summit will once again explore the full scope of the green and blue economy – from energy, transport, water and agriculture to waste management, green buildings and clean technology.

“This year’s programme will feature dedicated pitch stages, investor roundtables, deal rooms and curated matchmaking with DFIs, venture capital funds, banks and asset managers. Nature and biodiversity finance will also take centre stage, highlighting the emerging markets for biodiversity credits and nature-based finance.”

Nicholls emphasised that each edition of the summit strengthens its impact: “Every year, we reinforce the urgency of addressing Africa’s climate finance gap and taking actionable steps toward sustainable development.”

AGES takes please at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town from 24-27 February. Register via the AGES website (https://apo-opa.co/4nNVNOF).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

About Sanlam Investments:
Sanlam Investments is one of South Africa’s largest black-owned asset management firms, managing assets of over R1.5 billion. The company’s purpose extends beyond wealth creation — it is dedicated to investing in the long-term sustainability of people, planet and profit to drive measurable impact.

About Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES):
Africa’s Green Economy Summit is part of the green economy portfolio of VUKA Group, which has over 20 years of experience serving Africa’s business community. The summit connects global investors with African green projects to drive inclusive, sustainable growth across the continent.

VUKA Group:
Africa’s Green Economy Summit is part of the green economy portfolio of VUKA Group (https://WeAreVUKA.com/), which has more than 20 years’ experience in serving the business community across Africa.

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