Category: English

Source: APO – Report:

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With just one week to go, African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 is poised to bring together mining stakeholders from across Africa and around the globe to drive the continent’s mineral extraction and beneficiation agenda. 

Scheduled for October 1–3, 2025, in Cape Town, AMW 2025 offers a dynamic program of high-level panel discussions, technical workshops, exhibition space, a ministerial forum, country spotlights, deal signings and exclusive networking sessions – all designed to connect global investors with opportunities across Africa’s mining value chain. 

Under the theme Vision & Strategy – Setting the Stage for Minerals Industrialization, day one will open with keynote addresses from Dr. Oladele Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), and Franklin Edochie, Deputy Director & Head of Metals & Mining at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). Minister Alake will then join a ministerial forum alongside Martin Gama Abucha of South Sudan, Winston Chitando of Zimbabwe, Yusif Sulemana of Ghana, and Moses Engadu, Secretary General of AMSG. Focused on Extraction to Transformation: African Governments Driving Beneficiation and Value Addition, the forum will explore policies and initiatives that are shaping investment flows and local value creation across the continent. 

Day one will also feature insights from African investors – including AFC, World Mining Investment, Apeiron Investment Group, Industrial Development Corporation and African Infrastructure Investment Managers – highlighting best practices for advancing investment along Africa’s mining value chain. Leading producers and downstream players, such as Rand Refinery and B2Gold Namibia, will engage with stakeholders, while a fireside chat with Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian Mining Authority, and technical workshops hosted by Sidley Austin, Oildynamix, AFC and CLC Solution will provide actionable guidance on regulatory and technical developments in the sector. 

Day two, under the theme Leadership and Innovation Shaping the Future of Mining, will feature the Women in Leadership in Africa’s Mining Industry panel, showcasing the transformative impact of female leaders. Fireside chats with Ministers Chitando and Alake will provide updates on the state of their respective countries’ mining sectors. Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, will explore Africa’s critical minerals sector and its role in the global energy transition, while Kwaku Nsiah-Asare, CEO of Typhoon, will discuss initiatives to formalize small-scale mining in Ghana. Representatives from Pensana, Isondo Precious Metals, Valterra Platinum, Ivanhoe Mines, First Quantum Minerals, Anglo American and MetSoP will examine opportunities across mineral production and trading. 

On day three, country spotlights for Ghana, Nigeria, South Sudan and Zimbabwe will highlight investment opportunities and provide a direct platform for stakeholders to engage with emerging prospects and policy frameworks shaping Africa’s mining future. 

– on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

About African Mining Week:
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Source: APO

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First Lady Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama and other First Ladies from the continent convened for a high-level side event during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80), organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).

The critical gathering, themed “Building Resilience for Women and Girls in the Face of Climate Change and Conflict,” culminated in a unified campaign commitment from all participating First Ladies to address these pressing global challenges.

The discussions underscored the disproportionate impact of environmental degradation and armed conflicts on vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls, who often bear the brunt of displacement, resource scarcity, and increased violence.

A central outcome of the event was the collective commitment made by all First Ladies to a campaign pledge, which signifies a concerted effort to advocate for policies, mobilise resources, and implement programmes to target the unique challenges faced by women and girls in climate and conflict-affected regions.

Mrs Mahama’s commitment statement centred on the theme of “Strength.”

“I pledged to support this campaign that centres on African solutions and strength, which is rooted in its women and girls,” she stated. “In the face of climate and conflict challenges, their courage sustains families and communities. By investing in their strength, we build resilience for generations to come.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

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Life for girls in cattle camps is not easy.

They only thing they do is work, cook, and clean while the boys sleep, explains Hellen Kulong, a 45-year-old mother of four from Gemeiza in Terekeka County.

She was among dozens of women participating in a symposium designed to bridge divides and build peace between stakeholders in Central Equatoria State, organized with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Many issues were discussed during the three-day event, including interconnected challenges, such as land disputes, poor road infrastructure, lack of basic services, recurring clashes between farmers and cattle herders, youth unemployment and other pressures.

However, women participants seized the opportunity to raise concerns about the immense impact of insecurity and other challenges on their daily lives and futures.

A hot topic was how women bear the brunt of economic pressures.

“The girls want to keep going to school, but they can’t because they don’t have enough money,” says Mary Sadia, a women’s representative from Terekeka.

“When girls can’t access education, they remain trapped in cycles of poverty that make their families increasingly desperate. Women become valuable because people know they can get cows as a dowry payment, and they don’t care about how girls will make it through.”

This economic situation creates a chain reaction of exploitation. Young men who view women as commodities develop aggressive behaviors that spill over into conflicts with neighboring communities.

The breakdown is most visible in cattle camps, where gender roles are rigidly enforced from childhood.

“Boys learn that they deserve things, and girls learn that they have to do things for others,” says Mary Sadia.

Mary Lyiyon from Gemeiza Payam explains how basic needs drive larger conflicts.

“Without formal land policies and adequate infrastructure, communities compete for scarce resources, including access to water and undeveloped land. This creates disputes that frequently turn violent,” she says.

“Young people with limited opportunities resort to conflict, go to cattle camps to get rich, and rely on stealing as a source of income.”

Despite these obstacles, women have created solidarity across tribal lines through church and community groups.

“As women, they don’t have a sense of tribalism. They see themselves as one. When one cries, we all cry,” says Lily Kaitale.

Gatherings, like the symposium, provide women with a platform where their voices can be heard — something not available at the community level, she adds.

“When we talk about peace, we need to look critically at concrete actions that can be implemented to change the narrative and ensure all voices are heard,” stressed Victor Fasama, UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer.

The symposium ended with resolutions calling for comprehensive land policies, livestock management, strengthened law enforcement, and infrastructure investments, including mobile schools and healthcare facilities. To decrease forced migration and resource competition, participants strongly endorsed water reservoirs and catchment systems.

But for the women participants, the real work begins when they return to their communities, where children still need food and education, where young people still see conflict as their only source of income, and peace remains absent.

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

Source: APO

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Eritrean delegation led by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is participating in the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The delegation includes Ms. Sophia Tesfamariam, Eritrea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ms. Elsa Haile, Director General of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Berhane Gebrehiwet, Chargé d’Affaires at the Eritrean Embassy in the United States.

On the margins of the session yesterday, the delegation held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Sudan, Burundi, Greece, and Portugal. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, sharing perspectives on international peace and security, and other regional and global issues of mutual concern.

In related news, Ms. Elsa Haile participated in the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women, held on 22 September. Speaking at the event, Ms. Elsa highlighted Eritrea’s progress over the past five years in institutionalizing gender equality, emphasizing that international law serves as a fundamental basis for advancing women’s rights. She further noted that Eritrean women now account for 42% of regional assemblies and enjoy equitable participation in education, underscoring the country’s practical achievements in this area.

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