Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO

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Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, presiding over a high-level United Nations Security Council briefing on Peace Consolidation in West Africa, has called for the establishment of an ECOWAS–UN–AU Compact for Peace and Resilience in the Sahel. The proposal, unveiled on Tuesday, 18th November, 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, is aimed at forging a coordinated, well-funded, and results-driven approach to tackling escalating insecurity across the Sahel and West Africa.

President Bio convened the meeting in his dual capacity as President of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, stressing the urgent need for a unified global response to a crisis he described as “the epicentre of global terrorism.” He warned that the region’s instability, fuelled by extremist groups affiliated with ISIL and Al-Qaida, poses a direct threat to international peace and security.

“Maintaining international peace and security is a collective responsibility,” President Bio said, lamenting the global silence that has accompanied the deteriorating situation in the Sahel. He noted that despite the courage of affected States, “the threat of terrorism and violent extremism continues to outpace our collective response,” underscoring the need for stronger multilateral cooperation.

The proposed Compact seeks to align security, governance reforms, and humanitarian efforts under a single coordinated framework, leveraging the mandates of existing UN resolutions and the operational strengths of ECOWAS and the African Union. President Bio emphasized that predictable financing, particularly under Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023), is essential to support African-led peace operations and activate the region’s Standby Force.

Addressing representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in attendance, President Bio stressed the importance of engagement and reintegration, noting that West African security “cannot be built on exclusion.” He urged the Council to help rebuild trust across the region, including between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, through cooperative mechanisms such as joint platforms and real-time coordination supported by UN entities.

Highlighting the humanitarian toll of the conflict, such as, rising displacement, collapsing livelihoods, and deepening public frustration, President Bio called for expanded humanitarian assistance that is linked to long-term economic recovery. He underscored that Africa’s peace “is not a favour to be granted, but a foundation of global stability.”

President Bio concluded with a charge to the Council and the wider international community: “The people of West Africa and the Sahel do not ask for pity; they ask for partnership.” He urged global leaders to act decisively and collaboratively, warning that without swift intervention, the Sahel risks becoming a permanent sanctuary for extremist networks “just hours from major global cities.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.

Source: APO

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The KwaZulu-Natal’s delegation of permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will from 19 to 20 November be crisscrossing the uMgungudlovu municipal area to assess the progress of various infrastructure development projects.

The delegation will be split into two groups, each comprising representatives from the NCOP, KZN Provincial Legislature, KZN provincial executive and the municipalities.

Group 1 will conduct assessments on Cedara Housing Project in Umngeni, Howick CBD revitalisation and Karkloof failed electrification project in Umshwati, as well as the Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network in Msunduzi. The group will also visit the Siyathuthuka Magoda Road in Richmond.

Group 2 will visit Ward 7 Rural Housing Project in Mkhabathini, Woodlands Primary School in Msunduzi and the new P130 Road project in KwaNovuka in Impendle. The group will also visit the water pipeline project in Mpofana.

Group 1 will be led by the KZN Provincial Whip in the NCOP, Mr Mzamo Billy, and Group 2 will be led by the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Les Govender. The site visits of the two groups will commence at 09h00 on each of the three days.

The groups will then have a public meeting with various community stakeholders from 2 pm on Thursday, 20 November at the City Hall, Pietermaritzburg.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO

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The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Ethiopia Office held their regular meeting on November 17, 2025, in Addis Ababa, reinforcing strong bilateral relations and exploring new avenues for private-sector engagement to accelerate Ethiopia’s sustainable development. The session reviewed ongoing projects, addressed implementation challenges, and discussed strategic priorities for future collaboration.

H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance, warmly welcomed Mr. Taeyoung Kim, KOICA’s newly-appointed Country Director, who began his term on November 1, 2025. Mr. Kim brings prior experience in Ethiopia from an earlier KOICA assignment, providing valuable perspective on the country’s development journey. He expressed admiration for Ethiopia’s transformation, highlighting rapid urban growth in Addis Ababa and nationwide progress. “Ethiopia’s transformation is remarkable, and KOICA is proud to partner with the Ministry of Finance to advance sustainable development and foster private-sector opportunities,” Mr. Kim said.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of strategic dialogue, negotiation, and private-sector collaboration as critical tools for addressing development challenges and maximizing impact. They reaffirmed their commitment to Ethiopia’s national priorities and inclusive growth objectives, while seeking innovative ways to integrate private actors into development initiatives.

KOICA also shared plans for upcoming projects in 2026–2027, focusing on manufacturing, health, rural development, and initiatives that actively involve the private sector. The meeting addressed bottlenecks affecting project implementation and explored strategies to ensure more effective outcomes.

The session concluded with renewed commitments to strengthen bilateral relations, private-sector engagement, and collaborative development, marking a significant step forward in Ethiopia–Korea partnership and shared prosperity.

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

Source: APO

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In parts of the Amhara region, essential services are under strain due to armed conflict. As it continues supporting people in hard-to-reach areas, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) this Tuesday inaugurates its largest solar-powered water supply project in Africa. 

A new system will provide reliable access to safe water for an estimated 77,000 residents in Lalibela, a town renowned for its 12th-century rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This water project was launched over three years ago to address severe water shortages in the town, due to the then raging hostilities in northern Ethiopia and to unreliable power supply. “We are glad that Lalibela’s residents can finally get stable access to water, after prolonged, intense works together with the local and regional water authorities”, says Simone Casabianca-Aeschlimann, the Head of the ICRC’s Delegation in Ethiopia. 

“The security conditions have been challenging, and we needed to purchase materials from abroad, but the result is there: a robust water system, with lower operating costs, and a reduced environmental footprint thanks to solar power.” 15 water utility staff have been trained on how to operate and maintain the new system, which is now handed over to the authorities. The ICRC will continue to monitor the project for another six months and provide technical support when necessary.

Lalibela’s surroundings have been impacted by recent fighting, and tensions remain, but the town itself has been spared. 

In remote villages of Lalibela’s North Wollo zone, and other hard-hit areas of Amhara, communities struggle to get proper health care. Due to blockages, ambulances such as those from the Ethiopian Red Cross Society cannot evacuate wounded and sick people appropriately. Civilians in need of basic services are obliged to walk long distances, often in a highly insecure environment. 

As part of its support for communities’ access to health care, the ICRC has donated medicines and medical supplies to 33 health facilities throughout the region, to complement services by the authorities and in coordination with them. Upon receiving this support in early November, a nurse in the Sanja hospital of Central Gondar said with relief: “We no longer need to ask patients to purchase medicines from outside the facility.” 

In Amhara, the ICRC also supports the treatment and physical rehabilitation of weapon wounded people, and visits detainees on both sides to monitor their treatment and conditions of detention.

The armed conflict between the Ethiopian armed forces and the Amhara Fano armed group is ongoing since August 2023. The ICRC continues its emergency response in humanitarian priority areas in Amhara. It stands ready to serve as a neutral intermediary in humanitarian operations crossing frontlines, as it did early October 2025 in North Wollo undertaking life-saving medical evacuations.

From January to October 2025, ICRC teams in the Amhara region provided a wide range of humanitarian activities liked to the current conflict situation.

The ICRC notably supported health facilities to provide:

• Curative care in 14 primary health centres for 89,500 patients in conflict-affected areas
• Surgical or other medical treatment in 13 hospitals for over 3,300 wounded or sick patients, mostly referred from the primary health centres
• Safe deliveries and management of complications for over 3,600 pregnant women
• Medical treatment for almost 600 survivors of sexual violence in six one-stop centres and other health facilities
• Services for almost 750 conflict-affected persons with disabilities in two physical rehabilitation centres in the region, in Bahir Dar and Dessie. The ICRC also extensively renovated the Bahir Dar Physical Rehabilitation Centre.

The ICRC organised health training for three surgeons from Amhara hospitals on trauma and reconstructive surgery, in collaboration with the Alert Hospital in Addis Ababa, and for 47 other health professionals in Amhara on basic emergency care.

In the same period, the ICRC improved access to water for almost 230,000 people in Amhara:

• 77,000 inhabitants of Lalibela, through the now completed solar water project, financed at around 50% by the German Embassy in Addis Ababa
• Around 150,000 people living in rural areas, through the renovation and construction of water systems, including hand pumps 

Since the beginning of 2025, in Amhara, ICRC delegates carried out 10 visits to persons deprived of liberty in relation with the armed conflict in six different places of detention, two of them under the responsibility of the Amhara Fano non-State armed group. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Source: APO

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In noting the absence of certain member states at the G20 Summit currently under way in Johannesburg, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, said it is not the first time that some of the G20 member states are absent for various reasons.

Of key importance is that the summit continues, despite any absences, and continues to engage on the items on the agenda and make decisions to achieve desired and meaningful impact for individual nations and their citizens, the Chairperson said.

Divergence of views and contradictions among G20 member states is an unavoidable reality and the only course to adopt is through persuasion and discourse to reach common ground, thereby uniting member nations. This enables G20 nations to reach a position that allows for cooperation rather than differences – thereby given meaning to the initial creation of the G20 platform for the purposes of development of member nations.

“As the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, I commend South Africa and Africa for hosting a successful G20 Summit,” said Mr Mahumapelo.

South Africa continued on a path of constructive engagement with the United States to attend the G20 Summit and will continue with that engagement, notwithstanding of the absence of the US from the summit.

South Africa and the rest of the African continent celebrate the hosting of the G20 Summit for the first time on African soil. “This day will remain memorable in the minds of South Africans and take its special glory in the annals of the South African history,” emphasised Mr Mahumapelo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO

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UNICEF has strongly condemned a deadly attack on a school in Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria, which left the Vice-Principal dead and resulted in the reported abduction of at least 25 students.

“No child should be put at risk while pursuing an education,” UNICEF said, stressing that classrooms must remain places of safety, not fear.

According to local reports, one of the abducted schoolgirls managed to escape and is now safe, while another student who was not taken also fled during the incident.

Speaking at the daily noon briefing in New York, the deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq called for the swift release of all those abducted. 

UNICEF extended condolences to the affected families, voiced solidarity with the community, and wished a full recovery to the injured.

Call for protection

The agency underlined that students, teachers and education facilities must be protected from all forms of violence, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law. It urged accountability for those responsible, in accordance with national and international standards.

Nigeria endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, committing to protect the civilian character of education facilities and ensure safe access to learning during conflict.

The Declaration, launched at the First International Conference on Safe Schools in Oslo, Norway, seeks to reduce attacks on education and safeguard learning environments worldwide.

UNICEF said it continues to work closely with government partners, civil society and communities to strengthen child protection systems and promote safe, inclusive learning spaces across the country, stressing that stronger safeguards can help prevent future tragedies.

Abductions impede learning

Attacks on schools and the abduction of students remain a major barrier to learning in Nigeria. A UNICEF report released last year to mark 10 years since the notorious Chibok kidnappings found that only 37 per cent of schools across 10 states have early warning systems to detect threats, including violence and armed attacks.

The Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS) Monitoring Report revealed sharp disparities in safety across six core areas: school governance, violence prevention, natural hazards, conflict, everyday risks and safe infrastructure.

The findings underscored that ensuring all Nigerian children can learn without fear remains an urgent and unfinished task.

UNICEF reiterated that education is a fundamental right and insisted that protecting children, teachers and school infrastructure must remain a national and global priority.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

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That’s according to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres who told the Security Council on Monday that the growth in terrorist groups was “not only a regional dramatic reality.”

“Progressive links of its groups in Africa and beyond make it a growing global threat.”

The vast Sahel region which stretches almost coast to coast across Africa, accounts for 19 per cent of terrorist attacks worldwide and for over half of global terrorism-related casualties.

Around four million people are now displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and neighbouring countries.

Responding to the threat

To address the crisis, Mr. Guterres urged a “unified, coherent and consensus-based” regional response, the maintenance of financial support for humanitarian response plans and a development strategy to address the root causes of terrorism.

Along those lines, he encouraged intelligence sharing and financial tracking through the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Compact, the UN’s coordination mechanism against terror, and the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) counter-terrorism strategy.

He further noted that humanitarian appeals for the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin remain severely underfunded — less than one quarter of the $4.9 billion required has been raised.

“Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken,” he added, highlighting the need to fight poverty and invest in sustainable development.

Collaboration and synergy

Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, warned that terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin to threaten all of West Africa.

He informed the Security Council that ECOWAS is accelerating deployment of its standby force, starting with 1,650 personnel and scaling up to 5,000 with regional and partner support.

He said that while partners have taken action to combat terrorism, the proliferation of these initiatives has led to “fragmentation,” hindering cooperation. He stressed that coordination and cohesion must be a priority.

“No amount of money, no amount of equipment will help us overcome terror if we don’t collaborate and build synergy,” Mr. Touray said.

“Our current differences should not be exploited; they should be bridged,” he added.

‘Moral compass’

“We must re-imagine ECOWAS not just as a regional bloc, but as a community of courage, the moral compass and stabilising force of Africa,” said Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone – which also holds the Security Council presidency for November – and chair of ECOWAS.

He went on to push for democratic trust, decisive action in the fight against extremism and regional security and coordination.

On those grounds, he proposed an ECOWAS-UN-African Union compact – a coordinated mechanism to ensure predictable financing and operations across the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.