Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

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Chomba, a 29-year-old mother of four, has accessed family planning services for the first time since marrying a decade ago.

Until recently, the nearest health facility was a two-hour walk from her rural village, making it nearly impossible for her to space her children or attend antenatal appointments. Her story mirrors those of millions of women whose lives have been transformed by Zambia’s commitment to reproductive health.

From Cairo to today

Over 30 years ago, at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Zambia joined 178 nations in declaring “No more!”—no more women dying in childbirth, no more unmet need for family planning, and no more gender-based discrimination and violence.

Since then, Zambia has worked with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to turn that promise into reality. In February 2023, the government signed a Compact of Commitment with UNFPA to boost domestic funding for family planning and maternal health supplies. Backed by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, the Ministry of Health, and the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), the compact ensures essential commodities are procured through UNFPA’s trusted global system.

Since signing, Zambia has disbursed more than USD 11.4 million, including USD 4.3 million in 2025, for the procurement of reproductive health commodities. By investing beyond the agreed threshold, Zambia has also qualified for the Match Fund for three years running. This unlocks up to USD 2 million in additional support annually.

“Investing in sexual and reproductive health commodities is not just a health issue; it is a powerful economic one,” says Seth Broekman, UNFPA Country Representative. “When women are empowered to make choices about their bodies and families, they can pursue education and careers with greater freedom, which builds a dynamic workforce and driving national prosperity.”

Commodities reaching communities

With this investment, availability of reproductive health commodities has surged. ZAMMSA reports medical supplies in public facilities now reach over 70 per cent, surpassing WHO benchmarks. In Mansa District, family planning availability jumped from just 30 to 40 percent in early 2024 to more than 90 percent in 2025, giving women more choice than ever before.

Challenges remain with funding shortfalls, weak road networks, and limited last-mile distribution, which hinder full access. To bridge these gaps, UNFPA has stepped in with third-party logistics support, which now accounts for about 7 per cent of ZAMMSA’s total distributions, helping move commodities closer to communities in need.

For women like Chomba, this compact is beyond policy. It is the power to choose, and keeping the promise for Zambia.

– on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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The National Orchid Garden has honoured President John Dramani Mahama with a newly named orchid hybrid, “Vanda John Dramani Mahama,” unveiled during his visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The orchid will join the Garden’s renowned “VIP Orchids” collection, a tradition that pays tribute to visiting heads of state, heads of government, and other distinguished guests. President Mahama signed the visitors’ book and received a briefing on the history of the Gardens as part of his tour.

The National Orchid Garden’s practice of naming hybrids after state dignitaries reflects both diplomatic goodwill and Singapore’s cultural heritage. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, the orchids are seen as symbols of the nation’s journey of growth and transformation.

“Vanda John Dramani Mahama” now stands among floral tributes dedicated to international leaders who have visited the Botanic Gardens, underscoring the role of horticulture in Singapore’s soft diplomacy and its longstanding ties with global partners.

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO – Report:

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Ghana and Singapore on Wednesday discussed cooperation in sustainable development and value-added agriculture, anchoring their talks around a pioneering carbon markets agreement and plans to scale agro-processing and jobs in Ghana.

Speaking during bilateral talks with President John Dramani Mahama in Singapore, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said, “the first Asian country to sign the implementation of a carbon credit agreement with Ghana and the first in Africa, is Singapore,” casting the deal as a platform to channel investment into low-carbon growth.

He added that “other areas of interest are agribusiness, downstream processing of products like cashew, cocoa… and we are ready and glad to pursue them together.”

President John Mahama, who is on a three-day State Visit, stated that Ghana is targeting job creation through a twin push in modern agriculture and services.

“On tackling the challenge with jobs, agribusiness has space for work and lots of employment, and we have, as part of our Reset Agenda, put a lot of focus on it,” he said.

“Ghana has more than enough arable land for farming,” he added, highlighting the Volta Economic Corridor: “We have over 2 million hectares of land along the river for development into agro-processing parks, irrigated lands, etc., and that surely will be another game changer under our Resetting Ghana and the 24-hour economy programme.”

Mahama also pointed to the “creative and digital services” economy as a rapid employer for Ghana’s youth. The sector, he said, “employs faster and creates 5 jobs easily before a job is created in the traditional job markets.”

Tharman acknowledged that “jobs are a challenge, but that’s also something you are dealing with,” he said, underscoring Singapore’s interest in helping develop SMEs alongside green and agro-industrial projects.

Mahama framed the broader partnership as part of Ghana’s role in Africa’s economic opening under the AfCFTA, while congratulating Singapore on 60 years of independence.

“We are stabilising the economy,” he said, and the next phase is to convert stability into sustainable, job-rich growth through green finance, downstream processing and digital opportunity.

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO – Report:

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Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), at the Ministry Headquarters in Kampala.

H.E. Caholo, who has been in Uganda since 15th August, paid a courtesy call to brief the Minister on ongoing ICGLR initiatives. He highlighted expert meetings on environmental governance and natural resources held in Entebbe, focusing on artisanal and small-scale mining, the Regional Certification Mechanism, and cross-border cooperation.

He further updated the Minister on the Regional Observatory Mechanism (ROM), where Uganda assumed the Chairmanship in May 2025, underscoring the need for a clear work plan to strengthen the mining sector, including projects such as Wagagai Mining Limited.

H.E. Caholo also expressed concern that the required ICGLR Summits of Heads of State and Foreign Ministers have not convened since 2021, and reminded Uganda of its contributions to the ICGLR.

The Minister welcomed the Executive Secretary, reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to the ICGLR, and pledged to follow up on Uganda’s contributions while supporting artisanal miners through national associations.

– on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO – Report:

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Salif Tiendrébéogo left Burkina Faso in search of a better life. He spent five years travelling through seven countries. In the end, he lost all his money, his freedom, his migration status, and almost lost his life.

In 2014, Salif left Burkina Faso for Niger, hoping to make his way to Europe to escape the grinding poverty of his youth. His parents eked out a meager living by farming, but they made sure that he completed Qur’anic school.

After graduation, he had no clear work prospects. He’d heard stories of the money to be made abroad, and he decided that was the best way for him to support his parents. 

‘My friends assured me that if I migrated, I would be able to take care of myself. Indeed, when your family relies on you and you don’t have an option, it’s not easy. That’s why I decided to leave,’ Salif said.

Harsh reality of migration 

Salif never made it to Europe. First he went to neighbouring Niger, where life was no easier. After a few months, he moved to Mali, where he even took Malian nationality to brighten his chances. Later he was robbed, and lost everything. Fed up with life in Mali, he decided to travel to Algeria.

‘When I left Burkina Faso, I went to Niger. Then I moved to Mali, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and back to Algeria. I lived longer in Algeria,’ he said. 

In Algeria, he took on any work he could find, just to secure some financial stability. 

‘First, I worked as a farm labourer, bricklayer, then several others: as a scrap metal worker, a vegetable seller, a mason, and a plasterer,’ Salif said. 

At his peak in Algeria, Salif became an employer. He was earning up to 250,000 FCFA ($440) a day. However, after five years in the country, he was arrested on immigration violations. He spent four months in prison, until Algerian authorities released and deported him along with several inmates. They were crammed into a vehicle and dumped in the desert along the border with Niger, with strict orders never to return to Algeria.

After his strength failed him, with no hope of surviving the long walk in the desert, Salif stayed back at one point, expecting to die like the others. However, luck shone on him, and he was picked from the desert by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency that sends teams to make routine checks in the desert to save migrants.

He was taken to a hospital in Agadez, Niger. Once he’d recovered, he was transferred to the IOM refugee camp in Niger.

‘I stayed at the IOM refugee camp for over six months before receiving travel documents and financial support to prepare for my return to Burkina Faso,’ he said.

Salif didn’t want to return home. He hoped to go back to his life in Algeria. 

While at the refugee camp, he called his father, who thought he had died. He warned Salif never to return to Algeria, but to go back home to Burkina Faso.

‘He made it clear that if I went back, he would never forgive me. But I was angry with him because I was the only one who knew what I had lost in Algeria and what I wanted to get back. I didn’t want to go back to Burkina Faso without getting it all back. But I finally listened to my father and went back. But I wasn’t happy because I had nothing,’ he said.

When he arrived home, Salif was a shadow of himself. He struggled with trauma, loss, and reintegration. 

‘I was just a wandering soul,’ he said. ‘I didn’t even have an identity card. I just had a pass. My parents did everything they could to look after me psychologically.’ 

Journey to redemption 

IOM helped him settle back into life in Burkina Faso. They introduced him to the Ethical Fashion Initiative at the International Trade Centre. That’s how he learned about a training opportunity through Commerce et Artisanal pour le Bien-Etre Social (CABES – Trade and Crafts for Social Welfare). 

CABES specializes in hand weaving, which Salif found interesting and registered for the vocational training.

‘At CABES, I received training in large loom weaving for three months and then worked for six months. I was paid 35,000 FCFA (about $60) per month. After that, we were paid according to the results of our work. I could earn more or less than 64,000 FCFA (about $110). It depends on the work that I do,’ he shared.

‘Before I left Burkina Faso, all I knew was agriculture, but now I also know how to weave. I know how to take a thread and turn it into a garment. I make money from it. Being back is very good compared to when I left.’

– on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Source: APO

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Malawians will go to the polls on September 16 to vote for the president and Members of Parliament. At this juncture, Malawi finds itself in an unenviable environment with questions about the impartiality of its electoral commission, and the protection of rights critical for a credible, free and fair election, including freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Echoes of Malawi’s contentious 2019 election still reverberate. In a landmark judgment, Malawi’s Constitutional Court nullified the 2019 presidential election due to widespread irregularities, becoming only the third African country to nullify a presidential election, after Côte d’Ivoire in 2010 and Kenya in 2017.

The judgment, which was scathing of the conduct of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in its management of the election, was hailed as a triumph for democratic accountability and electoral justice.

As things stand today, Malawi’s electoral landscape presents a stark paradox: on one hand, the memory of judicial courage and reform following the 2019 annulled elections; on the other, a deepening crisis of confidence that threatens to reverse those very gains.

The warning signs of voter apathy, political violence, contested electoral authority, unequal campaign conditions and biased media coverage are symptoms of a democratic system under strain.

Malawi teeters on the brink of regression in terms of governance. Reports of politically motivated violence have surged. In one of the most brazen incidents, on June 26, 2025 the police stood by as weapon-wielding men attacked demonstrators calling for an independent audit of the voters’ roll and the resignation of top electoral commission officials.

Civil society groups and opposition parties allege that those behind the political violence have links to a youth militia aligned to the ruling Malawi Congress Party, though the party has denied such claims.

In November 2024, opposition parties and civil society organizations had alleged that the governing party had organized the violent attack by masked men with weapons on a demonstration urging electoral reforms. At that time, as at the June 26 protests, witnesses said that law enforcement officers stood by while the masked men assaulted peaceful protesters.

The police’s apparent unwillingness to intervene to stop the violence – or to arrest those responsible, even when their identities were known – raises grave concerns about the government’s ability to conduct the September general election in a fair and impartial manner. The authorities’ muted response to attacks on civil liberties risks normalizing impunity that could undermine the country’s hard-won democratic gains.

At the heart of the storm lies the national electoral commission. Civil society groups and opposition parties have raised alarm over the composition of the commission’s secretariat and perceived political affiliations of its leadership. The commission’s top management remains in the hands of people widely believed to have strong links to the governing party. This has proved detrimental to the credibility of the MEC as a fair and impartial arbiter.

The commission’s refusal to allow local organizations access to inspect the voters’ rolls has raised concerns about the fairness of the process. And the commission’s adoption of Smartmatic technology, intended to modernize the electoral process, has instead sparked concerns due to a lack of transparency.

Voter registration figures are equally troubling. Of the estimated 10.9 million eligible voters, only 7.2 million have registered. This glaring gap may reflect inadequate civic education and raises concerns about voter apathy.

Malawi’s Political Parties Act of 2018 remains toothless, especially on campaign financing. The governing party has allegedly exploited state resources for campaign purposes, while opposition parties struggle with unequal access to public funds.

Meanwhile, the governing party is perceived to have in effect captured the state-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, evidenced by its skewed coverage and denying airtime to dissenting voices.

In July, the Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) and the Media Council of Malawi issued a joint statement  reminding the MBC leadership to “adhere to the Communications Act (2016) that mandates the outlet to be balanced and objective in its coverage of news, including political discourse.”

The governing party’s monopoly of the state media is not only incompatible with Malawi’s laws, but also the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, which call for “equal opportunity for all political parties to access the state media” during the campaign period.

Malawi’s democratic story need not end in disappointment. The reforms initiated after 2019 proved that reform is possible.

But for that momentum to continue, democracy-supporting institutions such as the judiciary, the police and the executive need to uphold the integrity of the elections. Political leaders should denounce violence in all forms.

And the government needs to ensure the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including for those seeking electoral justice.

International and regional stakeholders should publicly press for elections that meet international standards before the entire process descends into disarray.

Without urgent and coordinated responses from domestic institutions and regional actors, Malawi risks descending into a cycle of contested legitimacy and democratic decay.

They should urgently call for an environment free of intimidation, harassment and violence. They should also urge the government of Malawi to observe its own laws, and to implement the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and the African Union’s African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

With sustained support, vigilant observation and a recommitment to electoral fairness, Malawi can reaffirm its place as a regional exemplar of democratic resilience. The time to act is now, while the promise of credible, peaceful and participatory elections can still be upheld.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO

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 The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has noted the termination of the Master Service Agreement (MSA) between the South African Post Office (SAPO) and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) at the end of September 2025. SASSA has informed the committee that the resources that were allocated to the Postbank for the infrastructure for mobile cash withdrawal services will now be used to roll out its digitisation of its business processes, including the biometric verification of all new grant applications that will commence on 1 September 2025.

The committee received a briefing from the Minister of Social Development, Ms Sisisi Tolashe, and SASSA today on the termination of the MSA. The Minister explained that SASSA entered into a contractual relationship with the SAPO in 2018 after the Constitutional Court ordered government to terminate the unlawful Cash Paymaster Service (CPS) contract. The liquidation of the SAPO in 2023 necessitated the closure of costly cash pay points and over-the-counter services, and the contract was ceded to Postbank.

In 2019, the South African Reserve Bank limited the Postbank from issuing new bank accounts until it dealt with the replacement of the SASSA gold cards. These were the main elements of the MSA, hence with the withdrawal of these services render the MSA no longer serving its original intent.

Minister Tolashe assured the committee that there will not be any interruptions to the payment of grants as a result of the MSA termination. Payments will continue being disbursed through all the banks operating in South Africa, including Post Bank, as it is the current arrangement.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Bridget Masango, said: “The main interest of the committee is to ensure that there is no interruption of the payment of grants to the 3 million beneficiaries who bank with Postbank, post the termination of the MSA.”

The committee resolved to conduct an oversight visit to rural communities to assess the impact of the closure of the cash pay points services to grant beneficiaries.

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

Source: APO

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President of the Republic of Ghana John Dramani Mahama is on a State Visit to Singapore. President Mahama received a ceremonial welcome and called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 27 August 2025.

President Tharman and President Mahama reaffirmed the warm friendship between Singapore and Ghana, and the significant potential to deepen cooperation. They discussed areas for stronger collaboration, including bilateral investments, sustainable development, agri-business, and financial innovation such as fintech and cross-border payments. Both leaders also exchanged views on Africa’s and Ghana’s economic development – including fiscal reforms and the urgent task of creating jobs.

President Mahama also met Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on 27 August. They discussed cooperation in capacity building as well as opportunities to expand two-way trade and investment flows, including by fast-tracking the ongoing negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Treaty. Noting that Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have concluded a Carbon Credits Implementation Agreement with Singapore, both leaders agreed to build on this foundation and advance cooperation in the green economy. They exchanged views on global and regional developments, including the importance of multilateralism, and regional security. After their meeting, President Mahama and Prime Minister Wong witnessed the signing of two MOUs on bilateral consultations and capacity building in investment promotion.

President Mahama visited the National Orchid Garden on 27 August, where a new orchid hybrid, the Vanda John Dramani Mahama, was named in his honour. He attended the 8th Africa-Singapore Business Forum and delivered the keynote speech on 26 August. Thereafter, he visited the Singapore Institute of Technology and Biopolis. President Mahama will participate in a business dialogue organised by the Singapore Business Federation before departing Singapore.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Singapore.