Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

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The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has appointed H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to support AU Commission’s efforts towards peace and stability in the Horn of Africa,

Announcing the appointment, the AUC Chairperson stated: “President Obasanjo brings unparalleled experience, wisdom, and credibility to this important assignment”.

In this capacity, President Obasanjo will engage with all relevant stakeholders and parties with a view to building confidence, sustaining dialogue, and supporting ongoing efforts towards lasting peace, stability, reconciliation in the Horn of Africa.

The AUC Chairperson expressed his deep appreciation to President Obasanjo for accepting this responsibility and reaffirmed the African Union’s continued commitment to supporting sustainable peace in the region.

– on behalf of African Union (AU).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warn that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face one of the world’s largest and most severe hunger crises.

Today, over 26.5 million people—nearly one in four Congolese—are struggling to meet their basic food needs, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis update. Among them, more than 3.6 million people are in emergency conditions, facing critical food shortages that threaten their survival without urgent assistance.

Although the latest projections show a slight improvement compared to previous estimates, the situation remains above levels recorded in the September–December 2025 period, when 24.8 million people were facing crisis or worse levels of hunger—highlighting the deepening and protracted nature of the crisis. This underscores the entrenched dynamics, particularly in the most affected provinces – North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika – where conflict continues to uproot families, destroy livelihoods, disrupt markets and limit access to farmland.

Across the country, there are more than 7.8 million internally displaced people, many of whom have lost their homes, fields, livestock and sources of income. At the same time, persistently high food prices, disrupted supply chains and recurrent disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles and Mpox, are pushing already fragile communities closer to the brink.

The nutrition situation is particularly alarming. An estimated 4.18 million children under five require treatment for acute malnutrition (January–June 2026). Of these, more than 1.3 million children are suffering or expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that can become fatal within weeks if untreated. In addition, over 1.5 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to be acutely malnourished, further compounding health risks for both mothers and children.

FAO and WFP also warn that humanitarian assistance continues to fall critically short of needs, and without urgent and sustained investment, the crisis risks deepening further, with potentially irreversible consequences for millions of people.

In 2026, FAO is already supporting 55,500 crisis-affected families in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika through a USD 10 million allocation from the DRC Humanitarian Fund. This support includes seeds, tools and livelihood inputs, as well as cash-based assistance where feasible, helping families restore food production, protect their assets and reduce dependence on food assistance. FAO urgently requires USD 163 million to scale up this life-saving agricultural support before critical planting windows are missed.

“Every missed agricultural season increases dependence on humanitarian assistance,” said Athman Mravili, FAO Representative a.i. “When families receive seeds, tools and timely livelihood support, they can produce food within weeks, protect their dignity and avoid falling deeper into hunger. But this support must arrive before planting windows close.”

FAO and WFP reiterate the urgent need for a dual approach that combines life-saving assistance with longer-term support to agriculture, livelihoods and food systems, while ensuring safe and sustained humanitarian access.

Since January 2026, WFP’s emergency food and cash assistance has reached nearly 1.3 million people, only a fraction of those in need in the most affected eastern provinces. Among them, just 389,000 children and mothers received nutrition assistance between January and March 2026, far below the scale required. Limited humanitarian access due to insecurity, combined with a funding shortfall of USD214 million through October, continues to constrain the response and force difficult prioritization decisions.

“Far from easing, the crisis has become entrenched and increasingly complex, trapping millions of vulnerable households in a cycle of persistent need,” said David Stevenson, WFP Representative. “Humanitarian assistance is a lifeline, but it must be scaled up urgently to match the magnitude of needs. Beyond emergency support, sustained investment in resilient food systems and integrated solutions is essential to help communities withstand shocks and move toward recovery.”

– on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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Veld fires continue to damage ecosystems and rural livelihoods, making early preparedness more urgent as conditions grow hotter and drier. Against this backdrop, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the Government of Canada launched the three-year Integrated Fire Management ‘Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange and Global Indigenous Fire Network’ project in the context of Zimbabwe’s 2026 National Fire Week, reinforcing a shift from reactive firefighting to more coordinated, prevention-led and risk-informed fire management.

“This reflects the confidence that the international community places in our country’s commitment to environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainable land management,” said His Excellency Kembo Mohadi, Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe in a keynote address launching the project underlining Government’s approach to addressing uncontrolled fires while supporting livelihoods.

The new initiative is designed to strengthen global, regional national and local capacities to implement Integrated Fire Management (IFM), an approach that encompasses actions before, during and after fires, recognizing that extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and land-use change. The IFM project aims to strengthen the implementation of integrated fire management globally, with targeted activities in Zimbabwe and six other project countries in Southern Africa and Asia.

“Canada is proud to support this Global Integrated Fire Management initiative, working alongside FAO and the Government of Zimbabwe to strengthen prevention and preparedness. By investing in practical tools, training and partnerships, we can reduce the impacts of wildfires on livelihoods and ecosystems and advance safer, more resilient communities,” George Polanyi-Williamson, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe.

The launch of this global project in Zimbabwe builds on a wider global effort that began in 2023, when FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other partners launched the Global Fire Management Hub, a collaborative partnership to scale integrated fire management. The Fire Hub brings together science, data, best practices and capacity development to strengthen national systems, promote collaboration across regions facing similar challenges, and complement, not replace, existing initiatives for wider and more sustainable impact.

“This project will enhance prevention and preparedness, support practical tools and training, and contribute to reducing the impacts of wildfires on livelihoods and ecosystems. Implementation will be aligned with national priorities and carried out in close collaboration with government institutions and partners,’ said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe.

To translate commitment into action, FAO is convening a two-day workshop to begin implementation of the IFM project by aligning country priorities with the Fire Hub approach and translating them into actionable, co-created implementation plans.

Bringing together country and partner perspectives and experiences, the workshop will strengthen shared understanding of IFM, embed cross-cutting priorities such as climate adaptation planning and gender-responsive, inclusive approaches, and support structured collaboration to develop workplans that clarify priority actions, roles, partnerships and delivery pathways, ensuring a coherent, results-focused rollout beyond the launch.

“Integrated fire management is most effective when it combines science, practical tools and strong local institutions with the knowledge and leadership of communities. Through this project, FAO is supporting countries to move from seasonal response to sustained integrated fire management approaches in support of climate change adaptation and resilience,’ said Amy Duchelle, FAO Senior Forestry Officer.

Following the launch and workshop, the project will move into structured implementation over three years, anchored on country-driven priorities and strengthened regional and international cooperation, with emphasis on strengthened fire data systems, community-based approaches, practical capacity development and links to adaptation policies and planning. Lessons learned and good practices will be scaled globally through the Fire Hub.

– on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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About half of children under 5 in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition as poor rains and rising costs drive up hunger levels, with risk of famine announced for the first time in four years, Save the Children said.

New data from the global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), showed that over 1.88 million children aged 6–59 months are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 493,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM),  a 2% increase since data in February. 

In addition, over 6 million people, or one in three people, are now experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity with over 1.9 million people facing emergency levels of food insecurity, signalling urgent action is needed to save lives and livelihoods.

Burhakaba district in the Bay region of southwest Somalia has been classified to be facing the risk of famine through June 2026 – the first time such a classification has been announced in Somalia since the devastating drought of 2022.

This classification means that at least one out of three children are expected to be acutely malnourished, with many more children expected to die from preventable diseases due to complications without urgent intervention.

Failed rains, a sharp spike in food price due to the conflict in the Middle East, depreciation of the Somali Shilling in the south, and conflict‑related displacement have combined to push more people into hunger since the previous forecast in February.

Suad*, 45, a mother of five, is living with three of her children in a makeshift tent at a camp for displaced people fleeing drought and conflict in the outskirts of Kismayo city, Somalia. This is the second time she has sought refuge in this camp,  having been displaced four years ago at the peak of Somalia’s worst drought in recent memory. 

She told Save the Children: “The situation is very dire. We have nothing to eat. We have nothing to sleep on and cover ourselves at night. You see my small child has even burned himself on the hands while trying to look for something to eat in other houses in the camps.”

Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, Country Director for Save the Children in Somalia, said:   

“Somalia is in the grip of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Children are dying from preventable causes — malnutrition, disease, displacement — while funding falls far short of what is urgently needed. 

“The window to prevent famine in Burhakaba and wider deterioration across Somalia is closing fast. We call on the international community to act now, scale up lifesaving assistance, and ensure that no child dies because the world looked away.”

Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programmes to prevent child deaths, and invest in longer-term resilience programming.

Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services. 

– on behalf of Save the Children.

Source: APO

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On the sidelines of the Africa Forward summit, the West African Development Bank (BOAD) (www.BOAD.org) and PROPARCO, a subsidiary of the AFD Group, announced the signing of an unprecedented €200 million financing agreement (equivalent to approximately CFAF 131 billion). Structured by Galite as a cross-currency transaction between the euro (EUR) and the CFA franc (XOF), this operation is a global first in both its nature and ambition.

This structure directly addresses current challenges related to reforming the global financial architecture by introducing an innovative and catalytic financial instrument. It enables:

More efficient allocation of resources through expanded access to the XOF market, helping diversify financing options for local businesses;

Greater stability through support for the WAEMU region’s foreign exchange reserves, ensuring stronger macroeconomic resilience;

Direct impact through the financing of transformative private-sector projects, a key driver of job creation in the region.

Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of PROPARCO, stated:

“Together with BOAD, we are reaching a major milestone in our commitment to boosting financing for African economies, particularly within the WAEMU region. This initiative is fully aligned with the momentum to reform the development finance architecture by providing a tangible solution to increase the mobilization of local-currency resources in support of the private sector and local economies.

I am delighted by this partnership, which embodies a truly win-win approach and reflects our shared determination to act with ambition and pragmatism to sustainably support the development of the private sector across WAEMU economies, particularly our clients in the region, to whom we will be able to offer more loans denominated in CFA francs.”

Serge Ekué, President of BOAD, stated:

“The partnership between BOAD and PROPARCO reflects the quality and depth of our strategic cooperation.

Through this initiative, BOAD is reaffirming its role as a mobilizer of resources by attracting additional investment for the benefit of the region. Expanding the range of available financing tools is essential to sustainably support the transformation of WAEMU economies.

This transaction marks an important milestone in our collective ability to channel greater financing toward projects delivering strong economic and social impact across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD).

Media contact:
PROPARCO
Christoph Haushofer
haushoferc@proparco.fr  ​
+33 6 51 23 11 35

BOAD
Ndèye Bineta Delphine Ndiaye
dndiaye@boad.org
+228 99 86 41 44

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Proparco in Africa:
Africa is at the heart of Proparco’s strategy. For nearly 50 years, Proparco has been working alongside the African private sector to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development. This commitment is concretely reflected across the continent through a network of six regional offices and five local branches. Between 2022 and 2025, Proparco committed more than €4.6 billion across Africa, representing over €1.1 billion per year during this period. On the African continent, Proparco finances high-impact, job-creating projects in the following areas: sustainable infrastructure, sustainable industry, agriculture and agribusiness—particularly to strengthen the continent’s food sovereignty, notably through the FARM initiative; support for the local economic fabric, especially entrepreneurs and local SMEs, by strengthening financial institutions through Choose Africa; and the development of high-quality essential goods and services. Proparco provides financing solutions tailored to business needs, enhanced technical assistance through Propulse, as well as dedicated support for innovation via Digital Africa, its subsidiary focused on early-stage startups.

More information: www.PROPARCO.fr

About West African Development Bank (BOAD):
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) is the common development finance institution of the member countries of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU). It is an international public institution whose purpose, as provided under Article 2 of its Articles of Association, is to promote the balanced development of its member countries and foster economic integration within West Africa by financing priority development projects. It is accredited to the three climate finance facilities (GEF, AF, GCF). Since 2009, BOAD sits as an observer at the UNFCCC and actively participates in discussions on devising an international climate finance system. Since January 2013, it has been home to the first Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), whose aim is to provide direct support to governments, NGOs and the private sector in identifying and developing CDM projects. The Bank has been solely in charge of the presidency of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) since February 27, 2025, having co-chaired it since October 15, 2023. This Club brings together 27 national, regional and multilateral development banks from around the world.

For more information: www.BOAD.org