Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO

When Laverick Taban Kule looks across his herd of cattle, he does not just see animals. He sees his children’s education, his family’s financial security and a safety net for life’s most difficult moments.

“If we need to pay school fees, we can sell one to educate our children,” he explains. “If there is a bride price to settle, we sell one to meet that obligation. If there is a funeral, we can also sell one to help the family.”

For thousands of families across Greater Mundri in Western Equatoria State, cattle are the foundation of daily life. But years of insecurity and logistical challenges, given the rough terrain, have made it difficult for veterinary teams to reach remote cattle camps, leaving livestock exposed to preventable diseases and threatening the livelihoods of entire communities.

That is beginning to change.

Peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provided a security escort for veterinary teams from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the State Ministry of Animal Resources, enabling them to travel safely to isolated cattle camps and launch a large-scale livestock vaccination campaign.

The exercise aims to vaccinate more than 100,000 cattle, sheep and goats against deadly diseases, including Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Anthrax, Black Quarter, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia and Newcastle disease. Dogs are also being vaccinated against rabies, helping protect both animals and people.

For humanitarian workers, reaching these isolated communities would have been difficult without the protection of peacekeepers.

“It was important for us to join the UNMISS convoy,” says Abakar Rajab, FAO Deputy Field Coordinator in Yambio. “Through their support, we were able to reach livestock communities in Mundri, where we will be able to vaccinate the animals.”

The campaign comes at a crucial time. Greater Mundri has experienced repeated cycles of intercommunal violence and cattle-related conflict, forcing many families from their homes while limiting access to basic government and humanitarian services. Although security has improved following recent local peace initiatives, many rural areas remain difficult to access.

Keeping livestock healthy is also helping reduce tensions.

“The importance of this vaccination is, firstly, that it keeps the animals healthy; secondly, it helps keep the community healthy; and thirdly, when herders can move freely from one boma to another, it helps reduce insecurity,” explained John Mamur Bago, Director of Livestock for Greater Mundri.

For cattle keepers like Laverick, the campaign represents more than disease prevention.

“When our cattle become sick, many of them die, and we suffer huge losses,” he says. “We need this kind of support to keep our cattle healthy so they can multiply because livestock is our livelihood.”

By providing security for humanitarian convoys, UNMISS is helping ensure that essential services reach communities recovering from conflict while supporting efforts to reduce conflict and strengthen community resilience.

“People need livelihood opportunities. For these communities, their main source of livelihood is cattle,” explained Anthony Nwapa, Officer-in-Charge of the UNMISS Field Office in Yambio. “Our commitment is to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to remote communities across South Sudan so they can rebuild their livelihoods while helping reduce conflict to the bare minimum.”

In Greater Mundri, healthier livestock means more than stronger herds. They represent children staying in school, families preserving their incomes and communities gaining another opportunity to recover from years of insecurity.

Through partnerships between local authorities, humanitarian organizations and UN peacekeepers, essential services are reaching people who need them most, one convoy and one cattle camp at a time.

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

Source: APO

The Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Agriculture reported that the Ministry conducted a meeting on 16 July to assess the implementation of regional work plans during the first half of 2026, as well as the progress of the Comprehensive Small and Productive Farm Plot program.

During the assessment meeting, comprehensive reports were presented by all six regions of the country, covering a wide range of activities, including soil and water conservation, the construction of water reservoirs, river diversion works, the status of crops and the rainy season, the multiplication and distribution of improved seed, the production of organic fertilizer, the development of vegetable and fruit production, crop and livestock health, beekeeping, the distribution of chickens and supply of eggs, as well as the implementation of the Comprehensive Small and Productive Farm Plot program and other related activities.

According to assessments conducted up to the end of June 2026, of the 2,003 villages identified as having the potential to implement the Comprehensive Small and Productive Farm Plot program, 1,672 villages, or more than 83%, have successfully implemented it in at least one household, while many villages had extended the program to more than one household.

Following extensive discussions on the reports presented, the participants made a number of recommendations. These included strengthening the monitoring of the distribution and impact of improved seed, assessing the performance and impact of distributed chickens, and enhancing the promotion and practical application of organic fertilizers, along with several other important recommendations and observations.

In his closing remarks, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Arefaine Berhe, reaffirmed that the Ministry is committed to achieving its strategic vision of “Safe and Nutritious Food for Everyone, Everywhere.” He emphasized that the full implementation of the Comprehensive Small and Productive Farm Plot program remains one of the Ministry’s leading strategies for achieving this objective.

The Minister noted that although the progress achieved so far was encouraging, agricultural experts should continue working with greater commitment until the program is fully implemented by every household in every village. He further encouraged frontline extension workers to facilitate practical learning and promote wider adoption of the program.

Minister Arefaine also stressed that soil and water conservation forms the foundation of all agricultural development. He therefore called for the preparation of well-defined action plans and the establishment of close monitoring mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of soil and water conservation activities.

The mid-year review meeting was attended by senior officials and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, together with heads of regional agriculture and land departments and technical experts from all six regions of the country.

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

Source: APO

In Ituri Province, still scarred by the consequences of armed violence and high unemployment, vocational training programs organized by the Bangladeshi contingent of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) are creating new opportunities for young people and helping transform lives.

Over the past several years, many young people across the province have acquired vocational skills and practical know-how that have enabled them to enter the job market in an environment where employment opportunities remain limited.

The training covers a wide range of fields, including heavy equipment operation, modern farming techniques, information technology, mechanics, electrical work, English language, mobile phone repair, refrigeration maintenance, and generator servicing, among others.

By teaching practical skills and promoting entrepreneurship, these initiatives provide many young people with a tangible alternative to idleness, poverty, and the risk of recruitment by armed groups.

“Opening new horizons”

For Ismael Issa Lema, a 35-year-old married father of eight, the opportunity proved life-changing.

“I encourage young people not to lose hope. Life is certainly very difficult, but there are various training opportunities organized here and there, particularly by MONUSCO, that open new horizons. That is exactly what happened to me. Thanks to a soap-making course I attended, I have become well known in Bunia and even as far as Drodro. People travel from the city to buy my soap because of its excellent quality,” he says proudly.

Formerly a farmer, Ismael was forced to abandon agriculture due to insecurity in his village of Walu, located about 40 kilometers from Bunia. Without stable employment and struggling to provide for his family, he turned to vocational training.

Before joining the MONUSCO program, Ismael had already attended several training courses in Beni, North Kivu Province, as well as online courses offered by an organization based in Benin. However, he believes it was at MONUSCO’s Ndoromo camp, on the outskirts of Bunia, where he acquired the skills that truly changed the course of his life.

“The training I had received before was quite basic and only taught me how to make bar soap. Through the MONUSCO training, I learned entrepreneurship and now I know how to produce liquid soap in addition to bar soap. This training expanded my skills and opened new opportunities for me. I had become discouraged after fleeing my village because of the war, with no idea how I would support my family,” he explains.

Today, from his small production unit in Bunia’s Kazunga neighborhood, Ismael prepares daily orders for customers from several parts of Ituri.

His story, however, is far from unique.

For the past seven years, hundreds of young women and men have participated in vocational training organized by MONUSCO’s Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

Preventing insecurity by creating opportunities

Beyond skills development, these training programs pursue several objectives: promoting the socio-economic integration of young people, reducing their vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups, and helping combat crime linked to unemployment and social exclusion. In a province where many young people struggle to find jobs, these initiatives offer practical responses to the socio-economic challenges that often fuel instability.

Among the beneficiaries is Sheylah Nyembo Saukira, a member of Ituri’s Youth Parliament and a Master’s student in Gender and Family Studies at the University of Goma. She celebrated her 23rd birthday on July 17 and has become a successful agricultural entrepreneur thanks to knowledge acquired during a MONUSCO training program.

Speaking from one of her farms in Bunia’s Police des Frontières neighborhood, she recalls how she once viewed agriculture.

“When I was a child, I thought farming was only for people who had never gone to school. As I grew older, I realized its importance and its ability to lift people out of poverty. During the MONUSCO training, we learned farming techniques, soil preparation, and cultivation methods for beans, cucumbers, maize, eggplants, and tomatoes. Before that training, I knew almost nothing about agriculture,” she explains.

Economic empowerment as a driver of change

The achievements of both Ismael and Sheylah demonstrate the tangible impact these training programs have on participants’ daily lives.

For Ismael, soap production has become a reliable source of income for his family.

“Every day, I produce one carton containing 25 bars of soap. My weekly turnover reaches about 125 US dollars, or nearly 500 dollars per month. Half of that is profit. This income allows me to send my children to school, pay for their healthcare, buy them clothes, and support my family,” he says.

The growth of his business has enabled him to purchase two motorcycles and a tricycle used to deliver his products.

Meanwhile, Sheylah now manages three farms: one in Bunia and two one-hectare farms near Komanda and Mambasa.

“The income from my harvests allows me to live comfortably. Depending on the season, I can earn 300,000 Congolese francs (about US$130), sometimes US$500 or even more from a single harvest. This enables me to finance my education, meet my personal needs as a young woman, and no longer depend financially on my parents. I have even opened a small grocery shop where I sell beverages,” she says with satisfaction.

Becoming role models for other young people

Drawing from their own experiences, both Ismael and Sheylah now encourage other young people to seize available training opportunities.

For Sheylah, agriculture offers particularly promising prospects.

“I encourage young people to take up farming. It is a promising sector that can quickly help people escape unemployment and poverty. Within just a few months, you can harvest, sell your produce, and earn an income. It is far better than remaining idle, which exposes young people to many dangers,” she emphasizes.

The Head of Ituri’s Provincial Youth and Patriotic Awareness Division, Jean-Bosco Uzele Upio, also praised the positive impact of these initiatives.

“The training programs organized by MONUSCO through its Bangladeshi contingent help strengthen the capacities of our young people so they can become productive members of society. Our youth should take advantage of this opportunity while it still exists. Since 2019, these peacekeepers have been providing free vocational training in various trades. This helps reduce unemployment and prevents some young people from joining armed groups,” he says.

The program’s impact often extends beyond its direct beneficiaries.

Thanks to the skills he acquired through MONUSCO, Ismael has himself become a trainer.

“Never lose hope,” he tells the young people of Ituri.

With MONUSCO’s support, he says he has already trained 125 other young people in soap-making, both in Bunia and in Drodro, in Djugu Territory.

Through stories like these, MONUSCO-supported vocational training programs demonstrate that investing in young people’s skills and economic empowerment can strengthen community resilience while contributing to peace and stability in Ituri.​

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).

Source: APO

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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, the capital of the United Republic of Tanzania. Upon his arrival, the President was received by Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, along with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sherif Ismail, and members of the Egyptian Embassy in Tanzania.​

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.