Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday evening met with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairpersons for districts, cities, municipalities, and divisions at State House Entebbe.

During the meeting, President Museveni, who is also the National Chairman of the NRM, congratulated the leaders upon their victory in the recently concluded elections.

The President also noted that he detected greater national cohesion in the recent elections compared to previous cycles, likening it to the unity witnessed during the 1996 elections, where, he noted, the population strongly rallied behind the NRM due to its problem-solving approach.

He explained that this cohesion was built on what he described as “okukyenura” — leadership that responds to people’s needs — citing the restoration of security through a disciplined army and the stabilization of essential commodities such as sugar in the early years of NRM governance.

The President said that after 1996, new challenges such as household poverty became more visible, prompting the introduction of revolving funds at sub-county level in 1997 to support wealth creation. He noted that subsequent interventions, such as NAADS were rolled out to distribute seedlings and boost agricultural productivity, though a significant percentage of the population remained outside the money economy.

This, he said, led to the introduction of the Parish Development Model (PDM), designed to send funds directly to beneficiaries and empower parish committees to determine allocation transparently. He observed that PDM is performing well in some districts and more funding will be added to enhance its impact, thus urging party leaders to closely monitor its implementation.

On education, President Museveni said the NRM foresaw a looming crisis and introduced free education to expand access, but expressed concern over what he termed as sabotage by some teachers, as well as insufficient oversight by leaders.

He also raised concerns about corruption, particularly within some District Service Commissions accused of selling jobs, cases of land grabbing, and theft of medicines from government health facilities. He urged NRM leaders to intensify supervision and ensure accountability.

The President further criticized poor road maintenance and substandard works, attributing part of the problem to weak budgeting priorities, including the creation of new districts and municipalities at the expense of services that directly benefit the masses.

On job creation, President Museveni emphasized agriculture as the primary source of employment, with manufacturing and services generating higher-value jobs. He pledged that in the coming term, he will produce more literature focused on addressing the needs of the masses and consolidating socio-economic transformation.

He stressed that beyond programs such as PDM and Emyooga, there is a need to strengthen the private sector through affordable financing, particularly via the Uganda Development Bank (UDB), to enable enterprises to expand.

President Museveni added that once production challenges are resolved, attention must shift to markets, noting that local consumers are the first buyers.

Increasing household incomes, he said, will stimulate demand for products such as milk, cement and steel, eventually necessitating expansion into regional markets.

The NRM Deputy Secretary General, Hon. Rose Namayanja, congratulated President Museveni on what she described as a landslide presidential victory, saying it reflects the NRM’s commitment to visionary leadership and service delivery.

The NRM Chairperson for Gulu District, Mr. Christopher Ochen, thanked the President for empowering party structures to effectively campaign during the elections, which he said contributed significantly to the overwhelming support.

He requested that district chairpersons be incorporated into District Executive Committees to enhance their capacity to supervise government programs.

Mr. JB Wamala Ssalongo, NRM Chairperson for Mukono Municipality, appealed for municipality and city chairpersons to be represented on the National Executive Committee, similar to their district counterparts, to ensure inclusive participation in party decision-making.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.

Source: APO

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On February 13, Yin Chengwu, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, met with Hon. Francis Sakila Nyumalin, Minister of Local Government of Liberia.

Yin briefed Hon. Nyumalin on the outcomes of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and expressed his willingness to work together to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and to promote the continuous development of China-Liberia strategic partnership, creating new opportunities for local cooperation between the two countries.

Hon. Nyumalin expressed his gratitude and briefed Amb. Yin on the recent works of the Ministry of Local Government. He also expressed his willingness to explore new cooperation projects with China and actively promote the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.

Source: APO

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Mr. Barry Faure, Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, concluded a series of high-level bilateral meetings on the margins of the African Union (AU) Executive Council in Addis Ababa. The discussions centered on deepening strategic partnerships, streamlining diplomatic protocols, and fostering regional solidarity within the Indian Ocean and the broader African continent.

Minister Faure met with H.E. Taher al-Baour, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the State of Libya where both parties agreed to conclude a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports, and initiated discussions on the signing of a visa waiver agreement for ordinary passport holders. They also agreed on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Political Consultations.

Minister Faure also engaged with H.E. Mrs. RAZANAMAHASOA Christine, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Madagascar, and H.E. Mr. MBAE Mohamed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Union of the Comoros. These talks reinforced the shared objectives of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), focusing on leadership, maritime security, sustainable development, and the collective voice of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) within the AU framework. Madagascar and Seychelles agreed to work on the possibility of establishing a Joint commission to broaden partnerships between both sides in mutually beneficial sectors.

The Minister also had an exchange with Honorable Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius. They discussed the upcoming State Visit of President Herminie to Mauritius in March 2026.

Minister Faure also exchanged views with special envoys from Kyrgyzstan, Germany and Portugal who are contesting for a non-permanent seat as on the United Nations Security Council. He also had talks with the French Minister for Europe and the Francophonie on the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May 2026.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Republic of Seychelles.

Source: APO

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The Women, Gender and Youth Directorate of the African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Republic of Ghana, convened a High-Level Breakfast Meeting on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

Organised by H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and AU Champion for Gender and Development Issues, the meeting brought together Heads of State and Government, policymakers, development partners, financial institutions, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to revitalize the AU Gender Champion’s Agenda and mobilize political and financial support for the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion 2030 initiative.

President Mahama outlined a renewed strategy built on five core pillars: political leadership, resource mobilization, policy coherence, accountability, and strategic partnerships. He emphasized that while progress has been made, the pace of change must dramatically accelerate to meet continental and global goals.

“Advancing gender equality is not merely a moral obligation; it is a strategic imperative for Africa’s sustainable development and inclusive growth,” President Mahama stated.

In his remarks, President Mahama emphasized the need to move beyond policy declarations and ensure that commitments are matched with concrete budgetary allocations, measurable targets, and transparent accountability mechanisms. He underscored that advancing gender equality is both a moral obligation and a strategic imperative for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and long-term stability across the continent.

The meeting reaffirmed that Africa’s path to achieving Agenda 2063 is closely tied to unlocking the economic potential of its women and youth. Participants acknowledged that despite the existence of strong continental frameworks, including the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, and the African Women’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion 2020 to 2030, implementation gaps persist.

Structural barriers, including limited access to credit, land ownership, markets, and digital innovation, continue to impede women and youth from fully participating in economic life. Delegates also noted that recent economic shocks and climate related crises have slowed or reversed progress on gender equality in several regions.

The High-Level Meeting focused on four strategic objectives:

• Secure renewed political leadership for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in line with Agenda 2063.
• Advocate for increased and targeted financing to bridge gender gaps in financial and economic inclusion.
• Strengthen and reposition the AU Gender Champion’s Agenda as a robust continental accountability and visibility mechanism for implementing gender commitments. and
• Promote strategic partnerships with the private sector, financial institutions, and civil society under the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion 2030 initiative.

The meeting concluded with a strategic panel discussion focused on strengthening stakeholder collaboration for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE). The session aimed to catalyse partnerships to translate high-level commitments into tangible, scalable outcomes for Africa’s women and youth through the WYFEI 2030 Initiative.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).