MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

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On October 22, Ambassador GAO Wenqi paid a courtesy call on Hon. Amb. Christine Nkulikiyinka, Minister of Public Service and Labour of Rwanda. They exchanged views on the human resource development cooperation between China and Rwanda in recent years. Counselor GAO Zhiqiang attended the meeting.

Amb. Gao expresses China’s willingness to deepen bilateral cooperation with Rwanda, strengthen capacity building in artificial intelligence and medical fields.

Christine appreciates the long-term support of China to the human resources development cooperation with Rwanda. She expresses her readiness to work with Chinese side to explore new opportunities for collaboration in more areas.

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

Source: APO

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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, as part of his visit to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in the first Egypt-EU summit.

The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the President expressed his appreciation for the positive and supportive role played by the European Parliament, and Ms. Metsola in particular, in strengthening the partnership between Egypt and the European Union. The President also stressed the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination between the two sides on various issues of common interest, in addition to accelerating the implementation of the axes of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, and bolstering the Egyptian-European parliamentary dialogue as a bridge of communication between the peoples of the two shores of the Mediterranean.

For her part, Ms. Metsola expressed her appreciation for Egypt’s efforts in reaching an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip, stressing that without President El-Sisi’s efforts in this regard, it would not have been possible to reach an agreement.

The President reviewed Egypt’s efforts to consolidate security and stability in the Middle East, including the mediation that, in cooperation with other mediators, led to an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip, in addition to Egypt’s hosting of the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit with high-level international participation.

Both sides emphasized the necessity of underpinning the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into the Strip, and providing the necessary medical care for the injured. The president of the European Parliament stressed that the European Union is pushing towards the implementation of the two-state solution.

The meeting also touched on Egypt’s efforts to resolve regional crises in a manner that preserves the sovereignty, stability, unity and territorial integrity of states, and protects the resources of their peoples. Ms. Metsola expressed her great appreciation for the pivotal role played by Egypt in the region, praising its wise and balanced policies, and considering it a fundamental pillar of stability in the Middle East and the southern Mediterranean.

The meeting also addressed the issue of illegal immigration, where Egypt’s efforts that have resulted in halting the departure of illegal immigration boats from its shores since September 2016 were commended. In this context, the importance of strengthening European cooperation was emphasized by providing job opportunities for skilled Egyptian workers and facilitating studying and training in European countries, as well as the need to strive for development and consolidate stability in the relevant countries. The meeting also saw alignment on the importance of strengthening communication between the Egyptian Parliament, with its two chambers, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the European Parliament on various issues of common interest.

The President expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the honorable position adopted by the European Parliament in support of the Palestinian cause, embodied in the demand to stop the war and end the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip. President El-Sisi stressed the need for integrated efforts between Egypt and European countries during the next phase to ensure the full implementation of the agreement to end the war, provide humanitarian aid, and begin the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. In the same context, Egypt’s hosting of the Gaza Reconstruction and Recovery Conference, scheduled for November 2025, was welcomed.

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

Source: APO

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Four United Nations agencies today called for urgent international attention on the crisis in Sudan, to address the immense suffering and growing dangers to the population. Over 900 days of brutal fighting, widespread violations of human rights, famine, and the breakdown of life-sustaining services have pushed millions to the brink of survival, particularly women and children.

During recent visits to Sudan, senior leaders from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) witnessed the devastating impact of the crisis across the country, including in Darfur, Khartoum and other conflict-affected areas.

Sudan is facing one of the world’s most severe emergencies, with more than 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including over 9.6 million internally displaced people and nearly 15 million children. Additionally, while around 2.6 million people have returned to their homes as fighting in Khartoum and other parts of the country has eased, many are finding their homes and neighbourhoods damaged or destroyed and lacking access to essential services. Since the beginning of 2025, more than one million people have returned to Khartoum alone.

Now in its third year, the brutal conflict has destroyed essential services like healthcare and education. 14 out of 17 million school-aged children are out of school. Entire communities have been displaced, with families fleeing for their lives facing human rights violations and grave protection risks. Famine was confirmed in parts of Sudan last year and the hunger situation remains catastrophic, with children among the hardest hit. Malnutrition rates have soared, and thousands are at imminent risk of death without immediate food and nutrition assistance. 

“This scale of return to Khartoum is both a sign of resilience and a warning,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General for Operations, who has just returned from a visit to Sudan. “I met people coming back to a city still scarred by conflict, where homes are damaged and basic services are barely functioning. Their determination to rebuild is remarkable, but life remains incredibly fragile. Across Sudan, cholera, dengue and malaria are spreading, making it even more urgent to invest in clean water, health care and other essential services so that people can truly start over.”

Families returning to Sudan, many driven by the determination to rebuild their lives after years of relentless conflict, reflect a fragile but hopeful shift. Yet Sudan remains a country in deep crisis.

Access to most affected populations remains severely constrained. Humanitarian actors face insecurity, bureaucratic impediments, and logistical challenges that make the delivery of life-saving aid extremely difficult: there is a need for simplified procedures. Attacks against civilians remain widespread and women and girls continue to face serious risks of conflict-related sexual violence.

In Khartoum, Sudan’s long-standing support for close to 900,000 refugees is under pressure with anti-foreigner sentiment rising. Continued protection for refugees is lifesaving for hundreds of thousands in need.

“This is one of the worst protection crises we’ve seen in decades” said Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at UNHCR, following a visit to displacement sites in Port Sudan and outside of Khartoum. “Millions are displaced inside and outside of the country and returning families have little support with the absence of other options. I spoke with families who recently fled Al Fasher with horrific stories of being forced to leave everything behind, taking treacherous routes at great risk. It’s a dynamic environment and support is needed everywhere.”

The situation across the Darfurs and Kordofan states is deeply concerning, with humanitarian needs escalating. Communities are increasingly isolated, and the collapse of essential services is leaving millions vulnerable. Agencies continue to make every effort to reach civilians where children and families are enduring conditions that defy survival.

In Al Fasher, over 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, have been trapped under siege for more than 16 months, cut off from food, water, and healthcare. Health facilities have collapsed, and thousands of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are now without treatment, facing an imminent risk of death. Reports of killings, sexual violence, and forced recruitment are mounting daily. In the Kordofans, towns like Dilling and Kadugli have been isolated for months, with families enduring destroyed water systems and non-functioning health services. Outbreaks of cholera and measles are spreading unchecked.

“What I witnessed in Darfur and elsewhere this week is a stark reminder of what is at stake: children facing hunger, disease, and the collapse of essential services,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. “Entire communities are surviving in conditions that defy dignity. Children are malnourished, exposed to violence, and at risk of dying from preventable diseases. Families are doing everything they can to survive, showing extraordinary resolve in the face of unimaginable hardship. It is clear that the UN and partners are responding, but the resolve of families must be matched by urgent global action to secure access, mobilize resources, and ultimately stop the conflict.”

Funding shortfalls are further compounding the crisis. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan, totaling US$ 4.2 billion, remains critically underfunded at only 25 per cent, threatening the scale and continuity of emergency operations. Despite massive challenges, the humanitarian response in Sudan has reached over 13.5 million people so far this year – including in the hardest-hit areas of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazira. But without additional resources, humanitarian agencies will be forced to scale back life-saving interventions, putting millions of lives at risk.

“I saw a city devastated by war, where families returning home to Khartoum urgently need food, water, and basic services. But above all, I saw determination and willingness to rebuild and restart life. I saw hope,” said Valerie Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme. “We are all working together, alongside local organizations and community groups, to help displaced families, residents and returnees rebuild their lives, with access to food, nutrition and meals for school children, and support to restore essential services.”

The four agencies jointly call for:

• Immediate cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians, especially children.
• Unhindered humanitarian access to all affected populations, including a UN presence throughout the country.
• Simplified procedures for aid delivery and staff movement.
• Urgent and flexible funding to scale up lifesaving interventions.
• Support for durable solutions for displaced populations, including returnees and host communities.
• Continued support for internally displaced populations and the nearly 900,000 refugees inside Sudan in need of international protection and services.

IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP reaffirm their commitment to working together to deliver life-saving assistance and protection to children and families across Sudan. The humanitarian community stands ready, but it cannot act alone. The world must step up.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Source: APO

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In the heart of southern Malawi, a quiet revolution is unfolding. In villages once torn by land disputes, political tensions, and gender-based violence, women are stepping into roles traditionally reserved for men—mediators, advocates, and leaders in peacebuilding. Their efforts, supported by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through UN Women, are transforming communities and challenging long-held norms.

From Silence to Leadership in Nsanje

In Nsanje’s Mbenje area, women’s movements like Chisomo, Yankho, and Tadala are rewriting the narrative. Trained in mediation and advocacy by the Youth Coalition for the Consolidation of Democracy (YCD), these women have become central figures in resolving conflicts and promoting peaceful elections.

During the tense lead-up to the 2025 primary elections, Tadala Women Movement convened a peace dialogue with representatives from six political parties. Their bold move helped avert violence and gave women a platform to advocate for their rights.

“We’re not just victims anymore—we’re problem-solvers,” says Stella Davie Maguza, chairperson of Yankho Women Movement. Their work has led to 17 Memoranda of Understanding with local chiefs, ensuring women’s inclusion in decision-making and conflict resolution.

Healing Divides in Machinga

In Machinga, a religious feud between two brothers—one a chief—was resolved not by traditional elders, but by women peacebuilders trained by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO). Their approach, rooted in empathy and respect, restored harmony and turned the chief into a vocal supporter of women’s leadership.

Since December 2024, women in Machinga and Phalombe have resolved 42 conflicts, ranging from land disputes to child marriage cases. Over 896 women and girls have been empowered, with 11 now holding formal leadership roles.

“Even chiefs’ wives are influencing decisions,” notes Chief Sitola, one of the few female traditional leaders in the district.

The Power of Peace Circles

For Brenda Charly, a Peace Circle Facilitator in Machinga, peacebuilding is personal. Once dependent and uncertain, she now cultivates tomatoes and red maize, earning enough to pay her children’s school fees.

“This Peace Circle saved my life,” she says. “We uplift one another, share ideas, and grow together. I’m no longer just surviving—I’m building a future.”

UN Women, with support from Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), is supporting and enhancing the capacity of local women led and women’s rights organizations to prevent conflict, end sexual and gender-based violence, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities in Malawi. 

Brenda Charly is one of the facilitators advancing peace in her community. She was trained on peacebuilding by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), a local NGO, through the Sustaining community women movement for peace building and response to humanitarian response in Malawi Project.

“Together, we secured land to farm as a group, and now we support each other with the profits, whether it involves helping a woman who has suffered abuse reach the hospital or buying seeds for planting. Thanks to the circle, I got the seeds for my tomato farm, and this past season, I earned MK380,000 ($216) from selling my harvest. With that money, I paid school fees for my daughter in her final year of high school and put my youngest in private nursery school”, says Brenda. “We meet every week, and it’s more than just a group of women mediating for peace in our communities—it serves as a vital support system.”

Voices of Change: Ednah and Lezita

Ednah Zuze, a trained facilitator from Mizinga in Machinga, eastern of Malawi, has helped mediate dozens of disputes. Her group’s inclusive approach—welcoming people with disabilities and faith leaders—has earned community trust and shifted perceptions.

“Women need to take on these roles because we’re often the ones most affected by conflict,” Ednah says. “Now, people know we’re here, and that alone discourages disputes.”

Zuze is trained in prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence, leadership, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and economic empowerment. She is one of 60 facilitators promoting the participation of women in conflict prevention responses with support from the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund through UN Women.

“My mission is to bring peace to my community”, says Zuze. “In our area, disputes are common, whether it’s marital problems, village arguments over land, leadership clashes, or money issues. These conflicts happen between husbands and wives, among chiefs, even between young people. Before, many believed only men could mediate these disputes, but our training showed me that women can-and should—step up too. The biggest lesson for me was realizing we shouldn’t underestimate ourselves. We have just as much power to bring peace”.

Since March 2025, 36-year-old Zuze and her group have reached and assisted 609 women, 200 men, and 91 young people. Sometimes they hold community dialogues, other times they collaborate with chiefs or join existing outreaches to spread awareness about peacebuilding. 

In Thyolo, 25-year-old Lezita Mukhiwa is breaking barriers as a councilor aspirant. A mentor with the Bvumbwe Girls Club, she’s challenging political exclusion and advocating for youth empowerment.

“Someone must step up. Why not me?” she asks, determined to bring clean water, better roads, and youth representation to her community.

“Last October, we learned how to be peacebuilders, learning how to mediate conflicts instead of being used as pawns during elections. Now, we teach and mentor other girls and women in our communities. We rally girls to stay in school despite the odds and encourage women who’ve endured abuse without knowing it was abuse to report to authorities when they are abused.”

A Blueprint for Peace

Malawi’s women are proving that peacebuilding is not just about ending conflict—it’s about transforming lives. Their courage, resilience, and leadership offer a powerful blueprint for communities across the globe.

“These women didn’t wait for outsiders to fix their problems,” says Francis Folley of YCD. “They became the change.”

As the world grapples with rising instability, Malawi’s story reminds us: when women lead, peace follows.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.