MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

Ahead of the all-important African Peering and Interconnected Forum taking place in Lagos, Nigeria this week, TelCables Nigeria (www.TelCables.ng), the West African subsidiary of international digital services and solutions provider, Angola Cables says that Remote Peering is a powerful tool that can rapidly advance and improve digital connectivity across West Africa.

Speaking on the eve of the event, Israel Ogboi, Pre-Sales Engineer for TelCables Nigeria said that effective peering partnerships are helping to drive down the cost of digital connectivity and opening up new avenues and opportunities to grow and prosper in the global digital economy.

“As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for fast, reliable, and affordable access to online services and content has never been greater. Through our extensive backbone infrastructure and our extensive remote peering partnership options, TelCables has been providing businesses, content providers, and service operators with low-latency connectivity to multiple IXPs across Africa and globally, allowing operators to bypass costly international transit routes, reduce latency, and improve their services to customers,” noted Ogboi.

Ogboi said that in addition, the Network as a Service (NaaS) option offered to customers is giving African consumers and enterprises quicker, more seamless access to the digital services – from streaming platforms and cloud applications to e-commerce and financial services – all of which are essential to powering economic growth across the continent.

The AfPIF 2025 event, currently regarded as one of Africa’s most influential gatherings for Internet service providers, data center operators, content delivery networks, and regional carriers, will provide a platform for industry leaders to explore strategies for building resilient internet infrastructure, expanding regional interconnectivity and improving access to content across the continent.

As a key participant, TelCables will be engaging in important discussions concerning future connectivity options for business and enterprises and share more information about the company’s role – and success it has achieved to date in strengthening Africa’s digital ecosystem.

 “AfPIF provides us with an excellent opportunity to engage with peers, partners, and stakeholders who are collectively shaping Africa’s digital future,” says Ogboi. “Our solutions, powered by the Angola Cables’ global network, are transforming how businesses connect, scale, and thrive in the West African digital economy today.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TelCables.

About TelCables Nigeria & West Africa:
TelCables West Africa is powered by the Angola Cables network, a multinational telecommunications company operating in the wholesale market.

The company operates connectivity, IT solutions and services as well as international data circuit capacity and IP Transit via submarine cables.

As the most connected network operator in Africa, we provide secure, low-latency direct routings from West Africa to the USA and South America and from West Africa to London.

With our presence across a number of Nigerian IP hubs from Lekki, WACS CLS, Medallion DC, Rack Centre and others, and connections across Africa via the Djoliba network, we can connect you business to the world.

For more information, visit the website: www.TelCables.ng

Source: APO

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The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and conveyed its sincere condolences over the victims of a passenger bus crash in the capital, Algiers, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. 

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) conveyed the UAE’s sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the brotherly Algerian people, along with its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO – Report:

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The United Nations Support Mission in Libya closed its online poll Thursday, which has been ongoing for the last two months, with the participation of 22,584 people.

The poll was conducted to invite members of the public to express their preferences on four options proposed by an Advisory Committee made up of Libyan legal, political and constitutional experts towards establishing a government that would have democratic legitimacy. The Mission will use the data, together with opinions solicited from an additional 3,881 people collected through telephone polling and in-person and online group consultations, to inform the development of its new political roadmap, which will be announced during the 21 August Security Council Briefing. 

“It was essential to hear as many opinions as possible, from people from all walks of life,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hanna Tetteh. “The UNSMIL-facilitated roadmap is just that: a facilitation of a Libyan led- and owned-political process. With this new roadmap, the Mission is aiming to respond to the expressed preferences of the Libyan people to facilitate a peaceful political transition that accounts for the political and security realities of the country.” 

Among poll respondents, 42 per cent said holding presidential and legislative elections concurrently—as soon as possible—was their preferred path to break the country’s decade-long political impasse (Advisory Committee Option 1).  

The next most popular option received 23 percent of the votes. This option, Advisory Committee Option 4, stipulated that existing institutions be dissolved and a dialogue forum be convened to appoint a new executive and select a 60-member constituent assembly, which would adopt a temporary constitution and electoral laws for national elections. 

Seventeen (17) per cent of poll respondents said they preferred to finalize the constitution before any elections are organized in line with Advisory Committee Option 3.  

Eleven (11) per cent supported holding legislative elections first, then adopting a constitution before holding presidential elections as was suggested in Advisory Committee Option 2.  

Seven (7) per cent indicated they preferred a different option from the four the Advisory Committee proposed. 

When asked why they selected a particular option, 39 per cent of respondents said they believed their choice was “most likely to avoid the extension of transitional periods.” Twenty-nine (29) per cent said they chose the option they saw as being “most feasible from a political standpoint.” The remaining respondents prioritized selecting the “fastest road to elections” (28 per cent) or cited other reasons (4 per cent). 

“We cannot wait any longer for elections,” one respondent said. “These political bodies are expired, they don’t represent us and they want to stay in power as long as they can.”  

The Mission, in the poll, asked for feedback on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations to ensure any roadmap is implemented, including preconditions and accountability measures—a common point of discussion both in the poll and in UNSMIL’s other consultations.  

Before elections, respondents placed high importance on enhancing electoral security (96 per cent), ensuring independent funding for the High National Elections Commission (85 per cent), and adopting an amended electoral framework that addresses contentious issues (82 per cent). Sixty-three (63) per cent supported forming a new, unified government to oversee elections and 56 per cent said the HNEC board needed to be fully appointed in line with the Libyan Political Agreement.  

To ensure the country completes elections, 67 percent of respondents said they supported “strictly enforced timelines and alternative measures if the relevant parties do not perform their required functions. Sixty-two per cent said people who delay the process should be held accountable through individual sanctions and 52 per cent said individuals running for elections should be required to “respect the outcomes.” Thirty-five per cent approved of a national mechanism to oversee the implementation of the agreement.  

The poll respondents, who were self-selected, were largely well educated and politically informed, with 86 percent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher and 70 percent reporting familiarity with the Advisory Committee and its proposals prior to taking the poll. Respondents included people from across Libya’s districts. Youth, women, cultural components and persons with disabilities were represented.  

This Mission also reached 2,481 people through in-person and online consultations, including community leaders and representatives of civil society, unions, youth, women and other groups. Compared to the online poll, people in these consultations expressed more support for dissolving institutions and convening a political dialogue forum. A telephone survey of 1,400 randomly selected people, ninety-five percent of whom had never heard of the Advisory Committee or its proposals, leaned more in favor of a constitution-first approach. 

In total, 26,465 people shared their opinions.  

“The Mission must stand firmly with the Libyan people,” one poll respondent said. “We are a peaceful nation and welcome everyone, but what the people demand is what the Mission should support. We are tired of chaos and division. It is time to build a modern, democratic, civil state governed by the rule of law, where rights and freedoms are respected.” 

The SRSG thanked all who took the time to share their views.  

“Your commitment to building a stronger Libya—despite a myriad of challenges—is admirable,” she said. “The Mission looks forward to continuing an open dialogue as the roadmap moves forward. Your voices are invaluable.”

– on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

Source: APO – Report:

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hanna Tetteh and her two deputies visited three Tripoli polling centres Saturday to witness municipal elections and meet with the High National Elections Commission staff and election observers who were overseeing the voting.  

SRSG Tetteh and the Deputy Special-Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Stephanie Koury, toured polling centres in Central Tripoli and Hai Al Andlus municipalities. DSRSG, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Aeneas Chuma visited Souq Al Jouma.  

Municipal elections were conducted yesterday in 26 municipalities. 

“What you are doing here today is important,” SRSG Tetteh told HNEC staff and elections observers. “I know you are facing significant operational and security challenges, but the Libyan people have the right to select their own leaders through peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections. Every step towards the goal counts.”  

In the week leading up to the elections, HNEC offices in Zliten, Zawiya, and Sahel al Gharbi were attacked. Those in Sahel al Gharbi and in Zawiya were burned, in the latter destroying all electoral materials for seven municipalities. Meanwhile, in the country’s east and south, the House of Representatives-appointed government ordered elections be halted in 16 municipalities. 

The Mission, in two statements issued Thursday and Friday, strongly condemned the attacks and negative government interference, labelling them “unacceptable” and calling all to “ensure a conducive environment for the free and orderly conduct of the elections.” 

“I am very pleased to see that municipal elections went ahead successfully in 26 municipalities today,” SRSG Tetteh said. “These elections matter because they give people a real say in how their communities are run. I encourage all institutions to keep moving forward so that elections can take place across Libya.” 

The polling centers were set up in schools. Each had separate rooms for men and women to vote. In each room, voters moved through four stations. Their identities were verified, they received a ballot for each race being contested in their municipality, they voted, then they dropped their vote into a transparent ballot box. All boxes used for polling purposes were sealed with special-purpose seals with unique identification numbers. 

The SRSG commended HNEC on its technical preparations and professionalism. 

“I am proud of the way my staff have performed,” said an HNEC supervisor at Souq al Jouma. “They are following their training to make sure the elections are conducted in a credible manner.” 

An election observer at Hai Al Andlus commented: “The municipal elections provide hope that national elections and political change can happen.”  

Earlier yesturday, DSRSG Koury attended a press conference at HNEC headquarters, where HNEC leaders gave an overview of their preparations and the plan for the day of polling.  

“The Libyan citizen, in light of the grave challenges they face, including the declining level of services and the difficulty of meeting basic needs, has chosen the path of change and reform,” said HNEC Board Member Abdulhakim Al-Chaab, during the press conference. “They aspire to end the daily queues of suffering through the queues of elections.” 

– on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).