MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

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Following the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20 and South Africa’s historic Presidency in 2025, the African Union is prioritizing preparation for the 2026 United States G20 Presidency. To ensure the continent remains coordinated, influential, and strategically positioned, the African Union is convening a pivotal AU G20 Retreat,hosted by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

The Retreat brings together Member States, technical financial institutions, and key partners to assess achievements and lessons learnt from the 2025 Presidency as well as  examine the 2026 United States priorities including Economic Growth, Deregulation, Energy Abundance, Trade, and Innovation to identify areas for strategic leverage. Central to the agenda is the alignment of AU Member States around common priorities under Agenda 2063 to  ensure a smooth transition of leadership from Angola to Burundi in 2026 and adopt  a Strategic Roadmap for engagement across all G20 tracks.

In his welcoming remarks, during the official opening ceremony H.E. Mr. Simeón Oyono Esono Angüe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Diaspora of Equatorial Guinea, emphasized the necessity of collective action. “Our presence here underscores a turning point in our diplomacy. We are no longer observing global decisions; we are actively co-authoring them to ensure they reflect the realities of our people,” he stated.

Setting the strategic direction for the retreat, H.E. Amb. Fathallah Sijillmasi, Director General of the African Union Commission stressed that the AU’s permanent seat must be backed by a rigorous internal mechanism to drive the continent’s agenda. “Our objective is to move beyond participation and toward impact by establishing the institutional framework necessary to ensure that Africa’s specific priorities from digital transformation to infrastructure financing are technically defended and politically supported at every level of the G20 process,” Amb. Sijillmasi remarked.

Providing perspectives on the transition between Presidencies, H.E. Amb. Sara Silva, AU G20 Sous-Sherpa (Angola), reflected on the progress achieved during the previous cycle, highlighting the important gains made under South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency, including stronger visibility of Africa’s priorities within global economic discussions and enhanced coordination among AU Member States. She underscored the importance of preserving institutional memory and ensuring continuity as the African Union advances into the 2026 cycle.

Additionally, H.E. Mr. Mahamat Ali Hassan, Chairperson of the PRC Sub-Committee  of the Whole on Economic and Trade Matters (Chad) reminded participants that economic sovereignty remains central to the realisation of Aspiration 7 of Agenda 2063, which seeks to position Africa as a strong, united, resilient, and influential global actor. He emphasised that strengthening domestic productive capacity, advancing industrialisation, promoting fair trade, and reducing structural dependencies are essential to enhancing Africa’s voice and bargaining power within global governance platforms such as the G20.

In her opening statement, H.E. Mrs. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, and AU G20 Sherpa, addressed recent developments relating to the United States G20 Presidency, including the non-extension of an invitation to South Africa. She noted that the African Union has engaged through the appropriate diplomatic channels, stressing that such  development risks undermining the inclusivity and consensus-based principles that have long guided the G20 process. She reaffirmed that the AU will continue to engage partners and Member States to safeguard Africa’s collective interests and ensure the full and effective participation of African members within the G20 framework.

“To fulfil the vision of Agenda 2063, our participation must be substantive and strategic. This Retreat is about transforming Africa’s permanent seat in the G20 into tangible development gains across the continent.” She further emphasised that, “Even within this unique context, Africa must remain focused on securing the greatest possible outcomes from the 2026 G20 cycle by advancing Agenda 2063 priorities, strengthening coordinated participation, and ensuring the continent’s voice remains visible and influential across all G20 workstreams. We must draw on the expertise of African Union knowledge partners and the experience of previous AU G20 Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas to sustain continuity and strategic engagement. Africa must continue to derive maximum value from the United States G20 Presidency as we look ahead to the restoration of regular order under the United Kingdom G20 Presidency in 2027.”

The retreat integrates the priorities of the Second Decade of Action of Agenda 2063 into the 2026 global discourse. H.E. Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Chairperson of the PRC (Burundi) and incoming sous-sharpa said, “The success of our permanent membership in the G20 will not be measured by our presence at the table, but by the tangible impact of our contributions. It will be measured by our ability to deliver results that accelerate Africa’s industrialization, address the heavy debt burdens facing our economies, and promote inclusive and equitable growth for the 1.4 billion Africans we represent ultimately advancing the aspirations of Agenda 2063:The Africa We Want.”

He called on Member States to use the Retreat to consolidate unity, refine common strategies, and prepare for the 2026 G20 cycle with clarity, coherence, and determination. He further underscored that recent developments within the G20 process highlight the need for stronger African solidarity, a unified voice, and coordinated action in safeguarding the continent’s interests within global governance structures.

H.E. Iván Bacale Ebe Molina, Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development for Equatorial Guinea, addressed the economic imperatives of the 2026 roadmap. “As we look toward the 2026 cycle, our focus remains on the reform of the international financial architecture. We are here to ensure that global financial systems work for Africa’s industrialization and energy goals, rather than against them.”

In closing the high-level opening session, H.E. Mr. Simeón Oyono Esono Angüe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Diaspora of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, reaffirmed Equatorial Guinea’s full support for the African Union and its Member States in ensuring the success of the Retreat, and reiterated the country’s commitment to advancing collaboration, dialogue, and unity in pursuit of a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Africa.

The Retreat is expected to deliver key outcomes aimed at strengthening Africa’s participation and also  seeks to align AU Member States around common priorities under Agenda 2063 and ensure coordinated engagement across the Sherpa and Finance Tracks. In addition, delegates  will focus on strengthening coordination and continuity through a smooth transition from Angola’s tenure as AU Chair to Burundi in 2026, while deepening collaboration among AU institutions, Member States, and strategic partners.

A further expected outcome of the Retreat is the adoption of a Strategic Roadmap establishing a clear timeline and framework for Africa’s engagement across G20 working groups, ministerial meetings, and Leaders’ level processes.

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

Source: APO

In a new Child Alert report titled Darfur: 20 Years On, Children Under Threat, UN children’s agency UNICEF warns that while the horrors of 2005 are repeating, the scale of need is now far greater, and international attention is dangerously constrained.

A worsening crisis of violence

The report draws a chilling parallel between the past and the present. Homes, schools, and hospitals are again under fire, but the modern nature of the fighting between rival militaries has become even more lethal.

Since April 2024, more than 1,500 grave violations against children have been verified in the regional capital of El Fasher alone.

Over 1,300 children have been killed or maimed in the city – which was held by military Government forces until being overrun by RSF militia after a lengthy siege last October – many by explosive weapons and drones. 

Beyond the physical strikes, children face the trauma of abduction, recruitment into armed groups, and sexual violence.

“Twenty years ago, the world united in outrage at the suffering of children in Darfur. Today, a new generation of children is living through horrific violence, hunger and terror,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

Across the whole of Sudan, the UN has verified over 5,700 grave violations since the current war began. The trend is accelerating: in the first three months of 2026, child fatalities rose significantly compared with the previous year.

Barriers to lifesaving aid

Despite the collapse of infrastructure and the spread of famine, humanitarian efforts are being strangled by insecurity, bureaucratic hurdles, and a massive funding gap. Many families in North Darfur remain entirely cut off from food and safe water due to prolonged sieges.

While UNICEF and its partners continue to provide mobile health services and malnutrition treatment, the report warns that aid is not reaching those at the greatest risk.

“We cannot allow history to repeat itself,” Ms. Russell urged. “Children in Darfur need protection and sustained humanitarian access. The parties to this conflict must end this brutal war.”

UNICEF is calling for an immediate end to violations against minors and urging international donors to provide flexible funding to support those displaced both within Sudan and across its borders, particularly into overstretched communities in eastern Chad.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

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Families in Somalia are confronting a new catastrophe, with hunger and humanitarian needs soaring, a worsening drought, and aid levels at unprecedented lows, said Save the Children.

In a new report, When Aid Disappears, Childhood Disappears Too, Save the Children reveals how the collapse of international aid funding to Somalia in 2025 may soon lead to catastrophic outcomes for children not seen since the 2011 famine, which killed over 257,000 people [1].  

Early in 2025, projections estimated that 3.4 million people were facing crisis-level food insecurity. A year later, this figure has almost doubled with a projection of 6.5 million people — a jump directly correlated with massive cuts in international funding as well as the predicted poor October-December 2025 rains. 

Meanwhile, in 2024, Somalia’s Humanitarian Response Plan was 57.7% funded, which, while still below overall needs, was sufficient to sustain critical programmes. In 2025, coverage fell to just 28.8%. Now, in April 2026, only around 15% of the response plan is funded – the lowest level on record at this time of the year.  

As a result, food and nutrition services have been heavily reduced – including the closure of more than 300 nutrition facilities across the country, which are critical for treating child hunger and malnutrition – and preventive programmes have been significantly scaled back. 

Without immediate funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will be disrupted, and children in need of care will be turned away. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East risks further strain on global supply chains, increasing the likelihood of delays and shortages. 

The report also reveals that while Somalia’s children have grown up under the shadow of repeated crisis – such as the famine of 2011, recurrent droughts, conflict, and disease outbreaks – families have also shown extraordinary resilience. This includes sharing resources, improvising to meet basic needs, and supporting one another even when formal aid has been delayed, insufficient, or absent. The report confirms that while Somali families endure with remarkable strength, sustained external support is essential to prevent avoidable suffering and protect the next generation. 

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

“What we are seeing is not a slow deterioration, but a preventable crisis unfolding right now. In Somalia, the crisis is the result of a dire combination of protracted conflict and accelerating climate shocks, compounded by the decision to cut aid to record low levels in 2025. That choice was not inevitable; it had predictable, deadly consequences. Fifteen years of experience in Somalia show what happens when funding changes: when aid is scaled up, lives are saved; when it disappears, so do childhoods. 

“Drawing on lessons from the past 15 years, this report warns that current funding cuts risk reversing hard-won progress, including gains in immunisation and reductions in child mortality. Without immediate additional funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will break, and children who could have been saved will simply be turned away. Funding must return now — to protect children, prevent the crisis from worsening, and uphold the principle of “never again”. 

Fazia*, 15, attends a Save the Children-supported school in Baidoa. She has benefitted from humanitarian aid, but is concerned about the future:  

“Before, education was not something I thought about. My life has changed significantly. I used to feel uneducated and unaware, but now I have access to free education. 

“Now water is scarce, and the drought is extreme. Livestock are dying due to lack of water. Food has also become scarce, and the drought has deeply affected us.  

“For the past three years, we have been struggling with hunger.”  

Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6.5 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programs to prevent child deaths, invest in education to give children the skills they need now and into the future,  invest in longer-term resilience programming, and ensure aid reaches the most affected populations. 

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

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.

Source: APO

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Waheed Abbasi, Senior Vice President, Gas Services: Europe and Africa at Siemens Energy, has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference and Exhibition as a speaker. Abbasi’s participation comes at a time when Siemens Energy is deepening its footprint in Angola through major power infrastructure and local capacity investments, positioning itself as a key enabler of the country’s evolving oil and gas market. At the event this September (9-10), Abbasi is expected to bring insights into how power technology and gas infrastructure are converging to support Angola’s next phase of industry growth.

With a long-standing presence in Angola, Siemens Energy has played a central role in strengthening power and infrastructure systems through projects in the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors. The company is currently developing an 80 MW power generation plant for the Kaminho FPSO – part of the first large deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin. The FPSO, currently 50% complete, will be installed in 2027 with first oil produced from the Cameia field in 2028. By integrating advanced power generation systems into offshore infrastructure, Siemens Energy is supporting more efficient, lower-emission production while ensuring reliable operations in deepwater environments.

At the same time, Siemens Energy has strengthened its on-the-ground presence with the launch of its Angola Service Shop in 2026. The facility brings service execution, project support, training and critical spare parts closer to customers, enabling faster response times and improving operational reliability across Angola’s oil and gas sector. By anchoring its services locally, Siemens Energy is not only supporting existing projects but also building the infrastructure needed to sustain long-term industry growth, reinforcing supply chain resilience and technical capacity within the country.

Siemens Energy’s activities in Angola form part of a broader continental strategy, with the company active in more than 50 African countries and leading initiatives across power generation, renewable energy and hydrogen development. This pan-African footprint positions Siemens Energy as a key partner for governments seeking to balance industrial growth with energy transition goals. In Angola, this is particularly relevant as the country looks to diversify its energy mix while leveraging its hydrocarbon resources to drive economic development.

Angola’s strategy to increase the share of gas in its energy mix to 25% is creating new opportunities for companies like Siemens Energy to deploy gas-to-power solutions. The start of key projects, including the country’s first non-associated gas project – led by the New Gas Consortium –, is expected to unlock greater gas flows, supporting both LNG exports and domestic power generation. As gas availability increases, the need for efficient power generation, grid infrastructure and industrial energy solutions will become more critical. Siemens Energy’s technology portfolio, spanning gas turbines, power systems and integrated energy solutions, positions the company to play a central role in enabling this transition.

Stepping into this picture, Abbasi’s participation at AOG 2026 comes at a time when Angola is aligning upstream growth with downstream and power sector expansion, creating a more integrated energy ecosystem. The event will provide a platform for discussions around gas monetization, power infrastructure and industrial development, areas where Siemens Energy is actively contributing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.