Un nouveau Conseil consultatif international est lancé afin d’examiner trois décennies d’atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Le Conseil pour l’examen des atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo (RDC) (https://CEADRC.org/) est officiellement lancé aujourd’hui.

Coprésidé par l’éminente défenseure congolaise des droits humains Julienne Lusenge et Sir Howard Morrison KC, l’un des plus grands spécialistes britanniques du droit pénal international et du droit international humanitaire, le Conseil apportera son expertise à deux institutions congolaises : le Fonds national de réparation des victimes de violences sexuelles (FONAREV) et la Commission interministérielle d’aide aux victimes et d’appui aux réformes (CIA-VAR), dans le cadre de leurs efforts en faveur de la justice transitionnelle au bénéfice du peuple congolais.

S’appuyant sur les conclusions du Rapport Mapping des Nations Unies de 2010 (https://apo-opa.co/4yp6wVu) ainsi que sur les violations récentes des droits de l’homme commises dans le cadre du conflit en cours dans l’est de la RDC, le Conseil apportera une expertise sur les processus juridiques et diplomatiques nécessaires à la reconnaissance officielle des atrocités perpétrées au cours des trois dernières décennies et à la mise en cause de leurs auteurs.  

Le Conseil est composé de personnalités de premier plan issues des domaines du droit international, de la diplomatie et du monde universitaire.

Aux côtés de ses coprésidents, il réunit les membres suivants :

  • Patrick Hayford, ancien diplomate de carrière ghanéen et ancien Directeur du Bureau du Conseiller spécial des Nations Unies pour l’Afrique. 
  • Stephen Rapp, ancien Ambassadeur itinérant des États-Unis chargé des questions relatives aux crimes de guerre.
  • Nina Jørgensen, juge internationale britanno-norvégienne à La Haye et éminente universitaire à l’Université de Southampton.
  • Pascal Turlan, expert français en justice pénale internationale et en redevabilité, ancien responsable au sein du Bureau du Procureur de la Cour pénale internationale..

Le Conseil a tenu sa réunion inaugurale le lundi 13 juillet 2026. Au cours de cette réunion, les membres ont été informés de l’état d’avancement des travaux de la FONAREV et de la CIA-VAR, notamment de leurs campagnes de plaidoyer « Plus Jamais Seuls », « Nos Voix Pour Elles » et « Ne Pas Oublier », ainsi que de leurs programmes visant à faciliter l’accès à la justice transitionnelle, à promouvoir des mesures provisoires urgentes dans les zones encore touchées par le conflit et à mettre en œuvre des initiatives de réhabilitation en faveur des victimes des violences aux conséquences durables.

Lors de la 80ᵉ session de l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies (AGNU), en septembre 2025, le Président Tshisekedi a consacré son discours (https://apo-opa.co/4pGPsqd) de haut niveau à appeler les États Membres des Nations Unies à reconnaître le « génocide silencieux » perpétré en République démocratique du Congo au cours des trois dernières décennies.  Il a également appelé à la création d’une commission d’enquête internationale indépendante afin de contribuer à « briser le cycle de l’impunité », ainsi qu’à l’adoption de sanctions par les Nations Unies à l’encontre des auteurs de crimes de guerre, de crimes contre l’humanité et d’actes de génocide perpétrés dans l’est du pays.

Lors de cette réunion inaugurale, Julienne Lusenge a fait écho à cet appel lancé au niveau national en déclarant que « la première mission du Conseil sera de briser le silence ».

Le mois dernier, la République démocratique du Congo a saisi (https://apo-opa.co/4f4FsDq) la Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ) d’une requête accusant le Rwanda d’avoir violé la Convention des Nations Unies pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide de 1948.  Les membres du Conseil ont également examiné cette question, soulignant que, bien qu’indépendant et distinct de cette procédure, le Conseil jouera un rôle essentiel en conseillant la FONAREV et la CIA-VAR sur les démarches à entreprendre à mesure que la procédure évoluera.

Le Directeur général du FONAREV, Patrick Fata Makunga, a déclaré :

« La création du Conseil pour l’examen des atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo constitue une nouvelle étape majeure dans la quête de vérité, de justice et de réparation pour les victimes des crimes graves perpétrés en République démocratique du Congo. À la suite de la saisine de la Cour internationale de Justice par le Gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo, ce Conseil revêt une importance plus grande que jamais. Il apportera au FONAREV et à la CIA-VAR des orientations essentielles tout au long de la procédure devant la Cour, ainsi que dans l’exploration de toute autre voie juridique ou diplomatique susceptible de contribuer à la réalisation de nos objectifs. Grâce à l’expertise de ces éminentes personnalités internationales, nous réaffirmons qu’aucune paix durable ne peut être bâtie sans la reconnaissance des souffrances endurées, l’établissement des responsabilités et une réparation intégrale en faveur des victimes. »

Le Coordonnateur exécutif de la CIA-VAR, François Kakese Kimaza, a déclaré :

« La création du Conseil pour l’examen des atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo, à l’approche de la troisième édition de la Journée annuelle du Genocost, témoigne de la volonté commune du FONAREV et de la CIA-VAR de porter devant la communauté internationale la voix des victimes ainsi que leur aspiration à la vérité. Nous sommes honorés de pouvoir compter sur un Conseil réunissant des experts d’un si haut niveau, dont les compétences couvrent les domaines des droits humains, du droit international et de la diplomatie. Pour la CIA-VAR, cette initiative s’inscrit dans une démarche essentielle visant à obtenir la reconnaissance internationale des crimes graves commis sur notre territoire, à promouvoir l’établissement des responsabilités de leurs auteurs et à garantir une réparation effective aux victimes, conformément à la stratégie nationale dont la CIA-VAR assure la mise en œuvre technique. »

Julienne Lusenge et Sir Howard Morrison KC, coprésidents du Conseil pour l’examen des atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo, ont déclaré :

« Depuis trois décennies, le peuple congolais subit des atrocités d’une ampleur qui rappelle les épisodes les plus sombres de l’histoire de l’humanité.

Et pourtant, les récits des victimes et des survivants, leurs noms, leurs souffrances et leurs expériences,  ont été trop longtemps ignorés.

Les auteurs de crimes de guerre ont pu agir en toute impunité, protégés par un voile d’indifférence de la communauté internationale qui, depuis trente ans, n’a pas su offrir aux victimes la reconnaissance officielle ni la justice auxquelles elles ont droit.

Nous sommes profondément honorés de coprésider cet effort international commun visant à contribuer à l’ouverture d’une voie vers une véritable justice transitionnelle pour le peuple congolais. »

Distribué par APO Group pour CEADRC.

Notes à l’attention de la rédaction :

  • Site internet du Conseil pour l’examen des atrocités commises en République démocratique du Congo : https://CEADRC.org/
  •  Biographies complètes des membres du Conseil :

Julienne Lusenge, Coprésidente

Julienne Lusenge est l’une des plus éminentes défenseures africaines des survivantes et survivants de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, forte de plus de quarante années d’expérience de terrain en République démocratique du Congo.

Elle est cofondatrice et présidente de Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral (SOFEPADI), une coalition regroupant quarante organisations de femmes. Elle est également fondatrice et directrice exécutive du Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (FFC), qui mobilise et redistribue des financements de bailleurs internationaux au profit de plus de 250 organisations locales dirigées par des femmes, réparties dans quatorze provinces de la République démocratique du Congo.

Son engagement a contribué directement à la poursuite judiciaire de plus de 800 auteurs de violences fondées sur le genre et de crimes de guerre. Par ailleurs, le centre médical de la SOFEPADI a pris en charge plus de 7 500 survivantes et survivants.

En 2020, l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé l’a nommée coprésidente d’une commission indépendante chargée d’enquêter sur les cas d’exploitation et d’abus sexuels commis par des travailleurs humanitaires lors de l’épidémie d’Ebola survenue en République démocratique du Congo en 2018.

Son engagement a été salué par de nombreuses distinctions internationales, notamment le Prix international des Femmes de Courage décerné par le Département d’État des États-Unis (2021), le Prix Aurora pour l’Éveil de l’Humanité (2021), ainsi que son inscription parmi les 100 personnalités les plus influentes au monde selon le magazine TIME (2024).

Sir Howard Morrison KC, Coprésident

Sir Howard Morrison KC est l’un des plus éminents spécialistes britanniques du droit international pénal et du droit international humanitaire, avec une carrière juridique s’étendant sur près de cinq décennies.

Il a débuté sa carrière en qualité d’avocat (barrister) au Royaume-Uni avant d’être nommé juge principal de circuit (Senior Circuit Judge) ainsi que juge principal des Zones de souveraineté britanniques à Chypre (Senior Justice of the UK Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus). Il a ensuite été nommé juge représentant le Royaume-Uni au Tribunal pénal international pour l’ex-Yougoslavie (TPIY), où il a présidé le procès de Radovan Karadžić. Par la suite, il a siégé en tant que juge britannique à la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), où il a exercé deux mandats en qualité de Président de la Chambre d’appel.

En reconnaissance de sa contribution exceptionnelle au développement du droit international, il a été successivement décoré des distinctions d’Officier de l’Ordre de l’Empire britannique (OBE), de Commandeur de l’Ordre de l’Empire britannique (CBE) et de Chevalier Commandeur de l’Ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-Georges (KCMG). Sur le plan académique, il est professeur invité à l’Université de Northumbria, professeur honoraire à l’Université de Leicester, titulaire d’un doctorat honoris causa en droit et Senior Fellow au Lauterpacht Centre for International Law de l’Université de Cambridge.

Il exerce actuellement les fonctions de conseiller indépendant du Royaume-Uni auprès du Procureur général d’Ukraine ainsi que de Président de la Cour d’appel du Territoire britannique de l’océan Indien. À ce titre, il participe notamment à la formation de magistrats en Iraq et en Ukraine sur les poursuites relatives aux crimes de guerre et dispense des conférences à travers le monde sur le droit international pénal et le droit international humanitaire. Il est également conseiller spécial du ministère britannique de la Défense pour les questions relatives au droit des conflits armés et Master of the Bench de Gray’s Inn, l’une des quatre prestigieuses Inns of Court d’Angleterre et du Pays de Galles.

Patrick Hayford

Patrick Hayford est un diplomate de carrière ghanéen à la retraite, fort de cinq décennies d’expérience dans la diplomatie internationale, principalement dans les affaires multilatérales.

De 2006 à 2012, il a exercé les fonctions de Directeur du Bureau du Conseiller spécial pour l’Afrique au Secrétariat de l’Organisation des Nations Unies à New York. Auparavant, de 1999 à 2005, il était Directeur des affaires africaines et régionales au Cabinet du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Kofi Annan.

Entre 1996 et 1997, l’Ambassadeur Hayford a assuré les fonctions de Haut-Commissaire par intérim (Ambassadeur) du Ghana auprès du Royaume-Uni, avant d’être nommé Haut-Commissaire (Ambassadeur) du Ghana auprès de l’Afrique du Sud, avec accréditation également auprès de Maurice, du Lesotho, des Comores et des Seychelles (1997-1999).

De 2006 à 2018, il a occupé les fonctions de Directeur du Bureau du Conseiller spécial pour l’Afrique (Office of the Special Adviser on Africa – OSAA) auprès des Nations Unies. Auparavant, de 1999 à 2005, il a été Directeur des affaires africaines au sein du Cabinet du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Kofi Annan. Entre 1997 et 1999, il a exercé les fonctions d’Ambassadeur du Ghana auprès de l’Afrique du Sud, de Maurice, du Lesotho, de l’Eswatini (anciennement Swaziland), des Comores et des Seychelles.

Patrick Hayford a entamé sa carrière diplomatique en septembre 1974. Il a également été affecté à des postes diplomatiques à New York et au Caire. Au siège du ministère ghanéen des Affaires étrangères, à Accra, il a exercé plusieurs fonctions, notamment celle de Directeur du Département des organisations internationales et des conférences.

Stephen Rapp

Stephen J. Rapp est une figure de premier plan dans le domaine de la justice pénale internationale et de la lutte contre l’impunité. Il a exercé les fonctions de quatrième Ambassadeur itinérant des États-Unis chargé des questions relatives aux crimes de guerre (Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues) au sein du Bureau de la justice pénale mondiale (Office of Global Criminal Justice) du Département d’État des États-Unis, de 2009 à 2015, sous la présidence de Barack Obama.

Auparavant, il a été Procureur en chef du Tribunal spécial pour la Sierra Leone (SCSL) de 2007 à 2009, et a occupé les fonctions de Chef des poursuites au Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR) de 2001 à 2007.

Au sein du TPIR, Stephen J. Rapp a dirigé les poursuites dans l’affaire Nahimana et autres, qui ont abouti aux premières condamnations de responsables de médias pour incitation directe et publique à commettre le génocide. Il a également dirigé les poursuites engagées contre l’ancien Président du Libéria, Charles Taylor, devant le Tribunal spécial pour la Sierra Leone. Son action en tant que procureur est largement reconnue pour son approche centrée sur les victimes ainsi que pour sa contribution à la reconnaissance des violences sexuelles et des violences fondées sur le genre comme crimes relevant du droit international.

Depuis 2015, il exerce plusieurs fonctions universitaires et consultatives de premier plan. Il est notamment Global Prevention Fellow au United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Senior Fellow au Center on National Security de la Georgetown University Law Center, Fellow of Practice à l’Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict de l’Université d’Oxford, Distinguished Fellow au Hague Institute for Global Justice, ainsi que Président de la Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA).

Nina Jørgensen

La Professeure Nina Jørgensen est une universitaire britanno-norvégienne et juge internationale en exercice, dont la carrière allie recherche académique et justice pénale internationale.

Depuis 2019, elle est professeure de droit international public à l’Université de Southampton. Depuis 2020, elle siège en qualité de juge à la Chambre d’appel des Chambres spécialisées du Kosovo, établies à La Haye. Avocate (barrister) en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles, elle a été admise au Barreau de Gray’ s Inn en 1999.

Sa carrière, qui s’étend sur près de vingt-cinq ans, couvre les juridictions pénales internationales, notamment le Tribunal spécial pour la Sierra Leone, les Chambres extraordinaires au sein des tribunaux cambodgiens, le Tribunal pénal international pour l’ex-Yougoslavie (TPIY) et le Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR), ainsi que des fonctions universitaires à l’Université de Leyde, à la Chinese University of Hong Kong et à l’Université de Southampton. Elle est titulaire d’un doctorat de l’Université d’Oxford et est l’auteure de nombreuses publications en droit international, dont deux monographies, un ouvrage collectif dirigé et de nombreux articles publiés dans des revues scientifiques à comité de lecture.

Pascal Turlan

Pascal Turlan est un juriste français spécialisé en droit international, fort de plus de vingt-cinq années d’expérience dans les domaines de la justice pénale internationale, du droit international des droits de l’homme et de la coopération internationale. Expert de premier plan en droit pénal international, il a consacré sa carrière à la promotion de la justice et de la lutte contre l’impunité à l’échelle internationale.

Basé à La Haye, il a passé près de vingt ans au Bureau du Procureur de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), où il a évolué des fonctions d’analyste des situations à celles de Conseiller et Chef de la coopération judiciaire. Il a commencé à travailler sur la situation en République démocratique du Congo dès 2003.
Au début de sa carrière, il a joué un rôle déterminant dans la mise en place de mécanismes internationaux de justice, notamment au sein du ministère français de la Justice et du ministère de la Justice de la Sierra Leone, où il a contribué à la création du Tribunal spécial pour la Sierra Leone. Il a également œuvré dans le domaine humanitaire en collaborant avec Médecins Sans Frontières et Médecins du Monde.

Ces dernières années, il a exercé les fonctions de Directeur juridique et des programmes pour le programme Ukraine de Project Expedite Justice. Il partage aujourd’hui son activité entre des missions de conseil de haut niveau en matière de redevabilité et de réforme du secteur de la justice auprès d’organisations telles que l’International Development Law Organization, le projet EU Pravo-Justice et Truth Hounds International, ainsi que des fonctions d’enseignement à Sciences Po Paris et à l’École nationale de la magistrature (France).

Media files

Dra. Rasha Kelej e 12 Primeiras-Damas da África e da Ásia convocam acções para fortalecer a capacidade dos sectores de saúde e mídia, quebrar o estigma da infertilidade e apoiar a educação de meninas em 2026 e além

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

  • A Fundação Merck celebrou o seu 9º aniversário e 14 anos de programas de desenvolvimento e impacto.
  • A Fundação Merck celebrou o Mês Mundial da Conscientização sobre a Infertilidade durante a sua Conferência Anual.
  • Link para a9 transmissão em directo da sessão inaugural da 13ª Edição da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck.  2026: https://apo-opa.co/454bmdb

​Fundação Merck (www.Merck-Foundation.com), o braço filantrópico da Merck KGaA Alemanha, realizou conduziu a 13a Edição da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026 nos dias 18 e 19 de junho, por via de videoconferência online. A conferência anual foi aberta pelo Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Presidente do Conselho de Curadores da Fundação Merck e pela Dra. Rasha Kelej, CEO da Fundação Merck e Presidente da da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck, junto com as Primeiras-Damas de 12 países africanos e asiáticos, que participaram como Convidadas de Honra e Oradoras Principais. As Primeiras-Damas que participaram foram:

  • S. Exa. Dra.ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, Primeira-Dama da República de Angola
  • S. Exa. Sra.KAONE BOKO, Primeira-Dama da República do Botswana
  • S. Exa. Dra.DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, Primeira-Dama da República de Cabo Verde
  • S. Exa. Senhora BRIGITTE TOUADERA, Primeira-Dama da República Centro-Africana
  • S. Exa. Senhora ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, Primeira-Dama da República Gabonesa
  • S. Exa. Sra. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, Primeira-Dama da República da Gâmbia
  • S. Exa. Sra. RACHEL RUTO, Primeira-Dama da República do Quénia
  • S. Exa. Sra. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, Primeira-Dama da República da Libéria
  • S. Exa. Senhora SAJIDHA MOHAMED, Primeira-Dama da República das Maldivas
  • S. Exa. Dra. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, Primeira-Dama da República de Moçambique
  • S. Exa. Senadora OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, Primeira-Dama da República Federal da Nigéria
  • S. Exa. Sra. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, Primeira-Dama da República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe

A Senadora Dra. Rasha Kelej (Aposentada), CEO da Fundação Merck, Presidente da “Mais do Que uma Mãe” e Presidente da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck enfatizou: “Tenho a grande honra de realizar a 13ª Edição da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck junto com as nossas Convidadas de Honra e Oradoras Principais, as Primeiras-Damas de 12 países africanos e asiáticos, que são as Embaixadoras da “Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe”. Juntos, trocamos experiências e discutimos o impacto dos nossos programas de transformação de atendimento ao paciente e na conscientização sobre uma ampla gama de questões sociais sensíveis e críticas, incluindo o combate ao estigma da infertilidade, o apoio à educação de meninas, o fim do casamento infantil e da MGF (Mutilação Genital Feminina), o fim da violência do género, o empoderamento das mulheres e a promoção da conscientização sobre importantes questões de saúde, como a diabetes e a hipertensão.

Como também celebramos o Mês Mundial da Conscientização sobre a Infertilidade, apraz-me partilhar que a Fundação Merck concede mais de 800 bolsas de estudo para apoiar as áreas de fertilidade, embriologia, saúde reprodutiva e sexual. Do total de mais de 2,600 bolsas de estudo concedidas para profissionais de saúde de 52 países em 44 especialidades médicas críticas e carenciadas.”

Assista aqui ao discurso da Senadora Dra. Rasha Kelej durante a Cerimónia de Abertura da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4wBOfCs

O Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, ​​Presidente do Conselho de Curadores da Fundação Merck Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, enfatizou: “Foi bom ouvir das Primeiras-Damas de África e da Ásia sobre o notável progresso que alcançaram nos seus respectivos países através dos programas da Fundação Merck. As suas conquistas são parte integrante do nosso sucesso partilhado e do impacto duradouro dos nossos programas.”

Assista aqui ao discurso do Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp durante o programa inaugural da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck, 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4w5lNZR

Durante a Sessão de Abertura da Luminária, as Primeiras-Damas proferiram os seus discursos de abertura para partilhar o impacto de sua jornada de parceria com a Fundação Merck nos seus respectivos países.

A S. Exa. Dra. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, Primeira-Dama da República de Angola e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe enfatizou: “Agradeço imensamente o programa ‘Educar Linda’ da Fundação Merck, que reflete a nossa crença partilhada de que a educação de meninas é um dos investimentos mais importantes para o futuro de uma nação. Aguardamos ansiosamente o lançamento desta importante iniciativa em Angola em breve. Agradeço também sinceramente o apoio fornecido por meio de materiais escolares essenciais e absorventes higiênicos, que ajudarão as nossas meninas a continuarem os seus estudos com dignidade, confiança e esperança. Juntos, também continuaremos a abordar questões sociais e de saúde importantes e cruciais.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama de Angola, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4yoNtKW

A S. Exa. Sra. KAONE BOKO, Primeira-Dama da República do Botswana e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe partilhou: “É uma honra fazer parte desta plataforma tão prestigiada. Tenho orgulho em partilhar que a Fundação Merck concedeu 58 bolsas de estudo para os nossos jovens profissionais de saúde do Botswana em diversas especialidades essenciais e carenciadas. Além disso, a Fundação Merck também forneceu ferramentas especializadas de avaliação psicométrica e diagnóstica, ajudando-nos a reduzir as desigualdades no acesso à saúde para as nossas crianças com deficiência intelectual e de desenvolvimento.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama do Botswana, apresentado pela Fundação Merck no evento da Luminária África Ásia 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4aXBCtb

S. Exa. Dra. DÉBORA KATISA CARVALHO, Primeira-Dama da República de Cabo Verde e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe disse: “A educação é a base de um futuro melhor para todas as crianças e todas as nações. Através do programa ‘Educar Linda e Lindo’, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais a 35 crianças merecedoras, ajudando meninos e meninas a continuarem os seus estudos e a realizarem os seus sonhos. Saúdo particularmente a inclusão de meninos nesta iniciativa, pois ela aborda um desafio importante no nosso país. Também saúdo ​​muito o apoio fornecido por meio de 200.000 absorventes higiênicos, que ajudarão as nossas meninas a permanecerem na escola com dignidade e confiança. Tenho orgulho da nossa parceria com a Fundação Merck.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama de Cabo Verde durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4bKeEWJ

S. Exa. Senhora BRIGITTE TOUADERA, Primeira-Dama da República Centro-Africana e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe expressou: “Como uma das primeiras integrantes desta estimada plataforma, continuo comprometida em trabalhar em estreita colaboração com a Fundação Merck para desenvolver a capacidade da área da saúde, apoiar a educação de meninas e combater o estigma da infertilidade. Através do programa ‘Empoderar Berna’, estamos a transformar a vida de mulheres com infertilidade, oferecer treinamento e apoio para a criação de pequenos negócios, promover confiança, independência e empoderamento económico. Além disso, através do programa ‘Educar Linda’, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais para 40 meninas de alto desempenho, porém carentes, no nosso país.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama da República Centro-Africana, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4vxbHjw

S. Exa. Senhora ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, Primeira-Dama da República Gabonesa e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe partilhou: “Tenho orgulho da nossa parceria com a Fundação Merck, por meio da qual estamos a melhorar a capacidade do sistema de saúde, apoiar a educação de meninas e abordar desafios sociais e de saúde críticos no Gabão. 16 bolsas de estudo foram concedidas a jovens profissionais de saúde em especialidades-chave carenciadas, ajudando-nos a formar a próxima geração de especialistas médicos. Além disso, por meio do programa ‘Educar Linda’, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais a 40 alunas de alto desempenho, porém carentes, apoiando-as até a formatura, permitindo que alcancem o seu pleno potencial.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama do Gabão, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4aQRrlt

A S. Exa. Sra.FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, Primeira-Dama da República da Gâmbia e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe enfatizou: “Juntamente com a Fundação Merck, estamos a transformando o sector público de saúde na Gâmbia. Até o momento, a Fundação Merck concedeu 97 bolsas de estudo para jovens profissionais de saúde gambianos em diversas especialidades médicas essenciais e carenciadas. Estamos a fazer história ao formar os primeiros especialistas do país em Oncologia, Fertilidade, Embriologia, Reprodução Humana, Diabetes e muito mais. Temos orgulho desta importante conquista. Além disso, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais para 40 brilhantes estudantes gambianas, como parte do programa Educar Linda, dando a elas a oportunidade de concluir os seus estudos e realizar os seus sonhos.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama da Gâmbia, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4gYqssb

S. Exa. Sra. RACHEL RUTO E.G.H., Primeira-Dama da República do Quénia e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe afirmou: “Tenho orgulho em partilhar que a Fundação Merck concedeu 328 bolsas de estudo para profissionais de saúde quenianos, um marco extraordinário que deixará um impacto duradouro na qualidade e acessibilidade dos cuidados de saúde em todo o país. Cerca de 50% dessas bolsas foram concedidas a profissionais de saúde do sexo feminino. Além disso, 69 bolsas foram concedidas para o Diploma de Pós-Graduação em Nutrição Clínica em todos os 47 condados do Quénia, apoiando o nosso Programa de Alimentação e Segurança Alimentar e promovendo estilos de vida mais saudáveis ​​em nossa população. Também oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais para 47 meninas quenianas de alto desempenho, porém carentes, por meio do programa ‘Educar Linda’, apoiando-as até a formatura e capacitando-as a atingir o seu pleno potencial.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama do Quénia, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4fBxy4p

S. Exa. Sra. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, Primeira-Dama da República da Libéria e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe expressou: “Temos orgulho da nossa parceria de longa data com a Fundação Merck, por meio da qual 58 bolsas de estudo foram concedidas a jovens profissionais de saúde em diversas especialidades essenciais e carenciadas, incluindo Fertilidade, Embriologia, Saúde Sexual e Reprodutiva, Saúde da Mulher, Oncologia, Diabetes, Endocrinologia, Medicina de Urgência, Pediatria, Doenças Infecciosas e Dermatologia. Juntos, também apoiamos a educação de meninas, oferecendo bolsas de estudo anuais a 40 estudantes liberianas merecedoras, capacitando-as a realizar os seus sonhos por meio do programa Educar Linda.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama da Libéria, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026:

1.https://apo-opa.co/4poe3Ql

S. Exa. Senhora SAJIDHA MOHAMED, Primeira-Dama da República das Maldivas e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe enfatizou: “Embora a nossa parceria com a Fundação Merck tenha começado apenas em 2024, já testemunhamos um impacto significativo num período relativamente curto. Até o momento, 13 bolsas de estudo foram concedidas a jovens profissionais de saúde em diversas especialidades essenciais e carenciadas. Como Embaixadora da campanha Fundação Merck “Mais do Que uma Mãe”, estou comprometida em empoderar mulheres por meio do acesso à informação, saúde, educação e mudança de mentalidade.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama das Maldivas, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4fGp3UT

S. Exa. Dra. GUETA SELEMANE CHAPO, Primeira-Dama da República de Moçambique e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe partilhou: “Tenho o prazer de partilhar que a Fundação Merck já concedeu 34 bolsas de estudo para profissionais de saúde moçambicanos em diversas especialidades essenciais e carenciadas, incluindo Diabetes, Endocrinologia, Medicina de Urgência, Doenças Infecciosas, Oncologia, Radiologia e muito mais. Somos profundamente gratos por esse apoio, que está a nos ajudar a transformar o sector público de saúde do nosso país. Além disso, também estamos a trabalhar juntos no programa “Educar Linda”, por meio do qual apoiamos a educação de 40 meninas talentosas, porém carentes, em Moçambique. Oferecemos a elas bolsas de estudo anuais e continuaremos a fazê-lo até que se formem. Quando educamos uma menina, empoderamos uma geração e criamos um futuro mais brilhante e próspero para a nossa nação.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama de Moçambique, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4fGpbDR

S. Exa. Senadora OLUREMI TINUBU, CON, Primeira-Dama da República Federal da Nigéria e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe expressou: “Por meio da nossa parceria de longa data com a Fundação Merck, estamos a transformar o atendimento ao paciente, combatendo o estigma da infertilidade e apoiando a educação de meninas no nosso país. Agradeço profundamente as 91 bolsas de estudo concedidas aos nossos profissionais de saúde em diversas especialidades essenciais e carenciadas. Este é um número impressionante e significativo para nós. Cada uma dessas bolsas é crucial para o nosso país. Além disso, por meio do programa Educar Linda, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais a 71 meninas nigerianas carentes, porém merecedoras, cobrindo as suas mensalidades escolares e outras despesas essenciais até a formatura. O objectivo deste programa é capacitá-las a atingir o seu pleno potencial e realizar os seus sonhos.” Assista ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama da Nigéria, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/4wKGVVs

S. Exa. Sra. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, Primeira-Dama da República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe e Embaixadora da Fundação Merck Mais do Que uma Mãe partilhou: “Tenho orgulho da nossa parceria com a Fundação Merck, por meio da qual estamos a capacitar as nossas jovens e fortalecer o nosso sector de saúde. Juntos, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais para 40 alunas de alto desempenho, porém carentes, ajudando-as a continuar os seus estudos e construir um futuro melhor. Também agradeço sinceramente a doação de 100.000 absorventes higiênicos, que ajudarão as meninas a permanecerem na escola com dignidade e confiança. Além disso, a Fundação Merck concedeu bolsas de estudo para os nossos profissionais de saúde locais em especialidades essenciais, como Oncologia, Embriologia e Diabetes, ajudando-nos a desenvolver expertise médica local e a melhorar o acesso a cuidados de saúde de qualidade para a nossa população.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama de São Tomé e Príncipe, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026:

“Tenho orgulho da nossa parceria com a Fundação Merck, por meio da qual estamos a capacitar as nossas jovens e fortalecer o nosso sector de saúde. Juntos, oferecemos bolsas de estudo anuais para 40 alunas de alto desempenho, porém carentes, ajudando-as a continuar os seus estudos e construir um futuro melhor. Também agradeço sinceramente a doação de 100.000 absorventes higiênicos, que ajudarão as meninas a permanecerem na escola com dignidade e confiança. Além disso, a Fundação Merck concedeu bolsas de estudo para os nossos profissionais de saúde locais em especialidades essenciais, como Oncologia, Embriologia e Diabetes, ajudando-nos a desenvolver expertise médica local e a melhorar o acesso a cuidados de saúde de qualidade para a nossa população.” Assista aqui ao vídeo da Primeira-Dama de São Tomé e Príncipe, durante a Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck 2026: https://apo-opa.co/3T6h8Z8

A 13ª Edição da Luminária África Ásia da Fundação Merck foi transmitida em directo nas redes sociais da Fundação Merck e da Senadora Dra. Rasha Kelej, CEO da Fundação Merck:

@Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4gzV2Ih), X (https://apo-opa.co/4pkLrr0), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4wO7yJ6), e YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4fChcZp).

@Rasha Kelej: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4fAkaxw), X (https://apo-opa.co/4flUq6U), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4gFWsAZ), e YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/44wlQ52).

A Fundação Merck está a transformar o cenário de atendimento ao paciente e fazer história junto com os seus parceiros em África, Ásia e noutros lugares, por meio de:

  • Mais de 2.600 bolsas de estudo concedidas pela Fundação Merck a profissionais de saúde de 52 países em mais de 44 especialidades médicas críticas e carenciadas.
    A Fundação Merck também está a promover uma mudança cultural e quebrar o silêncio sobre uma ampla gama de questões sociais e de saúde em África e em comunidades carenciadas por meio de:
  • Mais de 4.000 profissionais da mídia de mais de 35 países foram treinados pela Fundação Merck para conscientizar sobre diferentes questões sociais e de saúde.
  • 8 Prémios Diferentes são lançados anualmente para melhor cobertura da mídia, estilistas, filmes e músicas.
  • Cerca de 30 canções que abordam questões de saúde e sociais, interpretadas por cantores locais de toda a África.
  • 9 Livros de histórias infantis em quatro línguas: inglês, francês, português e swahíli.
  • 6 Filmes de animação de conscientização em cinco línguas – inglês, francês, português, espanhol e swahíli – para aumentar a conscientização sobre a prevenção e a detecção precoce da diabetes e da hipertensão e apoiar a educação de meninas.
  • Programa televisivo panafricano “Nossa África da Fundação Merck” que aborda questões sociais e de saúde em África através da comunidade “Moda e Arte com Propósito”.
  • Mais de 1.550 bolsas de estudo anuais concedidas a meninas africanas de 21 países, com cobertura de propinas mensais e outras despesas educacionais essenciais, permitindo que elas concluam os seus estudos e alcancem o seu pleno potencial.
  • 15 Canais de mídia social com mais de 9 milhões de seguidores.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Merck Foundation.

Contato:
Mehak Handa
Gerente do Programa de Conscientização Comunitária
Telefone: +91 9310087613 / +91 9319606669
Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

Junte-se à conversa nas plataformas das nossas mídias sociais e deixe a sua voz ser ouvida!
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/4gzV2Ih
X: https://apo-opa.co/4pkLrr0
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Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4wO7yJ6
Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4fgxTYT
Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/4fAkRXE
Website: wwww.Merck-Foundation.com
. Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/4ffhQe2

Sobre Fundação Merck:
A Fundação Merck, criada em 2017, é o braço filantrópico da Merck KGaA Alemanha e tem como objectivo melhorar a saúde e o bem-estar das pessoas e melhorar as suas vidas através da ciência e da tecnologia. Os nossos esforços estão focados principalmente em melhorar o acesso a soluções de saúde de qualidade e equitativas em comunidades carenciadas, desenvolver a capacidade de saúde e investigação científica, empoderar raparigas na educação e pessoas em STEM (Ciência, Tecnologia, Engenharia e Matemática), com um foco especial nas mulheres e nos jovens. Todos os comunicados de imprensa da Fundação Merck são distribuídos por e-mail ao mesmo tempo que são disponibilizados no site da Fundação Merck. Por favor, visite www.Merck-Foundation.com para ler mais. Siga a mídia social da Fundação Merck: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4gzV2Ih), X (https://apo-opa.co/4pkLrr0), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4wO7yJ6), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4fChcZp), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4fgxTYT) e Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4fAkRXE).

A Fundação Merck dedica-se a melhorar os resultados sociais e de saúde para as comunidades carenciadas. Embora colabore com vários parceiros, incluindo governos, para atingir os seus objectivos humanitários, a fundação mantém-se estritamente neutra em questões políticas. Não se envolve nem apoia qualquer actividade política, eleição ou regime, concentrando-se exclusivamente na sua missão de elevar a humanidade e melhorar o bem-estar, mantendo uma postura estritamente apolítica em todos os seus esforços.

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Journée Mondiale des Compétences des Jeunes : Les jeunes africains citent l’insuffisance de formation et le manque d’expérience professionnelle comme principaux obstacles à l’emploi des jeunes

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

D’après les récents résultats de l’enquête Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org), les jeunes africains considèrent le manque de formation adéquate et le manque d’expérience professionnelle comme les principaux obstacles à l’emploi des jeunes. 

D’après des enquêtes nationales représentatives menées dans 38 pays africains en 2024/2025, la création d’emplois est la priorité absolue des jeunes en matière d’investissement public pour les aider, suivie par l’éducation, la formation professionnelle, l’accès aux prêts aux entreprises et les services sociaux. 

Si on leur donnait le choix entre différents secteurs d’activité, la majorité des jeunes africains préféreraient créer leur propre entreprise plutôt que de travailler dans le secteur public, l’industrie ou le secteur à but non lucratif. 

Plus de la moitié des jeunes africains déclarent avoir au moins un peu envisagé d’émigrer dans un autre pays, principalement pour des raisons économiques. La recherche d’un emploi et de meilleures opportunités professionnelles ainsi que le désir d’échapper aux difficultés économiques et à la pauvreté figurent parmi les principaux facteurs qui motivent ce projet de départ. 

Résultats clés 

  • En moyenne, à travers 38 pays africains, au moins la moitié des jeunes (50% des 18-25 ans et 54% des 26-35 ans) expriment une préférence pour l’entrepreneuriat plutôt que pour le travail dans le secteur public (25%), le secteur privé (13%) ou les organisations non gouvernementales (6%) (Figure 1). 
     
  • Interrogés sur les principaux obstacles empêchant les jeunes d’accéder à l’emploi (outre la conjoncture économique générale et la rareté des emplois), les répondants de tous âges pointent principalement du doigt les lacunes structurelles en matière de compétences et de formation (Figure 2). 
    • Le manque de formation adéquate apparaît comme le principal obstacle, cité par environ un quart (26%-27%) des jeunes, suivi du manque d’expérience professionnelle (19%-20%). D’autres évoquent la réticence des jeunes à occuper certains emplois, comme ceux dans l’agriculture ou les emplois « difficiles » (14%-15%), l’inadéquation entre la formation et les besoins des employeurs (14%) et le manque de compétences entrepreneuriales et de motivation chez les jeunes (11%). 
  • Près de la moitié (48%) des jeunes africains estiment que le gouvernement devrait orienter les dépenses consacrées aux programmes jeunesse vers la création d’emplois. Des minorités moins importantes privilégieraient l’éducation (17%), la formation professionnelle (14%), les prêts aux entreprises (13%) et les services sociaux (8%) (Figure 3)
     
  • . Plus de la moitié (55%) des jeunes citoyens ont au moins « un peu » pensé à émigrer, dont plus de quatre sur 10 (43%) qui l’ont envisagé « quelque peu » ou « beaucoup » (Figure 4). 
    • Plus de six jeunes sur 10 ont envisagé l’émigration « quelque peu » ou « beaucoup » en La Gambie (67%), au Cabo-Verde (66%), au Libéria (66%), en Guinée-Bissau (65%) et au Ghana (63%). 
  • Les facteurs économiques sont les principales raisons qui motivent les jeunes à envisager l’émigration : La plupart citent la recherche de meilleures opportunités d’emploi (52%), la volonté d’échapper aux difficultés économiques (18%) et la pauvreté (9%) ou d’autres facteurs économiques (6%) (Figure 5). 

L’enquête Afrobarometer 

Afrobarometer est un réseau panafricain et non-partisan de recherche par sondage qui produit des données fiables sur les expériences et appréciations des Africains, relatives à la démocratie, à la gouvernance et à la qualité de vie. Dix rounds d’enquêtes ont été réalisés dans un maximum de 45 pays depuis 1999. Les enquêtes du Round 10 (2024/2025) couvrent 38 pays. Les Partenaires Nationaux d’Afrobarometer réalisent des entretiens en face à face dans la langue de choix du répondant avec des échantillons représentatifs au niveau national qui produisent des résultats nationaux avec des marges d’erreur de +/-2 à +/-3 points de pourcentage à un taux de confiance de 95%. 

Cette analyse portant sur 38 pays repose sur 50.961 entretiens. Les données sont pondérées afin de garantir des échantillons représentatifs au niveau national. Pour le calcul des moyennes internationales, tous les pays sont pondérés de manière égale (et non proportionnellement à leur population).

Distribué par APO Group pour Afrobarometer.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter : 
Hassana Diallo 
Chargé des communications d’Afrobarometer pour l’Afrique francophone 
Téléphone : +221 77 713 72 53 
Email : hdiallo@afrobarometer.org 
Visitez-nous sur www.Afrobarometer.org

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World Youth Skills Day: Young Africans cite inadequate training, lack of work experience as main barriers to youth employment

Source: APO

African youth identify inadequate training and a lack of required job experience as the leading barriers to youth employment, the latest Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org) survey findings reveal.

Based on nationally representative surveys in 38 African countries in 2024/2025, job creation is young people’s top priority for greater government investment to help youth, followed by education, jobs training, access to business loans, and social services.

Given a choice of employment sectors, a majority of young Africans would prefer to start their own business rather than be employed in government, industry, or the nonprofit sector.

More than half of young Africans say they have given at least “a little bit” of thought to moving to another country to live, mostly for economic reasons. Young citizens mention finding work, pursuing better business opportunities, escaping economic hardship or poverty, and other economic factors as primary considerations for thinking about moving abroad.

Key findings

  • On average across 38 African countries, at least half of youth (50% of 18- to 25-year-olds and 54% of 26- to 35-year-olds) express a preference for entrepreneurship over working in the public sector (25%), the private sector (13%), or for nongovernmental organisations (6%) (Figure 1).
     
  • When asked about the main barriers preventing young people from accessing employment (aside from general economic conditions and job scarcity), respondents of all ages point primarily to structural gaps in skills and training (Figure 2).
    • Lack of adequate training emerges as the top barrier, cited by about one-quarter (26%-27%) of young respondents, followed by lack of work experience (19%-20%). Others point to youth unwillingness to work certain jobs, such as those in agriculture or “difficult” jobs (14%-15%), a skills mismatch between training and employers’ needs (14%), and a lack of entrepreneurial skills and motivation among young people (11%).
       
  • Nearly half (48%) of young Africans say that the government should direct spending on youth programmes toward job creation. Smaller minorities would prioritise education (17%), jobs training (14%), business loans (13%), and social services (8%) (Figure 3).
     
  • More than half (55%) of young citizens have given at least “a little bit” of thought to moving to another country to live, including more than four in 10 (43%) who have considered it “somewhat” or “a lot” (Figure 4).
    • More than six in 10 young people have considered emigration “somewhat” or “a lot” in The Gambia (67%), Cabo Verde (66%), Liberia (66%), Guinea-Bissau (65%), and Ghana (63%).
  • Economic factors dominate as young people’s primary motivation for considering emigration: Most cite better job opportunities (52%), escaping economic hardship (18%), escaping poverty/destitution (9%), or other economic factors (6%) (Figure 5).

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Ten survey rounds in up to 45 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys cover 38 countries surveyed in 2024/2025. Afrobarometer’s National Partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

This 38-country analysis is based on 50,961 interviews. The data are weighted to ensure nationally representative samples. When reporting multi-country averages, all countries are weighted equally (rather than in proportion to population size).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afrobarometer.

For more information, please contact:
Asafika Mpako
Communications coordinator for Southern Africa
Email: ampako@afrobarometer.org
Telephone: +27 83 979 8299
Visit us online at www.Afrobarometer.org.

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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak response needs urgent scale-up after two months

Source: APO

  • The Ebola disease outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo continues to outpace response efforts.
  • In two months, this outbreak has become the third largest, and fastest growing, Ebola disease outbreak on record.
  • Expanded international support is urgently needed to ensure the response is adequately resourced.

Two months after the Ebola disease outbreak was officially declared in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there have more than 2,000 confirmed cases and 750 deaths. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for an urgent scale-up of the medical response. The epidemic continues to spread at an unprecedented pace and into new areas, while efforts to control it remain insufficient.

“Every delay costs lives. We are still chasing the outbreak instead of staying ahead of it,” says Trish Newport, MSF emergency programme manager. “More people become infected, more families lose loved ones, and the epidemic becomes harder to contain. We need stronger, more coordinated international action to move faster and improve access to both Ebola care and other essential health services.”

In just two months, the current Ebola disease outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has become the third largest, and the fastest growing, Ebola outbreak on record. In less than five weeks, the number of confirmed cases has tripled, from 650 to nearly 2,000 as of 12 July.

The number of deaths has increased more than fivefold, from 130 to over 700. The epidemic has already exceeded half the number of cases recorded during DRC’s 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, which lasted almost two years.

The situation is particularly alarming, as the outbreak continues to expand geographically. Limited access to medical care, an overstretched surveillance system, and increasing pressure on treatment centres mean that entire communities outside of major urban areas remain without adequate support.

MSF is calling on health authorities and humanitarian organisations to swiftly increase resources across all aspects of the Ebola response, including community engagement, surveillance, testing and diagnosis, patient care, survivor support, and the safe and dignified management of bodies and burials. This must be done while ensuring that other urgent health needs are also addressed.

Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, accounts for approximately 90 per cent of all confirmed cases. 

“In Mongbwalu [in Ituri], we are seeing the deadly human consequences of these gaps every day,” says Ayokunnu Raji, doctor and MSF medical program manager. “At the ebola treatment centre, we continue to see patients arriving in critical condition, little chance of survival.” 

“Since MSF started its Ebola response activities, we have treated 57 survivors, but more than 110 patients have died,” says Raji. “Increased national and international resources would help prevent further transmission and loss of life.”

​​“In Bunia, the 90-bed Elikiya Ebola treatment centre is almost always operating at full capacity. People regularly tell us they prefer to wait at home and come only when a bed becomes available,” says Sylvie Kaczmarczyk, MSF emergency coordinator in Bunia. “As a result, we continue to receive patients who arrive late and are already critically ill.”

“It is devastating to know that many of these deaths could have been prevented through earlier diagnosis and timely access to care and treatment,” says Kaczmarczyk.

Bringing the response closer to communities

While other medical organisations are working alongside the Ministry of Health in eastern DRC, significant gaps remain. 

DRC’s surveillance system is designed to detect cases early through strong community networks and the local health system. However, the current Ebola disease outbreak, combined with multiple other disease threats, has pushed the system to its limits. 

The key to slowing and ultimately stopping the spread of the epidemic is to bring the response closer to communities while boosting the medical response and surveillance system, so that cases can be identified and isolated as early as possible. Efforts to expand testing, contact tracing, and community engagement must also continue.

The authorities in DRC and other countries are applying movement restrictions, including border closures, self-monitoring requirements and measures affecting humanitarian personnel, that create additional challenges for placing and rotating specialised Ebola staff. 

MSF currently runs seven Ebola treatment centres and more than 15 isolation units across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo provinces, with a combined capacity of more than 430 beds. Since the beginning of the outbreak and up to 14 July, our teams had admitted more than 968 patients, including 357 confirmed cases.

We have also supported the recovery of 116 survivors, following treatment and care. In addition, MSF supports the Ministry of Health with surveillance and detection activities, community engagement, training, and efforts to ensure safe access to other essential healthcare services.

Ebola: a crisis amid multiple emergencies

The Ebola outbreak is unfolding in a context of armed conflict, displacement, and multiple concurrent health emergencies. Insecurity continues to restrict access to some communities, while MSF teams are simultaneously responding to other urgent medical needs, including cholera and malaria. The approaching rainy season is also expected to drive a surge in malaria cases, placing further strain on an already overstretched health system.

It is crucial to accelerate efforts to improve access to Ebola care while ensuring the provision of other basic humanitarian assistance, including healthcare and water and sanitation services. 

“We cannot continue responding to the epidemic with the same limited resources while it continues to outpace us,” says Newport. “Only a robust, adequately resourced medical response that truly reflects the scale of needs on the ground can prevent this outbreak from becoming a crisis beyond our ability to contain. To achieve that, expanded international support is urgently needed.​

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

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African SaaS Leader Becomes Seamless Technologies, Unveils Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Financial Solutions

Source: APO


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SeamlessHR (www.SeamlessHR.com), a leading African HR technology company, today announced its evolution into Seamless Technologies, a strategic transition driven by the company’s expansion into AI and financial services and its ambition to build a broader technology platform serving businesses and workers across Africa. 

Having established itself as a market leader in HR technology, Seamless Technologies is extending its capabilities beyond workforce management to address one of the continent’s most significant challenges: access to financial services. Working with partners, the company is enabling businesses and their employees to access financial solutions directly within the flow of work, creating new opportunities for financial inclusion, operational efficiency, and business growth.

Under the new corporate structure, Seamless Technologies operates through three core verticals: SeamlessHR, its flagship workforce management platform; Breeze, an embedded financial service that gives businesses and workers access to Employee Self-Service, financial solutions including payroll financing, earned wage access, and lifestyle services; and SeamlessProcure, a procurement solution designed to streamline enterprise purchasing and vendor management.

As part of this evolution, Seamless Technologies is expanding its workforce technology portfolio with the launch of BWOP (Blue Collar Operations Platform), a solution built for organisations managing frontline and shift-based workforces. Together with SeamlessHR’s existing platform for office-based teams, BWOP enables the company to support the full spectrum of workforce operations, helping businesses digitise attendance, payroll, workforce records, communication, and employee self-service regardless of where work happens.

Supporting these products is Samira, the company’s artificial intelligence layer, designed to help organisations and employees automate tasks, access insights, and interact more intelligently with technology across the Seamless ecosystem.

Commenting on the transition, Dr Emmanuel Okeleji, CEO and Co-Founder of Seamless Technologies, said, “This evolution reflects a much bigger opportunity than HR technology alone. As we looked at the challenges facing businesses and workers across Africa, it became clear that access to finance sits at the centre of economic participation and productivity. Our expansion into financial services is a natural extension of our mission, and Seamless Technologies gives us the platform to solve these challenges at a much larger scale.”

Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Deji Lana added, “The future belongs to platforms that connect people, work, and financial services in a seamless way. Through financial solutions, artificial intelligence, and our growing suite of products, we are building infrastructure that helps businesses operate more efficiently and enables workers to access more opportunities.”

Irfan Keshavjee, Chairman of the Advisory Board, said, “The transition to Seamless Technologies reflects the company’s maturity and ambition. Having built a leading position in HR technology, the business is now entering a much larger addressable market with the capabilities to create long-term value across multiple sectors.”

The transition provides a unified corporate identity designed to support product expansion and international market entry, while enabling individual product brands to maintain clear positioning and operational focus.

The move reflects the company’s long-term commitment to building technology infrastructure that supports productivity, access, and enables prosperity for working Africans. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of SeamlessHR.

About Seamless Technologies:
Seamless Technologies is a technology platform company building infrastructure for work, finance, and empowering working Africans.

The company operates through four business verticals: SeamlessHR, BWOP (Blue Collar Operations Platform) for frontline workforces, SeamlessProcure, and Breeze, supported by Samira, its artificial intelligence layer. Together, these solutions help organisations and individuals manage work, access financial services, streamline operations, and navigate everyday life more seamlessly.

Serving more than 1,500 medium and large organisations across multiple markets, Seamless Technologies helps businesses manage people, access financial services, streamline operations, and improve productivity through a connected technology ecosystem.

Headquartered in Nigeria with operations in Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya, Seamless Technologies continues to expand its presence across the continent while building solutions designed for the realities of the African market.

The company has raised over $20 million in funding to accelerate innovation across its platform and advance its mission of expanding access, improving efficiency, and creating economic opportunity for businesses and workers across Africa.

Government Considers Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Recruitment For Skilled Ugandans Repatriated From South Africa

Source: APO


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The Government of Uganda is considering recruiting skilled Ugandans recently repatriated from South Africa into the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) as part of wider efforts to reintegrate them into the country’s workforce and harness their expertise for national development.

​The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, said he would engage the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on the possibility of recruiting qualified returnees who have expressed interest in serving in the military.

Lt. Gen. Tumukunde made the remarks on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, while delivering a lecture on employment and reintegration opportunities to more than 1,000 returnees currently undergoing rehabilitation and ideological orientation at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi.

During the interactive session, many of the returnees expressed a desire to join the UPDF, citing their professional experience in driving, forensic investigations, machine operation, and other technical fields.

“We have many of them who are drivers, and I think the army wouldn’t mind having professional drivers. We shall discuss with General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has been very helpful in bringing these people back, to see whether we can absorb some of them directly because they are very skilled,” Lt. Gen. Tumukunde said.

He noted that many of the returnees had worked as Uber drivers and in other specialised occupations in South Africa, making them a valuable human resource for Uganda.

According to the minister, the 1,030 Ugandans currently undergoing the re-entry programme at Kyankwanzi, including 331 children, represent a significant pool of skills acquired while living and working abroad.

“I must say that this is a very big pool of skilled people, ranging from plumbers, refrigeration and cooling systems technicians, dog handlers and trainers, machine operators, and many other professions,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Tumukunde said the government had initially anticipated challenges in reintegrating the returnees but had instead found a disciplined, resilient, and highly skilled group capable of making meaningful contributions to the country’s socio-economic transformation.

“I came here worried that we were going to receive people who would struggle to fit into our society, but I am extremely impressed. Despite what we are calling a bad experience, Uganda is receiving back people with valuable skills,” he said.

He added that the government intends to identify highly skilled individuals and facilitate their involvement in training fellow Ugandans, while supporting others to establish businesses through existing government empowerment programmes.

“We shall ensure that those who are highly skilled are supported to teach others. Those who want to start businesses will receive assistance, and we are also organising them into a pool of skilled workers so that Ugandans can easily access their services,” he said.

The minister highlighted several government initiatives that will support the returnees, including the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project, the Youth Livelihood Programme, and Emyooga.

He also urged the returnees to remain law-abiding citizens as they reintegrate into society.

“I warned them about lawlessness because South Africa has developed tendencies towards lawlessness. That is not something we are going to accommodate here,” Lt. Gen. Tumukunde said.

Expressing optimism about Uganda’s capacity to receive more citizens returning home, he said the government remains committed to welcoming all Ugandans who choose to return.

“Enjovu teremererwa masanga gaayo’ (An elephant is never burdened by its own tusks). We shall receive them. They are in a very good mood, very impressive, and they will receive certificates after completing this re-entry course,” he added.

The minister further observed that although reports indicate that about one million Ugandans are living in South Africa, only about 1,000 have so far returned under the first phase of the voluntary repatriation exercise.

“We need to be even more receptive to their return,” he said.

Speaking on Africa’s future, Lt. Gen. Tumukunde emphasised that the continent’s development must remain the responsibility of Africans.

“Either way, the business of developing Africa is ours,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the NRM Chapter in South Africa, Mr. Luzige Isma, appealed to Ugandans still living in South Africa who wish to return home to remain calm and patient as the government prepares subsequent phases of the voluntary repatriation programme.

He urged them to stay safe and continue following official communication from the Government of Uganda.

The rehabilitation and ideological orientation programme at NALI Kyankwanzi is being coordinated by the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps under the leadership of Commissioner Hellen Seku.

The day’s programme also featured presentations by the Executive Director of the Uganda Media Centre, Mr. Alan Kasujja, and the Uganda Police Force spokesperson, ACP Kituuma Rusoke, who guided the returnees on responsible citizenship, personal security, crime prevention, and the responsible use of social media as they prepare to reintegrate into Ugandan society.

The returnees are expected to complete the programme on Friday, July 17, 2026, during a pass-out ceremony to be presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who spearheaded the repatriation initiative following the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The programme is designed to provide ideological orientation, facilitate the returnees’ successful reintegration into Ugandan society, and connect them with government programmes that promote employment, skills development, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.

Sudan: “War economy” sustains conflict, United Nations (UN) report warns

Source: APO


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Sudan’s war economy is helping to sustain the three-year-long conflict, exposing global supply chains to serious human rights risks, a UN Human Rights Office report published on Wednesday warns. It calls on all parties to the conflict, and States and corporations involved in Sudan’s gum arabic value chain, to ensure compliance with international law.

As the costs of sustaining military operations have grown, warring parties have relied on the control and exploitation of territory, trade routes and commodities to generate revenue — contributing to what the report describes as an “increasingly self-perpetuating” conflict.

“Sudan’s vast wealth of natural resources should benefit its people. Distressingly, what we are seeing today is anything but that. In fact, this wealth is only serving to undermine human rights and drive conflict, bringing pain and suffering on an enormous scale,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

“This war economy must be disrupted, and the international community must pay much closer attention to the commodities and trade routes that help keep it alive.”

The report specifically examines the trade in gum arabic – a key ingredient in products such as soft drinks, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals – as a case study on the adverse human rights impacts of Sudan’s war economy. Although modest in export value compared with other commodities, gum arabic remains one of Sudan’s most internationally relied-upon exports, accounting for roughly 70 to 80 per cent of global crude gum arabic exports before the war.

Gum arabic remains an important source of income for millions of Sudanese. Yet, the report finds that many individuals and families who depend on, or are linked to, the gum arabic trade have faced threats to their physical safety, arbitrary detention, looting and extortion, including through actions by parties to the conflict and associated actors.

Large-scale looting and conflict-related disruptions of the gum arabic value chain have also adversely affected the livelihoods and working conditions of individuals involved in it. In May 2025, for example, the Gum Arabic Exchange and its warehouses, as well as parts of the wider market in El-Nuhud, West Kordofan, were reportedly looted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when stocks were full and ready for export, severely disrupting local trade and affecting livelihoods linked to the sector.

Since the conflict began in 2023, Sudan’s gum arabic trade has been increasingly reshaped by territorial fragmentation, with some quantities from areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) moving toward Port Sudan for export, while significant quantities from areas controlled by the RSF have been redirected through cross-border smuggling routes to neighbouring countries.

The report points to the role of neighbouring and transit States in the onward movement of Sudanese gum arabic. It warns that Sudanese gum arabic may enter customs or commercial export channels and, in some cases, be treated, documented or traded as locally produced, making its origin difficult to verify.

The UN Human Rights Chief stressed that international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, provide a framework for action. He urged States and companies linked to trade in Sudanese commodities, including gum arabic, to take stronger action to ensure that trade and export practices do not contribute to adverse human rights impacts or to sustaining the conflict.

Türk called on States to strengthen accountability, traceability, regulatory oversight and access to remedy. He also urged companies to act in line with their responsibility to respect human rights.

“Companies cannot continue business as usual when sourcing from conflict-affected value chains,” Türk said. “They should undertake heightened, conflict-sensitive human rights due diligence, including stronger scrutiny of routes, intermediaries, documentation and possible re-labelling, and ensure that affected people have access to safe and effective grievance and response mechanisms.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

SRCC Ambassador Diene congratulates Somalia on Somali Youth Day

Source: APO


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The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, has congratulated the people and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) on the commemoration of the 83rd anniversary of the Somali Youth League (SYL).

In his message marking Somali Youth Day commemorated annually on 15 May, Amb. Diene paid tribute to the Somali Youth League for its historic contribution to the country’s struggle for independence and nation-building.

“The Somali Youth League played a defining role in Somalia’s journey to independence, inspiring generations through its courage, patriotism and commitment to unity,” he said.

The SRCC also commended Somali youth for their continued contribution to peacebuilding, reconciliation, stability and national development, describing them as a driving force behind Somalia’s progress and future aspirations.

“Somali youth continues to demonstrate resilience, innovation and determination in advancing peace and development across the country. Their role remains crucial in shaping a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Somalia,” Amb. Diene noted, urging the youth to continue promoting dialogue, unity and positive change as Somalia advances on its path towards lasting stability and prosperity.

He reaffirmed AUSSOM’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at empowering young people and strengthening their participation in governance, peace and development processes.

Somalia commemorates Somali Youth Day every year on 15 May in honour of the founding of the Somali Youth League, the country’s first political party, which played a central role in the struggle for independence during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

In Search of Unstoppable Africans, Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) Invites Nominations from Across the Continent

Source: APO

The search is on for “Unstoppable Africans”. The Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (www.GABI.UNGlobalImpact.org) has opened nominations for a new community-led campaign to recognize and celebrate entrepreneurs, business leaders and changemakers whose ideas, leadership and actions are driving Africa’s economic transformation.

This global call to action leads into Unstoppable Africa 2026, GABI’s flagship event in New York from 20–21 September, co-convened by the United Nations and African Union and organized by the UN Global Compact.

Building on the momentum of the four previous Unstoppable Africa convenings, the campaign aims to recognize the business people whose work reflects the innovation, resilience and leadership driving Africa’s growth today.  An Unstoppable African is someone whose vision, courage, or actions are rewriting what is possible in their community, industry, country or continent. GABI is calling on people everywhere to propose business leaders who are driving meaningful change and influencing Africa’s present and future.

The campaign will spotlight changemakers across five areas: Energy, Digital Transformation, Trade, Creative Industries and Sports. The Energy category honours leaders driving Africa’s move to sustainable, reliable and affordable energy solutions. Digital Transformation celebrates those advancing Africa’s digital economy through technology, innovation and digital infrastructure. Trade recognises individuals creating economic opportunity, strengthening regional trade and helping African businesses grow. The Creative Industries celebrates those building sustainable businesses across film, music, fashion, art and design while strengthening Africa’s creative economy. Sports recognises athletes, investors, administrators and innovators using sports to create jobs, grow industries and unlock economic opportunity across the continent.

Through #UnstoppableAfricans, GABI is creating a global platform to amplify the people whose leadership and ideas are helping shape Africa’s future but whose stories are not always widely recognised.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, highlighted the spirit of the initiative: “With 12 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies in Africa, the continent’s contribution to business, trade and investment continues to grow. Every day, African entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders are shaping industries, driving markets and strengthening economies. Through the Unstoppable Africans campaign, we want to recognize these changemakers, celebrate their achievements and provide a global platform to share their stories. We encourage people across Africa and around the world to nominate the individuals whose work deserves to be seen and recognized.”

How to Nominate

  • Opening date: July 15, 2026
  • Closing date: September 9, 2026
  • Who can nominate: Anyone may nominate themselves or someone else whose ideas, leadership or work are driving business, investment, innovation or economic opportunity across one or more of the campaign’s five focus areas.
  • Complete the nomination form here: Nominate your Unstoppable African (https://apo-opa.co/4bM3CAj)

Following the close of nominations, GABI will identify five changemakers, one from each focus area, to be featured in the #UnstoppableAfricans storytelling series ahead of Unstoppable Africa 2026. Their stories will be shared with a global audience of business leaders, investors, policymakers and partners, showcasing the people helping shape Africa’s future. Under the theme: ‘Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future’, Unstoppable Africa, GABI’s flagship event, will take place at the Marriott Marquis in New York on Sunday and Monday September 20-21.  

For a chance to attend the Unstoppable Africa 2026 event in person in September, please register here: https://events.unglobalcompact.org/unstoppableafrica26/rta (https://apo-opa.co/4gFdQ8Z).

Follow the latest developments at www.GABI.UNGlobalImpact.org and (136) Unstoppable Africa — YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4wBAeF4)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Global Africa Business Initiative.

Media Enquiries: 
Ekene Nwakonobi
Ekene.Nwakonobi@apo-opa.com
 
Tel: +(234) 90 2130 8781

Journalists wishing to cover Unstoppable Africa 2026 can apply for media accreditation here – https://apo-opa.com/unstoppable-africa-2026/

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