MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO – Report:

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In a landmark moment for public health and environmental stewardship, AU-IBAR and Africa CDC have jointly launched two pivotal strategies: the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prevention and Control Strategy (2025–2030) and the Africa CDC Strategic Framework on Climate Change and Health (2025–2029). These frameworks mark a unified, cross-sectoral approach to tackling the interlinked challenges of zoonotic disease and climate change on the continent.

Speaking at the launch in Addis Ababa, Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, urged stakeholders to move from intention to implementation:

“Let us move beyond declarations—now is the time for united, cross-sectoral action. I call on all stakeholders to embrace the One Health Strategy as a continental imperative. Together, we must forge a new era of health security, where animal, human, and environmental health are protected as one. Africa’s resilience depends on it, and our future demands it.”

The strategies were developed through a collaborative, evidence-based process engaging Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical partners, and civil society. The goal is clear: to build a resilient Africa that manages risks proactively rather than reactively.

The Deputy Director General of Africa CDC emphasized that the time for talk is over:

“These frameworks are more than strategy documents; they are Africa’s collective commitment to protecting our people, our ecosystems, and our future. We must move from rhetoric to results. The time to act is now, and the responsibility rests with all of us.”

Adding to the sense of urgency, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health reminded participants of the interconnectedness of Africa’s well-being:

“Our health, ecosystems, and economies are deeply intertwined. We cannot protect one without investing in all. This is a call for action, not another declaration.”

With over 75% of emerging human diseases originating from animals, and climate change exacerbating health risks, the new strategies offer a roadmap to strengthen surveillance, improve early warning systems, and integrate public, animal, and environmental health responses.

These frameworks serve as a rallying cry to governments, RECs, donors, research institutions, and civil society organizations to come together under a shared vision. As the continent faces an increasingly uncertain health landscape, these strategies offer not just guidance, but hope—and demand decisive, coordinated action.

– on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Xola Nqola, welcomed the sentence of long-term imprisonment for the man who was found guilty of murdering ANCYL secretary-general Mr Sindiso Magaqa, a former ANC Youth League Secretary-General and dedicated public servant.

Mr Nqola said the conviction and the 25-year sentence mark a significant moment for the rule of law in South Africa and reinforces our collective belief that justice must be served — regardless of time, influence or status.

Mr Ncengwa admitted that he was one of a group of men who were paid R120 000 to kill Mr Magaqa in 2017. Mr Ncengwa also implicated in the crime former city manager of the Umzimkhulu municipality Mr Zweliphansi Skhosana; the ex-mayor, Mr Mluleki Ndobe, who has since passed on, and former journalist and eThekwini municipality communications manager Mr Mdu Ncalane.

Mr Magaqa was a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and integrity in public service. His untimely death was not only a loss to his family and community but to the nation.

Mr Nqola said the committee commends the investigative and prosecutorial teams for their persistence in pursuing this complex case and hopes that this outcome brings some measure of closure to Mr Magaqa’s loved ones.

“We urge continued support for law enforcement and the judiciary in their efforts to address politically motivated crimes and protect all who serve the public. South Africa’s democracy depends on the assurance that no one is above the law,” Mr Nqola said.

– on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO – Report:

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The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) today issued its findings on Afghanistan, Botswana, Chad, Fiji, Ireland, Mexico, San Marino, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Tuvalu, after reviewing these States parties.

The findings contain positive aspects of each country’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations. Some of the key issues include:

On Afghanistan, the Committee expressed profound concern at the institutionalized torture and ill-treatment of women, particularly on accusations of adultery, and the continued exclusion of girls from formal education. The Committee heard that some 78% of young women are now out of education, employment, or training, leading to increased child marriage, labour exploitation and poverty. It urged the de facto authorities to revoke the March 2024 decree allowing for women to be beaten or sentenced to death by stoning, abolish all corporal punishment and lift all education bans.

On Botswana, the Committee was concerned about continued discriminatory sociocultural norms which reinforce male dominance and gender-based violence against women and girls. It recommended expanding dialogue between the government and traditional, religious, and private sector leaders on a national strategy to promote gender equality and eliminate patriarchal attitudes, and to criminalize sexual violence as well as improve support services for survivors.

On Chad, the Committee noted that the country registered 1.8 million displaced or stateless people and 1.2 million as refugees in 2024 alone and commends its adoption of an asylum law granting equal rights to education, healthcare and social protection to refugees as to Chadian citizens. However, the Committee expressed concern that in practice. these groups have limited access to basic services and face intersecting forms of discrimination. It called on the authorities to address them.

On Fiji, the Committee welcomed the adoption of laws and policies against gender-based violence but noted with concern its high prevalence and the continued judicial practice of referring to survivors’ prior sexual history during rape trials. It also expressed concern that Fijian women remain underrepresented in decision-making positions, urging among others the introduction of targeted measures to increase their representation.

On Ireland, the Committee noted with regret that a proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine gender-neutral language about care within families was defeated in a referendum last year, and recommended that the State party, among other steps, undertake inclusive public consultations to find alternative wording, with a view to holding another referendum on the matter, so as to eliminate from the constitution stereotypical language on the role of women in the home.

On Mexico, the Committee hailed the elevation of the National Institute for Women to a ministerial-level secretariat. It also expressed concern that the madres buscadoras (searching mothers) are still subjected violence and discrimination. It recommended effective and sustainable investment in women’s rights and gender equality programmes, and formal recognition of the “buscadoras” as a special category of human rights defenders.

On San Marino, the Committee noted with concern that judges, lawyers, and the general public, including women, have limited awareness of the Convention and urged the authorities to take measures to make it widely known. It also noted with concern the lack of disaggregated data in key areas, including gender-based violence against women, and urged the State party to address the gap in gender data collection.

On the Solomon Islands, the Committee acknowledged progress made in implementing the affirmative action strategy but noted with concern that comprehensive temporary special measures to accelerate substantive equality of women and men have yet to be adopted. The Committee State urged the government to take all necessary measures to eradicate intra-family sexual abuse against women and girls and repeal the criminalization of victims of incest over the age of 15.

On Thailand, the Committee expressed concern that women and girls continue to be subjected to online gender-based violence, and called on the authorities to investigate and prosecute any such acts, to adopt policies to combat increasing misogyny online and offline and to exercise due diligence in creating a culture of respect for women and promote gender equality in the private sector, particularly in the innovation economy.

On Tuvalu, the Committee acknowledged the existential threat posed by climate change to Tuvalu’s people, territory and culture, and its disproportionate impact on women and girls. It urged the State party to take measures to prioritize constitutional protections for women and girls over traditional norms and customs.

The above findings, officially named Concluding Observations, are now available online on the session page.

– on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO

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Mr. Babacar Sedikh Faye has been appointed as the World Bank Group (WBG) Country Manager for Burundi, effective July 1, 2025. His appointment is part of a global initiative by the World Bank Group aimed at unifying and strengthening its representation at the country level. Mr. Faye will be responsible for the operations of all the institutions in Burundi, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

“It is an honor to represent the World Bank Group in Burundi and to continue strengthening our partnership with the country. The World Bank Group’s interventions have seen significant growth and notable impact in recent years. Our goal is to continue this growth, with more efficiency and innovation, to better support the country in its efforts to improve the living conditions of Burundians and reduce inequalities,” said Babacar Sedikh Faye, World Bank Group Country Manager for Burundi.

Mr. Faye arrives at a time when the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) is being prepared with Burundi for the next six years. The new CPF is the strategic framework that allows the WBG to better align its interventions with Burundi’s development priorities. “The CPF is an opportunity for the World Bank Group to better integrate the interventions of all its institutions to support the government in achieving the ambitions defined in its plan titled ‘Vision Burundi: Emerging Country by 2040 and Developed Country by 2060’. The WBG is also convinced that this will require sustained support for the emergence of a dynamic private sector that drives inclusive and sustainable growth,” noted Mr. Faye.

A Senegalese national, Mr. Faye joined the World Bank Group in 2006 as a legal advisor, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has since worked in a dozen countries and held various positions of responsibility within the IFC, which focuses on the private sector in emerging countries. Mr. Faye has notably been the Resident Representative of the IFC in Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.