MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

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The annual festival of the Eritrean Community in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was conducted with patriotic zeal from 9 to 15 November.

The festival, which was officially opened by Mr. Abdurahman Osman, Eritrea’s Consul General in Jeddah, featured photo and video presentations, traditional and cultural displays of Eritrea’s ethnic groups, bazaars showcasing products of Eritrean families and artifacts, as well as cultural and artistic performances and sports competitions in which youth of various ages took part.

At the event, Mr. Estifanos Habtemariam, Director General of the Desks Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave an extensive briefing on the objective situation in the homeland, regional and global developments, as well as the role of nationals in national affairs.

Commending the contribution of Diaspora nationals to national development programs, Mr. Estifanos urged nationals to strengthen their organizational capacity, awareness, and unity.

The participants, for their part, noting that their thoughts are always with their people, Government, and Defense Forces, expressed conviction to strengthen their participation and contribution to national affairs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

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The ECOWAS Commission, through its Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, has finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in Nouakchott on 14 November 2025. The agreement aims to support the harmonisation and enhancement of statistical systems across West and Central Africa.

As part of the World Bank–funded Project for the Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA), the agreement will support Mauritania’s participation in statistical harmonisation activities undertaken by ECOWAS. It will also provide technical assistance and opportunities for knowledge and experience sharing.

The technical experts from the ECOWAS Commission and Mauritania’s Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Analyse Démographique et Économique (ANSADE) reviewed key areas of cooperation and Mauritania’s participation in the regional activities of the HISWACA project, aiming to deepen mutual understanding and identify concrete avenues for collaboration. All articles of the MoU have been agreed upon by both ECOWAS and ANSADE, with the signing ceremony scheduled to take place at a later date to be announced.

Dr. Kalilou Sylla, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture at the ECOWAS Commission, held a series of meetings with government authorities and development partners in Nouakchott to advance cooperation on the implementation of the MoU. He met with Mr. Mohamed El Moctar Ahmed Sidi, Director General of ANSADE; Mr. Yeslem Hamdane, Chargé de Mission at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development; Mr. Jean Senahoun, FAO Representative in Mauritania; and H.E. Joaquin Tasso Villalonga, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Mauritania. Earlier, the ECOWAS delegation also met with Mr. Ibou Diouf, Resident Representative of the World Bank in Mauritania.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

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The Energy & Mines Directorate is holding a National Experts Meeting to finalize the review of the Draft Revised ECOWAS Mineral Development Policy and its Implementation Matrix (Revised EMDP, 2024), in Lagos, Nigeria from the 10th to 15th of November 2025. The meeting brings together senior officers from ECOWAS Members States’ Ministries in-charge of Mineral Resources Development, ECOWAS Federation of Chamber of Mines (EFEDCOM), and staff of the Commission.

This is the 3rd National Experts Review Meeting is organized on the Draft Revised EMDP, 2024. It is recalled that the Authority of Heads of State and Government in February 2012, adopted the “ECOWAS Mineral Development Policy and its Implementation Plan” (EMDP, by Supplementary Act A/SP.16/02/12). The adoption of the EMDP of 2012 was to give effect to Article 31.1 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty of 1993, which is on Natural Resources. It enjoins Member States to harmonize and co-ordinate their policies and programmes in the field of natural resources. The Revised ECOWAS Treaty further states in Article 31.2d that, Member States shall “coordinate their programmes for development and utilization of mineral and water resources”.

Given the sector’s dynamic operating factors, and the Policy having subsisted for over twelve (12) years after its adoption, ECOWAS Commission decided that it is essential to bring Member States together to review and/or update their consensus position on the key policy issues of currency, in the mineral sector. The main objective as stated in the Draft Revised EMDP, 2024 is to promote the development of an efficient Mineral Resources Sector in the region.

The meeting provides a unique opportunity for the national experts and policymakers to engage in in-depth discussions, exchange expertise, and refine the Draft Revised EMDP, 2024. The collective goal being to ensure that the revised policy framework aligns with ECOWAS Vision 2050, African Mining Vision, and global best practices, while also addressing the unique challenges and opportunities in the sector within the Community.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

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Applause, dust, and relief filled the air as the Abyei people gathered at Banton Bridge on River Kiir’s edge.  The bridge that linked families, markets, and UNISFA patrols had largely been broken and was in a state of disrepair for months, endangering the lives of commuters and hindering free movement. That danger that loomed over each crossing was removed in October.  The newly rebuild bridge, which once again connects Abyei’s center and southern villages, is the result of the tireless efforts of the Vietnamese Level-2 Engineering Company (VMECC-4), giving the area that has long been known for its resilience new hope and opportunities.

“With this bridge, we are honored to contribute to peace in Abyei in a lasting way,” said VMECC-4 Commander Lieutenant Colonel Trinh Van Cuong.  “Vietnamese peacekeepers worked to create peace, brick by brick, in addition to defending it.”

Considering the technical and environmental difficulties, the team accomplished the project in a remarkable seven days.  The engineers made sure the bridge was strong, secure, and ready to support the weight of trucks, traders, and dreams alike by rebuilding it piece by piece despite the rainy season and restricted access to resources.

Villagers gathered as the final bolts were tightened.  There was singing and dancing when the bridge was formally reopened.  The blue-helmet engineers stood proudly next to their work, and men, women, and children crossed, smiling and waving. Acting Chief Administration Justice Charles Abyei stated, “This bridge is more than infrastructure.”  “It represents cooperation and a common resolve.”

The day’s joy revealed a technical feat as well as a deeply human accomplishment. Before the newly rebuild bridge, the local community and UNISFA peacekeepers had to make the risky crossings or long detours to get to markets, health facilities, schools, and for family visits.

UNISFA’s Force Chief of Staff, Colonel Alexander De Lima, commended the Vietnamese engineers’ diligence and promptness: “Their dedication shows how engineering can directly strengthen security and stability. It’s about connection, between people, between communities, and between nations working together for peace.”

However, the engineers did more than just rebuild the bridge. VMECC-4 provided food and basic supplies to the local population in addition to their construction work; these small acts had profound significance in a place where empathy is just as important as concrete. The restoration of the Banton Bridge is a component of UNISFA’s overarching goal to promote peace through action.  In Abyei, where connectivity and mobility are vital to day-to-day existence, the Mission has sought to safeguard civilians, advance peace, and facilitate humanitarian access since its founding in 2011.

On the day of the reopening, the new bridge, a strong steel and stone ribbon that spans the bridge, shone in the last of the light as dusk approached.  On its surface, UNISFA peacekeepers stood guard, grinning, while children ran and elderly people walked cautiously.

All in all, the spirit of collaboration that shapes Abyei’s future is now carried by the bridge in addition to people and cars. One rebuilt connection at a time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance (IHLEG) has included the country platform for the “NWFE” program and the “Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing” in its recently issued report during the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil. The report sets a roadmap to increase climate investments in developing countries to reach $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

The IHLEG issued a comprehensive report on the external financing required by 2035 for developing countries to support climate investment needs. This was done at the request of the COP29 and COP30 presidencies to establish a roadmap for increasing climate finance through realistic solutions that integrate external financing with public finance from various countries.

The report emphasized that the “NWFE” country platform for Water, Food, and Energy projects, launched by Egypt in 2022, is the first explicitly multi-sectoral country platform linking investments across overlapping vital sectors. It noted that the platform was among those issued by other developing countries to align national strategies with international climate action priorities, citing Türkiye, Brazil, and Bangladesh.

The report underscored several lessons learned from the country platform for the “NWFE” program and the country platforms of a number of developing countries. It highlighted that their most significant feature is their multi-sectoral nature, along with national ownership, where these platforms must align with the country’s priorities, not the donors’, ensuring the sustainability of efforts and building trust.

In the same context, the report stressed the quality of projects as a main pillar that enhances credibility and contributes to attracting investments and accelerating implementation. It also mentioned that starting with a focused platform and gradually expanding as the country’s capabilities grow helps in gaining experience over time.

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, noted that despite three years passing since the launch of the “NWFE” country platform, it has become a model that international institutions advocate for replication in developing countries after its success in creating real integration and close coordination among the government, international institutions, and the private sector. This success has stimulated a just transition in the energy sector, as well as boosted climate action efforts in the water and food sectors. She pointed out that Türkiye, Bangladesh, and Brazil were inspired by the Egyptian model to build their national platforms, and the Ministry is working with other countries to transfer its expertise to initiate their platforms.

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat added that the platform has so far succeeded in mobilizing climate investments worth $4.5 billion to implement renewable energy projects with a capacity of 5.2 GW, while projects for which Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have been signed reached about 8.8 GW, out of a total target of 10 GW. She mentioned that this funding has been made available to the private sector, enabling the state to implement its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and enhance climate action. Furthermore, the platform encouraged innovative and blended finance, such as grants, debt swaps, private sector investments, and concessional financing.

The Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing

In the same context, the report addressed practices and principles for a just transition in developing countries, reaffirming that a just transition is a cornerstone of climate and development strategies, plans, and financing.

The “Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing” reinforces this approach by calling for the integration of equity in the design and direction of climate finance.

It is noteworthy that the Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing set 12 principles to foster climate finance and support the efforts of developing countries. This includes supporting the right of developing countries to development and industrialization through just pathways within the framework of the Paris Agreement, and ensuring consistency between global climate action goals and national development goals in both mitigation and adaptation.

The Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook also underscored supporting government efforts to create an enabling environment by providing finance, raising technical and institutional efficiency and capacities. This comes in line with achieving climate goals, ensuring the right of all countries to achieve development under the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, and including the concept of just financing in the structure of international climate finance and ensuring an implementation mechanism.

The government launched the country platform for the “NWFE” program—the nexus between Water, Food, and Energy projects—during the Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022, attended by a large gathering of development partners, international alliances working in the climate field, and the private sector. It also launched the “Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing” with the participation of think tanks, research centers, and international experts to reinforce guiding principles for stimulating climate investments.

– on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

Source: APO – Report:

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It gives me pleasure, in my capacity as the African Union Champion for the dossier of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), to announce the launch of the fifth edition of the African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Awareness Week. The event will extend from November 17 to 23, 2025, under the theme: “Rebuilding Lives After Conflict Through Reparative Justice”, with Cairo hosting the main functions of this year’s edition.

Our African continent is encountering a multitude of intertwined security and developmental challenges. Those include internal conflicts, the spread of terrorism, transnational crime, humanitarian crises, poverty, and declining education rates. This occurs concurrently with other emerging challenges, such as climate change and the use of advanced technology. The continent is also at the forefront of those affected by the surrounding international conditions, which are characterized by polarization and competition. This further perpetuates the fragile conditions and the security and developmental challenges in the continent, thus negatively impacting genuine African efforts toward the implementation of the African Union’s ambitious strategies and policies aimed at achieving stability, development, and prosperity for our African peoples, in line with Africa’s Development Agenda 2063.

Despite these challenges, our African continent is abundant with immense potential, resources, and a massive human capital wealth. It has made significant strides towards leveraging these assets to foster peace, security, and development in its nations.

It is now imperative to strengthen solidarity and adopt comprehensive approaches that address the root causes of the challenges facing the continent. At the heart of this must be Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) and the activation of the relevant updated African Union policy in post-conflict settings. This involves working to rehabilitate institutions, support national ownership of solutions, build the capacities of citizens and personnel, raise awareness of the risks of conflict, drive comprehensive development efforts, and engage all sectors of society, primarily youth and women, in all these endeavors, while striving to achieve justice for the victims of conflicts.

The convening of the Fifth Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in October 2025 embodied the Egyptian vision aimed at reinforcing the nexus between peace, security, and development, including efforts in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development.

In this context, I would like to commend the efforts of the African Union Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (AUC-PCRD) in Cairo for the programs and activities it has carried out over the past years in a number of African nations. Those are aimed at supporting their efforts toward stability and recovery from the effects of conflicts, building their national capacities, and raising awareness among their citizens. I look forward to the continuation and expansion of these efforts to realize the aspirations of the peoples of our cherished continent for enduring peace and security.

Finally, I must commend the efforts of the African Union Commission in supporting the implementation of reconstruction and peacebuilding activities across the continent. From the standpoint of my leadership of this agenda, I reaffirm my personal commitment to continue exerting every effort, in coordination with my fellow African leaders, the African Union Commission, regional stakeholders, and international partners, to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the continent’s peoples and to achieve the goals of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.