Summit: Combined efforts to fight terrorism highlighted

Addis Ababa - African ministers of Defence, Protection and Security on Friday stressed the need for the Member States of the continental organisation to 6 and combine efforts to prevent and combat the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

The request came at end of the Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government.

The participants urged the Member States to support the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) to provide financial and material resources.

They concluded that it was necessary to review the African Standby Force (FAEA) concept and the Memorandum of Understanding between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.

Also they spoke of the method to set up the Special Unit against Terrorism to contribute to the completion of the FAEA Work Plan for 2021-2025.

Participants expressed their solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in its efforts to address the issue of terrorism and violent extremism on its territory.

The participants reiterated the call to Member States regarding ratification of the AU Convention on Border Cooperation (2014 Niamey Convention).

They expressed expectation with the outcome of the summit, to be held on the 28th of this month, in Malabo, on the initiative of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço.

Angola was represented at the meeting by a delegation headed by the Minister of Defence and Veterans of the Homeland, General João Ernesto dos Santos “Liberdade”.

Also joined the Angolan delegation the Secretary of State for the Interior José Bamóquina Zau, the Chief of the Military Intelligence and Security Services (SISM) General João Pereira Massano, the General Director of the External Intelligence Services General José Higino de Sousa “Zé Grande”, and the Second Commander of the National Police Chief Commissioner António Pedro Joaquim “Kandela”.

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UN General Assembly President pleased with his stay in Angola

Luanda - President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid expressed his satisfaction at the warm welcome the President João Lourenço extended to him.

The appreciation is expressed on his Twitter page, shortly  after he left Luanda, at the end of an official four-day visit to Angola.

The diplomat also thanked the minister of Angolan Foreign Affairs, Téte António, for the invitation and for having him.

During his stay in Angola, the President of the United Nations General Assembly was received by President João Lourenço, in addition to other meetings with top government officials.

Abdulla Shahid also visited the province of Cunene, where he saw the functioning of the Cafu channel, the river's water transfer system.

The UN official also got in touch with Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy, where he interacted with young students on the issues related to peace and security, climate change and the United Nations reform.

Covid-19: Angola reports no death for 70 days

Luanda - The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, said Saturday in Luanda that Angola has not registered any death by Covid-19 for more than 70 days.

Silvia Lutucuta made the announcement during the update of the measures for prevention and fight against Covid-19, stating that in the last 24 hours five new cases were registered, all of them in Luanda, two males and three females, with ages between 30 and 58 years old.

So far, Angola has a register of 99,481 positive cases, of which 97,507 have been recovered, 1,900 have died and 74 are active.

Of the active cases, nine symptomatic patients are hospitalised and the rest receive home monitoring.

She said that the country had so far processed 1,594,848 samples by RTP-CR, with an average positivity rate of 6.2 percent.

The transmissibility rate had a relative increase in the last two weeks, from 0.74 to 1.88 per cent.

According to the minister, despite the reduction in cases and the non-recording of deaths, the health authorities are continuing to carry out epidemiological and laboratory surveillance at air, land and river entries and exits, with containment and testing measures.

Vaccination

On the other hand, she made it known that 18.8 million people have already been vaccinated, of which 12.3 million people received the first dose and 6.5 million individuals had the complete vaccination with two doses.