Kingdom of Ndongo Sovereigns Memorial construction announced

 Malanje- The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment announced Tuesday, in Malanje Province, the construction of the Memorial of the Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Ndongo and the requalification of the village of Muculu-a-Ngola, in the Municipality of Marimba.

The project foresees the construction of the tombs where the remains of King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Njinga a Mbande lie, in addition to 40 residences for members of the court, the King's palace, a primary school, a health unit and the requalification of other monuments and kingdom sites.

 

When presenting the project to the local community, the national director of Communities and Institutions of Traditional Power of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Albano Cufuna, said that the budget has already been approved and the start of works depends on the rehabilitation of the road that gives access to the locality, since it is in an advanced state of degradation.

 

Despite this, he guarantees that feasibility studies are already underway for the execution of the project, which aims to dignify the kingdom and guarantee better living conditions for local communities.

 

On his turn, the deputy governor of Malanje for the Political, Social and Economic sector, Domingos Eduardo, informed that, with the construction of the memorial and the requalification of the locality of Muculu-a-Ngola, the area will be transformed into an important of tourist attraction.

 

The official highlighted the historical and cultural role played by the sovereigns of the ancient kingdom of Ndongo, which is why the Angolan government has the duty to restructure the place and facilitate its access to the youth and beyond, in order to be in contact with history.

 

The Deputy National Director of the Institute for Tourism Development (INFOTUR), Agostinho Xavier, praised the initiative, as the province could register an increase in the frequency of tourists and consequently raise more revenue for the State.

 

Meanwhile, the sovereign of the Kingdom of Ndongo, King Buba Nvula Dala Mana “Cabombo”, expressed gratitude with the project, considering that it will give greater dignity to the kingdom.

Angola hosts world final of Global Management Challenge

 Luanda - Angola hosts in September, for the first time, the final of the 2022 international business management simulation contest, called Global Management Challenge.

The event will feature more than 30 groups from around the world, including the hosts.

The Global Management Challenge is a strategic management competition for managers and university students. Participants form teams of 5-8 members to allow the development of skills for managers, company staff, among others.

According to the director of operations at Soik Investments, João Pereira, representative of the organizers of the event, it is a great value for Angola to organize one of the biggest simulation competitions in the world.

João Pereira added that, for the 2023 contest, registrations were already taking place across the country, until 31 May of the current
year, stressing that young Angolans could access the website: www.gms.ao. to participate in this edition.

To participate, he continued, it is sufficient that the candidate has completed at least the first university year, in any course, and is 18 years of age.

He said that the objective for that year is to include young people from all over the country, in order to get rid of the idea that only
Luanda participates.

"We have the objective of reaching the whole country, with the broadening of the candidacies. We had the opportunity to take the competition to the provinces of Namibe, Benguela and Huíla. We also intend to reach Huambo", he stressed.

The winners for the 2023 edition will be announced on the 6th of July of the current year.

Launched in Portugal in 1980, the Global Management Challenge has become the largest international strategy and management competition,
achieving, over the years, an enormous success, becoming an event of
high notoriety and visibility.

In Angola by Soik investments since 2007, it contributes to the
training and development of management skills, for university
students, company staff and Angolan managers.

Angola hosts African swimming event

 Luanda - After the 2015 Edition, Angola will once again host the African Championship in zone VI in swimming, from 3 to 7 May, at the Alvalade swimming pool, in Luanda, said this Wednesday to ANGOP the president of the Angolan Federation of this sport, Joaquim Santos.

The event should count on the participation of more than 14 teams, namely, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, and Uganda complete the range of competitors, according to the interlocutor.

 

The competition that had been initially nominated for Madagascar, which ended up declining, was assigned to Malawi, which also appeared unavailable, so Angola received the task of organizing it, on appeal.

 

According to the federative programme, from the 3rd to the 6th of May the athletes compete in the pure swimming event (swimming pool), and on the 7th of the same month, the XIX Edition of the biggest event in the region ends with long distance events, in open waters, on the island of Luanda.

 

Swimmers Pedro Pinotes (individual) Salvador Gordo, Daniel Francisco, Marco Furtado, Silvério Manuel, Carlos Fernandes, Luyane Costa, Yusseni Furtado, Djamel Pires, Enzo Anjos and Yano Elias (1º de Agosto) were pre-summoned.

Also listed are Luciano Afonso (Onda Sport Club), Henrique Mascarenhas, Alex Fortes, Janel Tati, Rafael Bredel, José Cochofel, David Padre, Guilherme Sousa, Kenzo Monteiro, Santiago Guimarães (CNIL).

 

In females, the shortlist includes Lia Lima, Jasmine Lourenço, Aleksandra Zhukov, Stephanie Jurado, Inês Clemente, Nayara Carvalho, Beatriz Pedro, Kenenise Vongo, all from 1º de Agosto club.

 

Ana Nunes, Maria Freitas, N'Hara Fernandes, Rafaela Santos, Welwichia Silva, Inara Santos, Milena Lourenço, Nyriam Morais, Rhanya Santo, Chelsea Vunge, Wezza Morais, Wendy Morais (CNIL), Alexia Vieira (individual) and Nelma Janota (OSC) complete the group.

 

In the field of open water competition, the country will be represented by Guilherme Sousa, Kenzo Monteiro (CNIL), Marco Furtado, Silvério Manuel and Carlos Fernandes (1º Agosto).

 

In females, they include Nyriam Morais, Rhanya Santo, Wendy Morais, Wezza Morais and Chelsea Vunge (CNIL), Stephanie Jurado, Inês Clemente, Nayara Carvalho, Beatriz Pedro, Kenenise Vongo (1º de Agosto).

 

In the first event of its kind organized in the country, eight years ago, the National Team placed 3rd in the general classification, with 61 medals, 22 gold, 21 silver and 18 bronze.

President inaugurates 5th edition of Expo-Industry2023

 Luanda - Angolan President João Lourenço inaugurated Wednesday the 5th edition of “Expo-Indústria/2023”, an event to take place from March 29 March to April 1 at Luanda/Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE).

The event is expected to be attended by over 230 companies, a figure that is higher than the previous edition held in 2019, when it had a three-year interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The 5th edition of Expo-Industry/2023 will bring together, among various sectors, the manufacturing industry, engineering and construction, as well as food industry and agribusiness.

 

The aim of the event is for industries to increase employment and improve living conditions of the population and leverage new partnerships and businesses.

Ghana’s anti-gay bill modified, president says

 Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday said an anti-gay bill being debated in parliament has been “modified” following his government’s intervention.

Speaking during a joint news conference with the visiting US Vice-President Kamala Harris, Mr Akufo-Addo said the bill was not official government policy but rather had been put forward by a “handful” of private members.

He said the attorney general had submitted opinions to a parliamentary committee about “the constitutionality or otherwise of several of its provisions”.

“My understanding … is that substantial elements of the bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the attorney general,” he said without giving details.

President Akufo-Addo refused to say what he would do if the bill passed – and hoped the parliament would consider the sensitivity of the human rights aspect.

“We will see what the final outcome will be,” he added.

Ms Harris said she had addressed the issue with President Akufo-Addo and said the US considered it a matter of human rights.

If it becomes law, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill would imprison those that identify as LGBTQ and criminalise advocacy for gay rights,

Ghana’s parliament held public hearings on the bill starting in 2021. It is unclear when it will be put to a vote.

Gay sex is already punishable with up to three years in jail in Ghana, where homophobic attitudes are widespread, but the draft law would impose longer sentences.

Mr Akufo-Addo has previously spoken out against same-sex marriage, saying it would never be legalised while he is president.

Source: BBC

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LGBTQ+ Is A Human Rights Issue – Kamala Harris

 Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has spoken to the issue of the criminalisation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) activities in Ghana.

Responding to a question at Jubilee House, in Accra, on Monday, March 27, Kamala Harris said that for her, the LGBTQ+ issue was one that bordered on human rights.
She added that every person has the right to live as s/he wants.

“Let me be clear about where we stand. First of all, for the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the board including those related to the LGBT community.
“And I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting and fighting for equality among all people and that all people be treated equally.

“I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change,” she stressed.
President Akufo-Addo also had a bite at the subject during their joint press conference at the presidency. He spoke to the current anti-LGBTQ law before parliament and assured that government had through the Attorney General made significant input into the legislation.

He said that the anti-LGBT bill, which was championed by “only a hand full of MPs”, is currently being considered by Parliament.
Akufo-Addo added that even if the bill is passed, it will still have to be ratified by him.
The two leaders made these remarks while addressing the press after having bilateral talks at the Jubilee House as part of Kamala Harris’s 3-day visit to Ghana.

Source: ghanaweb.com

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Freed Hotel Rwanda hero Rusesabagina arrives in Qatar from Rwanda

 Rusesabagina was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years over ties to a group opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame that has an armed wing.

Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the film Hotel Rwanda about the 1994 genocide, has arrived in Qatar after being released from prison in Rwanda at the weekend, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Rusesabagina, a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years over his ties to a group opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame that has an armed wing.

He was released on Friday after his sentence was commuted following months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali.

Washington’s historically close ties with Rwanda have been strained by Rusesabagina’s detention and by US allegations, denied by Kigali, that Rwanda has sent troops into the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo and supports rebels there.

Rwanda has said Rusesabagina’s release is the result of a shared desire to reset the US-Rwanda relationship.

The 68-year-old former hotelier landed in Doha on Monday, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

He will return to the US from Doha, US officials have said.

Hotel Rwanda portrays Rusesabagina’s success in saving more than 1,000 people fleeing rampaging Hutus, including his family, during the genocide in 1994 by sheltering them in the besieged hotel he managed in Kigali.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Kenyan opposition leader Odinga says protests on despite police ban

 Odinga has called for indefinite twice-weekly protests, citing the high cost of living and accusing President Ruto of electoral malpractice.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga says protests against President William Ruto’s government over the high cost of living would go ahead as scheduled despite a police ban.

In a Twitter post, Odinga called for protests on Monday and Thursday, hours after accusing Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of “coordinating a campaign of mayhem” against the planned demonstrations.

Last week, protests in Nairobi and other cities turned violent, and one person was killed. Police arrested more than 200 people, including lawmakers belonging to Odinga’s One Kenya Coalition Party from both houses of parliament.

Kenya’s police chief on Sunday announced a ban on the protests called by Odinga, saying such acts remained illegal.

“We have been restraining ourselves. We cannot do that any more,” Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome told reporters at a media briefing. “We are ready as the police force to maintain peace.”

During last week’s protests, police used tear gas and water cannon, including at Odinga’s convoy. Nairobi’s central business district had a heavy police presence before Monday’s planned rallies.

Odinga, 78, has called for indefinite twice-weekly protests, citing the high cost of staples such as maize flour, which has kept inflation high. He also has accused Ruto of cheating in last year’s presidential election.

Ruto, who inherited a huge foreign debt and has scrapped fuel subsidies, said last week that the protests were hurting businesses and Kenya’s people.

Odinga, a former prime minister, has lost five elections in a row in his bid to be president. He challenged the most recent result before the Supreme Court, which upheld Ruto’s victory.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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Heavy police presence amid Kenya protests

 Kenya’s riot police are on the streets of the capital, Nairobi, in a bid to prevent protests called by the opposition over the high cost of living and alleged election malpractices.

There is also heavy police presence in Kibera and Mathare – the largest informal settlements in the city – where protesters are being blocked from moving into the city centre.

A car carrying local journalists in Kibera was attacked by a crowd and its occupants robbed at knife point, according to reports.

Shops have been closed in downtown Nairobi as business owners fear looting.

In the western city of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, tear gas has been fired to disperse crowds of protesters who were being led by their local governor.

Police have said they will take pictures of protesters and file charges against them for participating in illegal protests.

Source: BBC

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Key suspect in Ghana’s alleged coup plot dies

 Frederick Mac-Palm, one of the main suspects accused of attempting to overthrow the Ghanaian government in 2019 has died. Local media say he collapsed in his house on Saturday and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Mr Mac-Palm and two others were arrested in September 2019 for allegedly plotting to destabilise the country. He was the owner of the Citadel clinic where security officials reportedly seized several weapons, ammunition and explosive devices.

The three are among six other suspects who have been facing charges of treason since 2019.

They were accused of being part of a group known as the Take Action Ghana (TAG). The group, according to the prosecution, planned to organise a series of demonstrations and also attempted to overthrow the government.

Mr Mac-Palm is a native of Kpando in eastern Volta Region – where separatists have been agitating for secession from Ghana. He was released on court bail in 2020.

Source: BBC

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Actor Jonathan Majors Arrested In New York On Assault Charges

 The actor Jonathan Majors was arrested in New York City over the weekend on assault and harassment charges, leading to the U.S. Army pulling new advertisements featuring the “Creed III” star.

Majors, who recently presented an award at the Oscars alongside his “Creed III” co-star Michael B. Jordan, was arrested on Saturday morning in Manhattan following a domestic dispute, according to police and his defense lawyer.

A 30-year-old woman suffered minor injuries to her head and neck and was taken to a hospital in stable condition, the New York Police Department said. Majors, 33, appeared in court for an arraignment later on Saturday and was released without bail.

He was charged in a criminal complaint of striking the woman’s face with his open hand, causing a laceration behind her ear, and of grabbing her hand and neck, causing bruising.
Priya Chaudhry, Majors’ defense lawyer, said in a statement that Majors was innocent and that he was “provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.”

She said that the episode occurred in a vehicle, and that the driver who witnessed it would help exonerate Majors. She also said that the woman, who has not been publicly named, had provided two written statements “recanting these allegations.”

The U.S. Army said it was temporarily pulling new campaign advertisements featuring Majors.
“While Mr. Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete,” Laura DeFrancisco, a spokesperson for the Army Enterprise Marketing Office, said in a statement.

Majors rose to fame in the 2019 film “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” and appeared in Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” released this year.

Source: Reuters

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State Minister reiterates women's role in conflict resolution

 Luanda - The Minister of State and Head of the Military Affairs Office of the President of the Republic, Francisco Pereira Furtado, stressed this Monday the need for the increasing involvement of women in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

The retired general was speaking at the opening of the I Course on Defence and National Security from a Gender Perspective, taking place until March 31st, under the scope of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 of October 31st, 2000. 

 

The resolution 3125 on women, peace and security creates an international political basis that supports the promotion and defence of the transversal dimension of gender equality, allowing women to assume a prominent role during and after conflicts. 

 

General Francisco Furtado informed that there has been a growing awareness in the country about the importance of women's integration and participation in the various fields of National Defence, namely the Armed Forces. 

 

He also stressed that issues related to women, conflicts, peace, national and public security, as well as community and domestic violence have been deserving major attention.

 

In the current context of geopolitical change, the updating and consolidation of knowledge must be permanent and generalist, and concerns all citizens, including civilians who have a relevant role to play in the analysis of phenomena that are transversal to their comfort zone. 

 

To the Minister of State, the formative and informative actions must take a privileged place to mould behaviours and attitudes to face the complex scenarios that may present themselves.

 

He went on to say that the Angolan State has never left aside the participation of women, reserving for the female gender, since the beginning of the National Liberation Struggle, high positions in the various bodies that make up the Defence and National Security System. 

 

He referred that although the Military Service Law does not oblige the entrance of women, about four thousand women are part of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), and sixteen thousand are in the National Police, in general and commissary positions, superior and subordinate officers in the different specialties, and that the numbers tend to grow. 

 

Gen. Furtado  declared that women are fierce defenders of the preservation of peace, in the management and resolution of conflicts, because they are the ones who suffer the most under such circumstances.

 

He paid "humble homage" to Angolan women on the occasion of the month of March for being "brave, mysterious, intuitive, sensitive, virtuous, intelligent, delicate, graceful and wise beings”.

 

In an initiative of the National Defence Institute (NDI), the course is promoted in partnership with public institutions from Portugal and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). 

 

Themes on the agenda include "The Gender Issue in Defence and Security Organs", "The Perspective of Gender Participation in Peace Operations", "The Status of Women in Defence and Security Organs", and "The Inter-sector connection in National Security".

 

On the occasion, the secretary of State for National Defence, Former Combatants and Homeland Veterans, Domingos Tchikanha, informed that 767 auditors from all provinces and CPLP member countries are participating in the training programme, in zoom platform.

New international airport starts operation in 2023

 Luanda - The new Luanda Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport will start operating at the end of this year (2023), said on Monday the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

The new international airport takes an area of 1,324 hectares and will have capacity for 15 million passengers and a volume of goods of 50,000 tons per year. 

 

Speaking to journalists  at the end of  visit to the  international airport, the Head of State expressed his satisfaction with the physical progress of the works. 

 

"We will have the airport by the end of the year. We will unveil it", he said, without giving an exact date.

 

During the visit, João Lourenço met with members of the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), institution in charge of the construction work. 

 President Lourenço  said that until the inauguration date, the airport will be in conditions to serve passengers. 

 

João Lourenço reiterated that, in order to satisfy the movement of passengers, taking into account the potential of the new airport, negotiations are underway with the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, for the acquisition of new aircraft. 

 

"We are negotiating with Boeing. It is a negotiation that has been going on for some time and we want to believe that this time, yes, we will end up negotiating a new package of Boeing airplanes for long haul", he said.

 

During the guided tour, accompanied by members of the government, João Lourenço inspected the air navigation and airport management building, the regional and integrated control center, the passenger terminal, the boarding area, the commercial, check-in, vip, screening, baggage collection, domestic and regional landing areas, among others.

The new airport has two double runways and is sized to receive, among others, B747 and A380 aircraft, currently the largest commercial aircraft. 

 

The southern runway, the airport's largest, is 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, so, in June 2022 it received the first experimental flight of a Boeing 777 aircraft from the Angolan airline TAAG. 

 

President João Lourenço last visited the works of the new airport in December 2022.