Angola committed to Doha’s Action Programme

 Doha – Angolan Vice President, Esperança da Costa, said Sunday in Qatar that her country’s government is committed to the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.

Delivering her speech at the 5th Conference of the World’s Least Developed Countries, the Angolan stateswoman said her country’s government has implemented an ambitious Programme for the strengthening of social protection measures called "Kwenda", with cash transfers to roughly 600,000 families, expecting to reach 1,600,000 families by 2024.

 

Ms Costa informed that in the economic field several measures have been implemented that have enabled a resumption of the economic growth trend, as well as the launching of the Programme for Reconversion of the Informal Economy  to give work dignity to over 8 million Angolans in the informal sector with the potential for broadening tax and contribution base.

 

The official went on to say that measures have been implemented to combat corruption and impunity, with the aim to strengthen the rule of law and democracy.

 

The Vice-President said that despite the reforms implemented over the last five years, which enabled the country to create indispensable conditions for sustainable development, Angola has also recorded consecutive periods of economic recession along with negative effects of the current health crises and geopolitical tensions, which resulted in the deterioration of socio-economic indicators.

 

Esperança da Costa said the government was forced to review its development strategies for the next National Development Plan (2023-2027), prioritizing three fundamental areas, namely Development of Human Capital, aimed at increasing productivity, Expansion and Modernisation of Infrastructures to improve mobility, and the Diversification of the Economy, with a focus on food security.

According to Esperança da Costa, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the institutionalization of the LDC category, it must be recognised that important socio-economic challenges are still present in the agendas of the concerned countries.

 

"Additionally, some gains already acquired have been eroded by the challenges of the international environment, namely geopolitical tensions, climate change phenomena and health crises, which have impacted on the LDCs in achieving the SDGs, so resilience to external shocks has to be at the centre of our attention," the Angolan official stressed.

 

According to the Vice President, this is the sort of resilience that is mirrored in the Doha Programme of Action approved by the United Nations General Assembly for the 2022-2031 period.

 

Esperança da Costa added that this represents a generation of renewed and strengthened commitments by the LDCs and their development partners based on the global objectives to achieve a rapid, sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, eradicate extreme poverty, and strengthen labour markets and to promote the transition from informal to formal employment.

 

"We call on LDCs to be disruptive in their approaches towards ensuring macroeconomic stability, enhancing their productive capacities and better income sharing towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also for a smooth transition in the graduation process with the UN system", Ms Costa said.

 

Several individualities were in the plenary room of the Qatar National Convention Centre as well as different Heads of State and Government, representatives of international bodies and guests.

Angola wants to boost cooperation with Portugal

 Lisbon - Foreign minister Téte António on Monday reaffirmed Angola´s excellent relations with Portugal and expressed interest in increasing economic partnership.

Speaking to the press in Lisbon, at the end of a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart, João Gomes Cravinho, the Angolan Foreign minister said that the issue of mobility in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) region is a matter that continues to deserve the attention of the member states.

 

The head of the Angolan diplomacy highlighted the fact that the CPLP member states are engaged in improving citizens´ mobility from one country to another.

 

According to the minister, Angola chairs the CPLP and in the second half of the year it will hand over the portfolio to Sao Tome and Principe, and choose economic aspects as the theme of the presidency, ensuring that everything is being done for it to be further developed.

 

The Portuguese Foreign minister, João Gomes Cravinho, said that four members of the Portuguese government will travel to Luanda in the coming months to prepare for the visit of Prime Minister António Costa, scheduled for the first half of this year.

 

Téte António informed that there are several Portuguese ministers scheduled to travel to Luanda in the near future, noting, amongst others, the minister of Finance, the minister of Internal Administration, the minister of National Defence, as well as the minister of Economy and Innovation.

 

He added that the trips, which would take place over the next two months, are part of a visit to Angola by Portugal's Prime Minister, António Costa, and to prepare the mentioned trip, a commission made up of different ministers from both countries has been created.

 

On the issue of visas in Luanda for travel to Portugal, Gomes Cravinho admitted that there have been some difficulties due to the growing number of requests, which are mostly positively accepted.

 

The official said he is aware of the existence of a situation recorded in the last few months related to the significant increase in demand.

 

He noted that taking into account that there is an increase in demand, there is a feeling of difficulty, but the refusal rate is low, around 3%.

 

He added that this means that the vast majority of visa requests are granted, but people feel that the process takes too long.

 

Thus, he said, the Portuguese government decided to allocate more human resources to the Consulate General of Portugal in Angola and the VFS Global company, which does the initial screening of documentation.

 

As part of efforts to overcome this situation, he informed that the new Consulate General of Portugal in Angola was inaugurated in Luanda, with reinforced capacity.

 

During his stay in Portugal, the Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, visited the Angolan Consulate in Lisbon, where he was received by the respective Consul-General, Vicência de Brito.

UN praises Lourenço's contribution to eastern DRC pacification

 Luanda - The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Monday praised the involvement of President João Lourenço in the resolution of the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a statement issued on Monday, to which ANGOP has had access, Guterres highlighted the contacts made by the Angolan President and African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation with the rebel group M23, which resulted in the announcement of a ceasefire starting on March 7.

 

The reached ceasefire results from Angolan mediation, in compliance with the decisions of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on February 17 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

He urged the M23 to respect the ceasefire with the aim to create conditions for its full and effective withdrawal from all occupied areas in the east of the DRC, in line with the decisions of the Luanda mini-summit held on November 23, 2022, the statement says.

 

António Guterres, who reaffirmed the UN's continued support for the Luanda and Nairobi processes, condemned the violence against civilians and renewed his call on all Congolese and foreign armed groups to lay down arms and disarm unconditionally.

 

The UN top official called on the parties involved in the conflict to guarantee immediate and unrestricted access for humanitarian relief to the affected population and to secure the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.

 

The statement adds that the UN chief urged all players to refrain from hate speech and incitement to violence.

 

Early on  Saturday, the head of the peacekeeping mission in the DRC, Bintou Keita, reaffirmed the mission's presence in the areas controlled by the M23 to protect civilians.

 

Keita added that the mission continues to provide support to Congolese armed forces in strict compliance with the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.

 

Bintou Keita called for the strict respect of the ceasefire announced on Friday, having urged the M23 to withdraw from the occupied areas and disarm unconditionally.

Angola participates in 67th session of Status of Women Commission

 Luanda- Angola is participating on 6 to 17 of the current month, at the UN headquarters, in New York, United States of America (USA), in the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

According to a press release from Angola´s Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), the country is represented by a multisectorial delegation headed by the minister of Social Action, Family and Women Promotion, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto.

 

The event, which is held annually, brings together representatives from the UN member states, civil society organizations and other entities to review progress and the shortcomings related to the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by 189 countries at the Conference in 1995, which is the main global policy document on gender equality.

 

The 23rd special session of the General Assembly held in 2000 (Beijing +5), as well as emerging issues affecting gender equality and women´s empowerment will be examined at the event.

 

The document emphasizes that the event will take place under the motto “Innovation, Technological Change and Education in the Digital Age to Achieve Gender Equality and Empowerment of All Women and Young Women”.

 

The session foresees a review topic on “Challenges and opportunities to reach gender equality and empowerment of women and young girls in rural zones”, contained in the conclusions agreed in 2018.

 

The event will include a ministerial roundtable discussion, as well as interactive panels with topics such as “Boosting inclusive innovation and technological change to train Women and Young Women and create safer spaces” and “Good practices to address barriers to reduce the gender digital divide and promote education in the digital age to achieve gender equality”.

 

The minister of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, is expected to speak at two moments in the general debate, representing the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

 

According to the note, the minister´s work agenda also includes an intervention on behalf of the CPLP, in the ministerial open debate of the Security Council that will take place on 7 of this month, under the motto “Women, peace and security: towards the 25th anniversary of the 1325 resolution”, promoted by the Republic of Mozambique which is the member state chairing the Security Council this month.

 

Angola´s delegation is made up of the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Alice Ceita, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, the Ambassador João Gimolieca, the National Assembly MPs, Joana Tomás Martins, Etna Nunda Kapapelo and Maria Júlia Ornelas and senior staff from various ministerial sectors.

 

The Commission on the Status of Women was created by United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946 with the requirement to draw up recommendations relating to the promotion of women's rights at political, economic, civic, social and educational levels and it contributes to the Agenda 2030 aiming to enhance the achievement of gender equality.

Sonangol raises around USD 130 million in Privatizations

 Luanda – The sale of assets and stakes in Sonangol outside the “core business” allowed the yielding of US$130 million, in the 2019/2022 period, of which US$65 million was paid (50%) within the framework of the Privatizations (Propriv).

In the aforementioned period, 24 assets and holdings, out of a total of 56, were sold in Angola and abroad, according to data from the last press conference on the provisional results of the national oil company for 2022.

 

Of the processes, initially planned for the second half of 2022, seven were transferred to the 2023/2027 cycle.

 

Assets and holdings sold include hotel units, travel agencies, holdings in financial institutions, such as Bank BAI, real estate projects, among others.

 

The list includes companies such as Atlântida Viagens e Turismo (Luanda and Lisbon), Dirani Project (real estate company), Sonatide Marine Service, Sonadiets Services, Puma Energy (asset exchange), Puaça (property Av.da República), WTA/ Howston Express, WTA International.

 

Other assets from the companies  such as, WTA/Luanda, ITSS Internacional, Sonsurf Internacional, Sonsurf Angola, Dirani Project (real estate project), Tidewater Marine (oil transport), the hotels Florence, Maianga, Centro and Hotel Talatona, this last one outsourced in the area of management.

 

There are other assets in the process of being privatized under the responsibility of the National Institute for State Participations Management.

Achraf Hakimi: Morocco & PSG defender accused of rape as French prosecutors open investigation

 French prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into an alleged rape by Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, a source close to the investigation has confirmed.

A 24-year-old woman has accused the Paris St-Germain full-back of raping her at his home in the French capital on 25 February. He denies the allegations.

The source said the woman reported the incident at a police station on Sunday but did not file charges. The public prosecutor’s office handling the case in Nanterre, in the western suburbs of Paris, declined to comment but confirmed an investigation had begun.

“The club supports the player, who has firmly denied the accusations and trusts the justice system,” PSG said in a statement. “Paris St-Germain is an institution that promotes respect on and off the pitch.”

Born in Spain, Hakimi was a key player as Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first African side to do so.

Achraf Hakimi (R) honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards alongside PSG team-mates Kylian Mbappe (M) and Lionel Messi (L)

His performances saw him honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony held in Paris on Monday evening, where he was named in the FIFPro men’s world team of the year.

The 24-year-old stood on stage to collect the award alongside other winners including his PSG team-mates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Source: BBC

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Nigerian polls ‘failed to meet expectations’ – US envoy

 The US ambassador to Nigeria has said the 25 February elections “failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations”.

In a statement, Mary Leonard urged the electoral commission to address the hitches it experienced before the governorship polls on 11 March.

“It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on 25 February failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations,” the US ambassador said.

“We thus reiterate our call on Inec [Independent National Electoral Commission] to promptly address the challenges that can be resolved ahead of the 11 March gubernatorial elections,” Ms Leonard said.

The envoy urged Inec to be more transparent as it makes reforms on the elections systems.

She commended the presidential poll losers, opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party, for pledging to go to court to challenge the outcome of the vote.

Inec has said it will deploy its voter identification system for the 11 March elections and pledged to punish its officials found to have compromised the presidential election.

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Married Man Kills His Side Chick And Commits Suicide

 NIGERIA; The 40-year-old mobile police sergeant, Olalere Michael, who killed his lover, Bamidele Cecilia Oluwatosin, and later shot himself dead in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, was married with two daughters.

The incident happened on Thursday, March 2, 2023, inside the premises of the Redemption Model Nursery and Primary School, Agba Dam, Ilorin, located inside the Chapel of Redemption UMCA.

According to Daily Trust, late Tosin, said to be a cleaner at the Banquet Hall opposite the Government House, was the mother of Desmond, a pupil of the school who will be celebrating his third birthday on May 12, 2023.

It was gathered that some parents refused to allow their children attend school on Friday because of the incident which caused panic around the area.

According to residents and shop owners around the school who spoke to the publication, the deceased mobile police officer trailed his lover to the school premises and waited for her to come pick up her child before opening fire on her at close range.

Some of them were astonished as to why “A young and promising guy like this would kill himself because of a side chic, without considering what his beautiful family will face.”

“The officer was dressed in a camouflage police uniform. He entered the school premises at about a few minutes before 8am in his Toyota Corolla car earlier than his female friend who had brought her son to the school later.

“Immediately she walked him, he brought out his AK-47 rifle and shot Oluwatosin on the chest three times at close range and she died on the spot.

“He thereafter shot himself on the throat which blew off some part of his head and the two of them were there in a pool of blood before the police came to evacuate their bodies about one hour later. It was really a gory scene”, a resident, Mr Olaleye Arodeyo, told Daily Trust.
The police after the shocking incident, denied it was a case of police brutality but rather that of “love gone sour” between the former lovebirds.

It was further gathered that the late officer with force number F/NO 497093 was attached to one of the aides of the Kwara State Governor but recently left the position. It was while serving at the Government House that he met Oluwatosin.

Residents who spoke on the issue said they have been dating for a while but trouble started when the late Oluwatosin said she was no longer interested in the relationship.

“What we understand is that Oluwatosin had a fiancé abroad whom she had a son for, and who was preparing to come to Nigeria having left for Dublin about a year ago.

“Because of that, she wanted to end the affair which triggered their frosty relationship and their fatal end,” one of the residents, Mrs Hannah, said.
Unconfirmed reports said Olalere had told some of his colleagues on the day of the incident that he was going to kill somebody and also kill himself.

“But many of them didn’t believe him because he was doing very well as a police officer. He had two houses, one in Iloffa and Omu-Aran, Oke-Ero and Irepodun local government areas of the state. Here in Ilorin, he was staying in the Barrack and had a very beautiful wife and two daughters,” a police source told the publication.

It was further gathered that the late Olalere had tried severally to convince Oluwatosin to rescind her decision to end the relationship but to no avail.

Residents said he had visited the family house of the deceased female friend a few days before where he allegedly made away with some electronics and other items he was said to have bought for her.

“This was at the height of his frustration over the situation. But Olalere was very much in love with her and I believe that was why he killed her and shot himself,” Mr Bello, another resident of the area, said.
A female provision seller in the area who simple identified herself as Mrs Benedicta said;

“Most times, when the man (Olalere) is around, they used to come to my shop to buy things. I never knew he was a police officer because he doesn’t wear his uniform and seldom comes down from the car.

“But from their disposition, you could see that he truly loves her. This is very sad. Oluwatosin should be in her 30s and a very beautiful woman. It was after the incident we learnt that she had a fiancé abroad who was coming to Nigeria,” she added.

According to the spokesman of the police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, their corpses have been deposited at the morgue of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

“What we can establish now is that the two of them were lovers but at a point, they had a misunderstanding which led to the mobile police officer trailing her to the school, shot her and also killed himself in the process. It has nothing to do with police brutality.

“But the Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, has ordered investigation of this unfortunate incident. No arrest has been made yet. But I can assure you that the report of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is ready,” Okasanmi added.

Source: LIB

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Bank of America CEO predicts ‘slight’ US recession this year

 Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan has predicted the United States will enter a “very slight” recession later this year despite improving signs for the global economy.

Speaking at a business summit in Sydney, Australia, Moynihan said the US economy is on track for a mild technical recession — defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth — in the third quarter.

“Our base projection is for a recession to occur in the US economy beginning in the third quarter of 2023, occur through the fourth quarter of 2023 and into the first quarter of 2024,” Moynihan said during an appearance at The Financial Review’s Business Summit on Tuesday.

Moynihan said he anticipates the economy to contract in each quarter by between 0.5 percent and 1 percent, resulting in a “very slight recession in the scheme of things,” and for interest rates to start falling in the second quarter of next year.

“I don’t think you’ll see a deep recession,” he said.

Moynihan said the slowdown will be mild enough that a “lot of people are not going to see that much of” it.

“It will be more of a technical recession than it will be a deep drop in the US,” he said.

While many economists have warned for months that a global recession could be on the way, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in January raised its 2023 global growth from 2.7 percent to 2.9 percent, citing “surprisingly resilient” demand in the US and Europe, and the reopening of China’s economy after strict lockdowns and border controls.

Last month, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the US economy appeared to be on track for a “soft landing” and would narrowly avoid falling into recession this year.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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