Border Police prevent over 102 DRC citizens from illegally entering Angola

 Mbanza Kongo - One hundred and two Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) citizens were Saturday in Mbanza Kongo questioned by the Border Police, in northern Zaire Province, for attempting to violate the region´s land border.

The DRC citizens were trying to enter national territory through the land border posts of Cuimba, Nóqui and Mpala, revealed Sunday the spokesman of the Provincial Delegation of the Interior Ministry in Zaire, Sérgio Afonso, adding that among them 30 are women.

According to source, after the fulfilment of the legal procedures, 35 immigrants were referred to the Migration and Foreigners Service (SME) in the region, while 67 others (32 men and 35 women) were deported on the same day to their home country.

Sérgio Afonso said that the Border Police officers deployed at several border posts with the DRC have strengthened in recent days the control and monitoring actions at the border area with this neighboring country.

The province of Zaire, located in the northern region of Angola, shares 310 kilometers of border with the DRC.

Angolans in UAE praise continued reforms

 Luanda - Angolans residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) defended, Saturday in Luanda, continuous reforms in Angola, for greater attraction of investments and development of the country in several fields.

This was the conclusion agreed upon by the participants who attended the round-table on “Angola, yesterday, today and tomorrow – challenges and solutions for Social and Economic Development”, promoted by the Association of Angolans and Friends in UAE.

According to a document that ANGOP has had access to, at the meeting which is part of the celebration of April 04, which marks the Peace and National Reconciliation Day, the Angolans residing in that Middle East country, praise the ongoing reforms and presented some suggestions and solutions for the country's social and economic development.

Among other challenges, the Angolans pointed to the improvement of the business environment with the aim of promoting the construction of a society based on values and opportunities for carrying out projects, in addition to the need to prioritize brotherhood, solidarity, social justice and national unity.

The chairman of the aforementioned organization, Adelina Veso, considered that the signing of the peace and national reconciliation agreement was one of the highest points of Angola´s history, after the national independence, held on November 11, 1975.

“After 21 years, we are aware that there is still a lot of work to be done to build the country we want and deserve, and not less important, we are aware that for this goal everyone's participation is indispensable”, she said.

The event sponsored by the diplomatic and consular missions of Angola and UAE, was attended by the Angolan community living in this country.

The Vice-consul of Angola in Dubai, Ismael Filipe, the lawyer Acúrcio Estevão and the businessman Afonso Sanana, who have been residents in the Emirates for 17 years, were the main speakers of the debate.

In the Extended Consultative Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held from 11 to 13 April 2023, in Luanda, the Head of State, João Lourenço, recommended the diplomatic and consular missions to pay particular attention to the diaspora, in meeting their needs of legal-consular nature.

He advocated that Angolan citizens in the diaspora, through these missions, should be permanently informed about relevant events in the country, to commemorate together the main national holidays, and to encourage the holding of community activities in order to promote Angolan culture and gastronomy abroad.

Angola defends mobilisation of financing for developing countries

 New York - Angolan diplomat considered the mobilisation of financing for developing countries a big challenge for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The statement came from the charge d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of Angola to the United Nations in New York João Gimolieca, at the UN headquarters.

The diplomat, who was speaking at the Forum on Financing for Development, said that this challenge also has an impact on the implementation of Agenda 2063: The Africa we want.

“Now, we live in multiple and interconnected global crises and we must embrace change by taking immediate action to increase development cooperation and investments in the SDGs, reform the international financial architecture, strengthen cooperation on macroeconomic policies and implement actions to accelerate sustainable development in support of developing countries”, he pointed out.

According to João Gimolieca, Angola welcomes the efforts made by the UN Secretary General to fill the SDG funding gap and looks forward to further discussions on the proposal to stimulate the SDGs.

The aim, he said, is to address the high cost of debt and the rising risks of rising sovereign debt, to massively increase long-term financing for development and to expand contingency finance to countries in need.

For the diplomat, new and additional climate finance for developing countries is extremely important to help and support the implementation of policies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change and to improve access to this climate finance.

During his speech, he highlighted the urgent need for developed countries to provide the means of implementation necessary for developing countries to face climate change, including concessional financing, at least double the adaptation financing, as well as to finalise the operation of the damages and facilitate the full transfer of technology and technical assistance necessary for just transitions.

He highlighted that, despite the vigorous reforms implemented over the last five years by the Government, which created the necessary conditions for the sustainable development of the country, Angola has experienced successive periods of economic recession, to which are added the negative effects of the current health and geopolitical tensions, which resulted in the deterioration of indicators socioeconomic.

In view of this situation, he added, the Government of Angola was forced to review its development strategies, having defined three priority areas for the next 2023-2027 Development Plan, the first being the development of human capital, with the aim of increasing productivity.

Second, expansion and modernisation of infrastructure, to improve mobility, and third, diversification of the economy, with a focus on food security.

The Ambassador emphasized that funding in these three areas is crucial to achieving and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In the opening session on Monday (17), the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called on the group of the largest global economies, the G20, for a stimulus of at least 500 billion dollars a year so that the economies in development achieve global goals.

The four-day high-level meeting addressed threats to sustainable progress.

Angola invited for "Maracana Football" World Cup

 Luanda - Angola has been invited to participate in the first edition of the World Cup of an emerging sport called "Maracana Football", it was announced Sunday in Luanda.

The invitation was issued by the president of the International Federation of Maracana Football and Associations (FIIMA), Bleu Charlemagne, as part of cooperation with Angola, taking into account the sporting performances achieved in African and world football. 

The specific objective is for Angola to export this sport in the southern region of the African continent at a time when it is practiced in more than 80 countries in the world, but only in the European and American continent.

The general objectives are to disseminate it across the continent to occupy the free time of young people and to create synergies for closer relations between African countries and people.

Angolan minister of Youth and Sports, Palmira Barbosa received in Luanda on Sunday the Angolan ambassador to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Domingos Feliciano Pacheco to discuss the matter.

During the meeting the Angolan diplomat discussed with the Sports minister the interest of Ivory Coast in cooperating in sports, with emphasis on the “ Maracana Football ", a variant of indoor football or beach football, practiced in Abidjan, particularly.

The Angolan diplomat said the Abidjan-based FIIMA has prepared a team of technicians to travel to Angola and transmit knowledge on the subject to young students.

In response, the Angolan minister, Palmira Barbosa, praised the initiative of the Angolan Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire, as well as the intention expressed by the FIIMA leader. 

She said the matter will be discussed in a proper forum and as soon as conditions are created the Youth and Sports Ministry will do the opposite, by sending to Abidjan a delegation of technicians to learn the rules of the game of this variant of football.

Social Action shows solidarity with families affected by rains

 Icolo and Bengo - The Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women (Masfamu) on Sunday expressed solidarity with the families affected by the rains in the country.

This  was expressed in Catete District by the incumbent minister, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, while addressing Sunday the closing service of the Tocoist Church Pilgrimage to Catete, located in the outrskirtys of Luanda Province.

"We join the families that despite many difficulties caused by the rains managed to be present in this event of faith", the minister said.

Recently, the minister of State and Head of the President’s Military Afairs Office, Francisco Furtado, revealed that 54 people died in the provinces of Luanda, Lunda Norte, Cabinda and over 450 were injured over the last few days due to the heavy rains that have hit the country.

The Social Action minister went on to say that  the faith and voice of the Christians should be a lamp that illuminates in the darkness in difficult times such as these, having appealed to mothers to be vigilant with their children, girls and young people.

The secretary of the ruling MPLA polititburo for social sector, Maricel Capama, praised the commitment and dedication of the Tocoist church in supporting the improvement of the social conditions of the communities throughout the country.

The politician said the church should be encouraged to continue with its benefactions in favour of the well-being of the citizens, having assured the support of his party for other projects of that religious congregation.

Capama said her party has been doing everything together with the church,  to make possible the pacification of the minds and to perpetuate the peace reached with much sacrifice.

"The message that MPLA brings is one of peace, of openness to dialogue", the politician said, having called for harmony among brothers, conservation of public property, respect for national symbols and the authorities.

The annual pilgrimage took place after a two-year stoppage, due to the Covid 19 pandemic bringing together thousands of faithful from the country's 18 provinces in a three-day event and delegates from several countries such as Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, among others.

The next event is scheduled for May 2024 in Uige Province.