Angolan president receives message from Kenyan counterpart

 Luanda - Angolan Head of State João Lourenço received Thursday a message from his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, as part of strengthening cooperation ties between the two countries and regional integration.

The letter was delivered by the Kenyan Minister of Industry and Commerce, Moses Kuria, who was received by President João Lourenço in Luanda.

Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, Moses Kuria, said that the audience addressed issues linked to bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, processing of mineral resources and agriculture.

In the political and diplomatic aspect, the Kenyan official said that issues related to the current situation in the eastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were analysed.

Moses Kuria said that the Kenyan Government is committed to the process focused on political stability in the DRC.

"We are involved in this process and we think that Angola has to continue in the peace negotiations. For that reason, we came to learn of your country's experience on the subject", he expressed.

Angola and Kenya Cooperation

Angola and Kenya have a common interest in the areas of trade, investment, oil and gas, minerals, higher education, science, technology and innovation, fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy and others.

In the bilateral framework, they have a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in matters of gender and women's empowerment and another in matters of administration and justice.

Angolans and Kenyans have maintained friendly relations since 1961, a period prior to Angola's independence, proclaimed on November 11, 1975.

The two countries’ ties reached their highest point in 2012, with the signing of four legal instruments.

This is the General Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations.

The list is completed by the Agreement on the Creation of the Bilateral Commission and the Agreement for the Operation of Air Services, in the field of transport.

Angola has potential to increase GDP by over 3%

 Luanda - Angola has the potential to increase its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by over 3%, said Thursday in Luanda the Board Chairman of Standard Bank, Luís Teles.

He added that in order to achieve that, it was necessary to speed up investments in infrastructure and improve the execution capacity of planned projects, to ensure that the percentage of GDP rises.

 

In this way, the manager who was speaking at the “Infrastructure Forum in Angola”, said that the private sector should be more involved because the State does not have the debt and budgetary capacity to carry out all of the necessary projects for the country.

 

Luís Teles said that it is very important to attract multinational companies, with a lot of experience, aiming to bring the best practices of world leaders, in order to add value to the local dynamic.

 

Angolan GDP in 2022

 

In June 2022, the Fitch Solutions consultancy revised its projection for growth of the Angolan economy slightly downwards, from 3.8 to 3.5%, which was above government projections, which estimated growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.7% of the whole year.

 

Angola´s gross domestic product in 2022 rose at the fastest pace since 2004 as China buys 60.2% of Angola´s exports.

Angola suspends exist of raw wood to attract investors

 Luanda - Angolan government wants to give priority to the creation of the local industries to ensure the exploration and treatment of raw wood.

In order to achieve this goal it announced plans to suspend the exit of logs, blocks and semi-blocks of wood for a three-year period.

During this period (three years), operators in the sector will be only authorized to export wood transformed into doors, windows and other finished products, said the minister of Agriculture, António Assis.

 

The decision was approved Thursday at the First Ordinary Session of the Cabinet Council, chaired by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

 

The move is intended to protect the environment, guarantee reforestation, stimulate the growth and expansion in the country.

Speaking to the press, at the end of the meeting, António Assis

said similarly to what happens to other regions of the world, the country should make a rational use of the forests in order to create a strong, dynamic, competitive and processing industry that generate jobs for young people and income for families.

 

António Assis said the operators may cut trees, but they should be Internally processed, such as making different furniture to export them abroad in the
finished product.

Angola and US discuss defence agreements

 Luanda – The minister of State and Head of the President's Military Office, Francisco Furtado, on Thursday in Luanda granted an audience to the United States (US) Ambassador to Angola, Tulinabo Mushingi, where they analysed the agreements made on defence fields between the two states.

According to a press release that ANGOP had access to this Thursday, the meeting is framed in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on defence and security between the Republic of Angola and the United States.

  

The document says that Tulinabo Mushingi has reported that senior officials from the US department of defence and security are planning to visit Angola this month.

It states that the visit by senior US officials is aimed to assess and evaluate the action underway, as well as implementing another plan for the modernisation of the Angolan Armed Forces and other bodies.

Angola is one of the African countries with which the United States has a strategic partnership. South Africa and Nigeria are other countries on the same path.

Government to spend 51.5 billion kwanzas on isolation allowance

 Luanda - The Cabinet Council on Thursday, in Luanda, approved a set of cash and social incentives that will cover 55,000 civil servants and administrative staff, in 104 municipalities which represent areas of difficult access, a measure that will cost roughly 51.5 billion kwanzas yearly.

These are financial incentives to help with accommodation, isolation and rent allowances, approved in the First Ordinary Session of the Cabinet Council of 2023, chaired by the Head of State, João Lourenço, whose measure will be applied as soon as the document is published in the State Gazette.

 

The measure, foreseen in the 2023 State General Budget (OGE), provides for 30% isolation allowance on the basic salary of the public servants and administrative staff, 30% for renting, but for those that are not residents in the areas where they work.

 

The accommodation assistance allowance will be 50% of the base salary subsidy, which will be done with a single payment of the amount, that is, at the time the employee is placed in these areas of hard access, or rather in municipalities classified in category C and D.

In addition to these allowances, the instrument includes social incentives related to the mobility preference of the spouse, in relation to the partner who is in the hard to reach zone, among other benefits relating to the couple.

 

“It was necessary to find subsidies that could correspond to employees and administrative agents who work in remote areas or areas of difficult access”, said the minister of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security (MAPTSS), Teresa Dias.

 

To ensure compliance with the law, the minister Teresa Dias promises inspection and monitoring actions, a work that will involve the State’s General Inspection Administration (IGAE), which will act at the level of municipalities for investigations, enquiries and other measures that are considered necessary.

 

According to the minister, the characteristics of the municipalities may be maintained, improved or changed, depending on the evaluation of the impact of this measure that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Territorial Administration will undertake.

 

These are areas of difficult access, localities where public services are scarce in banking services, transport, telecommunications and other difficulties.

 

Angola has 400,000 civil servants, 75% of whom are connected to the State´s Local Administration bodies.

Blinken criticises settlements but stresses US support for Israel

 After meeting Palestinian President Abbas, top US diplomat says Washington’s immediate priority is to defuse tensions

In rare — albeit implicit — criticism of Israel, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called out Israeli policies, including settlement expansion and home demolitions, as detrimental to the two-state solution.

Still, at a news conference at the end of his trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday, Blinken reasserted Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel.

“The United States is committed to working toward our enduring goal of ensuring that Palestinians and Israelis enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, justice and dignity,” Blinken said, stressing the need for preserving the “vision” of the two-state solution.

“The United States will continue to oppose anything that puts that goal further from reach, including but not limited to settlement expansion and the legalisation of illegal outposts, moves towards annexation of the West Bank, disruption to the historic status quo on Jerusalem’s holy sites, demolitions and evictions and incitement and acquiescence to violence.”

Rights advocates have long urged Washington to press Israel to end its abuses against Palestinians.

The US provides at least $3.8bn in military aid to Israel each year while pushing to block international efforts to denounce Israeli violations, including at the United Nations.

Successive US administrations, including that of President Joe Biden, have maintained unconditional support for Israel as they rhetorically back the two-state solution — a prospect that many experts say is no longer realistic because of Israel’s settlement policies.

“I reaffirmed to Israel and its people the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security. The rising tide of violence has resulted in the loss of many innocent lives on both sides,” Blinken said on Tuesday.

Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in occupied Ramallah earlier in the day.

Last week, Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians in the West Bank, including nine in the Jenin refugee camp. A day later, a Palestinian gunman fatally shot seven Israelis in occupied East Jerusalem.

Abbas’s office released a statement via the Palestinian news agency WAFA, blaming Israel for the recent crisis and accusing it of stifling the two-state solution and violating international law.

“This comes at a time when Israel continues — without any deterrent or accountability — its unilateral operations, including settlements, de-facto annexation, settler terrorism,” the Palestinian president said.

Abbas also decried that Israel was “violating the historic status quo and breaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and “withholding [Palestinian] funds, along with policies of ethnic cleansing and apartheid”.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians spiked earlier this month after an ultranationalist minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in a move condemned by Palestinian and Arab leaders as a “provocation”.

On Tuesday, Abbas implicitly hit out at US opposition to a Palestinian diplomatic push to seek accountability for Israeli abuses.

“The continued opposition to the efforts of the Palestinian people to defend their existence and their legitimate rights in international forums and courts, and to provide international protection for our people, is a policy that encourages the Israeli occupier to commit more crimes and violates international law,” Abbas said.

In his news conference, Blinken said Washington’s immediate priority is “restoring calm” and defusing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians before pushing towards a long-term settlement.

Blinken added that he asked members of his team to stay in the region to help with that aim.

Earlier in the day, he said the US is working to reopen a consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem – a Biden campaign pledge that remains unfulfilled amid Israeli opposition. Former President Donald Trump had shut down the US diplomatic mission for Palestinians as he all but severed ties with the Palestinian leadership.

On Tuesday, Blinken said Washington seeks to “rebuild” its relationship with Palestinians and the Palestinian Authoridy.

The top US diplomat did not mention Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a US citizen who was fatally shot by Israeli forces last year, in public statements while in Israel.

Asked whether Blinken raised the killing of Abu Akleh with Israeli officials, a US Department of State spokesperson referred Al Jazeera to “public readouts” of the top diplomat’s meetings. Available readouts did not mention the slain journalist.

Blinken said on Tuesday that he discussed with Israeli officials deepening cooperation to counter Iran amid the stalling of diplomatic efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that saw Tehran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against its economy.

“We continued what has been an ongoing discussion of ways that we can continue to work together, collaborate — and not just us, with other countries — in countering the malicious actions that Iran is engaged in, whether it’s in this region or beyond,” Blinken told reporters.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

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Kenya: Prime Suspect in Lgbtq Activist Chiloba’s Murder Jacktone Odhiambo to Face Murder Charge

 Eldoret — A court in Eldoret has freed four suspects linked to the murder of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) activist Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo alias Chiloba.

The four were released after the prosecution said it had no evidence to charge them, following 21 days of investigations that had been granted by the court.

Body builder Dennis Litali was completely freed while three other suspects will report to police every month for three month.

Senior Principal Richard Odenyo however directed that prime suspect Jacktone Odhiambo to face murder charges at the High Court.

Odhiambo was immediately taken to the High Court to face murder charges. Chiloba was found murdered and his body stashed in a metal box which was dumped at Hurlingham village near Kipkaren on January 3rd 2023.

By Jemimah Mueni

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