Ayenat Mersie, Reuters News
NAIROBI – The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces on Saturday signed an agreement laying out the roadmap for implementation of a peace deal that both sides reached in South Africa this month.
Representatives from the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been meeting in Nairobi since Monday to reach agreement on various aspects related to the implementation of the peace pact signed in Pretoria.
Saturday’s declaration is expected to boost efforts by the African Union mediators to resolve a two-year conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions in the Horn of Africa country.
It will facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, provide security guarantees to aid workers, ensure the protection of civilians and establish a joint committee to oversee implementation, mediators said.
The deal will be put into effect “immediately”, mediator Olusegun Obasanjo told a news conference before the signing.
BOTH SIDES COMMITTED
Both sides said they were committed to the declaration, stressing it was the only way to restore peace and stability.
“We will fully dedicate ourselves to implementing the Pretoria agreement and this declaration,” said Birhanu Jula, a senior Ethiopian military official and one of the government representatives at the talks.
Ethiopian military officials and TPLF had reached an agreement on the disarmament of TPLF fighters and entry of the Ethiopian military into the Tigrayan capital of Mekele, the federal government said in a statement issued after the signing.
Disarmament will start on Nov. 15, the declaration, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, showed.
The role of Eritrea, which has not participated in the talks, remains concerning, analysts say. Its troops have fought in the conflict on the side of the Ethiopian army.
“Disarmament of heavy weapons will be done with the withdrawal of foreign and non-ENDF (federal military) forces from the region,” the declaration signed on Saturday said, without specifically naming any foreign forces.
Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of TPLF’s representatives, General Tadesse Werede, said the declaration on implementation had given them hope that the suffering of the people in Tigray would end.
Asked if it included accountability for war crimes, Uhuru Kenyatta, another mediator and former president of Kenya, said that would come “when the guns are silenced and the dire humanitarian situation is addressed”.
“There shall be severe sanctions against anyone who commits atrocities against civilians,” he said.
The two sides agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities in an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough in South Africa on Nov. 2.
Immediate humanitarian access will be welcome relief in a region where hundreds of thousands face famine conditions.
On Friday Ethiopia’s government said international aid was “allowed and ready” to move into Tigray.Agencies were preparing to send an aid convoy to Alamata in southern Tigray next week, and working out the final details for getting aid to other areas, a senior humanitarian official in Ethiopia told Reuters on Saturday.
(Reporting by Ayenat Mersie, Additional reporting by Tommy Wilkes; Writing by Duncan Miriri and Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Clelia Oziel and Christina Fincher)
US President meets Egyptian counterpart, expresses support for Egypt’s water rights
Mohamed Samir, Daily News Egypt
Sharm El-Sheikh – US President Biden met with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on the margins of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. President Biden expressed support for Egypt’s water rights.
He also expressed United States’ solidarity with Egypt in the face of the global economic and food security challenges caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
US President raised the importance of human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms. Al-Sisi said that Egypt has taken several steps to improve human rights conditions, launching a national strategy for human rights and the Egyptian national dialogue as well as the Presidential Pardon Committee.
President Biden congratulated President Al-Sisi on hosting COP 27, and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating global efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
President Biden and President Al-Sisi also emphasized their mutual commitment to the multifaceted US-Egypt strategic partnership.
President Biden expressed the United States’ solidarity with Egypt in the face of the global economic and food security challenges caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as his support for Egypt’s water rights.
The two leaders also consulted on regional security challenges, opportunities to de-escalate conflicts, and the decades-long US-Egypt defense partnership.
Egypt dissident Abdel Fattah’s family demands proof of life
Staff Writer, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Cairo, Egypt: The family of Egypt’s jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is refusing food and water, demanded information on his health Wednesday amid what they said were “rumours of force-feeding”.
International concern has mounted since Abdel Fattah, 40, escalated his months-long hunger strike by also declining liquids since Sunday, the start of the UN climate summit COP27 hosted by Egypt.
His UK-born mother Laila Soueif has made daily trips this week to the Wadi al-Natroun prison, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Cairo, but has received no update or proof of life.
The activist’s sister Mona Seif said their mother was back at the prison Wednesday “to try and get any letter or anything that proves Alaa is alive, conscious, and has not been exposed” to any more “violations”.
The dissident’s aunt, novelist Ahdaf Soueif, tweeted that “we cannot explain two days without letters” and said that the family was concerned about “rumours of force-feeding and of sleep-inducing drugs”.
She demanded that the British-Egyptian activist be moved to Cairo’s largest state hospital, the Qasr al-Aini University Hospital, and given access to lawyers and British embassy officials.
Abdel Fattah, a veteran pro-democracy and rights campaigner, is serving a five-year prison sentence for “spreading false news” by sharing a Facebook post about police brutality.
The United Nations, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have all voiced concern and called for his release.
The only update in recent days has come from Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the COP27 president.
Shoukry told multiple media at the summit that Abdel Fattah — whose dual citizenship Cairo does not recognise — has access to “all the necessary care in prison”.
Macron said after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Monday that he had received an assurance that Cairo is “committed to ensuring” Abdel Fattah’s health “is preserved” and that the situation will be resolved “in the coming weeks and months”.
But Soueif, the aunt, said that “the prison hospital is probably not equipped to care for the rare case of a patient who has been living for six months on 100 calories a day” in his hunger strike.
Activists at COP27 have posted widely on Twitter under the hashtag #FreeAlaa, and several speakers have ended with the words “you have not yet been defeated” — the title of the jailed activist’s book.
Human rights groups estimate that some 60,000 political prisoners are held in Egypt, many of them in brutal conditions and overcrowded cells, accusations which Cairo rejects.
World leaders open climate talks in Egypt
World leaders gathered in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday for the United Nation’s annual summit on climate change.
In his opening remarks, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi described planet Earth as “a world of suffering” and asked, “Is it not high time today to put an end to all this?”
“There is no time to slip back. There is no space for hesitation,” El-Sisi said adding that for the sake of future generations, it was a last chance for everyone to meet their responsibilities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, for his part, warned that the world was on the “highway to climate hell”.
Guterres also said that climate change is the defining issue of our century.
“It is unacceptable, outrageous and self-defeating to put it on the back burner,” he said.
The UN chief warned that the world was fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos “irreversible.”
“Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish,” he said. “It is either a Climate Solidarity Pact, or a Collective Suicide Pact.”
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said climate change affects stability and security in the world.
He issued an “open invitation to find practical solutions to address losses and creating sustainable economic growth for all humanity.”
“The future of future generations depends on the steps we take today,” he stressed.
COP27 puts climate compensation on agenda for first time
The item was adopted to the agenda in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday, as world leaders arrived for the negotiations scheduled to run through Nov 18.
Gloria Dickie, Reuters News
SHARM EL-SHEIKH – Delegates at the the U.N.’s COP27 climate summit in Egypt agreed to discuss whether rich nations should compensate poor countries most vulnerable to climate change for their suffering.
“This creates for the first time an institutionally stable space on the formal agenda of COP and the Paris Agreement to discuss the pressing issue of funding arrangements needed to deal with existing gaps, responding to loss and damage,” COP27 president Sameh Shoukry told the opening plenary.
The item was adopted to the agenda in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday, as world leaders arrived for the negotiations scheduled to run through Nov. 18.
Much of the tension at COP27 is expected to relate to loss and damage – funds provided by wealthy nations to vulnerable lower-income countries that bear little responsibility for climate-warming emissions.
At COP26 last year in Glasgow, high-income nations blocked a proposal for a loss and damage financing body, instead supporting a new three-year dialogue for funding discussions.
The loss and damage discussions now on the agenda at COP27 will not involve liability or binding compensation, but they are intended to lead to a conclusive decision “no later than 2024,” Shoukry said.
“The inclusion of this agenda reflects a sense of solidarity for the victims of climate disasters,” he added.
(Reporting by Gloria Dickie, editing by Wiliam James, William Maclean and Barbara Lewis)
Ethiopian government, TPLF agree to cease hostilities
The Ethiopian government and the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) agreed on Wednesday to cease hostilities, a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough two years into a war that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands facing famine.
Delegates from both sides signed the agreement in the South African capital Pretoria, just over a week after formal peace talks mediated by the African Union began there.
“The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament,” said Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the African Union mediation team, at a ceremony.
Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president, said the agreement also included “restoration of law and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, protection of civilians, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups”.
An agreement had not been expected so soon. Earlier on Wednesday, the African Union had invited media to what it described as a briefing by Obasanjo. It was only when the event began, about three hours behind schedule, that it became clear a truce was about to be signed.
“This moment is not the end of the peace process. Implementation of the peace agreement signed today is critical for its success,” said Obasanjo, adding that this would be supervised and monitored by a high-level African Union panel.
Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussien, who is Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s National Security Adviser, said all parties should be true to the letter and spirit of the agreement.
In response, Tigray delegate Getachew Reda, a spokesman for the regional authorities, spoke of the wide scale death and destruction in the region and said it was his hope and expectation that both parties would honor their commitments.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Children and elderly targets of SA violence – Ramaphosa
Grace Kuria , BBC News
Gender-based violence and femicide cases continue to rise in South Africa as “violent” men in the country are targeting children and elderly women, the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, said.
“We have in recent times seen a spate of rapes and killings of elderly women, our mothers and grandmothers that are meant to be respected and treated with dignity,” Mr Ramaphosa added.
He was speaking during the second presidential summit on Gender Based Violence and Femicide.
According to the president, data from the South African Police Service shows that sexual offences and rape increased by 13% between 2017-18, and 2021-22.
Murders of women and children are also on the rise, he said.
“Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 there was a 52% increase in the murder of women, and 46% increase in the number of children murdered,” Mr Ramaphosa said, calling on men to end such crimes.
“These barbaric acts are a shameful indictment of the men of this country.”
He however highlighted some gains from the last presidential summit in 2018, including 83 courts being upgraded to sexual offences courts.
G20 Countries Pushed to Make Bigger Climate Commitments at COP27
NAIROBI, KENYA — The U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, starts in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, next week, and climate change activists are pushing major emitters in developed countries to make bigger commitments at the conference.
According to a recent report by the U.N. Environment Program, the international community is still falling far short of the 2015 Paris Agreement goals, with no credible pathway to keep the rise in global temperatures below the key threshold of 1.5 C.
Carbon cutting plans by governments are still inadequate and environmental leaders are asking developed countries to do more.
“Seventy-five percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from the G20, the biggest twenty economies,” U.N. Environment Executive Director Inger Andersen told VOA in an exclusive interview. “They need to do more. And that is the conversation we need to have at the COP in Sharm el-Sheikh, Africa’s COP as we call it. They need to lean in, both with money but also with their own emissions reduction.”
The conference comes at a time when the Horn of Africa endures record drought and famine warnings in Somalia. Africa produces less than 4% of global emissions yet still suffers the effects of global warming, including food insecurity, increased conflict and more severe weather events.
Merck Foundation CEO Champions “Fashion With Purpose” to Break Infertility Stigma
By News Desk
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted an award ceremony to felicitate and celebrate the winners of ‘Merck Foundation More Than a Mother’ FASHION AWARDS 2020. The awards were announced in partnership with the African First Ladies, also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother expressed, “I am very happy and proud to meet our winners of the Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards 2020 and welcome them to our newly established ‘Fashion with Purpose’ community. I am impressed with their designs that deliver strong and influential messages to empower infertile women and say ‘No to Infertility Stigma’, via sensitizing our communities.”
During the Award Ceremony, Merck Foundation CEO advised the winners, the young African Designers on how their respective designs can be created and executed to open a dialogue and create the culture shift desired.
The Videoconference was also attended by past winners of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards. It was also attended by Fashion designers & students and media representatives across Africa.
“My vision is to develop a community of young African Fashion Designers in order to catalyze a movement, that reaches and extends far beyond just fashion, and creates a culture shift and be the voice of the voiceless in their communities.
Fashion industry has already got enough flakes for being superficial. Let’s change this perception and create a meaningful fashion trend aiming to educate our communities. I love fashion and I strongly believe that designers can make designs for Men and Women that they would be proud to wear to show their contribution toward their communities, villages, and cities across Africa,” added Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej.
As a part of the awards, Merck Foundation has provided the winners with a one-year access to an online educational training program called “MasterClass” which is an immersive online experience and self-paced learning course that can be accessed anywhere with the Internet and offers online courses in many areas such as: art of designing, fashion, photography, lifestyle, discovering your inner voice and many other areas of Media, Film making and storytelling etc.
“I am very excited to be a part of the ‘Fashion with a Purpose’ community in Africa, led by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej. She is a true fashion icon, who has a unique style. It was an absolute honour to meet her and be mentored by her. Thanks to Merck Foundation for involving us in such important campaign,” emphasized Joel Musasa, Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards 2020 winner from Namibia.
Merck Foundation CEO Champions “Fashion With Purpose” Community Who Are Their Fashion Award Winners to Break Infertility Stigma
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Windhoek, Namibia– Business Wire India
• 21 Winners of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards 2020 from Ghana, Namibia and Zambia were celebrated during the ceremony.
• 2 New fashion awards 2021 were announced by Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies.
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted an award ceremony to felicitate and celebrate the winners of ‘Merck Foundation More Than a Mother’ FASHION AWARDS 2020. The awards were announced in partnership with the African First Ladies, also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother expressed, “I am very happy and proud to meet our winners of the Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards 2020 and welcome them to our newly established ‘Fashion with Purpose’ community. I am impressed with their designs that deliver strong and influential messages to empower infertile women and say ‘No to Infertility Stigma’, via sensitizing our communities.”
During the Award Ceremony, Merck Foundation CEO advised the winners, the young African Designers on how their respective designs can be created and executed to open a dialogue and create the culture shift desired.
The Videoconference was also attended by past winners of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards. It was also attended by Fashion designers & students and media representatives across Africa.
“My vision is to develop a community of young African Fashion Designers in order to catalyze a movement, that reaches and extends far beyond just fashion, and creates a culture shift and be the voice of the voiceless in their communities.
Fashion industry has already got enough flakes for being superficial. Let’s change this perception and create a meaningful fashion trend aiming to educate our communities. I love fashion and I strongly believe that designers can make designs for Men and Women that they would be proud to wear to show their contribution toward their communities, villages, and cities across Africa,” added Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej.
As a part of the awards, Merck Foundation has provided the winners with a one-year access to an online educational training program called “MasterClass” which is an immersive online experience and self-paced learning course that can be accessed anywhere with the Internet and offers online courses in many areas such as: art of designing, fashion, photography, lifestyle, discovering your inner voice and many other areas of Media, Film making and storytelling etc.
“I am very excited to be a part of the ‘Fashion with a Purpose’ community in Africa, led by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej. She is a true fashion icon, who has a unique style. It was an absolute honour to meet her and be mentored by her. Thanks to Merck Foundation for involving us in such important campaign,” emphasized Joel Musasa, Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Fashion Awards 2020 winner from Namibia.
During the Award Ceremony, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej also announced Call for Applications for their annual competitions for the best design that carries messages to address sensitive social and health issues. The two awards launched for the year 2021, for African Fashion Designer community are:
1. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2021: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about Infertility Prevention, Breaking Infertility stigma, and/or Empowering Girls and Women through Education.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2021. Click here to view more details.
2. Merck Foundation “Make Your Own Mask” Fashion Awards 2021: All African Fashion Designers and Students are invited to create and share designs of masks and other clothing items that carry messages to encourage people to wear masks to show they care and at the same time make it creative and fun!
Submission deadline: 30th October 2021. Click here to view more details.
List of Award Winners of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother FASHION Awards 2020:
Winners from Ghana in partnership with H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
GHANA
1. Leticia Ashie Owusu
2. Gifty Amonu Essel
3. Kizito Ronald Jr
4. Placid Leke
5. Anuja Bharti
6. Paul Akrofie
7. Desmond Nhyira Amankonah
Winners from Namibia in partnership with H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
NAMIBIA
1. Linrico Humphries
2. Stephany-Lee Schmidt (Libi)
3. Aina Shigwedha
4. Hope Gowera
5. Joel Musasa
6. Eugenia Benard
7. Paulton Luciano Witbooi
Winners from Zambia in partnership with H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Former Lady of Zambia and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
ZAMBIA
1. Nelly Banda
2. Ruth Chimbala
3. Cecilia Njobvu
4. Linda Ngwira
5. Naomi Soko
6. Gibstar Makangila
7. Kasonde Makangila
About ‘Merck Foundation More Than a Mother’ campaign
“Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-sets. This powerful campaign supports governments in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective and equitable fertility care solutions. It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management and male infertility. In partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information, Education & Gender, academia, policymakers, International fertility societies, media and art, the initiative also provides training for fertility specialists and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries.
With “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother”, we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility at all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African First Ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses. It’s all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child.
The Ambassadors of “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” are:
H.E. NEO JANE MASISI,
The First Lady of Botswana
H.E. DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, THE First Lady of Democratic Republic of Congo
H.E. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique
H.E. SIKA KABORE, The First Lady of Burkina Faso
H.E. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia
H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia
H.E. ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE,
The First Lady of Burundi
H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana
H.E. AISHA BUHARI, The First Lady of Nigeria
H.E. BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic
H.E. CLAR WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia
H.E FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of Sierra Leone
H.E. ANTOINETTE SASSOU-NGUESSO, The First Lady of Congo Brazzaville
H.E. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of Malawi
H.E. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of Zimbabwe
The Former First Lady of Burundi, H.E DENISE NKURUNZIZA, The Former First Lady of Chad, H.E. HINDA DÉBY ITNO, The Former First Lady of Malawi, H.E. PROFESSOR GERTRUDE MUTHARIKA, The Former First Lady of Niger, H.E AÏSSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU and The Former First Lady of Zambia, H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The Former First Lady of Guinea Conakry, H.E. CONDÉ DJENE have worked successfully with Merck Foundation as Merck Foundation More Than a Mother Ambassadors to break the stigma of infertility and empower infertile women in their countries.
Merck Foundation launched new innovative initiatives to sensitize local communities about infertility prevention, male infertility with the aim to break the stigma of infertility and empowering infertile women as part of Merck Foundation More than a Mother COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, such as;
• ‘Merck Foundation More than a Mother’ Africa Media Recognition Awards and Health Media Training
• ‘Merck Foundation More than a Mother’ Fashion Awards
• ‘Merck Foundation More than a Mother’ Film Awards
• ‘Merck Foundation More than a Mother’ Song Awards
• Local songs with local artists to address the cultural perception of infertility and how to change it
• Children storybook, localized for each country
Click on the link below to Download Merck Foundation App
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.merck.foundation&hl=en
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Website: www.merck-foundation.com