EU-Seychelles partnership for climate action MyZA

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EU-Seychelles partnership for climate action:

Mahé (Seychelles) – The Head of Cooperation of the European Union to the Republic of Seychelles opened the second Steering Committee of the “Seychelles Global Climate Change Alliance project”. She reiterated the relevance of activities foreseen to address the recurrent flooding problems on La Digue.

According to Ms Carla OSORIO, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Seychelles: “This important project provides the European Union with a formidable window to reiterate its commitment to support Government in the implementation of its National Climate Change Strategy, in line with commitments taken in COP 21 Conference. Last month the EU fielded a Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) Mission to Seychelles to evaluate implementation progress. I am glad to point out that the project continues to remain highly relevant for La Digue. The activities are comprehensive being both science-based and practical. The Steering Committee had the opportunity to look into details in the recommendations of the monitoring mission and together we agreed on a common roadmap on how to ensure efficiency and sustainability for the remaining implementation period.”

According to the UNDP, the project is being welcomed by the La Digue community and will help to alleviate the pressure from recent climatic events such as the Felleng cyclone event in 2013. Activities for components 1 and 4 are well under way and components 2 and 3 are expected to be launched soon.

At the margin of the Steering Committee meeting, the Head of Cooperation also met and discussed with the various stakeholders including local communities from La Digue. For the EU representative, it is essential to ensure the participation and involvement of local communities for the success of this project.

The “Global Climate Change Alliance” was established by the European Union in 2007 with a total envelope of EUR 285 million for the period 2008 to 2013. The objective is to support developing countries and small islands developing states in their endeavours to adapt to climate change.

To-date the programme, has supported more than 70 programmes in over 50 countries, including Seychelles, in Africa, Asia, Pacific and Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. In light of its success, the European Union has allocated an additional envelope of EUR 350 million for the programme for the period 2014-2020. In addition, another EUR 70 million are also available for climate actions from the European Union regional funds until 2020.

The programme for Seychelles was signed between the European Union and the Government of Seychelles in December 2014 to assist Government in developing its resistance to these changing climate patterns. The programme of EUR 3 million is part of the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+) which aims at strengthening dialogue and cooperation with developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS). The GCCA + is one of the most significant climate initiatives in the world.

A major component of the project concerns the implementation of coastal climate change adaptation in risk-prone areas on La Digue. These activities are being implemented by the UNDP (United National Development Programme), given their experience and expertise in the domain in Mahé and in La Digue. The project is expected to run until 2019.

Activities that will be implemented include the preparation of an Integrated Shoreline Management Plan, hydrological and topographic studies on flood buffering and salinization control measures. The activities will also focus on the restoration of wetlands, as a sustainable means to reduce flood risks.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius, Union of Comoros and Republic of Seychelles.

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Communique of the 685th PSC meeting on the renewal of the mandate of the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA):

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 685^th meeting held in Addis Ababa on 12 May 2017, considered the renewal of the mandate of the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) and adopted the following decision:

Council,

1. Takes note of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of the Implementation of the RCI-LRA (PSC/PR/RPT. (DCLXXXV), as well as the introductory remarks of the Commissioner for Peace and Security, delivered on his behalf by the Acting Director for Peace and Security. Council also takes note of statements made by representatives of the RCI-LRA member countries, namely: the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Uganda; and Gabon, in its capacity as Chair of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS). Council further takes note of statements made by the representatives of the United Nations(UN), the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA);

2. Recalls all its previous decisions and pronouncements on the fight against the LRA, particularly the communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.(CCXCIX)] of its 299^th meeting held on 22 November 2011, authorizing the deployment of the RCI-LRA, and the Communiqué(PSC/PR/COMM.(DCI) adopted at its 601^st meeting held on 30 May 2016, in which Council endorsed the Conclusions of the 5^th Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Coordination Mechanism (JCM) of the RCI-LRA, held in Addis Ababa, on 20 May 2016;

3. Also recalls the decisions of the Summit of the RCI-LRA member countries adopted in Addis Ababa, on 29 January 2017, in the margins of the 28^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. Council further recalls the Conclusions of the 6^th Ministerial meeting of the JCM, held in Addis Ababa, on 30 March 2017.

4. Notes with satisfaction the progress made by the RCI-LRA towards the elimination of the LRA, particularly through the operations conducted by the Regional Task Force (RTF), which have significantly degraded the fighting capacity of the LRA. In this regard, Council commends RCI-LRA troop contributing countries for their relentless commitment to defeat the LRA. Council also commends the troops of the RTF for their commitment in the fight against the LRA, pays particular tribute to the RTF soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice and those who have sustained injuries in line of duty;

5. Expresses its deep appreciation to all AU partners, notably the USA, the EU and the UN, for their continued support to the RCI-LRA and urges them to enhance their support, with a view to enabling the RTF to pursue and intensify its action towards the elimination of the threat that LRA continues to pose to the promotion of peace, security and stability in the region;

6. Stresses that, in spite of the progress achieved to date, the LRA has not yet been eliminated and still maintains the potential to rejuvenate itself, particularly, if the security vacuum following the withdrawal of the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the US Special Forces is not urgently filled, and if the current momentum and pressure by the RTF are not sustained;

7. Reiterates its deep concern over the continued criminal activities of the LRA, as well as over the negative impact of those conducted by CAR armed groups, notably the ex-Seleka (Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic or FPRC, and l'Union pour la Paix en Centrafrique or UPC), and Anti-Balaka, which undermine the peace process in that country and cause displacement of civilians, loss of lives and destruction of property, in the same theatre of LRA operations. In this regard, Council reaffirms its commitment to the elimination the LRA and all negative forces operating in the region, as well as to stabilize areas affected by the activities of this terrorist group;

8. Welcomes with appreciation the offer made by Uganda and South Sudan to train the CAR armed forces (FACA), with a view to enabling them to better contribute in the fight against the LRA. Council also welcomes the offer by Uganda to host the new RTF Headquarters in the north-western part of the country. In the same context, Council commends the partners, namely the EU and US, for the readiness they expressed to support the RTF Headquarters;

9. Requests the Commission to engage with the CAR authorities and other AU Member States, as well as with partners to assist in training, equipping, mentoring and sustaining of at least two FACA Battalions and four Formed Police Units, to enable them to assume a greater responsibility for the security and protection of civilians in the LRA-affected parts of their country;

10. Also requests the Commission to redouble its efforts in the stabilization and rehabilitation of the LRA-affected areas, including through implementation of peace strengthening and quick impact projects, within the context of the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Programme and the African Solidarity Initiative. Council stresses that, in the short term, this will enable the population affected by the activities of the LRA to enjoy peace dividends while, in the longer term, enabling RCI-LRA to win the hearts and minds of the population and deprive the LRA of human and logistical support;

11. Urges the UN Security Council to take into account the disarmament of the LRA in the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA);

12. Decides to renew the mandate of the RCI-LRA for further twelve (12) months until 22 May 2018, taking into account the need to realign the Concept of Operations (CONOPs) of the RTF with the latest developments on the ground, mainly the withdrawal of the UPDF and US Special Forces, and requests the Commission to take the necessary steps to expedite the review of the CONOPS and mobilize adequate resources to sustain the Initiative during this period;

13. Further requests the Commission to convene the next Summit of the RCI-LRA member countries, as soon as possible, with a view to providing the necessary guidance on the future configuration of the RCI-LRA;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Distributed by APO on behalf of African Union Peace and Security Department.

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Somalia: Big influx at nutritional feeding centres for children:

The nutritional feeding centre for malnourished children supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Baidoa, Somalia has more than twice as many young patients this year as one year ago, underscoring the large food needs in the country.

“One look at our nutritional feeding centre shows how high the needs are for Somalia’s children,” Dominik Stillhart, the global director of operations for the ICRC, said after visiting the feeding centre this week. “The good news is that assistance is coming in, but the needs are overwhelming.”

The nutritional feeding centre in Baidoa currently has 230 patients under the age of five. A year ago at this time it had 100 patients. Nationwide, the ICRC and Somali Red Crescent Society have seen an 80 percent increase in the number of malnourished children treated at its stabilization centres and clinics this year compared to last year (12,710 in January-April 2017 vs. 7,086 in January-April 2016).

“The humanitarian community must work as fast as it can to help the 6 million people in need in Somalia, including the 360,000 acutely malnourished children, in a way that assistance reaches those who really need it, wherever they are, and as soon and possible,” said Jordi Raich, the head of delegation for ICRC’s Somalia office.

The humanitarian community cannot repeat the mistakes of Somalia's 2011 famine, Raich said. A slow and at-times inefficient aid response resulted in too many deaths six years ago. Somalia's latest hunger crisis, though exacerbated by climate, is still man-made, and too many families are suffering because of it. The humanitarian community at large must efficiently deliver assistance where it is needed most to prevent thousands of avoidable deaths.

Distributed by APO on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

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