APO News from Africa:
As announced by the Secretary General of the United Nations yesterday, the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has confirmed that the bodies located and recovered by MONUSCO peacekeepers on 27 March are those of the two members of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Michael Sharp (United States) and Zaida Catalan (Sweden), missing since 12 March. The bodies of the experts were located in Kasai Central Province following weeks of intensive searching by MONUSCO with the support of the Congolese authorities.
“On behalf on the entire UN family in the DRC, I would like to express profound condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Michael and Zaida. Our thoughts also go out to the families and friends of the Congolese nationals who are still missing and MONUSCO has offered its support to the authorities in the ongoing search for these people” declared Maman Sambo Sidikou, head of MONUSCO.
“The perpetrators of this terrible crime need to be brought to justice. MONUSCO trusts that the authorities of the DRC will conduct a thorough investigation into their death and the United Nations stands ready to provide the support necessary to ensure that justice is done”, Mr Sidikou added.
MONUSCO wishes to recognize the efforts and dedication of the MONUSCO troops and police that so tirelessly searched for Michael and Zaida in extremely difficult circumstances. These search efforts have also been aided by excellent cooperation between all parties involved in the search and recovery efforts especially the authorities of the DRC, the United States and Sweden.
Mr. Sidikou concluded: “MONUSCO and the United Nations family in the DRC will continue to honour the work and dedication of Michael and Zaida as we pursue our common commitment to supporting a durable peace in the DRC, and particularly in the Kasais.”
Distributed by APO on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
Irish Government provides 7.2 million Euros to improve education to 150,000 children in Karamoja:
The Irish Government has provided €7.2 million – about Ush 27.5 billion – to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the Ministry of Education and Sports through the Gender Unit, to improve quality education for the most vulnerable children and adolescent girls across the Karamoja region.
The Irish Aid-supported programme will target almost 150,000 children in schools in Karamoja (76,606 boys and 57,834 girls from 283 primary schools and 6,716 boys and 4,891 girls in 23 secondary schools) – with a special focus on children at risk of dropping out of school and children with disabilities and special learning needs.
“This contribution from Ireland is critical in improving the skills and future of young people in Karamoja,” the Irish Ambassador, Dónal Cronin, said. “Education is key to the region’s development and this support, to be implemented by our partner UNICEF, is part of our ongoing efforts to empower some of the most vulnerable communities in Uganda.”
Children in the Karamoja region experience multiple vulnerabilities. Approximately 82 per cent of all 6 to 17 year old children in Karamoja are living in poverty and are deprived of at least two or more basic services.
For example, the average rates for primary school completion and transition to secondary school are 14 per cent and 25 per cent in Karamoja compared to the national average of 67 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.
The persistent challenges of low enrolment, poor quality education, teacher absenteeism, and the absence of flexible alternative education opportunities to meet needs mean that dropout rates remain a problem in Karamoja. In some communities, education is not given much value and children, especially girls, are subjected to child marriages, female genital mutilation, child trafficking and child labour.
The Irish support will therefore focus on enhancing teacher effectiveness; strengthening school management; assessing and monitoring learning outcomes; addressing issues of violence in schools; strengthening girls’ education; and promoting peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive education. The support will also address cultural and social practices that continue to undermine inclusive and quality learning.
The five year programme aims to reduce gender gaps in enrolment and completion; improve learning outcomes in basic education; increase the transition of students from primary school to secondary school; and increase awareness within families and communities on the importance of investing in education for both girls and boys.
“This support from the people of Ireland will help thousands of children to stay in school and have a higher quality education, especially adolescent girls who have a critical role in transforming the living conditions of their families and communities in the future,” said Ms. Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Uganda.
“Given every additional year in school can increase that child’s future income by up to 10 per cent, this programme will greatly improve the futures of thousands of children as well as the Karamoja region as a whole.”
Ireland has supported improved education access and quality in the Karamoja sub-region for many years now, including most recently the rehabilitation of 21 primary schools across all seven districts. In addition to this support to UNICEF, Irish Aid also provided €150,000 to UNICEF to enhance gender equality in access to services and opportunities in the education sector in ten districts of Busoga region and seven districts of Karamoja.
Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
Oakbay comments on the real reasons for finance minister’s court action:
Ronica Ragavan, Acting CEO of Oakbay Investments (http://OakbayInvestments.co.za), comments on today’s events in Court:
“The ulterior motives of the Finance Minister have been made very clear in Court today. He has used an irrelevant and fundamentally flawed list of transactions to further his warfare against Oakbay and its shareholders. Even worse, he has used both his office and the resources of the State to pursue this.
“The reason the Minister is using Oakbay as a pawn for his own political purposes is a mystery to us. Perhaps it is to try and protect the banking sector from future scrutiny into its conduct. Either way, it is reckless and inappropriate.
“We look forward to the judgement and are confident that common sense will prevail.”
Distributed by APO on behalf of Oakbay Investments Ltd.
Contact: corpcomm@oakbay.co.za
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
