Day: February 19, 2023

ADDIS ABABA — Comorian President Azali Assoumani on Saturday took over the rotating African Union (AU) chairmanship at the opening of the 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly.

Assoumani replaces the outgoing chairman, also Senegalese President Macky Sall. In his acceptance speech, the Comorian president emphasized the need to exert concerted efforts toward the betterment of Africa and its people.

Noting the ongoing continental and global uncertainties, Assoumani called for concerted efforts to enable Africa’s recovery in the post-COVID-19 economy and to better enable the continent to face the negative impacts of the crisis in Ukraine. “While our countries were barely emerging from the most serious health crisis the world has ever known, COVID-19, they are bearing the brunt of the consequences of this new Russian-Ukrainian crisis,” the Comorian president said.

This year’s AU summit from Feb. 18 to 19 under the theme of “The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation,” has brought together African leaders, UN officials, and leaders of various international organizations at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

Source: Nam News Network

SUBANG (Selangor, Malaysia)— Malaysia’s first humanitarian aid delivery mission to Syria which was hit by an earthquake earlier this month, took off Saturday night aboard an A400 transport aircraft belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

A special flight involving 51 crew and other representatives from various ministries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) took off at about 10.15 pm from the Subang RMAF Air Base.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said 42 tonnes of humanitarian aid items collected from Malaysians since Feb 15 were brought on board the plane.

“The items include ready-to-eat food, baby items, medical supplies, generators, clothes and blankets, personal protective equipment, tents, carpets and indoor separators.

“The flight time to Syria will be about 17 hours and 30 minutes, passing through the airspace of several countries and involving two technical stops, and is expected to land at Damascus International Airport tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon,” according to the statement.

The statement also thanked all Malaysians who responded to the call to lend aid to the earthquake victims in Syria.

It said that the close cooperation among Government ministries and agencies, the security forces as well as NGOs since Feb 15 ensured the smooth running of the collection and delivery process.

“Among the NGOs that have also made this mission a success are the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, MERCY Malaysia, BeVital Ihsan Johor, RED A Humanitarian, Malaysia For Syria, WISMA PUTRA Global Peace Mission, MAHAR, MCRD, Shine Catholic Church, Yemeni School Foundation and Syrian People Malaysia,” read statement.

Meanwhile, a journalist from the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Siti Zanariah Nor Zin, also joined the aid mission team to provide coverage from Syria.

Siti Zanariah said this was not the first time she had covered a natural disaster situation abroad but was nonetheless excited about the mission.

“I hope that the items being brought from here to Syria can be distributed well to the affected victims and hopefully this aid can ease the burden they are facing,” she said before leaving.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb 6 has claimed thousands of lives.

Source: Nam News Network

ADDIS ABABA— United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday said multiple inter-linked challenges are confronting the world with Africa facing major challenges.

“I recently addressed the UN General Assembly on the multiple, inter-linked challenges confronting our world – greater than any in our lifetimes,” Guterres said while addressing the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.

Guterres said the dysfunctional and unfair global financial system that is failing developing countries and the deep inequalities as well as the less availability of resources to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic were among the major challenges to Africa.

He said a cost-of-living crisis – exacerbated by the consequences of the Ukraine crisis and climate chaos, is putting communities and lives at risk and displacing millions.

Guterres stressed the need for developing nations to have a far greater voice in global institutions including the UN Security Council. “They (developing nations) should have a far greater voice in global institutions – including financial institutions. The Security Council, the Bretton Woods system are typical examples where Africa is dramatically under-represented.”

According to Guterres, multilateral development banks should transform their business model and accept a new approach to attract greater flows of private capital into the African continent.

Guterres said even though African countries are least responsible for ongoing climate crises, the people on the continent are feeling the most devastating impacts of climate change. “The brutal injustice of climate change is on full display with every flood, drought, famine and heat wave endured on this continent,” he said.

Source: Nam News Network

GOMA (DR Congo)— Hundreds of displaced women in Goma called for the departure of the rebel group M23 and an end to the violence in Eastern Congo. The women said they’re suffering from hunger and their children have been unable to attend school.

With babies on their back, they chanted slogans and carried signs demanding justice and peace. “M23 makes us suffer. We are hungry, even our husbands have been killed,” said Kasikiti Asuta, 42, displaced mother of four children.

The conflict in eastern Congo has gone on for decades, with more than 100 armed groups fighting for control of valuable mineral resources while others protect their communities, and has triggered an exodus of refugees.

The demonstration took place while the East African Heads of State were meeting in Addis Ababa at a special summit to discuss the security issue in eastern DRC. The day before the protest, the Congolese army clashed with M23 rebels a few kilometres from the Goma.

Thursday evening, the Congolese army denounced the attack against its positions by the M23, in violation of the ceasefire as recommended by the East African Heads of State, at a recent Burundi Summit.

Earlier in December, the United Nations accused the rebels of being responsible for massacring more than 130 civilians in two villages.

Source: Nam News Network

HATAY (Turkiye)— Former Ghana international Christian Atsu was found dead on Saturday under the rubble of his home, almost two weeks after a devastating earthquake in Turkiye.

Atsu, 31, was caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkiye and Syria on Feb 6, killing more than 43,000 people in both countries.

There were initial reports the former Chelsea and Newcastle player had been rescued a day after the quake, but these turned out to be false.

His manager in Turkiye, Murat Uzunmehmet, told DHA news agency on Saturday that his body had been found under the rubble of luxury flats that crumbled in the Turkish southern province of Hatay.

“We have reached his lifeless body. His belongings are still being removed. His phone was also found,” Uzunmehmet told DHA.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I have to announce to everyone the body of Christian Atsu was found this morning,” his Ghana agent Nana Sechere tweeted.

Ghana’s ministry of foreign affairs said it had “received the unfortunate news”.

“The elder brother and twin sister of Christian Atsu and an officer of the (Ghanaian) embassy were present at the site when the body was recovered,” the ministry said in a statement.

Atsu scored the last of his 33 career goals for Hatayspor in Turkey’s Super Lig on Feb 5, hours before the quake struck.

“There are no words to describe our sadness,” tweeted his Turkish top-flight club.

“We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person.”

Earlier in his career he spent four seasons at Chelsea, mostly out on loan, before a permanent transfer to Newcastle in 2017.

On Saturday, Atsu’s wife Marie-Claire Rupio and his three children were in the stands at St James’ Park to join the tribute to the player before Newcastle’s Premier League match against Liverpool.

With Atsu’s face displayed on the video scoreboard and fans chanting “you’ll never walk alone”, Rupio wiped away tears during a moving minute’s applause from the 52,000 capacity crowd as one fan held up a Newcastle shirt bearing the star’s name.

Chelsea issued a statement declaring: “It is with enormous sadness that Chelsea Football Club receives the news that Christian Atsu is confirmed as one of the many victims of the dreadful earthquake in Turkiye and Syria.”

On the international stage Atsu earned the first of his 65 senior caps with Ghana in 2012.

At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations he scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Guinea in the quarter-finals. The Black Stars reached the final, losing on penalties to the Ivory Coast with Atsu picking up both the Player and the Goal of the tournament awards.

He was also part of the Ghana squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Search and rescue workers found Atsu’s body where he was staying at Ronesans Residence, a block of high-rise luxury flats that toppled over in Antakya city in Hatay.

Turkish police arrested the building’s contractor at Istanbul airport last week as he appeared to be heading to Montenegro, according to state news agency Anadolu.

African football rulers CAF said they mourned “the tragic passing of Christian Atsu” while Ghana’s Football Federation noted “the sad news” had come “after almost two weeks of emotional torture”.

Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo said “football has lost one of its finest ambassadors, one who will be difficult to replace”.

Source: Nam News Network