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For the past year, Blue Prism® (www.BluePrism.com), a global leader in intelligent automation, has donated resources to those most in need during the pandemic as part of its COVID-19 Response Program (https://bit.ly/31MgimF). COVID-19 struck industries quickly and with force and it was imperative that solutions were deployed rapidly to meet the challenges head on.

Blue Prism’s AI-powered robots have been at the forefront of this effort. By relieving humans from resource-heavy and time-consuming processes, Blue Prism technology (https://bit.ly/3ftOTO8) has enabled workers to focus on what really matters &#8211; high value, customer-centric care. Helping organisations across 14 industries so far, the program has been instrumental in keeping health workers stay safe with PPP supplies, helping small businesses stay afloat and people keep their jobs through accelerating loan applications, making it easier to record and report on essential statistics and in facilitating the remarkable effort to get vaccines in arms.

“From supporting front line health workers to maintaining business continuity in uncertain times, we are honored to have been able to give something back. Providing support through technology was an obvious way for us to help during this crisis, as we transitioned online to cope with the challenges that we all faced.” says Jon Theuerkauf, chief customer strategy &#038; transformation officer, Blue Prism.

The Response Program has donated more than 500 licenses, with a value of more than £4m worth of software, to help organisations under strain become more efficient and capable in handling the operational challenges they face. On average, across more than 60 projects, 8,000 hours have been saved by these organizations (equating to more than three years in human hours worked) per project, representing millions of pounds of financial return.

Through the donation of digital worker software licenses and services, organisations, who lacked access or means to implement or scale intelligent automation have been able to make use of best-in-breed technology or extend their existing services for free to alleviate the impact of the pandemic.

“Blue Prism’s free services allowed us to support even more teams during the pandemic. We used additional Blue Prism intelligent automation capacity to further alleviate our administrative burden so that our Suffolk Short Breaks team had more time in the field, helping families who needed support. The response program helped us to help others, when they needed it most.” says Richard Small, head of intelligent automation, Suffolk County Council.

Blue Prism is still helping organisations by donating digital worker licenses and services. Find out more (https://bit.ly/3dnNgif) about how you can apply to the COVID-19 Response Program.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Blue Prism.
Media Contact: Paul Taylor Blue Prism paul.taylor@blueprism.com
About Blue Prism: Blue Prism is the global leader in intelligent automation for the enterprise, transforming the way work is done. At Blue Prism, we have users in over 170 countries in more than 2,000 businesses, including Fortune 500 and public sector organisations, that are creating value with new ways of working, unlocking efficiencies, and returning millions of hours of work back into their businesses. Our digital workforce is smart, secure, scalable and accessible to all; freeing up humans to re-imagine work. Blue Prism’s vision is to provide a digital workforce for every enterprise. To learn more visit www.BluePrism.com and follow us on Twitter @blue_prism and on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Ppt1ZD).
© 2020 Blue Prism Limited. “Blue Prism”, the “Blue Prism” logo and Prism device are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Blue Prism Limited and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Technology with heart: Blue Prism’s COVID-19 impact

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Introducing the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the first of its kind in our continent. This will be basketball at its best, right here on African soil. Watch the BAL Hang Time Special Edition. Find out more on www.theBAL.com. You can also watch us on @theBAL Facebook and YouTube channel.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA). Media files

Introducing the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the first of its kind in our continent

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The AfCFTA Secretariat and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a strategic partnership to promote trade as a stimulus for Africa’s socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and as a driver of sustainable development particularly for women and youth in Africa, in line with the SDGs and Agenda 2063 common vison for the continent.

The agreement was sealed yesterday by the AfCFTA Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Wamkele Mene, accompanied by Ambassador Fatima Mohammed Kyari, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, and by the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa.
“The AfCFTA is beyond a trade liberalizing instrument. It is an enabler of inclusive growth and sustainable development,” said Mr. Wamkele Mene, who made the journey to New York for the historic occasion. “We must rebalance Africa’s role in global trade.  As African countries implement COVID-19 recovery plans, this collaboration with UNDP will drive momentum, on the ground in AfCFTA state parties, to ensure that women and youth are the leading beneficiaries of the AfCFTA.”
The partnership will leverage UNDP’s presence in all African countries, working in close collaboration with other UN entities, and includes direct support to the AfCFTA Secretariat through a financial grant of US$3 million. This will enhance AfCFTA Secretariat advocacy among policy makers, business, civil society, academia, youth and other stakeholders.
“UNDP is pleased to support the AfCFTA as a development enabler and accelerator that can move the continent beyond COVID-19 recovery, towards the Africa We Want and the Sustainable Development Goals,” emphasized Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa. “If we succeed, we will have contributed to creating stronger and more resilient inclusive and green economies in Africa characterized by rising incomes, jobs, more balanced trade, and better returns from Africa’s natural resources”
Trade is recognized as a mean of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 1963. The new collaboration aims to address inequalities, promote value addition and create jobs. As Africa trades more with itself, it will be essential to target critical hurdles faced in exporting within Africa such as SME export competitiveness; rules of origin; technical and product safety standards.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) &#8211; the world’s largest free-trade area &#8211; started trading on 1 January 2021, creating a market of 1.2 billion people and the eighth economic bloc in the world with a $3-trillion combined GDP, that is expected to more than double by 2050.
The partnership signing is part of a two-day official visit to New York by the AfCFTA Secretariat Secretary General. Since its launch, the AfCFTA has been ratified by 36 countries, and already possesses 90% of tariff offers and 34 services offers, which enables sound business and investment decisions in intra-African trade, strengthening accelerated action for trade as a means of implementation for the Africa We Want, and for the SDGs.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Media files

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and UNDP announce new partnership towards inclusive growth in Africa

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), launched a new project in Abuja, Nigeria, to raise awareness of the scourge of human trafficking among populations at risk in migration prone areas across the country. 

The 23 March launch marked the tenth anniversary of the Nigeria–Switzerland Migration Partnership. The partnership between the two countries began in February 2011 and has so far successfully implemented close to 50 projects dedicated to migration and border management, fighting trafficking in persons, and voluntary return and reintegration. 
Since 2017, IOM has assisted the voluntary return and reintegration of more than 21,500 Nigerian migrants, of which approximately 15 per cent are victims of trafficking from Libya, Mali, Europe and the Middle East, among others.  
Across West and Central Africa, IOM&#39;s counter-trafficking efforts focus on a ‘whole of route approach&#39;, aiming to eliminate the incentive of embarking on perilous journeys, and encourage stronger partnerships between the European Union and Africa in addressing irregular migration, exchange of information on migratory flows, prevent irregular migration and increase the capacities of border protection and improve protection in line with international law. 
The project was kickstarted by Karin Keller-Sutter, the Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland. 
“I believe this project is a perfect symbol of our current state of the migration partnership and, more importantly, our future cooperation,” said Keller-Sutter at the inauguration event. “We are not afraid to tackle difficult issues such as human trafficking jointly and we are doing it in an innovative, holistic and balanced partnership approach.,” she added. 
As part of creating awareness and promoting sustainable reintegration, IOM purchased and designed an awareness-raising travelling bus equipped with audio-visual and printed information to alert potential migrants risks and dangers that may rise with irregular migration Nigeria.  
“The Blue Bus is a one-stop shop where vulnerable migrants, including community members, can get information on risks associated with trafficking in persons, where to report cases, and on-spot counselling services,” said Prestage Murima, IOM Nigeria Officer in Charge.  
Since 2001, IOM has been supporting the efforts of the Government of Nigeria to manage migration through capacity-building, advisory services, and technical assistance on migration matters, including migration health and information, assisted voluntary return and reintegration, and counter-trafficking. Strong collaboration has been established with national migration stakeholders to enhance border management, fight trafficking in persons, reduce irregular migration, and mainstream migration in the country’s development plans.  
The project Preventing Trafficking in Persons through a Travelling Awareness-Raising Exposition is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration. 
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Organization for Migration (IOM). Media files

IOM Nigeria Joins Authorities to Launch New “Blue Bus” Project to Fight Human Trafficking

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) will today hand over a symbolic euro to the Government of Mali and UNESCO for damage inflicted on the people of Mali people and the international community by the destruction of cultural properties in Timbuktu in 2012.

The reparation, which will take place in a ceremony in Bamako, will give effect to the sentence passed in 2017 by the ICC on Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, who admitted responsibility for the destruction of several cultural properties in Timbuktu, a site inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1988. Several mausoleums as well as the sacred gate of the Sidi Yahia Mosque were completely destroyed at the time and some 4,200 ancient manuscripts were burned or stolen. Mr Al Faqi Al Mahdi was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay 2.7 million euros in reparations to the victims, including the community of Timbuktu, the population of Mali and the international community, which rallied around the reconstrutction of the buildings that was completed in 2015. 

Individual and collective reparations began last January. Considering the inestimable universal value of the destroyed buildings, the ICC ordered the symbolic payment of one euro to the Malian State and UNESCO respectively. 

UNESCO mobilized around the reconstruction of the ancient mausoleums, the rehabilitation of three mosques and the safeguarding of the ancient manuscripts that were saved with the support of the European Union and Switzerland. This UNESCO action was also made possible by a close partnership with the Malian authorities, the local communities and the masons&#39; guild of Timbuktu, as well as the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Mali and UNESCO to receive a “symbolic euro” in token reparation for the heritage of Timbuktu

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A partnership between the European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is marking four years of supporting over 12,000 vulnerable migrants, including children, to voluntarily return and re-establish their homes across the Horn of Africa. 

Over half that total—some 6,300 men, women and children—are migrants assisted to voluntarily return to their countries of origin in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan; having been stranded and detained in places like Libya.  
Those returnees are among the over 8,200 who received support to reintegrate into their communities. The programme, the ‘EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration’ (the EU-IOM Joint Initiative), has to date committed over EUR 56 million providing for migrants in the Horn of Africa.   
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 exacerbated risks experienced by migrants. As hundreds of air, land, and sea border closures were put into effect, those on the move in the region increasingly began using new and riskier migration routes. Migrants also experienced increased exploitation by smugglers. According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, 58 migrants died in the region on land at sea in 2020, many by choosing these dangerous journeys.    
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative is responding by increasing its assistance for the rehabilitation of supporting infrastructure in Djibouti – a key transit location – including the operation of mobile health clinics for migrants on the move. 
“The programme has gone a long way in bringing different parties towards the common goal of saving lives and allowing many of those who had been stranded to start afresh. It is fulfilling a critical need in a region with significant migration movements,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa. 
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative is also being implemented in West and Central Africa, and North Africa. The programme was launched in 2016 and followed on the Valetta Summit priorities and the urgent need to protect and save migrants’ lives. The EU-IOM Joint Initiative was subsequently expanded geographically and in scale to a trilateral partnership with 26 countries straddling key migration routes in the three regions.
By the time they arrive in their communities of origin in the region, many migrants will have received life-saving support through Migration Response Centres (MRCs) that provide food, medical care, shelter, counselling and other essentials in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. The MRCs are located along the main routes in the Horn of Africa and are supported by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative, together with other funders.   
Forty community projects targeting a total of 217,000 individuals are earmarked for the Horn of Africa, including a fruit tree nursery in Sudan; production of fodder, seed and sisal fibre in Ethiopia; and the rehabilitation of local government offices in Somalia. 
In late February 2021, an agreement was signed with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to strengthen cross-border child protection response in the region. The programme has also funded three experts assigned to the African Union Commission who will work in migrant protection and labour migration. 
“We are pleased that the secondees are already making an impact in strengthening cooperation with the AU and working to mobilise support for migrants,” said IOM’s Senior Programme Coordinator Julia Hartlieb. 
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative in the Horn of Africa is due to come to an end in 2022. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Organization for Migration (IOM). Media files

EU-IOM Joint Initiative Marks 4 Years of Supporting Thousands of Migrants Across the Horn of Africa

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A USD 2 million project –the largest ever funding from the Republic of Korea to IOM Nigeria– gained some important visibility last week (24/03) when the International Organization for Migration (IOM) kicked off a new project in Yola, Adamawa State.

The project aims to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), address its root causes and improve the provision of skill-building services for women and girls. With the establishment of the Multi-Purpose Community Hall (MPCH), IOM will provide a safe space for activities such as lay counselling, basic emotional support, skills development and other activities targeting especially children and teenagers.
The objective is to reach 100 persons per month while observing all COVID-19 prevention protocols. The MPCH will ultimately support women’s and girls’ psychosocial wellbeing, create social networks to reduce isolation or seclusion, enhance integration into community life, and generate conditions for their empowerment.
&#8220;The Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus is critical for addressing the humanitarian crisis across north-east Nigeria,” said Ambassador Kim Young-Chae of the Republic of Korea. &#8220;I hope that the MPCH will contribute to reducing the risks of GBV and addressing its root causes, while better providing capacity-building services for the vulnerable groups such as women and girls,&#8221; he added.
For over a decade, north-east Nigeria has grappled with an armed conflict which has left 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and worsened the living conditions of many more in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Adamawa is home to 209,125 IDPs.
According to the Nigeria Humanitarian Needs Overview 2020, GBV, including sexual violence, is widespread in the region, in part due to the ongoing conflict, insecurity, and living conditions in camps for IDPs and informal settlements and host communities. Generally, women and girls in Adamawa State have restricted mobility due to the ongoing conflict, exacerbated by the prevailing gender norms that tend to discriminate against women and girls.
“This project aims to benefit mainly women and girls, but also caters to the needs of other community members such as husbands, parents, religious leaders, and boys,” said Olga Rebolledo, IOM Nigeria´s Programme Manager for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS). “Engaging with these groups is important to mobilize community support so that women and girls are able to safely participate in all activities and also understand the purpose and benefits of the Multi-Purpose Community Hall,” she added.
To support the handover process of the Multi-Purpose Community Hall to the national authorities, a transition plan will be developed in close consultation with the community and other stakeholders, particularly the Adamawa State Government, who will be responsible for the centre following the completion of the project.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Organization for Migration (IOM).

IOM Opens New Facility to Promote Wellbeing and Protection of Conflict-Affected Women and Girls in North-East Nigeria

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Unaccompanied children have started to arrive in the coastal town of Pemba in northern Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, following last week’s brutal attacks by insurgents on Palma and surrounding areas, Save the Children said today. In the past few days, an estimated 3,100 people have fled Palma to the sea or to the bush, with an unknown number now in Pemba.

The agency has deployed a team of child protection and water and sanitation experts to Pemba port and airport, to support arrivals fleeing the recent violence. The organisation is especially looking out for unaccompanied children, who are travelling without family or the company of an adult. 
At 9 am on 28 March, the team saw a small boat with four people on board, including a 12-year-old boy, Amimo*, who was visibly scared and barefoot. Amimo told the team that he became separated from his family when his village was attacked on Wednesday, 24 March.
After providing him with food and safety, Amimo told the team:
&#8220;I was playing with my friends near my house. When the attacks started, I ran to my house and found my mother and brothers. I told my family to run away, but they said to wait. I didn&#39;t want to wait, so I ran to the beach because that is near my house. When I arrived at the beach, I found a boat carrying people. [It] was far from the shore, so I had to swim to the boat. When I got there, I was rescued and we left towards Pemba.&#8221;
The exact number of casualties after the recent violence in Palma, a town of about 75,000 people in Cabo Delgado province, is unclear. Many are still unaccounted for. Earlier this month, Save the Children heard from displaced families that children as young as 11 were being brutally murdered by insurgent groups.
Chance Briggs, Save the Children’s Country Director in Mozambique, said:
“Children have witnessed scenes of unimaginable and unspeakable horror. We cannot begin to imagine how they must be feeling, or the fear in their parent’s hearts. Separated children are particularly vulnerable and our teams are doing all they can to identify them and reunify them with their families as quickly as possible. I am incredibly proud of their commitment to ensuring no child is overlooked in this nightmare scenario. This is a terrible and horrific situation for children, for parents, for the community and for all the people in Cabo Delgado.”
“We are calling on the international community to release funds to support these children. They need urgent support, both to meet their basic needs – food, shelter, medical care – and to help them recover mentally from these attacks. This means psychosocial support by trained counsellors, and child protection case management for children who don’t know where their parents are.”
“Critically, all parties to this conflict must ensure that children are never targets. They must respect international humanitarian and human rights laws and take all necessary actions to minimise civilian harm, including ending indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks against children.”
Over 670,000 people are now displaced inside Mozambique due to the conflict in Cabo Delgado – almost seven times the number reported a year ago. At least 2,658 people have died in the conflict, including 1,341 civilians, although this number is likely to be higher after last week’s violence. The situation has seriously deteriorated over the past 12 months, with the escalation of attacks on villages and district capital towns. Cabo Delgado is also still reeling from consecutive climatic shocks, including 2019’s Cyclone Kenneth, the strongest cyclone to hit the northern part of Mozambique, and massive floods in early 2020.
Save the Children and its partners is responding to the needs of conflict- and cyclone-displaced children and their families in Cabo Delgado. The organisation’s response has directly reached over 118,000 people, including over 72,000 children, with child protection, education, health (including COVID-19), food security and livelihoods improvement, and water and sanitation programming.
*Name changed to protect identity
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.

Horror in Cabo Delgado: Unaccompanied children arrive in Pemba after violence

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Viral Facts Africa, a first of its kind African initiative to combat health misinformation online, was launched today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a network of fact-checking organizations and leading public health bodies. 

Viral Facts Africa will leverage the insights and reach of a unique network of 14 organizations to counter health misinformation as it spreads and to “inoculate” people against falsehoods. The initiative is starting with engaging health fact checks, explainers, myth busters and misinformation literacy messages that are optimized for sharing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“False claims can spread faster than COVID-19 itself, often because they are simple, visual and tap into our emotions. Viral Facts Africa aims to debunk myths fast right where they spread, and to help people sort life-saving facts from noise. Together, we can stop viral rumours by sharing viral facts,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Information on COVID-19 was shared and viewed over 16 billion times and mentioned more than 6 million times on Twitter and web-based news sites between November 2020 and March 2021 in the 47 countries of the WHO African Region, according to UN Global Pulse, The UN Secretary-General’s global initiative on big data and artificial intelligence. 
Similarly, in the WHO African Region mentions of vaccines rose by over 300% to over 675 000 between December 2020 and February 2021 when compared with the previous two months. The Viral Facts Africa launch comes as 90 million more COVID-19 vaccines are set to arrive in Africa in the coming months.  
Tracking the focus of misinformation circulating on social media is difficult, but African fact-checking organizations say they have debunked more than 1300 misleading reports since the onset of the pandemic. Widely shared misinformation includes conspiracies around unproven treatments, false cures and antivaccine messages. 
During the testing phase, Viral Facts Africa products were viewed over 20 million times on social media. All products are open for anyone to use and are available in English and French, with more languages planned. The initiative is managed by Fathm, an independent news laboratory and consultancy with global experience of anti-misinformation collaborations.
Viral Facts Africa is a part of the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), a WHO-hosted network that coordinates actions and pools resources to combat misinformation and fill information gaps around the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies in Africa. 
Launched in December 2020 with 12 organizations, AIRA brings together the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Verified, UN Global Pulse, WHO and the fact-checking organizations Africa Check, PesaCheck, Agence France Presse Fact Check, Dubawa and Meedan. The alliance is growing, with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Ghana Fact also recently joining. 
“COVID-19 is not over, and as vaccines are rolled out across Africa, mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing are still key to saving lives. We need a whole-of-society push to keep these messages fresh in people’s minds and everyone has a role to play as viral health misinformation costs lives,” said Dr Moeti.
Viral Facts Africa was launched at a workshop on health communications for leading African influencers from business, sports, the arts and the media hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the African Union, the Rockefeller Foundation, Access Challenge and WHO.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Viral Facts Africa initiative to combat dangerous health misinformation

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is deeply concerned about reports of continuing violence in Northern Mozambique that has displaced thousands of people, the majority of whom are women and children, from Palma to neighbouring districts. 

“We denounce in the strongest possible terms these reprehensible attacks on innocent civilians,” said IOM’s Director General António Vitorino.  “Our teams are helping survivors arriving in neighbouring districts and we are expanding our efforts to meet the growing needs as more people arrive from Palma. We urgently call upon the donor community to help us help the thousands of people fleeing armed men and burning villages.” 
IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix has registered 3,361 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 672 families, arriving by foot, bus, plane and boat from Palma to Nanagde, Mueda, Montpeuze districts, and Pemba city. More than three-quarters of those who have arrived are women and children. The number of people who have been displaced is likely significantly higher; thousands more are thought to be in the forest, making their way by foot to safer areas. 
A total of 670,000 persons have been internally displaced in northern Mozambique since the onset of violence in October 2017. The current situation exacerbates the vulnerabilities of a county already reeling from the impact of Cyclone Eloise in January, and past natural disasters. 
Survivors told IOM staff they fled into the forests as armed men killed their family members and burned their homes. Many were separated from their loved ones, leaving with just the clothes on their backs. Many people are reported missing. 
Twenty-eight-year-old Omar Adremar said he fled with his wife and 18-month-old child as the sounds of gunfire and grenades rang through the streets of Palma last Wednesday.  “We walked three hours through the forest in order to avoid the conflict areas,” he told IOM staff after arriving on a flight to Pemba this morning. “Many of my friends and neighbours escaped but others disappeared. We feel very sad about what happened.” 
IOM is running a large humanitarian life-saving operation to respond to the immediate needs of the IDPs and other vulnerable communities through the country and is scaling up its response to the sharply deteriorating situation in Northern Mozambique. 
IOM is preparing wheelchairs and crutches for the injured, distributing emergency medical supplies including masks, water buckets, water purifying tablets and soap to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and cholera, and is preparing basic shelter and household items for distribution.
Mental health, psychosocial counselling and protection assistance has already been provided to hundreds of displaced people. 
Camp Coordination and Camp Management teams are working with the Government of Mozambique to ensure that populations that come to temporary sites or relocation sites have access to services and protection.
IOM continues to track and assess displacement movements.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Organization for Migration (IOM).

IOM Denounces Reprehensible Attacks on Civilians in Mozambique, Delivers Assistance to Thousands

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Forty-three patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out at Quarantine Centers in Gash Barka, Southern Red Sea, Central and Southern Regions in the past three days.

Out of these, eighteen patients are from Quarantine Centers in Adibara (11), Om-Hajer (6), and Ali-Ghidir (1), in Gash Barka Region. Seventeen patients are from Ghibdo (10), Rahaita (6), and Assab (1), Southern Red Sea Region. Five patients are from Quarantine Centers in Asmara, Central Region.  The remaining three patients are from Mendefera, Southern Region.
On the other hand, twenty-three patients who have been receiving medical treatment in hospitals in the Central (18), and Southern Red Sea (5), Regions have recovered fully and have been discharged from these facilities.
The total number of recovered patients has accordingly risen to 2,993 while the number of deaths stands at nine.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country to-date has increased to 3,251.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea. Media files

Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (29 March 2021)

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Daily: Laboratory test: 7,840 Severe cases: 795 New recovered: 867 New deaths: 24 New cases: 1,982

Total: Laboratory test: 2,340,575 Active cases: 44,528 Total recovered: 155,190 Total deaths: 2,825 Total cases: 202,545
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. Media files

Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (29 March 2021)

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By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org).

“You may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise”. Maya Angelou was so right. These profound words do ring true today when we look at the recent coward attacks by terrorists against defenseless Mozambicans. There’s so much at stake in Mozambique, where the separatist militia known as Haul Sunnah Wa-Jamo (ASWJ) has stepped up its campaign to seize territory in Cabo Delgado, the country’s northernmost province.
On March 24, more than 100 ASWJ fighters attacked Palma, a town in Cabo Delgado, from three sides. Mozambique’s Defense and Security Forces, known locally as SDS, moved in quickly and mounted a counter-attack the next day, but they were not able to regain control immediately.
Moreover, they did not arrive in time to prevent Palma’s residents from violence and death. As of the time I’m writing this, the number of exact casualties is still unknown, but credible sources have reported that there are dead bodies on the streets of the town — and that some of the corpses have been beheaded.
High-Stakes Conflict
Mozambique’s government has strong incentives to push back against ASWJ, which has been staging deadly attacks in Cabo Delgado since 2017.
From a diplomatic and political standpoint, it is keen to preserve the territorial integrity of the country and quash the threat to the central government’s authority. (This is a sensitive issue, since many residents of Cabo Delgado feel marginalized and ignored by the government, even if they don’t view ASWJ as a viable alternative.)
From a geopolitical standpoint, it is intent on prevailing against a group that is serving as the local arm of the Islamic State, also known as Daesh. It’s not interested in letting the country become a haven for terrorism. And yes, this is terrorism – not fighting, not unrest, but terror. Sometimes we in the energy industry have to call it for what it is, no matter how careful we may want to be.
Mozambican leaders understand very well that launching a counterinsurgency push in Cabo Delgado against these extremists will not just defeat the tiny and desperate bands of armed terrorist. Instead, if experience in the rest of the world is any guide, it could transform these zeros into heroes.  It will embolden them and strengthen their resolve. And it will enable them to excel in their favorite role, that of persecuted martyr. We must win them over with carrots and sticks and transform communities.  Pretty smart thinking. They want to do this right and they want results and still keep the country together. We should support them.
From an economic standpoint, it is determined to eliminate obstacles to the development of the huge natural gas fields that lie off the coast of Cabo Delgado. These gas reserves have already attracted more than US50 billion worth of investment commitments from consortia led by major international oil companies (IOCs) such as France’s Total, Italy’s Eni, and U.S.-based ExxonMobil. Total and its partners have already devoted a great deal of time, effort, and money to the establishment of an onshore base and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on the Afungi Peninsula.
This complex, which is just a few kilometers away from Palma, will support upstream development work at the offshore block known as Area 1. It isn’t yet complete, though. If it can’t be finished, Total will have a hard time proceeding with its US20 billion Mozambique LNG project — and Eni and ExxonMobil will have a hard time following suit with their own South Coral LNG and Rovuma LNG projects. This is a real threat, given that Total had to suspend work and evacuated energy workers from the construction site in January, following a series of attacks near Palma in December. Indeed, it’s worth noting that the attack on Palma occurred shortly after reports emerged that Total was preparing to bring workers back before the end of March.
Terrorism and Human Suffering
But the threat to Mozambique isn’t just about gas. It isn’t just about money or security or power or territorial integrity.
It’s also about people. Human beings.
The conflict in Cabo Delgado is wrecking people’s lives on a vast scale. More than 700,000 people have already fled their homes in northern Mozambique, and the count is still rising. According to the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, the number could top 1 million by the middle of the year if the international community does not take steps to end the conflict.
Thanks to the support and encouragement from President Filipe Nyusi, his government and the governor of Cabo Delgado. I went to Cabo Delgado. The President and Mozambican officials ensured my delegation had complete and unfettered access to the region. Even during the attacks, I still had a team in Cabo Delgado.  I’ve seen this suffering firsthand. I paid a visit to a refugee camp in the region. I talked to people who have been hurt, who have seen their family members slaughtered by ASWJ fighters. I met children, some of them as young as 8 or 9 years old, who have been assaulted by terrorists.
And these traumatized souls are living in makeshift, flimsy facilities that are basically made of leaves!
I’m heartbroken and outraged. I’d like to say I’m hopeful that things will change soon, but the UNHCR’s forecast of an increase in the number of refugees over the next few months gives me pause. (It’s also sobering to hear that the UNHCR has only been able to raise 5% of the US254 million in funding that it sought for its work in Mozambique last November.)
Cabo Delgado Needs More Than Security
I’m not trying to give the impression that nothing is being done for Cabo Delgado and its people. That would not be fair or accurate.
With respect to security, Maputo has pledged to work with Total to establish a safe zone around the gas complex on the Afungi Peninsula. It will have to step up its efforts on this front, given that the attack on Palma occurred inside the perimeter of the designated zone, but it is seeking help. Also, earlier this month, Mozambique’s government invited U.S. military advisors and special forces into the country to deliver counter-terrorism training. It has also accepted an offer from Portugal, its former colonial ruler, to provide additional training for the Mozambican armed forces.
But this isn’t going to be enough.
Even though Mozambique’s government is committed to doing everything it can to bring real peace and stability to Cabo Delgado, it needs more support than it is currently getting. It will need ongoing support from the international community — not just in response to the most recent attacks, but for the long haul.
If it doesn’t get that, ASWJ will continue to wreak havoc and force people out of their homes, making terrorism the biggest cause of poverty in Mozambique. If there isn’t enough help — and if large-scale projects like Mozambique LNG no longer are an option to create jobs and grow the economy — the country will sink further into despair. Cabo Delgado’s people will feel even more marginalized. The country’s natural environment will continue to suffer damage, and there will be no one available to help.
Doing More — And Doing Better
So now more than ever, we have to find ways to combat terror in Cabo Delgado.
There has been talk about negotiations and giving amnesty to ASWJ members who give up the fight. And as I’ve already mentioned, there are plans to provide training and advisory services to Mozambique’s armed forces.
But we have to do more, and we have to do better — not just the international community, but all of us, as individuals and business leaders.
We can start by denouncing the evil that we’re seeing in Mozambique. We must condemn the assaults and the crimes that are being committed by the terrorists who seek to gain control of Cabo Delgado. We can’t just remain quiet, as if nothing consequential is happening there. We must give President Nyusi the necessary support and backing to fix this.
Right now, more than ever, the country needs our support and our voices, and our involvement. “Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise. Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear, I rise”. Concluded Maya Angelou. Energy workers, Palma, Cabo Delgado and Mozambique will rise out of this like the African sun rises everyday.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber. Media files

We Must Support Mozambique Overcome Terrorist Forces, Protect Lives, and Restore Hope (By NJ Ayuk)

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48 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-13 Kaduna-7 Nasarawa-7 Kano-6 Kwara-5 Ondo-4 Akwa Ibom-3 Osun-3

162,641 confirmed 150,466 discharged 2,049 deaths
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Media files

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (29 March 2021)

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Tests conducted: 9,819,994 Positive cases identified: 1,545,979 Total recoveries: 1,472,645 Total deaths: 52,710 New cases: 548
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa, Department of Health. Media files

Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 update (29 March 2021)

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As of 29th March 2021, we recorded 140 new cases out of 3,393 tests (4% positivity) and 117 recoveries. No deaths were reported.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). Media files

Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (29 March 2021)

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902 people have tested positive to the disease, from a sample size of 3,395 tested in the last 24 hours. Our positivity rate is at 26.6%. 

Total confirmed positive cases are now 131,116 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,472,230.
Nairobi has 707 cases, Nakuru 40, Uasin Gishu 39, Machakos 29, Kiambu 21, Kajiado 21, Kitui 12, Kilifi 9, Mandera 5, Laikipia 3, Nyeri 3, Makueni 2, Kakamega 2, Kirinyaga 1, Nandi 1, Siaya 1, Baringo 1, Bomet 1, Elgeyo Marakwet 1, Kwale 1, Taita Taveta 1 and Trans Nzoia 1.
407 patients have recovered from the disease, 237 are from Home Based and Isolation Care, while 170 are from various health facilities. Total recoveries now stand at 92,161.
18 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours all of them being late death reports from facility record audits that occurred on diverse dates. This now pushes our cumulative fatalities to 2,135.
CS Health, Senator Mutahi Kagwe;  I am aware that the demand for oxygen across the country has placed a burden on manufacturers to prioritize life-saving medical gas manufacturing at the expense of other sectors that also need industrial gas. I thank these sectors for their understanding in accepting this requirement on manufacturers. At the same time, I urge manufacturers to improve their capacity to serve all the needs across the various sectors of our economy.
One of the critical components in the fight against this virus is the oxygen supply to our patients.  As of today the number of patients admitted in hospitals has shot up to 1,270 in our various hospitals, while 4,620 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care.
The numbers in the Intensive Care Unit have also gone up to 137 with 36 of them on ventilatory support &#038; 91 on supplemental oxygen with another 10 on observation. 90 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen, 78 of them in general wards while 12 are in High dependency Unit.
Availability of oxygen remains low in public health facilities at 16%, and where available the supply is not optimal and lack the necessary distribution and delivery infrastructure. Aware that oxygen was going to be a critical factor in our Covid-19 response, we set up an oxygen task team from the deliberations of a COVID-19 taskforce committee meeting in the month of July last year. The objectives of the task team was among others to review the status of oxygen supply in the country particularly in designated COVID-19 national &#038; county facilities. The was also mandated to identify &#038; recommend suitable solutions to improve &#038; secure supply of medical oxygen.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

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