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Category: Africa

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Cyril Ramaphosa on a guided tour of the South African Creative Industries Incubator

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    President Cyril Ramaphosa
    on a guided tour of the South
    African Creative Industries
    Incubator (SACII) in Pretoria.

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZRgRODjxjo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the National Dialogue

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the National Dialogue

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqhJKAALloE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Artificial Intelligence Models Improve Efficiency of Battery Diagnostics

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL-Developed Neural Networks Uncover New Insights Into Battery Health

    NREL’s battery researchers are turning to cutting-edge artificial intelligence models to optimize battery performance for a new generation of energy storage. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

    Resilient energy systems depend on reliable batteries. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries powering our world must endure the steady strain of time, charge cycles, and environmental conditions that gradually wear them out through degradation.

    Understanding the health of a battery can help manufacturers, researchers, and consumers alike optimize its lifetime performance. Yet diagnosing a battery’s state of health is no easy feat, as each cell is a complex system of chemical reactions and physical changes that standard evaluation models struggle to capture with speed and precision.

    National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers have developed and demonstrated a groundbreaking physics-informed neural network (PINN) model that can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models.

    “Li-ion battery lifetime and aging dynamics vary significantly with chemistry, operating conditions, cycling demands, electrode design, and operational history, which makes optimal handling, design, and maintenance difficult,” said Kandler Smith, who leads electrochemical modeling and data science research at NREL. “It’s especially difficult to understand the physical degradation mechanisms of a battery during use without opening it up. We need reliable methods to check in on batteries’ internal state in a nondestructive way.”

    NREL’s PINN replaces the traditional, resource-intensive battery physics model with a powerful artificial intelligence approach that mimics the interconnected neurons of our brains to analyze nonlinear, complex datasets. This deep learning process can enhance battery health diagnostics by quantifying physical degradation mechanisms and pave the way for more efficient, scalable approaches to manage battery aging.

    Traditional Models and Limitations

    NREL researchers have created a vast array of battery lifespan models to diagnose battery health, predict battery degradation, and optimize battery designs. For years, the team has been on the cutting edge of physics-based machine learning techniques to optimize predictive modeling for advanced battery research.

    Two such models, the Single-Particle Model (SPM) and the Pseudo-2D Model (P2D), are widely used and accepted approaches to providing a window into how a battery’s internal health parameters—such as electrode inventory and kinetics, Li-ion inventory, and Li transport paths—evolve over time. However, directly using these models is an intensive process that requires massive amounts of computations and limits their ability to offer rapid diagnostics.

    “Instead of a physics model, we proposed a PINN surrogate model to separate out a battery’s internal properties from its output voltage,” said NREL Computational Science Researcher Malik Hassanaly, who collaborated closely with the battery research team. “This approach drastically reduces the computational time and resources required, allowing researchers to quickly diagnose battery degradation and provide real-time feedback on battery health.”

    The NREL-developed PINN surrogate combines the predictive power of artificial intelligence with the rigor of physics-based modeling. The resulting two-part study published in the Journal of Energy Storage demonstrates how researchers trained and tested the PINN surrogate using conventional SPM and P2D models. This multifaceted approach allowed NREL researchers to train the PINN surrogate on a wide range of internal battery properties. The resulting open-source model offers critical insights into changes that occur during battery aging, helping quickly estimate how long a battery might last in a different setting.

    What makes this development especially revolutionary in battery research is the integration of physics-informed principles into neural networks. Traditional neural networks are data-driven models that excel at pattern recognition but often lack the ability to enforce physical laws, which are crucial for accurately simulating battery behavior. PINNs, however, are designed to understand and follow these physical laws by embedding them directly into the model’s training procedure, enabling it to predict battery parameters with a level of scientific rigor previously achievable only by complex, time-intensive models. With the PINN surrogate, techniques typically constrained by high resource requirements can now be applied on a broad scale, bringing real-time insights into battery health within reach.

    Applications and Next Steps

    The success of NREL’s PINN surrogate offers wide-ranging implications. For battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate can provide rapid state-of-health predictions, allowing for faster decision-making across battery applications. By drastically lowering the computational barriers to battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate model paves the way for widespread, scalable, and efficient energy storage management—helping ensure energy is available when and where it is needed.

    “This approach unlocks new capabilities in battery diagnostics, paving the way for onboard diagnostics of batteries in use,” Smith said. “This means that batteries of the future may include systems to extend their useful life by identifying degradation signals and adapting fast-charge limits with age.”

    Currently, researchers are working to transition the PINN surrogate from controlled simulations to real-work data validation, using batteries cycled within NREL’s laboratories. By bridging this gap, researchers hope to deploy PINN-based diagnostics across a wide range of battery systems, enhancing battery performance monitoring and extending lifespans. Future research will focus on refining the PINN model to handle highly dimensional problems, allowing it to predict a broader array of internal battery parameters with increased precision. This means creating models that can both respond to diverse current loads and scale effectively to future battery designs and usage patterns.

    Learn more about NREL’s energy storage and transportation and mobility research. And sign up for NREL’s quarterly transportation and mobility research newsletter to stay current on the latest news.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Represents U.S. at U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    More than 100 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from 16 African countries and the United States discussed advances across a broad range of multi-disciplinary topics, including Biotechnology, New Solutions for Decarbonization, Advances in Space Research, Smart and Connected Cities, and Precision Agriculture. UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin has served as a distinguished member of the Oversight Committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since its inception.

    Sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S.-Africa program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and the member countries of the African Union to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of the meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the U.S., including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.

    Laurencin, an internationally recognized scientist, engineer, and surgeon, is actively involved in Africa through his work with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and other African scientific organizations. He has been a fellow of the AAS since 2012. Laurencin also participated in the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine symposium, contributing to discussions on research collaboration and scientific exchange between African countries. He also spoke at the 2024 Galien Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on the role of women in STEM in addressing environmental crises in Africa.

    Laurencin is a fellow of the Senegalese Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the Benin National Academy of Science and Arts. He received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Laurencin received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, becoming the first American to earn this prestigious award. The ceremony took place during the Africa Union Heads of States Summit located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named for him at the University of Connecticut. A shoulder and knee surgeon, he is a pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. In receiving the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP named him the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He is the first surgeon elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Book Launch

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    Book Launch

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvYOSmTW6Wc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Launch of Zibusiso Mkhwanazi Book

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    Launch of Zibusiso Mkhwanazi Book

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkXJHK6pdv4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Nine Albertans to receive Alberta’s highest honour

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Violent looting prompts permanent closure of MSF hospital in Ulang, South Sudan News Jun 10, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced today its decision to permanently close its hospital in Ulang, in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, as well as withdraw support for 13 primary health facilities in the county due to safety and security concerns. 

    MSF suspended all medical services on April 14, 2025 after armed individuals forced their way into the hospital and its offices, threatened staff and patients, and violently looted and destroyed property throughout the facility.

    The hospital’s infrastructure, in which MSF had invested millions of dollars, was completely destroyed. In addition, intruders looted medicines worth over $150,000—enough to run the hospital for months and care for thousands of patients. This has left the hospital in ruins and unable to function.

    “They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients’ beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months’ worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before,” said Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan. “Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed.” 

    “The extensive losses from the looting have left us without the necessary resources to continue operations,” Mwatia added. “We have no other option but to make the difficult decision to close the hospital and [halt] our support for 13 primary health care facilities, as they all relied on the hospital for medical supplies, referrals, and technical support.” 

    A string of attacks on health care

    This was the second attack on MSF in the area in less than three months. In January, two clearly marked MSF boats were shot at by unknown gunmen on their way to Ulang after delivering medical supplies to Nasir County Hospital, forcing everyone on board to jump into the water and swim to safety. Less than a month after the looting, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, forcing MSF to suspend activities.

    Such attacks on health care facilities severely disrupt access to health care services for communities that depend on MSF for medical assistance. The closure of MSF facilities has left the area—which spans more than 124 miles from the Ethiopian border to Malakal—without any secondary health care facility. Pressure has increased significantly on the few remaining health structures, especially in Malakal, which has recorded an influx of patients in recent weeks.

    “The security situation in the area remains volatile, with ongoing clashes in neighboring regions,” Mwatia said. “MSF prioritizes the safety of its staff and patients and the integrity of our services, but the current environment makes it impossible to ensure either. We are deeply concerned by the growing trend of attacks on health care and the devastating impact this has on communities. We urgently call for the protection of patients, health care workers, and medical facilities at all times.”

    MSF remains committed to communities

    Since its launch in 2018, the MSF project in Ulang has provided vital health care services to over 150,000 people across Ulang County. This included running a secondary care hospital and supporting 13 primary health care facilities throughout the region. Over the past seven years, MSF has carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 maternal deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also facilitated patient referrals by boat along the Sobat River, provided support to Nasir County Hospital, and responded to multiple emergencies and disease outbreaks.

    Despite these closures, MSF remains committed to responding to the health care needs of displaced and vulnerable people in Ulang and Nasir counties. A mobile emergency team is assessing the needs and preparing to provide short-term health care services along the Sobat Corridor, wherever security conditions allow. MSF continues to provide health care services in its other projects in Upper Nile State, including in Malakal and Renk counties, and in other locations across South Sudan.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Children in Darfur, Sudan, urgently need immunisation as measles spreads

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Port Sudan – For a year now, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Darfur, Sudan, have been witnessing outbreaks of measles in the four Darfur states where we currently work. While massive vaccination campaigns are finally ongoing in several locations across the region, MSF calls on health authorities and medical organisations to increase efforts to catch up on the immunisation of children who have never been vaccinated.

    The first surge of measles cases observed and treated by MSF were in June 2024 in Rokero, in Central Darfur, where MSF teams have been running the local Ministry of Health hospital since 2020. At the start of 2025, cases were also reported in East Jebel Marra, South Darfur, and in Forbrenga, West Darfur. More recently, new surges are also being observed in Zalengei, Sortony, and in Tine, East Chad – all places where we run activities.

    From June 2024 until the end of May 2025, more than 9,950 patients were treated for measles in health facilities run or supported by MSF in the region. Around 2,700 were complicated cases requiring hospitalisation, and 35 deaths were recorded. To manage the influx of patients, we had to expand our paediatric bed capacity in three hospitals.  

    One of the root causes of this situation is the region’s already low immunisation coverage. 

    “In Forbrenga, 30 per cent of the measles patients we are receiving are above five years but only 5 per cent of them are vaccinated,” says Sue Bucknell, deputy head of mission in West Darfur. “This suggests that the lack of vaccination dates back further than the recent conflict.” 

    “The ongoing conflict is also contributing to this outbreak, constraining the capacities of medical staff to both prevent and respond to outbreaks of contagious diseases,” says Dr Cecilia Greco, medical coordinator for Central Darfur. “Mass population displacement has made the illness spread even faster across the region, further complicating the situation.”  

    Since the war broke out, constant administrative impediments and regular blockades of key supply roads have caused vaccine shortages throughout Darfur. This led to disruption in routine immunisation programmes in several locations, sometimes for months. In Sortony, for example, an internally displaced people’s camp in North Darfur hosting more than 55,000 people, vaccination activities totally stopped from May 2024 to February 2025.

    One of the three extensions, in which MSF teams treat severe cases of measles. On this day, 11 patients were sharing the 10 available beds. Since June 2024, our teams witness an ongoing outbreak of measles in North Jebel Marra. Over the past ten months, MSF treated more than 1,900 patients – mostly children under 5 – and has registered 11 deaths. Medical data gathered by our teams shows that the 70% of children we admitted, were never vaccinated.
    Thibault Fendler/MSF

    These constraints and shortages have also limited medical organisations’ capacity to roll out proper response campaigns. Last year, MSF carried out several vaccination campaigns, such as in November 2024 in North Jebel Marra where 9,600 children were vaccinated. 

    However, due to limited vaccine supplies, our teams were forced to reduce the target number and to exclude children over age five, despite clear needs. This inevitably reduced the long-term impact of these campaigns. In North Jebel Marra, while the vaccination campaign initially slowed the outbreak, cases began to rise sharply again from February.

    Although mass vaccination campaigns are now happening in different parts of Darfur, negotiations and procedures have been lengthy. After MSF first raised the alarm about the multiple surges our teams were witnessing, it took months before the Federal Ministry of Health in Port Sudan and UNICEF released the needed vaccines from their stocks, finally enabling mass vaccination campaigns to be launched in different areas of Darfur. 

    Last week, 55,800 children from age nine months to 15 years were vaccinated in Forbrenga as part of a campaign led by the Ministry of Health and supported by MSF. Around 93,000 more children are set to receive the vaccine in North Jebel Marra and Sortony by the end of this week, in a similar campaign.

    “Even if they represent a certain achievement, these campaigns should have happened much sooner. Many measles cases and their consequences could have been prevented,” says Dr Greco. “And as much as they are needed, such reactive campaigns are only a band-aid to an open wound unless massive efforts are put in place on immunisation and prevention across Darfur, including its most remote areas.”

    There is the threat of further outbreaks of disease unless such efforts are initiated.

    “Measles is not the only contagious illness currently present in Darfur with the potential to turn into outbreaks,” says Bucknell. “Over the last 10 days, about 200 suspected cholera cases were brought to MSF-supported health facilities in two different Darfur states. This follows a significant cholera outbreak in Khartoum state and other parts of Sudan.”

    “It is essential that federal and local health authorities, UN agencies and all medical organisations on the ground collaborate, not only to catch up on the vaccination of all the children left behind by immunisation programmes over the years, but also to enhance their ability to respond quickly and efficiently should any other outbreaks, like cholera, start spreading over Darfur,” says Dr Greco. “This includes the capacity to supply vaccines in and across Sudan, without facing the same impediments.”   

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Youth Fund empowers Eastern Cape youth 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Eastern Cape Provincial Government has made strides in empowering young entrepreneurs, through the Isiqalo Youth Fund, an initiative that is aimed to support legally registered, youth-owned businesses across the province.

    The fund is part of a broader strategy to foster youth development, promote entrepreneurship, and create sustainable employment opportunities in the province.

    Launched in June 2019, the fund forms part of a broader provincial strategy aimed at fostering youth development, promoting entrepreneurship, and creating sustainable employment opportunities.

    The fund provides both financial and non-financial support to businesses that are still in the early stages of growth.

    To ensure accessibility, the Office of the Premier opens an annual application window, allowing young entrepreneurs to submit their proposals via a dedicated online portal. The call for applications is widely publicised through official websites, social media platforms, and municipal public notice boards across the province.

    According to the provincial government, the initiative has already yielded tangible impact, with a total of 82 youth-owned businesses having been approved for support through the Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme during the previous term.

    Of these, 22 enterprises have received funding, with over R12 million disbursed. The remaining 60 entrepreneurs have been identified in the programme pipeline and are scheduled to receive financial support during the current financial year.

    “In addition to financial support, the initiative will offer business development training, mentorship, and market linkage facilitation to help improve the sustainability and growth potential of the supported enterprises,” the provincial government said.

    Efforts are also underway to strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanism to better track the impact of the fund and enhance accountability.

    Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, highlighted the province’s commitment to expand the reach and impact of the programme through deeper collaboration with financial institutions and private sector partners.

    He added that public awareness campaigns will be intensified to ensure that more young people are informed about the fund and can benefit from the initiative.

    “Isiqalo Youth Fund is not just about disbursing money, it is about building a new generation of confident, capable entrepreneurs who can transform their communities.

    “Young business owners across the Eastern Cape are urged to stay informed about future application windows, by following updates on official government platforms,” Mabuyane said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Presidential Youth Initiative continues to empower SA’s most excluded youth

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) is not only curbing youth unemployment but reshaping labour market access for South Africa’s most excluded youth, with government now working to elevate the programme to new heights.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa witnessed the impact of the programme on Tuesday when he visited the Sefako Makgatho Primary School in Saulsville, Tshwane, to interact directly with beneficiaries, educators and learners. 

    “I’m glad to be here and to see you all. When I made the announcement a little while ago that we will be having up to 200 000 of you in all our schools, I did expect that you would all be coming through, and now I can see that you are real people, that you exist. 

    “We are so delighted to have you as our teacher assistants, you are assisting in our schools [and] a very important area of our nation’s lives, education. You are the ones who are going to be preparing these young people for the future of our country that we all desire,” the President told the young teacher assistants. 

    The President acknowledged the difficult socio-economic challenges young people face and highlighted government’s efforts to expand opportunities.

    “I’m delighted that it is through you, young people, that we are doing this. Yes, I know that your own situation is not the most ideal. We are working very hard to create more permanent positions for you in many, many ways in the economy. 

    “When government is dealing with these problems, it also initiates programmes like this one. We have up to now brought in almost two million of you as young people into this type of programme. 

    “I am proud to be working with Ministers and Deputy Ministers in departments, who have taken this whole process of creating job opportunities very seriously,” the President said. 

    He told the teacher assistants that what they are doing is very important to the country and government continues to invest money in youth initiatives meant to benefit young South Africans.

    “We devote a lot of money and effort to education, and you are the products of that. We now need to take you to the next level, and we will work very hard to take you to the next level, where you will get more permanent jobs and better livelihoods, so you can support your own families,” the President said. 

    He lauded the BEEI as a phenomenal programme, which has been able to employ more than two million young people since its inception. It is an overarching programme that covers over 25 000 schools across the country. 

    According to President Ramaphosa, the initiative also develops discipline, management, and interpersonal skills among participants. These skills are essential for success in future employment. 

    “That, to me, is hugely empowering for these young people, and we’ve had more than two million of them, and of course, we would want it to be much longer than what it is now. It’s a question of not having sufficient resources to be able to extend it beyond [that]. 

    “But those who participate are then empowered and beyond this, they are then able to get other jobs, get other opportunities. They are now job ready, as it were, and that is a great benefit of what we are doing here. 

    The President added that the programme is becoming a world-renowned programme.

    “Many other countries are looking at what we are doing here and some of them are going to copycat what we are doing… So, we are trailblazers in many ways,” he said. 

    President Ramaphosa praised the integrity of the programme, saying it has been “flawlessly executed” with the dedicated leadership within the Presidency and Departments of Basic Education and Employment and Labour.

    Two young teacher assistants, who are currently benefiting from the programme, shared the same sentiments with the President, confirming that the initiative has made a huge difference in their lives. 

    Joshua Given Machete told SAnews that he was grateful for the opportunity to become part of the labour market through the Basic Education Employment Initiative. 

    “I have benefited by getting employed as a curriculum assistant and I really appreciate the opportunity by our President, as well and the Department of Basic Education for initiating this. 

    “I work in the classroom, doing basic classroom management while the teachers focus on teaching. 

    “This programme contributes to human dignity in a sense that you are now able to look after yourself and buy the things you need. Economically, it has made a difference in my life and I’m going to use some of the stipend to further my studies. 

    “I encourage unemployed young people not to lose hope and keep on applying for programmes such as these. The President has promised that there will be more opportunities,” he said. 

    Valria Ndleve told SAnews that she is employed as an education assistant at WF Nkomo, helping teachers and learners. 

    “My job is to assist the teachers and learners in the classroom. This initiative is going to assist me personally and professionally. I am now financially stable and gaining experience at the same time,” she said.

    The BEEI is a flagship programme of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), designed to address the dual challenges of youth unemployment and support, for the basic education system by placing young people in roles within public schools as education and general school assistant. 

    The programme is implemented by the Department of Basic Education and administrated by the Industrial Development Corporation.

    This visit is part of President Ramaphosa’s programme to engage with youth beneficiaries of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) and Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) flagship programmes in Pretoria.

    He began the visit at the Sefako Makgatho Primary School in Saulsville. He then proceeded to South African Creative Industries Incubator (SACCI) in Eersterust and ended at the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) in Pretoria East. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President reaffirms commitment to global diplomacy 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to global diplomacy, describing the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit as a critical opportunity to strengthen international partnerships and promote the country’s leadership within the G20.

    Speaking to members of the media during a visit to Sefako Makgatho Primary School in Saulsville, Pretoria, the President confirmed that South Africa had been officially invited to attend the G7 by Canada, this year’s chair of the summit.

    “Yes, we are going to the G7. We’ve been invited by Canada, who are the conveners, who are the head of the G7 this time around. I’m hoping that when we meet the various leaders of the G7, we’ll be able to interact meaningfully with them,” President Ramaphosa said.

    The President outlined a number of key bilateral engagements scheduled on the sidelines of the summit, including meetings with the Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

    “The G7 gives us an opportunity to go and propagate our message, the message about the presidency of South Africa’s G20 and how we want to see great outcomes of the G20. We’re going to use it as a platform to begin to consolidate what we want to have in November when the leaders’ summit takes place here,” the President said on Tuesday.

    President Ramaphosa is set to jet off to Canada, Kananaskis from 14-17 June to attend and participate in the G7 Leaders’ Summit. 

    READ | President Ramaphosa to attend G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada

    Reflecting on the US working visit

    Reflecting on his recent visit to the White House in Washington DC, President Ramaphosa dismissed criticism of the trip, saying it was a strategic move to reset relations with one of South Africa’s key trading partners.

    “We do confirm that our visit to the White House in the United States was a moment where South Africa set out to reset the relationship with the United States, and I do believe that we have achieved that. 

    “Many people were very critical of our going there…and some were even suggesting that we were summoned. We were not summoned. In my telephone conversation with President Trump two weeks earlier, I said, I want to come and see you. And immediately conceded to that, and later they gave us a date. So that is not summoning, it is us taking the initiative that we want to go and see him,” the President said. 

    He said there was engagement that was taking place between the Department of Trade and Industry and Competition and the Department of International Relations. “So, we’ve opened the way for us to engage seriously with the United States. And on the other hand, we were also going to talk about trade matters, and that is now underway,” the President said. 

    He added that the White House meeting was also used to underscore the importance of President Trump attending the upcoming G20 Summit, which South Africa will host in November. 

    The President added that President Trump had “immediately conceded” that the G20 is not fully effective without the participation of the United States. 

    “For us, it’s important as a nation to reposition ourselves in the very turbulent geopolitical architecture or situation that we have, and that is why it was important to go to the United States, as we will go to many other countries, both on our own continent, in the Middle East and in Asia and in Europe as well. 

    “We are a country that is exposed and has relations with many countries around the world, and where the challenges and problems, we should immediately take action to correct those,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Announcement of the National Dialogue

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Announcement of the National Dialogue

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIoatCoE2s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 5 benefits Africa’s new space agency can deliver

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Scott Firsing, Senior Research Associate, University of South Africa

    The African Space Agency was officially inaugurated in Cairo’s Space City in April 2025. The event marked a milestone in a process that had been in the works since the early 2000s. Drawing inspiration from the European Space Agency, it unites African Union (AU) member states to harness space technology for development. This is in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063, aimed at advancing Africa into a prosperous future.

    Read more: Africa has ambitious goals for 2063: plans for outer space hold the key to success

    The agency’s goal is to:

    • coordinate and implement Africa’s space ambitions by promoting collaboration among the AU’s 55 member states

    • harness space technologies for sustainable development, climate resilience and socio-economic growth

    • oversee the African Space Policy and Strategy to enhance access to space-derived data

    • foster partnerships with international space agencies like the European Space Agency and others.

    Over 20 African countries operate space programmes and more than 65 African satellites have been launched. It is my view as a global space diplomacy expert that the agency can help ensure that Africa isn’t a bystander in the space economy. This sector is projected to be worth US$1.8 trillion by 2035.

    The space agency positions Africa to address pressing challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the global space economy. These include using satellite data, boosting connectivity, driving economic growth, fostering global partnerships and training future leaders.

    Five benefits

    Valuable eyes in the sky

    Space assets, particularly Earth observation satellites, offer a number of advantages. The continent faces significant climate risks like droughts, fires and floods. This is particularly problematic as the agricultural sector is approximately 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people across over 1 billion hectares of arable land.

    Satellite data optimises crop yields, supports climate-resilient farming, and enhances sustainable fisheries and port modernisation. Nigeria’s National Space Research and Deveopment Agency, for example, has used satellites like the NigSat-2 to monitor crop health and predict yields.

    Beyond agriculture, satellites assist in project planning in cities across Africa. Kenya uses a satellite to track urban development trends and enhance municipal urban planning capacities.

    Satellites also keep an eye on Africa’s resource-abundant territories while tackling problems like armed conflict, deforestation, and illegal migration and mining.

    The African Space Agency will help provide access to AI-enhanced satellite data. This will enable even nations with constrained resources to tackle local needs. For instance, Côte d’Ivoire’s first locally made satellite, launched in 2024, shows how African nations are building their own capabilities.

    Read more: Côte d’Ivoire is launching its first satellite for Earth observation – and it’s locally made

    By making it easier to share data, the African Space Agency also positions the continent to generate revenue in the global space data market. That fuels innovation.

    Enhancing connectivity and enabling cutting-edge technology

    Africa’s digital divide is stark. Only 38% of its population was online in 2024, compared to the global average of 68%. The African Space Agency aims to bridge this gap through satellite-based communications. This technology can deliver broadband to remote regions where cell towers and undersea cables are impractical.

    Connectivity enables education, e-commerce and telemedicine.

    Satellite services, like those provided by SpaceX’s Starlink in 21 African countries, will drive digital inclusion. In turn this promises to reduce unemployment and help entrepreneurs.

    The African Space Agency is also positioning Africa to embrace new space technologies. Examples include Japan’s 2025 demonstration of beaming solar power from space, following a US achievement in 2023.

    This could revolutionise energy access. Space-based solar power captures solar energy in orbit via satellite and transmits it as microwaves to Earth. This offers a solution to Africa’s energy poverty. It could provide reliable power to remote areas without extensive grid infrastructure.

    The African Space Agency’s role in coordinating satellite launches and data sharing will make these technologies more accessible and cost-effective.

    Driving economic growth and innovation

    Africa’s space sector, now worth over US$20 billion, is growing rapidly. The industry has seen an increase of private companies and investor support, moving beyond sole dependence on government funding. Investment is being fuelled by 327 NewSpace firms, a term used for the new emerging commercial space industry in nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. These firms often excel in satellite communication, Earth observation and component manufacturing.

    But many African nations lack resources. The agency will lower barriers by fostering collaboration, coordinating national space programmes, and reducing duplication.For example, the African Space Agency’s efforts to streamline satellite development and launches will spur local manufacturing and tech hubs.

    This means that smaller economies will be able to participate.

    Strengthening regional and global connections

    Africa’s space sector relies on partnerships with space agencies and commercial space companies based in the “space powers”. These include the US, Russia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. These institutions provide launch services, satellite development and ground stations.

    An example is Senegal’s GaindeSAT-1A, a CubeSat launched in 2024 via America’s SpaceX with French collaboration.

    Meanwhile, countries like South Africa are exploring local rocket programmes to enhance the agency’s self-reliance. Africa’s space ground stations are already located across the continent, supporting the European Space Agency and commercial missions. They will soon host a deep space ground station for America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

    Funding remains a challenge. African nations allocated just US$426 million to space programmes in 2025. That’s less than 1% of global spending. The European Space Agency has an US$8 billion budget.

    However, initiatives like the €100 million Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (2025–2028) aim to boost Africa’s space sovereignty and innovation.

    The agency’s vision extends beyond Earth, with an eye on the Moon. Some members, notably Angola, Nigeria and Rwanda, have already signed the US-led Artemis Accords for lunar exploration. For their part Egypt and South Africa are collaborating with China and Russia on the International Lunar Research Station.

    Read more: Outer space: Rwanda and Nigeria sign an accord for more responsible exploration – why this matters

    Training the next generation

    A skilled workforce is critical to Africa’s space industry. The Africa Space Agency Space City plans to host a training academy. It will build on Egypt’s programmes in space project management, satellite design, and orbital simulation.

    Partnerships like the Africa-EU programme offer scholarships, while private initiatives, such as the Pathways to Space programme by Boeing and the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy, engage students in 63 schools in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

    – 5 benefits Africa’s new space agency can deliver
    – https://theconversation.com/5-benefits-africas-new-space-agency-can-deliver-258098

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 5 benefits Africa’s new space agency can deliver

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Scott Firsing, Senior Research Associate, University of South Africa

    The African Space Agency was officially inaugurated in Cairo’s Space City in April 2025. The event marked a milestone in a process that had been in the works since the early 2000s. Drawing inspiration from the European Space Agency, it unites African Union (AU) member states to harness space technology for development. This is in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063, aimed at advancing Africa into a prosperous future.



    Read more:
    Africa has ambitious goals for 2063: plans for outer space hold the key to success

    The agency’s goal is to:

    • coordinate and implement Africa’s space ambitions by promoting collaboration among the AU’s 55 member states

    • harness space technologies for sustainable development, climate resilience and socio-economic growth

    • oversee the African Space Policy and Strategy to enhance access to space-derived data

    • foster partnerships with international space agencies like the European Space Agency and others.

    Over 20 African countries operate space programmes and more than 65 African satellites have been launched. It is my view as a global space diplomacy expert that the agency can help ensure that Africa isn’t a bystander in the space economy. This sector is projected to be worth US$1.8 trillion by 2035.

    The space agency positions Africa to address pressing challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the global space economy. These include using satellite data, boosting connectivity, driving economic growth, fostering global partnerships and training future leaders.

    Five benefits

    Valuable eyes in the sky

    Space assets, particularly Earth observation satellites, offer a number of advantages. The continent faces significant climate risks like droughts, fires and floods. This is particularly problematic as the agricultural sector is approximately 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people across over 1 billion hectares of arable land.

    Satellite data optimises crop yields, supports climate-resilient farming, and enhances sustainable fisheries and port modernisation. Nigeria’s National Space Research and Deveopment Agency, for example, has used satellites like the NigSat-2 to monitor crop health and predict yields.

    Beyond agriculture, satellites assist in project planning in cities across Africa. Kenya uses a satellite to track urban development trends and enhance municipal urban planning capacities.

    Satellites also keep an eye on Africa’s resource-abundant territories while tackling problems like armed conflict, deforestation, and illegal migration and mining.

    The African Space Agency will help provide access to AI-enhanced satellite data. This will enable even nations with constrained resources to tackle local needs. For instance, Côte d’Ivoire’s first locally made satellite, launched in 2024, shows how African nations are building their own capabilities.



    Read more:
    Côte d’Ivoire is launching its first satellite for Earth observation – and it’s locally made

    By making it easier to share data, the African Space Agency also positions the continent to generate revenue in the global space data market. That fuels innovation.

    Enhancing connectivity and enabling cutting-edge technology

    Africa’s digital divide is stark. Only 38% of its population was online in 2024, compared to the global average of 68%. The African Space Agency aims to bridge this gap through satellite-based communications. This technology can deliver broadband to remote regions where cell towers and undersea cables are impractical.

    Connectivity enables education, e-commerce and telemedicine.

    Satellite services, like those provided by SpaceX’s Starlink in 21 African countries, will drive digital inclusion. In turn this promises to reduce unemployment and help entrepreneurs.

    The African Space Agency is also positioning Africa to embrace new space technologies. Examples include Japan’s 2025 demonstration of beaming solar power from space, following a US achievement in 2023.

    This could revolutionise energy access. Space-based solar power captures solar energy in orbit via satellite and transmits it as microwaves to Earth. This offers a solution to Africa’s energy poverty. It could provide reliable power to remote areas without extensive grid infrastructure.

    The African Space Agency’s role in coordinating satellite launches and data sharing will make these technologies more accessible and cost-effective.

    Driving economic growth and innovation

    Africa’s space sector, now worth over US$20 billion, is growing rapidly. The industry has seen an increase of private companies and investor support, moving beyond sole dependence on government funding. Investment is being fuelled by 327 NewSpace firms, a term used for the new emerging commercial space industry in nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. These firms often excel in satellite communication, Earth observation and component manufacturing.

    But many African nations lack resources. The agency will lower barriers by fostering collaboration, coordinating national space programmes, and reducing duplication.For example, the African Space Agency’s efforts to streamline satellite development and launches will spur local manufacturing and tech hubs.

    This means that smaller economies will be able to participate.

    Strengthening regional and global connections

    Africa’s space sector relies on partnerships with space agencies and commercial space companies based in the “space powers”. These include the US, Russia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. These institutions provide launch services, satellite development and ground stations.

    An example is Senegal’s GaindeSAT-1A, a CubeSat launched in 2024 via America’s SpaceX with French collaboration.

    Meanwhile, countries like South Africa are exploring local rocket programmes to enhance the agency’s self-reliance. Africa’s space ground stations are already located across the continent, supporting the European Space Agency and commercial missions. They will soon host a deep space ground station for America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

    Funding remains a challenge. African nations allocated just US$426 million to space programmes in 2025. That’s less than 1% of global spending. The European Space Agency has an US$8 billion budget.

    However, initiatives like the €100 million Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (2025–2028) aim to boost Africa’s space sovereignty and innovation.

    The agency’s vision extends beyond Earth, with an eye on the Moon. Some members, notably Angola, Nigeria and Rwanda, have already signed the US-led Artemis Accords for lunar exploration. For their part Egypt and South Africa are collaborating with China and Russia on the International Lunar Research Station.



    Read more:
    Outer space: Rwanda and Nigeria sign an accord for more responsible exploration – why this matters

    Training the next generation

    A skilled workforce is critical to Africa’s space industry. The Africa Space Agency Space City plans to host a training academy. It will build on Egypt’s programmes in space project management, satellite design, and orbital simulation.

    Partnerships like the Africa-EU programme offer scholarships, while private initiatives, such as the Pathways to Space programme by Boeing and the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy, engage students in 63 schools in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

    Scott Firsing does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. 5 benefits Africa’s new space agency can deliver – https://theconversation.com/5-benefits-africas-new-space-agency-can-deliver-258098

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to Present at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Forum June 11th-12th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HENDERSON, Nev., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB:NIKA), based in Colorado, focused on cures for life-threatening diseases, today announced that Dimitar Savov, CEO, will present live at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Frum hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 11th, 2025

    DATE: June 11th
    TIME: 1:00 PM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE
    Available for 1×1 meetings: June 12th-17th between 09:00am ET and 11:30am ET

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.  

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • On May 19, 2025, NIKA published a market analysis for the countries of Ukraine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, UAE, where NIKA has exclusive distribution agreements and has estimated a total of around €656 million in potential revenue.
    • NIKA’s partner company, Nika Europe, has made the second $195,554 payment for the vial production line and is currently finalizing the details of the clean rooms design in order to start construction. The production facility is expected to be completed in H2, 2025.
    • On April 11, 2025, Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. published a report on the therapeutic effect and potential economic impact of ITV-1, which can be found  here.
    • On July 11, 2024 Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the Republic of Nigeria. Under the terms, NIKA will receive €1,980 per each set of ITV-1 with two sets necessary for each treatment, which could result in €7.9 billion revenue.


    About Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

    Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NIKA) is a pharmaceutical company, specializing in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, and all diseases, for which strengthened cell immunity is of vital importance. NIKA’s intellectual property includes six drugs in injection form – two of which have successfully undergone clinical trials with good treatment results – four drugs in tablet form, and eleven dietary supplements. NIKA’s goal is to not only achieve corporate profits, but to provide better and easier access to life-saving medicinal drugs and useful dietary supplements. Find more on www.nikapharmaceuticals.com.

    Forward-looking Statement:

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Certain statements, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward- looking statements.” These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,”” estimates,” “intends,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access.  Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Name Clifford P. Redekop
    Title Corporate Secretary
    Phone (702) 326-3615        
    Email cliffredekop@gmail.com 

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: American National Insurance Company Introduces Smart Start Accumulator Series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American National Insurance Company announces the launch of its innovative Smart Start Accumulator Series, a series of single premium fixed indexed annuities designed to provide clients with the opportunity for significant growth by maximizing accumulation potential from day one.

    The series, which includes Smart Start Accumulator and Smart Start Accumulator Plus, leverages Nobel Prize-winning research to offer easy-to-understand portfolio allocation options based on their individual risk tolerance and retirement goals1. A conservative, moderate, and aggressive portfolio option is available along with a custom allocation option. This helps policyholders confidently navigate their financial future with a strategy that meets their individual needs.

    One of the key features of the Smart Start Accumulator Series is the Best Entry Window, which sets all the selected index starting values at their lowest point in the initial 90-day period, which can help clients maximize their first-year growth potential. Additionally, the Smart Start Accumulator Plus offers premium enhancement options that can provide an immediate boost to the annuity’s value. Clients choose the enhancement level that best suits their savings goals and financial strategy.

    “We are proud to bring practical financial solutions that help our clients build a secure future with confidence,” said Chad Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Chief of Annuity Distribution at American National. “By integrating strategic indexing options and enhancement features, this series empowers individuals to make smart investment choices that align with their long-term financial goals while minimizing exposure to unnecessary risks.”

    The series also includes various strategies for interest crediting based on market index performance, including the S&P 500® Value Cap2, S&P 500® Dynamic Intraday TCA Index2, S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index2, Invesco QQQ Portfolio Plus Index3, and Morningstar® Global Wide Moat VC 7 Index4.

    For more information, please visit AmericanNational.com.

    ABOUT AMERICAN NATIONAL

    Founded in 1905 and based in Galveston, Texas, American National Insurance Company (American National) is dedicated to being a source of certainty for millions of Americans through a comprehensive range of wealth protection, retirement, and insurance products and services. American National combines our expertise and resources to cater to the diverse needs of our clients, guiding them towards financial security and peace of mind. For more information, visit our website at AmericanNational.com.

    Annuities, life insurance and other products and services are written through multiple companies. Property and casualty insurance is written through American National Property And Casualty Company, Springfield, Missouri, and affiliates. In New York, business is written through Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, United Farm Family Insurance Company, and American National Life Insurance Company of New York, Glenmont, New York. Not all products and services are available in all states. Not all companies are licensed in all states. Each company has financial responsibility only for the products and services it issues.

    ______________________________

    1 Markowitz, H.M. (1959). Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (reprinted by Yale University Press, 1970, ISBN 978-0-300-01372-6; 2nd ed. Basil Blackwell, 1991, ISBN 978-1-55786-108-5). “Nobel Prize”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015.

    2 The S&P MARC 5% Index, S&P 500®Index, and S&P 500®  Dynamic Intraday TCA Index are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and have been licensed for use by American National Insurance Company. S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500, The 500, iBoxx®, iTraxx® and CDX® are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by American National Insurance Company. American National Insurance Company’s products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P MARC 5% Index, S&P 500®Index, and S&P 500®  Dynamic Intraday TCA Index.

    3 Invesco Indexing LLC (“Licensor”) has licensed the Index to American National Insurance Company to be used as a component of certain fixed index annuity products (the “Products”). The Index may be calculated by a third party or contain third-party data, each third-party provider and Licensor are collectively “Licensor Parties”. The Products are not sponsored, operated, endorsed, sold, or promoted by Licensor Parties. The Index, the proprietary data therein, and related trademarks, are intellectual property licensed from Licensor, and may not be copied, used, or distributed without Licensor’s prior written approval. The Products have not been passed on as to their legality or suitability, and are not regulated, issued, endorsed, sold, guaranteed, or promoted by Licensor Parties. Licensor Parties make no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Licensor Parties have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

    4 The Morningstar Indexes are the exclusive property of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries, its direct and indirect information providers and any other third party involved in, or related to, compiling, computing or creating any Morningstar Index (collectively, “Morningstar Parties”) do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness and/or timeliness of the Morningstar Indexes or any data included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. None of the Morningstar Parties make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained from the use of the Morningstar Indexes or any data included therein.

    Form Series: FIA25; ICC25 (Forms may vary by state). When a person buys this annuity, the person is not buying an ownership interest in any stock or index. Not FDIC/NCUA insured / Not a deposit / Not insured by any federal government agency / No bank/CU guarantee / May lose value.

    Contact: Scott Campbell
    SVP, Corporate Communications
    Scott.Campbell@AmericanNational.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Violence against women in Ghana is deeply rooted in culture and family ties – study

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Eric Y Tenkorang, Professor of Sociology,, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    Intimate partner violence is controlling behaviour that results in harm to victims. This can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, economic or spiritual harm. Women are overwhelmingly the victims and survivors of intimate partner violence.

    Globally, about one third of women have experienced some type of intimate partner violence. In Ghana too, one third of women have experienced physical and sexual abuse.

    Research has linked women’s experiences of intimate partner violence to their socio-economic marginalisation, although it can happen to wealthy women too. Beyond the socio-economic reasons, some also make cultural arguments.

    One such factor is lineage: lines of ancestry. Lineage is a major source of wealth, privileges and responsibilities in Ghana and more broadly in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Some people trace their ancestry through maternal kin members. Women in these matrilineal societies wield socio-economic and cultural power because inheritance goes through the female line. As carriers of the lineage, women have some cultural value.

    In a patrilineage, people trace their ancestry through men. Inheritance goes through the male line. Women cannot source wealth from the lineage. There is noticeable gender ordering and hierarchies in patrilineal societies. Male children are considered the carriers of the lineage.

    Despite these two predominant lineage systems, there is also bilateral descent. In bilateral systems, kinship is traced to both maternal and paternal sides of the family.

    Recent studies have suggested a link exists between lineage and intimate partner violence. But there is limited evidence as to why this might be the case.

    One of my research interests is violence against women in African cultures and I have published extensively on this subject. For a recent study, my team collected survey data, including in-depth interviews, from the three ecological areas of Ghana – coastal, middle and northern. These reflect differences in ecology, culture and modernity.

    About 1,700 women responded to our survey questions on lineage and intimate partner violence. Of these, about 30 women were followed up for an in-depth interview.

    We found differences in experiences of violence between women depending on the lineage system they were part of. Awareness of this pattern could inform efforts to prevent violence and empower women.

    What we found

    A major finding was that women in matrilineal communities experienced lower levels of intimate partner violence than women in patrilineal communities or bilateral ones. Part of the reason is women’s access to resources.

    We also found that bride price payments elevated patrilineal women’s risks of experiencing intimate partner violence. Bride price payment is an exchange of resources from the groom to the family of the bride. This is in acknowledgement that marriage has taken place. Women in patrilineal systems were more likely to experience physical, sexual and emotional violence when bride price was fully paid than when it was partially paid.

    Unlike patrilineal women, matrilineal and bilateral women only experienced emotional and physical violence when bride price was fully paid.

    The backdrop

    Ghana passed its landmark Domestic Violence Act in 2007. It criminalises acts that are likely to result in intimate partner violence. This opened the door to the establishment of a Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit to prosecute perpetrators. Structures are also in place to provide support for victims of abuse.

    But criminalising intimate partner violence offers only a partial remedy to the problem. This is particularly true when behaviours that lead to such acts of violence are deeply rooted in inequality, culture and patriarchy.

    Despite recent efforts to bridge gender inequality, Ghana continues to lag behind other societies in this area. Ghanaian women are discriminated against socially and culturally. They are excluded from participating in major decisions related to their households and communities. They are also marginalised economically, creating less opportunity for upward mobility.

    The patriarchal nature of Ghanaian society has not helped. It has worked in tandem with existing social arrangements to deepen inequality and further render women powerless.

    In my view, part of matrilineal women’s reduced risk of experiencing intimate partner violence may be explained by access to maternal resources, where they benefit more than their patrilineal and bilateral counterparts.

    This background also helps explain why bride price arrangements make a difference. Contemporary feminist analysis of the payment of bride price suggests it may be interpreted as “wife ownership and purchase”. This can be a tool for oppressing and controlling women.

    These findings support the argument that bride price payment may have negative consequences for Ghanaian women. This is especially so for those in patrilineal cultures where the norms and expectations associated with these payments are stronger.

    A path to safety

    Establishing cultural reasons why some women are at greater risk than others of experiencing intimate partner violence is important for policy in Ghana and has implications for sub-Saharan Africa.

    Our research findings point to the need to empower women by providing them with the resources they need to flourish and fight abuse. It shows lineage can be a conduit for resource exchange and distribution.

    Also, public education can help correct narratives of ownership and purchase which are linked to intimate partner violence. Bride price payments should have symbolic, not commercial, significance.

    – Violence against women in Ghana is deeply rooted in culture and family ties – study
    – https://theconversation.com/violence-against-women-in-ghana-is-deeply-rooted-in-culture-and-family-ties-study-257947

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rachel Silver, Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

    Coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns on girls in Malawi emphasised the risks they faced as a result of not attending school. In particular, concerns about pregnancy garnered significant media attention.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund, for example, published an article in March 2021 entitled “Schoolgirl shakes off COVID-19 regret: Lucy’s return to school”. Under a glossy photograph of a smiling girl, readers learn about 16-year-old Lucy, one of 13,000 Malawian students who became pregnant during COVID-19 school closures. The story went on to detail the dire consequences of sexual activity to Lucy’s well-being, and the redemptive power of an eventual return to school.

    The Unicef piece echoed thousands of similar publications circulated after March 2020 that analysed COVID-19’s unique risk for girls in the global south and lamented lost returns to girls’ education.

    In response to COVID-19 surges, Malawian schools closed for over seven months, during which the percentage of pregnancies to young women aged 10-19 did increase from 29% to 35% of total pregnancies.

    Yet, our research has demonstrated that international development organisations and media outlets focused mostly on narrow, sexualised framings of risk to African girls and women rather than on the many intersecting and ongoing barriers to their well-being and school retention. These challenges both predate and extend beyond COVID-19.

    As scholars of international development education who have conducted research in Malawi for over a decade, we decided to join Malawian educational activist and collaborator Stella Makhuva to research how girls themselves narrated their experiences of the COVID-19 years. What did they consider a risk to their schooling?

    Together, we designed a longitudinal study from 2020 to 2023 that included multiple rounds of interviews and participatory journalling methods with 22 upper primary and secondary school girls in southern Malawi.

    We found that for girls in our study, COVID-19 was less a rupture – an unusual event that threatened their education in unprecedented ways – than an added variable in the already complex calculations girls and their families made about whether and how to remain in school.

    We argue that it was not pregnancy itself, but escalating resource constraints, that kept girls from school. And that interventions must do something about the real problem: inequitable systems.

    The stories told by the girls illustrate this. (All the names are pseudonyms.)

    Their stories

    When Faith joined our study in 2020, she was attending a peri-urban primary school near her home. She lived in a mud and grass-thatched house with her parents, both subsistence farmers who supported Faith’s and her siblings’ education. During school closures, she studied with friends to keep up with academic content when she was not helping with her parents’ farm.

    Yet school costs threatened Faith’s return to school upon reopening. Despite primary school being officially “free” by government mandate, students at her school were required to contribute 800 Malawi kwacha (close to US$1 at the time) per term to a school fund for infrastructure projects and upkeep. Not paying into the fund resulted in exclusion from classes.

    Read more: Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    When Faith eventually passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exam and enrolled in secondary school, the costs to schooling rose from 5,000 kwacha (about US$6.50 in early 2021) to 20,000 kwacha (about US$19 in late 2022). Faith worried about whether her parents, whose maize and tomato yields suffered from poor rains, would be able to pay.

    On top of this, Faith paid other costs, from exam fees and bicycle rental fees to supplemental lessons in which she learned material never covered during school hours. She said she and her family often sacrificed eating sufficiently to save money.

    Still, Faith was repeatedly pushed out of school until her fee balance was met. Before, during, and after COVID-19 school closures, girls like her were pushed out of school for a lack of regular fee payments.

    Faith’s school-going was also threatened by warming temperatures and new rain patterns that left her family with diminished food and income. Added to this were volatility in government agricultural subsidies to small farmers, inflated school fees, and the increasing privatisation of public education in Malawi.

    Read more: Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done

    Like Faith, all of the girls in our study worked to supplement their schooling with part time lessons, holiday classes, or by repeating grades given educational quality concerns. Based in under-resourced schools with low exam pass rates, girls knew that they were provided an incomplete education.

    According to Brightness,

    We do not learn fully what we are supposed to cover, and some teachers tend to be absent during their lessons. This makes us lag behind … As a result during exams they ask some questions which some of us … did not learn.

    Empirical evidence has shown how teacher engagement has long been influenced by the region’s high disease burden, especially due to HIV/Aids. This has left teachers both ill and caring for ill relatives.

    While teacher disengagement, therefore, reflected factors such as competing care responsibilities, professional dissatisfaction and stress, girls were deeply frustrated by what felt like abandonment.

    Rethinking pregnancy and parenting

    Mainstream discourses that missed key barriers to girls’ school retention and performance, such as privatisation and food insecurity, misrepresented student pregnancy as an emergent “crisis”.

    Prior to the pandemic, sexuality and school-going already overlapped for many girls in Malawi, where adolescent pregnancy rates were threefold the global average. Still, girls in our study countered the idea that schooling and sex were incompatible. They also challenged the idea that school was inherently safe and that it was pregnancy that kept them from school.

    Read more: Education and gender equality: focus on girls isn’t fair and isn’t enough — global study

    Many of the girls’ stories emphasised continuity with what came before the pandemic.

    We have found this in past research. Schooling and sexuality are not necessarily opposed; but parents and teachers try to protect girls from sexuality; and parenting and non-parenting girls alike face significant resource-related barriers to schooling.

    Conclusion

    If girls’ choices, particularly around sexuality, do not represent the greatest or only source of risk for girls’ schooling, interventions must respond to this reality. They should support well-being and address the broader conditions in which girls live and learn. The problem is inequity, not pregnant girls.

    – What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy
    – https://theconversation.com/what-keeps-girls-from-school-in-malawi-we-asked-them-and-its-not-just-pregnancy-258401

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Violence against women in Ghana is deeply rooted in culture and family ties – study

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Eric Y Tenkorang, Professor of Sociology,, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    Intimate partner violence is controlling behaviour that results in harm to victims. This can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, economic or spiritual harm. Women are overwhelmingly the victims and survivors of intimate partner violence.

    Globally, about one third of women have experienced some type of intimate partner violence. In Ghana too, one third of women have experienced physical and sexual abuse.

    Research has linked women’s experiences of intimate partner violence to their socio-economic marginalisation, although it can happen to wealthy women too. Beyond the socio-economic reasons, some also make cultural arguments.

    One such factor is lineage: lines of ancestry. Lineage is a major source of wealth, privileges and responsibilities in Ghana and more broadly in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Some people trace their ancestry through maternal kin members. Women in these matrilineal societies wield socio-economic and cultural power because inheritance goes through the female line. As carriers of the lineage, women have some cultural value.

    In a patrilineage, people trace their ancestry through men. Inheritance goes through the male line. Women cannot source wealth from the lineage. There is noticeable gender ordering and hierarchies in patrilineal societies. Male children are considered the carriers of the lineage.

    Despite these two predominant lineage systems, there is also bilateral descent. In bilateral systems, kinship is traced to both maternal and paternal sides of the family.

    Recent studies have suggested a link exists between lineage and intimate partner violence. But there is limited evidence as to why this might be the case.

    One of my research interests is violence against women in African cultures and I have published extensively on this subject. For a recent study, my team collected survey data, including in-depth interviews, from the three ecological areas of Ghana – coastal, middle and northern. These reflect differences in ecology, culture and modernity.

    About 1,700 women responded to our survey questions on lineage and intimate partner violence. Of these, about 30 women were followed up for an in-depth interview.

    We found differences in experiences of violence between women depending on the lineage system they were part of. Awareness of this pattern could inform efforts to prevent violence and empower women.

    What we found

    A major finding was that women in matrilineal communities experienced lower levels of intimate partner violence than women in patrilineal communities or bilateral ones. Part of the reason is women’s access to resources.

    We also found that bride price payments elevated patrilineal women’s risks of experiencing intimate partner violence. Bride price payment is an exchange of resources from the groom to the family of the bride. This is in acknowledgement that marriage has taken place. Women in patrilineal systems were more likely to experience physical, sexual and emotional violence when bride price was fully paid than when it was partially paid.

    Unlike patrilineal women, matrilineal and bilateral women only experienced emotional and physical violence when bride price was fully paid.

    The backdrop

    Ghana passed its landmark Domestic Violence Act in 2007. It criminalises acts that are likely to result in intimate partner violence. This opened the door to the establishment of a Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit to prosecute perpetrators. Structures are also in place to provide support for victims of abuse.

    But criminalising intimate partner violence offers only a partial remedy to the problem. This is particularly true when behaviours that lead to such acts of violence are deeply rooted in inequality, culture and patriarchy.

    Despite recent efforts to bridge gender inequality, Ghana continues to lag behind other societies in this area. Ghanaian women are discriminated against socially and culturally. They are excluded from participating in major decisions related to their households and communities. They are also marginalised economically, creating less opportunity for upward mobility.

    The patriarchal nature of Ghanaian society has not helped. It has worked in tandem with existing social arrangements to deepen inequality and further render women powerless.

    In my view, part of matrilineal women’s reduced risk of experiencing intimate partner violence may be explained by access to maternal resources, where they benefit more than their patrilineal and bilateral counterparts.

    This background also helps explain why bride price arrangements make a difference. Contemporary feminist analysis of the payment of bride price suggests it may be interpreted as “wife ownership and purchase”. This can be a tool for oppressing and controlling women.

    These findings support the argument that bride price payment may have negative consequences for Ghanaian women. This is especially so for those in patrilineal cultures where the norms and expectations associated with these payments are stronger.

    A path to safety

    Establishing cultural reasons why some women are at greater risk than others of experiencing intimate partner violence is important for policy in Ghana and has implications for sub-Saharan Africa.

    Our research findings point to the need to empower women by providing them with the resources they need to flourish and fight abuse. It shows lineage can be a conduit for resource exchange and distribution.

    Also, public education can help correct narratives of ownership and purchase which are linked to intimate partner violence. Bride price payments should have symbolic, not commercial, significance.

    Eric Y Tenkorang received funding from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.

    – ref. Violence against women in Ghana is deeply rooted in culture and family ties – study – https://theconversation.com/violence-against-women-in-ghana-is-deeply-rooted-in-culture-and-family-ties-study-257947

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rachel Silver, Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

    Coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns on girls in Malawi emphasised the risks they faced as a result of not attending school. In particular, concerns about pregnancy garnered significant media attention.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund, for example, published an article in March 2021 entitled “Schoolgirl shakes off COVID-19 regret: Lucy’s return to school”. Under a glossy photograph of a smiling girl, readers learn about 16-year-old Lucy, one of 13,000 Malawian students who became pregnant during COVID-19 school closures. The story went on to detail the dire consequences of sexual activity to Lucy’s well-being, and the redemptive power of an eventual return to school.

    The Unicef piece echoed thousands of similar publications circulated after March 2020 that analysed COVID-19’s unique risk for girls in the global south and lamented lost returns to girls’ education.

    In response to COVID-19 surges, Malawian schools closed for over seven months, during which the percentage of pregnancies to young women aged 10-19 did increase from 29% to 35% of total pregnancies.

    Yet, our research has demonstrated that international development organisations and media outlets focused mostly on narrow, sexualised framings of risk to African girls and women rather than on the many intersecting and ongoing barriers to their well-being and school retention. These challenges both predate and extend beyond COVID-19.

    As scholars of international development education who have conducted research in Malawi for over a decade, we decided to join Malawian educational activist and collaborator Stella Makhuva to research how girls themselves narrated their experiences of the COVID-19 years. What did they consider a risk to their schooling?

    Together, we designed a longitudinal study from 2020 to 2023 that included multiple rounds of interviews and participatory journalling methods with 22 upper primary and secondary school girls in southern Malawi.

    We found that for girls in our study, COVID-19 was less a rupture – an unusual event that threatened their education in unprecedented ways – than an added variable in the already complex calculations girls and their families made about whether and how to remain in school.

    We argue that it was not pregnancy itself, but escalating resource constraints, that kept girls from school. And that interventions must do something about the real problem: inequitable systems.

    The stories told by the girls illustrate this. (All the names are pseudonyms.)

    Their stories

    When Faith joined our study in 2020, she was attending a peri-urban
    primary school near her home. She lived in a mud and grass-thatched house with her parents, both subsistence farmers who supported Faith’s and her siblings’ education. During school closures, she studied with friends to keep up with academic content when she was not helping with her parents’ farm.

    Yet school costs threatened Faith’s return to school upon reopening. Despite primary school being officially “free” by government mandate, students at her school were required to contribute 800 Malawi kwacha (close to US$1 at the time) per term to a school fund for infrastructure projects and upkeep. Not paying into the fund resulted in exclusion from classes.



    Read more:
    Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    When Faith eventually passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exam and enrolled in secondary school, the costs to schooling rose from 5,000 kwacha (about US$6.50 in early 2021) to 20,000 kwacha (about US$19 in late 2022). Faith worried about whether her parents, whose maize and tomato yields suffered from poor rains, would be able to pay.

    On top of this, Faith paid other costs, from exam fees and bicycle rental fees to supplemental lessons in which she learned material never covered during school hours. She said she and her family often sacrificed eating sufficiently to save money.

    Still, Faith was repeatedly pushed out of school until her fee balance was met. Before, during, and after COVID-19 school closures, girls like her were pushed out of school for a lack of regular fee payments.

    Faith’s school-going was also threatened by warming temperatures and new rain patterns that left her family with diminished food and income. Added to this were volatility in government agricultural subsidies to small farmers, inflated school fees, and the increasing privatisation of public education in Malawi.



    Read more:
    Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done

    Like Faith, all of the girls in our study worked to supplement their schooling with part time lessons, holiday classes, or by repeating grades given educational quality concerns. Based in under-resourced schools with low exam pass rates, girls knew that they were provided an incomplete education.

    According to Brightness,

    We do not learn fully what we are supposed to cover, and some teachers tend to be absent during their lessons. This makes us lag behind … As a result during exams they ask some questions which some of us … did not learn.

    Empirical evidence has shown how teacher engagement has long been influenced by the region’s high disease burden, especially due to HIV/Aids. This has left teachers both ill and caring for ill relatives.

    While teacher disengagement, therefore, reflected factors such as competing care responsibilities, professional dissatisfaction and stress, girls were deeply frustrated by what felt like abandonment.

    Rethinking pregnancy and parenting

    Mainstream discourses that missed key barriers to girls’ school retention and performance, such as privatisation and food insecurity, misrepresented student pregnancy as an emergent “crisis”.

    Prior to the pandemic, sexuality and school-going already overlapped for many girls in Malawi, where adolescent pregnancy rates were threefold the global average. Still, girls in our study countered the idea that schooling and sex were incompatible. They also challenged the idea that school was inherently safe and that it was pregnancy that kept them from school.



    Read more:
    Education and gender equality: focus on girls isn’t fair and isn’t enough — global study

    Many of the girls’ stories emphasised continuity with what came before the pandemic.

    We have found this in past research. Schooling and sexuality are not necessarily opposed; but parents and teachers try to protect girls from sexuality; and parenting and non-parenting girls alike face significant resource-related barriers to schooling.

    Conclusion

    If girls’ choices, particularly around sexuality, do not represent the greatest or only source of risk for girls’ schooling, interventions must respond to this reality. They should support well-being and address the broader conditions in which girls live and learn. The problem is inequity, not pregnant girls.

    Rachel Silver has received funding from the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Alyssa Morley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy – https://theconversation.com/what-keeps-girls-from-school-in-malawi-we-asked-them-and-its-not-just-pregnancy-258401

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is Israel’s interception of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla legal?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Priya Gupta, Associate Professor of Law, McGill University

    Israel’s interception of a ship launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) — a grassroots group that campaigns in solidarity with the Palestinian people — in international waters approximately 185 kilometres from Gaza has raised serious questions about the legality of its actions.

    The Madleen — a small, British-flagged civilian vessel named for Gaza’s first fisherwoman — was carrying 11 activists, one journalist and a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including flour, baby formula and children’s prostheses. Israeli forces detained all passengers, including well-known Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French European Parliamentarian Rima Hassan.

    The FFC uses non-violent direct action to attempt to break the blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza since 2007, and to raise awareness about the “ongoing brutality inflicted upon civilians in Gaza.”

    At approximately 3 a.m. local time on June 9, Israeli forces rammed and boarded the Madleen. Shortly before that, military drones hovered above it and the activists took video of Israeli forces of spraying a white substance on board that “caused burning eyes and general discomfort.”

    Israel says it intercepted the Madleen to enforce “a legal naval blockade.” The FFC, however, has called Israel’s actions an “illegal attack” and “a small extension of their war crimes in Gaza.”

    Past attacks on humanitarian flotillas

    Israel’s interception of the Madleen is not without precedent. On May 2, the FFC ship Conscience was seriously damaged during a drone attack while carrying humanitarian aid bound for Gaza. The attack ended its journey.

    In 2010, a group of six vessels called the Gaza Aid Flotilla sailed to Gaza to breach the Israeli blockade. The largest of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, was carrying more than 500 passengers when it was raided by Israeli forces in international waters, killing 10 people and wounding 56.

    Israel’s attack on the Mavi Marmara triggered international legal scrutiny and condemnation. The United Nations secretary-general immediately established an inquiry that determined the Israeli attack had resulted in “unacceptable” death, injury and mistreatment of detainees.

    Additionally, the UN Human Rights Council established a fact-finding mission that found that “no case can be made for the legality of the interception.”

    The Union of the Comoros, where the vessel was registered, referred the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. A chamber of the court found there was evidence Israeli soldiers committed “systematic abuse” of detained passengers.

    In the end, the case did not proceed because the prosecutor decided the incident was of “insufficient gravity,” in part because they could not identify a plan or policy on the part of Israel to carry out war crimes on a large scale.

    Israel’s ongoing crimes in Gaza

    It would be difficult to make the same conclusion regarding the situation in Gaza today.

    Israel is downplaying the severity of its attack on the Madleen, casting it as a sort of rescue mission as the Israeli foreign ministry posted a photo of activists being offered sandwiches. But Israel’s actions must be evaluated within the context of legal findings that have already been made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the ICC.

    In January 2024, the ICJ found there was a “real and imminent risk” that Israel would commit genocide in Gaza. Two months later, it ordered Israel not to impede the provision of humanitarian assistance.

    In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant based on reasonable grounds that they “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival” and that this deprivation “created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population.”

    In separate proceedings in July 2024, the ICJ found that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, including Gaza and its surrounding waters, was unlawful and must come to an end “as rapidly as possible.”

    Against this backdrop, the interception of the flotilla could be seen as furthering Israel’s unlawful blockade, occupation and attack against the civilian population of Gaza, in addition to constituting unlawful targeting of the civilians on board. Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, has accused Israel of once again flouting “its legal obligations towards civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip” with the interception of the boat.

    Arbitrary detention, degrading treatment

    Thunberg, along with four other activists, has already been deported from Israel. Eight passengers who Israel says chose not “to sign deportation documents” remain in detention in an Israeli prison and will soon appear in court.

    Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said they would be forced to watch video footage of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. He later said they refused to watch the video.

    This detention and its circumstances may constitute violations of the protection against arbitrary deprivation of liberty under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Israel is a signatory.

    Israel cannot legally block aid

    Israel is not permitted to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ has ordered Israel to “ensure the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed humanitarian assistance” and not do anything that would constitute a violation of the Genocide Convention “including by preventing, through any action, the delivery” of aid.

    The Geneva Convention also outlaws collective punishment of civilian populations and requires free passage of aid.

    Israel seemingly anticipated these arguments. Israeli officials mocked the Madleen, calling it a “selfie yacht” carrying a “tiny amount of aid” and proclaiming that “the show is over.” These statements could serve to cast the FFC as a disingenuous humanitarian mission.

    Israel also claims that the aid on board will be distributed through “real humanitarian channels.” This is likely an attempt by Israel to signal it’s not violating international humanitarian law by blocking assistance.

    These arguments, however, fail to acknowledge that the size of a humanitarian mission is irrelevant to the protection accorded to civilians and the requirement to allow delivery of aid.

    Disregarding the courts

    Israel has disregarded the ICJ’s orders to facilitate the delivery of urgently needed food and supplies to Gaza and has been accused of gunning down starving civilians at aid distribution centres.

    The Madleen’s mission was to force the world to acknowledge, in real time, Israel’s disregard for international law. In this aim, it succeeded. Israel’s interception of the Madleen could end up being prosecuted in the domestic courts of the passengers’ home countries, in the United Kingdom — where the boat was registered — or at the ICC.

    Humanitarians have vowed to continue to try to breach Israel’s blockade on Gaza. The Madleen’s voyage is a precursor to the March on Gaza scheduled for June 15, where thousands of activists will attempt to reach the Rafah crossing. The world will be watching.

    Heidi Matthews receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and is an advisor to the Legal Centre for Palestine.

    Priya Gupta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Is Israel’s interception of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla legal? – https://theconversation.com/is-israels-interception-of-the-gaza-freedom-flotilla-legal-258511

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Spokesperson on the Tragic Migrant Deaths Off Egypt’s Coast

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/Cairo, 10 June 2025 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is deeply saddened by media reports of the discovery of the bodies of ten migrants of various nationalities that have washed ashore near Marsa Matrouh, Egypt over recent days.

    These individuals are believed to have departed from Libya.

    This tragedy is yet another painful reminder of the high cost of irregular migration and the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to provide inclusive, safe and regular pathways for all.

    IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has documented more than 32,000 deaths in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014, with an unknown number still missing.  

    Behind each life lost is a story: broken dreams, grieving families, and futures that will now never be realized. Our thoughts are with their loved ones.

    IOM commends the Government of Egypt for handling the situation in a humane and dignified manner, applying the highest standards of International Humanitarian Law.  

    We renew our call for collective action to address the root causes of irregular migration and protect the lives of those on the move.

    For more information, please contact IOM Media Centre 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BOBC Auctions- 10 June 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 18 June 2025.  The summarised results of the auction held on 10 June 2025, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 10 June 2025.pdf

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Motsoaledi hails historic Pandemic Pact at G20 Health Summit

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has praised the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement during the 4th Health Working Group meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) held in Johannesburg. 

    This significant international treaty, supported by 124 member states on 20 May 2025, is only the second international health treaty approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since its establishment in 1948.

    The agreement’s adoption follows three years of intensive negotiation launched due to gaps and inequities identified in the national and global COVID-19 response.

    It aims to boost global collaboration to ensure a stronger, more equitable response to future pandemics.

    Delivering the welcome address on Tuesday morning, Motsoaledi celebrated the momentous achievement and emphasised the importance of collective action in ensuring global health security. 

    “Your presence here today is a testament to our collective commitment to global health security,” he said.

    Motsoaledi stated that the agreement results from the diligent efforts of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which was established to develop a legally binding framework for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

    “The stark lessons of the COVID-19 crisis fuelled our collective resolve to forge a more robust and equitable framework, one that ensures international cooperation and protects all nations from the devastating impact of future pandemics,” the Minister told the attendees. 

    South Africa, playing a pivotal leadership role as a co-chair of the INB, worked alongside partners from France and the Netherlands, while acknowledging contributions from vice-chairs representing Brazil, Thailand, Egypt, and New Zealand.

    The Minister stated that the four key pillars of the agreement are designed to fundamentally transform the global response to health emergencies. 

    The agreement emphasises the importance of equitable access to pandemic-related health products, the establishment of a global supply chain and logistics network, and the creation of a coordinating financial mechanism to strengthen pandemic response capabilities.

    In addition, the agreement highlights a holistic “One Health” approach, which stresses the connections between human, animal, and environmental health, which is now a central focus of global pandemic strategies.

    The Minister said the agreement incorporates a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, requiring pharmaceutical companies to contribute 20% of production during pandemics in exchange for access to critical pathogen data. 

    This mechanism aims to ensure that all nations benefit from scientific advancements, especially in times of crisis.

    “As an active participant and representative member for the African region, I can say with certainty that we see this agreement as a crucial step towards rectifying the deep-seated imbalances in access to life-saving pandemic products that were so painfully exposed during the recent crisis.”

    Although Motsoaledi has acknowledged the agreement’s adoption as a significant success, there is still much work ahead.

    “While we celebrate the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, our work is far from over. We are now entering a critical new phase.”

    He urged immediate engagement in further discussions regarding the PABS system, to convene the Intergovernmental Working Group before 15 July 2025. 

    “Finalising a robust and equitable PABS annex is the ultimate litmus test of our collective commitment. It is the essential next step to transform the Pandemic Agreement from a document of principles into a functional, life-saving tool for justice and our shared global health security.”

    He has since called for continued collaboration and commitment to safeguarding global health for everyone. 

    This important week-long meeting began this morning and will conclude on Friday, 13 June 2025. 

    The event brings together health leaders, experts, and policymakers from the world’s largest economies, invited nations, and international organisations. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA closely monitoring new COVID variant spreading across Asia

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    South Africa is closely monitoring the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, known as Nimbus or NB.1.8.1, associated with a rise in cases in certain regions of Asia. 

    This is according to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who addressed the 4th Health Working Group meeting of the Group of 20 (G20), which is underway in Johannesburg.

    Motsoaledi said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated this “a variant under monitoring” due to its growing presence.

    India is the latest country to experience a surge in new COVID-19 cases due to the emergence of the new variant, NB.1.8.1. 

    According to the Independent, infections have been confirmed in several Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia and China. 

    In addition, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency reported the first 13 cases of this variant in England last week.

    “I wish to reassure this esteemed gathering that South Africa has robust surveillance systems in place. 

    “Our National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) manages a comprehensive sentinel surveillance programme that systematically tests for key respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. Currently, our data show very low SARS-CoV-2 activity,” Motsoaledi explained.

    South Africa is currently experiencing a seasonal rise in influenza, but the country is well-prepared to manage the situation, he said.

    “Crucially, the new variant remains a descendant of the Omicron lineage. This means that current recommendations for updated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are still effective. Therefore, at this stage, no specific new public health actions are required from the public.” 

    Motsoaledi said government continues to promote good hygiene practices, including handwashing, covering coughs, and staying home when feeling unwell.

    “These simple measures are effective in reducing the spread of all respiratory illnesses. We will continue to monitor the situation closely through our established networks and will report any significant changes.” 

    Meanwhile, he called on the attendees of the meeting to work together with “renewed urgency and unwavering resolve”.

    “Let us build a future where solidarity, equity, and cooperation are the cornerstones of our global health architecture.”

    The week-long Health Working Group meeting began on Tuesday and will conclude on Friday.

    It brings together health leaders, experts, and policymakers from the world’s largest economies, invited nations, and international organisations.

    The plenary sessions will build on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and address ongoing barriers to accessing countermeasures, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. 

    There will be a focus on prioritising the expansion of local and regional manufacturing capacity, especially in regions like Africa.

    Delegates will also explore opportunities for technology transfer, sustainable financing, and regulatory alignment to ensure timely and equitable access to life-saving tools during health emergencies. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lamola attends FOCAC Ministerial Coordinator’s Meeting in China

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, is visiting Changsha, Hunan province, to participate in the Ministerial Coordination Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

    Founded in 2000, FOCAC seeks to enhance economic cooperation and promote sustainable development in Africa through mutual respect, equality, and collaborative efforts that benefit all parties involved.

    The purpose of this week’s meeting is to discuss the implementation of the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Summit, which was held in Beijing in 2024. 

    According to the Global Africa Network, the summit held last year led to the signing of several bilateral agreements in areas such as industrialisation, trade, technology, and agricultural modernisation.

    To ensure effective implementation of the desired cooperation between China and Africa, 10 key measures and areas of collaboration have been identified.

    The FOCAC Action Plan for 2025 – 2027 outlines cooperation across 10 partnership areas, which include trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, and development collaboration.

    This significant gathering coincides with the commemoration of FOCAC’s 25th anniversary, highlighting the enduring partnership between Africa and China.

    “Our participation reflects our strategic priority to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations within this important framework,” Lamola said.

    The meeting will be immediately followed by the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE), from 12 – 15 June 2025, where further avenues for economic collaboration and mutual prosperity will be advanced.

    Twenty South African companies will exhibit their products and engage with Chinese investors with a view to opening further avenues for the export of South African products to China. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Call for caution as severe winter weather increases risk of domestic and veld fires

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    As winter’s chill sets in, communities across the North West are urged to stay vigilant amid severe weather and strong, fire-spreading winds.

    “Freezing weather is upon us and an increasing dependence on indoor heating techniques like paraffin stoves, heaters and open fires are likely to be the order of the day,” the North West Provincial Government (NWPG) said in a statement.

    The provincial government is urging community members to exercise extreme caution to avoid disastrous domestic and wildfires.

    The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has reported that cold weather will continue in the coming days, bringing a mix of snowfall at higher elevations, strong winds, severe thunderstorms, and extremely low daytime temperatures.

    The SAWS has issued level 9 warning in the Eastern Cape and levels 5 and 6 warning for certain areas in KwaZulu-Natal for Tuesday.

    In addition, the N2 highway has been closed in the southern regions of KwaZulu-Natal due to snowfall, as adverse weather conditions persist in parts of the province.

    READ | N2 in KZN closed due to snowfall

    Families are encouraged not to leave children unattended near open flames or heating devices, and to practice safe fire behaviours during the winter season.

    “These conditions significantly increase the potential for uncontrolled fires, both in domestic settings and across open velds.

    “Strong winds, in particular, can propel and rapidly spread veld fires, putting lives, property, and natural ecosystems at great risk.”

    In addition, the provincial government cautioned that using heating appliances and open flames indoors during extremely cold weather often leads to accidental domestic fires, particularly in informal settlements.

    Residents and communities are encouraged to take additional precautions during this winter season and to follow these guidelines:

    • Avoid leaving fires, candles, or stoves unattended.
    • Use heating appliances safely and keep them away from flammable materials.
    • Do not start fires in open areas, especially on dry, windy days.
    • Report any signs of veld fires immediately to local disaster management or emergency services.

    Meanwhile, disaster management teams led by the Provincial Disaster Management Centre are on high alert and ready to respond to any eventuality.

    “Let us all do our part to stay warm and safe and protect our communities from unnecessary fire disasters this winter.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister sets the record straight on the appointment of CEO

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Public Works Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala has, during a media briefing on Tuesday, set the record straight regarding the appointment of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) Chief Executive Officer, Tebogo Malaka.

    The Deputy Minister said he had noted with “deep concern” media articles which appear to have been deliberately planted and arranged to defame and tarnish his image, disguised as concerns about issues of governance in the IDT.

    The IDT is a Schedule 2 State-owned entity, which manages the implementation and delivery of critically needed social infrastructure programmes on behalf of government. It reports to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, who is the shareholder representative.

    Addressing the media in Pretoria, the Deputy Minister explained that when he was appointed as Minister in March 2023, the appointment of the CEO had already been processed by the IDT Board with the concurrence received from his predecessor.

    He said the recommendation to appoint Malaka as CEO had already been submitted to Cabinet for final processing when he joined the department.

    “As the Minister, I withdrew the matter due issues that were emerging at the time about the entity and had to deal with the issues of due diligence,” Zikalala said.

    He added that also informing his decision to withdraw the matter were allegations related to the office lease at the IDT, which was an issue that had been in the public domain long before his arrival in the department.

    “I had to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. During the period of my arrival at the department, I found the IDT plagued by challenges and infighting among the board members, which defocussed the entity from its primary mandate of delivering social infrastructure to communities,” Zikalala said.

    According to the Deputy Minister, at the time of his appointment as Minister, there were serious concerns about governance affairs of the IDT.

    “As Minister at the time, I held a number of meetings to refocus the board to its governance and fiduciary duties, these efforts to focus the board on governance issues did not yield expected results. 

    “I am the first Minister to task the board of the IDT to investigate the matter of the office lease and to give a report after six months,” Zikalala said. 

    The Minister said he was committed to serving with integrity, transparency and accountability. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Call for motorists to exercise caution on the roads

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Tuesday, June 10, 2025

    The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to take extra caution when driving on the roads as icy cold weather conditions have gripped the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

    The South African Weather Service (SAWS) warned of widespread rain with disruptive snow over escarpments of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.

    “The RTMC advises travellers in affected areas to delay their trips until the situation improves.”

    Travel routes are also affected with the N2 from Ingeli towards Kokstad in KwaZulu Natal being closed due to snow. 

    The R58 Barkley East and West towards Barkley Pass was also closed due to snow. 

    Heavy rains with strong wind were reported in Umzimkhulu and Ixopo KwaZulu Natal and this could lead to flash flooding in low lying areas. Motorists are advised to switch their headlights on to increase their visibility. 

    Motorists should heed the following road safety precautions when driving on the road:

    • Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
    • Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
    • Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
    • Keep your lights and windshield clean.
    • Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
    • Do not use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
    • Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently travelled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
    • Do not pass snow ploughs and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you are likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
    • Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –