NewzIntel.com

Category: Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA joins world in commemorating World Breastfeeding Week 

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Department of Health, in collaboration with various stakeholders, is joining the global community to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), which runs from 1 – 7 August.

    This initiative aims to raise awareness about the long-term health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for both mothers and children, as part of ongoing efforts to increase breastfeeding rates in the country.

    WBW is a global initiative celebrated in more than 120 countries. 

    This movement aims to promote breastfeeding and foster a supportive environment for mothers, ultimately enhancing the well-being of both mothers and their babies.

    According to the department, exclusive breastfeeding provides several benefits, including optimal nutrition for the baby’s first six months of life, protection against infections and illnesses, and reduced risks of various conditions, including obesity, asthma and type 1 diabetes. 

    “Lack of exclusive breastfeeding contributes to susceptibility to common infections, developmental issues and chronic diseases,” the department said.

    While global exclusive breastfeeding rates have seen a slight increase in recent years, the department stated that South Africa is still lagging, with a concerning decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates from 32% in 2016 to 22% in 2024. 

    The department believes that the current trend means the country is unlikely to achieve the World Health Assembly’s breastfeeding target of at least 50% by the end of the year 2025, and 70% in 2030.

    This decline can be attributed to several factors, including the rising normalisation of formula feeding, which is often driven by aggressive marketing practices by the infant formula industry, particularly on digital platforms. 

    “Simultaneously, the country faces an escalating malnutrition crisis, particularly among children under the age of five, marked by worrying increases in stunting, wasting and overweight prevalence,” the department said.

    According to the department, exclusive breastfeeding is a shared responsibility, extending beyond just the role of mothers, with families, communities, healthcare systems, and employers having important roles to play. 

    “Breastfeeding is not just about reaching country and global targets, but also about supporting infant health and development, as well as maternal well-being.” 

    The department, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR), and other partners, will launch awareness activities for WBW 2025. 

    These activities aim to engage individuals and organisations to enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding. 

    This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen breastfeeding support systems and create a nurturing environment for mothers to breastfeed their babies.

    “This is part of a series of activities to raise awareness about this annual campaign.”

    The interventions align with the 2025 WBW theme: ‘Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems’, which highlights the need for long-term, equitable support structures for breastfeeding mothers.

    “It also highlights the connection between breastfeeding and environmental sustainability, recognising breastfeeding as a key factor in climate resilience,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Free State government urges parents to vaccinate children

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Friday, August 1, 2025

    As part of ongoing efforts to prevent the further spread of measles, the Free State Department of Health has called on parents and guardians to ensure that they and their children are up to date with their vaccinations, in accordance with the provisions of the Road to Health Booklet.

    The department reported 93 laboratory confirmed cases of measles as of week 29 in the Lejweleputswa District.

    “Since the first positive case was detected in the private health sector on 23 February 2025, the department has taken decisive action to control the outbreak. The initial cases in Lejweleputswa were followed by a series of confirmed cases, with the most affected sub-district being Matjhabeng, which accounts for 42 of the total cases. 

    “The Nala area has also seen an increase in cases, necessitating continued vigilance and response efforts,” the department said on Thursday.

    The department reported that the outbreak in Mangaung has been declared over, which it described as a testament to the effectiveness of the outbreak response measures. 

    In Lejweleputswa, while sporadic cases have been observed from weeks 20 to 29, the department said the outbreak is under control. 

    The focus remains on the areas with higher numbers of unvaccinated individuals, particularly in Matjhabeng and Nala.

    “The department urges all residents to remain vigilant, particularly in areas with higher case numbers. The Free State Department of Health is dedicated to protecting the health of communities and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

    The department has implemented the following interventions as part of the ongoing management of the measles outbreak:

    • Outbreak response teams have been mobilised and resuscitated to address the situation effectively. The department has initiated outbreak response activities in Nala to curb the rising cases.
    • The department has improved community awareness through the distribution of information, education and communication (IEC) materials. This initiative aims to educate the public on measles prevention and encourage vaccination.
    • The department has made significant improvements in completeness of immunisation feedback (CIF) and ensured the collection of blood specimens for all laboratory samples.
    • Provincial support has been extended to the affected district throughout the outbreak. The department has collaborated with the South African Police Service (SAPS), as the local law enforcement, and community leaders to enhance outbreak awareness and response.
    • All laboratory-confirmed cases have been managed appropriately, with patients receiving the correct dose of Vitamin A and being monitored for signs and symptoms of the disease.

    – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The renovated National Road 1 between Kinshasa, Kwango and Kwilu is boosting economic activity in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Source: APO

    In Kikwit, in Kwilu province in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the “lower town” market is bustling. No-one seems bothered by the sun, which is at its zenith. Motorcycles, tricycles, goods trucks and street vendors intermingle in a constant, noisy ballet, signs of the economic dynamism of this city located more than 600 kilometres from the capital, Kinshasa.

    In the distance, men can already be seen busy loading huge blue plastic drums onto large trucks lined up in single file at the edge of the market. Their destination: Kinshasa, via National Road No. 1 or RN1.

    Modeste Mafangala, a road haulier, makes no secret of his satisfaction with a recent major change in his daily life: the repair of the Kinshasa–N’Djili–Batshamba section of the RN1.

    “Before, it was very difficult to get from here to Kinshasa. You could spend a week or two on the road. But now the road is good. The goods we’re loading today will arrive at their destination the next day, either by bus, truck or motorcycle,” he says, visibly relieved.

    The project to renovate the 622-kilometre section of RN1 between Kinshasa, N’Djili and Batshamba was financed to the tune of $70.2 million by the African Development Fund, the African Development Bank Group’s concessional financing window. The project addresses the major challenge of opening up rural areas to trade in goods and services. Long isolated due to poor road conditions, the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu now enjoy better connectivity with the capital and with each other.

    This improvement greatly facilitates interprovincial trade and creates momentum for regional economic integration. The impact on transport conditions is particularly evident. The journey between Kinshasa and Kikwit, and even Batshamba, now takes just six hours. In addition to reducing travel times, the improved road quality has also led to a significant reduction in the number of accidents.

    “Back then, hauliers would spend days on end trying to reach Kikwit or Tshikapa,” explains Jean Luemba, project implementation coordinator in Kinshasa.  “But today, they get there in less time and save money on fuel and even spare parts, because with all the potholes on the road, vehicles used to suffer significant damage. You could say that hauliers are now getting their money’s worth.”

    But the benefits of the project go far beyond simply repairing the road. An integrated approach to development has multiplied the positive impacts for the people living in the project area. Schools now have access to drinking water, health centres have been built, rural markets refurbished, agricultural tracks upgraded, and several villages equipped with boreholes.

    At the Don Bosco Institute in Kenge, for example, the project has changed the daily lives of the students. A drinking water borehole with a standpipe has been installed in the schoolyard, so the students can now enjoy their breaks without worrying about finding water to drink.

    Espérance Anga, a student in the 4th grade general mechanics class, said: “This is a very good thing for us. Before, we had trouble getting drinking water during breaks. We used to buy water in bags from the canteen. Now, thanks to the borehole, it’s much easier.”

    The RN1 renovation project is a major infrastructure initiative that is expected to have positive effects on socioeconomic development in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By connecting Kinshasa to the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu, the road facilitates travel and trade, with a knock-on effect on the daily life of communities and economic activity.

    “Today, people living along the road can get more value from their daily produce. They can sell more easily because vehicles now have direct access to their villages. One mother, for example, no longer needs to travel to Kinshasa or the market to sell a bag of cassava or charcoal: she can sell it in front of her house. It’s a real change in their daily lives,” says Jean Luemba.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Boosts Stock Futures Selection with TRON, BITF, ICG and More

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has expanded its innovative Stock Futures offering by adding five new trading options: ICG, BITF, ETHWSTOCK, TRON, and CRCL. This move continues MEXC’s mission to bridge the gap between digital assets and traditional finance, providing users with seamless access to U.S. stock market opportunities through the flexibility of crypto-based derivatives.

    MEXC’s Stock Futures product is designed with traders in mind—offering zero trading fees, zero funding fees, and deep global liquidity. With a clean and intuitive user interface, the product removes traditional barriers to stock market access and brings popular equity exposures to a new generation of crypto-native investors. Users can now trade select U.S. stock-linked futures directly on MEXC without the need for a brokerage account.

    Each Stock Futures pair supports up to 5x leverage, allowing users to go long or short based on market sentiment, all settled in USDT. This structure empowers traders to capitalize on market movements with limited capital, while simplifying the trading process through familiar crypto infrastructure. By tokenizing price exposure to traditional stocks like ICG, BITF, and CRCL, MEXC is setting a new standard for global trading accessibility.

    Five Key Features of MEXC Stock Futures:

    0 Fees, Maximum Potential
    To celebrate the launch, MEXC is offering a limited-time “Double 0” promotion: 0 trading fees and 0 funding rates. This drastically reduces transaction costs for both high-frequency traders and long-term investors, helping users maximize profit potential.

    Industry-Leading Depth & Execution Speed
    Built on a high-performance matching engine and deep liquidity pools, MEXC delivers industry-leading trading depth for Stock Futures. Users benefit from ultra-low slippage, tight spreads, and millisecond-level execution, even for large-volume trades.

    Streamlined, User-Friendly Interface
    The platform offers an intuitive UI with one-click leverage adjustment, quick order execution, and real-time risk alerts. Compared to the complexity of traditional CFDs, MEXC’s simplified design and smart tools make it easy for beginners to enter the leveraged trading space.

    Trading Hours Synchronized with U.S. Market Operations
    Unlike platforms that offer 24/7 trading, MEXC’s Stock Futures align with NASDAQ and NYSE trading hours, minimizing volatility during illiquid off-hours and ensuring a more authentic market experience. Real-time price feeds are sourced from official data providers, ensure transparency and minimize the risk of market manipulation.

    Institutional-Grade Asset Protection
    MEXC prioritizes user asset security with a dedicated Futures Insurance Fund to cover potential losses and a robust real-time risk management system to maintain a fair, stable trading environment.

    This guide will walk you through how to trade Stock Futures on MEXC, from opening an account to executing your first order.

    About MEXC

    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 40 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer: Futures trading carries inherent risk. Ensure you fully understand the associated risks involved before investing.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3945edd-ad57-47dd-b7fd-8791609ce2c2

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government announces measures to assist exporters

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has announced a set of measures in response to the tariff hike on South African exports to the United States, which comes into effect this month.

    “The dtic has announced a set of measures in response to the imminent 30% tariff hike on South African exports to the United States, which comes into effect on 1 August 2025.

    “These urgent interventions are part of the dtic’s ongoing commitment to protecting jobs, preserving market access in the United States, and promoting export diversification to alternate markets in Africa, the EU [European Union], Asia, Latin America, and other strategic partners,” Minister Parks Tau said in a statement ahead of the start of the implementation of the tariff.

    In Thursday’s statement, Tau said key among the interventions is the establishment of an Export Support Desk, which will serve as a direct point of contact for companies affected by the US tariff hike.

    “The Desk will provide updates on developments and tailored advisory services to exporters on alternative destinations, guidance on market entry processes, insights into compliance requirements and linkages to South African Embassies and High Commissions abroad.”

    READ | SA reaffirms commitment to US trade deal

    In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the correspondence from the United States (US) President Donald Trump on the unilateral imposition of a 30% trade tariff against South Africa.

    In a letter addressed to President Ramaphosa, President Trump announced that he would subject imports from South Africa to new 30% tariffs, that would take effect from 1 August 2025.

    On Thursday, the dtic said the tariff hike poses a “direct threat” to the country’s export capacity, particularly in strategic sectors such as automotive, agro-processing, steel and chemicals, amongst others.

    “As government, we are fully committed to supporting our exporters through this challenging time. We are working with urgency and resolve to implement real and practical interventions that defend jobs and position South Africa competitively in a shifting global landscape.

    “The stakes are high and we must respond decisively to ensure our export industries remain resilient, competitive, and globally integrated into diversified markets.

    “Exporters are encouraged to engage directly with the Export Support Desk and also to visit the dtic website regularly for updates and support mechanisms. The dtic remains steadfast in its mission to assist local producers and safeguard South Africa’s trade interests amid growing global uncertainty,” the Minister explained.

    The contact details of the Export Support Desk are as follows:

    Exporters to the United States and Market Enquiries related to the Americas can contact:
    •    Ms. Nthatisi Moraloge 
    NMoraloge@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-1125
    Or 
    •    Mr. Karabo Modimokwane
    KModimokwane@thedtc.gov.za
    (012) 394-1164

    Market Enquiries related to other markets:

    In the African region exporters can contact: 
    •    Ms. Zamaswazi Nkosi 
    ZPNkosi@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-3533

    Or

    •    Mr. Mncedisi Madela
    MMadela@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-5659

    Or

    •    Ms. Sithembile Shongwe 
    SLShongwe@thedtic.gov.za 
    Or

    •    Ms. Sibongimpilo Mashatola
    SMashatola@thedtic.gov.za
    (012) 394-5507

    In ASEAN and Asia, exporters can contact:

    •    Ms. Meresina Ranphabana 
    MRanphabana@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-5918

    Or 
    •    Ms. Mundzhedzi Mahosi
    MMahosi@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-5645

    Or 
    •    Ms. Ledile Bambo  
    LBambo@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-1997

    Or 
    •    Mr. Kenneth Malatsi 
    MMahosi@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-1061

    In the Europe region, exporters can contact :

    •    Ms. Hloniphile Nkiwane
    HNkiwane@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-3496

    Or

    •    Mr. Seth Pule 
    SPule@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-3087

    In the Middle East, exporters can contact :
    •    Mr. Waseem Rinquest 
    WRinquest@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-5863

    Or

    •    Ms. Mpho Sebatana
    MSebatana@thedtic.gov.za 
    (012) 394-3415

    – SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Comment by United Nation (UN) Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on deaths during protests in Angola

    Source: APO


    .

    Authorities in Angola must carry out prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the deaths of at least 22 people, as well as associated human rights violations, during protests this week against an increase in fuel prices.

    According to official reports, more than 1,000 people have been detained. Unverified footage suggests that security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters, which points to an unnecessary and disproportionate use of force.

    We note that some of those protesting resorted to violence and that a number of individuals reportedly took advantage of the unrest to commit criminal acts, including looting shops, as well as vandalising property in multiple locations in the capital, Luanda.

    We call on the Angolan authorities to refrain from resorting to unnecessary or disproportionate use of force to maintain public order, and to guarantee the full enjoyment of the rights to life, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

    Any individuals who may have been arbitrarily detained must be immediately released. All protesters taking to the streets to express their opinions should do so peacefully. All human rights violations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa continues to engage the United States (US) government on the reciprocal tariffs

    Source: APO


    .

    President Cyril Ramaphosa notes with concern the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States (US) on South African products.

    The reciprocal tariffs have been imposed by the US on a significant number of its trade partners and South Africa has not been spared. South Africa will continue negotiating with the US regarding the 30 percent tariff announced by the US, which will come into effect on or after 12h01 eastern daylight time, 7 days after 1 August 2025.

    All applicable exceptions published in the previous US Executive Order are set to remain in force and these exceptions covered products such as copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, stainless steel scrap and energy and energy products. 

    Government has been engaging the United States, and has submitted a Framework Deal that aims to enhance mutually beneficial trade and investment relations. All channels of communication remain open to engage with the US and our negotiators are ready pending invitation from the US. 

    In the meantime, Government is finalising a package to support companies that are vulnerable to the reciprocal tariffs. The package consists of a  number of measures to assist companies, producers and workers affected by the tariffs on SA exports to the US. The details of the measures will be announced in due course. 

    South Africa and US trade relations are complementary in nature and South African exports do not pose a threat to US industry. Importantly, SA exports to the US contain inputs from the African Continent and contribute to intra-Africa trade. 

    South Africa will continue to pursue all diplomatic efforts to safeguard its national interests.  It is important that as a country we keep our people at work and our companies producing some of the high-quality products destined for many parts of the world.

    To this end, Government will intensify its diversification strategy to create resilience of our economy and is working with export councils and industry associations, as well as top exporters to the US with a view to assist with alternative markets. In this regard, an Export Support Desk to provide updates on development and provide advisory services to exporters has been established. The details  are to be published by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on its website. 

    Government, through the dtic is also in constant contact with the US on the  Framework Deal. The Executive order published by the United States today clarifies that goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12h01 eastern daylight time, 7 days after 1 August 2025, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 12h01 eastern daylight time on 5 October 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty and shall instead remain subject to the additional ad valorem duties previously imposed in Executive Order 14257, as amended.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Justice Committee Chairperson Welcomes Appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Mlambo

    Source: APO


    .

    The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Xola Nqola, welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Justice Dunstan Mlambo as Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.

    Mr Xola said Justice Mlambo brings with him a wealth of experience and a distinguished track record in the judiciary. He served as Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court for over a decade.

    Justice Mlambo has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the independence of the judiciary, access to justice, and the transformation of the legal system, said the Chairperson. “His appointment is another positive step in the transformation of the judiciary and ensuring that it remains the protectors of our constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

    “The portfolio committee extends its congratulations to Justice Mlambo on his appointment and wishes him success in this new role of national importance. We are confident that he will serve with integrity, wisdom, distinction and dedication to the Constitution,” emphasised the Chairperson.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Parliament Approves land sublease for Kabale University expansion

    Source: APO


    .

    Parliament has approved a motion allowing Kabale Regional Referral Hospital sublease five acres of land to Kabale University, clearing the way for the university to expand its Faculty of Medicine.

    The Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng presented the proposal during the plenary sitting of Thursday, 31 July 2025.

    Kabale University made the request in August 2022.

    The university aims to build new teaching and medical facilities, including specialized clinics, patient wards, lecture halls and operating rooms.

    Aceng said the move is a major boost for medical training and healthcare in southwestern Uganda noting that Kabale Regional Referral Hospital serves over 2.4 million people, including patients from Rwanda.

    “This is more than just a land deal, it is an investment in better healthcare, stronger medical education and growth for the Kigezi sub-region and beyond,” Aceng said.

    She noted that the expansion will help the university train more doctors and nurses for the region, addressing a critical shortage of healthcare workers in districts like Kabale, Kanungu, Ntungamo, Kisoro and Rukungiri.

    Currently Kabale University’s medical school operates out of run-down hospital building that is set for demolition.  Aceng emphasised that the sublease will allow the university to create a modern medical school and teaching hospital.

    “This will improve training, enhance research, and bring better healthcare closer to the communities that need it most,” she said.

    The Koboko Municipality MP, Hon. Charles Ayume said the motion was timely considering the state of the Medical school and its symbiotic relationship with the Regional Referral Hospital.

    “A Medical school and hospital have a symbiotic relationship where they all benefit. The University does the teaching but the hospital benefits from extra services of lecturers and students during their training,” said Ayume adding that, “We had queried the type of doctors that will come from that dilapidated building”.

    Tororo District Woman MP, Hon. Sarah Opendi asked fellow legislators to look into the status of Regional Referral Hospitals across the country, saying most are performing way below the capacity of a regional referral hospital.

    “Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is challenged in terms of space and infrastructure, it remains a 100 bed capacity hospital which is below the requirement of a regional referral hospital,” Opendi said.

    She noted that most of the regional referral hospitals are understaffed between 25 to 30 percent staffing level, praying that it should be addressed in the next budget cycle.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: South Africa launches safeguard investigation on certain flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel

    Source: WTO

    Headline: South Africa launches safeguard investigation on certain flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel

    The notification indicated, among other things, as follows:
    “Interested parties must make themselves known within a period of 20 days after the initiation of the investigation.
    Any information that the interested parties may wish to submit in writing and any request for a hearing before the Commission that they may wish to put forward should be submitted within 20 days following the initiation of this investigation to the Directorate: Trade Remedies I at the following address:
    The DTI Campus, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside Pretoria, Block Uuzaji, Ground Floor, tel: +27 12 394 3600, fax +27 12 394 0518.”
    The notification is available in G/SG/N/6/ZAF/*.
    What is a safeguard investigation?
    A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or is threatening to cause, serious injury to a domestic industry.
    During a safeguard investigation, importers, exporters and other interested parties may present evidence and views and respond to the presentations of other parties.
    A WTO member may take a safeguard action (i.e. restrict imports of a product temporarily) only if the increased imports of the product are found to be causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.

    Ibadan is where the Mbari Club once gathered, an experimental space where Nigerian writers, artists and thinkers – among them Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Christopher Okigbo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mabel Segun and South Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele – met, debated and dreamed in the 1960s and 70s.

    It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.



    Read more:
    Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.

    So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.

    Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.

    As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.

    A snapshot of Nigeria

    This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.

    In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.

    I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.

    While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.

    Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.

    More than bookshops

    The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.

    Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.

    But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.

    Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.

    In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.



    Read more:
    Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

    On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.

    The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.

    Tinashe Mushakavanhu 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. A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.

    Ibadan is where the Mbari Club once gathered, an experimental space where Nigerian writers, artists and thinkers – among them Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Christopher Okigbo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mabel Segun and South Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele – met, debated and dreamed in the 1960s and 70s.

    It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.

    Read more: Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.

    So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.

    Books are cultural currency in Ibadan. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.

    As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.

    A snapshot of Nigeria

    This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.

    In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.

    Stacks upon stacks of books greet one. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.

    While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.

    Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.

    More than bookshops

    The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.

    Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.

    A distinctly Nigerian book conversation. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.

    Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.

    In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.

    Read more: Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

    On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.

    The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.

    – A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture
    – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Professor Firoz Cachalia sworn in as Minister of Police

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Professor Firoz Cachalia sworn in as Minister of Police

    Professor Firoz Cachalia has been sworn in as the new Minister of Police during ceremony held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday.  

    “In terms of the powers vested in me by Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, I have decided to appoint the following person as Minister for the portfolio indicated in the signed President’s Act. The said Minister-Designate, who is about to become Minister, is Professor Firoz Cachalia… (sic),” said President Cyril Ramaphosa during the ceremony.

    The swearing in follows President Ramaphosa’s announcement last month that he had placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect.

    The affirmation was administered by Acting Judge President, Aubrey Ledwaba, following Cachalia’s appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

    READ | Police Minister Mchunu placed on leave of absence 

    The President further announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry, led by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, into allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 

    Mkhwanazi had raised concerns about an alleged criminal syndicate that has infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures. He also accused Mchunu of colluding with criminal elements to disband the Political Killings Task Team based in KwaZulu-Natal. 

    Director-General in The Presidency, Phindile Baleni, who spoke at the swearing-in, congratulated the newly appointed Minister. 

    “Minister, we congratulate you on your appointment and wish you much success in your duties and endeavours to make South Africa and the world a better place for all,” Baleni said.

    Addressing members of the media after the ceremony, President Ramaphosa acknowledged the concerns regarding the seeming duplication in the police ministry.  

    “I know there is a technicality about seeming to have two Ministers in the same portfolio, and that is a matter I do believe is going to be resolved within a short space of time.  

    “I directed the commission [of inquiry] to complete its work as quickly as possible, so whatever confusion there might be is going to be of a short duration. I expect a report from the commission within three months and if they have to ask for an extension, we will give consideration to that. 

    “I do want this matter to be resolved as quickly as possible but at the same time, we have had to provide leadership to the police service. We can’t leave a vacuum. Whilst all of this is happening, Minister Mchunu is on leave while this matter is being resolved, and he is preparing himself, as I hear, to appear before the commission,” the President said.  

    Speaking to the media about his new role, Cachalia said he had not yet had an opportunity to meet with the President but had been informed that the first Cabinet meeting would take place on Wednesday, and he assumed the President would engage with him in due course.  

    Cachalia assured the public that he is fully aware of the responsibility that comes with the role and is committed to prioritising their safety and security.  

    “I don’t think there are any specific fears going into this portfolio. I understand the moment the country is in and the weight of the responsibility that I have, together with the others in government. I want to assure the public that their safety and security is uppermost in my mind. That’s what I am going to focus on, and I hope that I will be able to take the country forward,” he said. 

    Responding to a question on whether he supports the work of the Political Killings Task Team, Cachalia said he would comment after meeting with National Commissioner Fannie Masemola on Thursday next week.  

    “I don’t think it will be appropriate for me to comment on that without having the benefit of a discussion with him,” he said. 

    Cachalia also touched on his dual role as chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Council, whose term ends at the end of the month. 

    “I do think that my appointment as a Minister of this portfolio, while I am still the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Council – the term of which expires at the end of this month… I am now in a better position than I was as chairperson to take the recommendations of the Council forward, and I will certainly be doing so.”  

    Cachalia said he would ask the National Commissioner, during their upcoming meeting, to arrange a session between the Anti-Corruption Council and the police management team to discuss the Council’s recommendations, adding that it is his intention to work closely with the Minister of Justice, as the recommendations impact both their portfolios. 

    “We will together be in a much better position going forward to take those recommendations forward. The recommendations that the Council has made are the ones I am committed to fully implementing,” Cachalia said.  

    On when he will travel to KwaZulu-Natal to meet with General Mkhwanazi, Cachalia said the visit will depend on his discussion with the National Commissioner. 

    “As the national Minister, I have to visit all the provinces – in what sequence and with what priorities in mind, that still has to be determined. So, I will answer that question in the coming days,” he said.  

    Minister Cachalia vowed to work hard and remain focused on his responsibilities despite the challenges surrounding his appointment.  

    “I will work hard. I am not distracted by the noise, and I am not driven by political ambition. I have been given a task. I am going to tackle the task without fear or favour, subject of course to the President’s guidance and direction as a member of the Cabinet,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    DikelediM

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Call to protect the nation’s oceans

    Source: Government of South Africa

    As South Africa joins the international community to celebrate Marine Protectors Day, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has called on all South Africans to protect the nation’s oceans.

    “Whether through reducing plastic waste, supporting sustainable seafood choices, or participating in coastal clean-up initiatives, every action counts. Together, we can ensure that our oceans remain vibrant and thriving for generations to come,” the Minister said on Friday.

    This day serves as a powerful reminder of the collective responsibility to protect the nation’s oceans, which are vital to biodiversity, food security, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

    The Minister paid tribute individuals, communities and organisations dedicated to safeguarding South Africa’s rich marine ecosystems.

    “South Africa’s oceans are a cornerstone of our natural heritage, supporting millions of lives and driving economic growth through sustainable fisheries, tourism, and conservation initiatives. On Marine Protectors Day, we celebrate the rangers, scientists, enforcement officers, and community members who work relentlessly to preserve our marine resources for future generations,” the Minister said.

    Under his leadership, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has made significant strides in marine conservation. 

    Recent achievements include a 36% increase in fishing allocations for small-scale fishers on appeal, robust anti-poaching operations to combat illegal abalone harvesting, and the development of draft management plans for the Benguela Muds and Cape Canyon Marine Protected Areas. 

    These efforts underscore the department’s commitment to balancing environmental protection with socio-economic development.

    “Our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are sanctuaries for marine life, providing safe havens for species like the African Penguin and supporting the resilience of our coastal ecosystems,” George said.

    The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to expanding and strengthening these protected areas, in line with South Africa’s obligations under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    The DFFE, in collaboration with partners such as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), will continue to drive innovative policies and enforcement measures to combat marine pollution, overfishing, and environmental crime. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade – Trump’s tariffs cement new multipolar global economy: deVere CEO

    Source: deVere Group

    August 1 2025 – Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs are not just reshaping global trade – they are accelerating the rise of a multipolar global economy.

    The shift away from a US-dominated system is no longer theoretical, it is active and accelerating.

    “Multipolarity now defines the direction of global trade,” says Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and asset management organizations.

    “These tariffs are forcing countries to rewire their trade, capital, and strategic priorities. The world is moving toward multiple centres of economic power and influence.”

    Effective August 7, the US will impose tariffs on nearly every major trading partner.

    Countries running a trade deficit with the US face a 15% floor. Canada has been hit with 35%. Brazil, 50%.

    India now faces a 25% rate, alongside a financial penalty for continuing energy and defence ties with Russia—despite being positioned by Trump as a close ally.

    “India’s inclusion shows how quickly partners can become pressure points. This pressure is already nudging New Delhi toward deeper cooperation with trade rival Beijing. The consequences will be long-term.”

    While trade deals with China and Mexico remain under negotiation, the broader international response is already unfolding.

    “Beijing, Moscow, and increasingly Delhi are coordinating more closely on trade, infrastructure and investment. Long-time allies like Switzerland and Taiwan are reassessing risk. Many governments are seeking to reduce exposure to Washington’s economic leverage altogether.

    “This isn’t a rerun of past trade disputes. It is a global shift away from reliance on the US as the central node. New trade networks are forming by necessity, not necessarily by preference.”

    Diplomatic talks with China have intensified in recent months, with meetings in Geneva, London and Stockholm.

    Beijing is focused on securing a continued freeze on US semiconductor export controls. Washington is demanding action on fentanyl, greater access for American firms, and increased Chinese purchases of US goods. But the real story lies beyond the negotiating table.

    “Tariffs are being baked in as permanent features of the new economic order. Countries are responding by building systems that can operate without US permission.”

    The US tariff list now stretches across continents. Switzerland faces 39%. South Africa, Libya, Algeria, Serbia, and several others between 30% and 41%. Taiwan, Israel, Pakistan, and Norway are all in the 15–20% range. The sweep is deliberate—and global.

    “Markets are adjusting. Capital is shifting. Supply chains are realigning around regional strength, not global scale.”

     

    Nigel Green continues: “The dollar remains dominant, but its influence is no longer unchallenged.

    “Central banks are pursuing alternatives. Reserve diversification is accelerating. Regional trading blocs are pushing forward with new payments infrastructure, less reliant on Washington’s rules.

    “This fragmentation is the new baseline. The post-war consensus on trade and financial cooperation is fading. What replaces it is a world of multiple economic power and influence centres, each with their own rules and reach.”

    For investors, the implications are direct. Correlations are weakening. Policy risk is climbing. Exposure to geopolitical realignment is no longer abstract, it’s active.

    “Anyone still expecting a return to the old system is behind the curve. This is the direction of travel now. Global trade will be multipolar. Capital allocation must reflect that.”

    The deVere CEO concludes: “It locks in a new world order where influence is distributed, and alignment is increasingly transactional. For global investors, it marks the start of a generation-defining realignment.

    “From here, economic and trade power is going to become more fragmented—and competition for it more intense.”

    deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Emancipation Day 2025 Commemorated

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Nova Scotia will mark Emancipation Day today, August 1, recognizing Britain’s abolition of slavery across its empire in 1834.

    Emancipation Day acknowledges the history and ongoing impacts of the transatlantic slave trade on people of African descent and African Nova Scotians.

    “Emancipation Day is a time to remember, reflect and recommit,” said Premier Tim Houston. “It reminds us of the resilience of people of African descent and African Nova Scotians and challenges us to strengthen inclusion, justice and equity across our province.”

    This year’s theme is Harbouring Freedom: Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future.

    A series of events will recognize Emancipation Day. A flag raising at Province House at 9 a.m. and a reception on the Halifax waterfront at 11 a.m. will be livestreamed at: https://www.youtube.com/@bcc_ns. There will also be community gatherings throughout the province. Details and a full schedule are available at: https://emancipationdayns.ca/.

    Quotes:

    “On the Halifax waterfront, the Atlantic once carried enslaved African people to our shores and later carried 1,200 Black Loyalists seeking freedom in Sierra Leone. Those waters held pain and injustice, but also resilience and hope. Emancipation Day reminds us that we must confront racism and continue the work of building a more just future.”
    — Twila Grosse, Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs

    Quick Facts:

    • Nova Scotia designated August 1 as Emancipation Day on April 13, 2021
    • the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 took effect in 1834 and freed about 800,000 enslaved people of African descent throughout the British colonies
    • during the time of enslavement, more than 15 million African women, men and children were victims of the transatlantic slave trade
    • the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is observed on August 23, recognizing the 1791 uprisings in Haiti and the Dominican Republic that led to liberation from European colonizers
    • in 2022, the Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia were designated as being of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration, with a plaque unveiled at the Halifax Citadel

    Additional Resources:

    News release – Legislation Recognizes Emancipation Day in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20210413007

    Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia: https://bccns.com

    African Nova Scotian Affairs – Commemorating Emancipation Day: https://ansa.novascotia.ca/content/commemorating-emancipation-day

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Uganda Strengthens Emergency Response Capacity Through African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC) – Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE) Training

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    With support from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with the Government of Uganda to train 78 multidisciplinary One Health responders under the Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE) flagship programme.

    The AVoHC-SURGE training, a cornerstone of WHO’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) strategy, is designed and led by WHO to equip countries with skilled, coordinated teams capable of deploying rapidly during health emergencies. In Uganda, WHO has convened and facilitated a diverse group of participants from multiple sectors, including health, agriculture, internal affairs, animal and fisheries industries, and the Uganda Defence Forces, reflecting the One Health approach to managing threats at the human–animal–environment interface.

    “This training equips Uganda with the human capacity to respond quickly and decisively when emergencies occur. I commend the Ministry of Health for its leadership and commitment to strengthening emergency readiness,” said Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative to Uganda.

    Through WHO’s technical guidance, the training immerses participants in intensive sessions covering outbreak investigation, risk assessment, coordination, Gender based violence and Prevention and response of sexual exploitation, abuse and Harassment and rapid deployment operations. Practical simulations and scenario-based exercises replicate the realities of emergency response, ensuring participants are ready for coordinated action in the field.

    For many participants, the experience is transformative: “I am honoured to attend the AVoHC-SURGE training by WHO Uganda. I gained critical skills in rapid response, coordination, and outbreak investigation, which empowers me to protect lives and build stronger, safer communities,” shared Dr Andama Adinani, one of the participants from the district local government.

    Others echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing how WHO’s training builds technical capacity and strengthens networks across ministries and disciplines; connections that are critical to a cohesive national response when emergencies strike.

    The inclusion of responders from multiple ministries underscores the Government of Uganda’s commitment to a multisectoral approach, supported by WHO’s technical expertise. Emergencies such as Ebola, Marburg, cholera, and zoonotic diseases require coordination between human health, animal health, and environmental sectors. By strengthening this integrated response capacity, Uganda, through WHO’s SURGE programme is better prepared to contain outbreaks before they escalate.

    “Preparedness is an investment in the future. Every skill gained here, every relationship built across ministries, will help us act faster, smarter, and more effectively to protect Ugandans,” Lubwama Benard, Deputy Incident Commander, Ministry of Health.

    The AvoHC-SURGE initiative, supported by FCDO and implemented by WHO across Africa, has been rolled out in several countries. So far 27 out of the 30 countries have completed their trainings and the details of the trained teams have been uploaded in the responders database.

    As health threats grow increasingly complex, WHO’s continued support to Uganda in strengthening its national response capacity offers a model for other countries in the region. With a trained cadre of 78 multidisciplinary responders ready for deployment, the country is poised to respond to public health emergencies with speed, precision, and confidence.

    Designed for impact, this training represents a best preparedness and readiness practice model to improve capacity to manage emergencies, disasters and other climate related emergencies on the African content.

    – on behalf of World Health Organization – Uganda.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Surges to 7.2% Global Derivatives Market Share, Ranks Top 3 Highlights Bitcoin.com Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, today co-releases with Bitcoin.com an educational flagship titled “Crypto Derivatives 101 – Market Breakdown: Who’s Winning the Race?” designed to help newcomers navigate the fast-growing derivatives market, the guide also highlights Bitget’s leadership as its market share doubles to 7.2% in 2025, up from 4.6% year‑to‑date.

    As detailed in the newly released report, Bitget has emerged as the third-largest derivatives exchange globally by trading volume. In April 2025 alone, the platform processed $92 billion in futures volume. Bitget’s market share rose from 4.6% at the beginning of the year to 7.2%, placing it just behind Binance and OKX. While Binance continues to lead with a 38% share, Bitget’s rapid ascent reflects both strong retail engagement and increasing institutional preference, particularly for ETH-based derivatives, where Bitget has surpassed Binance in liquidity within key trading ranges.

    “We believe educational access is foundational,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “Crypto derivatives have often been misunderstood or seen as overly complex, especially by new users. With this guide, we aim to change that. We want to make sure that both retail and institutional users feel empowered to understand, navigate, and leverage the powerful tools available to them. Bitget is proud to be leading this industry with a user-first approach, backed by AI-powered tools, liquidity innovations, and a commitment to transparency and accessibility.”

    The Crypto Derivatives 101 report serves as a practical, beginner-friendly guide to understanding how derivatives work and why they matter in today’s markets. It breaks down core instruments such as futures, options, and perpetual swaps, while explaining how these tools are used for hedging, speculation, and arbitrage.

    A standout feature of the report is a comprehensive comparison of centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) perpetual markets, weighing factors like liquidity, slippage, fees, execution speed, and custody. Bitget, Binance, and OKX are shown to lead in areas like liquidity depth and institutional readiness, while platforms like GMX and Hyperliquid offer unmatched transparency and self-custody for DeFi-native users.

    The report also includes real-world trading scenarios that help readers understand which platform type is better suited to their goals. For example, a retail trader managing small-cap positions may benefit from Bitget’s intuitive UI, low fees, and fiat on-ramps. In contrast, DeFi-native users seeking anonymity and composability may prefer permissionless DEXs. Institutions executing large block trades are shown to favor CEXs like Bitget for better capital efficiency, risk management tools, and regulatory compliance. These case studies ground the content in real-world decision-making and make the guide actionable for new users.

    “The crypto industry has come a long way in terms of legitimacy, but education remains a key barrier,” said Eli Bordun, Partnership Director of Bitcoin.com. “This report breaks down step-by-step how the modern crypto markets function. Derivatives are often seen as tools for professionals — but they’re increasingly relevant for everyday users, DAOs, and even traditional financial players exploring the space. By working with Bitget to produce this report, we aim to demystify these instruments and support safe, informed participation in the market.”

    The report also highlights emerging trends set to shape the next era of crypto derivatives. One key theme is the rise of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), which are increasingly being integrated into derivatives products and yield strategies. Another is the expansion of AI-powered trading platforms, which are revolutionizing how both retail and institutional users manage portfolios, select strategies, and mitigate risk. Regulatory clarity is also improving, with frameworks like the EU’s MiCA and Singapore’s MAS paving the way for responsible innovation.

    Finally, the report explores the evolution of CeDeFi (Centralized-Decentralized Finance) models, where platforms like Bitget offer the best of both worlds: secure custody and intuitive UX alongside permissionless asset access and DeFi integration.

    With this report, Bitget and Bitcoin.com reaffirm their shared commitment to building a more inclusive crypto trading environment. As derivatives become increasingly central to digital finance, Bitget is positioned not only as a market leader — but as a bridge between the next generation of users and the tools that will define their financial future.

    For more information, please see the full report here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
    Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6595d449-33e8-478f-a5d3-67dc9f840558

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Surges to 7.2% Global Derivatives Market Share, Ranks Top 3 Highlights Bitcoin.com Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, today co-releases with Bitcoin.com an educational flagship titled “Crypto Derivatives 101 – Market Breakdown: Who’s Winning the Race?” designed to help newcomers navigate the fast-growing derivatives market, the guide also highlights Bitget’s leadership as its market share doubles to 7.2% in 2025, up from 4.6% year‑to‑date.

    As detailed in the newly released report, Bitget has emerged as the third-largest derivatives exchange globally by trading volume. In April 2025 alone, the platform processed $92 billion in futures volume. Bitget’s market share rose from 4.6% at the beginning of the year to 7.2%, placing it just behind Binance and OKX. While Binance continues to lead with a 38% share, Bitget’s rapid ascent reflects both strong retail engagement and increasing institutional preference, particularly for ETH-based derivatives, where Bitget has surpassed Binance in liquidity within key trading ranges.

    “We believe educational access is foundational,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “Crypto derivatives have often been misunderstood or seen as overly complex, especially by new users. With this guide, we aim to change that. We want to make sure that both retail and institutional users feel empowered to understand, navigate, and leverage the powerful tools available to them. Bitget is proud to be leading this industry with a user-first approach, backed by AI-powered tools, liquidity innovations, and a commitment to transparency and accessibility.”

    The Crypto Derivatives 101 report serves as a practical, beginner-friendly guide to understanding how derivatives work and why they matter in today’s markets. It breaks down core instruments such as futures, options, and perpetual swaps, while explaining how these tools are used for hedging, speculation, and arbitrage.

    A standout feature of the report is a comprehensive comparison of centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) perpetual markets, weighing factors like liquidity, slippage, fees, execution speed, and custody. Bitget, Binance, and OKX are shown to lead in areas like liquidity depth and institutional readiness, while platforms like GMX and Hyperliquid offer unmatched transparency and self-custody for DeFi-native users.

    The report also includes real-world trading scenarios that help readers understand which platform type is better suited to their goals. For example, a retail trader managing small-cap positions may benefit from Bitget’s intuitive UI, low fees, and fiat on-ramps. In contrast, DeFi-native users seeking anonymity and composability may prefer permissionless DEXs. Institutions executing large block trades are shown to favor CEXs like Bitget for better capital efficiency, risk management tools, and regulatory compliance. These case studies ground the content in real-world decision-making and make the guide actionable for new users.

    “The crypto industry has come a long way in terms of legitimacy, but education remains a key barrier,” said Eli Bordun, Partnership Director of Bitcoin.com. “This report breaks down step-by-step how the modern crypto markets function. Derivatives are often seen as tools for professionals — but they’re increasingly relevant for everyday users, DAOs, and even traditional financial players exploring the space. By working with Bitget to produce this report, we aim to demystify these instruments and support safe, informed participation in the market.”

    The report also highlights emerging trends set to shape the next era of crypto derivatives. One key theme is the rise of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), which are increasingly being integrated into derivatives products and yield strategies. Another is the expansion of AI-powered trading platforms, which are revolutionizing how both retail and institutional users manage portfolios, select strategies, and mitigate risk. Regulatory clarity is also improving, with frameworks like the EU’s MiCA and Singapore’s MAS paving the way for responsible innovation.

    Finally, the report explores the evolution of CeDeFi (Centralized-Decentralized Finance) models, where platforms like Bitget offer the best of both worlds: secure custody and intuitive UX alongside permissionless asset access and DeFi integration.

    With this report, Bitget and Bitcoin.com reaffirm their shared commitment to building a more inclusive crypto trading environment. As derivatives become increasingly central to digital finance, Bitget is positioned not only as a market leader — but as a bridge between the next generation of users and the tools that will define their financial future.

    For more information, please see the full report here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
    Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6595d449-33e8-478f-a5d3-67dc9f840558

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Japan and WFP provide emergency food assistance to families impacted by floods and droughts in Burundi

    Source: World Food Programme

    BUJUMBURA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$1 million from the Government of Japan to provide lifesaving food assistance to 18,000 people affected by floods and droughts in Burundi.

    A ceremony was held in Bujumbura today to mark the contribution. The ceremony was attended by Mr Pontien Hatungimana, Burundi’s Permanent Secretary to the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights, and Gender, H.E. Mr Isao Fukushima, Ambassador of Japan to Burundi and Jean-Noël Gentile, WFP’s Country Director in Burundi.

    “Frequent floods and droughts are shattering livelihoods and worsening food insecurity in Burundi, particularly within rural communities, where more than 85 percent of the population relies on subsistence farming for survival,” said Jean-Noël Gentile, WFP’s Country Director in Burundi. “This generous contribution from the Government of Japan is vital in supporting the daily food needs of vulnerable people as they rebuild their lives.” 

     
    From September 2023 to June 2024, heavy rain caused floods and landslides in Bujumbura and Burunga Provinces, affecting more than 300,000 people and displacing over 47,000. Meanwhile, drought conditions caused by below-average rainfall in Butanyerera Province resulted in crop and income losses for smallholder farmers.

    “I am pleased to proceed to today’s ceremony. This project aims at providing food assistance to the most vulnerable people in Burundi based on the philosophy of Human Security. I sincerely hope that with the expertise of WFP in Burundi, as many Burundians as possible could spend better lives in dignity,” said H.E. Mr Isao Fukushima, Ambassador of Japan to Burundi. “Japan has been a good partner of WFP in Burundi, and we have implemented eight joint projects since 2010.”

    The Government of Japan is a major contributor to WFP in Burundi, providing more than US$12 million in support since 2019.

    #                #            #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) via @WFP_Africa
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Technical mission to Ghana on the deployment of Système Interconnecté de Gestion des Marchandises en Transit (SIGMAT) between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire

    Source: APO – Report:

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    From the 21st to 25th of July 2025, the ECOWAS Commission conducted a technical mission to Ghana as part of transit reforms aimed at ensuring the efficient cross-border movement of goods in the region. To this end, an IT solution called SIGMAT – “Système interconnecté de gestion des marchandises en transit” (Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit) – was established to enable the electronic exchange of data between Member States.

    Since the launch of SIGMAT in 2019, the Member States that have implemented this tool have reported its significant impact on transit procedures and the benefits it has brought to the countries.

    It is in this context that ECOWAS Ministers from the Member States of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (ALCO), meeting in Cotonou on the 5th of October 2023, requested the ECOWAS Commission to ensure the prompt deployment of SIGMAT in the five Member States of the corridor. This is to facilitate the smooth cross-border movement of goods along the corridor.

    Consequently, the ECOWAS Commission carried out a technical mission to Ghana from 21st to 25th July 2025 to assess and address the interconnection challenges between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in order to ensure seamless SIGMAT connectivity along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor. The mission brought together technical and functional experts from the Commission, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

    During a meeting with the Commissioner of Customs of Ghana, the Director of Customs Union and Taxation, Mr. Salifou TIEMTORE, on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs. Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, reiterated the commitment of the ECOWAS Commission to support Member States in their efforts to ensure the deployment of SIGMAT on all trade corridors to facilitate the efficient movement of goods in the region.

    For his part, the Commissioner of Customs of Ghana, Brigadier General Glover ASHONG ANNAN, expressed the Ghana Revenue Authority’s gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for this timely intervention aimed at securing transit trade in the ECOWAS region and reducing transit-related fraud that threatens the revenues and security of Member States.

    At the end of the mission, the technical and functional challenges hindering the proper functioning of transit between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana were resolved.

    – on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Regional Workshop on the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Fiscal Expenditure Methodology for Francophone and Lusophone States

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the World Bank, has launched a four-day regional workshop from the 28th to the 31st of July,2025 in Dakar, Senegal focused on strengthening the capacity of francophone and lusophone Member States to evaluate and manage tax expenditures.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Representative of the Minister of Finance of Senegal, Mr. Issa Faye warmly welcomed delegates on behalf of the Government and people of Senegal. He emphasized the country’s commitment to greater fiscal transparency and effective public resource management. “Tax exemptions, if well-targeted, can be tools for growth and poverty reduction. However, their real impact must be rigorously measured” he noted. Senegal’s hosting of the event, he added, reflects its strong support for regional fiscal harmonization and cooperation.

    Mr. Rajiv Kumar, representing the World Bank, acknowledged the progress made by several ECOWAS Member States and encouraged greater transparency and systematic reporting. “World Bank is pleased to partner with ECOWAS to deliver this important workshop that aims to strengthen the capacity of member states to manage the fiscal and economic impact of tax expenditures,” he stated.

    In her opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador Zelma Yollande Nobre Fassinou, ECOWAS Resident Representative to Senegal, emphasized the importance of the workshop and expressed gratitude to the Government of Senegal for its continued support for regional integration efforts. She highlighted that “Tax expenditures,when not properly evaluated, can undermine domestic resource mobilization and limit the capacity of our governments to finance vital programs.” Ambassador Fassinou emphasized that the workshop is not only a platform for technical learning but also an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and enhance collective governance in line with the 2023 ECOWAS Directive on Tax Expenditures. She further noted the importance of timely submission of tax expenditure reports by Member States, in alignment with the provisions of the Directive, as an important step towards improved transparency and accountability in fiscal policy across the region.

    Ambassador Fassinou also highlighted the workshop’s aim to encourage open dialogue and peer exchange, noting that participants will present their national frameworks, challenges, and best practices. “This workshop provides an ideal platform to deepen our shared understanding, align our methodologies, and enhance regional cooperation in managing fiscal incentives” she said.

    The workshop features technical sessions, practical exercises, and country presentations aimed at improving governance, transparency and alignment of tax incentives with national development strategies. Participants include officials from finance ministries, tax administrations and regional and international partners.

    This workshop reinforces ECOWAS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities and aligning fiscal practices with regional integration objectives.

    – on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why Donald Trump has stopped some conflicts but is failing with Ukraine and Gaza

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    In yet another twist in his unpredictable decision making, US president Donald Trump has dramatically shortened his original 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to call a ceasefire in Ukraine to a mere ten days. It’s an unmistakable sign of Trump’s frustration with the Russian leader who he now appears to view as the main obstacle to ending the war.

    Progress has been similarly limited on another of Trump’s flagship foreign policy projects: ending the war in Gaza. As a humanitarian catastrophe engulfs the territory, Trump and some of his Maga base are finally challenging Israel’s denials that, after almost two years of war, many Gazans now face a real risk of starvation.

    In neither case have his efforts to mediate and bring an end to the violence borne any fruit. But not all of Trump’s efforts to stop violence in conflicts elsewhere in the world have been similarly futile. The administration brokered a ceasefire between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which the two countries’ foreign ministers signed in Washington on June 27.

    The US president has also claimed to be behind the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May after the two sides had engaged in several days of fierce combat following a terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir by a Pakistan-backed rebel group. And, drawing a clear parallel between this conflict and the border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in July, Trump announced he had pushed both countries’ leaders to negotiate a ceasefire.

    All of these ceasefires, so far, have held. By contrast, the ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to which Trump contributed in January, even before he was inaugurated for his second term, broke down in March and fighting has escalated ever since. A short-lived ceasefire in Ukraine in April was barely worth its name given the countless violations.

    Mixed record

    Three factors can explain Trump’s mixed record of peacemaking to date. First, the US president is more likely to succeed in stopping the fighting where he has leverage and is willing to use it to force foreign leaders to bend to his will. For example, Trump was very clear that there would be no trade negotiations with Thailand or Cambodia “until such time as the fighting STOPS”.

    The crucial difference, so far, with the situation in the war against Ukraine is that Trump has, and has used, similar leverage only with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. This led to a US-Ukraine agreement on a 30-day ceasefire proposal just two weeks after the now-notorious row between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office.

    The mere threat of sanctions against Russia, by contrast, has done little to persuade Putin to accept whatever deal might Trump offer him. Trump’s threats – which he has never followed through on – did not work in January or May. The Kremlin’s initial reactions to the latest ultimatum from the White House do not indicate a change in Putin’s attitude.

    A second factor that may explain why Trump has had peacemaking success in some cases but not others is the level of complexity of US interests involved. When it comes to US relations with Russia and Israel, there is a lot more at stake for Trump.

    The US president still appears keen to strike a grand bargain with Russia and China under which Washington, Beijing and Moscow would agree to recognise, and not interfere in, their respective spheres of influence. This could explains his hesitation so far to follow through on his threats to Putin.

    Similarly, US interests in the Middle East – whether it’s over Iran’s nuclear programme or relations with America’s Gulf allies – have put strains on the alliance with Israel. Trump also needs to weigh carefully the impact of any move against, or in support of, Israel on his domestic support base.

    In the deal Trump brokered between Rwanda and the DRC, the issues at stake were much simpler: access for US investors to the mineral riches of the eastern DRC. Just days into his second term, Trump acknowledged that the conflict was a “very serious problem”. Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, responded by offering the US access to minerals in exchange for pushing Rwanda to a deal to end the invasion and stop supporting proxy forces in the DRC.

    This leads to the third factor that has enabled Trump’s peace-making success so far: simpler solutions are easier to achieve. Thailand and Cambodia and India and Pakistan can go back to the situation before their recent fighting. That does not resolve any of the underlying issues in their conflicts, but returns their relations to some form of non-violent stability.

    It is ultimately also in the interests of the conflict parties. They have had a chance to make their violent statements and reinforce what they will and won’t tolerate from the other side. The required investment by an external mediator to end battles that have achieved what the warring sides want anyway – to avoid further escalation – is consequently quite limited.

    Complex conflicts

    Getting to any kind of stability in Ukraine or the Middle East by contrast requires prolonged engagement and attention to detail. These conflicts are at a stage in which a return to how things were before is not in the interests of the parties or their external backers. Nudging warring parties along on the path to agreement under such conditions requires a well-designed process, which is absent in Ukraine and failing in Gaza.

    Thanks to funding and personnel cuts, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is now required to perform multiple roles. Trump relies on personal envoys with at best limited foreign policy expertise, while insisting he makes all the decisions. This ultimately suggests that the White House simply may not have the bandwidth for the level of engagement that would be necessary to get to a deal in Ukraine and the Middle East.

    This is a self-inflicted opportunity lost, not only for the United States but also for the long-suffering people of Ukraine and the Middle East.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Why Donald Trump has stopped some conflicts but is failing with Ukraine and Gaza – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trump-has-stopped-some-conflicts-but-is-failing-with-ukraine-and-gaza-262241

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On The Senate Floor, Durbin Urges The Release Of Political Prisoners In The UAE, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, & Guatemala

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 31, 2025

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) highlighted the plight of political prisoners in four nations and called for their immediate and unconditional release. These political prisoners have been outspoken in their support for democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, and basic freedoms.

     

    During his remarks, Durbin reflected on past American voices in the fight for democracy, including President Reagan who told the Soviets at the Brandenburg Gate to “tear down this wall,” and John McCain who joined thousands of Ukrainians aspiring for freedom on the Maidan Square.

     

    “From time to time I come to the floor to discuss political prisoners jailed by some of the world’s worst regimes. I have often been joined in efforts to secure their release by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including then-Senator and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
    You see, despite periods of retreat on the global stage, the United States has been seen as a beacon of hope for those who want a more free and democratic society, and this American voice has also enjoyed broad bipartisan support,”     said Durbin.

     

    Durbin first highlighted Ahmed Mansoor who has been imprisoned for over eight years in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Mansoor is considered one of the last major human rights voices in the Emirates—one tragically held at times in solitary confinement unable to contact his family. He was arrested under the guise that his social media posts advocating for human rights threatened social harmony.

     

    “Despite dismal conditions of his incarceration, he remains steadfast in his commitment to human rights—even conducting multiple hunger strikes in protest of his jail conditions, the same conditions he spoke out against before his detention. Recently his outrageous 15-year sentence was upheld on appeal. We have strong ties and shared interests with the UAE, but its continued involvement in the horrific Sudanese civil war and incarceration of Mr. Mansoor complicate that relationship. I appeal to the UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to show compassion and allow Mr. Mansoor’s release on humanitarian grounds,” Durbin said.

     

    Durbin then highlighted a political prisoner in Azerbaijan—Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu—who was forcibly dragged from his vehicle with his wife and severely beaten. He was taken to a prison well known fortorture, where he was denied medication and legal representation.

    “His [Dr. Ibadoghlu’s] crime? Investigating and writing on the rampant corruption stemming from Azerbaijan’s oil and gas industry. While he was eventually placed under house arrest in April 2024, he has still been denied a trial, legal representation, and access to adequate medical care, and his family continues to suffer harassment. He is one of the many wrongfully detained individuals in Azerbaijan who should be released,” said Durbin.

     

    Durbin then spoke about a political prisoner in Tunisia, originally one of the most promising nations to emerge from the Arab Spring. Sonia Dahmani, a prominent Tunisian lawyer and political commentator who was arrested in May 2024 for her radio and television commentary. She faces five separate legal proceedings and an additional 10 years pending charges. Her sister, Ramla, was also sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for advocating for her sister’s case on social media.

     

    “Ms. Dahmani has endured appalling prison conditions, including sexual assault, and denial of basic medical care. I urge President Saied: release her on humanitarian charges and drop any remaining charges, including against her sister,” Durbin continued.

     

    Lastly, Durbin spoke about two cases in Guatemala—including the troubling jailing of journalist José Rubén Zamora and legal harassment of anti-corruption prosecutor, Virginia Laparra.

     

    “Their incarceration occurred amid multiple efforts to derail the peaceful transition of power to President Arevalo last year. Both were eventually released from prison to house arrest, but Mr. Zamora has now been sent back to prison and Ms. Laparra continues to face baseless legal harassment from holdovers from the previous regime. Both deserve full release and dropping of remaining charges,” said Durbin.

     

    Durbin concluded, “What we do here matters around the world, for the large and small battles occurring for freedom and democracy. My friend and jailed Russian dissident Vladimir Kara Murza wrote the following from his Russia gulag a few years ago, ‘The prisoner’s worst nightmare is the thought of being forgotten… I always knew how true those words were — and how important were international campaigns of solidarity with prisoners of conscience. I now feel it with my own skin.’ So, let me remind Ahmed, Gubad, Sonia, José Rubén, and Virginia—you are not forgotten… Don’t give up hope. I will continue to be that voice to remind the world of the incarceration and treatment [of the political prisoners.] We need to be a beacon of hope and freedom in the United States.”

    Following the speech, Durbin met with Mr. Zamora’s son, José, and Dr. Ibadoghlu’s son, Emin. They also watched Durbin’s floor speech from the Senate gallery.

     

    Video of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigeria takes bold steps toward Hepatitis-free future with World Health Organization (WHO)’s support

    Source: APO


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    The World Health Organization (WHO) has collaborated with the Government of Nigeria and hepatitis stakeholders to raise awareness and promote early diagnosis and treatment for World Hepatitis Day 2025. The global event, observed annually on 28 July, raises awareness about viral hepatitis- an inflammation of the liver that can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer.

    Hepatitis includes five types: A, B, C, D, and E. In the WHO African Region, over 70 million people suffer from chronic hepatitis B or C, but fewer than 10% are diagnosed or treated. Nigeria, with 325,000 new infections in 2022, ranks third globally in hepatitis prevalence. 

    Chronic hepatitis B and C can lead to liver damage and cancer, even though they are preventable, treatable, and, in the case of hepatitis C, curable.

    This year’s theme, ‘Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,’ calls for action to remove financial, social, and systemic barriers, including stigma, that prevent hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention.

    For 2025 World Hepatitis Day, WHO joined the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its partners to mark the occasion with a ministerial press briefing at the Federal Secretariat, and launched a three-day hepatitis B screening, on the stop vaccinations for those who test negative, and linkage to treatment programme for those who test positive at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.  

    The event at the National Assembly in Abuja brought together health officials, legislators, and the public to address the issue of hepatitis.

    Addressing journalists at the press briefing, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Pate, represented by Dr Godwin Ntadom, Director Public Health Department, FMOH, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to combating hepatitis. 

    He noted that the burden and cost of hepatitis treatment in the country is still very high and, as such, has a huge economic impact on the country and called for collective action in eliminating the disease. 

    Dr Ntadom said, “hepatitis costs Nigeria between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion annually in direct and indirect costs.
    He also announced, ‘Project 365,’ a nationwide campaign aimed at eliminating Hepatitis C and halting Hepatitis B transmission by 2030. 

    “The project will support the ongoing efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and STIs, alongside expanding local pharmaceutical manufacturing through funding, the establishment of the Viral Elimination Fund, tax incentives, regulatory reforms, and legislative support.

    Nigeria must no longer hold the third-highest hepatitis burden globally. We have the science, we have the strategy, and we will act together, boldly and urgently, toward a hepatitis-free Nigeria, he said.

    WHO’s Acting Representative in Nigeria, Dr Alex Gasasira, represented by Dr Mya Ngon, cluster lead for  Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) praised Nigeria’s triple elimination initiative for HIV, hepatitis, and STIs, and emphasized the importance of reducing treatment costs, boosting local production, and expanding screening to achieve healthcare equity.

    WHO urges Nigeria and other nations to:
    •    Ensure hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth;
    •    Integrate hepatitis testing and treatment into primary healthcare services;
    •    Address stigma and misinformation;
    •    Secure sustainable domestic funding for hepatitis programs; and
    •    Protect the rights of individuals living with hepatitis, especially in healthcare and employment.

    She reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its health systems and expand access to affordable diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments.

    A beneficiary of the screening, Fash Yommie, 53, from Abuja, shared that he took the test to know his status. 

    “I took the test to know my status, and I am relieved to have tested negative. I now understand the importance of hepatitis prevention. I will start taking precautionary measures, such as avoiding sharing needles and ensuring proper hygiene with food and water, to protect myself and my loved ones from infection. I encourage everyone to get tested and vaccinated, as early detection is key to preventing this disease.

    “Early detection and vaccination are crucial in preventing the spread of hepatitis. Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with infected blood or fluids, hepatitis C via blood-to-blood contact like sharing needles, and hepatitis A and E through contaminated food or water. 

    Nigeria has enhanced hepatitis B prevention by adding the vaccine to the national schedule, supported by WHO, Gavi, UNICEF, and partners, to vaccinate all newborns and children and reduce early transmission.

    This year’s activities reflect the broader goal of integrating hepatitis services into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, making screening and treatment more accessible to vulnerable populations. 

    The National Assembly event is part of WHO’s ongoing collaboration with Nigeria to achieve universal health coverage and align with the 2030 Global Health Agenda. Through national and local partnerships, WHO supports Nigeria in reducing the hepatitis burden and improving public health outcomes. The three-day screening serves as a reminder that hepatitis is preventable, and everyone has a role in raising awareness and preventing its spread.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Nigeria.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Charting a mine-free future: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Italy convene Libya’s first Mine Action Support Group

    Source: APO


    .

    The United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the Government of Italy brought together international partners for the first Libya Mine Action Support Group in Tripoli on Tuesday, which focused on better protecting the people of Libya from mines and unexploded ordnance.

    The meeting aimed to enhance coordination among donor states, facilitate discussion on mine action activities in Libya, and highlight critical funding gaps and priority needs to better coordinate support to the sector.

    “Supporting mine action in Libya is not just about clearance. It is about protection, dignity, and hope,” said Special Representative of the Secretary General, Hanna Tetteh. “What Libyans cannot afford is more contamination, more loss, and more fear. Libya needs stability, not more explosive hazards.”

    Despite relative calm in parts of Libya, mines and unexploded ordnance from sporadic clashes and long-standing contamination continue to endanger civilians. Since 2020, more than 420 casualties have been recorded due to explosive remnants of war. However, these figures do not reflect the full reality, they only represent the confirmed incidents.

    SRSG Tetteh urged the international community to focus on the value of every life impacted. “We must never measure suffering in numbers,” she said. “The life of one child, one farmer, one worker; each life holds equal value. Every step towards safety and recovery matters.”

    The meeting was hosted by the Ambassador of Italy to Libya, Gianluca Alberini, who welcomed participants with a message of solidarity and emphasized the urgency of collective responsibility. “Italy remains a steadfast partner in Libya’s path to safety and stability,” he said. “Our commitment to mine action is rooted in our belief that every life saved, every community cleared, is a step toward peace.”

    The Chief of the Mine Action Programme in Libya, Fatma Zourrig, delivered a presentation on efforts to clear explosive hazards in Libya, strengthen national capacity, and called for sustained support to ensure long-term safety and stability. As of mid-2025, over 438 million square meters remain contaminated. Since 2011, mine action partners have cleared nearly 248 million square meters, while delivering between 2023-mid 2025 more than 13,600 risk education sessions to over 104,000 beneficiaries, including thousands of women and girls.

    Significant institutional progress was also highlighted. The Libya National Mine Action Strategy is currently under development, alongside an ongoing review of Libyan Mine Action Standards. Originally developed with the support of UNMAS in 2015 and adopted and published Libyan Mine Action Centre in 2017, the revised standards will ensure alignment with global best practices.

    The gathering came in support of the Secretary‑General’s global campaign, which upholds humanitarian disarmament, accelerates mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and drives forward the vision of a mine-free world.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and European Commission Launch New Initiative to Strengthen Mpox Testing and Sequencing Across Africa

    Source: APO


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    The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the European Commission today announced the launch of the Partnership to Accelerate Mpox Testing and Sequencing in Africa (PAMTA), a landmark initiative to boost diagnostics and outbreak response capabilities in Mpox-affected African countries.

    Co-funded under the EU4Health 2024 Work Programme, PAMTA reflects the growing momentum of Africa–EU health cooperation and aims to reinforce the continent’s resilience against current and future health threats. The initiative will accelerate testing, sequencing, capacity building, and local manufacturing efforts for mpox and other priority pathogens across Africa through a €9.4 million to Africa CDC and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The project officially began on 1 June 2025 and will be implemented over three years.

    Africa CDC Director General, H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, welcomed the initiative as a timely and strategic intervention to close the diagnostic gap for Mpox and other outbreaks in Africa. “This partnership reflects our commitment to working with trusted partners to build agile and self-reliant public health systems across Africa. Together with the EU and our technical partners, we are setting a new benchmark for outbreak detection and response.”

    The PAMTA initiative focuses on four key objectives: scaling up Mpox testing with the goal of supporting over 150,000 tests across the continent; strengthening genomic sequencing capacity to track viral evolution and spread; building human resource capacity in molecular diagnostics, genomics, bioinformatics and data interpretation; and promoting the production and validation of locally developed testing kits within Africa.

    “PAMTA marks a historic milestone as the first initiative jointly signed between the European Commission and Africa CDC,” said Deputy Head of DG HERA, Laurent Muschel. “Building on HERA’s earlier donation of Mpox vaccines, this action enables a critical next step: strengthening diagnostic capacities as part of a broader medical countermeasures approach. It reflects our shared commitment to reinforcing epidemic preparedness across Africa — from vaccines to diagnostics, from innovation to manufacturing. This action shows that, together, the African Union and the European Union can deliver tangible results to protect lives.”

    The launch of PAMTA builds on broader efforts by the EU and its partners to address the Mpox outbreak. By mid-2025, more than 600,000 vaccine doses had been delivered to African countries through HERA and Team Europe. Simultaneously, research initiatives such as MPX-RESPONSE and EDCTP3 continue to explore new therapeutic options, while the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (PGI)—also funded through EU4Health—is enhancing public health laboratory networks and genomic surveillance across the continent through public private partnerships.

    PAMTA marks a significant milestone in EU–Africa collaboration for health resilience. By supporting comprehensive diagnostics and fostering local innovation, the initiative is helping to lay a strong foundation for Africa’s long-term pandemic preparedness and response capabilities.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Road projects suspended amidst funding crisis

    Source: APO


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    At least 27 major road and bridge projects across Uganda have been suspended or drastically slowed down due to a crippling government funding shortfall, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has told Parliament.

    The Minister, who presented to Parliament a statement on the state of roads in the country, on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, attributed this to delayed payments and land acquisition issues, affecting projects like the Masindi-Biiso and Kabale-Kiziranfumbi oil roads, Kampala-Mpigi Expressway, and Kampala-Jinja Highway.

    “As of July 2025, 27 projects have been affected by either full suspension or significant reduction in progress. These include 18 fully funded by the Government of Uganda, where contractors have suspended or slowed down works due to delayed payments, and nine externally financed projects, where delays are primarily attributed to the Government’s inability to provide timely counterpart funding,” he said.

    The funding shortfall is attributed to a massive gap of Shs2.472 trillion in the financial year 2025/2026 where only Shs682 billion of the required Shs3.153 trillion was provided. The government is also carrying over Shs1.071 trillion in arrears from previous years, accumulating commercial interest and monthly cost claims from contractors.

    The situation is further complicated by land acquisition issues, with Shs443 billion needed for compensation and enabling access to sites, which has grounded externally funded projects. 

    “The cumulative effect of these suspensions and delays has led to slow absorption of project resources, exposure to financial claims, risk of asset deterioration, and reputational concerns,” he stated.

    The minister said that Uganda’s road infrastructure is deteriorating rapidly, with 1,993 kilometers requiring urgent periodic maintenance and 260 kilometers needing rehabilitation.

    “If not implemented, these roads degrade and instead require rehabilitation which costs about Shs2.59 billion per kilometer three times the periodic maintenance cost,” he warned adding that “This could result in a preventable fiscal loss of up to Shs180 billion.”

    Gen. Katumba warned that if not urgently addressed, these disruptions will compromise Uganda’s ability to deliver critical national infrastructure and maintain the existing network.

    The minister called for urgent financial intervention, emphasizing the importance of the road network to economic growth, regional integration, and service delivery.

    Despite the urgency of the situation, Parliament was unable to hold a substantive debate on the matter after it emerged that none of the ministers from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development were present to respond to the funding concerns raised in the report.

    Government Chief Whip, Hon. Hamson Obua informed the House that the responsible ministers were all away on official engagements.

    Speaker Anita Among insisted that the Chief Whip must take responsibility. 

    “That is your role as Government Chief Whip; you are the one supposed to ensure members are in the House. This is not for debate. Whip, we shall hold you accountable,” she said.

    The Speaker deferred the debate on the statement to Tuesday, 05 August 2025.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: African countries make bold commitments to end preventable deaths of children under five by 2030

    Source: APO

    African countries have made bold pledges to address the continent’s maternal and child mortality crisis, as a challenging health landscape, shrinking resources, climate change and conflict threaten to reverse decades of progress in child survival.

    Nearly five million children (https://apo-opa.co/44TWUFA) die from preventable causes before the age of five every year. Close to 60 per cent of these deaths occur in Africa, many of them caused by infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and meningitis. This is despite the existence of proven interventions such as vaccines, which have saved 154 million lives (https://apo-opa.co/4l6542n) over the past 50 years

    As the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline looms, African governments are now doubling down on their commitments to end preventable deaths of children under five as envisioned by the global goals over the next five years.

    Speaking during the just concluded Innovation and Action for Immunization and Child Survival Forum 2025 (www.ChildHealthForum2025.com), which took place in Maputo, Mozambique, representatives from various African countries joined the co-hosting Governments of Mozambique and Sierra Leone and partners including the Government of Spain, the “la Caixa” Foundation, the Gates Foundation and UNICEF in sharing their commitments to prioritize child survival.

    Addressing participants during the official opening ceremony, H.E Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique, said: “The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes that all children have the right to survive and grow up healthy. Mozambique has made notable progress in safeguarding these rights, reducing child mortality from 201 to 60 per 1,000 live births between 1997 and 2022. These gains are the result of decades of structural investments in maternal and child health – one of the key pillars of our Government’s Five-Year Plan 2025–2029.”

    Despite such promising progress, Africa is still home to the majority of countries that are off-track to meet the SDGs. Noting this, government representatives and partners called for bold action to strengthen regional leadership; establish robust accountability; address inequities and mobilize sustainable financing.

    “This is a defining moment for Africa; one of the greatest opportunities for resilience and strong African leadership. This forum brought us together not to discuss challenges, but to inspire action and save children’s lives. We have the tools, the science, the vaccines, diagnostics and treatments. What we need now is political commitment, suitable access, timely care and sustained investments across the continuum of care to enable us to accelerate progress toward the future we envision,” Hon. Dr. Austin Demby, Minister of Health, Sierra Leone.

    Stakeholders at the three-day forum also advocated for deeper, more effective multistakeholder collaboration to enhance resourcing of primary health care and integration of child survival services.

    “We are calling on stakeholders to prioritize high-impact, high-return interventions alongside mobilizing resources for child survival to build sustainability and efficiency within health systems. This will translate into significant gains not just for families and communities, but for economies and the continent as a whole,” said Hon. Dr. Ussene Isse, Minister of Health of Mozambique.

    Acknowledging the urgent need to prioritize reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized communities with the full range of maternal health and child survival interventions across primary health care, immunization, nutrition, and disease prevention programs, countries and partners united in a joint Call to Action and commitments to:

    • Strengthen regional leadership: Foster partnerships between national and regional health organizations including the African Union, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), West African Health Organization (WAHO), East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), and other stakeholders with capacity to contribute to child survival.
    • Establish robust accountability: Ensure governments, partners, and civil society are held accountable for their child survival commitments at national, regional, and global levels, and report progress regularly.
    • Address inequities: Focus on the most vulnerable children, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, by removing barriers to care, improving maternal education, and addressing risk factors such as malnutrition, lack of access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, and air pollution, especially household.
    • Mobilize sustainable financing: Increase domestic and international funding for child survival, prioritizing cost-effective interventions and life-saving commodities that strengthen health systems, and securing sustainable financing solutions for reaching the most vulnerable groups, including in fragile and conflict affected states. Ensure these resources are flexible, to reduce fragmentation and direct funds where and when they’re needed most.
    • Invest in Primary Health Care (PHC): Increase domestic investment in resilient PHC systems, including at the community level. This includes securing continuum of care, appropriate referral systems, and quality of care at primary and referral level; equipping health facilities with diagnostic tools and essential medicines for pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea, as well as sustainable energy sources and internet to support diagnostics, therapeutics, and data sharing; strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships, and training health workers to promptly diagnose and treat childhood infections and malnutrition.
    • Invest decisively in prevention, preparedness, and response to public health emergencies, especially cholera, as a strategic priority. This includes strengthening multi-sectoral coordination, domestic financing, WASH infrastructure, critical supplies, community engagement, and humanitarian access. Without such investment, routine health services will remain vulnerable to repeated and severe disruptions.
    • Accelerate vaccine coverage: Achieve and sustain >90% coverage of life-saving vaccines, including pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP), measles, rotavirus, malaria, meningitis, and typhoid vaccines, prioritizing zero-dose children and integrating vaccine delivery with nutrition and other high-impact child health services—with partnerships facilitating cross-sectoral collaboration—to reach the most vulnerable.
    • Integrate the delivery of child survival services to improve access, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness: Explore opportunities to deliver child survival interventions and innovations through existing community-based platforms, and identify where continuous care can occur across maternal, newborn and child health care provisions.
    • Enhance surveillance and innovation: Leverage data from initiatives like the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network to anticipate and respond to epidemiological trends, inform targeted interventions and accelerate the development and deployment of new tools.

    “We have a shared responsibility to ensure that every child has a chance to live and thrive. As we make these promises to Africa’s children, we must—governments, partners and civil society— hold each other accountable for these child survival commitments at national, regional, and global levels, report progress regularly, and act decisively to close gaps in child survival so that no child dies from a preventable infectious disease,” said Theo Sowa, Chairperson of the Forum.

    For the detailed Call to Action and 13 Country Commitments, click here (https://apo-opa.co/44VOOfD).

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Innovation and Action for Immunization and Child Survival Forum 2025.

    For interview requests, please contact:
    For Mozambique-based media:
    maider.mavie@ins.gov.mz

    For regional and international media:
    wgaitho@globalhealthstrategies.com and wkariuki@globalhealthstrategies.com

    About the Innovation and Action for Immunization and Child Survival Forum 2025:
    The Innovation and Action for Immunization and Child Survival Forum 2025 brought together stakeholders across selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions including senior health ministry officials, development agencies, donors, academia, civil society, and the private sector. It focused on new and underutilized tools to deliver progress on child survival, more effective infectious disease risk mitigation and surveillance strategies, more efficient models of service delivery, the need for robust prioritization exercises including for routine immunization systems and new vaccine introductions, and innovative child survival financing options.

    The forum was co-hosted by the Governments of Mozambique and Sierra Leone, and partners including the Government of Spain, the ”la Caixa” Foundation, the Gates Foundation and UNICEF.

    For more information on the forum, visit: www.ChildHealthForum2025.com

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Namibia’s Upstream Petroleum Unit Announces Regulatory Review, Eyes Competitive Restructuring

    Source: APO

    Namibia’s newly formed Upstream Petroleum Unit is currently in the process of conducting a review of the country’s existing regulatory framework with a view to propose policies for the governance of the rapidly evolving petroleum industry. Speaking during the second edition of the Youth in Oil and Gas Summit in Walvis Bay last week, Kornelia Shilunga, Special Advisor & Head of Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the Namibian Presidency, explained that these reviews seek to establish an effective and efficient upstream petroleum sector, while paving the way for greater participation by Namibian youth.

    Representing the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) fully supports the Namibian government as it strives to position the petroleum industry as a driving force in economic development. The AEC has long-advocated for the vital role the youth play in Africa’s energy industry and commends the proactive approach by the Namibian Presidency to position youth at the forefront of the sector. Having endorsed the Youth in Oil and Gas Summit, the AEC also commends its Founder Justina Erastus for her commitment to empowering youth.

    The review comes as Namibia pursues first oil production from its Orange Basin discoveries by 2029 and is geared towards strengthening the competitiveness of investing in the country’s upstream petroleum sector. Major discoveries made by international companies such as TotalEnergies, Shell, Galp, Eni and more have positioned the country as one of the world’s most promising frontiers, with ongoing drilling campaigns led by Rhino Resources, BW Energy, Chevron and more setting the country up for future upstream success. With TotalEnergies targeting a final investment decision for the Venus field in 2026 and Galp advancing its Mopane development, Namibia is on track to become a global oil producer by the end of the decade.

    These developments offer strategic benefits for the country and the Upstream Petroleum Unit has committed to ensuring that Namibia’s upstream potential provides several opportunities for its youth. As such, a strategic component of the ongoing reviews – as well as any proposed policies – is youth inclusivity and empowerment. According to Shilunga, “under Namibia’s 8th administration, youth empowerment is a national imperative, not a secondary concern.”

    She explained: “By 2024, a total of 28 offshore oil and gas exploration wells and 15 appraisal wells had been drilled, alongside 10 exploratory wells onshore. The country boasts an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil and approximately 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, making Namibia a key emerging player in the global energy sector. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that these discoveries benefit our people, especially our youth.”

    The imminent production of offshore oil offers significant opportunities for youth in Namibia, ranging from petroleum engineering to geosciences to offshore operations, environmental and regulatory compliance and logistics and support services. As an industry largely in its infancy stage, Namibia’s petroleum sector requires innovation, infrastructure and adaptive policies to ensure offshore resources are developed in both a productive and sustainable manner. Moreso, the country is uniquely positioned to establish an industry that is geared towards the local market from the get-go – and upcoming regulatory restructuring will play an instrumental part in achieving this goal.  

    Namibia’s youth represent a large share of the country’s population, with approximately 71% of the country’s three million residents under the age of 35. This figure is expected to grow even further, with preliminary estimates showing Namibia’s population exceeding six million by 2050. Therefore, it becomes imperative to ensure current policies reflect anticipated growth trends while positioning the petroleum sector as a driver of economic development and job creation. As such, Namibia’s Upstream Petroleum Unit has challenged stakeholders across the country to collaborate and position youth at the forefront of the industry’s development.

    “I call for shared responsibility in this endeavor and challenge us all. I challenge industry players to invest in capacity building. I challenge the academia to align curricula with current and future energy needs. I challenge we, the government, to accelerate youth-focused reforms and policies. And I also challenge you, our youth, to proactively seek knowledge, ask questions and to build networks,” Shilunga said.

    Through collaboration, the Namibian petroleum industry stands to unlock long-term economic opportunities while leveraging petroleum as a catalyst for sustainable development.

    “This oil and gas revolution must be powered by integrity, led with courage and anchored in inclusion. The youth are not only the future of this industry- but they are also its present momentum,” she noted.

    The AEC believes that youth are essential in Africa’s petroleum industry and the Namibian government recognizes the instrumental role they will play in unlocking innovation, economic growth and inclusive development.

    “By restructuring its regulations and implementing policies that support youth empowerment, Namibia is setting a strong standard for domestic oil and gas development in Africa,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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