Category: Africa

MIL-OSI China: Hamas rejects Trump’s relocation proposal for Palestinians

Source: China State Council Information Office

Hamas on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and Jordan.

In a press statement, Hamas described the plan as an “aggressive scheme” aimed at displacing Palestinians and undermining their national cause.

Hamas said that the Palestinian people, who have endured “genocide and forced displacement” by the “Israeli occupation, particularly in northern Gaza, remain committed to their land and historical rights.”

“The Palestinians will not accept any plans that seek to uproot or displace them,” Hamas said.

Hamas also called on the U.S. administration to cease its support for Israeli policies that infringe on Palestinian rights.

Hamas appealed to Arab and Islamic nations, especially Egypt and Jordan, to reaffirm their opposition to the displacement of Palestinians and support their resilience by assisting in rebuilding Gaza and strengthening their presence on their land.

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese premier holds symposium with foreign experts in China

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a symposium with representatives of foreign experts who have won the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award and those who are working in China ahead of the Chinese New Year at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2025. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, Jan. 26 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday held a symposium at the Great Hall of the People with representatives of foreign experts who have won the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award and those who are working in China.

Li extended Chinese Lunar New Year wishes and sincere greetings to the foreign experts, and thanked them for their long-term concern and support for China’s modernization efforts. He also listened to their opinions and suggestions on China’s reform, development and government work.

Experts from countries including the United Kingdom, Poland, Mali, Romania, Germany and Pakistan delivered speeches on topics such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade cooperation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, international communication and talent development.

Foreign experts have made positive contributions to China’s new achievements in development in the past year, Li said. Their experiences of working and living in China exemplify the positive interaction and deep integration between China and the world, he said.

Noting that the world needs communication and the process of globalization is irreversible, Li said China consistently advocates strengthening international dialogue and will continue to uphold openness and inclusiveness while actively promoting international exchanges in various fields.

The premier stressed that innovation requires cooperation, and as the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation deepens, scientific research has become increasingly complex and systematic, making open cooperation both a trend and an inevitable choice.

China will continue to expand openness in science and technology, broaden and deepen joint research, actively participate in global technology governance, collaborate with all nations to solve practical problems and jointly address global challenges, he said.

He said China’s doors will always remain open to talents from all countries. The Chinese government will further optimize relevant policies, enhance service guarantees, and build more international exchange and cooperation platforms, continuously creating favorable conditions for foreign talents to work in China, said the premier.

Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: International students volunteer during ‘chunyun’, marvel at convenience of high-speed rail

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

International students volunteer during ‘chunyun’, marvel at convenience of high-speed rail

LANZHOU, Jan. 26 — As the Spring Festival approaches, the hustle and bustle of passengers at a railway station in northwest China’s Gansu Province exactly epitomizes the annual Chinese New Year holiday travel rush, also known as chunyun.

Unlike previous years, staff members of the Lanzhou West Railway Station are joined by foreign student volunteers, who help passengers carry luggage, assist with security checks and provide inquiry services, adding a unique and festive touch to the season.

Twenty-four-year-old Afghan student Kazimi Jafar arrived at the station early in the morning, donned a railway uniform and guided passengers into the station.

“Spring Festival is a precious time for family reunions and expressing blessings. People here respect traditional festivals and customs. Just like my family, we all value emotional connections and cherish every moment with family and friends,” said Jafar.

Jafar is one of the 10 international students from Lanzhou University, including those from Kenya, Chad, Laos, Afghanistan and Madagascar, who are volunteering during chunyun and experiencing Chinese Spring Festival travel rush first-hand.

“Please line up! Ticket checking will start soon,” said Rojolalaina Karina Lucette from Madagascar in fluent Mandarin.

Although she has lived in China for five years and is very familiar with Chinese holidays, she was still amazed by the scale of the travel rush.

“In my island nation, people mostly travel by private cars or buses. It’s incredible how China facilitates such large-scale population movement in such a short time,” she said, adding that she felt proud to be part of this effort.

Another Afghan student Ali Reza Rezaie was impressed by the technology powering China’s transport system.

After visiting the train driver’s cabin and the control center at Lanzhou Railway Bureau, he marveled at the precise handling of over 200,000 passengers departing from the station daily during chunyun.

The scale of China’s transport system wasn’t the only surprise for the volunteers.

Orlaphan Sayphaungphet from Laos was amazed at the efficiency of China’s ticketing system. She sold a ticket to a passenger in less than 30 seconds and was pleased to learn foreigners could register for tickets without extra fees.

China’s well-developed railway system also reminded her of the convenience that railways built with China’s help have brought to her own country.

Sayphaungphet noted that the China-Laos Railway has brought her hometown closer to China, allowing her family and friends to experience the comfort of China’s high-speed rail.

She appreciated thoughtful features onboard, such as accessible restrooms and baby-care facilities, and expressed her excitement at riding the train herself and exploring more of China.

Her opinion was echoed by Ngaira Sylvia Indoshi from Kenya, who also volunteered to assist passengers at the station.

Before coming to study in Lanzhou, she often traveled by train between Mombasa and Nairobi thanks to the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi railway.

“Before the railway was built, the journey took eight hours by car, but now it takes just half the time,” she said. Upon learning that China’s high-speed trains can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, she expressed hope for similar advancements in Kenya.

With an estimated record of 9 billion passenger trips in 40 days, the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush is set to serve as a testament to China’s impressive ability to withstand overwhelming traffic pressure.

China’s high-speed railways, which provided the majority of railway passenger trips in 2024, are preparing for another record-breaking season.

As of 9 a.m. Saturday, 12306, the railway booking platform, had sold 311 million tickets since Dec. 31, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

China’s 48,000 km of operational high-speed rail, the world’s longest, is continually expanding, with new routes running near or through populous cities in a bid to provide more and faster travel options.

“What I have experienced today is very different from my previous impression of chunyun. The high-speed trains offer great convenience to people’s travels, and I did not feel crowded at all. I am glad to be part of it,” said Jafar.

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Briefing Security Council on Worsening Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo, Senior Official Says Actions Endangering Civilians, UN ‘Will Not be Tolerated’

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

Holding an emergency meeting following advances by the 23 March Movement, or M23, towards the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and concurrent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers there, the Security Council heard today that urgent action is needed to address a rapidly deteriorating situation while time remains to do so.

“The United Nations is profoundly concerned by the resumption of hostilities,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. On 23-24 January, M23 fired on positions of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He reported that, as a result, several blue helmets were “killed in carrying out the tasks entrusted to them by this Council”. He also noted that M23 has significantly extended its territorial gains over the past few weeks and has opened a new front in South Kivu, from which MONUSCO recently withdrew.

“At this critical juncture, with the lives of countless vulnerable civilians, peacekeepers and respect for this Council’s mandate at stake, MONUSCO remains committed to the robust defence of its mandate,” he stated. He stressed that, for its part, the Council “must honour the sacrifices made by the peacekeepers who laid down their lives in pursuit of this noble goal by sending a clear and unequivocal message to M23 and its backers that actions endangering the lives of civilians and UN peacekeepers will not be tolerated.”

Also reporting on the situation was Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of MONUSCO. Noting that M23 and Rwandan forces have penetrated the outskirts of Goma — “causing mass panic and flight amongst the population” — she said that roads are blocked and that M23 has declared Goma’s airspace closed. “In other words, we are trapped,” she said, calling on the Council to “act now” to secure the civilian population, humanitarian-aid workers and all UN personnel.

Calling on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to continue political negotiations in the context of the Luanda Process, she urged: “More than ever, we must find a political solution.” She also called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from Congolese territory and end support for M23, and on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “make significant efforts” to neutralize the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, or FDLR.

Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, then stressed that if hostilities spread into Goma, “the impact on civilians could be devastating”. In North and South Kivu, hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured over the last few weeks. Further, hundreds of thousands have fled their homes, humanitarian access remains constrained and hospitals are overwhelmed. Against that backdrop, she urged all parties to “protect civilians and the critical infrastructure they rely on”.

She also urged them to avoid using wide-area explosives and heavy weapons in populated areas. “This will be particularly important should the hostilities spread into Goma, given the risks of conflict in urban areas,” she observed. And, to address the escalating humanitarian crisis “before the situation worsens further”, she called on the Council to end the hostilities, ensure respect for international law and provide adequate funding for humanitarian action.

“The resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] must be political, not military,” stated the representative of Sierra Leone, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia. The Luanda and Nairobi Processes “remain viable paths to peace”, he said, while underscoring that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be respected “by all States and non-State actors alike”. France’s representative, stating that the presence of foreign military forces threatens civilian protection and contributes to displacement, concurred: “Force is not an option.”

Along those lines, China’s representative said: “All external forces should refrain from providing support to M23 and other armed groups to prevent further deterioration.” He also joined other Council members in pointing out that “attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes”. The representative of Greece echoed that, also noting that attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers constitute a basis for sanctions designations. Also making these points was the representative of the United Kingdom, who observed that “the numbers of those lost and injured is changing by the hour”.

These attacks, stressed Slovenia’s representative, constitute “an attack on peace itself”. Recalling the Council’s recent, unanimous decision to renew MONUSCO’s mandate, she underlined the organ’s responsibility to “stand unequivocally behind [its personnel] in these perilous times and ensure they return safely to their loved ones”. She added: “The international community, and this Council, cannot afford to remain passive in the face of this crisis.” Panama’s representative similarly stated: “History will not judge us on our intentions but, rather, our actions.”

The United Nations must take immediate measures to ensure the safety and security of both civilians and peacekeepers, underscored the representative of Pakistan. Expressing particular concern over a “highly exposed” Pakistani artillery battery near Sake, he stressed that this unit should be quickly redeployed for the safety of its personnel and heavy, expensive equipment. Stating that peacekeepers cannot be expected to implement the “challenging mandate assigned to them by the Council” without adequate support, he also urged the organ to address the root cause of the conflict — the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

On that, Denmark’s representative observed: “The illegal exploitation of natural resources in eastern DRC is a key driver to instability in the Great Lakes region — this must end.” The representative of the United States also expressed concern over the illicit exploitation of mining areas in territories controlled by M23, as did the representative of the Russian Federation: “The struggle to gain access towards strategically important Congolese minerals is one of the reasons for the continuation of the crisis.”

The representative of the Republic of Korea detailed that crisis: “In the past week alone, as [M23] has expanded its territory by 11 per cent, the number of [internally displaced persons] has doubled to 400,000.” He joined other Council members in calling on Rwanda to cease its support for the group and urged both Kinshasa and Kigali to return to dialogue and fully implement their commitments under the Luanda Process. He added: “We recognize the differing interests of the DRC and Rwanda, but further escalation of tensions is simply unacceptable — many lives are at stake.”

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, meanwhile, took the floor to stress that the situation in her country is “not a conflict like others”. Rather, it is “a declaration of war that no longer hides itself behind diplomatic manoeuvres”, she said, stressing that “Rwanda is preparing to orchestrate a carnage in broad daylight”. She also said that it is “clear that this crisis is directly linked to the economic plunder of our country by Rwanda”.

On that, she said that over 150 tons of coltan are illegally extracted and transported to Rwanda each month, where they are fraudulently labelled for export. Yet, while this illicit commerce finances the military activities of armed groups, it is “only one aspect of the aggression carried out by Rwanda”, she stressed. Others include the systematic targeting of peacekeeping forces, the 24 January assassination of the military governor of North Kivu and the sabotage of the Luanda Process.

Underscoring that the Council “cannot content itself with declarations of concern or simply ‘remaining seized of the matter’”, she said that the organ’s duty is to “defend human life without distinction”. It must therefore order an immediate end to Rwanda’s hostilities, impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the aggression, impose an embargo on the export of all minerals labelled as Rwandan — particularly coltan and gold — and revoke Rwanda’s status as a troop-contributing country. “History will remember your decision today,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rwanda’s representative stressed: “The current crisis could have been averted had the DRC Government demonstrated a genuine commitment to peace.” While the Luanda Process achieved “significant milestones” — including a ceasefire that came into force on 4 August 2024 — the Government and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo decided to increase militarization in the country’s east in October 2024. This included the deployment of heavy weaponry and additional troops — 10,000 from Burundi — along the border.

“By prioritizing militarization of the conflict instead of embracing the regional mechanisms that have been put in place to foster a sustainable solution born out of dialogue, the conflict has continued to escalate — leading to the prevailing situation today,” he said. He added that the FDLR has “even moved from being a suppletive force to a strategic ally of the Kinshasa Government”. Further, he said that the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has publicly vowed to instigate regime change in Rwanda for two years now.

While stating that “no one should harm peacekeepers”, he expressed concern that MONUSCO is “at the risk of being sucked into a conflict in which it would be a belligerent force”. MONUSCO should therefore focus on protecting civilians instead of fighting alongside Kinshasa’s military coalition. Noting that the situation today mirrors that which occurred 12 years ago, he stressed that “the DRC must play a helpful role — after all, this is a Congolese problem, for which the DRC is looking to outsource its solution.”

“It is with profound regret that this meeting is taking place at a time when a number of peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty,” observed South Africa’s representative. Urging the Council to “send a clear message that peacekeepers’ lives matter”, she underlined the need to “value and safeguard the contribution of those entrusted to carry out the mandates adopted in this chamber”. Extending condolences to all victims’ families, the representative of Uruguay reiterated his country’s “steadfast commitment to peace”.

Angola’s representative pointed to “remarkable progress in the implementation of the Luanda Process”. “We need speedy and unconditional de-escalation of the conflict and genuine, renewed engagement of the parties to explore the ways of overcoming the pending issues,” he added. On that, Burundi’s representative said that the Luanda and Nairobi Processes “set out a clear road map to reach a lasting ceasefire”. Calling on the Council to demand an end to foreign interference and act decisively to guarantee that the Democratic Republic of the Congo can fully exercise its sovereignty and restore peace, he stressed: “Security and stability in Central Africa and beyond are at stake.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: Orezone Intercepts High-Grade Mineralization Below North Zone Life of Mine Pits Including 2.55 G/T Gold Over 23.00m and 1.14 G/T Gold Over 29.50m

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (the “Company” or “Orezone”) is pleased to provide additional drill results from its recently announced multi-year exploration campaign at its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine. The new results are centered on the North Zone, with high grades intercepted below both the North Zone Footwall and North Zone Hill resource and reserve pits.

Selected Drill Highlights:

2.55 g/t Au over 23.00m, including 5.54 g/t Au over 5.00m (BBD1324)
1.14 g/t Au over 29.50m, including 2.30 g/t Au over 4.50m (BBD1320)
1.20 g/t Au over 23.80m (BBD1323)
1.01 g/t Au over 18.70m (BBD1319)
1.80 g/t Au over 15.00m (BBD1318)
1.59 g/t Au over 9.80m (BBD1318)
1.69 g/t Au over 6.85m (BBD1322)
24.74 g/t Au over 2.00m (BBD1323)

Patrick Downey, President and CEO stated, “These latest drill results further underscore the significant exploration upside at Bomboré, and the potential to materially expand the resource base from the current global 5.1 million gold ounces, to a targeted 7 to 10 million gold ounces longer term. Given Bomboré’s 14km long reserve defined strike length at an average reserve pit depth of less than 40m, we have been aggressive in our pursuit of illustrating this potential. Towards this goal, we are accelerating the Phase I exploration campaign and planning a comprehensive 30,000m drill program through 2025. Recent drilling from only 12 wide spaced drill holes in the North Zone Footwall has successfully extended mineralization 100m to 250m below the reserve pit bottoms along a strike length of over 800m. This has clear implications in terms of extending current life of mine pits to depth and increasing the future production profile at Bomboré.

The discovery potential of the orogenic gold setting at Bomboré is also highlighted by the multiple higher-grade sub-zones, which we believe may host the potential to transition into an underground mining scenario beneath the existing life of mine open pits. This prospect continues to be an area of focus at North Zone Hill, as well as at P16 and P17 where drilling has recently commenced.

Together with our ongoing production expansion, which is currently ahead of schedule, this renewed focus on exploration at Bomboré, and testing the overall size and scale of the broader system, represent a truly exciting time for Orezone on multiple fronts.”

North Zone Footwall – Extending Mineral System to Depth

Initial drilling last year, targeting the North Zone Footwall at depth, was successful in extending high-grade mineralization 240m below the current reserve pit, with intercepts of 1.02g/t Au over 57.00m (BBD1313) and 1.64g/t Au over 46.00m (BBD1314). Wide spaced follow-up drilling was successful in extending mineralization 100m to 250m below the reserve pits along a strike length of over 800m (Figure 2). This was marked by several broad high-grade intercepts including 1.17g/t Au over 29.50m (BBD1320), 1.20g/t Au over 23.80m (BBD1323), 1.01g/t Au over 18.70m (BBD1319) and 1.80g/t Au over 15.00m (BBD1318).

While early-stage, the main takeaways from this recent round of drilling along the North Zone Footwall include:

1) The potential, with subsequent infill drilling, to materially extend the North Zone Footwall resource and reserve pits to depth. If successful, this would have positive implications in terms of further expanding the production profile at Bomboré.

2) Given the initial results at the North Zone Footwall, there are comparable opportunities to extend the mineralized system at depth across the greater 14km long reserve defined trend, where the average reserve pit depth is currently less than 40m.

North Zone Hill and Higher-Grade Sub-Zone Targeting

As part of the exploration campaign to test the broader size and scale of the Bomboré mineralized system, a second focus of the current drill program is to further delineate a number of higher-grade sub-zones within, and extending below, the current life of mine open pit resource and reserves. The Company believes that these higher-grade sub-zones may host the potential to transition into underground mining beneath the open pits in the future. This is a well demonstrated mine sequence in-country, and if successful, would not only serve to increase the operating head grade at Bomboré, but also increase the overall production profile.

With exploration efforts initially concentrated in the northern end of the project, initial testing of this thesis was centered on North Zone Hill, where at open pit drill spacing, there is a defined trend of higher-grade mineralization. As detailed in Figure 3, this sub-zone is marked by multiple high-grade intercepts including 8.75g/t Au over 7.20m (BBD1246), 7.17g/t Au over 7.00m (BBD0903), 13.44g/t Au over 2.80m (BBD1249), and 6.92g/t Au over 6.00m (BBD0911). Initial drill testing down plunge along this trend intercepted a broad interval of 2.55g/t Au over 23.00m, with a higher-grade sub-interval of 5.54g/t Au over 5.50m (BBD1324). Follow-up testing at North Zone Hill in the future will focus on additional step-outs down plunge and on tighter spaced drilling along trend to further resolve the controls on this higher-grade mineralization.

The Company’s objective to further delineate such higher-grade sub-zones has extended to the P16 and P17S deposits at the southern end of the mining permit, in advance of the start of the rainy season in May. As outlined below, and detailed in Figure 4 and Figure 5, the P16 and P17S deposits host a number of higher-grade sub-zones. Initial testing at these deposits will focus on the down plunge continuity of the high-grade sub-zones and the potential for limb extensions to the East and West. Follow-up drill programs will further reduce the drill spacing towards the base of the pits and down plunge, as well as to test for repeats of the system along strike, a prospect that is well supported by historical drilling.

P16 – selected high-grade historical intercepts:

10.63g/t Au over 14.0m (BBD0448)
16.50g/t Au over 5.0m (BBD0448)
9.03g/t Au over 12.0m (BBC3241)
6.69g/t Au over 15.5m (BBD0443)
5.91g/t Au over 15.0m (BBD0447)
7.82g/t Au over 9.0m (BBD0213)
58.91g/t Au over 3.0m (BBD0768)

P17S – selected high-grade historical intercepts:

14.67g/t Au over 6.0m (BBD1066)
16.58g/t Au over 4.6m (BBD0991)
11.52g/t Au over 10.6m (BBD1081)
9.44g/t Au over 10.0m (TYD0041)
8.47g/t Au over 6.0m (BBD1132)
7.08g/t Au over 7.0m (TYC0123)
7.62g/t Au over 5.5m (TYD0035)

Figure 1: Bomboré Gold Mine Property Map

Figure 2: North Zone Footwall Long Section Looking Southeast

Figure 3: North Zone Hill Long Section Looking Northwest

Figure 4: P16 Long Section Looking North-Northwest

Figure 5: P17 Long Section Looking North-Northwest

Bomboré Drill Results

Table 1: Highlight Drill Intercepts from the North Zone

Hole	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Dip	Azimuth	EOH (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Length (m)	Grade (g/t Au)	Type
BBD1315	729390	1354119	282	-51	313	414	322.00	325.00	3.00	0.70	HR
and							336.00	345.00	9.00	1.06	HR
and							363.00	368.00	5.00	1.02	HR
and							386.30	393.00	6.70	1.40	HR
BBD1316	729160	1354057	286	-52	313	300	188.00	191.00	3.00	0.69	HR
and							271.00	282.60	11.60	0.78	HR
and							292.00	293.00	1.00	2.68	HR
BBD1317	729234	1353990	284	-51	313	429	14.00	18.00	4.00	0.44	OX
and							20.80	24.20	3.40	1.02	OX
and							45.50	48.60	3.10	0.37	OX
and							65.00	75.00	10.00	0.75	OX
and							303.00	314.00	11.00	0.95	HR
and							328.00	339.00	11.00	0.75	HR
and							380.10	387.40	7.30	1.53	HR
incl.							382.25	387.40	5.15	1.92	HR
and							398.00	401.00	3.00	1.73	HR
BBD1318	729062	1354011	284	-56	312	317	167.20	177.00	9.80	1.59	HR
and							254.00	269.00	15.00	1.80	HR
incl.							261.00	267.90	6.90	2.52	HR
and							286.00	287.00	1.00	2.95	HR
BBD1319	729009	1353921	282	-53	313	330	282.00	300.70	18.70	1.01	HR
incl.							293.70	300.70	7.00	1.23	HR
and							305.65	309.75	4.10	1.29	HR
and							318.00	323.00	5.00	1.04	HR
BBD1320	729492	1354296	289	-56	312	321	88.00	93.30	5.30	1.55	HR
and							259.00	288.50	29.50	1.14	HR
incl.							261.50	266.00	4.50	2.30	HR
and							275.00	281.20	6.10	1.93	HR
BBD1322	729569	1354228	289	-55	311	456	5.50	9.80	4.30	0.56	OX
and							58.15	61.50	3.35	0.47	OX
and							364.00	367.00	3.00	0.75	HR
and							391.00	402.00	11.00	0.95	HR
and							409.00	415.85	6.85	1.69	HR
incl.							411.90	414.80	2.90	3.07	HR
BBD1323	729136	1353944	282	-56	311	429	4.50	6.75	2.25	0.86	OX
and							12.80	15.10	2.30	0.54	OX
and							209.00	211.00	2.00	24.74	HR
and							244.25	247.00	2.75	0.99	HR
and							364.00	387.80	23.80	1.20	HR
incl.							371.00	375.00	4.00	1.79	HR
and							391.30	394.00	2.70	0.96	HR
BBD1324	728995	1353667	280	-52	310	312	20.20	23.20	3.00	1.23	OX
and							193.00	216.00	23.00	2.55	HR
incl.							196.00	201.00	5.00	5.54	HR
and							277.95	280.00	2.05	0.91	HR
and							382.00	385.00	3.00	2.42	HR
BBD1325	728983	1353576	276	-54	311	381	233.00	237.00	4.00	1.94	HR
incl.							235.00	236.00	1.00	5.40	HR
and							243.00	248.00	5.00	1.46	HR
BBD1326	729674	1354502	286	-52	314	335	6.00	8.15	2.15	0.71	OX
and							189.00	191.00	2.00	5.42	HR
and							253.00	254.00	1.00	2.11	HR
BBD1327	728991	1353806	281	-51	312	468	13.50	17.50	4.00	0.54	OX
and							21.60	23.80	2.20	1.38	OX
and							33.55	34.50	0.95	1.48	OX
and							360.00	362.00	2.00	0.99	HR
and							372.20	373.10	0.90	8.81	HR
and							384.70	396.00	11.30	0.86	HR
BBD1328	728976	1353684	281	-51	313	282	24.00	31.75	7.75	0.58	OX
and							59.25	63.90	4.65	0.46	OX
and							172.20	173.10	0.90	5.53	HR
and							210.25	212.15	1.90	2.44	HR
and							253.60	257.55	3.95	1.39	HR

^{True widths for North Zone drilling are approximately 85% of drilled lengths.}
^{HR – Hard Rock, OX – Oxide}

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bomboré mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focused on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets and M&A.

The technical report entitled Bomboré Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company’s website.

Contact Information

Patrick Downey
President and Chief Executive Officer

Vanessa Pickering
Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663
info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com

For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945 8977 or visit the Company’s website at www.orezone.com.

The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Alastair Gallaugher (CGeol), Exploration Manager for Orezone, is the Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

QA/QC

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.28g/t in the Oxide+Upper Transition zone, and 0.45g/t Au in the Lower Transition+Hard Rock zone. The true width of the mineralization is approximately 85% of the drill length in the North Zone. The half-core drilling samples were cut using a diamond saw by Orezone employees. The samples were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. (“BIGS Global”) and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (“RSDs”). A 1-kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade greater than or equal to 0.25g/t Au were prepared by BIGS Global and then split by Orezone to 50 g using RSDs. A 50-g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at BIGS Global.

Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “possible” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will”, “could”, or “should” occur.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the exploration program (including the significant exploration upside at Bomboré, and the potential to materially expand the project’s resource base from the current global 5.13 million gold ounces, to a targeted 7 to 10 million gold ounces longer term; implications of extending the current life of mine pits to depth, and increasing the project’s production profile; the potential with subsequent infill drilling to materially extend the North Zone Footwall resource and reserve pits to depth; opportunities to extend the mineralized system at depth across the greater 14km long reserve defined trend; the belief that the higher-grade sub-zones may host the potential to transition into underground mining beneath the existing open pits and that this is a well demonstrated mine sequence in-country, and if successful, would not only serve to increase the operating head grade at Bomboré, but also increase the overall production profile; and historical drilling supporting P16 and P17S deposits’ down plunge continuity of the high-grade sub-zones, the potential for limb extensions to the East and West and repeats of the system along strike); the potential expansion of mineral reservices and resources; exploration activities; interpretations of drilling results; future production; project development timelines (including the ongoing production expansion being ahead of schedule); and anticipated economic benefits.

All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management and the qualified persons believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, delays caused by pandemics, terrorist or other violent attacks (including cyber security attacks), the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d80c26f-8efa-478f-a74e-2d4f292f47d6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/182737de-3097-4ef3-b36b-f69e5e9cfb57

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ca17fad-8644-4d58-9376-8aecb7afd1a9

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cbcbc8e-f7e5-4daf-8f1c-0676b7fa1a59

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da4f18c1-e76f-4817-b50c-53dece8ff50d

The MIL Network –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: International Day of Clean Energy January 26th: African Development Bank promotes women’s empowerment through sustainable energy business development

Source: African Development Bank Group

When Grace Akingurwaruh signed up to become a seller of coal-efficient, improved-cooking stoves, she had no idea that she’d be successful enough to purchase her first smartphone – a godsend which enables her to remain in regular contact with her customers and get new business.

Akingurwaruh is a farmer in Hoima, Uganda, a four-hour bus ride from the capital Kampala. The 40-year-old says she was looking for ways to increase her monthly income when a neighbor told her about an African Development Bank-financed training program promoting clean energy businesses like selling stoves that retain heat longer than traditional stoves or open fires.

“They taught us how to make business, so when we finished the training, I started advertising…At times I can have customers that want to buy five or more stoves to put in their shops. So, I [give them] a discount. That’s why I have managed to sell more than my colleagues,” Akingurwaruh said of how she applied the knowledge she learned in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project.

Financed by the Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund, the programming was organized by civil society organizations AVSI Foundation and CIDR Pamiga in Uganda.

Akingurwaruh says her roughly 22 percent commission on sales of coal-efficient stoves enabled her to not only buy a smartphone but also a goat – another source of income and nutrition for her family. She is now working as a senior agent for the same company she was linked to through the project and oversees a team of 5 youth agents. She not only sells directly to customers but also earns commissions from the sales generated by the agents she supervises.

Akingurwaruh is one of more than 2,300 people considered sales agents and retailers and participants in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project. AVSI Foundation says 75% of these beneficiaries are women and young girls aged 18 or above and that the initiative through its sales training and outreach also provided clean cooking technologies and renewable energy solutions for lighting to more than 55,000 new customers.

“By connecting civil society organizations like AVSI Foundation to funding opportunities within the Bank, we have delivered sustainable energy solutions that have transformed lives in Uganda. This collaboration has led to the empowerment of communities, enabling businesses to thrive and households to access clean, reliable power,” said Dr. Martha Phiri, the Bank’s Acting Director of the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department.

About 250 kilometers north of Hoima in the city of Aura, training graduate Gloria Dunia sources coal-efficient stoves from a massive container, then carries them to her roadside stand to sell to passersby.

“I have been trained on customer service and entrepreneurship, and this has greatly helped me,” Dunia said.

Overall, the project supported communities in 14 districts across Uganda and 16 counties in Kenya on how to transition to low-carbon development and to scale up climate finance across through the promotion of jobs from micro, medium and small enterprises in the sustainable energy sector.

The Africa Climate Change Fund also noted the project strengthens the financial service provider capacity to deliver sustainable energy finance as well as improve availability and accessibility of energy products for communities.

Maria Ossola, the project coordinator with the AVSI Foundation, said that the project permitted them to discover the key role that entrepreneurs and the private sector plays in promoting clean energy.

“Through the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project, we gained invaluable knowledge about the critical importance of private sector partnerships in achieving universal access to clean energy. We invite like-minded companies and financial institutions to join us in advancing this mission,” said Ossola.

Clean cooking is one of the African Development Bank Group’s priority areas. In May 2024, the Bank pledged $2 billion over 10 years towards clean cooking solutions in Africa – a move towards saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children estimated who die each year from the effects of secondary smoke from partial combustion of biomass, fuel wood and charcoal.

The Bank is also a key organizer of The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, scheduled for 27 and 28 January in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will bring together cross-sector leaders, decision makers in the public and private sector sharing a passion for boosting access to electricity to more homes and businesses across Africa.

The Government of Tanzania is hosting the event in partnership with the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group. At this two-day summit, government officials, business leaders, funders, and community organizations will chart a path towards Mission 300’s ambitious goal of bringing power to 300 millions Africans by 2030.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Mission 300 Energy Summit to Gather Africa’s Leaders and Partners to Transform Energy Sector

Source: African Development Bank Group
African heads of state, business leaders, and development partners will converge tomorrow in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit where they will commit to ambitious reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to 300 million people in Africa by…

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Press Conference – Krakow, Poland

Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Thanks very much for being here at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow. We thank Jonathan Ornstein for hosting us here. We thank Zofia, a Holocaust survivor who spoke with us about her journey and her life, and we thank her for the honour of sharing some time with her.

Tomorrow, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mark Dreyfus and I are here in Poland, here together, to remember the six million Jewish lives lost – taken – in the Holocaust. Six million men, women and children murdered, including a million, near to here, at Auschwitz.

We are here to say, never again, never again. To stand with others across the international community and say, never again. I would say at this time, we have to stand together – across beliefs, across political difference, across politics – we have to stand against prejudice and hate and antisemitism in all its forms. Because at this time and in this place, we remember where that can lead, and we say, never again. I’ll hand over to Mark.

Mark Dreyfus, Attorney-General: Thanks very much, Penny.

The Foreign Minister and I are here in Krakow to represent the Australian Government at Auschwitz, at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. And of course, this is a commemoration of the Holocaust, which is the greatest evil that the world has known. Some 6 million Jews were murdered across Europe. Over a million Jews were murdered at Auschwitz, where we’re going to be tomorrow. That number includes, at Auschwitz, a member of my own family. My great-grandmother, Ida Ransenberg, then aged 60, was murdered at Auschwitz on the 14th of October, 1942. We’re attending the commemoration to remember the dead and to say never again. We are attending this commemoration to condemn antisemitism in all its forms, to condemn antisemitism anywhere in the world, to condemn antisemitism in Australia. And we’re at this commemoration to acknowledge the magnificent contribution that’s been made by Jews to our own Australian community, including the very many survivors of the Holocaust who found their way to Australia, particularly after the war.

I’d like to acknowledge the meeting that Foreign Minister and I have had with Zofia, a Holocaust survivor who has made a wonderful contribution to the rebuilding of the Jewish community here in Krakow, of which this Jewish Community Centre is a part. It’s a wonderful thing to think that, after what happened in the Second World War, that there is a reborn Jewish community here in Krakow. Thanks very much.

Reporter: Given the rise in antisemitism, is this year’s anniversary perhaps more important now than in any point in previous decades when this liberation has been remembered?

Foreign Minister: This commemoration is always important, but you’re right to point to the rise of antisemitism we see in the world. And when we say never again, we have to not only mean it, but bring that to what we do as political leaders. So, I do see, we do see, attending this commemoration as solemn and important, the memory of six million murdered and also the knowledge of what hatred can lead to.

Reporter: We spoke to some survivors back in Australia, who, the reason they went to Australia and fled there after the war was because it was, in their words, the furthest place from here that they could travel to. But antisemitism is now on our shores. I think it’s been, since December, more than 150 incidents are being investigated. Is there a sense of responsibility that the government has to share in the fact that it’s made its way our shores in such a large amount?

Foreign Minister: We all must stand against antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it, and we must all work together to confront it. And you would have heard me say many times, these attacks are not just an attack on the Jewish community – they are that – but they are actually an attack on who we are as Australians. People came to our country and come to our country because of who we are; a country that welcomes people of all faiths, people from all over the world, and we treat each other with respect. We treat each other with tolerance. We are accepting and we ensure that we provide a safe community for all our people. That is part of what it is to be Australian, and as well, we must hold on to it.

Reporter: Minister, given the rise in antisemitism back home in Australia, why is Prime Minister Anthony Albanese not here for the 80th commemoration?

Foreign Minister: This is a very senior delegation. This is the Foreign Minister, the Attorney-General and the Special Envoy. And the seniority of the delegation speaks to how seriously we take this.

Reporter: You mentioned in your opening comments, the need for it to come across political lines. Is that a nod, do you think this debate has been too partisan in recent weeks?

Foreign Minister: This is not a time or a place for politics. This is a time to be above politics, because this, it is such a solemn and sad occasion, but also a time to recommit ourselves to learning the lessons of the Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews, and to say, never again. So, I’m simply saying to all of us in Australia, we must all work together to ensure never again.

Reporter: This rise in antisemitism can’t obviously be separated from the conflict in Gaza, the kidnapped Israelis and destruction there. Overnight, in the last few hours, Donald Trump has said we should ‘clean out Gaza’ and see the inhabitants from there moved into either Egypt or Jordan. Have you had a chance to speak with any of your partners in the United States. Or is it a proposition you would support or entertain?

Foreign Minister: I would simply say this; we all want the ceasefire to hold, and we all want a path to peace and security for all peoples in the Middle East.

Reporter: Mr Dreyfus, thank you for sharing your personal story. A lot of Australian Jews have said that the past 18 months has been perhaps the toughest time for Jews in Australia. How hard has it been for you to live both roles as part of the Government that’s been criticised for that, but also you and your family connection?

Attorney-General: I understand all too well, perhaps better than most, the shocking rise in antisemitism that we’ve experienced in Australia and indeed, right across the world. Australia has not been alone in what has been a shocking, grotesque rise in antisemitism, unexpected after the horrific events of October the 7th. We’ve all got to work together, and that’s government, community, every part of the community has to work together to make sure that antisemitism, events of antisemitism, conduct that is antisemitic, violence that’s got an antisemitic association, all of that has to end, and all of us have to work together to make sure that it ends. It’s really important. It’s something that affects every part of the Australian community, not just the Jewish community, and I’ve got a real sense that we are working together to make sure that it is brought to an end.

Reporter: Minister Wong, Mr Dutton has been critical in the media of you being here. He says you shouldn’t be, you’re not the right choice to be here. What would you say in response to that?

Foreign Minister: This is not a day for politics. It’s not a time for politics. This is a time to remember the murder of six million people, six million Jews, and to say never again and that’s why we’re here. And it is, as I said, a solemn occasion. I simply say again, I think, if we really mean never again, then we need to work together across politics and across faiths. And I have confidence Australians can do that.

Attorney-General: And if I could add to that – this is an appropriate time, and it is an appropriate place to actually reject attempts to politicise the Holocaust or to politicise antisemitism. Combating antisemitism, remembering the Holocaust, does not belong to the left or the right. It does not belong to the progressive side of Australian politics, or the conservative side of Australian politics. It is the solemn duty of everybody, of all of humanity, to remember the Holocaust, to say, never again. And it’s been grotesque, I use that word again, to see the rise in antisemitism since October the 7th, but it has been equally grotesque to see attempts being made to politicise either commemoration of the Holocaust or combating antisemitism. We need to get politics out of this. It’s a joint effort for the whole of humanity to remember the Holocaust, to remember the six million murdered Jews, and to say, as the Foreign Minister has said, as I’ve said, never again. That’s the task that we’re here for. That’s why this is an appropriate time and place to say there’s been far too much politicisation. It’s time for it to end.

Reporter: On that note, was there any suggestion that the Governor-General may have come over, as a kind of neutral person?

Foreign Minister: I haven’t engaged with the Governor General about that. As I’ve said before in a press conference, Mark and I, and the Deputy Prime Minister and I spoke about this, and we believed this was a suitably senior delegation. Thank you very much everyone for your time.

Attorney-General: Thank you.

MIL OSI News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Wanting to ‘return to normal’ after a disaster is understandable, but often problematic

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Richardson, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Te Puna Ako Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning, University of Waikato

Media coverage of the recent fires in Los Angeles showed the heartbreaking damage in Pacific Palisades and elsewhere across Los Angeles County. People lost not only their houses but also the thriving communities of which they had been part.

What was quickly apparent was the desire to rebuild. People often want their lives to bounce back from every crisis or disaster and to recreate what they have lost.

And this points to a broader issue that emerges after many natural disasters. People want to rebuild and return to normal when, in the face of an increasingly volatile climate, the best option may be to adapt and change.

There is a tension between a common understanding of personal resilience and the resilience of complex adaptive systems such as cities. People have a psychological and social need for stability and permanence, but all complex systems are resilient only because they adapt when forced to.

In New Zealand, the same tension emerged in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Ahead of the second anniversary of the devastating cyclone – and as Northland is battered, yet again, by severe weather and flooding – New Zealanders need to ask how we can balance our personal resilience and need for stability while also acknowledging the need for a managed retreat.

The long history of fires in Los Angeles

In his essay The Case for Letting Malibu Burn, writer Mike Davis outlines how fire is an inescapable part of Los Angeles history and how after each fire the city has always been rebuilt.

Davis’ work focuses on Los Angeles but raises important questions about the future of all communities facing increasing risks from climate change.

The repeated rebuilds in Los Angeles have created an expectation that the city will be rebuilt after every fire.

But the city also has unique physical features that make such fires inescapable: the combination of the Santa Ana winds blowing from the desert with chaparral vegetation growing in the steep and dry canyons.

Fire has always been a natural part of the cycle of regeneration in this landscape. What has changed is the encroachment of human dwellings at the foot of these hills and canyons, and into them. Between 1990 and 2020, nearly 45% of the homes built in California were placed in these high fire risk areas.

Climate change is also making both localised rain events and droughts in the Los Angeles environs more extreme, creating larger and then drier fuel loads.

From a systems perspective, a managed retreat from the areas of worst fire risk makes sense. The resilience of cities requires them to be adaptive.

Yet adaptation in Los Angeles is largely not happening. After previous fires, rebuilding has generally occurred within six years and with minimal to no change in building design or placement. People have found comfort in the idea of “bouncing back” like a rubber ball.

Pricing in the risk

There is one group within this complex system which is actually adapting in the face of increasing climate change – in Los Angeles and elsewhere, including in New Zealand.

Home insurers have drastically raised premiums in Los Angeles, or removed cover entirely from many homeowners, to cover ever-growing losses. The insurance bill for these recent fires is predicted to be US$30 billion and the frequency and cost of such climate disasters is increasing.

Together, the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle cost insurers more than NZ$3.5 billion. The cost of insurance in New Zealand rose by 14% in 2024, significantly outpacing general consumer price inflation.

In system terms, increased insurance premiums represent some of the adaptive capacity of a community that insists on rebuilding in the face of increasing risks.

In economic terms, you can also think of insurance premiums as a market signal which is pricing the ever-increasing risk of disaster into the cost of living in such fire or flood zones.

Accepting risk or accepting change in NZ

The approaching second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle and the ongoing debate over managed retreat demonstrates the same tension in Aotearoa New Zealand between increasing climate risks and our very human need to rebuild and restore what we have lost.

City and regional councils are facing questions about whether to build (or rebuild) in high-risk areas.

But with two thirds of our population living in flood risk areas and both flood risks and insurance costs increasing, how many times can New Zealand rebuild in these risky areas?

In the end, we need to remember that a crucial, and sometimes overlooked, element of psychological resilience is acceptance of change.

In a world of accelerating climate change and related disasters this is increasingly the more realistic response.

Anthony Richardson 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. Wanting to ‘return to normal’ after a disaster is understandable, but often problematic – https://theconversation.com/wanting-to-return-to-normal-after-a-disaster-is-understandable-but-often-problematic-247884

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK is deeply concerned by the scale and pace of recent M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces advances in eastern DRC: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

President, MONUSCO peacekeepers and personnel work bravely to deliver this Council’s mandate in the most difficult of circumstances.

The United Kingdom reiterates clearly today that attacks on UN peacekeepers are absolutely unacceptable, and may constitute war crimes.

We also recall that planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers may constitute a basis for UN sanctions designations.

The UK extends its sympathies to the families of the Blue Helmets from South Africa and Uruguay who have lost their lives serving in MONUSCO, and we extend our best wishes for a full recovery to those peacekeepers who have been injured.

The UK also extends its condolences to the families of all troops from the Southern African Development Community Mission in DRC who have lost their lives in support of DRC’s stability and security.

As we do so, we fully acknowledge that the numbers of those lost and injured is changing by the hour. It is a critical moment for DRC and for the region.

President, I would now like to make three points.

First, the United Kingdom once again condemns the violent actions of all armed groups, including FDLR and M23.

We are deeply concerned by the scale and pace of recent M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces advances in eastern DRC.

In December this Council renewed MONUSCO’s mandate. And in the four weeks since, M23’s unacceptable offensive, and that of the Rwanda Defence Forces, through North and South Kivu, has resulted in the capture of several towns and villages.

As we’ve heard, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced, and violence has intensified as a result.

We are also deeply alarmed by M23’s declaration that they intend to take Goma, a city where the humanitarian situation is already catastrophic.

The rising number of displaced people resulting from M23’s territorial expansion has placed further pressure on crowded IDP camps and exacerbates the challenges faced by humanitarian actors.

This morning, the UK Foreign Secretary spoke with President Kagame and called for urgent de-escalation, outlining the need for Rwanda and the DRC to urgently return to the negotiating table.

Now, more than ever, it is critical that MONUSCO is able to deliver its mandate. M23 attacks on peacekeepers, with support from the RDF, must stop immediately.

These attacks prevent the force from being able to discharge its Security Council-mandated mission to protect civilians.

Rwandan spoofing and jamming of GPS signals, which obstruct UN and humanitarian operations, must also stop.

We urge all parties to remember their obligations under international humanitarian law.

Finally, President, the United Kingdom once again extends its thanks to Angola for its leadership on mediation efforts.

We encourage DRC and Rwanda to return to the negotiating table and to focus on making tangible progress on delivering on their commitments under the concept of operations.

There can be no military solution. Fighting must stop. Civilians must be protected. And the parties should engage in good faith in the political process.

Updates to this page

Published 26 January 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: DR CONGO CRISIS: Live updates as Security Council holds emergency meeting

Source: United Nations 4

Spiralling violence and killings in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo triggered an emergency Security Council meeting Sunday morning on the heels of the UN mission temporarily relocating non-essential staff from the area. App users can follow our live coverage here.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira, Post-doctoral researcher, African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town

Urban agriculture takes many forms, among them community, school or rooftop gardens, commercial urban farms, and hydroponic or aquaponic systems. These activities have been shown to promote sustainable cities in a number of ways. They enhance local food security and foster economic opportunities through small-scale farming initiatives. They also strengthen social cohesion by creating shared spaces for collaboration and learning.

However, evidence from some African countries (and other parts of the world) shows that very few young people are getting involved in agriculture, whether in urban, peri-urban or rural areas. Studies from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria show that people aged between 15 and 34 have very little interest in agriculture, whether as an educational pathway or career. They perceive farming as physically demanding, low-paying and lacking in prestige. Systemic barriers like limited access to land, capital and skills also hold young people back.

South Africa has a higher rate of young people engaging in farming (24%) than elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this number could be higher if young people better understood the benefits of a career in farming and if they had more support.

In a recent study I explored youth-driven urban agriculture in Khayelitsha, a large urban area outside Cape Town whose residents are mostly Black, low-income earners.

The young urban farmers I interviewed are using community gardens to grow more than vegetables. They’re also nurturing social connections, creating economic and business opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation. My findings highlight the transformative potential of youth-driven urban agriculture and how it can be a multifaceted response to urban challenges. It’s crucial that policy makers recognise the value of youth-led urban agriculture and support those doing the work.

The research

Khayelitsha is vibrant and bustling. But its approximately 400,000 residents have limited resources and often struggle to make a living.

I interviewed members of two youth-led gardens. One has just two members; the other has six. All my interviewees were aged between 22 and 27. The relatively low number of interviewees is typical of qualitative research, where the emphasis is placed on depth rather than breadth. This approach allows researchers to obtain detailed, context-rich data from a small, focused group of participants.

The first garden was founded in January 2020, just a few months before the pandemic struck. The founders wanted to tackle unemployment and food insecurity in their community. They hoped to create jobs for themselves and others, and to provide nutritional support, particularly for vulnerable groups like children with special needs.

The second garden was established in 2014 by three childhood friends. They were inspired by one founder’s grandmother, who loved gardening. They also wanted to promote organic farming, teach people healthy eating habits, and create a self-reliant community.

All of my interviewees were activists for food justice. This refers to efforts aimed at addressing systemic inequities in food production, distribution, and access, particularly for marginalised communities. It advocates for equitable access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food.

One of the gardens, for instance, operates about 30 beds. It cultivates a variety of produce: beetroot, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, potatoes, radishes, peas, lettuce and herbs. 30% of its produce is donated to local community centres each month (they were unable to say how many people benefited from this arrangement). The rest is sold to support the garden financially. Its paying clients include local restaurants and chefs, and members of the community. The garden also partners with schools, hospitals and other organisations to promote healthy eating and sustainable practices.

The second garden, which is on land belonging to a local early childhood development centre, also focuses on feeding the community, as well as engaging in food justice activism.

Skills, resilience and connections

The gardens also help members to develop skills. Members gain practical knowledge about sustainable agriculture, marketing and entrepreneurship, all while managing operations and planning for growth.

Read more: Healthy food is hard to come by in Cape Town’s poorer areas: how community gardens can fix that

This hands-on experience instils a sense of responsibility and gives participants valuable skills they can apply in future careers or ventures. The founder of the first garden told me his skills empowered him to seek help from his own community rather than waiting for government intervention. He approached the management of an early childhood development centre in the community to request space on their land, and this was granted.

Social connections have been essential to the gardens’ success. Bonding capital (close ties within their networks) and bridging capital (connections beyond their immediate community) has allowed them to strengthen relationships between themselves and civil society organisations. They’ve also been able to mobilise resources, as in the case of the first garden accessing community land.

Additionally, the gardens foster community resilience. Members host workshops and events to educate residents about healthy eating, sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.

By donating produce to local early childhood centres, they provide direct benefits to those most in need. These efforts have transformed the gardens into safe spaces for the community.

Broader collaboration has also been key to the gardens’ success. For instance, the second garden has worked with global organisations and networks, like the Slow Food Youth Network, to share and gain knowledge about sustainable farming practices.

Room for growth

My findings highlight the need for targeted support for youth-driven urban agriculture initiatives. Policy and financial backing can enable these young gardeners to expand their efforts. This in turn will allow them to provide more food to their communities, create additional jobs, and empower more young people.

At a policy level, the government could prioritise land access for urban agriculture projects, especially in under-served communities. Cities can foster an environment for youth initiatives to thrive by allocating spaces within their planning for urban farming.

Read more: Africa’s megacities threatened by heat, floods and disease – urgent action is needed to start greening and adapt to climate change

There’s also a need for educational programmes that emphasise the value of sustainable urban agriculture, and workshops and training on entrepreneurship and sustainable farming techniques. Community organising could further empower young farmers. Finally, continued collaboration with national and international food networks would help strengthen such initiatives.

– Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study
– https://theconversation.com/urban-food-gardens-produce-more-than-vegetables-they-create-bonds-for-young-capetonians-study-243500

MIL OSI Africa –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: What France loses by closing its military bases in Africa

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Thierry Vircoulon, Coordinateur de l’Observatoire pour l’Afrique centrale et australe de l’Institut Français des Relations Internationales, membre du Groupe de Recherche sur l’Eugénisme et le Racisme, Université Paris Cité

Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced on 31 December 2024 that all foreign military bases in his country would close by 2025. On the same day, the Ivorian president said France would hand over control of the Abidjan military base to his country’s army.

These announcements followed the planned withdrawal of French forces from Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Researcher Thierry Vircoulon discusses the potential implications of these decisions for France.

What advantages could France lose by withdrawing its troops from African countries?

France’s military presence in French-speaking Africa has evolved in strategic importance over the past 65 years. Over time, the significance of this presence has diminished. By the end of the 20th century, some French military bases had been closed and the number of pre-positioned troops had reduced from 20,000 in 1970 to 6,000 in 2022.

Military bases have been a strategic asset for France, initially securing newly independent and fragile regimes in the aftermath of independence. They also played a key role in conducting external operations. These bases served as logistical hubs that enabled French military interventions and the evacuation of French nationals during crises.

For instance, Operation Sagittarius, which evacuated European nationals from Sudan at the start of the war in April 2023, relied on the resources of the French base in Djibouti.

Without these logistical points, projecting military strength becomes much more challenging and, in some cases, impossible. The closure of these military bases implies the end of major French military interventions, such as Operation Licorne (2002-2015) or Barkhane (2014-2022).

In recent years, the cost-benefit analysis of these bases has been questioned in Paris. They have become a political and strategic issue. On one hand, these bases symbolise the old post-independence security pact between Paris and the leaders of some countries, making them appear as a legacy of neocolonialism.

On the other hand, from a strategic point of view, having a pre-positioned military presence in Africa serves little purpose when the main threats to France come from elsewhere (for instance, eastern Europe and the Middle East). As a result, the strategic value of France’s military bases in Africa has diminished in recent years.

What impact could military withdrawal have on France’s political and diplomatic influence in its former African colonies?

The closure of the bases would signal the end of France’s capacity to intervene – whether justified or not – in certain conflicts across Africa.

This would weaken its influence in the region, particularly as conflicts intensify across the continent, with more and more African countries seeking security providers. Addressing, stabilising or resolving these conflicts requires a combination of diplomacy and military intervention.

It’s important to distinguish between countries that have chosen to sever military cooperation agreements with Paris (such as Chad and Senegal) and those that have simply closed military bases but maintained the military cooperation (like Ivory Coast).

The announcement of base closures by African leaders, rather than by Paris, symbolises a rejection of French policy. This marks a significant loss of influence for France in the countries involved.

Could this withdrawal reduce France’s influence in managing security crises in Africa?

As part of the informal division of security responsibilities among western nations, France has long been considered the “gendarme of Africa”.

Between 1964 and 2014, France conducted no fewer than 52 military operations across the continent. At the start of the 21st century, it played the role of lead nation in European military interventions in Africa. Other western powers recognised France’s expertise in managing African crises. In most cases, they either supported or simply followed its policies.

This was reflected in France’s diplomatic responsibilities within the European Union and at the United Nations. French diplomacy is well represented in the Africa division of the European External Action Service. The French delegation is tasked with drafting UN security council resolutions on Africa. The peacekeeping department at the UN is led by a French diplomat.

People protest against the presence of French soldiers in Mali, and more broadly in west Africa, as part of Operation Barkhane in Toulouse in 2021. Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The end of France’s military interventionism will have diplomatic repercussions beyond Africa. They are already being felt in Brussels, Washington and New York.

In Niger, the United States did not follow France’s hard line stance after the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. Instead it attempted to engage with the junta. This effort ultimately failed.

In Chad, while Paris was complacent towards the dynastic succession from Idriss Déby to his son, Berlin took a critical stance. This led to a diplomatic crisis and the expulsion of ambassadors from Chad and Germany in 2023. In Italy, prime minister Giorgia Meloni publicly criticised French policy in Africa, causing tensions between Paris and Rome.

How will the reduction in military presence affect France’s ability to protect its economic interests, particularly in the mining and energy sectors?

In 2023, Africa accounted for only 1.9% of France’s foreign trade, 15% of its supply of strategic minerals, and 11.6% of its oil and gas supply.

France’s top two trading partners in sub-Saharan Africa are Nigeria and South Africa – former British colonies which have never hosted a French military base.

Since the beginning of the century, relations between France and African countries have been marked by a clear separation between economic and military interests. France not only has diminishing economic interests in Africa, but these are concentrated in countries that do not host French military bases.

– What France loses by closing its military bases in Africa
– https://theconversation.com/what-france-loses-by-closing-its-military-bases-in-africa-247898

MIL OSI Africa –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacinta Delhaize, Lecturer, University of Cape Town

You may not know it, but right now there’s a huge cosmic rave party happening far, far above our heads. The chief party goers are known as supermassive black holes. These mysterious objects can have masses several million or billion times that of the Sun and are so dense that they warp space time around them.

As far as astronomers know, all galaxies harbour a supermassive black hole at their very centres. In some galaxies, large amounts of interstellar gas are spiralling around the supermassive black hole and getting pulled in beyond the event horizon and essentially on to the black hole. This process creates a huge amount of friction and energy, which can cause the “rave” I’m talking about – releasing huge amounts of light at many different colours and frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum.

In some cases, the black hole will even spew jets of plasma, millions of light-years across intergalactic space. The plasma gas is so hot that it’s essentially a soup of electrons moving close to the speed of light. These plasma jets glow at radio frequencies, so they can be seen with a radio telescope and are, aptly, named radio galaxies. In a recent episode of the astronomy podcast The Cosmic Savannah, I likened their appearance to two glow sticks (the plasma jets) poking out of a ball of sticky tack (the galaxy). Astronomers hypothesise that the plasma jets keep expanding outwards as time passes, eventually growing so large that they become giant radio galaxies.

Millions of normally sized radio galaxies are known to science. But by 2020 only about 800 giant radio galaxies had been found, nearly 50 years since they had been initially discovered. They were considered rare. However, a new generation of radio telescopes, including South Africa’s MeerKAT, have turned this idea on its head: in the past five years about 11,000 giants have been discovered.

MeerKAT’s newest giant radio galaxy find is extraordinary. The plasma jets of this cosmic giant span 3.3 million light-years from end to end – over 32 times the size of the Milky Way. I’m one of the lead researchers who made the discovery. We’ve nicknamed it Inkathazo, meaning “trouble” in South Africa’s isiXhosa and isiZulu languages. That’s because it’s been a bit troublesome to understand the physics behind what’s going on with Inkathazo.

This discovery has given us a unique opportunity to study giant radio galaxies. The findings challenge existing models and suggest that we don’t yet understand much of the complicated plasma physics at play in these extreme galaxies.

Here comes ‘trouble’

The MeerKAT telescope is located in the Karoo region of South Africa, is made up of 64 radio dishes and is operated and managed by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. It’s a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array, which will, when it commences science operations around 2028, be the world’s largest telescope.

MeerKAT has already been pivotal in uncovering some of the hidden treasures of the southern sky since it was first commissioned in 2018.

This is the third giant radio galaxy that my collaborators and I have discovered with MeerKAT in a relatively small patch of sky near the equator, around the size of five full moons, that astronomers refer to as the “COSMOS field”. We pointed MeerKAT at COSMOS during the early stages of the most advanced surveys of distant galaxies ever conducted: the International Gigahertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE).

Read more: Discovery of two new giant radio galaxies offers fresh insights into the universe

The MIGHTEE team, a collaboration of astronomers from around the world, and I first published the discovery of the two other giant radio galaxies in COSMOS in 2021.

We spotted Inkathazo more recently in my own MeerKAT follow-up observations of COSMOS, as well as in the full MIGHTEE survey.

However, Inkathazo differs from its cosmic companions in several ways. It doesn’t have the same characteristics as many other giant radio galaxies. For example, the plasma jets have an unusual shape. Rather than extending straight across from end-to-end, one of the jets is bent.

Additionally, Inkathazo lives at the very centre of a cluster of galaxies, rather than in relative isolation, which should make it difficult for the plasma jets to grow to such enormous sizes. Its location in a cluster raises questions about the role of environmental interactions in the formation and evolution of these giant galaxies.

A spectral age map of ‘Inkathazo’. Cyan and green show younger plasma, while purple indicates older plasma. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA., CC BY

MeerKAT’s exceptional capabilities are helping us to unravel this cosmic conundrum. We’ve created some of the highest-resolution spectral maps ever made for giant radio galaxies. These maps track the age of the plasma across different parts of the galaxy, providing clues about the physical processes at work.

The results revealed intriguing complexities in Inkathazo’s jets. Some electrons within the plasma jets receive unexpected boosts of energy. We think this may occur when the jets collide with hot gas in the voids between galaxies in a cluster. This gives us hints about what sort of plasma physics might be happening in these extreme parts of the Universe that we didn’t previously predict.

A treasure trove

The fact that we unveiled three giant radio galaxies by pointing MeerKAT at a single patch of sky suggests that there’s likely a huge treasure trove of these cosmic behemoths just waiting to be discovered in the southern sky. The telescope is incredibly powerful and it’s in a perfect location for this kind of research, so it’s ideally poised to uncover and learn more about giant radio galaxies in the years to come.

Kathleen Charlton, a Master’s student at the University of Cape Town, was the lead author of the research on which this article was based.

– South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s
– https://theconversation.com/south-african-telescope-discovers-a-giant-galaxy-thats-32-times-bigger-than-earths-248023

MIL OSI Africa –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira, Post-doctoral researcher, African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town

Urban farms like this one in Nouakchott, Mauritania, have many benefits. John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images)

Urban agriculture takes many forms, among them community, school or rooftop gardens, commercial urban farms, and hydroponic or aquaponic systems. These activities have been shown to promote sustainable cities in a number of ways. They enhance local food security and foster economic opportunities through small-scale farming initiatives. They also strengthen social cohesion by creating shared spaces for collaboration and learning.

However, evidence from some African countries (and other parts of the world) shows that very few young people are getting involved in agriculture, whether in urban, peri-urban or rural areas. Studies from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria show that people aged between 15 and 34 have very little interest in agriculture, whether as an educational pathway or career. They perceive farming as physically demanding, low-paying and lacking in prestige. Systemic barriers like limited access to land, capital and skills also hold young people back.

South Africa has a higher rate of young people engaging in farming (24%) than elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this number could be higher if young people better understood the benefits of a career in farming and if they had more support.

In a recent study I explored youth-driven urban agriculture in Khayelitsha, a large urban area outside Cape Town whose residents are mostly Black, low-income earners.

The young urban farmers I interviewed are using community gardens to grow more than vegetables. They’re also nurturing social connections, creating economic and business opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation. My findings highlight the transformative potential of youth-driven urban agriculture and how it can be a multifaceted response to urban challenges. It’s crucial that policy makers recognise the value of youth-led urban agriculture and support those doing the work.

The research

Khayelitsha is vibrant and bustling. But its approximately 400,000 residents have limited resources and often struggle to make a living.

I interviewed members of two youth-led gardens. One has just two members; the other has six. All my interviewees were aged between 22 and 27. The relatively low number of interviewees is typical of qualitative research, where the emphasis is placed on depth rather than breadth. This approach allows researchers to obtain detailed, context-rich data from a small, focused group of participants.

The first garden was founded in January 2020, just a few months before the pandemic struck. The founders wanted to tackle unemployment and food insecurity in their community. They hoped to create jobs for themselves and others, and to provide nutritional support, particularly for vulnerable groups like children with special needs.

The second garden was established in 2014 by three childhood friends. They were inspired by one founder’s grandmother, who loved gardening. They also wanted to promote organic farming, teach people healthy eating habits, and create a self-reliant community.

All of my interviewees were activists for food justice. This refers to efforts aimed at addressing systemic inequities in food production, distribution, and access, particularly for marginalised communities. It advocates for equitable access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food.

One of the gardens, for instance, operates about 30 beds. It cultivates a variety of produce: beetroot, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, potatoes, radishes, peas, lettuce and herbs. 30% of its produce is donated to local community centres each month (they were unable to say how many people benefited from this arrangement). The rest is sold to support the garden financially. Its paying clients include local restaurants and chefs, and members of the community. The garden also partners with schools, hospitals and other organisations to promote healthy eating and sustainable practices.

The second garden, which is on land belonging to a local early childhood development centre, also focuses on feeding the community, as well as engaging in food justice activism.

Skills, resilience and connections

The gardens also help members to develop skills. Members gain practical knowledge about sustainable agriculture, marketing and entrepreneurship, all while managing operations and planning for growth.

Read more:
Healthy food is hard to come by in Cape Town’s poorer areas: how community gardens can fix that

This hands-on experience instils a sense of responsibility and gives participants valuable skills they can apply in future careers or ventures. The founder of the first garden told me his skills empowered him to seek help from his own community rather than waiting for government intervention. He approached the management of an early childhood development centre in the community to request space on their land, and this was granted.

Social connections have been essential to the gardens’ success. Bonding capital (close ties within their networks) and bridging capital (connections beyond their immediate community) has allowed them to strengthen relationships between themselves and civil society organisations. They’ve also been able to mobilise resources, as in the case of the first garden accessing community land.

Additionally, the gardens foster community resilience. Members host workshops and events to educate residents about healthy eating, sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.

By donating produce to local early childhood centres, they provide direct benefits to those most in need. These efforts have transformed the gardens into safe spaces for the community.

Broader collaboration has also been key to the gardens’ success. For instance, the second garden has worked with global organisations and networks, like the Slow Food Youth Network, to share and gain knowledge about sustainable farming practices.

Room for growth

My findings highlight the need for targeted support for youth-driven urban agriculture initiatives. Policy and financial backing can enable these young gardeners to expand their efforts. This in turn will allow them to provide more food to their communities, create additional jobs, and empower more young people.

At a policy level, the government could prioritise land access for urban agriculture projects, especially in under-served communities. Cities can foster an environment for youth initiatives to thrive by allocating spaces within their planning for urban farming.

Read more:
Africa’s megacities threatened by heat, floods and disease – urgent action is needed to start greening and adapt to climate change

There’s also a need for educational programmes that emphasise the value of sustainable urban agriculture, and workshops and training on entrepreneurship and sustainable farming techniques. Community organising could further empower young farmers. Finally, continued collaboration with national and international food networks would help strengthen such initiatives.

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira 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. Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study – https://theconversation.com/urban-food-gardens-produce-more-than-vegetables-they-create-bonds-for-young-capetonians-study-243500

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What France loses by closing its military bases in Africa

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Thierry Vircoulon, Coordinateur de l’Observatoire pour l’Afrique centrale et australe de l’Institut Français des Relations Internationales, membre du Groupe de Recherche sur l’Eugénisme et le Racisme, Université Paris Cité

Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced on 31 December 2024 that all foreign military bases in his country would close by 2025. On the same day, the Ivorian president said France would hand over control of the Abidjan military base to his country’s army.

These announcements followed the planned withdrawal of French forces from Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Researcher Thierry Vircoulon discusses the potential implications of these decisions for France.

What advantages could France lose by withdrawing its troops from African countries?

France’s military presence in French-speaking Africa has evolved in strategic importance over the past 65 years. Over time, the significance of this presence has diminished. By the end of the 20th century, some French military bases had been closed and the number of pre-positioned troops had reduced from 20,000 in 1970 to 6,000 in 2022.

Military bases have been a strategic asset for France, initially securing newly independent and fragile regimes in the aftermath of independence. They also played a key role in conducting external operations. These bases served as logistical hubs that enabled French military interventions and the evacuation of French nationals during crises.

For instance, Operation Sagittarius, which evacuated European nationals from Sudan at the start of the war in April 2023, relied on the resources of the French base in Djibouti.

Without these logistical points, projecting military strength becomes much more challenging and, in some cases, impossible. The closure of these military bases implies the end of major French military interventions, such as Operation Licorne (2002-2015) or Barkhane (2014-2022).

In recent years, the cost-benefit analysis of these bases has been questioned in Paris. They have become a political and strategic issue. On one hand, these bases symbolise the old post-independence security pact between Paris and the leaders of some countries, making them appear as a legacy of neocolonialism.

On the other hand, from a strategic point of view, having a pre-positioned military presence in Africa serves little purpose when the main threats to France come from elsewhere (for instance, eastern Europe and the Middle East). As a result, the strategic value of France’s military bases in Africa has diminished in recent years.

What impact could military withdrawal have on France’s political and diplomatic influence in its former African colonies?

The closure of the bases would signal the end of France’s capacity to intervene – whether justified or not – in certain conflicts across Africa.

This would weaken its influence in the region, particularly as conflicts intensify across the continent, with more and more African countries seeking security providers. Addressing, stabilising or resolving these conflicts requires a combination of diplomacy and military intervention.

It’s important to distinguish between countries that have chosen to sever military cooperation agreements with Paris (such as Chad and Senegal) and those that have simply closed military bases but maintained the military cooperation (like Ivory Coast).

The announcement of base closures by African leaders, rather than by Paris, symbolises a rejection of French policy. This marks a significant loss of influence for France in the countries involved.

Could this withdrawal reduce France’s influence in managing security crises in Africa?

As part of the informal division of security responsibilities among western nations, France has long been considered the “gendarme of Africa”.

Between 1964 and 2014, France conducted no fewer than 52 military operations across the continent. At the start of the 21st century, it played the role of lead nation in European military interventions in Africa. Other western powers recognised France’s expertise in managing African crises. In most cases, they either supported or simply followed its policies.

This was reflected in France’s diplomatic responsibilities within the European Union and at the United Nations. French diplomacy is well represented in the Africa division of the European External Action Service. The French delegation is tasked with drafting UN security council resolutions on Africa. The peacekeeping department at the UN is led by a French diplomat.

The end of France’s military interventionism will have diplomatic repercussions beyond Africa. They are already being felt in Brussels, Washington and New York.

In Niger, the United States did not follow France’s hard line stance after the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. Instead it attempted to engage with the junta. This effort ultimately failed.

In Chad, while Paris was complacent towards the dynastic succession from Idriss Déby to his son, Berlin took a critical stance. This led to a diplomatic crisis and the expulsion of ambassadors from Chad and Germany in 2023. In Italy, prime minister Giorgia Meloni publicly criticised French policy in Africa, causing tensions between Paris and Rome.

How will the reduction in military presence affect France’s ability to protect its economic interests, particularly in the mining and energy sectors?

In 2023, Africa accounted for only 1.9% of France’s foreign trade, 15% of its supply of strategic minerals, and 11.6% of its oil and gas supply.

France’s top two trading partners in sub-Saharan Africa are Nigeria and South Africa – former British colonies which have never hosted a French military base.

Since the beginning of the century, relations between France and African countries have been marked by a clear separation between economic and military interests. France not only has diminishing economic interests in Africa, but these are concentrated in countries that do not host French military bases.

Thierry Vircoulon is a research associate at the Institut Français des Relations Internationales and an expert on the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.

– ref. What France loses by closing its military bases in Africa – https://theconversation.com/what-france-loses-by-closing-its-military-bases-in-africa-247898

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacinta Delhaize, Lecturer, University of Cape Town

Inkathazo’s glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY

You may not know it, but right now there’s a huge cosmic rave party happening far, far above our heads. The chief party goers are known as supermassive black holes. These mysterious objects can have masses several million or billion times that of the Sun and are so dense that they warp space time around them.

As far as astronomers know, all galaxies harbour a supermassive black hole at their very centres. In some galaxies, large amounts of interstellar gas are spiralling around the supermassive black hole and getting pulled in beyond the event horizon and essentially on to the black hole. This process creates a huge amount of friction and energy, which can cause the “rave” I’m talking about – releasing huge amounts of light at many different colours and frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum.

In some cases, the black hole will even spew jets of plasma, millions of light-years across intergalactic space. The plasma gas is so hot that it’s essentially a soup of electrons moving close to the speed of light. These plasma jets glow at radio frequencies, so they can be seen with a radio telescope and are, aptly, named radio galaxies. In a recent episode of the astronomy podcast The Cosmic Savannah, I likened their appearance to two glow sticks (the plasma jets) poking out of a ball of sticky tack (the galaxy). Astronomers hypothesise that the plasma jets keep expanding outwards as time passes, eventually growing so large that they become giant radio galaxies.

Millions of normally sized radio galaxies are known to science. But by 2020 only about 800 giant radio galaxies had been found, nearly 50 years since they had been initially discovered. They were considered rare. However, a new generation of radio telescopes, including South Africa’s MeerKAT, have turned this idea on its head: in the past five years about 11,000 giants have been discovered.

MeerKAT’s newest giant radio galaxy find is extraordinary. The plasma jets of this cosmic giant span 3.3 million light-years from end to end – over 32 times the size of the Milky Way. I’m one of the lead researchers who made the discovery. We’ve nicknamed it Inkathazo, meaning “trouble” in South Africa’s isiXhosa and isiZulu languages. That’s because it’s been a bit troublesome to understand the physics behind what’s going on with Inkathazo.

This discovery has given us a unique opportunity to study giant radio galaxies. The findings challenge existing models and suggest that we don’t yet understand much of the complicated plasma physics at play in these extreme galaxies.

Here comes ‘trouble’

The MeerKAT telescope is located in the Karoo region of South Africa, is made up of 64 radio dishes and is operated and managed by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. It’s a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array, which will, when it commences science operations around 2028, be the world’s largest telescope.

MeerKAT has already been pivotal in uncovering some of the hidden treasures of the southern sky since it was first commissioned in 2018.

This is the third giant radio galaxy that my collaborators and I have discovered with MeerKAT in a relatively small patch of sky near the equator, around the size of five full moons, that astronomers refer to as the “COSMOS field”. We pointed MeerKAT at COSMOS during the early stages of the most advanced surveys of distant galaxies ever conducted: the International Gigahertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE).

Read more:
Discovery of two new giant radio galaxies offers fresh insights into the universe

The MIGHTEE team, a collaboration of astronomers from around the world, and I first published the discovery of the two other giant radio galaxies in COSMOS in 2021.

We spotted Inkathazo more recently in my own MeerKAT follow-up observations of COSMOS, as well as in the full MIGHTEE survey.

However, Inkathazo differs from its cosmic companions in several ways. It doesn’t have the same characteristics as many other giant radio galaxies. For example, the plasma jets have an unusual shape. Rather than extending straight across from end-to-end, one of the jets is bent.

Additionally, Inkathazo lives at the very centre of a cluster of galaxies, rather than in relative isolation, which should make it difficult for the plasma jets to grow to such enormous sizes. Its location in a cluster raises questions about the role of environmental interactions in the formation and evolution of these giant galaxies.

A spectral age map of ‘Inkathazo’. Cyan and green show younger plasma, while purple indicates older plasma.
K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA., CC BY

MeerKAT’s exceptional capabilities are helping us to unravel this cosmic conundrum. We’ve created some of the highest-resolution spectral maps ever made for giant radio galaxies. These maps track the age of the plasma across different parts of the galaxy, providing clues about the physical processes at work.

The results revealed intriguing complexities in Inkathazo’s jets. Some electrons within the plasma jets receive unexpected boosts of energy. We think this may occur when the jets collide with hot gas in the voids between galaxies in a cluster. This gives us hints about what sort of plasma physics might be happening in these extreme parts of the Universe that we didn’t previously predict.

A treasure trove

The fact that we unveiled three giant radio galaxies by pointing MeerKAT at a single patch of sky suggests that there’s likely a huge treasure trove of these cosmic behemoths just waiting to be discovered in the southern sky. The telescope is incredibly powerful and it’s in a perfect location for this kind of research, so it’s ideally poised to uncover and learn more about giant radio galaxies in the years to come.

Kathleen Charlton, a Master’s student at the University of Cape Town, was the lead author of the research on which this article was based.

Jacinta Delhaize receives funding from the Africa-Oxford Initiative and the National Research Foundation.

– ref. South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s – https://theconversation.com/south-african-telescope-discovers-a-giant-galaxy-thats-32-times-bigger-than-earths-248023

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message to the General Assembly of the International Science Council

Source: United Nations – English

niting through science is key to tackling our common challenges – from addressing the climate crisis, to combatting global pandemics, to taking on the untold risk posed by emerging technologies.

The International Science Council is an indispensable bridge between science and policy, connecting researchers to the work of global decision-makers.

Your crucial role is the reason I invited the Council to contribute to the work of the United Nations through the Scientific Advisory Board. By uniting experts across disciplines, the Board connects UN leaders to global networks representing thousands of scientists and academics, especially in developing countries. And it helps ensure that science shapes policy solutions for people and planet.

This spirit is central to the Pact for the Future, adopted at the United Nations by Member States last September. The Pact recognizes the crucial role of science and technology cooperation to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and supercharging progress around the world.

We need your insights and expertise in this important task. Together, let’s harness the power of science to build a more peaceful, sustainable and healthy future for all.

MIL OSI Africa –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message on the International Day of Clean Energy [scroll down for French version]

Source: United Nations – English

his year, renewables are projected to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation for the first time. Meanwhile, their prices keep plummeting.

On the International Day of Clean Energy, we celebrate this revolution. But we also recognise the challenges ahead.

The end of the fossil fuel age is certain. But governments must ensure that it comes swiftly and fairly. This is crucial to save us from the worst of the climate crisis, and to connect every person to clean energy – lifting millions out of poverty.

This year offers an unparalleled opportunity for countries to align their climate ambitions with their national energy and development strategies. All countries have committed to produce new national climate action plans aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They must deliver with plans that cover all greenhouse gases and sectors; map a just fossil fuel phase-out; and contribute to the global goal to triple renewables capacity by 2030.

The G20 have the largest capacities and responsibilities – they must lead. All this must be achieved in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. But all countries must do more.

We also need action to get finance flowing to the renewables revolution in emerging markets and developing economies. That includes increasing the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, tackling the high cost of capital, and taking effective action on debt.

On the International Day of Clean Energy, let’s commit to an international era of clean energy with speed, justice, and collaboration at its core.

***

Cette année, pour la première fois, les sources d’énergie renouvelables devraient devenir la plus grande source de production d’électricité au monde, et leur prix ne cesse de baisser.

En cette Journée internationale des énergies propres, nous célébrons cette révolution, tout en étant conscients des défis qui nous attendent.

Il est certain que l’ère des combustibles fossiles va prendre fin. Mais les gouvernements doivent veiller à ce que cette fin arrive rapidement et qu’elle soit juste. Ceci est essentiel pour nous protéger des pires conséquences de la crise climatique et donner à chacun et à chacune les moyens d’accéder à une énergie propre – sortant des millions de personnes de la pauvreté.

Cette année offre aux pays une occasion unique d’intégrer leurs ambitions climatiques dans leurs stratégies nationales en matière d’énergie et de développement. Tous les pays se sont engagés à élaborer de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat qui soient compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse de la température mondiale à 1,5 degré Celsius. Ils doivent présenter des plans qui couvrent tous les gaz à effet de serre et tous les secteurs, organiser un abandon progressif et juste des combustibles fossiles et contribuer à l’objectif mondial de tripler la capacité en sources d’énergie renouvelables d’ici à 2030.

Le Groupe des 20 a les plus grandes capacités et les plus importantes responsabilités en la matière : il doit jouer le rôle de chef de file. Tout ceci doit être réalisé conformément au principe des responsabilités communes mais différenciées. Cependant, tous les pays doivent en faire davantage.

Il faut également faire le nécessaire pour assurer le financement de la révolution des sources d’énergie renouvelables dans les économies émergentes et les économies en développement. Il s’agit notamment d’accroître la capacité de prêt des banques multilatérales de développement, de s’attaquer au coût élevé du capital et de prendre des mesures efficaces pour agir sur la dette.

En cette Journée internationale des énergies propres, engageons-nous à favoriser l’avènement dans le monde entier d’une ère des énergies propres, avec en son cœur la rapidité, la justice et la collaboration.

MIL OSI Africa –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 2025 ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ global launching ceremony and gala held in Malaysian capital

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

2025 ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ global launching ceremony and gala held in Malaysian capital

Traditional Chinese Wushu is performed at the 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 26 — The 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala was held here on Saturday evening, featuring wonderful performances presented by actors from Malaysia and China.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli, and Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing attended the event and delivered speeches.

At the beginning of the ceremony, distinguished guests from both the Malaysian and Chinese governments jointly performed the “dotting of the lion’s eyes” ritual, officially inaugurating the event.

During the event, artists from China, Malaysia, Britain, France, the United States, New Zealand, Egypt, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, and some other countries collaborated in performances, fully showcasing the cultural essence of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and creating a festive atmosphere of global celebration.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addresses the 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations worldwide, organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, have been held annually for 25 consecutive years.

The year 2025 will mark the first Chinese New Year following the festival’s successful inscription on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This year, the “Happy Chinese New Year” event will feature nearly 500 diverse performances and exhibitions across more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 4 Israeli hostages arrive in Israel after released by Hamas in Gaza

Source: China State Council Information Office

Four Israeli hostages are seen during the ceremony of their release in Palestine Square in Gaza City on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Four female Israeli soldier hostages held in Gaza were transferred to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday and crossed the border into Israel, the IDF and the ISA said in a joint statement.

Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, army observers aged between 19 and 20, were abducted by Hamas from the Israeli army’s surveillance base at Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, near the Gaza Strip border.

“The four returning hostages were accompanied by IDF special forces and ISA forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the statement reads.

The four are scheduled to meet their families at the IDF’s Reim camp, near the Gaza Strip border, and from there they will be transferred by helicopter to Beilinson Hospital in central Israel.

The transfer of the four soldiers from Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza was broadcast live. The four appeared to be in good health, walking and smiling.

The hostage release is part of the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, implemented under the initial terms of a ceasefire agreement.

The first stage of the six-week ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.

The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached after 15 months of intense fighting, as a result of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Finding ‘Kape’: How Language Documentation helps us preserve an endangered language

Source: The Conversation – Indonesia – By Francesco Perono Cacciafoco, Associate Professor in Linguistics, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Shiyue Wu, a member of Francesco Perono Cacciafoco’s research team at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), who is currently developing intensive fieldwork in Alor Island to document and preserve endangered languages, discovered and first documented Kape during a Language Documentation fieldwork in August 2024 and therefore actively contributed to this study.

As of 2025, more than 7000 languages are spoken across the world. However, only about half of them are properly documented, leaving the rest at risk of disappearing.

Globalisation has propelled languages such as English and Chinese into the mainstream, and they now dominate global communication.

Parents today prefer their children learn widely-spoken languages. Meanwhile, indigenous languages, such as Copainalá Zoque in Mexico and Northern Ndebele in Zimbabwe, are not even consistently taught in schools.

Indigenous people generally did not use writing for centuries and, therefore, their languages do not have ancient written records. This has contributed to their gradual disappearance.

To prevent the loss of endangered languages, field linguists – or language documentarists – work to ensure that new generations have access to their cultural heritage. Their efforts reveal the vocabulary and structure of these languages and the stories and traditions embedded within them.

My research team and I have spent over 13 years documenting endangered Papuan languages in Southeast and East Indonesia, particularly in the Alor-Pantar Archipelago, near Timor, and the Maluku Islands. One of our significant and very recent discoveries is Kape, a previously undocumented and neglected language spoken by small coastal communities in Central-Northern Alor.

Not only is the discovery important for mapping the linguistic context of the island, but it also highlights the urgency of preserving endangered languages by employing Language Documentation methods.

The discovery of Kape

In August 2024, while working with our Abui consultants, Shiyue Wu, my Research Assistant at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, discovered a previously-ignored, presumably undocumented Papuan language from Alor, ‘Kape’.

At the time, she was gathering information about the names and locations of ritual altars known as ‘maasang’ in the Abui area, with assistance from our main consultant and several native speakers. In Central Alor, every village has a ‘maasang’.

During conversations about the variants in altar names across Alor languages and Abui dialects, some speakers mentioned the name of the ‘maasang’ (‘mata’) in Kape—a language previously unrecorded and overlooked in linguistic documentation.

‘Kape’ translates to ‘rope’, symbolising how the language connects its speakers across the island, from the mountains to the sea. Geographically and linguistically, it is associated with Kabola in the east and Abui and Kamang in Central Alor.

At this stage, it is unclear whether Kape is a distinct language or a dialect of Kamang, as the two are mutually intelligible. Much of Kape’s basic lexicon (the collection of words in one language), indeed, shares cognates (related words among languages) with Kamang.

However, Kape is spoken as the primary (native) language by the whole Kape ethnic group of Alor, and the speakers consider themselves an independent linguistic and ethnic community. This could serve as an element for regarding Kape as a language.

Kape also shows connections with Suboo, Tiyei, and Adang, other Papuan languages from Alor Island. The speakers, known as ‘Kafel’ in Abui, are multilingual, fluent, to some extent, in Kape, Kamang, Bahasa Indonesia, Alor Malay, and, sometimes, Abui.

So far, no historical records have been found for Kape, though archival research may reveal more about its origins. Based on its typology and lexical characteristics, Kape appears as ancient as other languages spoken in Alor. Like many Papuan languages, it is critically endangered and requires urgent documentation to preserve its legacy.

Documenting languages: An ongoing challenge

Language Documentation aims to reconstruct the unwritten history of indigenous peoples and to guarantee the future of their cultures and languages. This is accomplished by preserving endangered, scarcely documented or entirely undocumented languages in disadvantaged and remote areas.

External sources, like diaries by missionaries and documentation produced by colonisers, can help reconstruct some historical events. However, they are insufficient for providing reliable linguistic data since the authors were not linguists.

My research team and I document endangered languages, starting with their lexicon and grammar. Eventually, we also explore the ancient traditions and ancestral wisdom of the native speakers we work with.

We have contributed to the documentation of several Papuan languages from Alor Island, especially Abui, Kula, and Sawila. These languages are spoken among small, sometimes dispersed communities of indigenous peoples belonging to different but related ethnic clusters.

They communicate with each other mostly in Bahasa Indonesia and Alor Malay. This is because their local languages are almost never taught in schools and are rarely used outside their groups.

Over time, in addition to documenting their lexicons and grammars, we worked to reconstruct their place-names and landscape names, oral traditions, foundation myths, ancestral legends and the names of plants and trees they use.

We also explored their traditional medical practices and local ethnobotany, along with their musical culture and number systems.

Safeguarding Kape is not just linguistically relevant. Its preservation and documentation are not just about attesting its existence – they also contribute to revitalising the language, keeping it alive, and allowing the local community to rediscover its history, knowledge, and traditions to pass down to the next generations.

This journey has just begun, but my team and I – with the indispensable collaboration from our local consultants and native speakers – are prepared to go all the way towards its completion.

Francesco Perono Cacciafoco received funding from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU): Research Development Fund (RDF) Grant, “Place Names and Cultural Identity: Toponyms and Their Diachronic Evolution among the Kula People from Alor Island”, Grant Number: RDF-23-01-014, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou (Jiangsu), China, 2024-2025.

– ref. Finding ‘Kape’: How Language Documentation helps us preserve an endangered language – https://theconversation.com/finding-kape-how-language-documentation-helps-us-preserve-an-endangered-language-247465

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Medical Records Technician Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting Numerous Children Online

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Arin Caleb Ellis (27, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for producing and distributing videos depicting children being sexually abused. Ellis was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Ellis was arrested on August 29, 2022, and has been in federal custody since that date. On February 28, 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to persuading and coercing a child to engage in producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and to distributing a video depicting a child being sexually abused.

According to court documents, from January 2018 through August 29, 2022, Ellis was an active member of several online groups on social media applications (apps) dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and the sharing of child sexual abuse materials. Ellis and other members of these groups conspired and worked together to locate and sexually exploit minors across a variety of online social media platforms. During online text conversations, Ellis and other members discussed and strategized on how to pressure and coerce targeted children into producing sexually explicit photos and videos and engaging in sexually explicit conduct live on social media apps. Ellis and the other members also exchanged information about the identity of children who had an online presence, such as the minors’ names, ages, locations, and online user identifiers. Ellis told other group members that he preferred targeting female children who were 8 to 11 years old. Posing as minor children, Ellis and the other members persuaded and coerced the targeted children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to live-stream the conduct that Ellis and his co-conspirators would covertly record. When Ellis and the other members obtained the sexually explicit recordings, they shared these materials through online group chats and other cloud-based file storage apps and websites.

Ellis developed and used certain recording tools to capture live-streaming content over the internet that depicted the targeted children engaging in sexual acts. These tools allowed Ellis to simultaneously record multiple streaming video feeds from different children, and he shared these tools with other members for their use. Ellis used a variety of social media apps to communicate with the targeted minors across the United States and portrayed himself as a 10 or 11-year-old female child named “nova” from Florida. Ellis initially sent the targeted child sexually explicit photos and videos depicting an actual minor female that he was pretending to be and asked the child to be his “girlfriend.” After gaining some measure of trust, he then asked the child to send him sexually explicit photos and videos and recorded the child as she live-streamed sexually explicit conduct at his direction. Ellis also threatened some of the targeted children who refused to provide him with sexually explicit materials.

Ellis and the other group members also collaborated to hack into baby monitors, “nanny” cameras, and other internet-enabled cameras within private residences. The co-conspirators periodically provided Ellis with internal protocol addresses, which he developed his own computer code to remotely hack into these devices, allowing him to capture streaming video from compromised baby monitors.

During this investigation, the FBI executed multiple search warrants and seized the contents of the accounts used by Ellis and other group members. That content, combined with the evidence recovered from Ellis’ electronic devices, revealed that Ellis potentially targeted thousands of minor children for online sexual exploitation.

On August 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Ellis’ residence and seized his computers and electronic devices, several of which were encrypted. Forensic examination of one of Ellis’ cellphones revealed that he used a particular online app to send two videos of child sexual abuse to a co-conspirator just hours before FBI agents arrived at his residence. In total, the FBI recovered at least 1,700 photos and 700 videos depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct that Ellis maintained on his electronic devices and in his online social media accounts. Many of these materials depict young children, some as young as 6 years old.

Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director B. Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, made this announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit in Linthicum, Maryland, and the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys Kaylynn Foulon and McKenzie Hightower of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

MIL Security OSI –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: BitMart Adds UAH Into Its P2P Marketplace to Enhance User Experience

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Mahe, Seychelles, Nov. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, is excited to announce that it has officially added the Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH) to its peer-to-peer (P2P) trading marketplace. This strategic addition underscores BitMart’s commitment to diversifying trading options and providing users with more convenient ways to manage cryptocurrency transactions.

The integration of UAH into BitMart’s P2P marketplace reflects the growing demand for accessible and adaptable payment solutions. In a world where personal finance and digital asset management are evolving rapidly, the ability to transact in multiple currencies is crucial. By including UAH, BitMart ensures its users can benefit from a broader range of currency transactions, further simplifying deposits and withdrawals while maintaining high security standards and low entry barriers. BitMart’s UAH market also offers a competitive buy price, putting it ahead of other exchanges and providing users with a cost-effective option for trading UAH.

In celebration of adding UAH to BitMart’s P2P Marketplace, BitMart launched the event “UAH Exclusive Event: Easy to Share 1000 USDT Rewards,” running until Nov. 18, 2024. To learn how to participate, please visit https://www.bitmart.com/activity/UAH-trading/en-US.
For more information, please visit BitMart’s P2P Trading marketplace.

About BitMart
BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,500+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. To learn more about BitMart, visit their Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: World Urban Forum participants praise China’s efforts to promote urban greening

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

CAIRO, Nov. 5 — Participants at the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Egypt on Tuesday spoken highly of the Chinese experience in promoting green cities.

“The Chinese steps towards urban greening, with much focus on promoting the concept of nature in cities, are noticeable,” said Simon Borelli, urban forestry officer and coordinator of Green Cities Initiatives Forestry Division of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

“Looking at recreating natural ecosystems, and not just rows of trees and plantations, is an essential step forward for making cities more resilient and more prepared for climate change,” he added, stressing that China has been working on building park cities with a more holistic view.

Noting China’s focus on improving urban living, the coordinator said its experience could benefit Africa, home to the largest number of developing countries.

Shi Nan, secretary general of the Urban Planning Society of China, said, “We are trying to share our experiences and also the lessons regarding sustainable development.”

“The city is not only … a settlement for people, but also the home for animals, forest, trees, and grasses,” he said.

Regarding Egypt’s urban development, Shi said he was impressed by Egypt’s rich civilization, which has played a significant role in the country’s urban growth.

There is significant potential for cooperation between China and Egypt, both of which boast ancient civilizations, he added.

Co-organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Egyptian government, the WUF12 commenced on Monday and will continue until Friday.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: US presidential election holds high stakes for Pacific relations

PMN Pacific Mornings

With Election Day for one of the most consequential United States presidential races in recent history underway, Pasifika communities on both sides of the Pacific Ocean are considering how a new administration could impact US-Pacific relations.

Roy Tongilava, a public policy professional and Pacific community advocate in the United States, hopes to see improved US-Pacific relations under either a Harris or Trump administration.

“I’m not an expert in foreign affairs, but my hope would be that either a presidency under Harris or under Trump would continue to build those relations, to build those investments, to really help not only combat climate change but also to really aid in the Pacific development, which is inherently connected to what I believe is the Pacific Islander American experience,” he said.

Pacific commentators Roy Tongilava (left) and Christian Malietoa-Brown . . . interviewed by Pacific Media Network’s Pacific Mornings programme. Image: PMN

New Zealand political commentator and former chair of the National Party’s Pacific Blues group, Christian Malietoa-Brown, is backing Donald Trump in the presidential race.

He says the Pacific is caught in a “tug-of-war” between major powers like the US and China, with Australia playing an increasingly significant role.

“For me, I think in terms of long-term investment, Trump likes to prevent war by showing strength . . . I think they [the US] will strategically put some investments here just because they don’t want China running around too much in this area for defence reasons.

“Under the Biden administration, we saw record investment down this way in the Pacific region, obviously to try and push away China’s influence in the region,” Malietoa-Brown says.

Picking a big player
“So you have China, you have America, you have Russia, you have India that’s coming up big,” Malietoa-Brown said.

“And if I had to pick a big player to be in charge of the world, I would pretty much stick to America as it is right now, because that’s the devil we know, rather than someone else that we don’t know. And that’s probably purely a selfish thing.”

Tongilava agrees that the Joe Biden administration has been positive for the Pacific region in terms of investment.

“The Biden administration has pumped record investment into the Pacific to a number of things, infrastructure, education, all of that. Ultimately, though, to try and cool off and push away China’s advances towards this region.

“We’ve seen Vice-President Harris during her time as Vicep-President really commit to climate change as well as building relations within the Pacific region,” he said.

Education concerns
For Tongilava, who is part of the South Pacific Islander Organization (SPIO), a nonpartisan non-profit organisation that champions education and workforce development for Pacific youth, this election has serious implications for youth.

“Our mission is laser focused on enhancing college access, college retention, and degree completion for Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander students throughout our college systems,” Tongilava said.

“A lot of our work has focused on expanding educational opportunity and workforce development for young Pacific Islander students.

“In terms of education, I think it is crucial that Pacific Islanders turn out today in support of the policies specifically that may hinder or create opportunity for their families and for their communities,” Tongilava said.

He said it was crucial that Pacific Islanders vote in support of the specific policies that might hinder or create opportunities for their families and their communities.

Tongilava is concerned about Trump’s proposal to dismantle the US Department of Education, noting that such a move would disproportionately harm communities like the Pacific Islanders, who often rely on federal support for educational programmes.

“This raises additional questions around what role does the federal government play within our school systems here within states and at the local level. For many Pacific Islander Americans, we live in under-resourced communities,” Tongilava said.

Republished from Pacific Media Network with permission.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China import expo attractive to global exhibitors

Source: China State Council Information Office

Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged to open the country’s huge market further to share more growth opportunities with the rest of the world on Tuesday as the seventh edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the seventh China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in east China’s Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The business exhibition of the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports has attracted about 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions this year. Notably, a record high of 297 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders are attending the six-day expo. And more than 400 new products, new technologies and new services are unveiled.

Experts believe the large scale of the expo highlighted the global companies’ confidence in the Chinese market and their commitment to further development in China despite the sluggish global economic recovery.

Enormous market

China is willing to open up its enormous market further and will continue to expand market access to sectors including telecommunications, the internet, education, culture and healthcare in an orderly fashion, Premier Li said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 7th CIIE.

The sound fundamentals of the Chinese economy remain unchanged, according to Li, adding that the country’s new growth drivers are fast-growing, with double-digit investment growth in high-tech industries and development booms in emerging industries including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and the green economy.

During a meeting on Monday with select exhibitors and buyers attending the expo, Li said that China is able to sustain steady economic recovery, improve the quality and capacity of its market, and provide more extensive growth space for global businesses in terms of trade, investment and innovation. He added that the Chinese market is still one of the best choices for companies worldwide.

The keen interest from global participants has shown the growing influence of the CIIE and the charm of the Chinese market and also highlighted China’s determination to push forward the building of an open world economy, said Zhao Fujun, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council.

In 2018, China inaugurated the CIIE to build an open platform for international trade cooperation and to support free trade and economic globalization, making it a “golden gateway” to the world’s second-largest consumer market.

This photo taken on Nov. 5, 2024 shows the Tanzania Pavilion during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China’s Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 420 billion U.S. dollars worth of tentative deals were signed at the CIIE’s earlier six editions since 2018. Beyond the event, global companies can reach a larger customer base and make further investments in the country.

Toshinobu Umetsu, president and CEO of Shiseido China, said he is very inspired and encouraged by Premier Li’s emphasis on China’s commitment to continuing high-level opening-up and to sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world.

The Japanese cosmetics giant will continue to strengthen its long-term investment in China. It has never wavered in its confidence and determination to invest in China, as the incredible vitality and resilience of the Chinese market make it a very important international market, Umetsu said.

German healthcare and agribusiness giant Bayer AG is among more than 180 companies and institutions that have attended all seven editions of the CIIE since 2018.

Bayer’s participation at the expo demonstrates its unwavering commitment to this important market, said Bill Anderson, chairman of Bayer AG Management Board.

“International cooperation and economic globalization are important factors in the world’s development. That’s why Bayer is glad to be part of the expo for the seventh consecutive year,” said Anderson.

New opportunities

The CIIE unlocks new opportunities for the world, Bayer said, adding that it will actively leverage this vital platform to continuously unleash its innovative potential while looking forward to forging partnerships with global collaborators.

A visitor learns about a bronchoscope robot at the exhibition area of Intuitive Fosun during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China’s Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Penne Kehl, Asia Pacific Group president of Cargill Agriculture and Trading, expects a very busy schedule at the import expo, including meeting with customers and partners and signing a few important deals and partnerships. U.S. food giant Cargill has participated in CIIE for seven consecutive years.

As its influence grows, the expo is attracting new foreign enterprises over the years. Canadian sportswear giant Lululemon is among the first-time participants.

The Chinese mainland is Lululemon’s largest market outside of North America and is also one of the most dynamic and exciting ones, which is key to driving the company’s international business, said Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase the brand, drive awareness to our growth story and what we have planned for the future,” said McDonald. He added that Lululemon will continue to open more stores in the country, adding to its current 137 stores in 41 cities.

China offers free booths and other support measures to 37 least-developed countries to help them showcase their products at the import expo. It also expanded the exhibition area for African agricultural products.

China has been opening up its market to Africa, enabling transformation on the African continent, said Peter Kagwanja, founder and president of the Africa Policy Institute.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese auto brand unveils 1st off-road model in Egypt

Source: China State Council Information Office

Visitors pose for photos at the launching ceremony of Jetour Auto’s first off-road SUV model T2 in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Jetour Auto, a Chinese auto brand, unveiled its first off-road SUV model, namely T2, on Monday evening.

Under the theme of “Travel Together,” the launching ceremony held by Jetour at the Saladin Citadel, one of the most famous landmarks in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, attracted more than 600 guests from Egypt and China, including auto dealers, auto experts, internet influencers, and media representatives.

“T2 is our first off-road model launched in Egypt … After its debut in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the Middle East in the first quarter of 2024, it rapidly became the best-selling boxy SUV in the region,” said Yuan Anguo, vice president of Jetour International Marketing Company.

According to the Chinese auto brand established in 2018, Jetour’s cumulative sales have now exceeded 1.22 million worldwide.

In the first three quarters of 2024, a total of 4.312 million complete vehicles were exported from China to markets worldwide, a year-on-year increase of 27.3 percent, showed the latest data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Tourism, culture help cement China-Tanzania ties: officials

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 5 — Senior officials from the Chinese and Tanzanian governments have identified tourism and culture as two factors that helped cement ties between the two countries.

A closing ceremony of the 2024 China-Tanzania Tourism and Culture Year and celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries was held in the port city of Dar es Salaam Monday night.

Speaking at the event, the officials observed that tourism and culture not only helped stimulate economic development but also promoted people-to-people exchanges and understanding between the two countries.

Lu Yingchuan, vice minister of culture and tourism in China, said cooperation between the two countries has reached new heights as more Chinese tourists visit Tanzania.

“From exchanges of art performances, tourism promotions, food tasting, to the creation of artworks and personnel training, an array of diverse and colorful activities triggered a fresh surge of cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between our two countries,” Lu noted.

Chen Mingjian, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, said China and Tanzania have a long history of rich culture and harmonious coexistence in a peaceful atmosphere.

“At the same time, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Tanzania keeps on growing, with more than 54,000 of them visiting Tanzania between January and September this year,” she told the gathering that featured cultural performances from China and Tanzania.

Pindi Chana, Tanzania’s minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, said China-Tanzania relations have continued to develop, with fruitful results in practical cooperation and rich cultural exchanges.

“The development of tourism can not only drive growth and create jobs, but also promote consumption and stabilize confidence,” she told the gathering co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, and Tanzania’s ministries of Natural Resources and Tourism, Culture, Arts and Sports, and Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

The event was preceded by the “Nihao! China” China Tourism Promotion Conference, which was attended by tourism stakeholders from China and Tanzania. At this conference, they explained their experiences in the industry.

The event also saw the relaunch of the film Amazing Tanzania, which was first launched in China in May 2024.

The film starring Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s Zanzibari President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, and Chinese actor Jin Dong has served as a catalyst to attract more tourists from China to visit the East African nation, according to the African country’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Hassan Abbasi.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Orezone Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

All dollar amounts are in USD unless otherwise stated and abbreviation “M” means million.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (“Orezone” or “Company”) reported its operational and financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. The Company will host a conference call and webcast on November 6, 2024 commencing at 8:00am PT to discuss its quarterly and year-to-date performance, and outlook for the remainder of the year, including commentary on the progress of its Phase II hard rock expansion and early success on its multi-year, discovery-focus drilling campaign. Call access and webcast details are provided at the end of this press release.

Patrick Downey, President and CEO, commented, “The third quarter provided a number of positive developments for our Bomboré Mine. Operationally, mining access was opened up in the Siga pits and grid power returned to normalized levels, both of which will ensure ongoing improved gold production and costs in Q4-2024. We generated solid free cash flow during the quarter and continued to pay down debt and advance the Phase II hard rock expansion which will set the path for Bomboré to increase annual gold production by 50% within the next 12 months. We also commenced our multi-year exploration program with the first two diamond drill holes from the current campaign returning robust results, with broad and above-average grade mineralization to 240 metres below the current pit limit, validating our belief that with further targeted drilling, Bomboré can grow into a 7 to 10 million ounce orebody.

With unhedged gold sales at record prices continuing into the fourth quarter, we forecast generation of continued strong operating cashflow that will help support the Phase II expansion construction. The $58M Phase II term loan previously announced with Coris Bank is advancing and is expected to close in the coming weeks.”

2024 THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS AND SIGNIFICANT SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

(All mine site figures on a 100% basis)		Q3-2024	Q3-2023		9M-2024		9M-2023
Operating Performance
Gold production	oz	26,581	30,726		82,244		107,509
Gold sales	oz	27,698	29,167		83,864		105,914
Average realized gold price	$/oz	2,473	1,910		2,280		1,922
Cash costs per gold ounce sold¹	$/oz	1,410	1,152		1,297		936
All-in sustaining costs¹ (“AISC”) per gold ounce sold	$/oz	1,655	1,306		1,519		1,088
Financial Performance
Revenue	$000s	68,652	55,803		191,680		203,911
Earnings from mine operations	$000s	22,340	13,882		72,389		81,042
Net income attributable to shareholders of Orezone¹	$000s	4,984	5,194		25,620		39,134
Net income per common share attributable to shareholders of Orezone¹ Basic Diluted	$ $	0.01 0.01	0.01 0.01		0.07 0.06		0.11 0.11
Adjusted EBITDA¹	$000s	25,756	19,163		72,175		93,334
Adjusted earnings attributable to shareholders of Orezone¹	$000s	7,365	3,588		18,427		39,398
Adjusted earnings per share attributable to shareholders of Orezone¹	$	0.02	0.01		0.05		0.11
Cash and Cash Flow Data
Operating cash flow before changes in working capital	$000s	18,888	16,474		53,876		82,839
Operating cash flow	$000s	24,043	6,978		29,677		66,059
Free cash flow¹	$000s	14,120	(4,024	)	(818	)	35,490
Cash, end of period	$000s	66,900	27,711		66,900		27,711

¹ Cash costs, AISC, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted earnings, Adjusted earnings per share, and Free cash flow are non-IFRS measures. See “Non-IFRS Measures” section below for additional information.

Safety: Continued strong safety performance with 1.31M and 3.68M hours worked without a lost-time injury for Q3-2024 and 9M-2024, respectively.
Liquidity: Free cashflow generation of $14.1M in Q3-2024 despite the continued build-up of VAT receivables and Phase II Expansion capital expenditures in the quarter. Cash stood at $66.9M at September 30, 2024, increases of $55.5M from June 30, 2024 and $47.4M from December 31, 2023, respectively.
Gold Production and Costs: Gold production of 26,581 ounces at an AISC of $1,655/oz as a result of an above-average strip ratio due to mine sequencing, and drawdown of lower-grade stockpiles due to heavy rainfall events restricting pit access during the quarter combined with higher-than-budgeted government royalties from a better realized gold price.
Siga Pits Mining Extension: Mining at Siga East ramped up in Q3-2024 after the relocation of households to the new MV3 resettlement site in June 2024 while mining at Siga South commenced in August 2024. The Q4-2024 mine plan calls for greater mill delivery of higher-grade ore tonnes from the Siga pits as mining productivity and material movement are forecasted to improve with the end of the rainy season and the recent expansion of the contractor mining fleet. Two new heavy-duty excavators and twenty new haul trucks were mobilized to site at the end of October and were placed into service at the start of November. As a result, quarterly gold production is expected to be the highest in Q4-2024 as demonstrated by the production of 12,096 gold ounces in October.
Phase II Hard Rock Expansion (“Phase II Expansion”) Approval: The Company announced on July 10, 2024 that its Board of Directors had approved the Phase II Expansion after securing over $105M in new debt and equity for the construction. On August 8, 2024, the Company completed the issuance of 92,743,855 common shares at a share price of C$0.70 for net proceeds of C$64.8M ($47.3M). Concurrently, the Company is working on closing its XOF 35.0 billion ($58M) senior secured loan (“Phase II Term Loan”) with Coris Bank International (“Coris Bank”) in November 2024. The draft loan agreement with Coris Bank is in final form and the Company is now arranging for intercreditor consents from the convertible debenture holders for this additional senior debt.
Phase II Expansion Early Achievements: Expansion activities are advancing ahead of schedule while committed costs are tracking on budget. The Company has placed over 50% of all packages, including CIL tank platework and 95% of all process equipment, including the purchase of a new, pre-owned 9MW 26’ diameter SAG mill. For site activities, all bulk earthwork is complete, and the laydown area is ready to receive deliveries. Rapid progress on major site contracts such as concrete will see these contracts awarded early, thereby adding further float to the schedule for first gold. For the 9M-2024, the Company has expended $9.8M on both early works and the on-going Phase II Expansion, and expects to expend a further $9M – $12M in Q4-2024 as the Company rapidly advances the expansion towards first gold in Q4-2025.
Multi-year Exploration Campaign Commencement: The Company initiated a 30,000 m, multi-year discovery focused drill program designed to test the broader size and scale of the Bomboré mineralized system with the goal of increasing the Bomboré global resource to 7M to 10M gold ounces. Results from the first two drill holes at the North Zone intercepted mineralization 240 m below the current reserve pit limit, including 1.67 g/t gold over 46.00 m, demonstrating the continuity of the mineralized system at depth, both in terms of grade and overall width (see the Company’s October 10, 2024 news release). Additional drill results from the next round of drilling are set for release before the end of 2024.
Better Grid Power Availability: Availability of grid power normalized in Q3-2024 with the national grid supplying 92% of Bomboré mine’s power needs, up significantly from Q2-2024 when grid power provided only 34% of power consumption.
Debt Reduction: Scheduled principal repayments of XOF 3.0 billion ($5.0M) were made in Q3-2024 on the Company’s Phase I senior loan with Coris Bank.

2024 Guidance for Bomboré Mine

Operating Guidance (100% basis)	Unit	Original 2024 Guidance	Revised 2024 Guidance	9M-2024 Actuals
Gold production	Au oz	110,000 – 125,000	Unchanged		82,244
All-In Sustaining Costs¹²³	$/oz Au sold	$1,300 – $1,375	$1,400 – $1,475	$1,519
Sustaining capital²	$M	$14 – $15	Unchanged	$11.7
Growth capital – non Phase II Expansion²	$M	$16 – $17	Unchanged	$13.2
Growth capital – Phase II Expansion early works²	$M	No guidance provided	$3.6	$3.6
Growth capital – Phase II Expansion²	$M	No guidance provided	$15.0 – $18.0	$6.2

AISC is a non-IFRS measure. See “Non-IFRS Measures” section below for additional information.
Foreign exchange rates used to forecast cost metrics include XOF/USD of 600 and CAD/USD of 1.30.
Government royalties of $160/oz included in original AISC guidance based on an assumed gold price of $2,000 per oz. Government royalties of $200/oz is now estimated in the revised AISC guidance from a better gold price realized.

2024 gold production is expected to be at or above the mid-point of guidance with AISC now guided to fall within $1,400/oz to $1,475/oz, a minor increase to the original guidance, mainly due to the impact of higher power costs from the lack of grid availability in H1-2024 (~$60/oz) and from higher government royalties (~$40/oz) on better realized gold prices.

Sustaining capital for 2024 is expected to reach the low-end of the $14M – $15M guidance range as spending in Q4-2024 will be limited mainly to the ongoing tailings storage facility (“TSF”) expansion (stage 4 lift) and completion of the new on-site explosives magazine.

Growth capital consists of two carryover projects from 2023:

(i) Power connection to Burkina Faso’s national grid (9M-2024 actuals: $1.4M)

The powerline was energized in January 2024, and system commissioning of the new line and substations were completed in March 2024. Remaining equipment and software upgrades to shorten the transfer between the grid and back-up gensets, and to reduce the quantity of reactive power are expected to be implemented by year-end.

(ii) Resettlement Action Plan (“RAP”) – Phases II and III (9M-2024 actuals: $11.8M)

RAP Phases II and III commenced in 2023 and will see the construction of over 2,200 private and public structures in three new resettlement communities (MV3, MV2, and BV2) to help relocate communities occupying areas in the southern half of the Bomboré mining permit.

The Company successfully relocated families to the new MV3 resettlement site in June 2024 and is currently constructing the new MV2 resettlement site with construction progress reaching 85% at the end of Q3-2024. Relocation of households to MV2 and the start of construction works at BV2 are scheduled for in Q4-2024.

RAP spending, including costs for compensation, consultants, relocation allowances, and livelihood restoration programs, is forecasted to remain unchanged at between $15M to $16M for 2024.

BOMBORÉ GOLD MINE (100% BASIS) – OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

		Q3-2024	Q3-2023		9M-2024	9M-2023
Safety
Lost-time injuries frequency rate	per 1M hrs	0.00	0.00		0.00	0.00
Personnel-hours worked	000s hours	1,308	1,128		3,680	3,093
Mining Physicals
Ore tonnes mined	tonnes	1,457,631	2,231,360		5,826,711	6,364,169
Waste tonnes mined	tonnes	2,690,759	2,654,010		9,265,615	8,188,409
Total tonnes mined	tonnes	4,148,390	4,885,370		15,092,326	14,552,578
Strip ratio	waste:ore	1.85	1.19		1.59	1.29
Processing Physicals
Ore tonnes milled	tonnes	1,491,740	1,453,541		4,275,755	4,299,394
Head grade milled	Au g/t	0.64	0.74		0.68	0.86
Recovery rate	%	87.4	88.8		87.8	90.9
Gold produced	Au oz	26,581	30,726		82,244	107,509
Unit Cash Cost
Mining cost per tonne	$/tonne	3.76	3.19		3.49	2.99
Mining cost per ore tonne processed	$/tonne	9.58	7.79		8.85	6.93
Processing cost	$/tonne	7.94	9.80		8.77	9.90
Site general and admin (“G&A”) cost	$/tonne	3.77	3.98		3.84	3.64
Cash cost per ore tonne processed	$/tonne	21.29	21.57		21.46	20.47
Cash Costs and AISC Details
Mining cost (net of stockpile movements)	$000s	14,295	11,319		37,834	29,786
Processing cost	$000s	11,846	14,238		37,486	42,566
Site G&A cost	$000s	5,617	5,787		16,405	15,671
Refining and transport cost	$000s	51	66		304	378
Government royalty cost	$000s	5,500	3,503		15,227	12,345
Gold inventory movements	$000s	1,748	(1,303	)	1,539	(1,584	)
Cash costs¹on a sales basis	$000s	39,057	33,610		108,795	99,162
Sustaining capital	$000s	4,453	2,606		11,752	10,444
Sustaining leases	$000s	73	41		219	228
Corporate G&A cost	$000s	2,255	1,837		6,643	5,451
All-In Sustaining Costs¹on a sales basis	$000s	45,838	38,094		127,409	115,285
Gold sold	Au oz	27,698	29,167		83,864	105,914
Cash costs per gold ounce sold¹	$/oz	1,410	1,152		1,297	936
All-In Sustaining Costs per gold ounce sold¹	$/oz	1,655	1,306		1,519	1,088

¹ Non-IFRS measure. See “Non-IFRS Measures” section for additional details.

Bomboré Production Results

Q3-2024 vs Q3-2023

Gold production in Q3-2024 was 26,581 ounces, a decline of 13% from the 30,726 ounces produced in Q3-2023. The lower gold production is attributable to a 14% decrease in head grades and a 2% decrease in plant recoveries, partially offset by a 3% increase in plant throughput. The better head grades in Q3-2023 were from the sequencing of higher-grade pits in earlier periods of the mine plan, and greater ore release from more tonnes mined allowing for the stockpiling of lower-grade ore. Less tonnes were mined in Q3-2024 due to lower contractor equipment availability and heavier-than-average rainfall events combined with mining rates in Q3-2023 benefiting from the deployment of a second mining contractor. Pre-stripping activities at the Siga pits increased the strip ratio (1.85 vs 1.19) in Q3-2024, leading to the temporary drawdown of lower grade stockpiles to maintain mill throughput in August 2024. Plant recoveries for Q3-2024 were marginally lower from the greater blend of transition ore in the mill feed as mining deepens in certain pits. The presence of transition ore results in slightly lower metallurgical recoveries and additional plant maintenance due to the harder nature of the ore. Plant throughput increased in Q3-2024 as the Company successfully improved hourly plant throughput by increasing mill power draw and reducing residence time in the CIL circuit without a noticeable effect of recovery rates. Plant throughput was further impacted in Q3-2024 by a ball mill reline performed at the end the quarter (no comparable mill reline in Q3-2023). This mill reline was brought forward from Q4-2024 to ensure maximum mill availability during Q4-2024 when higher-grade ore from the SIGA pits is mined.

Plant throughput, head grades, and recoveries in Q4-2024 are expected to improve quarter-over-quarter as mining ramps up at Siga East and Siga South for the full quarter, with more contribution of higher-grade, softer ore to the mill feed, and from the completion of all scheduled major plant maintenance in earlier periods of the year.

9M-2024 vs 9M-2023

Gold production in 9M-2024 was 82,244 ounces, a decline of 24% from the 107,509 ounces produced in 9M-2023. The lower gold production is attributable to a 20% decrease in head grades, a 3% decrease in plant recoveries, and a 1% decrease in plant throughput. Head grades were higher in 9M-2023 as a result of processing high-grade stockpiles accumulated during the Phase I construction, which were fully depleted by June 2023, and from the sequencing of higher-grade pits in earlier periods of the mine plan. Plant recoveries were lower in 9M-2024 mainly from a greater blend of transition ore. Plant throughput was marginally lower in 9M-2024 due to plant downtime in Q2-2024 caused by frequent grid blackouts and power dips, and time lost to switch to back-up gensets. Grid availability returned to normal levels beginning in July 2024 and with steady grid power, plant throughput is expected to reach a quarterly record in Q4-2024.

Bomboré Operating Costs

Q3-2024 vs Q3-2023

AISC per gold ounce sold in Q3-2024 was $1,655, a 27% increase from $1,306 per ounce sold in Q3-2023. The higher AISC is primarily the result of: (a) a 14% decline in Q3-2024 gold production as explained above; (b) greater per ounce royalty costs from new royalty rates that took effect in October 2023, coupled with a 29% higher realized selling price ($2,473/oz vs $1,910/oz); and (c) increased unit mining costs with deeper pits, drill-and-blast associated with harder transition ore mined, and higher strip ratio, partially offset by a reduction in power costs from the utilization of lower-cost grid energy.

Cash cost per ore tonne processed in Q3-2024 was $21.29 per tonne, a decrease of 1% from $21.57 per tonne in Q3-2023 mainly from the use of lower-cost grid power in Processing ($7.94/tonne vs $9.80/tonne) and lower site G&A costs ($3.77/tonne vs $3.98/tonne) from tight spending control, partially offset by a 23% increase ($9.58/tonne versus $7.79/tonne) in mining costs per ore tonne processed.

Mining costs have increased as lower benches are mined resulting in longer hauls and more transition material that requires some drill-and-blast prior to excavation and greater rehandle prior to feeding into the dump pocket on the ROM pad. In addition, unit costs have increased from a higher strip ratio from the pre-stripping of the Siga pits and the waste pushback to the H1 pit that experienced a minor wall failure in 2023.

Processing costs per ore tonne have benefitted from the introduction of grid power to the Bomboré mine in February 2024 with power cost per tonne dropping to $2.80/tonne in Q3-2024 from $4.94/tonne in Q3-2023, a decrease of $2.14/tonne. Further savings in power costs were offset by a greater blend of transition ore requiring higher per tonne consumption of power and from the rental and use of back-up diesel gensets to supply power when the grid was unavailable. Grid utilization dramatically improved in Q3-2024 at 92% versus 34% in Q2-2024 when issues with the supply system in Ghana and Côte D’Ivoire temporarily reduced the export of power into Burkina Faso. Processing costs in Q3-2024 was also impacted by higher maintenance costs from the ball mill reline.

9M-2024 vs 9M-2023

AISC per gold ounce sold in 9M-2024 was $1,519, a 40% increase from $1,088 per ounce sold in 9M-2023. The higher AISC were due namely for the same reasons as explained in the above section.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

The Company has included certain terms or performance measures commonly used in the mining industry that is not defined under IFRS, including “cash costs”, “AISC”, “EBITDA”, “adjusted EBITDA”, “adjusted earnings”, “adjusted earnings per share”, and “free cash flow”. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company uses such measures to provide additional information and they should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. For a complete description of how the Company calculates such measures and reconciliation of certain measures to IFRS terms, refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 which is incorporated by reference herein.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis are available at www.orezone.com and on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Orezone will host a conference call and audio webcast to discuss 2024 third quarter results on November 6, 2024 at 8:00am PT (11:00am ET).

Webcast
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Time: 8:00 am Pacific time (11:00 am Eastern time)
Please register for the webcast here: Orezone Q3-2024 Conference Call and Webcast

Conference Call

Toll-free in U.S. and Canada: 1-800-715-9871
International callers: +646-307-1963
Event ID: 9776163

QUALIFIED PERSONS
The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Rob Henderson, P. Eng, Vice-President of Technical Services and Mr. Dale Tweed, P. Eng., Vice-President of Engineering, both of whom are Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its 90%-owned flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bomboré mine achieved commercial production on its Phase I oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now proceeding with its staged Phase II hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets, and M&A.  

The technical report entitled Bomboré Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company’s website.

Patrick Downey
President and Chief Executive Officer

Vanessa Pickering
Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663
info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com

For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945-8977 or visit the Company’s website at www.orezone.com.

The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that constitutes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “possible” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will”, “could”, or “should” occur, and include, amongst other statements, the Phase II hard rock expansion setting the path for Bomboré to increase annual gold production by 50% within the next 12 months and that Bomboré can grow into a 7 to 10 million ounce orebody.

All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, terrorist or other violent attacks, the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel, the spread of diseases, epidemics and pandemics diseases, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent annual information form and management’s discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+ on www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to the Company’s ability to carry on current and future operations, including: development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Company’s ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry.

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025

Category: Africa

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