NewzIntel.com

Category: Africa

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Speech: PM speech in Birmingham: 28 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a speech in Birmingham.

    Location:
    Birmingham
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    It’s always great to be here in Birmingham. A city that is at the heart, not just of our country but also – our plans for growth – as we announced two weeks ago £500m worth of new investment in battery storage will create the jobs of the future right here. And that’s a snapshot of the Britain we are building this week and beyond. 

    Our economy – stabilised. 

    The foundations – fixed. 

    Hope in the future – restored.  

    Another step taken on the long, difficult, but resolute path that we will walk.

    Towards a Britain returned to the service of working people.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street – the day after the election that this would be a government for the working people of this country. 

    That, when the cameras stopped rolling. When that black door closed. We would carry their hopes and aspirations with us. 

    That the basic, completely reasonable desire to want a better future for your family. That would become the driving purpose of this Government. 

    Now, I will never stand here and tell you to feel better, if you don’t. And I will never ask you to feel grateful for what you should expect as a given.  

    Trust in my project to return Britain to the service of working people can only be earned through actions not words: Change must be felt. 

    But every decision we have made. Every decision that we will make in the future will be made with working people in our minds’ eye. People who have been working harder and harder for years, just to stand still. 

    People doing the right thing maybe still finding a little bit of money to put away. Paying their way – even in the cost-of-living crisis but who feel this country no longer gives them or their children a fair chance. 

    People stuck on an NHS waiting list whose town centre is blighted by anti-social behaviour who can’t afford to buy a place they call home or can’t afford the home they have, because of the mortgage bombshell. 

    And people who feel ignored as their lives, no matter how hard they work slide into greater insecurity. Scared of the postman coming down the path – will it be another bill I can’t afford?

    People like that video, we just watched. [Political content removed]

    I know some people want to have a debate about this and I know there will always be the exception that proves the rule. Welcome to the wonders of a diverse country!  

    But I also know that the working people of this country know exactly who they are and that – they are the golden thread that runs through our agenda. Every single one of our national missions is about delivering for them. 

    And we are getting on with the job. That’s why we reformed planning rules to get Britain building again – restore the dream of home ownership.  

    It’s why we ended junior doctor strikes to lift the pressure on our NHS. Start cutting waiting lists. 

    It’s why we stopped the riots with tough sentences for violent thugs. 

    Launched a Border Security Command to smash the people-smugglers. 

    Switched on Great British Energy to get Putin’s boot off our throat. Make our country more secure. Create good jobs – right across the country. 

    And it’s also why we’ve started the work of changing our economy. Stabilising it. Fixing its foundations. 

    But also – changing how it works for them. An employment bill that will finally make work pay.  That will contribute to growth and raise living standards for working people. A direct response to the cost-of-living crisis, we were elected to tackle for them. Because let me tell you, it is working people who pay the price when their Government fails to deliver economic stability. They’ve had enough of slow growth, stagnant living standards and crumbling public services.

    They know that austerity is no solution. And they’ve seen the chaos when politicians let borrowing get out of control.

    We choose a different path. Honest, responsible, long-term decisions in the interests of working people.

    Because it’s stability that means we can invest. And reform that will maximise that investment. £63 billion worth of investment secured from business two weeks ago – a record-breaking show of confidence in our plan for growth.  

    That’s investment that will create tens of thousands of jobs. Good jobs – in every corner of the country. 

    I know some people will recoil when we say we have to take the tough decisions needed to fix the foundations. 

    This doesn’t happen by accident it’s because business can see we are fixing the foundations. Everyone who finds damp in their house – know they have a decision. Paint over it or strip it out, pull off the plaster, deal with it once and for all. 

    So, I will defend our tough decisions all day long.

    It’s the right thing for our country. The only way you get the investment we need. Stability. Investment. Reform.

    That is how we fix the NHS, rebuild Britain, and protect the payslips of working people, delivering on our mandate of change.  

    That’s what the Budget this week will be about.  It’s what every week of this Government will be about. 

    A Budget for working people, from a government for working people. Because returning Britain to their service, that’s our fundamental cause – and it never changes. 

    It will also be the first budget delivered by a woman – ever. That is a moment of pride. That is a moment of pride. When Rachel Reeves stands up – she will be making history – young women and girls will watching across the country. They will look up – and they will notice.   

    It will also be a Budget which will show to the British people that we won’t be distracted from our task.  

    We will stick to our long-term plan.  Run towards the tough decisions, rip-off the short-term sticking plasters, so we can lead our country finally but decisively out of this ‘pay-more, get less’ doom-loop [political content removed].

    Of course there will still be tough decisions. Rebuilding Britain and delivering growth, that will take the skills and effort of all of us. 

    That is why this Budget will also Get Britain Working. It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, make sure – that those who can work, do work. 

    [Political content removed] we will always help those who cannot support themselves, but the UK is the only G7 country where economic inactivity is still higher than it was before Covid.

    That is not just bad for our economy, it’s also bad for all those who are locked out of opportunity. So the Chancellor will announce £240 million in funding to provide local services that can help people back into work, and the dignity it brings.

    A Britain that works for working people. With all those who can, playing their part.

    We will also be ruthless in clamping down on government waste, just as we will be ruthless on clamping down on tax avoidance, so the British people that every penny counts.

    Every single person in this country had to do that during the cost-of-living crisis and government must be no different. 

    And frankly, when we’re asking broader shoulders to carry a higher burden on tax, that determination to be more productive and efficient in government, that’s the very least their contribution deserves.  

    Look – nobody wants higher taxes, just like nobody wants public spending cuts. But we have to be realistic about where we are as a country. This is not 1997, when the economy was decent but public services were on their knees.  And it’s not 2010, where public services were strong, but the public finances were weak. We have to deal with both sides of that coin.

    These are unprecedented circumstances, but the budget the Chancellor will deliver on Wednesday, will prevent devastating austerity in our public services and prevent a disastrous path for our public finances.

    [Political content removed]  

    And yes – things are worse than we could possibly have expected during the election – the Budget will set that out very clearly. 

    I mean – just look at the state of our prisons last week.

    [Political content removed]

    On Rwanda, asylum hotels, propping up failing train companies [Political content removed] .  An economy riddled with weakness on productivity and investment. A state that needs urgent modernisation to face down the challenge of a volatile world.  

    A country where people don’t just lack faith in politicians to fix any of this but also wonder – whether Britain can. Whether we still have the resources to move forward or whether decline is now an incurable disease.

    [Political content removed]

    I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with this. I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with it. Politics is always a choice. So we won’t hide from our decisions on Wednesday or for that matter, any day. 

    Besides, as I said two weeks ago at our International Investment Summit we have huge assets in this country. Leading positions in the industries of the future:

    Clean energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, the creative industries, a technology sector that is the envy of Europe. A heritage steeped in science, trade and innovation. And values. Values deep in the bones of this nation and which say, to the world – this country is open for business. This country respects diversity and difference under the same flag. 

    We are still the country, known all around the world for our pragmatism and our creativity, the ingenuity and industry of our people and so if we do grasp the nettle on our economy, if we do fix those foundations, stick to those values and deliver the change working people need we won’t just get through this – better days are ahead. 

    Seriously – this is an economic plan that will change long-term British growth for the better. We are tackling the biggest challenges in our economy.  

    Higher investment – we’re dealing with it.

    Planning – we’re reforming it.

    The labour market – we’re getting people back to work, but also making sure work pays. 

    On competition – we’re stripping out the needless regulation that holds back private investment and all of this built on that foundation of economic stability. This is what fixing the foundations means.  

    What delivering change means. Everyone in this country will benefit from this. Everyone can wake up on Thursday and see that a new future is being built. A better future. But I tell you now – what we can’t do. Is waste any more time. 

    Politics is a choice and it’s time to choose a clear path.  

    It’s time to embrace the harsh light of fiscal reality. So we can come together behind a credible, long-term plan.  

    It’s time we ran towards the tough decisions because ignoring them set us on the path of decline. 

    It’s time we ignored the populist chorus of easy answers because we saw what happens if you reject the constraints of economic stability and we’re never going back to that. 

    That is our choice. Stability – to prevent chaos.

    Borrowing that will drive long-term growth.

    Tax rises – to prevent austerity and rebuild public services.

    We choose – to protect working people.

    We choose – to get the NHS back on its feet.

    We choose – to fix the foundations reject decline and rebuild our country with investment. 

    And while I’m sure you understand I can’t get into individual measures before Wednesday. I will say this. 

    If people want to criticise the path we choose – that’s their prerogative. But let them then spell out a different direction. 

    If they think the state has grown too big let them tell working people which public services they would cut. 

    If they think tax rises are unfair let them tell working people which taxes they’d raise instead. 

    If they don’t see our long-term investment in infrastructure as necessary let them explain to working people how they would grow the economy for them. 

    [Political content removed]

    Because I have said it before and I will say it again the time is long overdue for politicians in this country, to level with you, honestly about the trade-offs this country faces. 

    To stop insulting your intelligence with the chicanery of easy answers. Working people know that hard choices are necessary. 

    [Political content removed]

    They lived through the cost-of-living crisis so they know that the things they want from us:

    Protecting their living standards. 

    Rebuilding our nation.

    Fixing our public services.

    They know – that this can only be achieved alongside economic stability. There are no short-cuts. 

    No, what they want to see on Wednesday is a country on a different path. Making different choices. They don’t want to pay the price anymore, in times of crisis because our economic foundations are weak and they don’t want to see the proceeds of growth which could serve their family, their community, their public services – instead – always serving those at the top. 

    They want change and that is what they will get. 

    Because that is the mandate we were elected to deliver and the only path consistent with our driving purpose to return Britain to the service of working people.

    That purpose also runs through the priorities we set out in our manifesto. 

    The national missions which capture the hope working people have for the future of our country. Look – there is a paradox in politics at the moment.  

    All around the world, traditional values. Democratic values. Values that have underpinned the way countries like ours have operated for years. The pragmatism that is part of our identity, it’s under attack. 

    Why? 

    Because people – working people most of all have lost faith it can still deliver for their family. And yet, at the same time, what people want from politics that hasn’t changed. 

    People want a stable economy, they want their country to be safe, their borders secure. Economic security, national security, border security. Those are still the foundations everything rests upon. 

    And then beyond that they want exactly what those national missions promise. 

    A growing economy.

    Safer streets.

    Clean British energy in their home. 

    Opportunities for their children.

    And an NHS that is there when they need it. 

    I know populism preys on the fears people have that these things no longer belong to them.  But I have never felt the right response is to ignore those concerns rather than showing that they can still be delivered. 

    So I am never going to pick just one of these missions – and say that’s everything because every single one of them matters to working people. And for the same reason – I will never turn away from them either. 

    In fact, because I know actions speak louder than words because I expect to be judged by the British people.  

    In the coming weeks, on every mission, we will publish clear ambitions for this Parliament and we will also track our progress against them, so that every single person in this country can see exactly how we measure up to things that matter to them. 

    [Political content removed]

    They want to see us build 1.5m homes, make sure a record number of children start school ready to learn, raise living standards so that there is more cash in their pocket, restore confidence crime will be punished. Guaranteed neighbourhood policing in every community. 

    Make our energy system more secure by harnessing clean British energy, accelerating towards net-zero. 

    And on our NHS, they want us to cut waiting times dramatically and meet the 18-week target – that is still the best benchmark for an NHS that is back on its feet facing the future, once more – a beacon of pride to the world.

    These are my priorities for change and I won’t change course.  

    The budget will light the way and we will use the power of government.

    Stability, investment and reform, partnership across the whole of society, galvanised by clear objectives.

    To deliver on the priorities of the British people.  

    The foundations – fixed.  

    Public services – renewed. 

    A country rebuilt by investment.

    Released from decline.

    Returned once more.

    To the service of working people. 

    Now that is the course we set this week.

    That is the driving purpose of this government.

    That is the change we will deliver.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hannah Simba, Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center

    Language can give people the power to take an active part in their own healthcare, or it can create barriers.

    Effective communication raises awareness about diseases and is key to delivering good care to patients.

    Yet in many African settings, this aspect of care is often overlooked.

    Take cancer, for example. Understanding how cancer is discussed in various languages and cultural contexts is crucial. Better communication about the disease can reduce fear and stigma, improve patient outcomes and promote more informed decision-making.

    Read more: Demon disease, worse than HIV: Soweto women’s views on breast cancer

    The cancer burden in Africa is rising at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world. In a region where around 2,000 languages are spoken, the way cancer is communicated is important.

    I am an epidemiologist and global health researcher who recently coauthored a paper about the way cancer terminology is expressed in African languages.

    The findings suggest that translations of key terms, including “cancer”, “malignant”, “chronic” and “radiotherapy”, commonly conveyed elements of fear and tragedy. And that the words used may contribute to fear, health disparities and barriers to care, and pose communication difficulties for health professionals.

    The results reinforce the need for culturally sensitive cancer terminology. This would improve cancer awareness and communication.

    For cancer patients, the words used to describe their diagnosis and treatment can affect how they perceive their condition, their willingness to seek treatment, and their interaction with healthcare providers.

    A study on cancer terminology

    Our study investigated translations of cancer-related terms from various African languages and explored their cultural significance. We surveyed 107 healthcare professionals, community health workers and researchers from 32 African countries, representing 44 languages.

    Participants were asked to provide translations of 16 common medical terms in their local languages and explain what those terms meant. These were terms like “cancer”, “radiotherapy”, “metastasis” and “survival”.

    Results revealed a diversity of terminology and translations. Many local terms contained linguistic references that reflected cultural and social contexts.

    Fear and stigma

    The findings uncovered a striking pattern: many cancer-related terms carried deeply negative connotations. Often they were associated with fear, tragedy and incurability. Some translations even had malevolent spiritual meanings.

    The term “cancer” is often associated with weightiness. It creates a feeling of being overwhelming, unbeatable and frequently final.

    Terms like “malignant” and “chronic” carry similar weight, frequently coming with ideas of hopelessness and fatality.

    Cancer in different African languages.

    What if the treatment meant to save your life sounded as terrifying as the disease itself?

    One example in our study was the translation of “radiotherapy”. In several languages, the term was associated with burning – being scorched by fire, heat or electricity.

    Such associations can make treatments seem more frightening than they are. They might deter patients from seeking the care they need.

    Rich expressions to draw from

    One fascinating example of how language shapes the understanding of cancer comes from a Ugandan participant. Their translation of “metastasis” (meaning “spread”) in Luganda was ekiziba kyasindika obwana bwayo ahare. This means “the mother mass has sent seedlings into another site”.

    This vivid metaphor, deeply rooted in the local idioms and proverbs, likens the spread of cancer to the dispersal of seedlings from a central plant.

    It shows how African languages can convey complex medical concepts through culturally resonant expressions.

    In other instances cancer was referred to as the “wound with which we will be buried” (translated from Wolof), “forest disease” (translated from Djerma) and “parasitic plant” (translated from Shona).

    These expressions extend beyond literal translation, providing valuable insights into how cultures think of cancer as a powerful and pervasive force in the natural world.

    What next?

    The study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in cancer communication.

    When the language used to describe cancer and its treatments instils fear or perpetuates stigma, it becomes harder for healthcare workers to provide effective care.

    Patients may delay seeking treatment, struggle to understand their condition, or feel hopeless about their prognosis.

    Read more: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world. 5 reads that could save lives

    Efforts to overcome stigmatising language during the early years of the HIV epidemic in Africa can serve as a blueprint for improving cancer communication.

    Initiatives like the Stop TB Partnership’s Tuberculosis Language Guide offer lessons on using non-stigmatising terminology, which could be adapted to oncology.

    Programmes such as the American Cancer Society’s patient education initiatives and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Rays of Hope radiotherapy programme highlight the potential for positive language alternatives and effective translations in African cancer care.

    The language used to communicate about cancer also matters because it can make a difference to health disparities.

    Read more: Breast cancer: why it’s difficult to treat and what new approaches are on the horizon

    Linguists, healthcare professionals and cultural leaders should work together to create new terminologies or adapt existing ones to be more neutral or positive.

    Such efforts could pave the way for more compassionate, effective and culturally aligned healthcare communication across the continent.

    – Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change
    – https://theconversation.com/cancer-care-in-africa-translations-of-key-words-convey-fear-and-need-to-change-241928

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Healing hands: A Sudanese doctor’s account story Oct 23, 2024

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    Dr. Mohamed Bashir has worked in several Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) projects in Sudan, including supervising medical activities at the MSF-supported Umdawanban and Alban Aljadeed hospitals in Khartoum state. He is currently working with MSF in South Sudan, where more than 800,000 Sudanese refugees and returnees have fled over the course of the war. Our teams are providing comprehensive care at several facilities and camps in Twic county and Abyei administrative area. Below, he shares his reflections on the impact of the war in Sudan, and calls for continued attention on the conflict. 

    By Dr. Mohamed Bashir, Sudanese medical staff member with MSF in Warrap state, South Sudan

    Do you remember me? I am Dr. Mohamed Bashir, MSF’s former deputy medical coordinator in Sudan. I once wrote a reflection“  in which I shared my firsthand experience of the civil war—not only as a medical humanitarian but as a Sudanese person.

    I’m still with MSF, but now on an assignment in South Sudan, across the border from home. Although I’m physically far away, the effects of the war are ever-present, pulling me back with every news update as I compare the devastation that I hear of with the global news headlines that seem to barely notice. 

    A family sits at the Abyei transit center, which currently hosts around 200 Sudanese refugees. Due to flooding, the center no longer has access to drinking water, latrines, or showers, as water and sanitation trucks are unable to reach the area.
    South Sudan 2024 © Aurélie Lécrivain/MSF

    Sudan and its suffering people have slipped down the world’s list of priorities—forgotten by the media, neglected by political will, and overlooked by the humanitarian donor institutions that should be putting this catastrophe front and center. I ask myself: What can I do as an individual? My resolve is clear—I will continue to support those crushed by this brutal war. 

    Here in Twic County in South Sudan, many of our patients are South Sudanese returnees who have been displaced twice in about a decade. Thousands of Sudanese refugees have also crossed into different parts of South Sudan, scattered in host communities or crowded into refugee camps.

    “I was in Darfur and had to flee in 2003. My journey took me to Nyala, and now, escaping from there, I’ve arrived here,” said Ahmed, who lives at a UNHCR transit center for Sudanese refugees.
    South Sudan 2023 © Sean Sutton/Panos pictures

    I know this pain

    This war continues to torment us, tearing families apart. Those fleeing Sudan share the same stories of loss, uncertainty, and fading hope for peace. I know this pain too well.

    Internal borders and front lines controlled by warring parties have sliced through a nation where lives are being lost, homes destroyed, and livelihoods wiped out. 

    As for the people—us—we are left alone.

    Sudan and its suffering people have slipped down the world’s list of priorities—forgotten by the media, neglected by political will, and overlooked by the humanitarian donor institutions that should be putting this catastrophe front and center.

    My family escaped Khartoum, among the millions displaced, not once but several times in just 18 months. They left everything behind, with no clear path to survival and little attention from the world. We are still suffering from the disappearance of a relative of mine, a civilian taken from his home by a warring party over 10 months ago. We have no news—no information about his health or whether he will ever be released.

    Even for those who escape the violence or reunite after separation, new challenges arise—floods, disease outbreaks—under a collapsed health care system. Most hospitals lie destroyed. Those that remain functional are marooned without medicine, staff, or resources. This is deliberate deprivation; a cruel tactic of war. 

    Surviving on the bare minimum, people have been left waiting for a miracle, yet more displacement, or even worse: death.

    The MSF-supported Bashair hospital in south Khartoum received over 60 wounded patients and 43 deaths after an explosion in a market on September 10, 2023.

    Do not turn away

    Despite all this, I’m here to share our resilience. As humanitarians—medics, logisticians, and nurses—we do everything we can to support those in need. Every small act matters, and every effort counts.

    This is exactly what I’ve been doing for the past months in Twic as the MSF project medical referent at Mayen Abun County Hospital. The area was already overwhelmed by humanitarian needs, having witnessed previous internal displacement of thousands of South Sudanese uprooted due to inter-communal violence in Agok in 2022. It’s a place where the health system has collapsed, burdened by malaria, hepatitis E, and malnutrition.

    MSF’s work in South Sudan

    MSF continues to collaborate with the South Sudanese Ministry of Health to run surgical and emergency medical activities in the only secondary health care facility in the Abyei Special Administrative Area.

    Due to ongoing inter-communal violence in South Sudan and the toll of the war in Sudan, MSF teams in Abyei and Twic are handling a continuous influx of violence-related surgeries. From January to June 2024, MSF conducted 16,885 emergency consultations and performed 1,914 surgical operations. Of these, 815 patients required care for violent trauma, including gunshot wounds, blast injuries, and stabbings. Despite these efforts, there remains a significant shortage of hospital care in this region, along with limited surgical capacity and operating theater availability.

    The work here provides a window into another dimension of my country’s war. I see firsthand the dire conditions faced by those who forced to flee Sudan. What astonishes me even more is how overlooked this crisis remains—there is so little mainstream knowledge about the displacement of Sudanese people to South Sudan, Chad, and other countries, despite the overwhelming needs of families seeking refuge.

    We live in a time of escalating crises—both manmade and natural. The casualties of today’s wars, in different places and contexts, are almost too tragic to comprehend. 

    Amid all this, I plead with the world: Do not let Sudan slip from your attention. At times, it feels as though no one cares, as if Sudan has been deliberately deprioritized by the global decision makers, pushed aside for other crises. How much longer can we tolerate this inaction?

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hannah Simba, Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center

    Language can give people the power to take an active part in their own healthcare, or it can create barriers.

    Effective communication raises awareness about diseases and is key to delivering good care to patients.

    Yet in many African settings, this aspect of care is often overlooked.

    Take cancer, for example. Understanding how cancer is discussed in various languages and cultural contexts is crucial. Better communication about the disease can reduce fear and stigma, improve patient outcomes and promote more informed decision-making.



    Read more:
    Demon disease, worse than HIV: Soweto women’s views on breast cancer

    The cancer burden in Africa is rising at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world. In a region where around 2,000 languages are spoken, the way cancer is communicated is important.

    I am an epidemiologist and global health researcher who recently coauthored a paper about the way cancer terminology is expressed in African languages.

    The findings suggest that translations of key terms, including “cancer”, “malignant”, “chronic” and “radiotherapy”, commonly conveyed elements of fear and tragedy. And that the words used may contribute to fear, health disparities and barriers to care, and pose communication difficulties for health professionals.

    The results reinforce the need for culturally sensitive cancer terminology. This would improve cancer awareness and communication.

    For cancer patients, the words used to describe their diagnosis and treatment can affect how they perceive their condition, their willingness to seek treatment, and their interaction with healthcare providers.

    A study on cancer terminology

    Our study investigated translations of cancer-related terms from various African languages and explored their cultural significance. We surveyed 107 healthcare professionals, community health workers and researchers from 32 African countries, representing 44 languages.

    Participants were asked to provide translations of 16 common medical terms in their local languages and explain what those terms meant. These were terms like “cancer”, “radiotherapy”, “metastasis” and “survival”.

    Results revealed a diversity of terminology and translations. Many local terms contained linguistic references that reflected cultural and social contexts.

    Fear and stigma

    The findings uncovered a striking pattern: many cancer-related terms carried deeply negative connotations. Often they were associated with fear, tragedy and incurability. Some translations even had malevolent spiritual meanings.

    The term “cancer” is often associated with weightiness. It creates a feeling of being overwhelming, unbeatable and frequently final.

    Terms like “malignant” and “chronic” carry similar weight, frequently coming with ideas of hopelessness and fatality.

    What if the treatment meant to save your life sounded as terrifying as the disease itself?

    One example in our study was the translation of “radiotherapy”. In several languages, the term was associated with burning – being scorched by fire, heat or electricity.

    Such associations can make treatments seem more frightening than they are. They might deter patients from seeking the care they need.

    Rich expressions to draw from

    One fascinating example of how language shapes the understanding of cancer comes from a Ugandan participant. Their translation of “metastasis” (meaning “spread”) in Luganda was ekiziba kyasindika obwana bwayo ahare. This means “the mother mass has sent seedlings into another site”.

    This vivid metaphor, deeply rooted in the local idioms and proverbs, likens the spread of cancer to the dispersal of seedlings from a central plant.

    It shows how African languages can convey complex medical concepts through culturally resonant expressions.

    In other instances cancer was referred to as the “wound with which we will be buried” (translated from Wolof), “forest disease” (translated from Djerma) and “parasitic plant” (translated from Shona).

    These expressions extend beyond literal translation, providing valuable insights into how cultures think of cancer as a powerful and pervasive force in the natural world.

    What next?

    The study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in cancer communication.

    When the language used to describe cancer and its treatments instils fear or perpetuates stigma, it becomes harder for healthcare workers to provide effective care.

    Patients may delay seeking treatment, struggle to understand their condition, or feel hopeless about their prognosis.



    Read more:
    Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world. 5 reads that could save lives

    Efforts to overcome stigmatising language during the early years of the HIV epidemic in Africa can serve as a blueprint for improving cancer communication.

    Initiatives like the Stop TB Partnership’s Tuberculosis Language Guide offer lessons on using non-stigmatising terminology, which could be adapted to oncology.

    Programmes such as the American Cancer Society’s patient education initiatives and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Rays of Hope radiotherapy programme highlight the potential for positive language alternatives and effective translations in African cancer care.

    The language used to communicate about cancer also matters because it can make a difference to health disparities.



    Read more:
    Breast cancer: why it’s difficult to treat and what new approaches are on the horizon

    Linguists, healthcare professionals and cultural leaders should work together to create new terminologies or adapt existing ones to be more neutral or positive.

    Such efforts could pave the way for more compassionate, effective and culturally aligned healthcare communication across the continent.

    Hannah Simba 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. Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change – https://theconversation.com/cancer-care-in-africa-translations-of-key-words-convey-fear-and-need-to-change-241928

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Natasha Robinson, PhD Candidate and research consultant, University of Oxford

    South African Grammy winner Tyla is proud of her Coloured identity. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

    South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

    Her win was celebrated at home. But the 22-year-old sparked controversy in the US by referring to herself as “Coloured”. There, the word is a slur dating back to the Jim Crow era, when state and local laws enforced racial discrimination against African Americans. In South Africa it has a very different meaning – and, by claiming her Coloured identity, Tyla has become an inspiration for many Coloured people who have long felt underrepresented in public life.

    In South Africa, Coloured people are typically understood to be a group that encompasses geographically diverse ancestries. The Coloured community was positioned between white and Black in apartheid’s racial hierarchy of privilege.

    During the 1970s and onwards, in an effort to unify anti-apartheid resistance, activists like Steve Biko sought to collapse any distinctions between oppressed groups. They encouraged anyone who was not white to identify as “Black”.

    In recent years many people have reclaimed the term “Coloured” to discuss their identity and culture. The latest South African census indicated that there are more than 5 million people across the country who identify as Coloured.

    Tyla’s comments are just one example of how “Colouredness” has, in the past few years, found a new voice in South African society. The electoral success of the Patriotic Alliance, which claims to be “born in the heart of the Coloured community”, is another. The highly acclaimed 2023 book Coloured by Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms also brought conversations about Coloured identity to the fore.

    I research the relationship between history and identity in societies that have experienced conflict. I wanted to know how society’s increasingly positive perceptions of the term “Coloured” are playing out in South Africa’s school history curriculum.

    My resulting research presents a worrying picture. The way that Coloured identity is discussed in textbooks and curricula is leading young self-described Coloured people to believe that their history – and therefore their identity – is shameful.

    The research

    My research involved 10 months of ethnographic observation in two predominantly Coloured schools in Cape Town. I also analysed the history curricula and textbooks used in these schools, as well as repeatedly interviewing five grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, and their history teachers from each school to understand their views on apartheid history and racial identity.

    There is no mention of the word “Coloured” in the grade 9 South African curriculum assessment policy statements for History. In contrast, the racial terms “white”, “Black” and “Indian” are mentioned 11, 44, and nine times respectively. In my analysis of the four most commonly used grade 9 history textbooks, Coloured identity is referred to, but infrequently. The Pearson textbook, for example, explains that “when we refer to ‘black’ South Africans in this topic [apartheid], it refers to African people, ‘Coloured’ people and Indian people”. It continues:

    The apartheid government found it hard to define race, especially when it came to what they called ‘Coloured’ people. The word ‘Coloured’ is controversial and possibly insulting, so here we have used it in inverted commas. (2013, p. 175)

    Subsuming Coloured identity into Black identity, and referring to the term “Coloured” as “insulting”, makes it difficult to learn about the lives and contributions of those who identified as Coloured.

    For example, all four textbooks contain photographs of Sophia Williams (later Sophia Williams-De Bruyn) and list her as one of the organisers of the 1956 Women’s March, during which 20,000 women marched to the government buildings to protest against racist laws.

    But all four textbooks fail to mention that Williams was classified in terms of apartheid laws as Coloured, identified as Coloured, was a full-time organiser for the Coloured People’s Congress in Johannesburg, and was assigned by the Coloured People’s Congress to work on issues relating to the 1950 Population Registration Act.

    So a student using these textbooks might learn about Williams – but still believe that Coloured people made no contribution to ending apartheid.

    Shame and lack of interest

    This denial of Coloured identity continued in the schools where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork. Teachers in a school on the Cape Flats – with a student population that overwhelmingly identified as Coloured – still referred to the school as a “Black school” by virtue of its involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle.

    The grade 9 history teacher, for example, taught that “the apartheid government gave us labels”, and that “if we didn’t cooperate [by uniting under a Black identity] then South Africa would be a failure”. This statement positioned the students’ distinct Coloured identity as being in opposition to South Africa’s success.

    When the teacher spoke about anti-apartheid struggle heroes, his students frequently complained that life was better under apartheid, and when he espoused ideas of non-racialism, they shook their heads. All of this suggested that the students were actively resisting South Africa’s founding narrative: that brave South Africans united to overcome the darkness of apartheid, and to found a democratic rainbow nation.

    My interviews with students from this school suggested that they felt no connection to South Africa’s history. When I asked about his family’s experiences during apartheid, Lester (aged 14) replied that “they were just a normal Coloured family. Nothing interesting.”

    In another school, a slim majority of students identified as Coloured. Again, Coloured history was not explicitly taught. Students felt alienated from Coloured history in different ways. Bahir (aged 15), for example, felt shame and discomfort about his Coloured identity. When I asked him whether he wished he could study more Coloured history, he declined:

    I actually wouldn’t want to like hear such a thing as slavery … I don’t actually like to hear that my family was put into that like category or something.

    The only Coloured history Bahir could consider was one of enslavement.

    Deborah (aged 14), meanwhile, suspected that there might be a proud Coloured history of anti-apartheid resistance, but assumed it hadn’t been written yet. She attributed the lack of Coloured pride among her classmates to a lack of historical scholarship.

    If I had a reason for why people do not want to be Coloureds, it’s because they don’t have a status, and they don’t have history that’s jotted down also.

    Catching up

    One thing was clear from my research: the absence of Coloured identity in history curriculum, textbooks, or lesson plans did not stop students from identifying as Coloured. However, they felt confused, ashamed or alienated from their history and South Africa’s history.

    Tyla and others are proudly, loudly defending their right to identify as Coloured. It’s time for South Africa’s history curriculum to catch up.

    Natasha Robinson receives funding from the ESRC and the British Academy.

    – ref. Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel – https://theconversation.com/coloured-south-africans-are-all-but-erased-from-history-textbooks-i-asked-learners-how-that-makes-them-feel-234832

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Natasha Robinson, PhD Candidate and research consultant, University of Oxford

    South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

    Her win was celebrated at home. But the 22-year-old sparked controversy in the US by referring to herself as “Coloured”. There, the word is a slur dating back to the Jim Crow era, when state and local laws enforced racial discrimination against African Americans. In South Africa it has a very different meaning – and, by claiming her Coloured identity, Tyla has become an inspiration for many Coloured people who have long felt underrepresented in public life.

    In South Africa, Coloured people are typically understood to be a group that encompasses geographically diverse ancestries. The Coloured community was positioned between white and Black in apartheid’s racial hierarchy of privilege.

    During the 1970s and onwards, in an effort to unify anti-apartheid resistance, activists like Steve Biko sought to collapse any distinctions between oppressed groups. They encouraged anyone who was not white to identify as “Black”.

    In recent years many people have reclaimed the term “Coloured” to discuss their identity and culture. The latest South African census indicated that there are more than 5 million people across the country who identify as Coloured.

    Tyla’s comments are just one example of how “Colouredness” has, in the past few years, found a new voice in South African society. The electoral success of the Patriotic Alliance, which claims to be “born in the heart of the Coloured community”, is another. The highly acclaimed 2023 book Coloured by Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms also brought conversations about Coloured identity to the fore.

    I research the relationship between history and identity in societies that have experienced conflict. I wanted to know how society’s increasingly positive perceptions of the term “Coloured” are playing out in South Africa’s school history curriculum.

    My resulting research presents a worrying picture. The way that Coloured identity is discussed in textbooks and curricula is leading young self-described Coloured people to believe that their history – and therefore their identity – is shameful.

    The research

    My research involved 10 months of ethnographic observation in two predominantly Coloured schools in Cape Town. I also analysed the history curricula and textbooks used in these schools, as well as repeatedly interviewing five grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, and their history teachers from each school to understand their views on apartheid history and racial identity.

    There is no mention of the word “Coloured” in the grade 9 South African curriculum assessment policy statements for History. In contrast, the racial terms “white”, “Black” and “Indian” are mentioned 11, 44, and nine times respectively. In my analysis of the four most commonly used grade 9 history textbooks, Coloured identity is referred to, but infrequently. The Pearson textbook, for example, explains that “when we refer to ‘black’ South Africans in this topic [apartheid], it refers to African people, ‘Coloured’ people and Indian people”. It continues:

    The apartheid government found it hard to define race, especially when it came to what they called ‘Coloured’ people. The word ‘Coloured’ is controversial and possibly insulting, so here we have used it in inverted commas. (2013, p. 175)

    Subsuming Coloured identity into Black identity, and referring to the term “Coloured” as “insulting”, makes it difficult to learn about the lives and contributions of those who identified as Coloured.

    For example, all four textbooks contain photographs of Sophia Williams (later Sophia Williams-De Bruyn) and list her as one of the organisers of the 1956 Women’s March, during which 20,000 women marched to the government buildings to protest against racist laws.

    But all four textbooks fail to mention that Williams was classified in terms of apartheid laws as Coloured, identified as Coloured, was a full-time organiser for the Coloured People’s Congress in Johannesburg, and was assigned by the Coloured People’s Congress to work on issues relating to the 1950 Population Registration Act.

    So a student using these textbooks might learn about Williams – but still believe that Coloured people made no contribution to ending apartheid.

    Shame and lack of interest

    This denial of Coloured identity continued in the schools where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork. Teachers in a school on the Cape Flats – with a student population that overwhelmingly identified as Coloured – still referred to the school as a “Black school” by virtue of its involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle.

    The grade 9 history teacher, for example, taught that “the apartheid government gave us labels”, and that “if we didn’t cooperate [by uniting under a Black identity] then South Africa would be a failure”. This statement positioned the students’ distinct Coloured identity as being in opposition to South Africa’s success.

    When the teacher spoke about anti-apartheid struggle heroes, his students frequently complained that life was better under apartheid, and when he espoused ideas of non-racialism, they shook their heads. All of this suggested that the students were actively resisting South Africa’s founding narrative: that brave South Africans united to overcome the darkness of apartheid, and to found a democratic rainbow nation.

    My interviews with students from this school suggested that they felt no connection to South Africa’s history. When I asked about his family’s experiences during apartheid, Lester (aged 14) replied that “they were just a normal Coloured family. Nothing interesting.”

    In another school, a slim majority of students identified as Coloured. Again, Coloured history was not explicitly taught. Students felt alienated from Coloured history in different ways. Bahir (aged 15), for example, felt shame and discomfort about his Coloured identity. When I asked him whether he wished he could study more Coloured history, he declined:

    I actually wouldn’t want to like hear such a thing as slavery … I don’t actually like to hear that my family was put into that like category or something.

    The only Coloured history Bahir could consider was one of enslavement.

    Deborah (aged 14), meanwhile, suspected that there might be a proud Coloured history of anti-apartheid resistance, but assumed it hadn’t been written yet. She attributed the lack of Coloured pride among her classmates to a lack of historical scholarship.

    If I had a reason for why people do not want to be Coloureds, it’s because they don’t have a status, and they don’t have history that’s jotted down also.

    Catching up

    One thing was clear from my research: the absence of Coloured identity in history curriculum, textbooks, or lesson plans did not stop students from identifying as Coloured. However, they felt confused, ashamed or alienated from their history and South Africa’s history.

    Tyla and others are proudly, loudly defending their right to identify as Coloured. It’s time for South Africa’s history curriculum to catch up.

    – Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel
    – https://theconversation.com/coloured-south-africans-are-all-but-erased-from-history-textbooks-i-asked-learners-how-that-makes-them-feel-234832

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on Sudan [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    adam President, Excellencies,

    I thank the Council for the opportunity to discuss the utter humanitarian catastrophe engulfing Sudan.

    Eighteen months have passed since brutal fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

    The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now requiring assistance.

    The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults.

    In recent days, we have heard shocking reports of mass killings and sexual violence in villages in Aj Jazirah State in the east of the country. 

    They are also enduring a nightmare of hunger — as more than 750,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity and famine conditions take hold in displacement sites in North Darfur, while millions struggle to feed themselves every day.

    They are confronting a nightmare of disease — with cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and rubella spreading fast.

    A nightmare of collapsed infrastructure — with vital health systems, transportation networks, water and sanitation systems, supply routes and agricultural production grinding to a halt.

    A nightmare of displacement — the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11 million people fleeing since April last year, including nearly 3 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries.

    A nightmare of extreme weather — with nearly 600,000 people affected by heavy rains and floods this summer.

    And Sudan is, once again, rapidly becoming a nightmare of mass ethnic violence, in particular with the dramatic escalation of fighting in El Fasher.  

    Madam President,

    We have consistently appealed to both sides to end the fighting and come to the negotiating table.

    But instead of lowering tensions, they are escalating military action.

    Meanwhile, outside powers are fuelling the fire.

    We face the serious possibility of the conflict igniting regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.  

    Resolution 2736 adopted earlier this year sent a strong signal.

    But we need action on the ground.

    The resolution requested me to make recommendations to protect civilians in Sudan, which I submitted to this Council last week.

    Allow me to outline three key priorities. 

    First — both sides must immediately agree to a cessation of hostilities.

    Such an agreement should be translated into local ceasefires and humanitarian pauses — creating new avenues of dialogue, and laying the ground for a comprehensive ceasefire.

    At the same time, diplomatic efforts must be intensified to finally bring an end to the conflict — including support to implement the commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    My Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is working around the clock with that objective.

    He convened the parties in Geneva to enhance humanitarian access and strengthen the protection of civilians in Sudan.

    And he supported the coordination of mediation initiatives, in collaboration with regional partners — in particular, the African Union’s High-Level Panel.  

    I urge this Council to continue supporting his efforts, and encourage effective engagement with regional partners like the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, and other key ones. 

    And I salute the efforts of the African Union and IGAD towards an inclusive Sudanese political dialogue, which would provide an important platform for civilians — including women — to speak out about the importance of ending the war and lend their voices towards a peaceful and democratic future.

    Which brings me to my second point — civilians must be protected.

    We need this Council’s support to help protect civilians in line with human rights and international humanitarian law — including the parties’ own commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    The parties to the conflict bear the primary responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and come to the negotiation table.

    I am horrified by the Rapid Support Forces’ continued attacks against civilians in El Fasher and surrounding areas, which include displacement sites where famine conditions have been confirmed.

    And I am also horrified by reports of attacks against civilians perpetrated by forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, and by continuing mass civilian casualties due to apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas.

    The perpetrators of serious violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

    And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must have space for documenting what is happening on the ground.

    Civil society and journalists must be able to do their jobs safely, without fear of persecution and attacks.

    The direct or indirect flow of weapons and ammunitions into Sudan, which continue to fuel this conflict, must cease immediately.

    Diverse Sudanese voices, human rights organizations and others have called for stepped up measures — including some form of impartial force — to protect civilians.

    These calls are a reflection of the gravity and urgency of the situation facing civilians in the country.

    At present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a United Nations force to protect civilians in Sudan.

    The Secretariat stands ready to engage with the Council and others on the range of operational modalities that can meaningfully contribute to the reduction in violence and the protection of civilians.

    This may require new approaches that are adapted to the challenging circumstances of the conflict.

    Troisièmement, l’aide humanitaire doit pouvoir être acheminée.

    Malgré les difficultés persistantes en matière d’accès et de financement, l’ONU et ses partenaires ont apporté une aide humanitaire à près de 12 millions de personnes entre janvier et septembre de cette année.

    Cela va de l’eau potable, des systèmes d’assainissement et des abris, aux soins de santé et à l’éducation, en passant par la nutrition d’urgence. 

    Mais c’est loin d’être suffisant.

    Une grande partie des personnes assistées n’ont pu recevoir de l’aide qu’une seule fois.

    Plusieurs régions où les besoins sont les plus urgents restent totalement inaccessibles.
    Il est impératif de garantir un accès humanitaire rapide, sûr et sans entrave par toutes les voies nécessaires – au-delà des frontières et à travers les lignes de conflit.

    La réouverture du poste frontière d’Adré représente une étape importante – et ce poste doit rester ouvert.

    J’exhorte les parties à faire en sorte que davantage d’aide vitale puisse être acheminée vers les zones les plus démunies et par les voies les plus efficaces.

    Nous avons besoin que le personnel humanitaire puisse se déplacer dans tout le pays rapidement et en toute sécurité.

    Et nous avons besoin de fonds.

    Notre appel de fonds pour l’aide humanitaire — à hauteur de 2,7 milliards de dollars — n’est financé qu’à 56 pour cent, et le niveau de financement du Plan régional d’intervention en faveur des réfugiés est encore plus insuffisant.

    J’exhorte les donateurs à accroître leurs contributions et assurer un financement souple.

    Dans le même temps, je rends hommage à l’héroïsme des nombreuses initiatives soudanaises visant à fournir une aide vitale et salvatrice sur le terrain.

    Les plus de 700 salles d’intervention d’urgence au Soudan sont un exemple admirable d’action humanitaire de proximité.

    Par leur engagement, ces femmes et ces hommes nous montrent une autre facette du Soudan – le meilleur de l’humanité, dans un pays qui endure aujourd’hui le pire.

    Leur mobilisation devrait être une source d’inspiration pour nous tous.

    Madame la Présidente,

    Comme je l’ai souligné dans le rapport présenté à ce Conseil, il est temps d’agir – d’agir avec détermination – en faveur de la paix pour le peuple soudanais.

    Je vous remercie.

    ****
    [all-English]

    Madam President, Excellencies,

    I thank the Council for the opportunity to discuss the utter humanitarian catastrophe engulfing Sudan.

    Eighteen months have passed since brutal fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

    The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now requiring assistance.

    The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults.

    In recent days, we have heard shocking reports of mass killings and sexual violence in villages in Aj Jazirah State in the east of the country. 

    They are also enduring a nightmare of hunger — as more than 750,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity and famine conditions take hold in displacement sites in North Darfur, while millions struggle to feed themselves every day.

    They are confronting a nightmare of disease — with cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and rubella spreading fast.

    A nightmare of collapsed infrastructure — with vital health systems, transportation networks, water and sanitation systems, supply routes and agricultural production grinding to a halt.

    A nightmare of displacement — the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11 million people fleeing since April last year, including nearly 3 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries.
    A nightmare of extreme weather — with nearly 600,000 people affected by heavy rains and floods this summer.

    And Sudan is, once again, rapidly becoming a nightmare of mass ethnic violence, in particular with the dramatic escalation of fighting in El Fasher.  

    Madam President,

    We have consistently appealed to both sides to end the fighting and come to the negotiating table.

    But instead of lowering tensions, they are escalating military action.

    Meanwhile, outside powers are fuelling the fire.

    We face the serious possibility of the conflict igniting regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.  

    Resolution 2736 adopted earlier this year sent a strong signal.

    But we need action on the ground.

    The resolution requested me to make recommendations to protect civilians in Sudan, which I submitted to this Council last week.

    Allow me to outline three key priorities. 

    First — both sides must immediately agree to a cessation of hostilities.

    Such an agreement should be translated into local ceasefires and humanitarian pauses — creating new avenues of dialogue, and laying the ground for a comprehensive ceasefire.

    At the same time, diplomatic efforts must be intensified to finally bring an end to the conflict — including support to implement the commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    My Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is working around the clock with that objective.

    He convened the parties in Geneva to enhance humanitarian access and strengthen the protection of civilians in Sudan.

    And he supported the coordination of mediation initiatives, in collaboration with regional partners — in particular, the African Union’s High-Level Panel.  

    I urge this Council to continue supporting his efforts, and encourage effective engagement with regional partners like the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, and other key ones. 

    And I salute the efforts of the African Union and IGAD towards an inclusive Sudanese political dialogue, which would provide an important platform for civilians — including women — to speak out about the importance of ending the war and lend their voices towards a peaceful and democratic future.

    Which brings me to my second point — civilians must be protected.

    We need this Council’s support to help protect civilians in line with human rights and international humanitarian law — including the parties’ own commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    The parties to the conflict bear the primary responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and come to the negotiation table.

    I am horrified by the Rapid Support Forces’ continued attacks against civilians in El Fasher and surrounding areas, which include displacement sites where famine conditions have been confirmed.

    And I am also horrified by reports of attacks against civilians perpetrated by forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, and by continuing mass civilian casualties due to apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas.

    The perpetrators of serious violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

    And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must have space for documenting what is happening on the ground.

    Civil society and journalists must be able to do their jobs safely, without fear of persecution and attacks.

    The direct or indirect flow of weapons and ammunitions into Sudan, which continue to fuel this conflict, must cease immediately.

    Diverse Sudanese voices, human rights organizations and others have called for stepped up measures — including some form of impartial force — to protect civilians.

    These calls are a reflection of the gravity and urgency of the situation facing civilians in the country.

    At present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a United Nations force to protect civilians in Sudan.

    The Secretariat stands ready to engage with the Council and others on the range of operational modalities that can meaningfully contribute to the reduction in violence and the protection of civilians.

    This may require new approaches that are adapted to the challenging circumstances of the conflict.

    Third — humanitarian aid must flow.

    Despite continued access and funding challenges, the United Nations and our partners reached about 12 million people with humanitarian assistance between January and September of this year.

    From water, sanitation and shelter — to health care, education and emergency nutrition.

    But huge gaps remain.

    Many of those reached have been assisted just once.

    Some of the areas of most severe needs remain cut off entirely.

    Rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access must be ensured through all necessary cross-border and cross line routes.

    The re-opening of the border crossing at Adre was an important step — and it must remain open.

    I urge the parties to allow more life-saving aid to flow into areas of greatest need through the most efficient routes. 

    We need humanitarian workers moving around the country rapidly and safely.

    And we need funding.

    Our humanitarian funding appeal of $2.7 billion is only about 56 per cent funded, and coverage of the Regional Refugee Response Plan is even lower.

    I urge donors to step up with additional flexible funding.

    At the same time, I pay tribute to the heroism of the leaders of the many Sudanese-led initiatives providing vital and lifesaving assistance on the ground.

    Sudan’s over 700 Emergency Response Rooms are an inspiring example of grassroots humanitarian action.

    Through their work, they are showing us another side of Sudan — the best of humanity in a country enduring the worst of it.

    We can all draw inspiration from their example.

    Madam President,

    As outlined in my report to this Council, it is time for action — decisive action — for peace for the people of Sudan.

    Thank you.

    *****
    [all-French]

    Madame la Présidente, Excellences,

    Je remercie le Conseil de me donner l’occasion d’évoquer ici la catastrophe humanitaire majeure qui frappe le Soudan.

    Dix-huit mois se sont écoulés depuis que de violents affrontements ont éclaté entre les Forces armées soudanaises et les Forces d’appui rapide.

    Les souffrances s’aggravent de jour en jour, et près de 25 millions de personnes ont aujourd’hui besoin d’aide.

    La population du Soudan est plongée dans le cauchemar de la violence : des milliers de civils ont été tués, et un nombre incalculable d’autres personnes sont victimes d’atrocités sans nom, notamment de viols et d’agressions sexuelles à grande échelle.

    Ces derniers jours, nous avons entendu des informations choquantes faisant état de massacres et de violences sexuelles dans des villages de l’État d’Aj Jazirah, dans l’est du pays. 

    Elle est aussi plongée dans le cauchemar de la faim : plus de 750 000 personnes sont en proie à une insécurité alimentaire catastrophique, et la famine s’installe dans les sites de déplacés du Darfour septentrional, tandis que des millions de personnes luttent chaque jour pour trouver de quoi s’alimenter.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar de la maladie : choléra, paludisme, dengue, rougeole et rubéole se propagent rapidement.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar de l’effondrement des infrastructures : les systèmes de santé essentiels, les réseaux de transport, les systèmes d’assainissement et d’approvisionnement en eau, les filières de ravitaillement et la production agricole sont à l’arrêt.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar des déplacements : nous assistons aujourd’hui à la plus grande crise de déplacement de population au monde, puisque plus de 11 millions de personnes ont fui depuis avril de l’année dernière, dont près de 3 millions ont gagné les pays voisins.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar des conditions météorologiques extrêmes : cet été, près de 600 000 personnes ont été touchées par des pluies torrentielles et des inondations.
    Et une fois encore, le Soudan est en passe de sombrer dans le cauchemar des violences ethniques de masse, notamment dans le contexte de l’escalade tragique des combats à El-Fasher. 

    Madame la Présidente,

    Nous avons appelé maintes fois les deux parties à mettre fin aux hostilités et à s’asseoir à la table des négociations en vue d’apaiser les tensions.

    À l’heure où nous parlons, nous assistons au contraire à une escalade de l’action militaire.

    Dans le même temps, des puissances extérieures jettent de l’huile sur le feu.

    Ce conflit risque fortement de déstabiliser l’ensemble de la région, du Sahel à la mer Rouge en passant par la Corne de l’Afrique. 

    La résolution 2736, adoptée en début d’année, a envoyé un signal fort.

    Il est toutefois nécessaire d’agir sur le terrain.

    Dans cette résolution, le Conseil m’a demandé de formuler des recommandations en faveur de la protection des civils au Soudan, recommandations que je lui ai présentées la semaine dernière.

    Permettez-moi de souligner trois priorités essentielles. 

    Premièrement, les deux parties doivent immédiatement s’entendre sur une cessation des hostilités.

    L’accord qui en résulterait devrait se traduire par des cessez-le-feu locaux et des pauses humanitaires, qui permettraient d’ouvrir de nouvelles pistes de dialogue et de jeter les bases d’un cessez-le-feu global.

    Dans le même temps, les efforts diplomatiques doivent être intensifiés pour, enfin, mettre un terme au conflit – notamment en soutenant la mise en œuvre des engagements pris dans la déclaration de Djeddah.

    Mon Envoyé personnel, Ramtane Lamamra, travaille sans relâche à cette fin.

    Il a réuni les parties à Genève en vue de trouver des moyens d’améliorer l’accès humanitaire et de renforcer la protection des civils au Soudan.

    Il a également participé à la coordination des initiatives de médiation, en collaboration avec les partenaires régionaux, en particulier le Groupe de haut niveau de l’Union africaine. 

    Je demande instamment au Conseil de continuer d’appuyer les travaux de mon Envoyé spécial et d’encourager l’établissement d’un dialogue efficace avec des partenaires régionaux tels que l’Union africaine, l’Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement, la Ligue des États arabes et d’autres acteurs clés. 

    Je salue l’action menée par l’Union africaine et l’IGAD en vue d’instaurer un dialogue politique ouvert à toutes les parties au Soudan, qui offrirait aux populations civiles – y compris aux femmes – une tribune importante pour plaider en faveur de la fin de la guerre et faire entendre leur voix pour un avenir pacifique et démocratique.

    Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point : les civils doivent être protégés.

    Nous avons besoin du soutien de ce Conseil pour protéger les civils, dans le respect des droits humains et du droit international humanitaire et conformément aux engagements que les parties elles-mêmes ont pris dans la Déclaration de Djedda.

    Il incombe au premier chef aux parties au conflit de garantir la protection des civils et de s’asseoir à la table des négociations.

    Je suis horrifié par la poursuite des attaques perpétrées par les Forces d’appui rapide contre des civils à El-Fasher et dans les zones environnantes, où se trouvent des sites de déplacés qui connaissent aujourd’hui une situation de famine.

    Je suis également horrifié par les informations faisant état d’attaques contre les populations civiles commises par des forces affiliées aux Forces armées soudanaises à Khartoum et par les pertes civiles considérables que des frappes aériennes menées semble-t-il sans discrimination continuent de provoquer dans des zones peuplées.

    Les auteurs de violations graves du droit international humanitaire doivent être amenés à répondre de leurs actes.

    Les mécanismes nationaux et internationaux de surveillance et d’enquête en matière de droits humains doivent disposer de l’espace nécessaire pour documenter ce qui se passe sur le terrain.

    La société civile et les journalistes doivent pouvoir faire leur travail en toute sécurité, sans craindre de subir des persécutions ou d’être la cible d’attaques.

    Le flux direct ou indirect d’armes et de munitions vers le Soudan, qui continue d’alimenter ce conflit, doit cesser immédiatement.

    Diverses voix soudanaises, des organisations de défense des droits humains et d’autres acteurs ont appelé à un renforcement des mesures — y compris sous une certaine forme de force impartiale — pour protéger les civils.

    Ces appels reflètent la gravité et l’urgence de la situation à laquelle sont confrontés les civils dans le pays.

    À l’heure actuelle, les conditions ne sont pas réunies pour permettre le déploiement d’une force des Nations unies chargée de protéger les civils au Soudan.

    Le Secrétariat est prêt à engager le dialogue avec le Conseil et d’autres parties sur l’ensemble des modalités opérationnelles qui peuvent contribuer de manière significative à la réduction de la violence et à la protection des civils.

    Cela pourrait nécessiter de nouvelles approches adaptées aux circonstances difficiles du conflit.

    Troisièmement, l’aide humanitaire doit pouvoir être acheminée.

    Malgré les difficultés persistantes en matière d’accès et de financement, l’ONU et ses partenaires ont apporté une aide humanitaire à près de 12 millions de personnes entre janvier et septembre de cette année.

    Cela va de l’eau potable, des systèmes d’assainissement et des abris, aux soins de santé et à l’éducation, en passant par la nutrition d’urgence. 

    Mais c’est loin d’être suffisant.

    Une grande partie des personnes assistées n’ont pu recevoir de l’aide qu’une seule fois.

    Plusieurs régions où les besoins sont les plus urgents restent totalement inaccessibles.

    Il est impératif de garantir un accès humanitaire rapide, sûr et sans entrave par toutes les voies nécessaires – au-delà des frontières et à travers les lignes de conflit.
     
    La réouverture du poste frontière d’Adré représente une étape importante – et ce poste doit rester ouvert.

    J’exhorte les parties à faire en sorte que davantage d’aide vitale puisse être acheminée vers les zones les plus démunies et par les voies les plus efficaces.

    Nous avons besoin que le personnel humanitaire puisse se déplacer dans tout le pays rapidement et en toute sécurité.

    Et nous avons besoin de fonds.

    Notre appel de fonds pour l’aide humanitaire — à hauteur de 2,7 milliards de dollars — n’est financé qu’à 56 pour cent, et le niveau de financement du Plan régional d’intervention en faveur des réfugiés est encore plus insuffisant.

    J’exhorte les donateurs à accroître leurs contributions et assurer un financement souple.

    Dans le même temps, je rends hommage à l’héroïsme des nombreuses initiatives soudanaises visant à fournir une aide vitale et salvatrice sur le terrain.
    Les plus de 700 salles d’intervention d’urgence au Soudan sont un exemple admirable d’action humanitaire de proximité.

    Par leur engagement, ces femmes et ces hommes nous montrent une autre facette du Soudan – le meilleur de l’humanité, dans un pays qui endure aujourd’hui le pire.

    Leur mobilisation devrait être une source d’inspiration pour nous tous.
     
    Madame la Présidente,

    Comme je l’ai souligné dans le rapport présenté à ce Conseil, il est temps d’agir – d’agir avec détermination – en faveur de la paix pour le peuple soudanais.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on Sudan [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    Madam President, Excellencies,

    I thank the Council for the opportunity to discuss the utter humanitarian catastrophe engulfing Sudan.

    Eighteen months have passed since brutal fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

    The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now requiring assistance.

    The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults.

    In recent days, we have heard shocking reports of mass killings and sexual violence in villages in Aj Jazirah State in the east of the country. 

    They are also enduring a nightmare of hunger — as more than 750,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity and famine conditions take hold in displacement sites in North Darfur, while millions struggle to feed themselves every day.

    They are confronting a nightmare of disease — with cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and rubella spreading fast.

    A nightmare of collapsed infrastructure — with vital health systems, transportation networks, water and sanitation systems, supply routes and agricultural production grinding to a halt.

    A nightmare of displacement — the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11 million people fleeing since April last year, including nearly 3 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries.

    A nightmare of extreme weather — with nearly 600,000 people affected by heavy rains and floods this summer.

    And Sudan is, once again, rapidly becoming a nightmare of mass ethnic violence, in particular with the dramatic escalation of fighting in El Fasher.  

    Madam President,

    We have consistently appealed to both sides to end the fighting and come to the negotiating table.

    But instead of lowering tensions, they are escalating military action.

    Meanwhile, outside powers are fuelling the fire.

    We face the serious possibility of the conflict igniting regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.  

    Resolution 2736 adopted earlier this year sent a strong signal.

    But we need action on the ground.

    The resolution requested me to make recommendations to protect civilians in Sudan, which I submitted to this Council last week.

    Allow me to outline three key priorities. 

    First — both sides must immediately agree to a cessation of hostilities.

    Such an agreement should be translated into local ceasefires and humanitarian pauses — creating new avenues of dialogue, and laying the ground for a comprehensive ceasefire.

    At the same time, diplomatic efforts must be intensified to finally bring an end to the conflict — including support to implement the commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    My Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is working around the clock with that objective.

    He convened the parties in Geneva to enhance humanitarian access and strengthen the protection of civilians in Sudan.

    And he supported the coordination of mediation initiatives, in collaboration with regional partners — in particular, the African Union’s High-Level Panel.  

    I urge this Council to continue supporting his efforts, and encourage effective engagement with regional partners like the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, and other key ones. 

    And I salute the efforts of the African Union and IGAD towards an inclusive Sudanese political dialogue, which would provide an important platform for civilians — including women — to speak out about the importance of ending the war and lend their voices towards a peaceful and democratic future.

    Which brings me to my second point — civilians must be protected.

    We need this Council’s support to help protect civilians in line with human rights and international humanitarian law — including the parties’ own commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    The parties to the conflict bear the primary responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and come to the negotiation table.

    I am horrified by the Rapid Support Forces’ continued attacks against civilians in El Fasher and surrounding areas, which include displacement sites where famine conditions have been confirmed.

    And I am also horrified by reports of attacks against civilians perpetrated by forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, and by continuing mass civilian casualties due to apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas.

    The perpetrators of serious violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

    And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must have space for documenting what is happening on the ground.

    Civil society and journalists must be able to do their jobs safely, without fear of persecution and attacks.

    The direct or indirect flow of weapons and ammunitions into Sudan, which continue to fuel this conflict, must cease immediately.

    Diverse Sudanese voices, human rights organizations and others have called for stepped up measures — including some form of impartial force — to protect civilians.

    These calls are a reflection of the gravity and urgency of the situation facing civilians in the country.

    At present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a United Nations force to protect civilians in Sudan.

    The Secretariat stands ready to engage with the Council and others on the range of operational modalities that can meaningfully contribute to the reduction in violence and the protection of civilians.

    This may require new approaches that are adapted to the challenging circumstances of the conflict.

    Troisièmement, l’aide humanitaire doit pouvoir être acheminée.

    Malgré les difficultés persistantes en matière d’accès et de financement, l’ONU et ses partenaires ont apporté une aide humanitaire à près de 12 millions de personnes entre janvier et septembre de cette année.

    Cela va de l’eau potable, des systèmes d’assainissement et des abris, aux soins de santé et à l’éducation, en passant par la nutrition d’urgence. 

    Mais c’est loin d’être suffisant.

    Une grande partie des personnes assistées n’ont pu recevoir de l’aide qu’une seule fois.

    Plusieurs régions où les besoins sont les plus urgents restent totalement inaccessibles.
    Il est impératif de garantir un accès humanitaire rapide, sûr et sans entrave par toutes les voies nécessaires – au-delà des frontières et à travers les lignes de conflit.

    La réouverture du poste frontière d’Adré représente une étape importante – et ce poste doit rester ouvert.

    J’exhorte les parties à faire en sorte que davantage d’aide vitale puisse être acheminée vers les zones les plus démunies et par les voies les plus efficaces.

    Nous avons besoin que le personnel humanitaire puisse se déplacer dans tout le pays rapidement et en toute sécurité.

    Et nous avons besoin de fonds.

    Notre appel de fonds pour l’aide humanitaire — à hauteur de 2,7 milliards de dollars — n’est financé qu’à 56 pour cent, et le niveau de financement du Plan régional d’intervention en faveur des réfugiés est encore plus insuffisant.

    J’exhorte les donateurs à accroître leurs contributions et assurer un financement souple.

    Dans le même temps, je rends hommage à l’héroïsme des nombreuses initiatives soudanaises visant à fournir une aide vitale et salvatrice sur le terrain.

    Les plus de 700 salles d’intervention d’urgence au Soudan sont un exemple admirable d’action humanitaire de proximité.

    Par leur engagement, ces femmes et ces hommes nous montrent une autre facette du Soudan – le meilleur de l’humanité, dans un pays qui endure aujourd’hui le pire.

    Leur mobilisation devrait être une source d’inspiration pour nous tous.

    Madame la Présidente,

    Comme je l’ai souligné dans le rapport présenté à ce Conseil, il est temps d’agir – d’agir avec détermination – en faveur de la paix pour le peuple soudanais.

    Je vous remercie.

    ****
    [all-English]

    Madam President, Excellencies,

    I thank the Council for the opportunity to discuss the utter humanitarian catastrophe engulfing Sudan.

    Eighteen months have passed since brutal fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

    The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now requiring assistance.

    The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults.

    In recent days, we have heard shocking reports of mass killings and sexual violence in villages in Aj Jazirah State in the east of the country. 

    They are also enduring a nightmare of hunger — as more than 750,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity and famine conditions take hold in displacement sites in North Darfur, while millions struggle to feed themselves every day.

    They are confronting a nightmare of disease — with cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and rubella spreading fast.

    A nightmare of collapsed infrastructure — with vital health systems, transportation networks, water and sanitation systems, supply routes and agricultural production grinding to a halt.

    A nightmare of displacement — the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11 million people fleeing since April last year, including nearly 3 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries.
    A nightmare of extreme weather — with nearly 600,000 people affected by heavy rains and floods this summer.

    And Sudan is, once again, rapidly becoming a nightmare of mass ethnic violence, in particular with the dramatic escalation of fighting in El Fasher.  

    Madam President,

    We have consistently appealed to both sides to end the fighting and come to the negotiating table.

    But instead of lowering tensions, they are escalating military action.

    Meanwhile, outside powers are fuelling the fire.

    We face the serious possibility of the conflict igniting regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.  

    Resolution 2736 adopted earlier this year sent a strong signal.

    But we need action on the ground.

    The resolution requested me to make recommendations to protect civilians in Sudan, which I submitted to this Council last week.

    Allow me to outline three key priorities. 

    First — both sides must immediately agree to a cessation of hostilities.

    Such an agreement should be translated into local ceasefires and humanitarian pauses — creating new avenues of dialogue, and laying the ground for a comprehensive ceasefire.

    At the same time, diplomatic efforts must be intensified to finally bring an end to the conflict — including support to implement the commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    My Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is working around the clock with that objective.

    He convened the parties in Geneva to enhance humanitarian access and strengthen the protection of civilians in Sudan.

    And he supported the coordination of mediation initiatives, in collaboration with regional partners — in particular, the African Union’s High-Level Panel.  

    I urge this Council to continue supporting his efforts, and encourage effective engagement with regional partners like the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, and other key ones. 

    And I salute the efforts of the African Union and IGAD towards an inclusive Sudanese political dialogue, which would provide an important platform for civilians — including women — to speak out about the importance of ending the war and lend their voices towards a peaceful and democratic future.

    Which brings me to my second point — civilians must be protected.

    We need this Council’s support to help protect civilians in line with human rights and international humanitarian law — including the parties’ own commitments in the Jeddah Declaration.

    The parties to the conflict bear the primary responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and come to the negotiation table.

    I am horrified by the Rapid Support Forces’ continued attacks against civilians in El Fasher and surrounding areas, which include displacement sites where famine conditions have been confirmed.

    And I am also horrified by reports of attacks against civilians perpetrated by forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, and by continuing mass civilian casualties due to apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas.

    The perpetrators of serious violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

    And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must have space for documenting what is happening on the ground.

    Civil society and journalists must be able to do their jobs safely, without fear of persecution and attacks.

    The direct or indirect flow of weapons and ammunitions into Sudan, which continue to fuel this conflict, must cease immediately.

    Diverse Sudanese voices, human rights organizations and others have called for stepped up measures — including some form of impartial force — to protect civilians.

    These calls are a reflection of the gravity and urgency of the situation facing civilians in the country.

    At present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a United Nations force to protect civilians in Sudan.

    The Secretariat stands ready to engage with the Council and others on the range of operational modalities that can meaningfully contribute to the reduction in violence and the protection of civilians.

    This may require new approaches that are adapted to the challenging circumstances of the conflict.

    Third — humanitarian aid must flow.

    Despite continued access and funding challenges, the United Nations and our partners reached about 12 million people with humanitarian assistance between January and September of this year.

    From water, sanitation and shelter — to health care, education and emergency nutrition.

    But huge gaps remain.

    Many of those reached have been assisted just once.

    Some of the areas of most severe needs remain cut off entirely.

    Rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access must be ensured through all necessary cross-border and cross line routes.

    The re-opening of the border crossing at Adre was an important step — and it must remain open.

    I urge the parties to allow more life-saving aid to flow into areas of greatest need through the most efficient routes. 

    We need humanitarian workers moving around the country rapidly and safely.

    And we need funding.

    Our humanitarian funding appeal of $2.7 billion is only about 56 per cent funded, and coverage of the Regional Refugee Response Plan is even lower.

    I urge donors to step up with additional flexible funding.

    At the same time, I pay tribute to the heroism of the leaders of the many Sudanese-led initiatives providing vital and lifesaving assistance on the ground.

    Sudan’s over 700 Emergency Response Rooms are an inspiring example of grassroots humanitarian action.

    Through their work, they are showing us another side of Sudan — the best of humanity in a country enduring the worst of it.

    We can all draw inspiration from their example.

    Madam President,

    As outlined in my report to this Council, it is time for action — decisive action — for peace for the people of Sudan.

    Thank you.

    *****
    [all-French]

    Madame la Présidente, Excellences,

    Je remercie le Conseil de me donner l’occasion d’évoquer ici la catastrophe humanitaire majeure qui frappe le Soudan.

    Dix-huit mois se sont écoulés depuis que de violents affrontements ont éclaté entre les Forces armées soudanaises et les Forces d’appui rapide.

    Les souffrances s’aggravent de jour en jour, et près de 25 millions de personnes ont aujourd’hui besoin d’aide.

    La population du Soudan est plongée dans le cauchemar de la violence : des milliers de civils ont été tués, et un nombre incalculable d’autres personnes sont victimes d’atrocités sans nom, notamment de viols et d’agressions sexuelles à grande échelle.

    Ces derniers jours, nous avons entendu des informations choquantes faisant état de massacres et de violences sexuelles dans des villages de l’État d’Aj Jazirah, dans l’est du pays. 

    Elle est aussi plongée dans le cauchemar de la faim : plus de 750 000 personnes sont en proie à une insécurité alimentaire catastrophique, et la famine s’installe dans les sites de déplacés du Darfour septentrional, tandis que des millions de personnes luttent chaque jour pour trouver de quoi s’alimenter.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar de la maladie : choléra, paludisme, dengue, rougeole et rubéole se propagent rapidement.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar de l’effondrement des infrastructures : les systèmes de santé essentiels, les réseaux de transport, les systèmes d’assainissement et d’approvisionnement en eau, les filières de ravitaillement et la production agricole sont à l’arrêt.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar des déplacements : nous assistons aujourd’hui à la plus grande crise de déplacement de population au monde, puisque plus de 11 millions de personnes ont fui depuis avril de l’année dernière, dont près de 3 millions ont gagné les pays voisins.

    Elle est plongée dans le cauchemar des conditions météorologiques extrêmes : cet été, près de 600 000 personnes ont été touchées par des pluies torrentielles et des inondations.
    Et une fois encore, le Soudan est en passe de sombrer dans le cauchemar des violences ethniques de masse, notamment dans le contexte de l’escalade tragique des combats à El-Fasher. 

    Madame la Présidente,

    Nous avons appelé maintes fois les deux parties à mettre fin aux hostilités et à s’asseoir à la table des négociations en vue d’apaiser les tensions.

    À l’heure où nous parlons, nous assistons au contraire à une escalade de l’action militaire.

    Dans le même temps, des puissances extérieures jettent de l’huile sur le feu.

    Ce conflit risque fortement de déstabiliser l’ensemble de la région, du Sahel à la mer Rouge en passant par la Corne de l’Afrique. 

    La résolution 2736, adoptée en début d’année, a envoyé un signal fort.

    Il est toutefois nécessaire d’agir sur le terrain.

    Dans cette résolution, le Conseil m’a demandé de formuler des recommandations en faveur de la protection des civils au Soudan, recommandations que je lui ai présentées la semaine dernière.

    Permettez-moi de souligner trois priorités essentielles. 

    Premièrement, les deux parties doivent immédiatement s’entendre sur une cessation des hostilités.

    L’accord qui en résulterait devrait se traduire par des cessez-le-feu locaux et des pauses humanitaires, qui permettraient d’ouvrir de nouvelles pistes de dialogue et de jeter les bases d’un cessez-le-feu global.

    Dans le même temps, les efforts diplomatiques doivent être intensifiés pour, enfin, mettre un terme au conflit – notamment en soutenant la mise en œuvre des engagements pris dans la déclaration de Djeddah.

    Mon Envoyé personnel, Ramtane Lamamra, travaille sans relâche à cette fin.

    Il a réuni les parties à Genève en vue de trouver des moyens d’améliorer l’accès humanitaire et de renforcer la protection des civils au Soudan.

    Il a également participé à la coordination des initiatives de médiation, en collaboration avec les partenaires régionaux, en particulier le Groupe de haut niveau de l’Union africaine. 

    Je demande instamment au Conseil de continuer d’appuyer les travaux de mon Envoyé spécial et d’encourager l’établissement d’un dialogue efficace avec des partenaires régionaux tels que l’Union africaine, l’Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement, la Ligue des États arabes et d’autres acteurs clés. 

    Je salue l’action menée par l’Union africaine et l’IGAD en vue d’instaurer un dialogue politique ouvert à toutes les parties au Soudan, qui offrirait aux populations civiles – y compris aux femmes – une tribune importante pour plaider en faveur de la fin de la guerre et faire entendre leur voix pour un avenir pacifique et démocratique.

    Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point : les civils doivent être protégés.

    Nous avons besoin du soutien de ce Conseil pour protéger les civils, dans le respect des droits humains et du droit international humanitaire et conformément aux engagements que les parties elles-mêmes ont pris dans la Déclaration de Djedda.

    Il incombe au premier chef aux parties au conflit de garantir la protection des civils et de s’asseoir à la table des négociations.

    Je suis horrifié par la poursuite des attaques perpétrées par les Forces d’appui rapide contre des civils à El-Fasher et dans les zones environnantes, où se trouvent des sites de déplacés qui connaissent aujourd’hui une situation de famine.

    Je suis également horrifié par les informations faisant état d’attaques contre les populations civiles commises par des forces affiliées aux Forces armées soudanaises à Khartoum et par les pertes civiles considérables que des frappes aériennes menées semble-t-il sans discrimination continuent de provoquer dans des zones peuplées.

    Les auteurs de violations graves du droit international humanitaire doivent être amenés à répondre de leurs actes.

    Les mécanismes nationaux et internationaux de surveillance et d’enquête en matière de droits humains doivent disposer de l’espace nécessaire pour documenter ce qui se passe sur le terrain.

    La société civile et les journalistes doivent pouvoir faire leur travail en toute sécurité, sans craindre de subir des persécutions ou d’être la cible d’attaques.

    Le flux direct ou indirect d’armes et de munitions vers le Soudan, qui continue d’alimenter ce conflit, doit cesser immédiatement.

    Diverses voix soudanaises, des organisations de défense des droits humains et d’autres acteurs ont appelé à un renforcement des mesures — y compris sous une certaine forme de force impartiale — pour protéger les civils.

    Ces appels reflètent la gravité et l’urgence de la situation à laquelle sont confrontés les civils dans le pays.

    À l’heure actuelle, les conditions ne sont pas réunies pour permettre le déploiement d’une force des Nations unies chargée de protéger les civils au Soudan.

    Le Secrétariat est prêt à engager le dialogue avec le Conseil et d’autres parties sur l’ensemble des modalités opérationnelles qui peuvent contribuer de manière significative à la réduction de la violence et à la protection des civils.

    Cela pourrait nécessiter de nouvelles approches adaptées aux circonstances difficiles du conflit.

    Troisièmement, l’aide humanitaire doit pouvoir être acheminée.

    Malgré les difficultés persistantes en matière d’accès et de financement, l’ONU et ses partenaires ont apporté une aide humanitaire à près de 12 millions de personnes entre janvier et septembre de cette année.

    Cela va de l’eau potable, des systèmes d’assainissement et des abris, aux soins de santé et à l’éducation, en passant par la nutrition d’urgence. 

    Mais c’est loin d’être suffisant.

    Une grande partie des personnes assistées n’ont pu recevoir de l’aide qu’une seule fois.

    Plusieurs régions où les besoins sont les plus urgents restent totalement inaccessibles.

    Il est impératif de garantir un accès humanitaire rapide, sûr et sans entrave par toutes les voies nécessaires – au-delà des frontières et à travers les lignes de conflit.
     
    La réouverture du poste frontière d’Adré représente une étape importante – et ce poste doit rester ouvert.

    J’exhorte les parties à faire en sorte que davantage d’aide vitale puisse être acheminée vers les zones les plus démunies et par les voies les plus efficaces.

    Nous avons besoin que le personnel humanitaire puisse se déplacer dans tout le pays rapidement et en toute sécurité.

    Et nous avons besoin de fonds.

    Notre appel de fonds pour l’aide humanitaire — à hauteur de 2,7 milliards de dollars — n’est financé qu’à 56 pour cent, et le niveau de financement du Plan régional d’intervention en faveur des réfugiés est encore plus insuffisant.

    J’exhorte les donateurs à accroître leurs contributions et assurer un financement souple.

    Dans le même temps, je rends hommage à l’héroïsme des nombreuses initiatives soudanaises visant à fournir une aide vitale et salvatrice sur le terrain.
    Les plus de 700 salles d’intervention d’urgence au Soudan sont un exemple admirable d’action humanitaire de proximité.

    Par leur engagement, ces femmes et ces hommes nous montrent une autre facette du Soudan – le meilleur de l’humanité, dans un pays qui endure aujourd’hui le pire.

    Leur mobilisation devrait être une source d’inspiration pour nous tous.
     
    Madame la Présidente,

    Comme je l’ai souligné dans le rapport présenté à ce Conseil, il est temps d’agir – d’agir avec détermination – en faveur de la paix pour le peuple soudanais.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reports of indiscriminate attacks on Sudanese civilians in Al Jazirah state are appalling: 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 Sudan.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    I thank the Secretary-General and Ms Eltigani for briefing us today as we pass the harrowing milestone of eighteen months of brutal conflict in Sudan.

    I will make three points on behalf of the UK.

    First, we welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendations for the protection of civilians in Sudan. Both warring parties made commitments at Jeddah to limit the conflict’s impact on civilians. 

    And yet only this past weekend, we have had further appalling reports of major attacks in Al Jazirah State resulting in over 100 civilian deaths, with the Rapid Support Forces allegedly shooting at civilians indiscriminately, raping women and girls, and looting and destroying homes.

    Meanwhile, aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Armed Forces are causing large-scale destruction and civilian deaths across the country.

    Alleviating the plight of Sudanese civilians is critical, and we hope the Council can come together in the coming weeks to agree further steps supporting the implementation of these recommendations from the Secretary-General.

    Second, as we’ve heard today, the humanitarian crisis continues. With famine in Darfur and cholera spreading across the country, millions are at risk of an early, preventable death.

    And yet bureaucratic obstructions continue. Expelling UN staff and restricting the movements of humanitarian missions, are just a few damning examples of how life-saving assistance is being systematically blocked from reaching those in need.

    We urge the Sudanese authorities to permanently open the Adre border crossing.

    We reiterate our clear calls to both warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and facilitate cross-border and crossline access, across multiple entry points.

    Third President, we call on the warring parties to engage meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives–including the efforts of Personal Envoy Lamamra–towards a national ceasefire.

    We also call on the SAF and RSF to agree modalities for monitoring compliance with their commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. Civil society and women’s participation is also vital for peace efforts to be fully effective.

    In conclusion, coordinated, international action, including by the African Union and the United Nations, is more important now than ever. The RSF and SAF must bring an end to the fighting now.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of Leeds to open major Commonwealth trade and investment conference

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, is set to welcome guests from across the Commonwealth to a major trade and Investment conference in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October). 

    The Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference has been organised by law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, and is being jointly hosted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    The conference will feature a range of speakers including; Megan Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Dr Olushola Kolawole, lecturer at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, and the Pakistani Consul General in Bradford, Zahid Jatoi. Several influential British-based groups, such as the Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum and British Friends of Pakistan, will also attend along with Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce James Mason.

    The event brings together experts from India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024, held in Samoa last week, and will explore how the UK’s commercial links to the Commonwealth can be enhanced. 

    The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners. The UK exports £83 billion to Commonwealth markets annually, which accounts for 10% of overall UK exports, with significant further trade and investment opportunities for companies in West Yorkshire.

    The event will be an opportunity to encourage further West Yorkshire-Commonwealth trade, upskill businesses on commercial opportunities in the Commonwealth, and highlight the synergies around culture, education, and diasporic communities. It supports our mission to create an economy that works for everyone as set out in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our distinguished Commonwealth guests and partners to Leeds.

    “I look forward to discussing furthering trade, culture, and education opportunities for our city, region and the Commonwealth markets. Leeds has a vibrant range of industries that would directly benefit from increasing opportunities with our Commonwealth partners, especially in our professional and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology sectors, highlighted as growth-driving sectors in the UK’s recent Modern Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

    “The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”

    Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development Councillor Jonathan Pryor said:

    “We are delighted that Leeds is hosting honoured guests from around the world to this trade and investment conference. As a city Leeds is very proud of the diverse make-up of our communities, and this is reflected in our commitment to welcome and support international trade and businesses to invest here.

    “As one of the leading UK cities for private-sector job creation, international investment and supporting business creation and growth across a wide-ranging economy, we very much look forward to this conference and the benefits it can help deliver through further strengthening international relationships and boosting the city and regional economy for all to benefit from.”

    Notes for editors:

    Leeds City Council Inclusive Growth Strategy: https://www.inclusivegrowthleeds.com/ 

    West Yorkshire Trade and Investment Statistics

    • India: 629 West Yorkshire businesses export goods to India at a total value of £126m, and 963 West Yorkshire businesses import goods from India at a total value of £356m. The value of services exported from West Yorkshire is £113m, and the total value of services imported from India to West Yorkshire is £134m. Total bilateral trade in goods and services between West Yorkshire and India is worth £729 million.
    • Indian Tech company Mastek delivers significant UK digital infrastructure projects (including the NHS Spine, and MOD contracts). Mastek has a substantial presence in Leeds including an ambitious new graduate programme. Mastek continues to strengthen its Leeds operation, recently creating an additional 200 new jobs.
    • In 2021 Mphasis launched a new UK Centre of Excellence in Leeds for their insurance clients. In 2022, Mphasis, announced plans to create an additional 1,000 new jobs in West Yorkshire. The investment will be worth tens of millions of pounds to the West Yorkshire economy.
    • Prime Focus Technologies create high-tech AI-enabled software for the media and entertainment industry.  Leeds is home to their UK headquarters and new state-of-the-art Media Centre which delivers Media and Online services for Channel 4 and other media companies.
    • The latest published figures are for the 2021/22 academic year and show the count of Indian students at West Yorkshire institutions to be 4,080. Indian visitors to Yorkshire as a whole spend £14 million annually. British Indian’s make up roughly 2.7% of the population in West Yorkshire which is higher than most groups except for British Pakistani’s (10.7%).
    • Pakistan: Pakistani’s make up the largest West Yorkshire Diaspora group, with 10.7% of the population.
    • Yorkshire and Humber accounted for over 5% of UK exports to Pakistan in 2023, with a value of £23 million and over 7% of imports from Pakistan, valued at £111 million.
    • Pakistan’s trade with the UK is covered by the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allows for preferential and tariff free trade on many products. 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK are covered by the scheme, reducing tariffs by £120 million. Trade is expected to double between 2022-25.
    • The UK is Pakistan’s largest export destination in Europe and the third globally.
    • Canada: In 2023, the value of UK goods traded between Yorkshire and the Humber and Canada amounted to £442 million in exports (7.8% of total exports) and £0.3 billion in imports (5.1% of total imports).
    • With both Canada and the UK being signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), 99% of goods traded between CPTPP member countries will be tariff-free. This is projected to diversify both countries’ supply chains within the broader Asia-Pacific region whilst boosting trade, investment and innovation in sectors such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.
    • Leeds-based construction company Turner & Townsend have developed a strong presence in Canada with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
    • In the UK in 2020-21 the total number of Canadian students was 6615 while the amount of Canadian academic staff amounted to 1635. Academic partnership has seen 40,745 UK publications co-authored with Canadians, between 2018-2021.
    • Nigeria: In 2023, Yorkshire and Humber was the largest UK regional exporter to Nigeria, accounting for 45.5% of exports worth £661 million. In terms of imports, the region imported £29 million of goods from Nigeria during the same period.
    • The UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) is the first the UK has signed with an African country and is designed to grow the UK and Nigeria’s already thriving trading relationship, which totalled £7 billion in the year to September 2023.
    • In 2022/23 Nigerian students were the third largest international group in Yorkshire. Council figures suggest that between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of students coming from Nigeria to Leeds Beckett rose from 17 to 677.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lewiston Man Arrested, Charged with Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Illegally Possessing Firearm

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    PORTLAND, Maine:  A Lewiston man was arrested on Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint today with possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

    According to the criminal complaint filed in the case and other court documents, Nasir Kenya-Malik White (aka Biggie), 24, was arrested at his residence in Lewiston on Wednesday evening on probable cause following a search of his apartment. Investigators recovered more than 300 grams of suspected cocaine during the search. Ten firearms, including several assault-style rifles, were also recovered. The complaint alleges that White is precluded from possessing firearms as a result of a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for reckless conduct with a firearm or dangerous weapon. White was scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today.

    The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is investigating the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Users can now tap into Apple Intelligence to refine their writing; summarize notifications, mail, and messages; experience a more natural and capable Siri; remove distracting objects from images with Clean Up; and more

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the first set of Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users is now available through a free software update with the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI. Today marks the availability of the first set of features, with many more rolling out in the coming months.

    “Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy. Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”

    “Apple Intelligence unlocks exciting new capabilities that make your iPhone, iPad, and Mac even more helpful and useful, from Writing Tools to help refine your writing, to summarized notifications that surface what’s most important, to the ability to search for almost anything in your photos and videos by simply describing it,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “And it’s all built on a foundation of privacy with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking new approach that extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to protect users’ information. We are thrilled to bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users today, and this is just the beginning.”

    Systemwide Writing Tools

    Deeply integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Writing Tools allow users to refine their language by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text virtually everywhere they write, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

    With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written, and adjust the tone — professional, concise, or friendly — to suit the audience and task at hand. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. Users can also select text and have it summarized in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.

    More Natural and Conversational Siri

    Siri becomes more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience. It has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active on iPhone, iPad, or CarPlay. On Mac, users can place Siri anywhere on their desktop to access it easily as they work. Users can type to Siri at any time on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and can switch fluidly between text and voice as they use Siri to accelerate everyday tasks. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words and maintain context from one request to the next. In addition, with extensive product knowledge, Siri can now answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products. Users can learn everything from how to take a screen recording to how to easily share a Wi-Fi password.

    More Intelligent Photos App

    The Photos app is even more intelligent with many new capabilities. Natural language search gives users the ability to search for just about anything by simply describing what they are looking for, like “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt.” This works across videos, too, so users can search for something that happened in a specific segment of the video and go right to it. Search also offers smart completion suggestions to help users quickly complete a search.

    For those times when an unwanted object or person ends up in the frame of a photo, the Clean Up tool gives users a way to remove distracting elements while staying true to the moment as they intended to capture it.

    The Memories feature now gives users the ability to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description.1 Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on a user’s description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc.

    New Ways to Prioritize and Stay Focused

    Staying on top of emails has never been easier. Priority Messages, a new section at the top of the inbox in Mail, shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day invitation to lunch or a boarding pass. Across their inbox, users can see summaries without needing to open a message, and for long threads, they can tap or click Summarize to view pertinent details. Additionally, Smart Reply provides suggestions for a quick response and will identify questions in an email to ensure everything is answered.

    Apple Intelligence helps users prioritize and stay in the moment with notification summaries that allow users to scan long or stacked notifications with key details right on the Lock Screen, such as when a group chat is particularly active. A new Focus, Reduce Interruptions, surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention.

    In the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call in the Phone app, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.

    Many More Features to Come

    New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months.

    Apple Intelligence will add new ways for users to express themselves visually. Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, and can also be personalized using a photo of a friend or family member. Image Playground will allow users to create playful images in moments. Image Wand will make notes more visually engaging by turning rough sketches into delightful images. When a user circles an empty space, Image Wand will create an image using context from the surrounding area.

    In December, Writing Tools will get even more powerful with the ability for users to describe a specific change they want to apply to their text, like making a dinner party invite read like a poem, or adding more dynamic action words to a résumé. And users will have the option to access ChatGPT’s broad world knowledge within Writing Tools and Siri, allowing them to benefit from its image- and document-understanding capabilities without needing to jump between tools.

    Also coming in December, a new visual intelligence experience will build on Apple Intelligence and help users learn about objects and places instantly, thanks to the new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 lineup.2 Users will be able to pull up details about a restaurant in front of them and interact with information — for example, translating text from one language to another.3 Camera Control will also serve as a gateway to third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search Google for where they can buy an item, or benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.

    In the months to come, Priority Notifications will surface what’s most important, and Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to them. Siri will also gain onscreen awareness, as well as be able to take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.

    Breakthrough Privacy Protections

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require more processing power, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request. In a first for the industry, independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise — an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

    Users can choose whether or not to enable the ChatGPT integration, which is available as part of using Siri, Writing Tools, or visual intelligence with Camera Control. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Availability

    • The first set of Apple Intelligence features is available now as a free software update with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will be available for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Mac with M1 and later.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Create a Memory Movie is available on iPhone and iPad, and will be available on Mac in the coming months.
    2. Camera Control is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
    3. Information about places of interest will be available in the U.S. to start, with support for additional regions in the months to come.

    Press Contacts

    Nadine Haija

    Apple

    nhaija@apple.com

    Jacqueline Roy

    Apple

    jacqueline_roy@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple unveils the new iMac with M4, supercharged by Apple Intelligence and available in fresh colors

    The world’s best all-in-one desktop features even more performance, a nano-texture display option, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity — all in a strikingly thin design

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new iMac, featuring the powerful M4 chip and Apple Intelligence, in its stunning, ultra-thin design. With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1.1 With the Neural Engine in M4, iMac is the world’s best all-in-one for AI and is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new iMac is available in an array of beautiful new colors, and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option.2 iMac features a new 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports,3 and color-matched accessories that include USB-C. Starting at just $1,299, now with 16GB of unified memory, the new iMac is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 8.

    “iMac is beloved by millions of users, from families at home to entrepreneurs hard at work. With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With M4 and Apple Intelligence, gorgeous new colors that pop in any space, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, and a new nano-texture glass display option, it’s a whole new era for iMac.”

    Supercharged by M4

    The M4 chip brings a boost in performance to iMac. Featuring a more capable CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core,4 the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster than iMac with M1. Users will feel this performance across everyday activities like multitasking between their favorite apps and browsing webpages in Safari. And with an immensely powerful GPU featuring Apple’s most advanced graphics architecture, iMac with M4 handles more intense workloads like photo editing and gaming up to 2.1x faster than iMac with M1. This also enables a smoother gameplay experience in titles like the upcoming Civilization VII. The new iMac comes standard with 16GB of faster unified memory — configurable up to 32GB. The Neural Engine in M4 is now over 3x faster than on iMac with M1, making it the world’s best all-in-one for AI, and accelerating the pace at which users can get things done.

    M4 takes iMac performance even further:

    • Families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can fly through daily productivity tasks with up to 1.7x faster performance1 in apps like Microsoft Excel, and up to 1.5x faster browsing performance5 in Safari compared to iMac with M1.
    • Gamers can enjoy incredibly smooth gameplay, with up to 2x higher frame rates5 than on iMac with M1.
    • Content creators can edit like never before, with up to 2.1x faster photo and video editing performance when applying complex filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop1 and Adobe Premiere Pro5 compared to iMac with M1.
    • Compared to the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC with the latest Intel Core 7 processor, the new iMac is up to 4.5x faster.1
    • Compared to the most popular Intel-based iMac model, the new iMac is up to 6x faster.1

    A New Era with Apple Intelligence on the Mac

    Apple Intelligence ushers in a new era for the Mac, bringing personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Array of Gorgeous New Colors

    The new iMac comes in seven vibrant colors, bringing fresh shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue, alongside silver. The back of iMac features bold colors designed to stand out, while the front expresses subtle shades of the new palette so users can focus on doing their best work. Every iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, all of which now feature a USB-C port, so users can charge their favorite devices with a single cable.

    New Nano-Texture Display Option

    The expansive 24-inch 4.5K Retina display on iMac is its highest-rated feature, and for the first time, it’s available with a nano-texture glass option that drastically reduces reflections and glare, while maintaining outstanding image quality.2 With nano-texture glass, users can place iMac in even more spaces, such as a sun-drenched living room or bright storefront.

    Enhanced Video Calls with 12MP Center Stage Camera

    A new 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View makes video calls even more engaging. Center Stage keeps everyone perfectly centered on a video call — great for families gathered on FaceTime. Desk View makes use of the wide-angle lens to simultaneously show the user and a top-down view of their desk, which is useful for educators presenting a lesson to students, or creators showing off their latest DIY project. Rounding out the unrivaled audio and video experience is the beloved studio-quality three-microphone array with beamforming and an immersive six-speaker sound system.

    Advanced Connectivity

    On the new iMac, all four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 for superfast data transfers, so users can connect even more accessories like external storage, docks, and up to two 6K external displays, creating a massive canvas with more than 50M pixels for users to spread out their work.3 iMac also supports both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. And with the advanced security of Touch ID, users can easily and securely unlock their computer, make online purchases with Apple Pay, and download apps.6 Additionally, Touch ID works with Fast User Switching, so customers can switch between different user profiles with just the press of a finger.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new iMac experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and its notifications directly from their Mac.7 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,8 now offers Highlights, which quickly pulls up relevant information from a site; a smarter, redesigned Reader with a table of contents and high-level summary; and a new Video Viewer to watch videos without distractions. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a windows layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials, all stored in one place. And users can apply beautiful new built-in backgrounds for video calls, including a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    Better for the Environment

    The new iMac with M4 is designed with the environment in mind, with 100 percent recycled aluminum in the stand, and 100 percent recycled gold plating, tin soldering, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. iMac meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. New this year, the packaging of iMac is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new iMac with M4 starting today, October 28, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • iMac starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,249 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 24GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 1TB, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • iMac with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU starts at $1,499 (U.S.) and $1,399 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 32GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 2TB, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • Additional technical specifications — including the nano-texture display option, configure-to-order options, and accessories — are available at apple.com/mac.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in September and October 2024. See apple.com/imac for more information.
    2. Actual diagonal screen measurement is 23.5 inches. Nano-texture display is an option on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    3. All four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    4. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    5. Results are compared to previous-generation 24-inch iMac systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    6. iMac with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU can configure to Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad, and iMac with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU comes standard with Touch ID.
    7. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that the user’s iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, their iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and their Mac is not using AirPlay or Sidecar. Some iPhone features (e.g., camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    8. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM) Bank and Africa Finance Corporation Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Enhance Export Activities in the Middle East and Africa

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, October 28, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM) and Africa Finance Corporation(AFC) (www.Africafc.org), Africa’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on initiatives to boost exports in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and AFC’s member countries This MoU, signed on the sidelines of the ongoing 2024 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, will also promote exchange of information, technical expertise and knowledge sharing between both institutions.  

    His Excellency Eng. Saad Al-Khalb commented: “The MoU with the Africa Finance Corporation comes as part of the bank’s commitment to enhancing international economic and trade relations. The agreement will cover several areas of cooperation, including exploring opportunities to support joint projects between companies in the Kingdom and the member countries of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), by providing credit solutions that support companies and institutions of all sizes and activities. It will also pave the way for local investors to benefit from promising investment opportunities in Africa, thereby enhancing the flow of non-oil Saudi exports to expand into various African markets, in line with empowering the non-oil national economy and creating a diverse and inclusive economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030.” 

    Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, commented on the partnership: “Strategic partnerships are vital for economic transformation, and in today’s world, no nation can tackle sustainable development alone. As such, AFC is pleased to partner with the Saudi Exim Bank, marking a major milestone in strengthening ties between Africa and Saudi Arabia. Leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we aim to contribute significantly to driving industrialization, facilitating trade and creating jobs for a dynamic economic ecosystem that benefits both regions.”  

    It is worth noting that the Saudi Export-Import Bank is a development bank affiliated with the National Development Fund, working to contribute to diversifying the economic base of the Kingdom by enhancing the efficiency of the export system for non-oil national products and services, addressing financing gaps, and reducing export risks. This supports the growth of the non-oil national economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030. 

    At the heart of AFC’s mission is a commitment to delivering impactful solutions for Africa, across its core sectors of power, natural resources, transport and logistics, heavy industry, and technology. The Corporation has an unwavering commitment to realising transformative projects across Africa including infrastructure projects such as the Red Sea Power Wind Farm in Djibouti, the Arise IIP industrial zones and the Lobito transport corridor that are reshaping the landscape, fostering sustainable development for local communities, and altering the economic trajectory of countries. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How Apple developed the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience

    Source: Apple

    Headline: How Apple developed the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience

    October 28, 2024

    UPDATE

    Inside the Audio Lab:
    How Apple developed the world’s first end‑to‑end hearing health experience

    Apple’s state-of-the-art Audio Lab in Cupertino, California, supports the innovative work of its acoustic engineers. They use the lab to conduct user studies in various listening rooms and test new features in its anechoic chambers, which completely absorb reflective sounds and isolate external noise.

    The Audio Lab is the hub for the design, measurement, tuning, and validation of all of Apple’s products with speakers or microphones. It’s also the center for Apple’s multiyear, cross-team collaboration to build the groundbreaking new hearing health features on AirPods Pro 2. Available today as a free software update,1 the end-to-end experience helps minimize exposure to loud environmental noise with Hearing Protection, track hearing with an at-home Hearing Test, and receive assistance for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss using AirPods Pro as a clinical-grade Hearing Aid.

    According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.5 billion people around the world are living with hearing loss. “Hearing loss affects individuals in every region and country, yet often goes unrecognized. Hearing is a core component of communication for so many and is an important factor for health and wellbeing,” says Shelly Chadha, M.D., the World Health Organization’s technical lead for hearing. “Technology can play an important role in raising awareness and providing intervention options for those affected by hearing loss.”

    “Every person’s hearing is different, so we created an innovative, end-to-end hearing health experience that addresses this variability in a way that’s both simple to use and adaptable to a wide range of needs. That’s especially important because hearing loss affects people of all ages with different levels of tech savviness,” says Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health. “With the Hearing Aid feature, we wanted to build something so intuitive, it felt like an extension of your senses. We knew the results would literally change people’s lives — and democratize access to treatment for a condition that affects more than a billion people.”

    Engineers used highly specialized spaces across the Audio Lab to help make these breakthrough features possible.

    “From the quietest sounds we can hear for the Hearing Test feature, to speech in noisy restaurants for the Hearing Aid feature, and even concert levels for Hearing Protection, we can bring the real world into our acoustics facilities with playback of calibrated soundscapes from all over the world, or take accurate acoustic measurements at the touch of a button,” says Kuba Mazur, Apple’s hearing health lead engineer within Acoustics Engineering.

    The Longwave anechoic chamber was built on a separate foundation that uses springs to isolate it from the rest of the lab, allowing for accurate sound measurements without any noise or vibration disturbances. The chamber includes a custom-built loudspeaker and microphone arc that can measure head-related transfer functions, or in other words, how sound interacts with the human body. Having both the loudspeaker and microphone arrays within this chamber makes it a unique space with many applications, including AirPods, iPhone, and HomePod development.

    “Your ears are natural amplifiers, each uniquely shaped and often slightly asymmetric,” Mazur continues. “When sound reaches one ear first before the other, it creates a time difference in how we perceive sound. This is important for us to understand so we can build experiences that accurately represent the sounds in your environment. And we do this in our anechoic chambers by having someone sit in a rotating chair with AirPods Pro to capture the audio.”

    On the other side of the Audio Lab, to ensure the highest sound quality in every audio product Apple makes, the Fantasia Lab uses a spherical array of 50 loudspeakers to simulate hundreds of real-world sound scenes — like a shopping mall, busy street, or travel on an airplane — in a tightly controlled, evenly distributed sound field.

    To fine-tune and validate the Hearing Aid feature, a broad demographic of study participants with a wide range of hearing levels were put into this controlled environment to complete a speech-in-noise test. The test consisted of a participant sitting in a chair in the middle of the space while a complex sound scene, like a noisy restaurant, played. The participant then had to repeat the words of a single speaker, distinguishing from background conversations.

    “This lab is about recreating. Just as our users experience their everyday lives moving through shopping malls or having dinner with loved ones, we had to ensure these features would meet their needs,” says Mazur. “We brought the outside in to tune and validate features that we’re building on AirPods, like the Hearing Aid feature, Conversation Boost, and Transparency mode.”

    Additionally, three clinical-grade audiometric booths — the type that patients would typically encounter during hearing tests in a clinician’s office — are permanently installed in the Audio Lab. For internal testing, the engineering team worked with audiologists in the booths to conduct thousands of clinical-grade audiometry tests and software-based hearing tests prior to moving the new Hearing Test feature into clinical validation studies.

    Design is also core to the user experience and played an important role in user testing of the new features. One key experience was taking the test itself. The team had to identify design approaches that would simplify the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid setup. It also needed to be easier to understand than the typical series of numbers a person receives during a doctor’s visit.

    “Within our health features, we focus on clarity and meeting users where they’re at,” says Heather Daniel, a producer in Apple’s Design Studio who helps manage all of the design work for health features. “Take the Hearing Test feature. We understood that for many people, this might be their very first time taking a hearing test, so we had to make it as seamless as possible.”

    Simplifying these experiences required teams across Apple working together every step of the way to build this software to meet the requirements for clinical testing and delivering the best product to customers.

    “Just thinking about the innovation that was necessary, the density of the technology that goes into AirPods, and the amount of effort and attention to detail that went into building these complex software features,” Mazur continues, “so many teams came together — including software and hardware engineering, design, health, accessibility, clinical ops, regulatory, and the human factors engineering team — to ensure the best quality and experience.”

    The end-to-end hearing health experience on AirPods Pro 2 is just the latest example of Apple’s commitment to helping users on their personal health journeys. For many team members, it’s the epitome of what is possible when innovation meets passion to deliver products and software that are useful and help improve users’ day to day.

    “The fact that people can walk around wearing their AirPods, that they can protect their hearing at concerts and get insights on their hearing health using these features over time — AirPods are doing what each person wants or needs them to do,” says Mazur. “They’re truly the interface to the ear.”

    1. Some features are not available in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    Press Contact

    Zaina Khachadourian

    Apple

    zkhachadourian@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Middle East: Foreign Secretary’s statement, 28 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave an oral statement to the House of Commons on the situation in the Middle East.

    Delivered on:

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the Middle East.

    After over a year of horrifying violence, civilian suffering has increased, the conflict has widened, the risks of a yet wider regional war have risen.  

    Today, Mr Speaker, I want to address three elements of this crisis, and outline the urgent steps the Government’s taking in response.

    Mr Speaker, I will first consider events over the weekend. Targeted Israeli strikes hit military sites inside Iran, including a missile manufacturer and an air defence base.

    This was in response to Iran’s escalatory ballistic missile attacks on Israel condemned across the House. These attacks were the latest in a long history of malign Iranian activity. Its nuclear programme, with their total enriched uranium stockpile now reported by the IAEA to be thirty times the JCPoA limit. And political, financial and military support for militias, including Hizballah and Hamas.

    Let me be clear. The Government unequivocally condemns Iranian attacks on Israel. This Government has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iranian individuals and organisations responsible for malign activity, most recently on the fourteenth of October. And we have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian attacks, and attacks by Iranian-backed terrorists, whose goal is the complete eradication of the Israeli state. We do not mourn the deaths of the heads of proscribed terrorist organisations.

    The priority now is immediate de-escalation. Iran should not respond. All sides must exercise restraint. We do not wish to see the cycle of violence intensifying, dragging the whole region into a war with severe consequences. Escalation is in no one’s interest as it risks spreading the regional conflict further. We and our partners have been passing this message clearly and consistently. Yesterday, Mr Speaker, I spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi and Israeli Foreign Minister Katz and urged both countries to show restraint and avoid further regional escalation.

    Mr Speaker, let me turn to the devastating situation in northern Gaza, where the United Nations estimates over four hundred thousand Palestinian civilians remain.

    Access to essential services worsen by the day. Yet still, very little aid is being allowed in. Israel’s evacuation order in the north has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. Driven from destruction, disease, and despair. To destruction, disease and despair. Nine in ten Gazans have been displaced since the war began. Some have had to flee more than ten times in the past year. What must parents say to their children? How can they explain this living nightmare? How can they reassure it will ever end?

    There is no excuse for Israeli’s government’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian assistance – they must let more aid in now. Aid is backed up at Gaza’s borders. In many cases funded by the UK and our partners. But now stuck, out of reach of those who need it so desperately. These restrictions fly in the face of Israel’s public commitments. They risk violating international humanitarian law. They are a rebuke to every friend of Israel, who month after month have demanded action to address the catastrophic conditions facing Palestinian civilians. So let me be clear once again. This Government condemns these restrictions in the strongest terms.

    Since our first day in office, the Government has led efforts to bring this nightmare to an end. We have announced funding for UK-Med’s efforts to provide medical treatment in Gaza, for UNICEF’s work to support vulnerable families in Gaza, for Egyptian health facilities treating medically evacuated Palestinians from Gaza.

    We are matching donations to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal. And, together with France and Algeria, we called an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address the dire situation. We sanctioned extremist settlers, making clear their actions do not serve the real interests of either Israel or the region.

    And we have moved quickly to restore funding to UNRWA, overturning the position of the last Government. We did that to support UNRWA’s indispensable role in assisting Palestinians, and to enable them to implement the recommendations of the independent Colonna report.

    All over the world, in every war zone, every refugee camp, the United Nations is a beacon of hope. And so it’s a matter of profound regret that the Israeli parliament is considering shutting down UNRWA’s operations. The allegations against UNRWA staff earlier this year were fully investigated, and offer no justification for cutting off ties with UNRWA.

    This weekend, we therefore joined partners in expressing concerns at the Knesset’s legislation, and urged Israel to ensure UNRWA’s lifesaving work continues. We call on UNRWA to continue its path to reform, demonstrating its commitment to the principle of neutrality.

    And finally, Mr Speaker, I will cover the conflict in Lebanon. A country that has endured so much in my lifetime and now sees fighting escalate once again, killing many civilians, and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes. While in northern Israel, communities live in fear of Hizballah attacks, unable to return home.

    Here too, the Government has led efforts to respond. Our swift call for an immediate ceasefire was taken up by our partners and in the United Nations Security Council. The Defence Secretary and I have visited Lebanon, where Britain’s ongoing support for the Lebanese Armed Forces is widely recognised as an investment in a sovereign and effective Lebanese state.

    At the start of October, I announced ten million pounds for the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Last week, my Right Honourable Friend Minister Dodds announced further funding for the most vulnerable amongst those fleeing from Lebanon into Syria, while my Honourable Friend Minister Falconer joined the Lebanon Support Conference in Paris. And today, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister will meet Prime Minister Mikati to reassure him of our support.

    Mr Speaker, across the region, our priorities are clear. De-escalation. Humanitarian assistance. Immediate ceasefires. Upholding international law. Political solutions.

    This is how we save lives. How we liberate hostages, like British national Emily Damari. And how we pull the region back from the brink.

    The Government has stepped up our diplomatic engagement to this end. The Prime Minister has spoken directly to both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Pezeshkian. While I have made five visits to the region in just four months, held around fifty calls and meetings with Ministers and leaders in the region, and spoke this weekend to US Secretary Blinken, just back from the region.

    Mr Speaker, it is a source of deep frustration that these efforts have not yet succeeded. We have no illusions about the deep-seated divisions in this region. A region scarred by fighting and false dawns in the past. But it is never too late for peace. Never too late for hope.

    This Government will not give up on the people of the region. We will keep playing our part in achieving a lasting solution. So that, one day, they might all live side by side in peace and security.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    I am honoured to address this distinguished gathering in the beautiful city of Manila for this pivotal International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security. I thank the government of the Philippines, UN Women, and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, and the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy for organizing this event.

    Let me take a few moments to express my deepest condolences for the victims of the recent tropical storm that hit the Philippines and a speedy recovery for everyone affected. As we prepare for the next storm, it is now clear that climate change is real with more frequent and intense events.

    Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    We are at a critical juncture in our shared pursuit of peace, security and sustainable development. The world is facing unprecedented challenges, and though we may not know how to tackle them all, there is one thing we know for certain: it is imperative that women are at the core of our solutions.

    Peace and security decision-making is overwhelmingly dominated by men today. 

    And ending impunity for atrocities against women and girls is still but a distant goal.

    The past year has been especially difficult. 

    From Gaza to Sudan, from Lebanon to Ukraine, the toll on women and girls in conflict zones is devastating. Thousands have been killed, injured, and displaced as they endure extreme suffering.

    In Afghanistan, the stark regression of women’s rights underscores the profound impact of their exclusion from governance and society at large.

    Current pushback on gender equality and women’s empowerment is real and in too many spaces. The weaponization of misogyny for political gain exacts a cost that will reverberate for generations—resulting in more conflicts, prolonged conflicts, and more destructive conflicts.

    Just days ago, I had the honor of speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York during the annual debate on Women, Peace and Security, where over 100 speakers joined in reiterating their calls for women’s increased participation and for stronger measures to protect them from all forms of violence. Yet, the true measure of our efforts unfolds in places far from the halls of the United Nations, in the lived realities of women in conflict zones across the world.   

    The Philippines offers profound insights as the first Asian nation to adopt a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. And as you adapt and expand the Plan to meet the moment and the evolving challenges that come with it, you are demonstrating commendable leadership.

    This leadership is not a step in a new direction for the Philippines, in fact it is set against the backdrop of a dedicated and rich history of women’s leadership at local and national levels, including the election of multiple women as presidents. I ask you to take a moment to consider how remarkable an achievement that is in a world where more than 100 countries have yet to see a woman in their highest office.

    Likewise, the Philippines’ appointment of the world’s first woman chief negotiator for a major peace agreement stands as a testament to the transformative power of inclusive peace processes: achieving a peace agreement in which half of its articles mentioned mechanisms to engage with women in governance and development, protect them against violence, setting an example by ensuring that one third of the people at the peace table were women, which is the minimum target we have set at the United Nations for all peace processes.

    Yet despite these advancements, the global landscape has not caught up.  In 2023, women constituted less than 10 percent of participants in peace negotiations globally. Let’s call this what it is: a significant barrier to achieving lasting peace and equity in the world.

    Where peace is in short supply, there is an outsize impact on the lives of women and girls the world over. Globally, over 170 conflicts were recorded last year impacting 612 million women and girls – a staggering 50 percent increase from a decade ago.

    The implications are dire: the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts has doubled; conflict-related sexual violence has risen by 50 percent, and the number of women and girls forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, and violence has surged by 70 percent since 2018. Meanwhile, every day, 500 women die from pregnancy and birth complications.

    As military spending continues to increase, funding for gender equality continues to go down, with dire implications, not just for women and girls, but for everyone across our societies.    

    Now is the time to reinforce the urgency of our mission. We must pivot our focus from military investments to empowering women peacebuilders, expanding spaces for civil society, and bolstering the roles of women human rights defenders. Our collective action and cooperation must foster a more inclusive, equitable world.  

    Our UN family, whether in peacekeeping or humanitarian operations, or working to find political solutions, advance sustainable development, or protect human rights, will continue to fight for gender equality, peace and security.

    Last week, the Secretary-General launched a Common Pledge calling on governments, regional organizations, mediation actors to commit to join the United Nations in taking concrete steps on women’s participation in all peace processes they are involved in – from appointing women as lead mediators, to ensuring conflict parties advocate for concrete targets and measures that promotes women’s participation. We are deeply thankful for the Philippine’s support to this Common Pledge.

    The UN family is also actively working with governments, civil society, academia, and various other stakeholders to advance women’s inclusion in leadership and decision-making through training, advocacy, policy and fundraising to promote gender equality.

    Over the next few days, let us channel our discussions into concrete actions that lead to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes, and let us build a world that is not just peaceful for all but for future generations to come.

    Let me end with a quote by a woman who has dedicated her life to advancing the cause of women and girls the world over – Malala Yousafzai – who said; “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women”. End quote.

    To all of you here today, thank you for embodying the spirit of these words. And for your dedicated partnership and commitment to the Women, Peace and Security.

    Let’s get to work.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Three takeaways from the first ICC WCF Europe and Asia Summit 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Three takeaways from the first ICC WCF Europe and Asia Summit 

    Here are 3 highlights from the event: 

    1. Accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy 

    Co-hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the Summit featured opening speeches by ICC Chair, Philippe Varin, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WCF Chair Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu with a clear message on the role of business to lead the charge on climate action in the final stretch ahead of the United Nations climate conference (COP29) in Baku from 11 to 22 November. 

    “Our collective response to the challenge of climate change will shape the world for generations to come. We are at a pivotal moment in history, where what we choose to do – or not do – will, most certainly, echo far into the future.”  

    ICC Chair, Philippe Varin 

    1. Boosting cross border business for SMEs 

    ICC’s new ICC One Click platform was unveiled by ICC Chair Philippe Varin.  Designed to help small businesses grow through international trade, ICC One Click is a one-stop gateway to ICC’s extensive and practical range of tools and services for every step of the trade journey. Available in several languages, the platform features trusted ICC solutions including ICC Model Contracts, Incoterms® Rules, ATA Carnets and Dispute Resolution – as well as specialised services made available by ICC institutional partners – such as the Global Trade Helpdesk. 

    1. Insights from the global real economy   

    Findings of the first ICC World Chambers Federation Global Economic Survey were presented at the Summit during a panel discussion led by ICC Lead Economist Melanie Laloum.  The “Chamber Pulse” survey captures insights from over 200 chambers of commerce from businesses on key economic and sustainability issues across economies that collectively account for 90% of global GDP.  

    Building on the resounding success of the ICC WCF World Chambers Congress, WCF regional summits are aimed at tackling global challenges through a regional perspective. They are co-hosted with local chambers further extending ICC’s impact and global reach. 

    The next regional summit will be the first WCF Africa Summit, hosted by Kenya. “Africa’s Global Future: Integrated, Innovative, and Sustainable” will take place from 9 to 11 April 2025 in Nairobi.     

    Learn more about the ICC World Chambers Federation. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Genomic variants that increase risk of kidney disease are found in nearly one-third of West Africans

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    News Release

    Monday, October 28, 2024

    NIH study suggests potential for earlier health interventions for people with West African ancestry.

    A study from researchers at National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators revealed a significant genetic risk factor for kidney disease in people from Ghana and Nigeria. Their study demonstrated that having just one risk variant in a gene known as APOL1 can significantly increase the risk of developing kidney disease. APOL1 is important for the immune system and variants of the gene are linked to increased risk of chronic kidney disease. The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine and was conducted by researchers from the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Kidney Disease Research Network.

    Previous research established that genomic variants in APOL1 increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease among African Americans. However, not much is known about how these genomic variants affect people from West African countries, where many African Americans derive genetic ancestry. Studying how these genomic variants contribute to chronic kidney disease in West Africans and people with West African ancestry can also help inform the risk of kidney disease in many Americans.

    “Our study provides data about West Africans that will help us better understand the risk of chronic kidney disease associated with APOL1 variants,” said Adebowale A. Adeyemo, M.B.B.S., who is a co-author of the study and is the deputy director and chief scientific officer of the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health at NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). “By comparing this study to previous studies involving the African American population, we can gain a deeper understanding of the effects of these high risk APOL1 variants. Knowing your genetic risk for a disease, such as kidney disease, can help you make more informed decisions about your health and potentially lead to earlier interventions.”

    Over 8,000 people from Ghana and Nigeria participated in the study, including nearly 5,000 people with chronic kidney disease of various stages and more than 800 people who had kidney biopsies that confirmed their disease.

    The study found that nearly one-third of individuals in these two nations carry APOL1 variants that increase the risk of chronic kidney disease. While these APOL1 variants are seen most often in people of West African descent, other studies have found these variants in people from Europe, Asia, Central and South America.

    The researchers also found that having a risk variant in one copy of the APOL1 gene increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, contrary to previous studies in the African American population suggesting that both copies of APOL1 needed to contain such variants to increase the overall risk. One risk variant increases the risk of chronic kidney disease by 18%, while two risk variants, one on each copy of APOL1, increases the risk by 25%.

    These APOL1 risk variants also drastically increase the likelihood of developing a rare kidney condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which is scarring of the kidney tissues.

    “Findings in a particular study or with a specific ancestral group are often taken to be true for all humankind, but there is often substantial diversity even within specific ancestry or ethnic groups,” says Dr. Adeyemo. “This study highlights the importance of studying diverse populations around the globe when studying the genomics of human disease so that genomic medicine can equitably benefit people worldwide.”

    More than 1 in 7 U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease — an estimated 37 million Americans, and African American, Hispanic American and Native American populations are more likely to develop the disease. Both genetic and environmental factors, which includes social factors, such as smoking, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet and lack of access to healthcare, contribute to the risk of kidney disease. People with kidney disease may not have noticeable symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Additionally, for people with diabetes or hypertension, there is a greater risk for developing kidney disease. As the kidneys are slowly damaged over time, they are unable to filter blood properly, leading to a buildup of waste in the body.

    As the disease progresses, additional kidney functions are affected, such as stimulating red blood cell production and maintaining the body’s calcium balance. The disease can lead to other health issues such as stroke and heart attacks.

    “Further research conducted with participants in the United States can help us understand how APOL1 variants affect the kidney,” says Paul Kimmel, M.D., program director at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and co-author of the study. “Overall, we hope that these findings can provide insight into improving the health of patients at risk for and with kidney disease.”

    The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NHGRI Division of Intramural Research develops and implements technology to understand, diagnose and treat genomic and genetic diseases. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at: https://www.genome.gov.

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Orezone Provides Notice of Q3-2024 Results and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (“Orezone”) will announce its third quarter 2024 results on November 5, 2024, after market close. A conference call and audio webcast to discuss the results will take place on November 6, 2024, at 8:00 am PT (11:00 am ET).

    Webcast

    Conference Call
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    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.

    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.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: East Africa: The Ethiopia-Kenya Electricity Highway is Shaping Regional Connectivity with the Support of the African Development Bank

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 28, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The electricity highway between Ethiopia and Kenya, officially opened in 2023 after more than 10 years of planning and construction, is redefining energy connectivity in East Africa. It is more than a piece of infrastructure, it is an economic and environmental entity, connecting not just power grids but nations and populations. 

    This vision of a shared energy future runs for 1,045 km between Wolayta-Sodo in Ethiopia and Suswa in Kenya. It enables both countries to pool resources, hydroelectricity from Ethiopia, and geothermal and wind power from Kenya. 

    Regional Connectivity lies at the heart of the project. As John Mativo, Managing Director of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) explains, this project is all about collaboration:  

    “Around 2010, countries in East Africa, as an energy pool, decided that it was essential to have an interconnected hub so that everyone could use and exploit energy and support each other.” 

    One of the project’s critical aspects is the use of HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) technology, which makes it much easier to transport electricity with long distance transmission lines as Tewoderos Ayalew, the site manager at Ethiopian Electric Power explains: 

    “The reason we are using HVDC technology is to minimize energy wastage and reduce power losses in the transmission line energy wastage and reduce the costs of constructing transmission lines; it is also easy to operate and improve grid stability in operating the interconnection from the power grids of different countries.”  

    Hydroelectric dams in Ethiopia produce energy in the form of alternating current, which is transported via the Ethiopian grid to the converter station in Sodo. There, it is converted to Direct Current (DC) and leaves Ethiopia for Kenya, via 1,045 km of overhead transmission line. Once it arrives at the Suswa converter station, it will be converted back to alternating current to be integrated into the Kenyan power grid. 

    This high voltage DC infrastructure is the only one of its kind in the region and is the foundation of East Africa’s ambition to be interconnected in terms of power exchange and allow cross-border trade in energy. 

    The total cost of USD 1.26 billion was funded partly by USD 338 million from the African Development Bank. The World Bank, the Agence française de développement (AFD) and the governments of the two countries concerned also contributed. 

    Significant economic benefits 

    The project has brought significant economic benefits. For Kenya, where 95 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources, the connection is increasing its competitiveness. Kipkemoi Kibias, General Manager at Ketraco, endorses the project: 

    “Using clean, renewable energy brings numerousadvantages not just to Kenyans, but to the whole world… it allows us to attract investors, especially in light and heavy industries, who are looking for green energy.” 

    The project also creates jobs. The development of business zones close to energy infrastructure, like the one near Suswa, creates thousands of jobs and boosts local economic activity. Moreover, the project includes a significant social dimension, notably involving local communities. Out of the 100 employees at the Suswa power station, 70 come from the region, offering opportunities for local development. 

    For Sylvia Kinaiya, an engineer from the region, the project is also a source of personal pride: 

    “I am Masai, so for me, it’s a way of giving back to my community,” she says. She also emphasizes that this project proves that it is possible to be both a mother and an engineer, helping to break down gender barriers in technical occupations. 

    Apart from its economic and social impacts, the project is a model of sustainability, allowing better integration of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind power and Solar, into regional networks. According to John Mativo, this infrastructure ensures that “Kenya has enough green energy to support our industrial development while maintaining a small carbon footprint.” 

    Kenya is already on the way to self-sufficiency in clean energy, with the aim of moving to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. By connecting its grid to Ethiopia, Kenya can not only stabilize its energy supply but also attract more investment into green energies. This vision is also shared by investors, who see this infrastructure as a guarantee of energy and environmental security. 

    The Ethiopia-Kenya electricity highway is therefore much more than a simple infrastructure project; it embodies a vision of the future in which green energy becomes the driver of stronger regional cooperation and sustainable development. Thanks to this connection, East African countries can share their energy resources efficiently, while responding to the growing needs of their populations and industries. 

    The future is bright according to Tweoderos Ayalew: 

    “We have the potential not only to meet our own needs, but also to supply energy to our neighbours and beyond.”  

    This pioneering project is thus paving the way to shared prosperity, while putting the region on the path to a sustainable energy transition.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why building more big dams is a costly gamble for our future water security and the environment

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Kandulu, Research Fellow, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University

    Climate change and biodiversity loss are mounting threats to Australia’s water security. So ee often hear calls for more dams. But is that the answer?

    Our recent research reveals large dam projects are costly gambles with public money. They often fail to deliver promised economic benefits. They also have major environmental, financial and social impacts.

    In New South Wales, some members of the Lower Lachlan River community were concerned about plans to expand Wyangala Dam. They first asked us in 2020 to investigate its full costs and benefits, with findings presented at a local workshop in 2022.

    The first WaterNSW estimate of capital and operating costs was A$620 million in 2018. Within a few years, it had soared to as much as $2.1 billion. In 2023, the project was scrapped because it wasn’t economically viable.

    Similar concerns surround other projects overseas and in Australia, including Hells Gate Dam in Queensland, and Dungowan Dam and Snowy Hydro 2.0 in NSW.

    To avoid repeating costly mistakes and mismanaging taxpayers’ money, we need a smarter approach to major water projects. This includes independent assessments and greater transparency, with business cases made public and decision-making open to scrutiny. And planning for climate change must become a priority.

    Lessons from past mistakes

    Inadequate economic assessments of big dam projects are a global problem. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and India’s Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project promised big, but had rising price tags and devastating impacts on ecosystems.

    In Australia and worldwide, big dam cost overruns can be up to 825%. The average overrun is 120%. This casts serious doubt on such projects’ financial and social viability. Public costs for private gains are a major concern.

    Our study reviewed the original business case for the Wyangala Dam expansion. The original study had concluded there would be net social benefits and gave the project the green light.

    Our review found the business case was seriously flawed. It overestimated benefits and grossly underestimated physical capital and environmental costs.

    Estimated building costs blew out by 239%. If the project had gone ahead, the costs would undoubtedly have increased.

    On top of this, assessments of impacts on rivers and wetlands were poor and superficial. They greatly undervalued the environmental effects of expanding the dam, particularly on downstream wetlands.

    On the other side of the equation, its benefits were overblown, particularly for water security and agriculture.

    Local voices believed many of their concerns had been ignored. There were deep concerns that flood-dependent farmers downstream might lose some of their livelihoods. Indigenous communities were worried about their cultural sites being destroyed.

    Our analysis provided a more rigorous assessment of benefits and costs of the Wyangala Dam expansion.

    We found total project costs were underestimated by at least 116%. The benefits were inflated by 56%. This meant the true impacts on the environment, agriculture and local communities were misrepresented.

    Rethinking Australia’s water future

    Our analysis provides a salutary lesson on why we need to rethink water security. Instead of sinking billions into dams, we should find smart and sustainable ways to manage our water.

    The fixation on building and expanding dams means innovative alternatives are often ignored. These other options include recycling water, managing demand and carefully recharging aquifers (using aquifers as underground dams).

    The National Water Grid Fund exemplifies the misguided “build more dams” mindset. Its portfolio of 61 large water projects has a total capital cost estimate of up to $10 billion.

    Despite this massive investment, only 23 of these projects have publicly available business cases. It leaves more than $1.7 billion in committed funding shrouded in secrecy.

    This lack of transparency is alarming, given the history of cost overruns and inadequate assessment of environmental damage. It points to the urgent need to reassess our approach to water security. The public has a right to know that their governments are spending wisely.

    To avoid repeating costly mistakes and mismanaging taxpayers’ money, we need a smarter approach. Independent business cases should be mandated for all major water projects.

    We also need a strong public sector capable of transparent evaluation. Promised new National Environmental Standards as part of reforms to environmental protection laws are likely to require rigorous scrutiny too. We must embrace transparency by opening decision-making to public scrutiny and diverse perspectives, including local voices and Indigenous stakeholders, from the start.

    Finally, infrastructure planning must account for long-term climate impacts on water availability. Planning for climate change is vital.

    As projects such as the proposed Wyangala Dam expansion demonstrate, Australia can no longer afford to gamble its water future on outdated, costly and environmentally destructive solutions. It’s time to end the wasteful spending.

    Instead, we need to channel our efforts into truly effective, sustainable and transparent water management. Strategies must give priority to community needs, First Nations’ water rights, environmental protection and long-term climate resilience.

    John Kandulu is a recipient of funding from various sources, such as state and Commonwealth governments, as well as non-profit organisations. His affiliations include the Centre for Social Impact at Flinders University and the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide.

    Richard Kingsford receives funding from a range of organisations, including the Australian Research Council, state and Commonwealth governments, non-government organisations, including World Wide Fund for Nature and Australian Conservation Foundation. He is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and a councillor on the Biodiversity Council.

    Sarah Ann Wheeler receives funding from a range of organisations, including the Australian Research Council, state and Commonwealth governments and non-government organisations.

    – ref. Why building more big dams is a costly gamble for our future water security and the environment – https://theconversation.com/why-building-more-big-dams-is-a-costly-gamble-for-our-future-water-security-and-the-environment-239106

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is Donald Trump a fascist? No – he’s a new brand of authoritarian

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff M Boucher, Associate Professor in Literary Studies, Deakin University

    Is Donald Trump a fascist? General Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Trump, thinks so. Trump is “fascist to the core,” he warns.

    John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, agrees. So does Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in this year’s presidential election.

    But political commentators who have a grounding in history are not so sure. Writing in The Guardian, Sidney Blumenthal calls Trump “Hitlerian” and his rallies “Naziesque”, but stops short of calling him a fascist.

    Michael Tomasky of The New Republic understands the reservations, but he is tired spending time debating the difference between “fascistic” and just plain “fascist”. “He’s damn close enough,” Tomasky writes, “and we’d better fight”.

    I understand this logic. It’s the reason Harris uses the term “fascist” to describe Trump – to send “a 911 call to the American people”. But there’s a problem.

    I have spent the past six years researching right-wing, authoritarian political communication in America. I can say with confidence how these kinds of labels can misfire. They can very easily be made to look like liberal hysteria, playing straight into the hands of the far right.

    Here are the two reasons why it is crucial to call Trump exactly what he is.

    1. Calling Trump a fascist, and then instantly adding, “or close enough,” plays directly into the hands of the far right. “See?” they might say. “Anytime anyone steps outside the liberal consensus, they get labelled a fascist. This is how political correctness silences dissent.”

    2. Trump’s kind of authoritarianism thrives on ambiguity about what sort of right-wing populist figure he is. Its success depends on the fact that “fascist” is the only name we have right now for authoritarian politics.

    In my view, Trump is not a fascist. Rather, he is part of a “new authoritarianism” that subverts democracy from within and solidifies power through administrative, rather than paramilitary, means.

    Why the ‘fascism’ label is unhelpful

    This brand of new authoritarianism hides in plain sight because there is no name for it yet. It looks like something else – for example, right-wing populism that is anti-liberal, but not yet anti-democratic. And then suddenly, it shows itself as anti-democratic extremism, as Trump did in refusing to accept the 2020 election result and encouraging the storming of the Capitol.

    This moment starkly revealed Trump as a new authoritarian. Supplementary debate about whether Trump is like Adolf Hitler risks being pointless. But the problem is that fascism is the only name we have now for anti-democratic extremism.

    All fascists are authoritarians. But not all authoritarians are fascists. It’s crucial to understand there are other types of authoritarianism – and how they differ.

    This is not just important for preventing Trump from seeking to subvert American democracy. It is also vital for stopping Trump imitators, who will now spring forth in other democracies. If there is still no name for what they are other than “fascist,” then they, too, will thrive on ambiguity.

    What is ‘new authoritarianism’?

    I suggest we focus on what Trump actually is – an anti-democratic, “new authoritarian” – and understand what this means and how he is gaining wider support using right-wing populism.

    The new authoritarians don’t necessarily take a sledgehammer to a nation’s institutions, for example, by doing away with elections. Rather, they hollow out democracy from within, so it becomes a façade draped over a one-party state.

    We have many examples of this kind of ruler today: Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko, Tunisia’s Kais Saied and, of course, the poster-figure for the new authoritarians, Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

    Trump’s admiration for Putin is a matter of public record. For alt-right thinkers who are influential with Trump, such as Steve Bannon, Putin provides a blueprint for how new authoritarianism works.

    Authoritarians like Putin must govern through the state, not the people, because, as social psychologist Bob Altemeyer explains, they ultimately represent a tiny minority of the population.

    Military dictatorships rule through the armed forces. The fascist regimes of 20th century Europe were ultimately police states. They relied on converting paramilitary death squads into secret police (like the Gestapo) and state security (the SS in Nazi Germany).

    The new authoritarians, however, govern through the transformation of the civil service into their own personal political machines.

    That is why Trump is obsessed with the “deep state”, by which he means the way in which democratic institutions have built-in legal safeguards defended by civil servants, who can potentially frustrate executive orders. The new authoritarian strategy is to appoint a stratum of political loyalists to key positions in their administrations, who can circumvent institutional checks. But that is no easy matter.

    If Trump is elected, he has vowed to “crush the deep state”, for example, by purging thousands of nonpolitical civil service employees. As part of this, he has pledged to establish a “truth and reconciliation commission” oriented to punishing those he thinks opposed him the past.

    Trump has been following this new authoritarian playbook for nearly his entire political career. These are the three steps he is taking to lay the groundwork for authoritarian rule:

    1) Undermine electoral integrity

    The first key to new authoritarianism: subvert democracy by undermining electoral integrity. The acid test here? Authoritarians do not accept election results when the opposition has won. As Trump has very bluntly put it, “I am a very proud election denier”.

    Trump’s opening move in this regard was to take over the Republican Party. He used election denialism to do this, while also marginalising any moderates who opposed him.

    The Trump Republican Party is now a minority party, oriented to white grievance, resentment of immigrants and the anti-democratic idea that a country should be run like a company.

    Its only hope for winning government as a minority party is by trying to suppress the vote of its opponents. To do this, pro-Trump Republican states have passed a number of laws since 2020 to make voting more difficult.

    These states have also aggressively removed people from the voting rolls. Texas alone has stricken one million voters off its rolls since 2021, only 6,500 of whom were deemed non-citizens.

    If Trump wins, he will likely make it even harder for people to vote. Civil rights groups fear he may introduce a citizenship question to the census, use the Department of Justice to conduct a massive purge of voter rolls, and launch criminal investigations of electoral officials.

    As a backup, Trump will likely resurrect the “election integrity commission” he established in 2017 to justify his claims of alleged voter fraud in the 2016 election and support his election denialism narrative.

    2) Weaken the legislative and judicial branches

    The second key to new authoritarianism: circumventing the checks-and-balances function of the legislative branch of government. The goal here is to rule by executive fiat or govern through a stacked legislative majority.

    The new authoritarians often govern through executive orders, including the use of emergency powers. For instance, Trump has envisaged a scenario in which a Republican Congress could enact emergency powers to empower the president to overturn the authority of state governors to fire their prosecutors and use the National Guard for law enforcement.

    Such a development would depend on a number of factors, including the complicity of the judiciary. This is why new authoritarians also attempt to stack the judiciary with loyalists.

    In his first term, Trump not only appointed three Supreme Court justices, he also placed judges to the federal appeals courts, district courts and circuit courts.

    3) Attack their enemies

    This leads to the third pillar of new authoritarianism: decapitating the political opposition and suppressing dissent.

    Trump’s threats to investigate and prosecute his enemies, including leading figures in the Democratic Party, should be taken very seriously. His calls to target the “enemy from within” were pointedly directed at what he deemed “radical left lunatics”.

    Journalists and the news media would also likely be targeted. Trump’s statement that the broadcast licenses of national networks should be revoked, for example, needs to be understood in the context of his pledges to dismantle federal regulatory agencies if elected.

    That matters, because the next step for new authoritarians to solidify their power is through suppressing dissent. Trump has proposed using the military in civil contexts to target criminals and prevent illegal immigration. He has reportedly even questioned why the military couldn’t “just shoot” protesters.

    It is important to understand how this differs from fascism, because it is central to Trump’s ability to retain electoral support.

    Classical fascism under dictators like Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini was based on street-fighting, paramilitary movements, which used violence to intimidate and crush the opposition. The equivalents of this today are right-wing militias such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

    Trump keeps one foot on the edge of this camp. But alt-right figures like Bannon understand that swastika flags and paramilitary uniforms are a political liability. Their preference is for new authoritarianism, which is able to push
    a right-wing extremist agenda by reducing democracy to sham elections, rather than openly setting up a totalitarian regime.

    As such, Trump can dodge accusations of being a “fascist” by telling the Proud Boys to “stand by”, while throwing up a smokescreen of equivocations about the January 6 Capitol insurrection. He can distance himself from kind of paramilitary violence that is reminiscent of classical fascism.

    It is about time to call things by their true names. Trump has the anti-democratic tendencies of a new authoritarian – and, as his opponents point out, he seems likely to put his words into actions if elected a second time.

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

    – ref. Is Donald Trump a fascist? No – he’s a new brand of authoritarian – https://theconversation.com/is-donald-trump-a-fascist-no-hes-a-new-brand-of-authoritarian-241586

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INS TALWAR ARRIVES AT LA RÉUNION, FRANCE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 28 OCT 2024 4:21PM by PIB Delhi

    Indian Navy’s frontline stealth frigate, INS Talwar, arrived at La Réunion on 27 October 24 as a part of her ongoing deployment in Indian Ocean Region. The visit to La Reunion aims to strengthen India – France partnership to tackle regional maritime security challenges,

    The ship will undertake cross-deck visits and interactions with the French Navy during the port visit. Earlier, the ship was kept open for visit by Pravasi Bharatiya on 27 October 2024.

    India and France have traditionally enjoyed friendly relations and share a deep, enduring strategic partnership.

    INS Talwar was commissioned on 18 June 2003 and is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet under the Western Naval Command. The ship is currently commanded by Captain Jithu George. The ship had recently participated in the IBSAMAR VIII multilateral exercise held in South Africa.

    *****

    VM/SPS

    (Release ID: 2068869) Visitor Counter : 90

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Street art as a tool to fight for peace | UN Peacekeeping

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    This year peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Cyprus, Abyei and the Democratic Republic of the Congo harnessed the power of street art to promote social change.

    Local artists and peacekeepers collaborated to create murals addressing issues such as youth engagement, misinformation, and gender-based violence.

    Learn more about the power of artivism: https://bit.ly/3YB1LIq

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYP7bcaYfSs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Introductory Remarks at the IMF’s African Department Press Briefing

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    By Abebe Selassie, Director
    Annual Meetings, October 2024

    October 25, 2024

    As Prepared for Delivery

    Good morning, or good afternoon to those of you joining us online from Africa and beyond. Thank you for joining us today for the release of the October IMF Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa.

    Before we begin and take your questions, I would like to share some thoughts on the current economic developments in the region. 

    The first point I would like to make is that economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa remains subdued, especially in per capita terms.

    We are projecting growth of 3.6 percent this year, the same as last year, with some signs of a pickup to 4.2 percent next year. This pace is not sufficient to significantly reduce poverty or to recover ground lost in recent years, let alone address the substantial developmental challenges ahead. It is also still far from the 6-7 percent growth rates the region enjoyed until about a decade ago.

    But as always, it is important to highlight the considerable differences across countries in the region. Despite lackluster average growth, nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies are in sub-Saharan Africa—and those with more diversified economic structures are the ones doing better. These countries continue to experience strong growth. In contrast, in many resource intensive countries, growth is very anemic and poverty is rising sharply.

    The second point I want to make is that we are seeing some improvement in macroeconomic imbalances. Inflation continues to decline, and budget deficits have begun to narrow, reverting to pre-crisis levels. Debt-to-GDP ratios are also stabilizing albeit at a high level, which are positive signs for the region’s economic health.

    However, a third point I would like to stress is the challenging political and social backdrop against which governments are implementing much-needed reforms. The cost-of-living crisis, particularly due to higher food prices, has been more acute in our region. And this has intensified the strain on households who spend a larger share of household expenses on food. Governments are making fiscal adjustments by increasing revenue and compressing spending. But elevated interest burdens continue to strain public finances and they add to the sense that government services are not improving or even deteriorating.

    Against this backdrop, our report discusses the tough balancing act that policymakers face:

    • Pursing macroeconomic stability;
    • while meeting development needs, including strengthening social safety nets to protect the most vulnerable;
    • and designing reforms that are socially and politically acceptable.

    This latter point—making reforms acceptable—requires effective communication and consultation, improved governance to rebuild public trust, and measures that help promote inclusive growth through job creation.

    I would also like to highlight the intensified engagement of the Fund in the region. Our involvement is at one of the highest levels in recent history, with numerous ongoing programs and financial arrangements. Since 2020, the Fund has made available over $60 billion in financing for the region.

    However, declining official development assistance is challenging the effectiveness of our support. While countries like Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, and Cameroon have returned to markets this year, access for many other countries remains limited, and financing conditions remain costly and difficult. This forces countries to make significant adjustments with limited external financing.

    Much work remains to be done to reinvigorate reforms and tap into the region’s tremendous potential. We delve into these topics in our upcoming Regional Economic Outlook, where we discuss policy considerations for calibrating strategies amid diverse circumstances and constrained financing.

    Thank you for your attention. I am now happy to take your questions.

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/10/25/sp102524-subsaharan-africa-press-briefing-abebe-selassie

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Introductory Remarks at the IMF’s African Department Press Briefing

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    By Abebe Selassie, Director
    Annual Meetings, October 2024

    October 25, 2024

    As Prepared for Delivery

    Good morning, or good afternoon to those of you joining us online from Africa and beyond. Thank you for joining us today for the release of the October IMF Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa.

    Before we begin and take your questions, I would like to share some thoughts on the current economic developments in the region. 

    The first point I would like to make is that economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa remains subdued, especially in per capita terms.

    We are projecting growth of 3.6 percent this year, the same as last year, with some signs of a pickup to 4.2 percent next year. This pace is not sufficient to significantly reduce poverty or to recover ground lost in recent years, let alone address the substantial developmental challenges ahead. It is also still far from the 6-7 percent growth rates the region enjoyed until about a decade ago.

    But as always, it is important to highlight the considerable differences across countries in the region. Despite lackluster average growth, nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies are in sub-Saharan Africa—and those with more diversified economic structures are the ones doing better. These countries continue to experience strong growth. In contrast, in many resource intensive countries, growth is very anemic and poverty is rising sharply.

    The second point I want to make is that we are seeing some improvement in macroeconomic imbalances. Inflation continues to decline, and budget deficits have begun to narrow, reverting to pre-crisis levels. Debt-to-GDP ratios are also stabilizing albeit at a high level, which are positive signs for the region’s economic health.

    However, a third point I would like to stress is the challenging political and social backdrop against which governments are implementing much-needed reforms. The cost-of-living crisis, particularly due to higher food prices, has been more acute in our region. And this has intensified the strain on households who spend a larger share of household expenses on food. Governments are making fiscal adjustments by increasing revenue and compressing spending. But elevated interest burdens continue to strain public finances and they add to the sense that government services are not improving or even deteriorating.

    Against this backdrop, our report discusses the tough balancing act that policymakers face:

    • Pursing macroeconomic stability;
    • while meeting development needs, including strengthening social safety nets to protect the most vulnerable;
    • and designing reforms that are socially and politically acceptable.

    This latter point—making reforms acceptable—requires effective communication and consultation, improved governance to rebuild public trust, and measures that help promote inclusive growth through job creation.

    I would also like to highlight the intensified engagement of the Fund in the region. Our involvement is at one of the highest levels in recent history, with numerous ongoing programs and financial arrangements. Since 2020, the Fund has made available over $60 billion in financing for the region.

    However, declining official development assistance is challenging the effectiveness of our support. While countries like Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, and Cameroon have returned to markets this year, access for many other countries remains limited, and financing conditions remain costly and difficult. This forces countries to make significant adjustments with limited external financing.

    Much work remains to be done to reinvigorate reforms and tap into the region’s tremendous potential. We delve into these topics in our upcoming Regional Economic Outlook, where we discuss policy considerations for calibrating strategies amid diverse circumstances and constrained financing.

    Thank you for your attention. I am now happy to take your questions.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove, Jacobs Introduce Legislation to Institutionalize African Diaspora Advisory Council

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswomen Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) introduced a bill to codify the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States, ensuring the Council is not a one-off initiative but an important asset that continues to be utilized by future administrations.

    “The African diaspora in Los Angeles and across the U.S.—from recent immigrants to the descendants of enslaved Black Americans—are leading advocates for a strong U.S.-Africa relationship,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “These communities have pioneered U.S.-African partnerships in trade, education, climate, sports, and the arts, and are our greatest asset when it comes to enhancing ties with the continent. The President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement is a long overdue recognition of the critical role our diaspora plays in advancing common interests and addressing shared challenges. Codifying this initiative affirms the U.S.’s continued commitment to bolstering mutually beneficial relationships with the African continent.”

    Congresswoman Jacobs, the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said: “The African diaspora in the United States is a special, and often untapped, resource as we continue rebuilding and strengthening our relationship with the African continent. That’s why it’s so important that we codify the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement and make permanent the pathway for direct and robust dialogue between the African diaspora and U.S. officials. As we work to tackle our shared challenges and promising opportunities, the African diaspora’s strong ties and deep knowledge will be invaluable.”

    Full text of this legislation can be found here.

    ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON AFRICAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES: 

    The establishment of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement was a deliverable announced during the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The Council advises the President, through the Secretary of State, on issues involving the African diaspora and U.S.-Africa ties in an effort to enhance dialogue between United States officials and the African diaspora. In July, the Council conducted its first visit to the continentto strengthen ties between the United States and Nigeria through diaspora-led initiatives. A list of the Council’s inaugural members can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Maryland Men Convicted At Trial After Violent Crime Spree

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenbelt, Maryland – After a 9-day trial, a federal jury returned verdicts against Thaddeus Lamont Wills, age 51, and Keionta Shawn Hagens, age 44, both of Waldorf, Maryland, of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, carjacking, and of murder.

    The conviction was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Troy D. Berry of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Prince William County, Virginia Police Department.

    Evidence presented at trial established that on November 12, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, while armed with firearms, robbed an employee of Business-1 of cash and merchandise, and a customer of Business-1 of personal property.  To facilitate their escape from Business-1, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, forcefully, and using firearms, took a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck from the victim customer.

    Trial evidence further established that on or about November 17, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens used a stolen 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck to drive to Business-2 for the purpose of robbing Business-2.  Wills and Hagens thereafter, while using at least one firearm, robbed an employee of Business-2 of cash and merchandise as well as a customer of personal property.  During the robbery, Wills and Hagens zip tied the hands of the employee.  In addition, Between November 12, 2020, and November 26, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, stored and concealed the stolen Dodge Ram pickup and stolen Ford F-150 pickup in the area of Brandywine, Maryland.  

    On January 6, 2021, in Waldorf, Maryland, conspirators, including Wills, while armed with firearms, forcefully took a 2008 Honda Pilot Sport Utility Vehicle from a victim. On January 6 and January 7, 2021, conspirators, including Wills, used the 2008 Honda Pilot to travel from Maryland into Virginia.  Then, on January 7, 2021, in Woodbridge, Virginia, conspirators, including Wills, while armed with firearms, robbed customers, agents and employees of Business-3 of cash, merchandise, and personal property.  After driving the 2008 Honda Pilot back from Virginia to Maryland on January 7, 2021, Wills and a co-conspirator burned the vehicle in the area of Brandywine, Maryland. 

    Finally, on January 18, 2021, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, robbed Victim-8, the owner of Business-4, of merchandise while using at least two firearms, and shot and killed the business owner during the robbery.  In order to escape after the robbery and murder of the victim, Wills used a firearm to forcefully take a 2019 Lexus RX350 Sport Utility Vehicle from a separate victim.

    Wills faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the murder of victim-8 during the robbery on January 18, 2021; a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years and a maximum sentence of life for each count of using, carrying, brandishing a firearm during the robbery on November 17, 2020, the carjacking on January 6, 2021, and the carjacking on January 18, 2021. Wills faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison each for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery related to the robberies on November 17, 2020 and January 18, 2021, as well as a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each carjacking.

    Hagens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for using and carrying a firearm during the robbery on November 17, 2020.  Hagens also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years each for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery for the robberies on November 17, 2020 and January 18, 2021.

    U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Wills on February 7, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. and for Hagens on February 14, 2024 at 9:30 am.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, PGPD, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prince William County, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Moomau and Patrick D. Kibbe, who are prosecuting the federal case.

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Correctional Officers Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Using Inmates’ Stolen Identities in International Fraud Scheme

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

    INDIANAPOLIS—Martins Tochukwu Chidiobi, 34, and Lawrence Onyesonwu, 38, of Muncie, have each been sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and payment of a $5,000 fine, after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft and making false statements to a financial institution.

    According to court documents, between on or about 2015 and their arrest date in January 2019, Chidiobi and Onyesonwu worked as Correctional Officers at the New Castle Correctional Facility, a privately managed prison within the Indiana Department of Corrections. During that time, Chidiobi and Onyesonwu stole at least five inmates’ personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. The defendants used the stolen identities of the victim inmates to open at least nine accounts at various Indiana banks using fraudulent passports. The fraudulent passports were purportedly issued by Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana, and included pictures of the defendants, but the names and other information of the identity theft victims.

    The accounts opened by the defendants with the stolen identities were then used to receive the proceeds of broader fraud schemes. A total of at least $331,282 was deposited into the defendants’ fraudulent bank accounts from at least 11 sources. Investigators worked to identify and contact individuals who deposited funds into fraudulent accounts. Of the eleven depositors able to be identified, each was themselves the victim of a “romance scam” or other fraud scheme. Further investigation revealed that the defendants also received deposits of apparent fraud proceeds into their own personal bank accounts.

    The vast majority of the over $331,282 in apparent fraud proceeds received by the defendants was withdrawn as cash. A large portion of the money was transferred into Nigerian bank accounts.

    “It is simply reprehensible for correctional officers to exploit their positions to steal inmates’ identities and further the financial exploitation of scam victims,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Transnational fraud schemes have lasting repercussions for victims all over the country, and everyone who commits these crimes must be held accountable. The federal prison sentences imposed here should serve as a warning that the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to pursuing financial criminals and holding them accountable.”

    “This sentence highlights the FBI’s resolve to investigate and prosecute those who exploit their authority for personal gain. The men and women of the FBI are committed to showing respect for the dignity of all those we protect including victims who are incarcerated,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “I am extremely proud of the work we do to protect the rights of all Americans.”

    The FBI investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. 

    U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –