NewzIntel.com

Category: Africa

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University chess players held a large-scale tournament

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Botvinnik Chess Club of SPbPU organized an open international interuniversity online chess tournament INTER SEP-24 as part of the Interuniversity Team Battles series. More than 1,000 people took part in the event.

    The chess players included representatives from Russia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Argentina, Kenya, Australia, Switzerland, Fiji, Brazil, India, Ghana, South Africa, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Liberia and Mexico.

    The organization and conduct of the tournament was carried out by Polytech students Ruslan Barseghyan, Makari Yanchev, Alexey Arkhipovsky, Alexander Khvoshchev, Alena Makovkina, Alexey Aktyufeev, Daniil Agalakov, Lev Bystritsky, Artem Mkrtchyan, Elizaveta Khazagaeva, Anna Sukhova, Anastasia Kotova, Daniil Podreshetnikov, Bogdan Sivov, Angelina Velichko, Anastasia Bulyuk, Denis Zhdanov and Anastasia Kondratyeva.

    As a result, the AITU team from Astana took first place. The representatives of the Baikal State University from Irkutsk came in second. The third place was awarded to the TUSUR team from Tomsk.

    Once again, the largest inter-university tournament brought together representatives from 16 countries. We intend to develop and expand this event further to make it part of the international university culture, – shared the head of the SPbPU chess club Pavel Martynov.

    The final table of the international interuniversity chess tournament INTER SEP-24 can be seen atlink.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/sport/chess-players-Polytechnic-held-a-large-scale-tournament/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Deputy Minister Mr Alvin Botes, delivers a public lecture at at the University of KwaZulu Natal

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

    The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Mr Alvin Botes, delivers a public lecture at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, The Public Lecture will focus on a review of South Africa’s role in the world after 30 years of democracy, including challenges and opportunities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU3TdSWafvg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – Poverty is rising and inequality widening in Asia and the Pacific, new UN report reveals – UN ESCAP

    Source: United Nations ESCAP

    More than 260 million people in the Asia-Pacific region could be pushed into poverty in the next decade unless governments step up with robust social protection schemes, according to a new United Nations report released today.

    The findings in Protecting our Future Today: Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific report reveal that poverty, both in monetary and non-monetary forms, is rising while inequalities in income and wealth are widening across the region. The number of people in vulnerable situations in the region is expected to rise, as negative shocks continue to hit amid prevailing inequalities. Access to basic opportunities and services also remains too often a distant goal for many.

    Most concerning, 45 per cent of people in the region have no social protection coverage at all. Millions of people living just above the national poverty line are vulnerable to shocks. Without stronger social protection systems, 266 million people could be pushed into poverty in 2040 under a worst-case scenario.

    The report was released at the eighth session of the Committee on Social Development, which opened today and brings together senior government officials, top experts and key stakeholders to explore building inclusive and comprehensive social protection systems that are future proof in view of key megatrends including demographic trends, climate change and digitalization.

    “Megatrends bring both challenges and opportunities. However, we need policy action to maximize the benefits of these megatrends while minimizing their costs,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

    She added, “When done right, social protection and inclusive policies with a gender- and disability lens can enhance people’s resilience, facilitate adaptation and reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Acting today rather than tomorrow is not only more cost-effective but also crucial for intergenerational solidarity and ensuring that no one is left behind.”

    In his keynote address, Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Senior Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute, underscored, “A whole of government and a whole of society approach is needed at the national level to resolve the socio-economic and environmental challenges countries of our region are facing especially given the limited resources available for social spending.”

    The ESCAP report provides a blueprint on how governments can improve social protection systems across the region. Leveraging strategic foresight methodology, the report offers policy recommendations to meet changing conditions and argues that the price of inaction today far exceeds the cost of requisite action.

    “Recent years have shown us how fragile our progress has been in the region. We have heard how poverty is on the rise for the first time in decades. Unless we build the resilience of our people and planet, we cannot achieve sustained peace and prosperity in the region,” said H.E. Maliki Achmad, Deputy Minister of National Development Planning of Indonesia, who was also elected as Chair of the Committee.

    “The recent pledges in the ‘Pact for the Future’ made by our fellow nations, underscore our collective resolve, urgency and responsibility to shape a brighter tomorrow for future generations. This is a critical moment for reflection and action. It is time for us, as a region, to assess our progress and determine how we can come together to create a better future,” said H.E. Anukul Peedkaew, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand.

    Over the next three days, the bi-annual Committee will also review social and economic challenges and opportunities associated with slower population growth and related changes in population age structures, as well as strengthening disability-inclusive development.

    Read the full report: https://socialoutlook.unescap.org/

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary’s statement on the Chagos Islands, 7 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave a statement on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Location:
    House of Commons
    Delivered on:

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory. 

    On Thursday 3 October, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister and Mauritian Prime Minister Jugnauth made a historic announcement. After 2 years of negotiations, and decades of disagreement, the UK and Mauritius have reached a political agreement on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Mr Speaker, the treaty is neither signed nor ratified. But I wanted to update the House on the conclusion of formal negotiations at the earliest opportunity.

    Members will appreciate the context. Since its creation, the Territory and the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has had a contested existence. In recent years, the threat has risen significantly.

    Coming into office, the status quo was clearly not sustainable. A binding judgement against the UK seemed inevitable. It was just a matter of time before our only choices would have been abandoning the base altogether. Or breaking international law.

    If you oppose the deal, which of these alternatives do you prefer? Doing this deal – on our terms – was the sole way to maintain the full and effective operations of the base into the future.

    Mr Speaker, this must be why, in November 2022, the then Foreign Secretary, the Right Honourable Member for Braintree, initiated sovereignty negotiations. It’s also why my immediate predecessor, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, ultimately continued with those talks.

    Under the previous government there were 11 rounds of negotiations, the last one held just weeks before the General Election was called.

    So, in July, this government inherited unfinished business. Where a threat was real, and inaction was not a strategy. Inaction posed several acute risks to the UK.

    First, it threatened the UK-US base. From countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, it is critical for our national security. Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively – nor truly deter our enemies. Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.

    Second, it impacted on our relationship with the US, who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty, and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal. I am a trans-Atlanticist. We had to protect this important relationship.

    And third, it undermined our international standing. We are showing that what we mean is what we say on international law and desire for partnerships with the Global South. This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.

    Mr Speaker, further legal wrangling served nobody’s interests but our adversaries’. In a more volatile world, a deal benefited us all, the UK, US and Mauritius. This government therefore made striking the best possible deal a priority.

    We appointed Jonathan Powell. As the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for these negotiations, he has worked closely with a brilliant team of civil servants and lawyers. Their goal was a way forward which serves UK national interests, respects the interests of our partners, and upholds the international rule of law.

    This agreement fulfils these objectives. It is strongly supported by partners, with President Biden going so far as to “applaud” our achievement within minutes of the announcement! Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin have also backed this “successful outcome” which “reaffirms [our] special defence relationship”.

    And the agreement has been welcomed by the Indian government and commended by the UN Secretary-General.

    In return for agreeing to Mauritian sovereignty over the entire islands, including Diego Garcia, the UK-US base has an uncontested long-term future. Base operations will remain under full UK control well into the next century.

    Mauritius will authorise us to exercise their sovereign rights and authorities in respect of Diego Garcia. This is initially for 99 years, but the UK has the right to extend this.

    And we have full Mauritian backing for robust security arrangements including preventing foreign armed forces from accessing or establishing themselves on the outer islands.

    The base’s long-term future is therefore more secure under this agreement than without it. If this were not the case, I doubt the White House, State Department or Pentagon would have praised the deal so effusively.

    This agreement will be underpinned by a financial settlement that is acceptable to both sides. Members will be aware the government does not normally reveal payments for our military bases overseas. And so it would be inappropriate to publicise further details of these arrangements at this stage.

    Mr Speaker, the agreement also recognises the rights and wrongs of the past. The whole House would agree that the manner in which Chagossians were forcibly removed in the 1960s was deeply wrong and regrettable. Mauritius is now free to implement a resettlement programme to islands other than Diego Garcia.

    The UK and Mauritius have also committed to support Chagossians’ welfare, establishing a new Trust Fund capitalised by the UK and providing additional government support to Chagossians in the UK. And the UK will maintain the pathway for Chagossians to obtain British Citizenship.

    Furthermore, Mauritius and the UK will now establish a new programme of visits to the archipelago for Chagossians. 

    This agreement also ushers in a new era in our relations with Mauritius. A Commonwealth nation and Africa’s leading democracy. We have agreed to intensify cooperation on our shared priorities, including security, growth and the environment. 

    The agreement ensures continued protection of these islands’ unique environment, home to over 200 species of coral and over 800 species of fish.

    Finally Mr Speaker, I want to reassure the House, and all members of the UK family worldwide, that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other Overseas Territories.

    British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.

    This, Mr Speaker, has been acknowledged across our Overseas Territories. Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement, stating that there is “no possible read across” to Gibraltar on the issue of sovereignty.

    Similarly, the Governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and Falklands are “very different”. The government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our Overseas Territories based on mutual consent.

    After Mauritian elections, the government will move towards treaty signature. And it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025, by submitting the Treaty and a Bill to this House for scrutiny.

    This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy. We have saved the base. We have secured Britain’s national interests for the long-term.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: ATFX Announces Strategic Investment in Spark Systems to Enhance Institutional Offerings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ATFX is pleased to announce its investment in Spark Systems, a next generation, institutional-grade eFX trading platform based in Singapore serving clients in Asia and globally. ATFX is entering into this partnership with Spark Systems through a Series C investment, with some of Spark Systems’ investors including global banks such as Citibank and HSBC. This partnership is aimed at enhancing ATFX’s institutional services and will explore synergies between both organizations.

    The investment in Spark Systems creates opportunities to leverage ATFX Connect liquidity within the platform, this builds on ATFX group’s commitment to enhance its trading infrastructure. These initiatives have positioned ATFX as a relevant player in the industry, providing clients with cutting-edge trading solutions and improved market access.

    “Investing in Spark Systems aligns with our strategic vision to enhance our institutional offerings and drive innovation in the eFX space,” said Joe Li, Group Chairman at ATFX. “We believe that this will benefit both organisations and provide our clients with improved trading solutions, especially in the Asian region.” Joo Seng Wong, Founder & CEO of Spark Systems stated, “This collaboration with ATFX represents a significant step forward in our mission to deliver exceptional trading solutions. Together, we will empower ATFX clients with enhanced access to liquidity and offer advanced trading capabilities.”

    ATFX is looking forward to exploring this partnership further and is committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with Spark Systems to enhance its market presence in Asia and beyond.

    About ATFX

    ATFX is a leading global fintech broker with a local presence in 23 locations and licenses from regulatory authorities including the UK’s FCA, Australian ASIC, Cypriot CySEC, UAE’s SCA, Hong Kong SFC and South African FSCA. With a commitment to customer satisfaction, innovative technology, and strict regulatory compliance, ATFX provides valued trading experiences to clients worldwide.

    For further information on ATFX, readers can please visit ATFX website https://www.atfx.com.

    About ATFX Connect

    ATFX Connect is a trading name of AT Global Markets (UK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the FCA), AT Global Markets (Australia) Pty Limited (authorised and regulated by ASIC), and AT Global Financial Services (HK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the SFC). Connect is the Institutional arm of the wider ATFX Group.

    ATFX Connect offers Institutional and Professional traders an extensive range of services for both Agency PB and Margin accounts, provides bespoke aggregated liquidity in Spot FX, NDFs, indices, Commodities and Precious Metals to a wide range of institutional clients from hedge funds, Tier 1 global and regional banks, high net worth investors, asset managers, family offices and other brokers. 

    ATFX Connect’s liquidity pool is constructed from Tier 1 banks and non-bank providers that it has partnered with, trading in both sweepable and full amount forms. 

    Agency PB Clients can connect via direct FIX API, external technology solutions or via the trading platform. For margin clients, ATFX Connect provides market access via the group’s MT4/MT5 platform and provides a bridge solution for those who wish to connect via FIX API. 

    For further information on ATFX, readers can please visit ATFX website https://www.atfxconnect.com.

    About Spark Systems

    Founded in 2016, Spark Systems builds next generation high speed trading platforms. Spark Systems has developed robust eFX trading platforms and the company is uniquely designed to support both buy-side and sell-side clients. The firm has to date received investments from leading global and regional institutions including Citibank, HSBC, Philips Venture, Vickers Venture, Integra Ventures, FengHe, Jubilee CM, Farquhar Venture Capital, 5X Capital, OSK etc. Spark Systems is a grant recipient of Monetary Authority of Singapore FSTI grant. Spark Systems focus is on building state of the art trading technology and infrastructure. The company is connected with all global top 20 FX liquidity providers and eFX non-bank hedge funds as well as major primary markets/ECNs. This aims to position the company for sustainability and growth in the FX market. For further information on Spark Systems, readers can please visit the company’s website http://www.sparksystems.sg

    Contact

    ATFX
    cs.gm@atfx.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Protea Hotels by Marriott Expands Footprint in Africa with New Openings in Nigeria and Zambia

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

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 8, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Protea Hotels by Marriott (www.Marriott.com), part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of over 30 brands, today announced the opening of two new hotels in Africa: Protea by Marriott Delta in Nigeria and Protea by Marriott Lusaka International Airport in Zambia. These new additions highlight Protea Hotels by Marriott’s ongoing expansion on the continent, offering both business and leisure travellers contemporary comfort coupled with authentic local charm.

    “We are excited to expand our footprint in Africa with the opening of these two exceptional properties,” said Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, Vice President of Premium & Select Brands, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Marriott International. “Both hotels are designed to provide a perfect blend of modern amenities and an enriching connection to local culture. These launches further affirm our commitment to delivering the signature African hospitality and personal service that defines Protea Hotels by Marriott, while benefiting from the reach of Marriott International’s global network.”

    Protea Hotel by Marriott Delta, Nigeria

    Located in the heart of Ekpan Warri’s business district, Protea Hotel by Marriott Delta is just a 15-minute drive from Osubi Airport and strategically located near the region’s oil and gas hub. The hotel features 69 contemporary guestrooms and three well-equipped conference rooms suited to both intimate business meetings and large corporate events.

    Culinary offerings include Delta Restaurant, an all-day restaurant serving up an array of local and international cuisines, as well as a lobby and pool bar where guests can unwind with drinks at the end of the day. Other facilities include the Oriki Spa, an outdoor pool, and a fitness centre.

    Protea Hotel by Marriott Lusaka International Airport, Zambia

    Located just minutes from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Protea Hotel by Marriott Lusaka International Airport offers an ideal blend of comfort and convenience for both business and leisure travellers visiting Zambia’s bustling capital, Lusaka.

    The hotel boasts 72 elegantly designed guest rooms, complemented by an all-day restaurant offering a fusion of local and international cuisine. Guests can relax at the bar or unwind by the outdoor pool and fitness centre. Complimentary airport shuttles ensure hassle-free transfers, adding to the seamless experience. For business needs or social gatherings, the hotel offers a range of flexible meeting facilities, including six boardrooms and two meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 104 people combined, making it a prime venue for corporate meetings, workshops, and events.

    With these latest additions, Protea Hotels by Marriott continues to grow its presence across Africa, now boasting more than 60 properties across nine countries, including Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. With a wide-ranging footprint across both business hubs and leisure destinations, Protea Hotels by Marriott remains a top choice for travellers looking to experience the best of Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Angola: US President Biden must demand immediate release of five arbitrarily detained government critics  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    During his visit to Angola from 13 to 15 October, US President Joe Biden must demand Angolan President João Lourenço and his government immediately release five government critics arbitrarily detained for more than a year, four of whom have been tortured through deliberate denial of medical care, Amnesty International said. 

    President Biden must also demand President Lourenço and his government stop the four-year crackdown on peaceful protests which has killed dozens of people, including children, and seen more than 100 arbitrarily arrested during demonstrations. Angolan authorities must respect the rights of all people in the country. 

    “In President João Lourenço’s Angola, anyone who publicly criticizes the government risks arrest, torture or even death. If human rights are central to President Biden’s foreign policy, then he must demand Angola’s government immediately and unconditionally free the five arbitrarily detained government critics and end the crackdown on the right to protest,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact. 

    Police arrested Adolfo Campos, Hermenegildo Victor (known as Gildo das Ruas), Abraão Pedro Santos (known as Pensador) and Gilson Moreira (known as Tanaice Neutro) ahead of a protest against high fuel prices in September 2023. One month earlier, police arrested social media influencer Ana da Silva Miguel (known as Neth Nahara) after she broadcast a live TikTok video criticizing President Lourenço. Neth Nahara is featured in this year’s Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s biggest human rights campaign. 

    If human rights are central to President Biden’s foreign policy, then he must demand Angola’s government immediately and unconditionally free the five arbitrarily detained government critics and end the crackdown on the right to protest.

    Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact

    Prison authorities have denied urgent medical care, including surgery, to Campos, Gildo das Ruas and Tanaice Neutro as their health has deteriorated, amounting to torture. They also held Tanaice in solitary confinement for 36 days. Prison guards prevented Neth Nahara from accessing her daily antiretroviral medication for the first eight months of her detention. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Regularisation of illegal migrants in Spain and consequences for the EU – E-001829/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001829/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Jordan Bardella (PfE), Mathilde Androuët (PfE), Valérie Deloge (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Julien Leonardelli (PfE), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Angéline Furet (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE), Anne-Sophie Frigout (PfE), Catherine Griset (PfE), Malika Sorel (PfE), Pascale Piera (PfE), Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), Matthieu Valet (PfE)

    The Spanish Government has recently relaxed its criteria for regularising irregular migrants by introducing a residence permit for illegal immigrants with a work contract[1].

    To be eligible, they must have lived in Spain for at least 2 years, have a clean criminal record and have an employment contract for just 20 hours per week – criteria that are particularly lax. Alongside this scheme are 12-month residence permits for migrants undergoing training in sectors with shortages, despite the fact that few of them actually obtain long-term employment.

    This increase in regularisations could, however, encourage the exploitation of migrants and spread of criminal networks. Indeed, in June 2024 the police dismantled a large network involved in distributing fake work contracts[2].

    In addition to making immigration more appealing, these regularisations – adopted unilaterally – allow migrants to move freely within the Schengen Area.

    • 1.Does the Commission believe that these more relaxed rules facilitating irregular immigration meet the expectations of Europeans, most of whom want to see more action to combat illegal immigration[3]?
    • 2.Will it revise the Schengen Borders Code to limit free movement to EU nationals alone?

    Submitted: 26.9.2024

    • [1] https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20240722/nuevo-reglamento-extranjeria-flexibilizara-requisitos-regularizar-inmigrantes/16194594.shtml
    • [2] https://www.infomigrants.net/fr/post/57803/un-reseau-de-faux-contrats-de-travail-demantele-en-espagne#:~:text=Cent%20dix%20personnes%2C%20soup%C3%A7onn%C3%A9es%20d,situation%20aupr%C3%A8s%20des%20autorit%C3%A9s%20espagnoles
    • [3] https://fr.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/03/26/la-moitie-des-europeens-desapprouvent-la-politique-migratoire-de-lue-selon-un-sondage

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Deputy Minister Mr Alvin Botes, delivers a public lecture at the University of KwaZulu Natal

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

    The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Mr Alvin Botes, delivers a public lecture at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, The Public Lecture will focus on a review of South Africa’s role in the world after 30 years of democracy, including challenges and opportunities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy3p4TgvYmk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: A geomagnetic storm has hit Earth – a space scientist explains what causes them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amoré Elsje Nel, Applied Geomagnetic Researcher, South African National Space Agency

    A geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky in parts of the US during the first weekend in October. South Africa’s National Space Agency (Sansa) told reporters that the storm had originated from a solar flare “that erupted from sunspot 3842 on October 3”. It said this was the strongest Earth-facing solar flare recorded by Sansa in the past seven years and that the eruption briefly affected high-frequency radio communications, “resulting in a total radio blackout over the African region which lasted for up to 20 minutes”.

    What is a geomagnetic storm? The Conversation Africa asked Sansa’s Amoré Nel, who researches geomagnetics, to explain.

    What is a geomagnetic storm and how common are they?

    A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar activity. There’s a reaction called nuclear fusion that occurs continuously deep within the Sun’s core. This generates massive amounts of energy. Some of the energy is released as light (sunlight), some as radiation (solar flares), and some as charged particles.

    The Sun also continuously emits a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind. Occasionally, the Sun releases larger bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections. It sends clouds of these charged particles, or plasma, hurtling through space. I like to explain it to children this way: the Sun sometimes drinks a soda too fast and then burps. This “burp” is the cloud of plasma which then travels through space. These emissions don’t always hit us. But when they do, they collide with Earth’s magnetic field, disrupt it, and lead to a geomagnetic storm.

    Earth’s magnetic field is an invisible force that surrounds our planet, acting like a giant magnet with a north and south pole. It helps protect us from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles from the Sun.

    The solar flare from 3842 emitted both X-flares (radiation) and a coronal mass ejection. X-flares are radiation; they travel at almost the speed of light and reach Earth within minutes. That’s what caused the brief communications disruption Sansa mentioned on 3 October. But the coronal mass ejection takes much longer to reach us. We’d predicted it would do so over the past weekend but in fact it only reached us on the morning of 8 October.

    Geomagnetic storms occur fairly often. Minor ones happen multiple times per year. The severity of a storm depends on how strong the solar event was that caused it. Larger, more intense storms are less common but can happen every few years. Solar events are closely tied to the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle, which has periods of high and low activity. During the peak of the cycle, called solar maximum, more sunspots and solar flares occur, increasing the likelihood of solar storms.

    We are now heading towards the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which will be in July 2025. Solar maxima usually last between two and three years.

    Are these storms dangerous? What damage can they cause?

    Geomagnetic storms are not typically harmful to humans directly, but they can pose risks to modern technology and infrastructure. One of the most notable dangers is to power grids. Powerful storms can induce electric currents in power lines, potentially overloading transformers and causing blackouts, as happened in Quebec, Canada, in 1989.

    Read more: Solar storm knocks out farmers’ high-tech tractors – an electrical engineer explains how a larger storm could take down the power grid and the internet

    Satellites in space are also vulnerable. A strong storm can damage electronics onboard, disrupt communication signals, and shorten the lifespan of the satellites themselves.

    In aviation, geomagnetic storms can disrupt radio communication and GPS signals, which are vital for aircraft navigation. This is especially important for flights that pass near the polar regions, where the effects of geomagnetic storms are more pronounced. Astronauts and spacecraft are also at risk – the extra radiation can be dangerous for equipment and human health.

    Are there any upsides to this phenomenon?

    Auroras are a visually stunning aspect of geomagnetic storms. These colourful displays in the night sky occur when charged particles from the Sun get captured in Earth’s magnetic field lines, and funnel down towards the poles. Here they interact with Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy that produces shimmering lights.

    The northern lights are seen in the sky above Alta, Norway. Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Auroras can be seen at both the north and south pole, aptly named the northern and southern lights. If storms are big enough, it’s possible to see them in regions much further away from the poles. This happened in South Africa on 11 May 2024.

    Studying geomagnetic storms provides valuable insights into space weather. By understanding how the Sun’s activity affects Earth, scientists can better predict future storms and work to protect the technologies we rely on. The study of geomagnetic storms also contributes to our understanding of the Sun and space in general.

    Can monitoring the storms mitigate the risks?

    Geomagnetic storms are monitored using various instruments on Earth and in space. On Earth, magnetometers measure changes in the magnetic field, allowing scientists to track disturbances as they happen. Sansa operates a dense network of Global Navigation Satellite System receivers in Africa, and magnetometer stations in various parts of southern Africa, for this reason. The agency is currently setting up a magnetometer station in Ethiopia, too. This will improve our ability to monitor geomagnetic storms.

    In space, satellites equipped with sensors monitor the Sun’s activity and detect solar flares or coronal mass ejections before they reach Earth. This data feeds into prediction models used in space weather centres across the globe.

    Once a storm is detected, agencies like Sansa issue alerts and forecasts. These warnings help industries such as power grid operators, satellite companies and aviation authorities to prepare for a storm.

    For example, power companies can temporarily shut down or reconfigure parts of the grid to avoid overloading during a storm. Satellite operators can place their spacecraft into safer operating modes, such as switching off electronic components, and airlines can reroute flights away from high-risk areas.

    Monitoring alone can’t prevent all the damage caused by geomagnetic storms. But it can greatly reduce the risks. Thanks to early warning systems we can protect crucial infrastructure and minimise the effect these storms have on our daily lives.

    – A geomagnetic storm has hit Earth – a space scientist explains what causes them
    – https://theconversation.com/a-geomagnetic-storm-has-hit-earth-a-space-scientist-explains-what-causes-them-240737

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A geomagnetic storm has hit Earth – a space scientist explains what causes them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amoré Elsje Nel, Applied Geomagnetic Researcher, South African National Space Agency

    Geomagnetic storms bring vibrant colours to life in some parts of the world. Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky in parts of the US during the first weekend in October. South Africa’s National Space Agency (Sansa) told reporters that the storm had originated from a solar flare “that erupted from sunspot 3842 on October 3”. It said this was the strongest Earth-facing solar flare recorded by Sansa in the past seven years and that the eruption briefly affected high-frequency radio communications, “resulting in a total radio blackout over the African region which lasted for up to 20 minutes”.

    What is a geomagnetic storm? The Conversation Africa asked Sansa’s Amoré Nel, who researches geomagnetics, to explain.

    What is a geomagnetic storm and how common are they?

    A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar activity. There’s a reaction called nuclear fusion that occurs continuously deep within the Sun’s core. This generates massive amounts of energy. Some of the energy is released as light (sunlight), some as radiation (solar flares), and some as charged particles.

    The Sun also continuously emits a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind. Occasionally, the Sun releases larger bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections. It sends clouds of these charged particles, or plasma, hurtling through space. I like to explain it to children this way: the Sun sometimes drinks a soda too fast and then burps. This “burp” is the cloud of plasma which then travels through space. These emissions don’t always hit us. But when they do, they collide with Earth’s magnetic field, disrupt it, and lead to a geomagnetic storm.

    Earth’s magnetic field is an invisible force that surrounds our planet, acting like a giant magnet with a north and south pole. It helps protect us from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles from the Sun.

    The solar flare from 3842 emitted both X-flares (radiation) and a coronal mass ejection. X-flares are radiation; they travel at almost the speed of light and reach Earth within minutes. That’s what caused the brief communications disruption Sansa mentioned on 3 October. But the coronal mass ejection takes much longer to reach us. We’d predicted it would do so over the past weekend but in fact it only reached us on the morning of 8 October.

    Geomagnetic storms occur fairly often. Minor ones happen multiple times per year. The severity of a storm depends on how strong the solar event was that caused it. Larger, more intense storms are less common but can happen every few years. Solar events are closely tied to the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle, which has periods of high and low activity. During the peak of the cycle, called solar maximum, more sunspots and solar flares occur, increasing the likelihood of solar storms.

    We are now heading towards the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which will be in July 2025. Solar maxima usually last between two and three years.

    Are these storms dangerous? What damage can they cause?

    Geomagnetic storms are not typically harmful to humans directly, but they can pose risks to modern technology and infrastructure. One of the most notable dangers is to power grids. Powerful storms can induce electric currents in power lines, potentially overloading transformers and causing blackouts, as happened in Quebec, Canada, in 1989.



    Read more:
    Solar storm knocks out farmers’ high-tech tractors – an electrical engineer explains how a larger storm could take down the power grid and the internet

    Satellites in space are also vulnerable. A strong storm can damage electronics onboard, disrupt communication signals, and shorten the lifespan of the satellites themselves.

    In aviation, geomagnetic storms can disrupt radio communication and GPS signals, which are vital for aircraft navigation. This is especially important for flights that pass near the polar regions, where the effects of geomagnetic storms are more pronounced. Astronauts and spacecraft are also at risk – the extra radiation can be dangerous for equipment and human health.

    Are there any upsides to this phenomenon?

    Auroras are a visually stunning aspect of geomagnetic storms. These colourful displays in the night sky occur when charged particles from the Sun get captured in Earth’s magnetic field lines, and funnel down towards the poles. Here they interact with Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy that produces shimmering lights.

    The northern lights are seen in the sky above Alta, Norway.
    Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Auroras can be seen at both the north and south pole, aptly named the northern and southern lights. If storms are big enough, it’s possible to see them in regions much further away from the poles. This happened in South Africa on 11 May 2024.

    Studying geomagnetic storms provides valuable insights into space weather. By understanding how the Sun’s activity affects Earth, scientists can better predict future storms and work to protect the technologies we rely on. The study of geomagnetic storms also contributes to our understanding of the Sun and space in general.

    Can monitoring the storms mitigate the risks?

    Geomagnetic storms are monitored using various instruments on Earth and in space. On Earth, magnetometers measure changes in the magnetic field, allowing scientists to track disturbances as they happen. Sansa operates a dense network of Global Navigation Satellite System receivers in Africa, and magnetometer stations in various parts of southern Africa, for this reason. The agency is currently setting up a magnetometer station in Ethiopia, too. This will improve our ability to monitor geomagnetic storms.

    In space, satellites equipped with sensors monitor the Sun’s activity and detect solar flares or coronal mass ejections before they reach Earth. This data feeds into prediction models used in space weather centres across the globe.

    Once a storm is detected, agencies like Sansa issue alerts and forecasts. These warnings help industries such as power grid operators, satellite companies and aviation authorities to prepare for a storm.

    For example, power companies can temporarily shut down or reconfigure parts of the grid to avoid overloading during a storm. Satellite operators can place their spacecraft into safer operating modes, such as switching off electronic components, and airlines can reroute flights away from high-risk areas.

    Monitoring alone can’t prevent all the damage caused by geomagnetic storms. But it can greatly reduce the risks. Thanks to early warning systems we can protect crucial infrastructure and minimise the effect these storms have on our daily lives.

    Amoré Elsje Nel works for the South African National Space Agency. She receives a Thuthuka Grant (TTK210406592410) from the National Research Foundation.

    – ref. A geomagnetic storm has hit Earth – a space scientist explains what causes them – https://theconversation.com/a-geomagnetic-storm-has-hit-earth-a-space-scientist-explains-what-causes-them-240737

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – President of the Bishops’ Conference: “No to political divisions that undermine the country’s development”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “The division of political leaders is a scandal. They claim to be Christians but promote the disunity of the country,” said the President of the Kenyan Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Kisumu, Maurice Muhatia Makumba. In his homily for the national prayer at the Marian Shrine in Subukia (Nakuru) on October 5, Archbishop Makumba criticized Kenyan politicians who “instead of expressing the gift of unity that comes from God, express division and divide citizens.” Political division, warned the President of the Bishops’ Conference, undermines the country’s economic development at a time when people need it most, burdened by rising prices, unemployment and rising taxes. “May the Lord touch the hearts and minds of our political leaders so that they understand what the people are asking of them. We need leaders who unite the country and not divide it to pursue their own selfish interests,” he warned.The background to Archbishop Makumba’s comments is the serious rifts at the top of the State. On October 1, an 11-count impeachment procedure was initiated against Vice President Rigathi Gachagua by a member of the presidential coalition (Kenya Kwanza). This is the latest act in the months-long dispute between Gachagua and President William Ruto. The 11 charges include ” insubordination” against the President and “attack on national unity” as well as conflict of interest, embezzlement and abuse of power. The motion against him states in particular that he “has inexplicably amassed a huge fortune estimated at 5.2 billion shillings (about 36 million euros) over the past two years, mainly from alleged corruption and money laundering.”Today, October 8, parliamentarians are expected to debate the motion to impeach Gachagua. A total of 291 parliamentarians, more than the 117 required by the Constitution, have signed the motion. Kenyan President William Ruto, meanwhile, has not yet publicly commented on the impeachment process, while in the first days of his presidency he said he would not publicly humiliate his deputy, alluding to the difficult relationship he had with his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta during his second term. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 8/10/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Democratic Republic of the Congo begins mpox vaccination campaign

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo has begun a campaign of vaccination against mpox to complement the ongoing efforts to halt the spread of the viral disease and save lives.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTKRMJKZ-lw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Intercontinental knowledge transfer: South Africa improves e-waste management with support from Empa

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    Dübendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 08.10.2024 – In summer 2024, the South African government published a strategy paper on the management of e-waste, which was developed in collaboration with Empa. This is the first time the country has issued standardized guidelines for the proper and safe handling of e-waste. The collaboration is part of a program funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

    Electronic waste can pose a considerable risk to people and the environment, as it often contains toxic substances such as the heavy metals mercury and cadmium. At the same time, discarded electrical and electronic devices are an important source of valuable materials, for instance copper and gold. Proper disposal and recycling of e-waste is therefore crucial – also for developing and newly industrialized countries, who can use it to safeguard their populations and strengthen their economies.

    With support from Empa, South Africa has now come a good deal closer to this goal. In June 2024, the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment published, for the first time, a comprehensive e-waste management strategy. An important basis for this strategy was provided by the Sustainable Recycling Industries program (SRI, see text box), financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

    Sustainable change

    As part of the SRI program, Empa and the World Resources Forum (WRF) are working with teams from several developing and newly industrialized countries, including South Africa, to improve the recycling of e-waste in these countries. The aim is both to create the necessary legal framework and to impart technical know-how. “Thanks to the collaboration with Empa and the WRF, our partner countries benefit from proven expert knowledge,” says Philipp Ischer, program manager at SECO. According to the expert, this has a very positive effect on the development of the legal foundations for recycling and the formulation of the relevant norms and standards.

    “One of our activities as part of the SRI program, for example, is the training of auditors who check the quality of e-waste handling processes at recycling companies,” says Manuele Capelli, a researcher in Empa’s Technology and Society laboratory, which manages the program together with the WRF. Members of the Critical Materials and Resource Efficiency (CARE) research group, which has a longs-standing experience in development cooperation, also carried out audits for the Swiss e-waste recycling industry until 2023.

    The expertise from small, prosperous Switzerland cannot, however, be transferred one-to-one to a large newly industrialized country like South Africa. “One of SRI’s goals is to promote sustainable change so that the activities continue even after the program ends,” emphasizes Capelli. Special attention is therefore paid to cooperation with local teams. “Our partners are in contact with the authorities and the industry in South Africa and are very familiar with the country-specific challenges in the area of electronic waste recycling.”

    Creating suitable conditions

    The recycling of batteries is one example of the e-waste management challenges particular to South Africa. The power grid in the country is unstable; hour-long power cuts have been a daily occurrence for years. “As the largest electricity producer in the region, South Africa has no easy way of importing electricity,” explains Capelli. For this reason, many wealthy households rely on their own solar system with battery storage, resulting in large quantities of used batteries over time. “Batteries are a particularly dangerous form of e-waste. They can cause fires if stored incorrectly and not properly monitored,” says Capelli. Thanks to their experience with the recycling and reuse of batteries, the Empa researchers were able to pass on useful know-how to their local partners.

    Otherwise, South Africa faces similar challenges in e-waste recycling as other newly industrialized countries, says Capelli: “The quantities of e-waste are increasing, but disposal and recycling are often inadequate or unsafe. With the new strategy paper, the country now has comprehensive and uniform guidelines for the first time in order to better overcome these challenges. “This is a major milestone and we are delighted to have been able to support South Africa in this,” he says.

    Sustainable Recycling Industries
    Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) is a program funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and run by Empa and the World Resources Forum (WRF), an international non-profit organization that emerged from Empa. The aim of the program is to create favorable framework conditions for a sustainable recycling industry for e-waste and related waste streams in selected developing and emerging countries. The countries involved are Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Peru and South Africa. SRI is currently in its second phase, which will run until 2025. Colombia and Peru have already successfully completed the program.

    http://www.sustainable-recycling.org

    Address for enquiries

    Manuele Capelli
    Technology and Society
    Phone +41 58 765 69 01
    manuele.capelli@empa.ch

    Mathias Schluep
    Managing Director, World Resources Forum
    Phone +41 71 554 09 06
    mathias.schluep@wrforum.org

    Publisher

    Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research
    http://www.empa.ch

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – Green transformation of transport sector in Samoa receives major boost with mass donation of 76 EVs from UNDP to the Government of Samoa

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    03 October 2024

    Apia, SAMOA – Seventy-six electric vehicles (EVs) were handed over to the Government of Samoa earlier today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), thanks to a major regional project that Samoa is part of, funded by the Government of Japan.

    Valued at more than US$6 million, the EVs were supplied by the Ford-Hyundai Samoa company.

    They include 24 sedans, 19 SUVs, 12 pick-up trucks, two of which were converted to first-responder firefighter trucks, a flat-bed truck converted to an oxygen tanks carrier truck with loading/unloading platform, and 20 plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) passenger vans (minibuses).

    Fifty-three EVs will serve as official vehicles to cater for delegates of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) later this month.

    Supporting infrastructure are also now in place, with 14 wall mounted EV charging stations installed at selected Government premises, five high capacity ground mounted Direct Current (DC) type charging stations at the Tuanaimato Bowser, and several public charging stations, such as a solar-powered DC type charging station at the Mulifanua wharf, and the Faleolo and Fagalii airports, as well as other locations. The Bowser central government charging station will be fully operational later this month.

    All this was made possible under the Climate Action Pathways for Island Transport (CAP-IT) Project, implemented by the Government of Samoa via the leadership of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (MWTI), in partnership with UNDP, and funded by Japan.

    “We applaud the fact that this is the first time in the world that some of these EV models have been manufactured and reconfigured to suit our purposes. Most significantly, the procurement of this first lot of EVs for the Government fleet, is our response to the Expected Outcomes of the Pathway to the Development of Samoa 2021 to 2026, in placing emphasis on strengthening and increasing ‘Green Developments’,” said Hon. Olo Fiti Afoa Vaai, Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure.

    The project aims to promote urgent and inclusive transformation of the land and maritime transport sectors towards decarbonization. The project supports the achievement of Samoa’s enhanced NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) which is a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts, for the energy and transport sector by 2030.

    “Today’s launch of EVs represents a pivotal moment in our journey towards a cleaner and more resilient transportation system in Samoa. The CAP-IT project is a vital part of our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and promote sustainable mobility solutions across the islands. With these electric vehicles, Samoa takes another step towards achieving our Sustainable Development Goals, also Samoa’s NDCs, and leading by example in the Pacific region,” said Aliona Niculita, UNDP Resident Representative.

    Two critical related studies were also launched today focusing on (1) End-of-life EV battery management, and (2) Traffic volumes, vehicle registration, imports, and ownership.

    “The two reports we are launching today – The Baseline Assessment of Samoa”

    Transport Sector and The Report on Solutions for the Safe Disposal and Recycling of EV Batteries – will play a critical role in shaping Samoa’s National Transport Decarbonization Strategy. These reports represent a crucial step towards advancing sustainable transport solutions for the future,” said H.E. Senta Keisuke, Japan’s Ambassador to Samoa.

    The CAP-IT project is a component of the Japan-funded regional project, ‘Promoting Green Transformation in the Pacific Region towards Net-zero and Climate-Resilient Development’, also supporting Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu in achieving their green transformation ambitions for a more inclusive, climate-resilient future.

    The US$36.8 million regional project, with a country allocation of US$15.5 million for Samoa, is scheduled for completion in March 2025.

    -ENDS-

    SOURCE – Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure Samoa, Embassy of Japan in Samoa, UNDP in Samoa, Cook Islands, Tokelau & Niue

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ormat Technologies, Inc. to Host Conference Call Announcing Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RENO, Nev., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA), a leading renewable energy company, today announced that it plans to publish its third quarter financial results in a press release that will be issued on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, after the market closes. In conjunction with this report, the Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results at 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

    To join the call, please dial +1-646-960-0440, approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. The access code for the call is 2705841. Please request the “Ormat Technologies, Inc. call” when prompted by the conference call operator. The conference call will also be accompanied by a live webcast which will be hosted on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website.

    A replay will be available one hour after the end of the conference call. To access the replay, please dial +1-647-362-9199. Please use the replay access code 2705841. The webcast will also be archived on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website.

    ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES

    With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (“REG”), with robust plans to accelerate long-term growth in the energy storage market and to establish a leading position in the U.S. energy storage market. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter – a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed for utilities and developers worldwide, totaling approximately 3,200 MW of gross capacity. Ormat leveraged its core capabilities in the geothermal and REG industries and its global presence to expand the Company’s activity into energy storage services, solar Photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage plus Solar PV. Ormat’s current total generating portfolio is 1,420MW with a 1,230MW geothermal and solar generation portfolio that is spread globally in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guadeloupe, and a 190MW energy storage portfolio that is located in the U.S.

    Ormat Technologies Contact:
    Smadar Lavi
    VP, Head of IR and ESG Planning & Reporting
    775-356-9029 (ext. 65726)
    slavi@ormat.com    		 Investor Relations Agency Contact:
    Josh Carroll or Joseph Caminiti
    Alpha IR Group
    312-445-2870
    ORA@alpha-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Focus on global health issues at UN General Assembly Session

    Source: Government of Sweden

    On 26 September, Ms Ankarberg Johansson took part in a High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR means that infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) develop resistance to treatment.

    “Thanks to Sweden’s prominent work to counter antimicrobial resistance, we are well-equipped to contribute to global efforts. That’s why the General Assembly is a very important forum in which to participate and share Swedish experiences,” says Ms Ankarberg Johansson.

    The Meeting was the second of its kind, with the first having taken place in 2016. The Meeting included the ceremonial adoption of a political declaration on undertakings to counter AMR. Sweden was one of the most active EU countries during negotiations on the declaration, and many of Sweden’s priority issues have in some way been incorporated into the political declaration.

    Sweden’s AMR Ambassador Malin Grape also took part in the High-level Meeting.

    Swedish side event emphasises cooperation against AMR across borders

    On 25 September, the day before the High-level Meeting, Ms Ankarberg Johansson delivered the opening address at the side event Fostering Cross-Country Solidarity to Address Antimicrobial Resistance in the WHO European Region and Beyond. The event was organised by the Public Health Agency of Sweden together with the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe). The starting point for discussions during the event was the roadmap to counteract AMR agreed upon by the WHO/Europe’s members at the end of 2023. During the event, participants discussed issues such as how support from WHO and cooperation with other countries work in practice.

    Along with Ms Ankarberg Johansson, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides and WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge were in attendance.

    In conjunction with the side event, Ms Ankarberg Johansson met bilaterally with Ukrainian First Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Serhii Dubrov. During their meeting, Ms Ankarberg Johansson re-emphasised Sweden’s support to Ukraine’s health and medical care in light of Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.

    Panel discussion on measures to combat cervical cancer

    On 25 September, the American publication Foreign Policy organised a livestreamed panel discussion on cervical cancer, in which Ms Ankarberg Johansson took part. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) in approximately 98 per cent of all cases. Thanks to vaccination and screening against HPV, it is now possible to completely eradicate HPV and cervical cancer.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: UN political declaration focuses on efforts to counter antimicrobial resistance

    Source: Government of Sweden

    On 26 September, a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was held during the United Nations General Assembly. The Meeting is the second of its type, with the first having been held in 2016. The meeting included the ceremonial adoption of a political declaration on global and national undertakings in efforts to counter AMR. Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson headed Sweden’s participation in the Meeting.

    “A global problem must be addressed at global level, because AMR does not respect national borders. Sweden welcomes that the world’s countries have agreed on a collective approach. That being said, the declaration is not the end of our work, but rather the beginning of a greater global and national responsibility to safeguard access to antibiotics for all,” says Ms Ankarberg Johansson.

    AMR and antibiotic resistance are a major and growing threat to people’s and animals’ health, and our food production. Access to effective antibiotics is a prerequisite for providing modern medical care and saving lives. Efforts to combat AMR have been one of the Government’s priorities for many years. Sweden is a global leader in efforts to counter antibiotic resistance through measures such as responsible use of antibiotics on people and animals, monitoring of prescriptions and resistance, infection prevention and control, and good animal husbandry practices.

    Political declaration advances global efforts

    The political declaration contains almost 50 undertakings towards combating AMR. This includes global goals, such as reducing the global number of deaths associated with AMR by 19 per cent by 2030. The declaration also includes undertakings by the member countries to set and follow up on national goals. The declaration includes a clear focus on both access to antibiotics and preventive measures such as vaccination, infection prevention and control, and access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

    Sweden was one of the most active EU countries during negotiations on the declaration, and many of Sweden’s priority issues have in some way been incorporated into the political declaration.

    Sweden’s AMR Ambassador Malin Grape also took part in the Meeting.

    “The next High-level Meeting will take place in five years–2029. The most important thing we can do, apart from implementing the undertakings in the declaration, is to continue to raise awareness about the problem, broaden the issue from an infection problem to a patient safety issue, expand the perspective from a health problem to a long-term socioeconomic problem, where several actors need to contribute more actively,” says Ms Grape.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kampala: invitation to submit tender for media consultancy services

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The British High Commission in Kampala is inviting tender submissions for consultancy services by 14 October 2024.

    Client British High Commission (BHC) Kampala
    Expected starting date 1 November 2024
    Duration of consultancy 5 months (1 November 2024 to 15 March 2025)

    The UK is committed to strengthening a closer UK-Uganda partnership that supports mutual prosperity, ensures stability, reduces poverty, and strengthens democracy.

    The UK invests in strengthening its economic partnership with Uganda, supporting climate change adaptation efforts, building broader UK-Uganda connections, and supporting Uganda’s engagements that stabilise the region. Through all these efforts the UK has consistently used their science, innovation, and technology (SIT) strengths to partner with Uganda and deliver progress and impact.

    Through a focused 5-month campaign, the British High Commission (BHC) Kampala would like to better highlight breadth of the work of the UK in Uganda, by capturing the impact, diversity, and innovation of work over the years and creatively telling the story to the Ugandan people. While we would like to use the lens of SIT as a theme, we want the work of climate, growth, energy, stability, and other priority areas to be included as part of the storytelling.

    The UK is looking to strengthen its partnership with Uganda, by building new awareness of the work, new collaborations and strengthening existing ones, including but not limited to, Uganda’s young creators and innovators, women, and academic institutions around areas of research, innovation, and emerging tech.

    Objectives

    This Terms of Reference (ToR) is to enlist supplier(s) to:

    • support BHC Kampala in breaking down its broader policy and program work, achievements and impact into engaging narratives while understanding stakeholder perceptions and refining our outreach strategy

    • enhance and execute communication efforts through compelling storytelling, strategic content development – specifically using radio as the main platform

    Work packages

    Due to the breadth of the work and specialisations required in some areas, this ToR has been broken down into two packages (Package A and Package B). The supplier may bid for either one or both packages.

    Up to £21,750 is available to the winning bidder for each work package. With an overall total budget for both packages not exceeding £43,500, taxes inclusive. If you are planning to bid for both packages you should clearly separate your deliverables and budgets for both in a single return.

    Package ‘A’

    Scope of work

    The exact approach for this work will be discussed further with BHC Kampala and set out in the Supplier Proposal. However, it will require the consultant to engage in joint ideation and conceptualisation session(s) with the BHC, engage with the full breadth of the BHC’s policy and program work around areas of SIT, and proceed to breakdown the highlights and impact of this work into engaging and visually appealing content tailored for different audiences.     

    During the content gathering and creation process, the consultant may be required to travel up to two times outside of Kampala with responsible BHC staff in the field and produce content as required by the campaign implementation plan. The travel costs should be accounted for in the bid, with the many flexible to be re-allocated if not needed for travel.

    The entire work will cut across the following four areas:

    Content development

    • collaborate with our team to identify key projects and initiatives
    • extract impactful stories and results that highlight the organization’s impact

    Content processing and design

    • create multiple formats of content that may include articles and a series of human impact stories
    • develop visual assets such as infographics, motion graphics, and short videos
    • adapt content for various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and presentations

    Stakeholder mapping and analysis

    • identify and categorise key stakeholders based on their influence, interest, and impact on the BHC’s goals
    • develop stakeholder profiles and relationship dynamics to map engagement opportunities and risks
    • provide recommendations for targeted messaging and relationship-building strategies tailored to each stakeholder group

    Deliverables

    In close consultation and collaboration with the BHC, the consultant is expected to deliver the following:

    Content outputs

    Overall, the BHC would like to have a set of high-quality pieces of impact storytelling that highlight our different areas of work. This will include print, visuals, digital and other potential content. Pace of content creation can be discussed.

    Stakeholder Mapping Report

    • detailed stakeholder map, including profiles, influence, and interest levels
    • strategic recommendations on how to engage each stakeholder group more effectively

    Client responsibilities

    The BHC will be responsible for:

    • availing data and all information material needed by the consultant in their content generation and program production work
    • approving all content, broadcast or digital before it is aired or published
    • facilitating the consultant’s representatives with access to its program sites, activities, or project beneficiaries for purposes of gathering content as part of this partnership     
    • proven experience in content creation, storytelling, and digital strategy

    Timelines

    All work will need to be completed by end of February 2025 or not later than the 15th of March 2025 at the latest. Specific timelines will be agreed upon with the BHC at our first engagement meeting after which they will be spelt out in the engagement contract.

    Qualifications

    • expertise in conducting perception research and stakeholder mapping
    • ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight deadlines
    • knowledge of Ugandan media consumption trends, preferences, and audience dynamics
    • demonstrable experience in Data and Information design and visualisation

    The following are desirable:

    • flexibility and adaptability: the consultant will have to work closely with the team from the BHC in the execution of this work, which may require them to be flexible in adapting to new deliverable dynamics during the duration of consultancy
    • experience working with the UK or similar development partners: demonstrating keen understanding of development work, programming, and impact assessment of the same will be an added advantage as it is an important first step towards communicating such work effectively
    • ability to speak at least 3 local languages intelligibly would be useful but is not essential

    Package ‘B’

    Scope of work

    The supplier will be expected to, in consultation with the British High Commission (BHC) Kampala, design and produce a 1-hour monthly radio program devoted to the BHC’s SIT policy work, which will be co-hosted by the British High Commissioner in Uganda and a co-host agreed upon by the two parties.

    The supplier will also be expected to report at least one weekly story on the BHC’s SIT-related work across its policy and program areas and do at least one ground activation from one of the areas where the BHC’s SIT-related interventions is taking place.

    The supplier will also be expected to promote all stories and programs delivered as part of this partnership on all its social media programs pre, during and after the said programs, and generally produce visually appealing multimedia content communicating the BHC’s SIT work to run on the radio partner and the BHC’s official media platforms. 

    Occasionally, especially during the content gathering and creation process, representatives of the supplier may be required to travel with responsible BHC staff in the field and produce content as required.

    Deliverables

    In close consultation and collaboration with the BHC, the supplier will be expected to:

    • design, produce and host a 1-hour monthly program devoted to the BHC’s SIT policy work, which will be co-hosted by the British High Commissioner in Uganda and a co-host agreed upon by the two parties
    • report/host at least one story or radio-discussion per week on the BHC’ SIT-related work across its policy and program areas
    • undertake at least one on-ground activation per month to report live on the impact of the BHC’s SIT-focused interventions on people and/communities
    • come up with social media promotion material for all stories and programs to be hosted and reported on the radio partner station as part of this partnership, pre, during and after the said programs
    • come up with a data and information visualisation strategy to complement the radio broadcasts of this partnership’s activities. This will involve producing appealing multimedia content communicating the BHC’s SIT work which will run on the supplier’s and the BHC’s official media platforms

    Client responsibilities

    The BHC will be responsible for:

    • availing data and all information material needed by the radio partner in its content generation and program production work
    • approving all content, broadcast or digital before it is aired or published
    • facilitating the radio partner’s representatives with access to its program sites, activities, or project beneficiaries for purposes of gathering content as part of this partnership

    Timelines

    All work will need to be completed by end of February or not later than the 15th of March 2025 at the latest. Specific timelines will be agreed upon with the BHC at our first engagement meeting after which they will be spelt out in the engagement contract.

    Requirements

    • verifiable data of audience size and reach
    • experience of providing similar broadcast support to recognisable organisations/development partners.
    • the supplier should demonstrate a keen understanding of diverse demographic content preferences and audience peak hours and how both will be used to ensure a maximum audience for the stories, programs and content produced under this partnership

    The following are desirable:

    • flexibility and adaptability:  the supplier will have to work closely with the team from the BHC in the execution of this work, which may require them to be flexible in adapting to new deliverable dynamics during the duration of consultancy
    • experience working with the UK or similar development partners: demonstrating keen understanding of development work, programming, and impact assessment of the same will be an added advantage as it is an important first step towards communicating such work effectively
    • ability to broadcast in more than one language would be useful but is not essential
    • experience in Data and Information Visualisation: The consultant should have demonstrable skill and expertise in designing and producing creative, visually appealing multimedia content that can give visual appeal to the UK’s work in Uganda

    Budget and payment terms

    Any submissions in response to this ToR must include a technical and commercial proposal. The commercial proposal will need to include a budget with a comprehensive breakdown of costs per activity for the full duration of the work.

    The BHC will make available up to £21,750 to the winning bidder for each work package, with an overall total budget for both packages not exceeding £43,500, including taxes. Payments to the winning bidder(s) will be made in arrears following review of agreed deliverables in the stipulated timeframes. These will be agreed in detail with the winning bidder, prior to signing the contract with the BHC.

    Intellectual Property Rights

    The BHC will own all intellectual property rights to the final designs and materials created under this agreement. The designer may include the work in their portfolio with the BHC’s permission.

    Application process

    Interested suppliers can bid for either options – package (A) or package (B) or both, and proceed to submit a proposal outlining their approach, relevant experience, and pricing by 14 October 2024. In your submission, include samples of previous work, details of methodologies and a sample stakeholder mapping framework.

    Submit your proposal (s) to Kampala.Bhcinfo@fcdo.gov.uk and include “Bid for media consultancy” in the subject line of your email.

    Key documents

    Commercial Pro Forma

    ODS, 12.1 KB

    This file is in an OpenDocument format

    Standard terms and conditions below EU Threshold Service Contracts

    ODT, 486 KB

    This file is in an OpenDocument format

    Annex A

    Scoring methodology and evaluation criteria

    Technical evaluation

    BHC will convene an evaluation panel to score the supplier proposal based on the evaluation criteria below. The proposal will need to achieve a score of 6 ‘good’ in order to proceed.

    Technical scoring methodology

    The Evaluation Team will apply the following scoring methodology to the Technical Criteria:

    Score Comment
    10 (Expert) Demonstrates expert understanding of Terms of Reference and proposes excellent and accurate solutions which address all requirements, and which are innovative where appropriate. Responses are excellently tailored to the customer’s requirements in all aspects. Level of detail and quality of information provides the highest degree of confidence in certainty of delivery.
    8 (Very Good) Demonstrates a very good understanding of the majority of issues relating to delivery of the Terms of Reference. Responses are relevantly tailored to the customer’s requirements in the majority of aspects. Provides sufficient detail and quality of information to give a strong level of confidence that they will deliver.
    6 (Good) Demonstrates a good understanding of many of the issues relating to the delivery of the Terms of Reference. Responses are reasonably tailored to the customer’s requirements for many of the of aspects. Provides a good level of detail and quality  of information to give a good level of confidence that they will deliver.
    4 (Satisfactory) Demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of some of the issues relating to delivery of the Terms of Reference. Only some appetite to tailor to customers requirements where required. Provides only some level of detail and quality of information to give only some level of confidence they will be able to deliver.
    2 (Unsatisfactory) Demonstrates a poor understanding of the issues relating to delivery of the Terms of Reference. Poor appetite to tailor to the customers requirements where required. Generally, an unsatisfactory and a low level of quality information and detail leading to a low level of confidence that they will deliver.
    0 (Fail) Complete failure to address all material requirements of the Terms of Reference. No tailoring of responses to meet customer requirements. No quality responses providing no confidence that they will deliver.

    Technical evaluation criteria

    The Evaluation Criteria and Weightings that will be applied to bids are detailed in the ‘Main Criteria’ table below. The Total Score for each Criteria will comprise of the score awarded (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) multiplied by the weighting allocated to each Criteria.

    Main criteria Weighting Score 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 Total score
    Team leader:
    Demonstrate the ability to meet all criteria outlined in the qualifications section, including individual experience and organisational track record of delivering.

    Team leader should be a highly experienced individual with 8+ years in related work.

    Provider will have experience of gathering evidence from multiple sources simultaneously and quality assuring data and show how this is intended to be undertaken.

    		 [20] 0-6 [0-6×20]
    Quality of personnel:
    Appropriateness of Project Team. Will be judged in relation to the skills required as set out in the ToRs.  This includes an appropriate mix of qualified staff with not less than five years of experience in relation to methodology and need. CVs and 3 references will be required.    		 [40] 0-6 [0-6×40]
    Methodology:
    Evidence that suppliers understand and are responding to the ToRs. This could include a work-plan and analysis that clearly shows how they will deliver the assignment e.g., what processes they will use.

    Evidence that methodology will provide a high-quality outcome capturing, the key requirements in the TORs.

    		 [40] 0-6 [0-6×40]
    Overall total [100]   [600]

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: BoBC Auction Results – 8 October 2024

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 16 October 2024.  The summarised results of the auction held on  9 October 2024, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 8 October 2024.pdf

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can Kemi Badenoch claim to have ‘become working class’ while working in McDonald’s – and why would she want to?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Rees, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Nottingham Trent University

    Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch recently caused controversy by claiming that while she was born to a middle-class family, she “became working class” when working in McDonald’s to earn money while she was in college. In fairness to Badenoch, having a diversity of experience is an admirable attribute for an MP – something you wouldn’t associate with someone like recently deposed Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg for example.

    Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent the first part of her life in Nigeria before returning as a teenager, said her time at the fast food chain helped her understand the life of “single mothers” struggling to make ends meet – insight that might have made her object to the policies enacted by her government that made life harder for the working classes. She said of the job:

    There’s a humility there as well. You had to wash toilets, there were no special cleaners coming in. You had to wash toilets, you had to flip burgers, you had to handle money.

    Badenoch’s assertion – during her bid to become leader of the Conservative party – raises several interesting questions, not least whether you can “become working class”. Part of the issue is that class is increasingly hard to define in 2024.

    Is class subjective and something that we feel (as Badenoch’s claim suggests) or is it something objective that we can measure? This is a question that has been troubling sociologists – and others – for years.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    In social sciences, the most widely used measure of social class is the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) national statistics socioeconomic classification (NS-SEC). It is also the measure used by the UK government, most notably to measure social mobility – the movement of people between classes.

    The NS-SEC defines class by placing individuals in one of eight different classes according to their occupation. The scales runs from one (for higher managerial and professional positions) to eight (long-term unemployed).

    The classes are further simplified into three categories of professional/managerial (1 and 2), intermediate (3 and 4) and working class (5 to 7). It’s a hierarchy but it also shows that there is no easily identifiable dividing line between classes. Examples of those in professional/managerial would include directors of major companies, those teaching in higher education and journalists. Those in intermediate professions include travel agents, police officers (sergeant and below) and hotel managers. Those in the working class would include farm workers, building site labourers and workers in the service industry, such as in McDonald’s.

    Using the NS-SEC occupational coding tool, we can place both Badenoch’s parents (a GP and a professor) in social class 1. While she acknowledges that she is from a middle-class background, it is clear that both her parents occupy positions at the top of the social class hierarchy. As an MP, Badenoch herself is now also clearly social class 1. Her previous roles before entering politics, as a digital director for The Spectator and associate director at private bank Coutts return class 2 and 1 respectively. It is evident that Badenoch has lived, and continues to live, a very privileged, and middle-class, life. Given this, why would she claim to be working class?

    Does working in McDonald’s make you working class?
    Shutterstock/Jessica Girvan

    The first thing to note is that Badenoch is not unique in citing a working-class identity of some kind. The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is by now notorious for his frequent references to his father’s job as a toolmaker. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is also regularly photographed in pubs while drinking a pint and smoking a cigarette – something that sociologist Pierre Bourdieu would define as him attempting to evidence a working-class habitus, those tastes and behaviours that we typically associated with members of a particular social class.

    The rationale for this is that Britain is quite unique in its perspective on class. People will often claim they are working class, or have working-class roots. This would be unheard of in other parts of the world, where claiming to be middle class is aspirational.

    People in Britain will continue to claim they are working class even when evidence indicates that they are, and have been, middle class for several generations. This largely seems to be an inheritance of Britain’s history as an industrial country and the national obsession with “getting on” as well as a the country having a reputation for being particularly divided by social class. British people want to prove that they have been successful on merit rather than because of unearned privilege.

    Large fries and a majority in 2029?

    Britain’s changing political landscape is also an important part of the picture, as we look back at Badenoch’s McDonald’s career.

    Throughout the 20th century the dividing line between political parties was evident. The working classes typically voted for the Labour party and the middle classes typically voted for the Conservative party. The dividing lines between political parties have become more complicated in the 21st century, particularly in the post-Brexit years; notably evidenced by Boris Johnson’s 2019 election win and the crumbling of the red wall.

    This helps us understand why Badenoch would want to find a way to show that she is in touch with working-class people – and how she was able to do it, at least according to her own reasoning.

    Votes are always on a politician’s mind – and the increasing willingness of voters to switch allegiances means more votes than ever are up for grabs. The nebulous nature of class and the difficulty we have in defining it, becomes the vehicle for appealing for those votes.

    Badenoch’s claim that she became working class appears to be a longer-term strategy. She is looking ahead to the next election. Nevertheless, it seems difficult to argue that a short period working in McDonald’s made Badenoch working class. An adulthood of privilege also makes her claim rather insulting to those who, in her own words, struggle to make ends meet.

    Michael Rees 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. Can Kemi Badenoch claim to have ‘become working class’ while working in McDonald’s – and why would she want to? – https://theconversation.com/can-kemi-badenoch-claim-to-have-become-working-class-while-working-in-mcdonalds-and-why-would-she-want-to-240638

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda – what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Manal Mohammed, Senior Lecturer, Medical Microbiology, University of Westminster

    Rwanda is in the midst of its first outbreak of Marburg virus – an often fatal disease with symptoms similar to Ebola. So far, 46 cases have been recorded and 12 deaths. The source of the outbreak is still not known.

    Seven hundred doses of an experimental vaccine against the virus have just been shipped from the US to Rwanda. The vaccine is currently being administered, largely to healthcare workers, who have made up the bulk of the victims so far.

    The roll out is part of a clinical trial, so it will be a while before the vaccine’s efficacy is known.

    Marburg virus is named after the town in Germany where it first emerged. In 1967, there were simultaneous outbreaks at laboratories in Marburg and Belgrade in Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia). The outbreak was caused by African green monkeys imported from Uganda for use in experiments. Seven people died.

    Since then, there have been several Marburg virus outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa, including in countries bordering Rwanda.

    Previous outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. The most recent outbreaks were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania between February and June 2023, where nine cases were reported and six deaths.

    Other countries that previously reported outbreaks include Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and South Africa. The outbreak in Angola in 2005 killed 300 people.

    Outbreaks typically occur when people come in contact with infected green monkeys, pigs or Egyptian rousette bats (a type of Old World fruit bat) – a common carrier of the virus. These bats are often found in mines and caves. Once the disease jumps from an infected animal to a human – so-called zoonotic spillover – it can spread from person to person through bodily fluids or by contact with contaminated surfaces, such as bedding.

    There are no antiviral drugs to treat patients. People infected with Marburg virus are kept hydrated and any blood loss is replaced through transfusion.

    The incubation period, which is the time between the exposure to Marburg virus and the start of symptoms, is five to ten days. Symptoms of Marburg virus disease can appear suddenly and include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea and vomiting.

    The virus damages blood vessels and interferes with the ability of blood to clot, which can lead to uncontrolled bleeding from the nose, eyes, gums, rectum and, in women, the vagina. The disease has a very high “case fatality rate”. Between 24 and 88% of people infected with Marburg virus die – usually through extreme blood loss and shock.

    Marburg virus disease is not an airborne illness and is not thought to be contagious before symptoms appear. However, people can remain infectious for months after they have recovered, and pass the disease on through bodily fluids. Men are advised to wear a condom for a year after symptoms first appear.

    Looking for clues

    The Rwandan authorities are working to identify the source of the outbreak, how far it has spread and when the first case occurred.

    Although Marburg virus disease has been reported in seven of 30 districts in the east African nation, the readiness of unaffected districts is also being ensured to mitigate the spread and quickly identify any spillover.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with Rwanda’s neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, to review their readiness to respond to the outbreak.

    The WHO assesses the risk of the Marburg virus outbreak as “very high” at the national level and “high” at the regional level. However, at a global level, the risk remains low.

    Manal Mohammed 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. Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda – what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/marburg-virus-outbreak-in-rwanda-what-you-need-to-know-240252

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chagos islands: what the UK-Mauritius agreement means for displaced Chagossians

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura Jeffery, Professor of Anthropology of Migration, University of Edinburgh

    Coconut palm fronds are an integral part of Chagossian handicraft. Laura Jeffery, CC BY-NC-ND

    After years of negotiations and legal pressure, the UK and the Republic of Mauritius have agreed that Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago.

    The Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven coral atolls which comprise more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean. In 1965, as part of negotiations leading to Mauritian independence, the UK government excised the Chagos Archipelago from colonial Mauritius. The UK kept the islands, which are in a globally strategic location, to make the island of Diego Garcia available to the US military for 50 years, later extended by 20 years.

    The islands have been the subject of a diplomatic dispute for decades, with Mauritius maintaining its sovereignty and arguing it was illegally forced to give the archipelago away in exchange for independence.



    Read more:
    UK hands Chagos Islands to Mauritius, marking the end of a longstanding sovereignty dispute

    Under the new political agreement, the UK will provide financial support to Mauritius, including a new trust fund for displaced Chagossians. Mauritius will be able to resettle the Chagos islands, other than Diego Garcia. This island will remain the site of a US-UK military facility for at least 99 years.

    This is a significant moment for decolonisation (albeit incomplete), and potentially a landmark moment for the displaced Chagossian community. Decades after being forcibly exiled, they may finally be able to resettle on some of the Chagos islands.

    Who are the Chagossians?

    The Chagos Archipelago was unpopulated before European expansion in the Indian Ocean, when it was administered as a dependency of colonial Mauritius. French, and later British, colonists populated the islands. This took place first with enslaved labourers, mostly from east Africa and Madagascar via Mauritius, and later with contract workers, mostly from India via Mauritius.

    The economy relied on coconut plantations, which became central to Chagossian culture. Coconut features in Chagossian cuisine, handicrafts and song.

    The population of the Chagos islands rose over the 19th century. It hovered around 1,000 in the first half of the 20th century.

    At the request of the US, the UK authorities depopulated the Chagos Archipelago to make way for the military base. From 1967 to 1973, they forcibly evicted more than 1,500 islanders to Mauritius and Seychelles.

    They did this first by preventing the return of islanders who had gone on trips to Mauritius and Seychelles. Later, they restricted supplies and wound down work on coconut plantations. Finally, they coerced the remaining islanders onto crowded ships.



    Read more:
    How the US and UK worked together to recolonise the Chagos Islands and evict Chagossians

    By 1973, between 1,328 and 1,522 Chagos islanders had been relocated to Mauritius, and 232 to Seychelles. Their forced displacement led to further economic, psychological and cultural harms.

    The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 awarded UK citizenship to Chagos islanders and their descendants born in exile. Today, several thousand members of the extended Chagossian community live in the UK, while many still live in Mauritius and Seychelles.

    Since 2002, I have conducted anthropological research with the extended and geographically dispersed Chagossian communities. I have witnessed their chronic marginalisation firsthand.

    My research has studied how members of this dispersed and fractured community have sustained their relationships to Chagos through shared cultural practices.

    One example of this is through music. Chagossian sega songs composed on Chagos paint a nuanced picture of the complexities and turbulence of colonial plantation life. Lyrics protest unfavourable social, political, and economic conditions. They lament personal suffering, depict joyful occasions, or jest via suggestive double entendres.

    Meanwhile, sega songs are now also composed in exile. They contrast depictions of the island as an idyllic paradise, with the community’s subsequent experiences of displacement, dislocation and loss.

    These cultural practices have brought the exiled Chagossian community together, and served as a vehicle for cultural and political mobilisation. They have also, I argue, drawn attention to the Chagossian cause from outside communities.

    Resettlement

    Chagossian activists have long campaigned for compensation for their forcible displacement and their legal right of return. They secured limited compensation from the UK government in 1978 and 1982. But they have not yet achieved resettlement in practice.

    It is not yet clear whether displaced Chagossians will be able to return to the islands under the new agreement.

    Members of the Chagossian community hold differing opinions about resettlement and sovereignty. Some are hopeful that the Mauritian government will facilitate resettlement: something the UK refused to do.

    Some Mauritian citizens and Chagos islanders from Diego Garcia are critical of the exclusion of Diego Garcia from the agreement. And many Chagossians are worried that Mauritius might prioritise the interests of Mauritian citizens over non-citizens, or that it might prioritise its economic and military interests over resettlement.

    Many Chagossians are concerned
    that the negotiations involved representatives of the two governments, but not of the displaced Chagossian community.

    The political agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty and supporting legal documents. This means there is still time for the governments to involve Chagossians in the conversation.

    Laura Jeffery has previously received funding for Chagos research from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

    – ref. Chagos islands: what the UK-Mauritius agreement means for displaced Chagossians – https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-what-the-uk-mauritius-agreement-means-for-displaced-chagossians-240581

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Fossil Fuels to Power 60% of Africa’s Energy by 2040

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

    LUANDA, Angola, October 7, 2024/APO Group/ —

    By 2040, up to 60% of the African energy matrix will be fossil fuel driven, Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association remarked at a FAMAR-sponsored panel discussion during the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference on Thursday. This, he noted, highlights a fundamental need to invest more heavily in downstream infrastructure.

    While efforts are being made to reduce petroleum imports, Kragha offered three recommendations to expand downstream infrastructure, strengthen regional trade and bolster energy security.

    “The first is coordinated, harmonized, regional regulations – it is critical to do this. If you don’t have harmonized regulations, you won’t have harmonized markets. Secondly, you need market-based pricing and products. Lastly, you must focus on infrastructure to minimize supply chain risks. We use trucks but we should be using rails, optimizing ports and such,” he said.

    Orlando Chongo, Head, Coverage in Indian Ocean and Lusophone Africa at the Trade Development Bank, emphasized the need to improve access to financing for downstream players. While plans are in place to strengthen infrastructure capacity, capital needs to be made more available.

    Meanwhile, in Angola, to support companies seeking investments in the country’s downstream market, the country’s downstream regulator is putting in place the requisite supportive policies. Dr. Luis Fernandes, Director General at the IRDP said that “Today, the regulatory framework allows everyone that wants to be in the market to be involved. We have new rules that are needed to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with climate change policies. We have a legal framework that supports companies achieve this.”

    For the national oil company Sonangol, expanding downstream infrastructure is a top priority. The company is prioritizing investments in refining, distribution and port infrastructure to strengthen regional trade. Three new refining projects are currently under construction, namely the 60,000 barrel per day (BPD) Cabinda project – starting operations this year -; the 100,000 BPD Soyo Refinery and the 200,000 BPD Lobito Refinery.

    Other projects include the Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal. According to Mauro Graça, CEO, Sonangol Distribution and Marketing, “This will not only allow us to be self-sufficient in storage capacity but allow us to fulfil our strategic reserves. With that project, we are not only thinking about Angola, but of the region. With the Cabinda refinery, we will need more storage capacity and to be able to export. We are investing in 24,000 cubic meters in additional storage capacity. We also have a project to make a sea-line, so that larger ships can go to Cabinda to conduct operations.”

    Angola’s focus on strengthening its port logistics will be instrumental in driving exports – both regionally and internationally. Sara Silva, Legal Compliance Manager at FAMAR, noted that maritime transport is imperative for global trade.

    “It is proving to be the most cost-effective manner of transportation, allowing you to transport large volumes of cargo and reducing the cost per unit that you transport. It has the opportunity to connect markets, connecting Africa to the world,” she said.

    In the retail sector, efforts are underway to increase the number of retail stations across the country. Óscar Sequesseque, CCO at Pumangol, shared that the company is focused on accelerating Angola’s inland fuel storage capacity. This way, Angola aims to improve access to affordable, locally-sourced fuel products.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Oral Statement on the Chagos Islands – 7 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, provided an update to the House of Commons on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Location:
    House of Commons
    Delivered on:

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory. 

    On Thursday the third of October, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister and Mauritian Prime Minister Jugnauth made an historic announcement.

    After two years of negotiations,…

    …and decades of disagreement,…

    …the UK and Mauritius have reached a political agreement on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Mr Speaker, the treaty is neither signed nor ratified.

    But I wanted to update the House on the conclusion of formal negotiations at the earliest opportunity.

    Members will appreciate the context.

    Since its creation, the Territory and the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has had a contested existence.

    In recent years, the threat has risen significantly.

    Coming into office, the status quo was clearly not sustainable.

    A binding judgement against the UK seemed inevitable.

    It was just a matter of time before our only choices would have been abandoning the base altogether.

    Or breaking international law.

    If you oppose the deal, which of these alternatives do you prefer?

    Doing this deal – on our terms – was the sole way to maintain the full and effective operations of the base into the future.

    Mr Speaker, this must be why, in November 2022, the then Foreign Secretary, the Right Honourable Member for Braintree, initiated sovereignty negotiations.

    It’s also why my immediate predecessor, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, ultimately continued with those talks.

    Under the previous Government there were eleven rounds of negotiations, the last one held just weeks before the General Election was called.

    So, in July, this Government inherited unfinished business.

    Where a threat was real, and inaction was not a strategy.

    Inaction posed several acute risks to the UK.

    First, it threatened the UK-US base.

    From countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, it is critical for our national security.

    Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively – nor truly deter our enemies.

    Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.

    Second, it impacted on our relationship with the US,…

    …who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty,…

    …and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal.   

    I am a trans-Atlanticist.

    We had to protect this important relationship.

    And third, it undermined our international standing.

    We are showing that what we mean is what we say on international law and desire for partnerships with the Global South.

    This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.

    Mr Speaker, further legal wrangling served nobody’s interests but our adversaries’.

    In a more volatile world,…

    …a deal benefited us all,…

    …the UK, US and Mauritius.

    This Government therefore made striking the best possible deal a priority.

    We appointed Jonathan Powell.

    As the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for these negotiations, he has worked closely with a brilliant team of civil servants and lawyers.

    Their goal was a way forward which serves UK national interests,…

    …respects the interests of our partners,…

    …and upholds the international rule of law.

    This agreement fulfils these objectives.

    It is strongly supported by partners,…

    …with Present Biden going so far as to ‘applaud’ our achievement within minutes of the announcement!

    Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin have also backed this ‘successful outcome’ which ‘reaffirms [our] special defence relationship’.

    And the agreement has been welcomed by the Indian government and commended by the UN Secretary-General.

    In return for agreeing to Mauritian sovereignty over the entire islands, including Diego Garcia,…

    …the UK-US base has an uncontested long-term future.  

    Base operations will remain under full UK control well into the next century.

    Mauritius will authorise us to exercise their sovereign rights and authorities in respect of Diego Garcia.

    This is initially for 99 years, but the UK has the right to extend this.

    And we have full Mauritian backing for robust security arrangements…

    …including preventing foreign armed forces from accessing or establishing themselves on the outer islands.

    The base’s long-term future is therefore more secure under this agreement than without it.

    If this were not the case, I doubt the White House, State Department or Pentagon would have praised the deal so effusively.

    This agreement will be underpinned by a financial settlement that is acceptable to both sides. 

    Members will be aware the Government does not normally reveal payments for our military bases overseas.

    And so it would be inappropriate to publicise further details of these arrangements at this stage.

    Mr Speaker, the agreement also recognises the rights and wrongs of the past.

    The whole House would agree that the manner in which Chagossians were forcibly removed in the 1960s was deeply wrong and regrettable.

    Mauritius is now free to implement a resettlement programme to islands other than Diego Garcia.

    The UK and Mauritius have also committed to support Chagossians’ welfare,…

    …establishing a new Trust Fund capitalised by the UK…

    …and providing additional Government support to Chagossians in the UK.

    And the UK will maintain the pathway for Chagossians to obtain British Citizenship.

    Furthermore, Mauritius and the UK will now establish a new programme of visits to the archipelago for Chagossians. 

    This agreement also ushers in a new era in our relations with Mauritius.

    A Commonwealth nation and Africa’s leading democracy.

    We have agreed to intensify cooperation on our shared priorities, including security, growth and the environment. 

    The agreement ensures continued protection of these islands’ unique environment, home to over two hundred species of coral and over eight hundred species of fish.

    Finally Mr Speaker, I want to reassure the House,…

    …and all members of the UK family worldwide,…

    …that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other Overseas Territories.

    British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas is not up for negotiation.

    The situations are not comparable.

    This, Mr Speaker, has been acknowledged across our Overseas Territories.

    Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement…

    …stating that there is “no possible read across” to Gibraltar on the issue of sovereignty.

    Similarly, the Governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and Falklands are “very different”.

    The Government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our Overseas Territories based on mutual consent.

    After Mauritian elections, the Government will move towards treaty signature.

    And it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025,…

    …by submitting the Treaty and a Bill to this House for scrutiny.

    This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy.

    We have saved the base.

    We have secured Britain’s national interests for the long-term.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria Successfully Conclude Workshops on Islamic Banking and Trade Finance

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

    ABUJA, Nigeria, October 7, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-idb.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), successfully concluded a workshop on Non-Interest Banking and Trade Finance in Nigeria. Held from 17th to 19th September 2024 in Abuja, the sessions aimed to enhance capacity and knowledge in Islamic banking principles, trade finance products and services, and how different financial toolkits are applied in Islamic finance from operational and business perspectives.

    Nigeria’s Islamic finance industry, valued at US$3.8 billion, is one of the major Shariah compliant industries in Africa. Despite some challenges such as low public awareness and a smaller capital base compared to conventional banks, Islamic finance has been substantially contributing to reduce financial exclusion and improve access to affordable finance in the country. The three-day workshop was designed to bridge prevailing knowledge gaps focusing on key areas such as Sukuk issuance and main non-interest banking products basics.

    Delivered under ITFC’s Integrated Trade Solutions framework, the workshop equipped professionals with the skills to promote Islamic finance in Nigeria while also highlighting ITFC’s wide range of trade financing services.

    Participants reported a significant boost in understanding Islamic banking and trade finance, and the workshop showcased ITFC’s contributions to economic development through sustainable financial solutions.

    Eng. Nasser Al Thakair, ITFC, remarked: “ITFC is committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts in Islamic finance, tailoring this workshop to address the unique challenges faced. We will continue to provide the expertise and financial backing needed to grow Islamic finance in Nigeria and beyond.”

    Over 30 professionals from the Central Bank of Nigeria, non-interest banks, and other financial institutions attended, further advancing Islamic finance in the country.

    As Nigeria positions itself as a leading market for Islamic finance in Africa, ITFC remains dedicated to advancing trade finance and supporting the growth of the sector for long-term economic impact.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: World Cotton Day: The Role of Nuclear Science

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    (Photo: F. Llukmani/IAEA)

    To mark World Cotton Day, the IAEA Director General has highlighted how nuclear science helps optimize the growth of the world’s most important natural fibre, at celebrations in Benin this morning. 

    In his recorded message to over 400 attendees at the World Cotton Day celebration, Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke of the Agency’s role in the international ‘Partnership for Cotton’ and the importance of the crop.  

    “Cotton really is a crop worth celebrating: It produces useful natural fibres. It alleviates poverty in some of the world’s least developed countries. It supports the income of women. And it removes harmful carbon from the atmosphere,” the Director General said. 

    The IAEA has over six decades of experience developing and sharing nuclear techniques that help get the best out of soil, water and crops like cotton, as part of the work carried out by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. 

    The centre’s laboratories in Seibersdorf conduct applied research and through the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, the developed technology is then transferred to countries and eventually to farmers to employ these techniques in the field.  

    For example, IAEA/FAO scientists use irradiation to speed up the evolution of cotton seeds and develop varieties that are more resilient to drought, heat or disease.  

    And in Pakistan, for example, this technique, known as mutation breeding (see Plant mutation breeding), has helped develop 32 new cotton varieties since 1970. Now, more than 40 per cent of the cotton-producing areas in Pakistan are benefiting from the use these new varieties with improved traits adapted to climate change. 

    THE SCIENCE Plant mutation breeding

    Plant mutation breeding is the process of exposing plant seeds, cuttings or other planting material to radiation, such as gamma rays or X-rays, and then planting the seeds or cultivating the irradiated material in a sterile rooting medium, which generates a plantlet. The individual plants are then multiplied and examined for their traits. Those exhibiting the desired traits continue to be cultivated. 

    Plant mutation breeding does not involve gene modification, but rather uses a plant’s own genetic material and mimics the natural process of spontaneous mutation. 

    More about plant breeding here. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Deteriorating situation in eastern Congo – E-001902/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001902/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Hilde Vautmans (Renew)

    According to a recently published report by Human Rights Watch, Rwandan troops and M23 rebels have committed large-scale violence against civilians, including women and children, in eastern Congo, especially in camps for displaced persons. The European Union has pledged EUR 20 million to Rwandan troops through the European Peace Facility, which gives rise to the following questions about the potential impact of our financial aid:

    • 1.How does the Commission intend to ensure that the EUR 20 million provided to Rwandan troops through the European Peace Facility do not further add to the violence in eastern Congo? Are specific mechanisms in place to monitor the use of these funds?
    • 2.What does the Commission intend to do if it is ascertained that these funds do in fact further add to to the conflict or to human rights violations?

    Submitted: 1.10.2024

    Last updated: 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala on World Cotton Day: Efforts yielding results, maintain momentum

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Held on African soil for the first time, this year’s World Cotton Day showcased Benin’s  economic successes under the leadership of President Guillaume Athanase Talon, said Director-General Okonjo-Iweala. She praised Benin for its strong economic performance and the prudent management of its economy.

    The Director-General emphasized the importance of cotton to the economies of West and Central Africa, particularly Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire — collectively known as the Cotton4+ countries. As the largest cotton-producing region in Africa, these countries produce over 1 million tons of cotton annually, accounting for 50% of Africa’s total output and 4% of global production.

    In terms of cotton trade, West and Central Africa ranks as the third-largest exporter after the United States and Brazil, contributing significantly to global trade, which has grown from USD 8.2 billion in 2003 to USD 23 billion in 2022, she noted.

    Despite the high quality and environmentally friendly nature of African cotton, the sector faces significant challenges, from market distortions to climate change, DG Okonjo-Iweala said. She noted that 20 years ago, the Cotton4 countries made a call for action at the WTO against unfair trade practices in cotton. This led to cotton gaining a unique status within the WTO, with members regularly meeting to address both the trade and development aspects of the sector.

    Regarding cotton trade, the Director-General emphasized the importance of levelling the playing field by reducing subsidies, which currently amount to USD 8 billion, to allow developing countries greater market access and enable them to benefit more from trade. She noted that WTO members have worked hard and will continue advancing negotiations to achieve this goal.

    On the development front, she highlighted the significant progress made in supporting Cotton4 countries in enhancing their competitiveness and tapping into the vast potential of cotton markets, both in Africa and globally. “The African market for cotton alone is worth USD 12 billion. We are also exploring external opportunities, including the sports apparel value chain, which is expected to reach USD 250 billion by 2026,” she added.

    The Director-General highlighted that new WTO-led initiatives are helping African cotton unlock its full potential, with the milestone “Partenariat pour le Coton” initiative, launched in February 2024, serving as a key example.

    This initiative marks a significant step toward fostering public-private partnerships and empowering Cotton4+ countries to achieve sustainable transformation and advance up the value chain. The first phase of the initiative has already been completed, including a baseline study and thorough assessments of each country’s national priorities and challenges.

    The baseline study estimated that Cotton4+ countries need to attract USD 12 billion in investment over the next decade to unlock the full potential of the sector, which could create 500,000 direct jobs, especially for women and youth, DG Okonjo-Iweala said. 

    To facilitate this much-needed investment, the WTO has mobilized resources and called on partners to provide financial and technical support for African cotton. This includes the signing of a joint declaration with the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, the African Finance Corporation, Afreximbank, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the International Trade Center.

    The Director-General also commended the regional textile and clothing industrial hubs established by Cotton4 governments and financial partners, highlighting the Glo-Djigbe industrial park in Benin, which “plays a crucial role in connecting Benin to global cotton value chains.”

    Looking ahead, the Director-General stated that the partners of the Partenariat pour le Coton will prioritize assisting governments and financial institutions in developing concrete investment projects aligned with each country’s national priorities. She emphasized the need for increased investment in infrastructure, capacity building, product certification, and logistics to support the sustainable growth of the cotton sector.

    The Director-General urged all partners of the Partenariat pour le Coton to seize the opportunity presented by the World Cotton Day event to strengthen cooperation and coordination, with the goal of delivering tangible improvements in the lives of cotton producers and traders.

    WTO’s activities on World Cotton Day

    WTO senior officials will be actively involved throughout the two-day event, contributing to thematic panel discussions and the Business Forum, which will focus on strengthening public-private partnerships to build a sustainable cotton-textile value chain.

    The WTO website features a dedicated page for the event, including news, videos, and the programme: WTO | World Cotton Day 2024. Additional information on the history of World Cotton Day and previous celebrations is also available here: WTO | World Cotton Day: Celebrating the global importance of cotton.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s unity government is being tested – the toppling of a mayor in a key city exposes faultlines

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Susan Booysen, Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand

    South Africa’s long-governing party, the ANC, performed disastrously in the country’s May 2024 elections. Its electoral fortunes are now tied to regaining support in Gauteng, the most populous and economically important province, which it had governed with outright majorities since 1994. In 2024 the ANC’s Gauteng result of 34.8%, along with its 17% in KwaZulu-Natal, sealed the party’s loss of its national outright majority. We asked political scientist Susan Booysen for her perspective on the ANC’s battle for Tshwane, the administrative seat of the national government, where the party used a newly constituted coalition to topple the Democratic Alliance mayor, Cilliers Brink.

    What lies behind the Gauteng ANC’s toppling of the DA mayor of Tshwane?

    For the ANC (African National Congress) to regain majority electoral support, much will depend on the Gauteng province’s populous base. The three Gauteng metropolitan municipalities of Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni are key in this project. Besides constituting South Africa’s financial hub and having huge budgets, these metropolitan councils (metros) symbolise the country’s cultural heartbeat, and are a gateway to the rest of the continent.

    The ANC’s political control of these bases has been lessening. It fears further lapses may make the losses irreversible. It lost outright control of the Gauteng metros in 2016: it slipped to 49% in Ekurhuleni, 46% in Johannesburg and 41% in Tshwane. The 2021 local elections confirmed both the ANC’s slide and rule by unstable coalition governments.

    Since the 2021 elections, the metros have had multiple coalition governments. The ANC has, through coalition, reclaimed control of the top council positions in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.

    What does the toppling of Brink say about internal ANC party dynamics?

    Following their national coalition agreement of June 2024, parties to the coalition government have been discussing cascading the agreement to the provincial and local levels. These talks have been inconclusive.

    The ouster of the mayor of Tshwane was not explicitly or publicly condoned by the ANC’s national leadership. Neither did they stop it. The Tshwane crisis exposes the ANC’s internal party dynamics.

    The ANC in the province and in the Tshwane council constituted an alternative alliance – between the party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA. ActionSA broke its previous alignment with the Democratic Alliance in favour of the ANC.

    Jointly the ANC, EFF and ActionSA hold 117 out of the 214 Tshwane council seats. They used this majority to pass a motion of no confidence against Brink and, in effect, his entire mayoral committee. A small band of one-seat parties reinforced Brink’s ejection.

    The Tshwane development highlighted one of the key faultlines in the government of national unity: the Gauteng ANC’s disdain for the unity government agreement. The national unity government comprises the ANC, DA, Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus and five other tiny parties. The agreement has the support of the majority in the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), its highest decision-making body between elective conferences.

    The NEC had originally been strongly divided on forming a coalition with the DA.

    After being elected Gauteng premier with the support of the DA, Panyaza Lesufi constituted the Gauteng executive with the Patriotic Alliance, Rise Mzansi and Inkatha Freedom Party. It excludes the DA.

    Lesufi had offered the DA executive posts that would have placed it in a minor and subjected position in the province. The ANC’s national leadership accepted this. The DA rejected it.

    What are the implications for ANC-DA cooperation in the national government and other municipalities?

    The DA is fighting to have Cilliers Brink reinstated as mayor of Tshwane. It argues that the ANC’s capturing of the position threatens the unity government.

    The DA appears to be angling for a fairer dispensation within the overall coalition formation, given its importance as the second largest party in the coalition government, rather than rejection of the GNU government. The DA needs the coalition as much as the ANC does.

    The coalition government’s statement of intent, and how it is reflected in the lower provincial and municipal levels, are the key issue at stake.

    The Tshwane crisis stands in the context of other local governments where new alliances are forming outside the formula of the national coalition government.

    The crisis is in all probability not threatening the national coalition. But it may result in the fleshing out of the generally vaguely defined and minimalist Statement of Intent (the coalition agreement). In recent weeks more clarity has already emerged regarding conflict resolution in the unity government. The Tshwane crisis is likely to show whether and how the national level agreement resonates provincially and locally.

    In fact, the lesson from the Tshwane coalition fiasco might be that there ought to be no expectations that the coalition government’s formula of approximate proportionality among its constituent parties will be reflected in the executives of the lower-level structures.

    The DA stressed at the time of Brink’s removal that it had been in discussions with ANC national secretary general Fikile Mbalula and ANC negotiator David Makhura – and progress had been made for the two parties to jointly “stabilise” the Gauteng metros (read “exercise power-sharing”). It may have entailed the DA supporting the ANC in Ekurhuleni, and the ANC the DA in Tshwane.

    But the proposal came to naught when the ANC proceeded to capture Tshwane, which it last governed in 2016.

    The effect of the Tshwane fallout is likely to be heightened instability in South Africa’s metro councils. Without ANC-DA cooperation, much of the coalitions detente that had become possible in the wake of the national coalition agreement may dissipate. Instead, alternating coalition governments, through motions of no confidence, may proliferate.

    The instability caused by such party political tit-for-tats and coalition musical chairs, both in the large metropolitan councils and the local municipalities, will contribute to citizens suffering poor delivery of services – although it is not the sole cause.

    What does the ANC’s failure to sing from the same hymn book mean for the party?

    The Tshwane crisis goes to the heart of the struggles unfolding in the ANC.

    The ANC of 2024 is inherently unstable as it fights for electoral survival.

    Its national executive committee and presidency act in ways that hint at them lacking the power to call the shots in relation to coalitions in some provinces and municipalities; and reining in its Gauteng premier and provincial executive committee.

    This, as the party is trying to position itself favourably, through leadership changes, ahead of its national general council meeting next year, and its elective conference of 2027, in the hope of reversing electoral declines in local, provincial and national elections.

    Besides KwaZulu-Natal’s centrality to this process, Gauteng holds the base of ANC succession given that it is political home to its deputy president, Paul Mashatile, and Lesufi.

    The search for a new mayor for Tshwane unleashed a candidacy contest within the ANC. ANC mayoralty candidates are proliferating. They are emerging from the ranks of the politically powerful, anointed by high-level ANC power holders, along with candidates in the local ANC party structures and in the council itself.

    The legacy of the 2016 violent struggles and mayhem in the city amid anger about succession are invoked to justify some proposals. These struggles seem oblivious to new coalition contexts, and the ANC’s loss of majority power.

    Unless the fractious and divided ANC finds a united and consistent voice on coalitions, it may lose out on the possibility of using coalitions to regain electoral support. Unless the ANC in Gauteng is using the metros to confirm its alternative to the national formula.

    – South Africa’s unity government is being tested – the toppling of a mayor in a key city exposes faultlines
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-unity-government-is-being-tested-the-toppling-of-a-mayor-in-a-key-city-exposes-faultlines-239986

    MIL OSI Africa –