Ghana’s energy, health, and transport sectors are set to benefit from a commitment of more than €800 million, approximately GH¢13 billion from the European Union (EU) and its member states, as parts of the Global Gateway initiative.
According to the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, €55 million of the fund will be designated to support local vaccine production, €62 million for retrofitting the Kpong Dam and €370 million will be utilized for development in cities in Northern Ghana.
While speaking Europe Day Reception in Accra, the Ambassador disclosed the EU’s interest in Ghana’s priorities, particularly in youth empowerment, trade, security and climate resilience.
Europe Day celebration is organized annually bringing together Diplomatic Corps, government dignitaries, private sector leaders, civil society actors, and media professionals.
Through the Global Gateway initiative, hundreds of infrastructure projects with investments with support for regulatory standards, technology sharing and expertise, all aimed at strengthening the economic resilience of partner countries such as Ghana.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Team Europe mobilizing all EU institutions, Member States, their Development Financial Institutions, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EBRD and the European private sector.
He said, “The EU remains a credible, reliable and dependable partner to Ghana. In these turbulent times, it is ever more important to collaborate with like-minded friends and allies. We are here to stay.”
Tag: European Union
-
EU, Member States pledge €800m for Ghana’s energy, health, and transport sectors
-
EU to invest €300m in Tamale water project
The European Union (EU) is planning to spend €300 million to help improve access to clean water in Greater Tamale, located in Ghana’s Northern Region. This major investment is expected to help solve the city’s serious water problems.
Right now, only about one out of every four people in Tamale have access to clean drinking water. That’s just 250,000 out of the city’s one million residents.
This information was shared by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, during his visit to the Dalun Water Treatment Plant. He was in the Northern Region to check on some of the projects the EU is supporting.
The water project is part of a bigger plan called the Sustainable Cities Project, which the EU, France, and the government of Ghana are working on together. The goal is to make Tamale more prepared for the effects of climate change and help the city grow in a more sustainable and organized way.
The EU and its partners are focusing on helping Ghana develop in a smarter, greener, and more digital way. Since 2022, the EU and France have been teaming up to improve how cities in Ghana are planned and built — including roads, housing, and other basic services.
In Tamale, the plan is to not only tackle water challenges but also to support job creation, security, agriculture, and skills training.
“We are working in the area of job creation, security, agriculture and skills development,” he said.
Ambassador Razaaly said the EU is committed to helping communities beyond Accra, especially in the north. He explained that even though people in Tamale are eager for the project to begin, there needs to be some discussions first between all the important groups involved.
However, he assured the public that the EU is fully prepared and willing to help provide better access to clean water in Tamale.
“One thing I can confirm is that the EU is ready and eager, waiting to step in to contribute to alleviating the plight of the population in terms of access to clean water.”
The European Union (EU) has given Ghana €42 million to support projects that will help the country grow in a clean and modern way. This money will be used to boost jobs and support businesses that use green and digital technologies.
In total, the EU has set aside €203 million to support Ghana’s development from 2021 to 2024.
Part of the money will go into improving Tamale by helping the city plan better, fix roads, and build good infrastructure so that life becomes easier for people living there.
The project also aims to reduce the impact of climate change in Ghana by supporting efforts to use cleaner energy and protect the environment.
Overall, the goal is to help northern Ghana grow in a way that is both smart and sustainable, while also preparing for the future.
-
Global restricted supply projected to surge cocoa prices in 2025
Cocoa prices are expected to surge in 2025, with projections indicating a potential rise to as high as US$9,600 per metric tonne (pmt) due to tight global supply conditions.
According to Databank’s 2025 projections, “The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective in early 2025, will further restrict supply availability; likely keeping prices elevated amid strong global demand for chocolate.”
This forecast follows a remarkable price increase in 2024, when cocoa prices nearly doubled by mid-November, reaching US$8,523 from an initial US$4,916. The 73.4 percent rise was driven by supply shortages in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, exacerbated by the impact of El Niño on yields, as well as growing global demand for chocolate.
By December 2024, global cocoa prices hit US$10.32 per kilogram, marking a 30.73 percent increase from November and a staggering 145.2 percent rise from December 2023.
However, the domestic cocoa industry in Ghana has faced significant challenges, particularly in securing funding. Inefficiency on the part of the industry regulator, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has been cited as a major factor. Last year, COCOBOD struggled to raise its annual syndicated loan from its usual partners, preventing local farmers from fully benefiting from the price increase.
In response, COCOBOD announced a significant cocoa price increase for the 2024-2025 season, setting the price at GH¢48,000 per tonne, equivalent to GH¢3,000 per 64-kilogramme bag. This marked a 129.36 percent increase from the previous season. However, civil society groups argued that this price, approximately US$185 at the time, was still insufficient for the farmers.
As the industry prepares for the EU’s new deforestation regulation, the local cocoa sector faces significant challenges. The EUDR mandates that cocoa commodities entering the EU market must be traceable and proven to be deforestation-free post-December 2020. While the regulation aims to reduce environmental degradation, it imposes additional burdens on cocoa producers.
In response to these new challenges, the government has launched a National Cocoa Management System (NCMS), which includes a Cocoa Traceability System to help meet EUDR requirements.
The system will map cocoa farms and ensure compliance with deforestation-free standards. However, the implementation of this system remains resource-intensive, posing further obstacles for local producers.
-
Ghanaians abroad petition European Union against EC
A group known as Concerned Citizens of Ghana in the Diaspora has formally petitioned the European Union (EU) over concerns regarding the actions of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), which they claim are contributing to rising tensions in the country.
The group highlighted issues surrounding the EC’s response to objections raised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) about the Provisional Voter Register, including alleged illegal voter transfers and the EC’s refusal to allow an independent audit of the voter register, as key factors fuelling unrest.
In a statement, the diaspora group also expressed concern over the reluctance of certain political parties to endorse a peace pact ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“We the Concerned Citizens of Ghana in the Diaspora are alarmed by recent developments involving the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) that have raised tensions in the country.
These concerns have been raised by the leading opposition party as well as some leading/founding members of the governing party. We itemise some of the concerns raised below:
“1. Irregularities with the voter’s register with reference to the transfer of voters.
a. The NDC claims that about 15,000 voters have been captured on the EC’s transfer list with no indication as to where they were transferred from.
b. At least one EC official has been cited for conducting illegal transfers, hence, the call for a forensic audit – EC has denied the request for an audit.
“2. Recent post-election violence in the just-ended primaries in the Walewale Constituency.
“3. Missing Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) and calls for an audit.
“4. Refusal of some political parties to sign the National Peace Pact which political parties are encouraged to sign as part of their commitment to ensure peace before, during, and after the December 7 elections.
“These concerns have necessitated a nationwide demonstration, which is expected to take place on September 17, 2024,” part of the petition reads.
The group is, therefore, calling on the EU to intervene in the happenings in Ghana before it turns into a political upheaval.
It asked the EC to conduct an investigation into the matter and engage the various stakeholders involved in the 2024 election to ensure that there is peace before, during, and after the 2024 election.
“Being cognisant of the political instability within the ECOWAS bloc and the potential of these tensions to jeopardise the country’s democratic gains if not addressed immediately and seriously, the Concerned Citizens of Ghana in the Diaspora are taking proactive measures to ensure that Ghana conducts free and fair elections and maintains the peace the country has enjoyed over the years.
“As such, we are calling on the European Union to shift its attention to the developments happening in Ghana and take proactive measures to engage the EC as well as the government to reassure Ghanaians of free and fair elections devoid of bloody confrontations.
We call on the EU to:
“1. Conduct an independent investigation into the allegations and concerns.
“2. Issue a statement to the EC and government regarding your findings.
“3. Engage political parties and the Peace Council to ensure peaceful elections,” the petition concluded.
Read the full petition below:
-
European Union declares aid package worth US$8 billion for Egypt
The European Union has stated its intention to offer Egypt 7.4 billion euros to help with its money problems. They are worried that problems in nearby countries could cause more people to come to Europe, so they want to help Egypt to prevent this.
The agreement was signed on Sunday in Cairo by the Egyptian President and the President of the European Commission. People were not happy about it because of Egypt’s human rights record. Leaders from Belgium, Italy, Austria, Cyprus, and Greece came to the ceremony.
“Your visit today was a very important step in the relationship between Egypt and the European Union,” el-Sissi told European leaders who came to visit. He said the deal has changed our partnership a lot.
The aid package will give money to the most populous country in the Arab world for the next three years. It includes both gifts and money that will need to be paid back. This information comes from the EU’s mission in Cairo. Most of the money, which is about five billion euros (US$5. 4 billion), is financial help for the country, says a document from the EU mission in Egypt.
The mission said that both sides have increased their cooperation to the level of a “strategic and comprehensive partnership,” which will lead to more collaboration between Egypt and the EU in different economic and non-economic areas.
“The European Union agrees that Egypt is a good partner and plays an important role in keeping the peace and security in the Mediterranean, Near East, and African region,” a statement said after the meeting.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the deal as “very important” because Italy was a big part of making it happen.
“This initiative demonstrates our desire to improve and support a new way for both sides of the Mediterranean to work together,” she said at the meeting between Egypt and the European Union in Cairo.
The Joint Declaration, also known as the deal, wants to encourage democracy, freedom, human rights, and equality between men and women. This is what the European Commission says. Both sides will work together more to deal with problems involving migration and terrorism.
The EU will help Egypt’s government make its borders stronger, especially with Libya. Many people from Africa and the Middle East come to Libya and then try to cross into Egypt because they are running away from poverty and war. The 27 countries will help the government host Sudanese people who have run away from a year of fighting between rival generals in their country. Egypt has welcomed over 460,000 people from Sudan since April of last year.
The agreement is happening because people are worried that Israel might attack Gaza’s town called Rafah. This could make a lot of people move to Egypt. The war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for six months and has led to over one million people seeking refuge in Rafah.
Egypt has nine million people from other countries living there. About 480,000 of them have officially asked for protection as refugees or asylum-seekers. Many of those people who moved to a new place have started their own businesses, and some work in the informal economy as street vendors or house cleaners.
For many years, Egypt has been a safe place for people from sub-Saharan Africa who are running away from war or being poor. Egypt is a popular place for some people because it’s the closest and easiest country for them to get to. For some people, it’s a stopping place before they try to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe.
Although the Egyptian coast is not used often by human traffickers to send crowded boats to Europe, Egypt still deals with migration from the area. There is also concern that the Israel-Hamas war could impact Egypt.
The agreement will give a lot of money to Egypt’s economy, which has been struggling because the government has been cutting back on spending, the coronavirus, the effects of Russia invading Ukraine, and the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Earlier this month, Egypt agreed with the International Monetary Fund to get more money as a loan. The loan went from $3 billion to $8 billion after long talks. The IMF agreement involved making changes to the economy, like letting the value of the Egyptian pound go up and raising the main interest rate by a lot.
The EU agreement is similar to deals with Tunisia and Mauritania. They promised to strengthen their borders in exchange for money. Tunisia and Mauritania were important places where migrants started their journey across the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to Italy and Spain. People also criticized them for mistreating migrants.
International human rights groups criticized the package because of Egypt’s record on human rights. Amnesty International asked European leaders not to help with human rights abuses in Egypt.
“Eve Geddie, who works for Amnesty International in Europe, said that EU leaders need to make sure the Egyptian government sets clear goals for protecting human rights. ” Geddie said that Egypt is not letting people speak freely in the media and is stopping people from expressing themselves. They are also trying to control what civil society does.
When asked if these deals were right or wrong, a spokesperson for the European Commission said there were problems in these countries but still supported the partnerships.
“Yes, we are aware of the criticism about human rights in those countries and it’s clear that this is a problem,” he told the journalists.
“Should we stop talking to those countries. Will it make things better. Or should we try to work with them to make things better for people living there and for migrants coming to those countries. ” he asked -
European Union to give Ukraine $54 billion
EU leaders have agreed to give Ukraine 50 billion euros ($54 million) to help its economy, which has been badly affected by the war. This happened after Hungary decided to no longer block the measure.
The help package is mostly loans that have to be paid back and some grants. It will be given over four years. It is not meant to pay for weapons, which will be covered by a different EU plan. Instead, it wants to make Ukraine’s economy stable after almost two years of fighting, pay for rebuilding, and prepare the country to join the EU in the future.
The package will help Kyiv with money while making sure prices don’t go up a lot like they did after Russia invaded in February 2022. Ukraine’s economy was severely hurt by war and being taken over by Moscow. Many factories in the east were taken by Russia.
The central bank needed to make more money to pay for government expenses, and as a result, prices went up a lot, reaching 26%. Last year, the economy got a little better, but Kyiv uses almost all of its tax money for the war.
As of Saturday, President Zelenskyy’s office and the Ukrainian finance ministry have not said how they will spend the money. However, EU authorities, Ukrainian lawmakers and diplomats have mentioned important things that worry them.
Zelenskyy was happy to receive help and he posted about it on a social media platform called X, which used to be called Twitter. He said that if the EU keeps giving money to Ukraine, it will help their economy stay strong in the long run. This is just as important as the military help and sanctions against Russia.
Russia’s economy has been able to withstand the economic sanctions from Ukraine’s Western allies better than expected. This is despite the fact that there is a limit on the price of Russian oil and natural gas, and other countries are looking for alternative energy sources instead of relying on Russia.
In late November, Moscow approved its largest federal budget, with more money going to the military than to social programs for the first time in modern Russian history. Low unemployment, higher pay, and more money for social programs have helped the Russian government deal with the effects of focusing the economy on preparing for war.
Some experts believe the government’s spending plans are not sustainable for a long time. They think taxes will go up after the presidential election in March. -
Niger evacuates employees of European Union
Niger’s leaders kicked out 15 people from the European Union‘s mission to help them improve.
The Interior Minister of the country, Brig Gen Mohamed Toumba, said that the people came back to Niamey on different flights on January 24th without telling the government.
He said they were forced to leave Niger a few days later on 26 January.
Niger has been controlled by a group of military leaders since July when they took over from the elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Shortly after that, the EU said they would punish the leaders of the junta with sanctions.
Niger says that the Eucap mission, which included 120 security officers helping Niger’s forces, ended in December after more than ten years of working together.
The junta wants to have less connections with European countries and wants to start having more connections with countries like Russia and Iran.
Niger has been saying things against the Western countries. People are now wondering what will happen to the US soldiers who are at a drone base in Agadez. -
Ukraine claims to have discovered significant arms corruption
Ukraine’s security service found corruption in a military arms purchase worth around $40 million.
The SBU is looking into five important people in the defence ministry and a company that provides weapons.
The military signed a deal for 100,000 mortar shells in August 2022.
The money was paid early and some of it was sent to another country, but no weapons were given.
Corruption has been a big problem for Ukraine in trying to join the European Union.
The SBU found that officials from the ministry of defense and managers of arms supplier Lviv Arsenal stole almost 1. 5 billion hryvnias when buying shells.
The investigation found that ex and current big leaders of the Ministry of Defence and bosses of related companies are part of the stealing of money.
The SBU said that even though the contract for the shells was agreed six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, they never sent any artillery shell.
The police caught one of the suspects trying to leave Ukraine and they are now in jail.
The prosecutor general of Ukraine has recovered the stolen money and will give it back to the defense budget.
Ukraine has had a lot of problems with corruption for a long time.
When Volodymyr Zelensky became President of Ukraine in 2019, he said that stopping corruption was one of the most important things he wanted to work on.
The new claims are happening while Republicans in the US are against President Joe Biden’s plan to give more help to Ukraine.
In August, President Zelensky removed all the people in charge of military recruitment to stop some people from avoiding being drafted into the military.
Ukraine was listed as the 116th least corrupt out of 180 countries in a 2022 index by Transparency International.
However, actions to stop corruption are starting to have an impact. It is among the top 10 countries rising in Transparency International’s ranking, climbing 28 places in 10 years. -
Zelensky travels to US in an attempt to save $60 billion deal
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is going to Washington DC to try to save a threatened US military aid package to Kyiv that is worth billions of dollars.
The help has got mixed up in American domestic politics that are divided by different groups.
Mr Zelensky will visit the US for the third time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
This is an important week for Ukraine because the European Union will decide if it can start talking about joining the EU.
Hungarian leader Viktor Orban says he doesn’t agree with the plan and can stop it.
Mr Orban and Mr Zelensky talked a lot when they met on Sunday at the ceremony for Argentina’s new president. They have not told anyone what they talked about.
The president of Ukraine will come to Washington on Monday. He will meet with President Biden and Speaker Johnson, and then speak to the Senate on Tuesday morning.
The White House said in a statement on Sunday that Mr Zelensky’s visit was to show the United States’ strong support for Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s invasion.
The $60 billion military aid plan for the US is on hold in Congress because some Republicans think more money should be spent on keeping the US-Mexico border safe.
Last week, the Senate voted to stop a package that included money for something.
Mr Biden is asking lawmakers to agree to the money. Last Wednesday, he spoke passionately on TV and said the package needed to be done right away. He also warned that Russia won’t stop at winning against Ukraine.
Although Ukraine was able to defend itself against Russia’s first attack, its powerful counter-attack this year has slowed down and some of the Western countries that were helping Ukraine have shown signs of getting tired.
After the Senate vote, the wife of the Ukrainian president, Olena Zelenska, told the BBC that Ukrainians would be in serious danger if Western countries stopped helping them.
We really need help. In other words, we can’t afford to get tired of this situation, because if we do, we’ll die,” she said.
“If the world gets tired, they will just let us die. “ -
Election challenge in Guatemala perceived as “attempted coup”
International organizations are calling the legal challenge against the election of a leader in Guatemala, who is against corruption, an “attempted coup”.
Bernardo Arévalo was supposed to become president in January, but on Friday, the country’s prosecutor’s office said the result doesn’t count.
The European Union and the Organization of American States said they didn’t like what happened and want someone new to take over.
Mr Arévalo said the prosecutor was trying to take over the government.
Many people saw his win in August as a rejection of Guatemala‘s powerful and corrupt politicians.
The 65-year-old leader of the party Seed Movement won a lot of votes, more than 60%, by promising to improve the way the government works in the Central American country.
But his opponents keep saying the election was unfair and that Mr. Arévalo’s party cheated and didn’t follow the rules when registering.
Mr Arévalo, international observers, and his supporters say the accusations are not true. They think the prosecutors are just trying to play politics.
People who want more democracy have been protesting on the streets to support Mr. Arévalo and to ask the attorney general and other officials to leave their positions.
On Friday, prosecutor Leonor Morales said the August election result should be canceled because the wrong voting forms were used during the first round of the presidential election in June.
Blanca Alfaro, who is in charge of the Guatemalan electoral commission, said that the result cannot be changed. She also said that Mr Arévalo will be officially sworn in next month as scheduled.
On Friday, the prosecutor’s office tried to stop the president-elect’s party from being sworn in. This comes after previous attempts to suspend his party. Many people think this is a way to prevent him from becoming president.
EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell said the election fraud claims are false and called Friday’s announcement an attempt to overthrow the government, led by prosecutors with political motives.
He wanted the power to change in a fair way and said there would be consequences for those who caused trouble.
The Organization of American States said the prosecutor’s involvement is something dictatorships do, not democracies. -
‘Huge risk of Christmas terrorist attacks’ – EU warns
A high-ranking EU official said there is a big chance of terrorist attacks in the European Union during the upcoming holiday season.
Ylva Johansson, from the European Home Affairs Commission, said that the fighting between Israel and Hamas is making people more divided and increasing the chances of violence.
She made these comments a few days after a visitor was killed by being stabbed in Paris.
The EU is giving an extra €30m (£26m) for more security, said Ms Johansson.
She did not say if there was any particular information that caused the warning.
“We recently saw it in Paris, and we have seen it before too,” she said before a meeting of EU interior ministers.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that the EU needs to watch out for threats and propaganda, as there is a high risk of violent Islamist attackers becoming more emotionally charged and radicalized.
Several European countries have experienced an increase in hate crimes after Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and many people being held hostage in Gaza. Israel went into Gaza and more than 15,000 people have been killed, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.
European Union ministers met after a violent attack happened near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday. A 23-year-old German tourist named Collin B was killed, and his girlfriend and a British tourist were injured in the attack.
The young German couple went to Disneyland Paris and the Louvre, and took pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower before the attack.
Police said that the 26-year-old French suspect, named Armand R, who is from a non-religious Iranian family, promised to follow the Islamic State group.
The man who was caught at the place had been in jail before for making a plan to cause terror in the La Défense area of Paris.
In 2020, the French police talked to him because he was in contact with Abdoullakh Anzorov, who killed teacher Samuel Paty.
The prosecutor in charge of stopping terrorism, Jean-François Ricard, said that Armand R’s mother was worried about his actions, but there wasn’t enough proof to do anything about it at that time.
Germany is very worried about a possible attack and is being extra careful.
Two boys were stopped in different places in the country last week because the police thought they might be planning to do a militant Islamist attack on a Christmas market in Leverkusen.
A 20-year-old person from Iraq, who came to Germany last year, is being held by the police for allegedly planning to carry out a knife attack at a Christmas market in Hannover.
The leader of German intelligence in the state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, said that people who support Hamas could be very dangerous. He thinks they could cause problems at big events like the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 football championships, not just at Christmas markets. -
EU declines advocating for ceasefire in Gaza prior to UN vote as situation there deteriorates
The leaders of the European Union have not asked for a complete stop to the fighting in Gaza. Instead, they are requesting short breaks to send aid to the people there. The United Nations said their work in Gaza is not able to continue because of Israel’s constant bombing of the area.
The statement was released after meetings in Brussels on Thursday. The United Nations Security Council has tried multiple times to pass a resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas, but has been unsuccessful. Member states are now preparing to vote on a new resolution proposed by Jordan on behalf of Arab states on Friday.
The Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, said to diplomats at the United Nations Assembly Hall that punishing everyone for one person’s actions is not a way to protect oneself. The resolution asks for the fighting to stop, for hostages to be released, and for no one to be forced to leave their homes.
Over 2 million people in Gaza are going through a worsening crisis because of daily bombings and a blockage of fuel that is needed to save lives. Israel claims that Hamas is gathering and storing fuel for its own purposes, and has requested that Hamas, the powerful Palestinian group in control of Gaza, distribute it to others as well. The lack of electricity has greatly affected healthcare, and many people have had to leave their homes because of the bombings.
Since October 7, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 7,028 individuals in Gaza. Among the victims are numerous children. This information was reported on Thursday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
People all over the world are urging Israel to let aid into Gaza, which really needs it. The United Nations and some countries nearby are asking for a quick stop to the fighting, while others think there should be a temporary break so people can get the help they need.
However, the world has not been able to come together and agree on what to do about the crisis. It has been almost three weeks since the violence started, which was caused by Hamas’ violent attacks and kidnappings on October 7. These attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people in Israel and over 200 people being taken hostage in Gaza.
The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said on Thursday that requests for a ceasefire were not about trying to achieve peace. Instead, they were about restricting Israel’s ability to protect its citizens and deal with a significant threat.
Israel is not fighting against people, they are fighting against very bad creatures. They want to completely destroy Hamas and will do whatever it takes to achieve this.
He said this while the Defense Minister said that Israel’s troops are getting ready for the next part of their fight against Hamas. People think this will be through a ground attack.
The movement will start when the circumstances are suitable. These conditions are complicated because the campaign is also complicated. “The soldiers are prepared,” Gallant said during a meeting in Tel Aviv.
Israel’s military carried out a planned operation in northern Gaza last night. They have promised to continue carrying out similar operations on the ground in the next few days.
The goal of the incursions is to target and eliminate Hamas fighters, prepare for a full-scale invasion, and disable bombs and surveillance posts. This information comes from a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Daniel Hagari spoke on Thursday.
There were six people hurt when a rocket hit Taba, a city by the Red Sea in Egypt.
The rocket hit a building where ambulances are kept and also hit a residential area of the hospital’s office building in a city that is next to Israel. We don’t know yet who shot the rocket or from where, but the IDF said they know about the security issue.The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, released a long report with many names of people who died since October 7. They say that these deaths were caused by the Israeli military’s attacks.
The ministry said that many more people have likely died than what has been reported. The report does not include people who have not been identified, those who were buried without being officially registered at the hospital, or those who are still missing. There are about 1,600 people who are still missing.
The list doesn’t separate people involved in combat and those not involved, but it does include information about age, gender, and the ID card number of the victims. This list was released after US President Joe Biden expressed doubt about the number of civilian casualties reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel and the US have said they are not sure if the numbers of people who died in Gaza are accurate, but they have not shown any proof that the numbers are too high.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said that the ministry in Gaza is secretly affiliated with Hamas. However, he did not deny that many Palestinians, including innocent civilians, have been killed.
The leader of the US-supported Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Mohammad Shtayyeh, stated that the PA’s own health authority believes the numbers are accurate.
“These numbers belong to us,” Shtayyeh said in an interview on Thursday with Al Jazeera. “Every day, the hospitals in Gaza send us these numbers. Our Ministry of Health receives them. ”
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is led by a different group than Hamas, and it oversees the Ministry of Health, which has a connection with the Gaza ministry. Every day, the number of people who have died in Gaza is reported in both Gaza and Ramallah.Israel has said that Hamas is in charge of important fuel supplies in Gaza. This is a big problem because hospitals, bakeries, and UN humanitarian efforts might have to stop working because they don’t have enough fuel.
Juliette Touma, who is in charge of communication for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has said that if the agency does not receive sufficient fuel, it will have to completely stop its operations. The fuel is necessary to generate electricity for hospitals and to desalinate water.
Touma said that UNRWA is still having a hard time because they have very little fuel, and the amount they have is getting even less. There is still limited supply of deliveries to places like hospitals and bakeries. UNRWA is having trouble because they are not getting enough fuel to the Gaza Strip.
The IDF explained that the issue in Gaza is not a shortage of fuel. Instead, it is caused by Hamas, the group in control of the situation.
Colonel Avichay Adraee stated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) successfully targeted and destroyed a Hamas military compound in the Gaza Strip. The operation was carried out in retaliation for the ongoing rocket attacks fired by Hamas towards Israeli territories. ColonelAccording to Israeli military intelligence, Hamas has control of a large amount of fuel, which ranges from 800,000 to potentially over one million liters, stored in Gaza. Jonathan Conricus shared this information with CNN on Thursday.
“He said that some of it was collected and stored earlier, some were taken without permission from the UN, and some were taken by Hamas from private sellers. ”
Israel is stopping the delivery of fuel to Gaza completely because they think Hamas would use it for military purposes instead.
In simpler words, Tamara Alrifai, who works for UNRWA, said that it doesn’t matter if there are other sources of fuel in Gaza. UNRWA is a humanitarian organization and they shouldn’t have to beg for fuel to keep doing their work.
With very little fuel left, UNWRA is having to choose whether to provide electricity to bakeries or hospitals. More than 600,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and now only get one piece of bread a day.
On Thursday, twelve trucks with aid went into Gaza from Egypt. They brought water, food, medicine, and medical supplies, but no fuel. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported this.
According to PRCS, 74 trucks have entered the area since humanitarian aid transfers started again a few days ago.
Usually, there would be about 455 daily, the United Nations said. This means that essential supplies are coming into the area much slower than necessary.
The hospitals are very full and close to breaking down because there are too many injured people. Doctors have told CNN many times that they don’t have enough supplies or electricity to properly take care of them. -
Twitter to eliminate ‘illegal’ Hamas content
X, which used to be called Twitter, has informed the European Union that it has either deleted or alerted them about a large number of posts or messages since the time when Hamas launched an attack on Israel.
The head of the company, Linda Yaccarino, mentioned that they have deleted many accounts.
The EU gave X a deadline of 24 hours to explain how it was following the rules of European law.
It took action because it noticed that false information about the conflict was spreading on social media, like fake pictures and wrongly titled videos.
The EU has said that it had signs that X was being used to spread illegal content and false information in Europe.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has received a warning from the EU about spreading false information. They have been given a deadline of 24 hours to address the issue.
The EU did not say anything about whether they heard back from Meta, but a spokesperson from the European Commission said they are still talking to the company’s teams who ensure they follow the rules.
The company’s CEO, Ms. Yaccarino, explained that they have rearranged their resources and teams within the company to better handle the content.
“She said that X is dedicated to being open and clear, prioritizing safety, and making sure the Digital Services Act is successful. X will keep working hard to achieve these goals. ”
EU commissioner Thierry Breton wants X and Meta to show evidence of promptly and carefully taking fair and unbiased measures.
In August 2023, the EU made new rules that control the type of things people can post on the internet.
The Digital Services Act wants big online platforms to delete illegal content and prove they have done something about it if asked.
The EU told the BBC that it cannot currently say anything about what will happen next in these particular cases. However, they explained what could possibly happen according to the law.
The DSA lets the EU do interviews and inspections, and if it’s not happy, it can start a formal investigation.
If the commission thinks a platform has not followed the rules or is not solving the issues it found, and has the potential to harm users, it can take stronger actions.
This can mean that the platform may have to pay a large amount of money as a punishment, and if necessary, it can ask judges to stop the platform from operating in the EU for a little while. -
September’s heat records put 2023 on track to be the hottest year ever
The weather is still extremely hot even though summer is ending in the Northern Hemisphere. New information reveals that last month was extremely hot, marking the fourth month in a row with record-breaking heat. This suggests that 2023 is on course to become the hottest year ever recorded.
September broke the previous record set in 2020 by a huge 0. 5 degrees Celsius, according to information shared on Wednesday by the European Union‘s Copernicus Climate Change Service. This is the hottest month ever recorded, starting from 1940.
“The temperatures in September were very high, which is unusual for this time of year. Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, said that these temperatures broke previous records by a large amount. This happened after a summer that also had record-breaking temperatures. ”
September felt unusually hot, more like a summer month in July. The average global air temperature was 16. 38 degrees Celsius (61. 45 Fahrenheit), which is 0. 93 degrees Celsius hotter than the average from 1991 to 2020. Compared to the September average before we started using a lot of fossil fuels, it was 1. 75 degrees Celsius hotter.
That is much higher than the temperature limit of 1. 5 degrees Celsius that countries want to keep global warming below according to the Paris Climate Agreement. The agreement mainly talks about average temperatures over a long period of time. However, the abnormal heat in September, after the record-breaking hottest summer, shows us a glimpse of what we can expect in terms of extreme weather as temperatures continue to rise.
In September, there were terrible floods in Libya, Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey. These floods caused the deaths of thousands of people in Libya and dozens in the other countries. Canada had a very bad wildfire season, South America had extremely hot weather that caused fires, and New York had a lot of rain.
The temperatures of the ocean were very high in September and were considered abnormal. The temperature of the ocean reached 20. 92 degrees Celsius (69. 66 Fahrenheit) in September, which is the highest ever recorded for that month. It is also the second-highest temperature ever recorded, after August of this year. Antarctic sea ice has reached the lowest levels ever recorded for this time of year.
“This month was absolutely crazy,” said Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist, on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.
Even though it’s October, it is still very hot. According to a climate expert named Maximiliano Herrera, European countries like Spain, Poland, Austria, and France have recently experienced the highest temperatures ever recorded in the month of October.
What happened in Europe during the first three days of October was one of the most extreme climate events in European history. Herrera posted this on Tuesday.
It seems very likely that this year will be the hottest year ever. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there is a very high possibility, 93% or more, of reaching this milestone.
September was extremely hot, which has made 2023 likely to become the warmest year ever recorded. It is predicted to be around 1. 4 degrees Celsius hotter than the average temperature before industrialization.
The hot weather is partly caused by El Niño, which is a natural climate pattern that starts in the Pacific Ocean and makes it warmer. But underneath that pattern is the long-lasting trend of climate change caused by humans.
The temperature keeps getting hotter because we are still using fossil fuels. “It’s really easy,” said Friederike Otto, a climate science teacher at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment in the UK.
“The big difference in how much heat records are being broken is important,” she explained to CNN. People and the natural environments they live in are experiencing loss of life.
Countries from around the world will meet in Dubai for the United Nations COP28 climate summit in December. During this event, they will come together to review the progress made towards reaching climate goals. A recent report says that the world is not doing well right now.
Otto said that the big difference by which the September record was broken should alert policymakers and negotiators for COP28. He emphasized that we must all agree to gradually stop using fossil fuels. -
Poland’s conflict with Ukraine infuriated many people in Europe
Europe’s help for Ukraine was surprised this week when Poland, who had always been a strong supporter of Ukraine, said they would no longer send weapons to them.
The decision was made because Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed dissatisfaction with Warsaw’s ongoing ban on Ukrainian grain imports. This is another example of Poland’s government becoming more confrontational towards Kyiv, especially as they approach a close general election.
The political drama has brought up some important questions, the most important of which is, will Europe’s strong resistance against Russia’s full-scale invasion weaken now.
How did a problem with buying grain turn into a big argument between countries. The European Union stopped getting grain from Ukraine for a little while in May, to make sure farmers in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia could sell their grain for a good price. The EU stopped the ban last week, making the countries angry. They promised to keep the restrictions, which led to protests in Poland.
Poland is having a national election on October 15. The ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) is expected to do badly in this election. Anyone who pays attention to European politics knows that farming is very important. Farmers are people who play an important role in politics and have reasons to take action. Citizens also have concerns about having enough food, although sometimes they care too much or in ways that don’t make sense. The PiS party needs the support of people who live in rural areas to stay in control.
So, it’s understandable that the Polish government wants to do something attention-seeking and patriotic. But things got worse on Tuesday when Zelensky said at the UN general assembly that it is concerning to see some of our friends in Europe portraying solidarity as a political show and making a big deal out of something small.
The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said on social media the next day that Poland is no longer giving weapons to Ukraine because they are now supplying their own country.Poland changed its stance and promised to still send the weapons it had promised before. Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the words of his prime minister were understood in the most negative way possible.
The argument brought up important questions about how Europe stays together.
But, most European officials, including those from Poland, don’t think there will be a big change in how they support Ukraine.
A senior European defense source said, “This is mainly about elections and farmers are a strong support group for PiS. ” Poland will keep giving weapons to Ukraine. For however long it is needed. “I’m completely sure about that,” says a representative from NATO. A European Union official said that Poles really want Ukraine to win the war because if they don’t, Russia (their biggest enemy) will be able to attack them directly. However, because of the upcoming elections, Poland wants to show their strength and power.
The anger towards Poland is very strong, even though some believe the noise about it is just for people in the country.
A person from the EU said to CNN that Ukraine has already given Poland a solution for their grain problem. That’s why they’re really angry at Poland. There are 24 countries who have been unfairly treated by Poland for the past 18 months because they did not provide enough support to Ukraine.
The same feeling was expressed by people from NATO, EU institutions, and European countries.
The person is saying that the contempt towards Poland can be understood by looking at the elections, the nationalist goals of the government, and their strong opinions on topics like grain, migration, and other things they consider as a danger to Poland.
They also criticize Brussels and the EU when it suits their plans. This is a desperate attempt to get people to vote – when you don’t have anything important to offer, you make up an enemy and blame them for problems at home to hide your failures in domestic policy.
The most important thing to consider from all of this is how it may affect Ukraine in the future. The Western countries are trying very hard to include Ukraine in their organizations. The country is working to become a member of both the EU and NATO, and everyone supports this decision.
However, there are already limitations and requirements that come with that support. Most countries in the EU agree that in order to include Ukraine, there must be significant changes in how the EU works.
If Ukraine were to become a member, the money that is currently given to countries for things like farming would instead be given to Ukraine. See if Polish farmers will buy it.
The current EU structures would also allow its newest member to have a lot of power in the institutions, such as the parliament and council of member states.
Some members of NATO don’t like the idea of a country that is currently at war being able to use the article 5 mechanism. This mechanism is when allies are obligated to help each other.
Many NATO countries don’t want to spend money on defense, even for themselves, let alone for each other.
Poland’s aggressive behavior enables countries who feel they have been unjustly pressured, especially by Poland, to stand up for Ukraine. These countries can now question the wisdom of the West providing extensive support to a country that is not even a part of their alliance.
European officials are really angry about what happened this week because it gives Russian President Vladimir Putin a chance to spread propaganda.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there are some conflicts between Warsaw and Kyiv when asked about the argument. We think that these tensions will get worse.
People say that when Russia spreads false information, it benefits Russia but harms the West. Fights between Western countries make it seem like they are not united, and when they are not united, it benefits Russia. -
EU cuts off financial support for Zimbabwe’s electoral body
The European Union said it will stop giving money to Zimbabwe’s electoral group because they are worried about how they operated during the August elections.
Since 2022, the European Union (EU) has been contributing funds to a project aimed at helping the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) enhance its abilities.
The United Nations Development Programme was leading a project that will be finished by December 2024.
The EU gave $4. 7m (£37m) and we have used some of it.
But, the EU announced on Tuesday that it would withdraw from the project. The reason for this is that international election observers have expressed concerns about the independence and transparency of ZEC during the 2023 elections.
The union also mentioned that the decision to stop funding will help in effectively managing the EU development funds.
The EU has stopped giving aid to Zimbabwe and has told Zec (an organization in Zimbabwe) and Zimbabwe’s finance ministry about their decision.
But the union said it would keep watching what happens in Zimbabwe and might start helping again. -
EU halts food aid to Somalia amid theft investigation
The European Union has officially halted its payments to the World Food Programme (WFP) for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia.
According to Balazs Ujvari, a spokesperson for the European Commission, this action is a precautionary measure to protect EU funds.
A UN investigation has uncovered extensive theft of aid that was intended for vulnerable Somalis, with local officials, members of the security forces, and humanitarian workers implicated.
In the previous year, the European Union allocated more than $7 million (£5.6 million) to WFP operations in Somalia.
The US Agency for International Development has stated that it does not currently have plans to suspend food aid to Somalia.
-
Germany backs EU’s junta sanctions after Niger coup
Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lent its support to the European Union’s imposition of sanctions against the military junta in Niger.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to address the Niger situation, including the implementation of sanctions, during a meeting in Toledo, Spain, on August 31, 2023.
As one of the major aid contributors to Niger, the EU had previously announced the suspension of security collaboration and financial assistance amounting to EUR 503 million for the period of 2021-2024. This support was intended to enhance governance and education within the country.
In remarks shared on the X platform, previously known as Twitter, the foreign ministry communicated that its Minister Annalena Baerbock had engaged in discussions with Moussa Mahamat, the Chair of the African Union, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other pertinent stakeholders, regarding the coup in Niger.
The ministry’s tweet noted that these talks were focused on the objective of restoring constitutional order in Niger.
During a visit to Abuja, the German Minister for Development, Svenja Schulze, also engaged with representatives from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, as highlighted by the ministry.
“After the suspension of development cooperation and security cooperation, we in the EU now want to introduce sanctions against the putschists,” it added.
President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by military officials in Niger on July 26. Since then, they have rejected requests from the UN, ECOWAS, and Western countries to restore him, prompting the assembly of the standby force by the leaders of West African nations.
-
40 migrants saved as others perish off Cape Verde
A boat off the coast of Cape Verde carrying about 40 survivors and a number of West African migrants has been discovered adrift.
It’s unclear how many people died exactly.
With over 100 individuals on board, the boat is said to have left Senegal a month prior.
According to speculation, the boat was on its way to the Spanish Canary Islands, a well-liked entry point for immigrants seeking asylum in the European Union.
Each year, thousands of people fleeing poverty and violence take the risky journey across the ocean, frequently in substandard boats or motorised canoes provided by human smugglers.
-
Funeral service held for assassinated Ecuador presidential contender Fernando Villavicencio
In a private ceremony held on Friday night in the nation’s capital, the body of the assassinated Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was laid to rest.
According to his campaign staff, the 59-year-old was buried in the Monteolivo cemetery in Quito’s north.
They claimed that the funeral took place in complete secrecy, with police officers and his nearest family accompanying the casket.
Villavicencio, an anti-corruption activist and congressman who spoke out against the carnage brought on by drug trafficking in the nation, was shot and killed on Wednesday during a campaign rally in Quito.
Villavicencio was assassinated just 10 days before the first round of the presidential election was scheduled to take place. Villavicencio belonged to the Movimiento Construye political party.
Six suspects, all of whom are gang members and citizens of Colombia, were reportedly detained by authorities on Thursday in connection with his murder. Although it is yet unknown what country the suspected shooter was from, he passed away earlier while in police custody.
The Andean country, which was until a few years ago a relatively calm country, is now afflicted by a worsening security crisis caused by drug trafficking and a turf war between competing criminal organisations.
As criminal organisations compete to control and distribute narcotics, particularly cocaine, the Pacific coast of Ecuador has seen the most violence.
The assassination sparked a global outcry of disapproval, notably from the UN Human Rights chief, the United States, and the European Union.
During the course of the inquiry, investigators confiscated two motorcycles, a stolen car that was thought to have been utilised by the suspects, a rifle, a machine gun, four handguns, three grenades, two rifle magazines, and four boxes of ammunition.
President Guillermo Lasso also requested assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in response to the incident, and he tweeted earlier that a mission would soon be in the nation.
-
China’s exports have decreased significantly for the first time in 3 years
Last month, China‘s imports and exports decreased more drastically than anticipated as lower global demand jeopardised the chances of the world’s second-largest economy recovering.
According to official data, imports decreased by 12.4% in July compared to the same month last year while exports plummeted by 14.5%.
The dismal trade numbers increase worries that the nation’s economic development may slow down much more this year.
Beijing will be under more pressure to speed up the post-pandemic recovery.
The poorest export numbers since February 2020 point to a possible impact on China’s post-pandemic recovery from the growing cost of living and more expensive borrowing in other areas of the world by lowering demand for its goods.
Demand has also lagged behind expectations in China, where the economy has not recovered despite three years of harsh lockdowns and restrictions meant to stop the coronavirus from spreading.
Due to its status as the largest exporter and greatest importer in the world, China’s slow trade performance is expected to have an impact on the global economy.
Prices in China, in contrast to most of the rest of the world, seem to be declining as businesses and consumers emerge from the zero-growth period unwilling to spend and with big inventories of items to sell.
However, officials in China have so far resisted taking any significant steps to revive the economy in the face of soaring youth unemployment and a housing industry in crisis.
One of China’s largest markets, the US, saw a 23.1% year-over-year decline in exports.
Additionally, the European Union imported 20.6% less from China. Due to a dispute between the EU and China over semiconductor chips, some of the important raw materials used to build computer chips are now subject to more stringent export controls from China.
Some of the strictest coronavirus regulations in the world were in place in China. Shanghai, China’s financial centre and home to some 25 million people, was placed under total lockdown beginning in March 2022. The government sent food parcels to inhabitants who were confined to their homes during this time.
-
EU condemns detention of ministers in Niger
The detention of former government ministers by Niger’s new junta was denounced and their immediate release was sought by the European Union on Monday
“The EU denounces the continued arrests of ministers and senior officials of President Mohamed Bazoum’s government by the putschists in Niger,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter, renamed X. “We call for their immediate release ,” he added.
Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum ‘s party has warned that the West African country is at risk of becoming a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime” after a series of arrests. The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS, in power), denounced the “abusive arrests” of four ministers – Interior, Petroleum, Mines and Transport – as well as the head of its national executive committee.
The European Union, which views Niger as a crucial pillar of security in the unstable Sahel area, has denounced the coup there. It stopped providing fiscal assistance to Niamey and issued a warning that it might follow this coup with fresh sanctions.
The elite presidential guard overthrew Mr. Bazoum on July 26, a Western friend whose victory just over two years ago marked the first peaceful transfer of power in Niger since independence.
Despite having uranium resources, Niger is one of the world’s poorest nations. It is the third nation in the area to have a coup since 2020, following Mali and Burkina Faso, and is beset by attacks from organizations affiliated with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.
-
Burkina Faso, Mali issue warning against foreign military action in Niger
Any military action taken against the leaders of last week’s coup in Niger would be viewed as a “declaration of war” against those countries, according to the military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali.
Following threats from West African leaders to use force to restore deposed Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s neighbors on Monday issued the warning in unified declarations that were read out on their national broadcasters.
“The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and Mali express their fraternal solidarity … to the people of Niger, who have decided with full responsibility to take their destiny in hand and assume the fullness of their sovereignty before history,” the military governments of the two countries said.
“Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” they warned, adding that such a move could result in “disastrous consequences” that “could destabilise the entire region”.
The military authorities of Burkina Faso and Mali have expressed their refusal to adhere to the “illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger” in response to the coup that took place in Niger on July 26. This coup has created ripples across West Africa, leading to divisions among the country’s former Western allies and regional bodies and other nations in the region.
The coup leaders in Niger, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the former presidential guard chief, cited poor governance and dissatisfaction with President Bazoum’s handling of security threats from al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked groups as the reasons behind their actions.
This coup marks the seventh military takeover in less than three years in West and Central Africa, prompting immediate condemnation from the African Union, the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and other influential powers.
The regional bloc ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on Niger, including a halt in all financial transactions and a freeze of national assets. It has also indicated the possibility of authorizing force to reinstate President Bazoum, who is believed to be under house arrest in Niamey, the capital.
In response to the sanctions, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea have expressed their disagreement. Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya, whose government also came to power through a coup, stated that the sanctions would not solve the current problem and could lead to a humanitarian disaster extending beyond Niger’s borders. Guinea’s government has decided not to apply the sanctions, considering them illegitimate and inhumane, and has called on ECOWAS to reconsider its position.
Meanwhile, the coup leaders in Niger have attempted to consolidate their control by arresting top officials of the toppled government. The situation in Niger has drawn international concern, with the United States, France, and Germany calling for a restoration of President Bazoum to power.
Amid the coup’s aftermath, anti-French sentiments have fueled protests outside Paris’s embassy in Niamey, with demonstrators expressing support for Russia. There are concerns that the instability in Niger may present opportunities for groups like the Wagner Group, a Russian private mercenary company, to exert influence.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, spoke approvingly of the coup, while the Kremlin in Russia expressed serious concern over the situation in Niger. The developments in Niger are closely monitored by the international community due to their potential implications for regional stability and security.
-
France and the EU stopped funding Niger over military coup
Following the overthrow of Niger’s democratically elected president by a coup, France and the EU have stopped providing financial assistance to the West African nation.
The former colonial power of Niger, France, added to the growing international pressure on the coup plotters by calling for the “immediate return to the Nigerien constitutional order” in a statement.
The action was taken shortly after the European Union said earlier on Saturday that it would no longer be providing financial support and cease any security cooperation with Niger. One of the poorest nations in the world, Niger receives aid worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
After President Mohamed Bazoum was detained earlier this week, Abdourahamane Tiani, a general who oversees the nation’s presidential guard, was sworn in as the new president.
According to Josep Borell, head of foreign affairs for the EU, “this unacceptable attack on the integrity of Niger’s republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects.”
“President Bazoum was democratically chosen and is still Niger’s only legal leader. He must be released immediately and without conditions.
The release of Bazoum has been demanded by leaders from Washington to Moscow, but to no avail.
The Nigerien military was ordered to “immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority” by the African Union on Saturday. If the rights of political detainees are not protected, the AU threatened to “take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.”
If the Economic Community of West African States decides to impose penalties against Niger, both Borell and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that they would be ready to support them.
It is unknown to what extent those aiming to grab power would be influenced by foreign pressure.
An aide who supported the ousted president told CNN that the conspirators were fighting among themselves. The military of Niger has supported the coup, though.
The Sahel region of Africa, which includes Mali and Burkina Faso, has experienced multiple power grabs recently. Niger is located in the centre of this region.
-
President of Tunisia charged with authoritarianism and bigotry
A significant agreement between the European Union and Tunisia was reached on Sunday, guaranteeing the North African nation up to €1 billion ($1.12 bn) in investment, financial assistance, and loans in exchange for restrictions on migrants arriving in Europe from Tunisia.
The agreement is a big victory for Tunisia’s President Kais Saied, an increasingly autocratic figure who has spent the last few years destroying his nation’s democracy – ten years after a revolution there deposed a longtime leader and ignited a regional uprising against dictatorship.
The sole democracy to have emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring movement was previously stated to be Tunisia.
“Since 2011, the European Union has been supporting Tunisia’s journey of democracy,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after signing the agreement. “It is a long, sometimes difficult road. But these difficulties can be overcome.”
Several European lawmakers and human rights organizations have warned that any agreement that doesn’t include human rights assurances would be seen as an endorsement of Saied’s anti-democratic policies.
“In short, we are doing a deal with a dictator who is cruel and unreliable,” Dutch Member of the European Parliament Sophie in ‘t Veld said at a meeting of the body’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Tuesday. “This deal does not align with our values, it will not be effective, and it is not concluded in a transparent and democratic way.”
That the EU signed it anyway is a testament to how desperate some European leaders have become to curb migration, analysts say.
“This is an agreement with a leader who is showing increasingly authoritarian tendencies,” Camille Le Coz, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute in Brussels, told CNN. “The priority is given to fixing the problem in the short term, and curbing arrivals. Values lose.”
Saied rose to power in 2019 after the death of Tunisia’s first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi.
Running as an independent, he won a landslide victory after positioning himself as a political newcomer standing up to a corrupt elite.
But democratic ideals were pushed aside in 2021, when the president embarked on a major power grab at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. He ousted the government, dissolved parliament, and began ruling by decree.
Since then, he has cracked down on freedom of the press and judicial independence, even appointing himself as attorney general. Last year, he forced through a new constitution that cemented his one-man rule and dissolved any last hopes for a democratic government. He has also been accused of being responsible for the wave of anti-Black racism in the country amid an influx of migrants.
But Tunisia’s descent into authoritarianism was not on the agenda during the high-profile European visit over the weekend and journalists were not allowed to ask questions during the event.
Instead, Saied was all smiles while posing for photos alongside von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after signing the agreement.
Rutte’s presence was particularly striking. Just days before the trip to Tunis, he announced that he would be leaving Dutch politics after his government collapsed over migration policy.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told CNN the agreement signed with Tunisia “focused on macro-economic stability, trade and investment, green energy transition, people-to people contacts, and migration” and that the EU is addressing human rights issues in Tunisia through other channels.
The EU has long championed democracy in the Arab world, describing itself as a “firm promoter and defender of human rights and democracy across the world.” But it has in the past decade witnessed a flood of irregular migration that has seen it prioritize reducing numbers, analysts say, sometimes at the expense of its goal to promote human rights.
Around 100,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe so far this year, most of them arriving in Italy, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Many made the dangerous journey on small boats operated by people smugglers who have little regard for safety. Since 2015, more than 23,000 people have either died or gone missing while trying to reach Europe, according to the UN.
The issue has pitted EU member states against each other. On one side are receiving countries like Italy that have seen an influx of tens of thousands of people per year and have asked the EU for help to resettle them. On the other side are states like Hungary and Poland which refuse to cooperate and take their share of refugees. Both countries are governed by populist right-wing leaders who argue that they should have control over whom they admit to their territory
But whether the deal with Tunisia could actually lead to a meaningful result is another question.
For one, the pact remains vague. While von der Leyen promised last month the agreement would be worth as much €1 billion in financial aid and loans, the text doesn’t mention that figure.
“The agreement that has been published is almost entirely numberless, and it is extremely broad and unspecific, despite the fact that it is covering a lot of topics where the devil really is in the details,” Max Gallien, a research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in the UK, told CNN.
To dispense a substantial amount of money to Tunisia, the European Commission would also need to get support from the European Parliament and the European Council, which is made up of representatives of all EU member states.
That could be tricky. The parliament has repeatedly criticized the Tunisian leader, even adopting a resolution in March to express concern about what it called “President Saied’s authoritarian drift” and his “racist discourse against sub-Saharan migrants.”
There are also questions about the Commission’s mandate. The agreement hints that the EU will make it easier for Tunisians to get visas to come to Europe legally.
“This is a prerogative of EU member states. So the Netherlands and the [European] Commission can go to Tunis and commit to this and say the EU is going to make Vague progress on this, but if France or Germany decides that they don’t feel like it, well, they just won’t do it,” Le Coz said.
Gallien said that the lack of exact commitments in the text of the agreement means the deal is mostly symbolic.
“It is designed to show progress, to signal that they’re working together on these issues, because both sides have domestic audiences that have an interest in this, but I think it is very doubtful or very unclear at this point how much will come out of it,” he said.
But signals matter, critics say. The EU is cooperating with Tunisia on migration despite serious allegations of human rights abuses against migrants on Tunisia’s part. Tunisian forces have been accused of arbitrary detentions and inhuman treatment of migrants. And Saied himself has stoked tensions by describing migration into Tunisia from other parts of Africa as “criminal enterprise hatched at the beginning of this century to change the demographic composition of Tunisia.”
The Tunisian government didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment.
This isn’t the first time the EU has struck a deal with a North Afrian regime that has been accused of human rights abuses in order to stem migration. It brokered a similar agreement with Libya in 2017 despite documented human rights violations there. It announced additional support for Libya last year.
Gallien said Europe’s position on Tunisia’s descent into autocracy is worrying.
“We should not fall into the trap of just looking at other countries in the region and going ‘well, you know, there’s a lot of authoritarianism and consequently, Tunisia’s authoritarianism is less concerning’,” he said.
Tunisia’s democracy was not perfect, Gallien said, but “it did have a genuine attempt at developing democratic institutions.”
“This is a genuine destruction of something that has been built and consequently a narrowing of the options of a country of over 10 million people,” he added. “So, I think that is that is one reason we should be very concerned.”
-
EU and Tunisia reach agreement on preventing illegal immigration
A source from Europe has stated that the European Union (EU) aims to negotiate partnerships similar to the recently concluded one with Tunisia with Egypt and Morocco.
The focus of these partnerships would particularly revolve around addressing irregular immigration.
The EU and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding in Tunis on Sunday, establishing a “comprehensive strategic partnership” that encompasses various aspects, including economic development, renewable energies, and migration.
Regarding migration, the agreement entails European assistance of 105 million euros, allocated to initiatives aimed at preventing migrant boat departures from Tunisian shores to the EU and combating smugglers.
It also aims to facilitate the return of Tunisians residing irregularly in the EU back to their home country, as well as supporting the return of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to their countries of origin via Tunisia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her desire for this partnership to serve as a model for future agreements with countries in the region.
An anonymous senior European official mentioned that Egypt and Morocco are two countries that could potentially engage in similar partnerships, highlighting the mutual benefits such collaborations would bring to both sides of the Mediterranean.
-
Africa views the EU’s carbon border plan as a new wall
On Thursday, the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, and the Regional Mechanisms organization convened a high-level session in Nairobi, Kenya.
From July 13 to July 16, 51 foreign ministers from AU member states will attend the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting. 15 heads of state will gather on Sunday at the United Nations African office in Gigiri, Nairobi.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is the European Union’s measure to encourage countries where it sources imports to adopt cleaner manufacturing.
The CBAM which goes into force on a transitional basis in October introduces a carbon tax on exports to the EU.
But the measure has elicited concern in Africa which counts Europe as a major export market.
A study carried out by the African Climate Foundation and the London School of Economics suggests that the CBAM’s economic repercussions will be ‘far-reaching’ and most strongly felt in Africa.
Their modelling based on €87 per ton suggests that the CBAM would lead to around $25 billion in losses based on 2021 GDP levels, nearly four times higher than what the EU gave to Africa in development assistance in 2021.
Products such as iron and steel, cement, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen, and electricity – which make up a significant portion of Africa’s exports to Europe, will be the first victims of the mechanism.
After 2026, the CBAM’s scope will extend to other products, potentially leading to bigger economic loss.
Experts say the measure is punitive, and dramatically reduces the space for developing countries to achieve growth and to create jobs.
Our guest this week is Faten Aggad, the senior advisor climate diplomacy and geopolitics at the African Climate Foundation.
Uganda mulls zero tax on electric cars
Uganda is racing to switch to e-mobility despite having limited infrastructure in the country. Authorities say waiving tax on electric vehicle imports will encourage mass adoption.
The goal is to reduce pollution and to improve Kampala’s green credentials.
East Africa sees record growth in FDI
East African countries defied economic turbulence in 2022 to post a 17 percent growth in foreign direct investment, with South Sudan and Kenya seeing the highest percentage increases.
On the contrary, Inflows fell in Southern, western and central Africa.
-
Europe finally reaches a historic nature and climate agreement
Despite considerable resistance from some policymakers, the European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favour of legally obligatory goals to protect and restore nature in the European Union.
By 2030, countries must implement policies to restore nature on a fifth of their land and sea areas, according to the EU’s landmark nature law.
With 336 votes in favour, 300 votes against it, and 13 abstentions, the bill narrowly passed.
According to Greenpeace, it is the first significant piece of legislation to conserve biodiversity in the EU in the last 30 years. The law aims to restore or enhance biodiverse habitats, stop the decrease of pollinating insects, and develop or build coastal habitats like sea grass.
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis, due to land clearing, pollution and climate change, with some scientists saying we are entering a sixth mass extinction. Almost half the planet’s species are experiencing rapid population declines, according to a May study.
“This vote shows that there is still hope to restore and grow what’s left,” Špela Bandelj, Greenpeace’s Central and Eastern Europe biodiversity project manager, said in a statement.
“As another unprecedented heatwave grips Europe, it’s clear that to survive climate breakdown and ensure food supplies we’ll need nature on our side,” she added.
The votecomes after months of protracted negotiations that exposed long-standing divisions in the European Parliament after the European People’s Party (EPP), the EU Parliament’s biggest lawmaker group, spearheaded a campaign to reject the plan.
The EPP group chairman, Manfred Weber – who was among the most vocal opponents of the bill – called into question the financial implications of the legislation in a press briefing after the vote, saying it would hurt farming.
“The law is not giving us a real answer about the food production question creating legal uncertainty for local and regional authorities and will potentially hurt our renewable energy transition – rather than support it,” he said.
However, before the vote several EPP members including Ireland’s Frances Fitzgerald broke ranks to support the bill.
“I cannot in good conscience and good faith vote against this law,” Fitzgerald said in video on Twitter. “We need to protect biodiversity. We need this law to protect our citizens, our businesses and, above all, the future generations,” she added.
Other supporters of the bill included the Parliament’s center-left Socialists & Democrats, the Greens, the Left and part of Renew Europe. Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg also attended the voting session to show support for the new climate legislation.
EU lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, aiming for a deal before EU Parliament elections in 2024.
The nature restoration law is one of two key pillars of the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, a package of proposals aimed at rehabilitating Europe’s already damaged ecosystems.
In 2021, the European Environment Agency found that 81% of the EU’s ecosystems are in either a “poor” or “bad” condition, according to Greenpeace.
Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
-
Animal testing for cosmetics officially outlawed in Canada
Canada has taken action to abolish the practise of testing cosmetics on animals, following a number of other nations and American states in doing so.
The choice was revealed by the Canadian government in a news release on Tuesday. According to the news release, Bill C-47 changes the Food and Drugs Act to prohibit both cosmetic product testing on animals and the sale of goods based on the results of such testing.
The news release stated that “rarely is animal testing for cosmetics conducted in Canada.”
Canada will join the ranks of the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, which have all moved to ban cosmetic testing on animals, according to the release.
A total of 44 countries have passed laws banning cosmetic animal testing, according to the Humane Society International. Additionally, 10 states in the US have banned the practice: New York, Virginia, California, Louisiana, New Jersey, Maine, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, and Maryland.
“Protecting animals, now and in the future, is something that many Canadians have been calling for, and something we can all celebrate,” said Canadian Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos in the release. “We are proud to move forward with this measure, and to assure Canadians that the products they buy are cruelty-free. We will keep working with experts and international partners to explore safe, cruelty-free alternatives so no more animals suffer and die due to cosmetic testing.”
The release added Health Canada is also working to identify “effective alternatives to animal testing” outside the cosmetic world.
The amendment banning cosmetic testing on animals in one of a package of amendments included in the measure. The text of the bill stipulates “No person shall sell a cosmetic unless the person can establish the safety of the cosmetic without relying on data derived from a test conducted on an animal that could cause pain, suffering or injury, whether physical or mental, to the animal” and that “No person shall conduct a test on an animal that could cause pain, suffering or injury, whether physical or mental, to the animal.”
The bill was first read in the House of Commons in April and received royal assent on June 22.
Cosmetic testing has historically included “toxicity tests” in which animals are focused to consume or inhale certain chemicals, or have the chemicals applied to their skin or eyes, according to the Humane Society International’s Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration.
In addition to being unnecessarily cruel, animal tests are also less effective compared to newer forms of assessment like computer modeling or tests using human cells, said the Humane Society International.
-
74 people slain in Nigeria’s 2023 elections slain – European Union
The European Union has debunked claims that the Nigerian 2023 election was free and fair, saying the elections were marred by violence and bloodshed, with at least 74 persons killed in 101 violent incidents.
This was stated in the EU’s final report titled “Election Observation Mission Nigeria 2023.”
“The EU EOM recorded 101 violent incidents during the campaign, including at least 74 fatalities,” the EU reported.
“EU EOM observers received reports of and saw the widespread distribution of goods and vote buying. Several state agencies tried to tackle corrupt practices, yet their results were modest. This is evidencing that political will, enhanced institutional capacity, and robust enforcement synergy are needed to ensure transparency and genuine accountability,” the report stated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on March 1, declared President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, winner of the February 25th presidential election.
However, Tinubu’s victory has been rejected by leading opposition figures, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Both have challenged Tinubu’s victory before the presidential election petition court (PEPC).
-
EU, SNV Ghana commission six GrEEn businesses in Ashanti Region
The SNV Netherlands Development Organization in Ghana, in partnership with the European Union, has commissioned six eco-friendly and sustainable businesses in the Ashanti region.
These businesses are part of the ‘Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana’ (GrEEn) project, which aims to support and expand local businesses in the green and circular economy sectors.
The team visited these enterprises, strategically located throughout the region, which engage in various green productions such as waste recycling into fertilizers, oil refining, and business advisory services.
The activities spanned a week, starting in Sekyere, where Tahir Fields Recycling, owned by Tahir Taajuddeen, operates an oil refinery that recycles waste engine oil using environmentally friendly technology.
To enhance production capacity at the site, Tahir Taajuddeen introduced new facilities including a pre-treatment tank, filtration system, reactor, heating system, condensers, a post-treatment tank, and a tricycle.
With the support of a matching grant of GH₵140,000 from the European Union, awarded during the 2021 GrEEn Innovation Challenge organized by SNV Ghana, Tahir Taajuddeen has significantly increased his daily waste oil recycling and refining capacity from 12 liters to 940 liters.
This expansion has also led to the creation of employment opportunities for numerous youths in the area.
At New Edubiase, the CEO of Supreme Pod Industry, Michael Acquah, commissioned a cutting-edge cocoa juice production factory.
He identified the under-utilisation of cocoa by farmers in the region to add more value to the cash crop, developing them into juice.
“Over the years, the processing of cocoa has mainly been on the dried beans. In the value chain of processing this dried bean, there is the first part which is the husk; the bulk outer layer that contains the beans, and there is also the pod which is the whitish substance around the cocoa beans.
“That sweet, whitish substance normally goes to waste when they break the pod to do the fermentation. So, this is whyI have developed the technology and the innovation to extract and process into juice,” he revealed.
Equipped with a water treatment facility, machines, and essential logistics, the factory has created jobs for 25 young people in the community.
The commissioning was attended by representatives from SNV Ghana, the Agriculture Director of the Adansi South District, and a high-level delegation from COCOBOD, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), as well as cocoa farmers.
Ghana loses millions of cedis to food and household waste which could easily be converted into other reusable products.
In Akotosu in the Sekyere Kumawu District, Andrew Abuska – owner of Eye of the Brain Ecofeeds – collects and recycles household and food waste, using them to nurse maggots and make feed for fish, poultry, sheep, cattle, and goats.
His production facility intends to boost production from 15 bags per week to 100 bags daily and increase supply of organic fertiliser to more than 1,000 farmers in the district and across the country.
This comes after receiving a matching grant of GH₵135,000 from the GrEEn Project.
The team moved to Nhyiaeso where the CEO of Rural Green Recycling, Frank Amoah Boateng commissioned a waste segregation site funded by the European Union.
The facility is equipped with a crusher to shred Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) waste plastic bottles before selling them to recycling centres.
He has been able to increase plastic waste collection from 1.5 tonnes to 5 tonnes per month in Atasemanso, and from 0.2 tonnes to 4-6 tonnes per month in Obogu in the Asante Akyem District, after receiving a GH₵ 55,000 grant support from the GrEEn Project.
Frank Boateng has additionally set up a material recovery facility to collect PET, High Density Polyethylene (HD) and wastepaper to be recycled.
In Jamasi, Pamela Agbogse – founder of Pamela Chicks and Feed – inaugurated a poultry feed production facility equipped with a three-in-one (blower, hammer mill, and mixer) machine.
She received a matching grant of GH₵100,000 and is set to produce 600 bags of feed a day as compared to the 200 bags she formerly produced in a week to meet market demand.
Interestingly, her increased capacity has secured her a project to produce feed for about 80,000 birds.
Ofnet Farms, owned by Foster Osae, received GH₵70,000 from the European Union and the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana to support his organic fertilizer production business in Jamasi.
Mr. Osae produces organic fertilizer from agro and other farm waste such as cocoa and rice husks.
His capacity has expanded from 50 bags per week to 3,600 bags weekly, providing employment to 27 youths in the community.
All six entrepreneurs are also graduates of the Project’s 6-month GrEEn Incubation and Acceleration Programmes facilitated by its business hub partners in the Ashanti and Western regions.
In May 2023, five green businesses in the Western region that received matching grants under the maiden GrEEn Innovation Challenge also commissioned their projects.
These include Antanah Farms, Mending Papers Ltd, A. A Community Spring Water, Waterforce Ventures and Roland Rice in the Shama District.
Currently, 27 green entrepreneurs have received matching grants under the challenge with over GH₵3 million grant money awarded.
Green entrepreneurs who complete the GrEEn Incubation and Acceleration Programmes are eligible to receive matching grants of up to EUR25,000 to grow their businesses and create jobs at the community level for youth job seekers under the GrEEn Innovation Challenge by SNV Ghana.
Across the two regions, Innohub Growth Centre provides the GrEEn Acceleration Programme, which targets matured businesses and aims at making them ready for investment.
The GrEEn Incubation Programme targets sustainable start-ups and early-stage businesses, providing business advisory support services, market access and linkages as well as financial support.
About GrEEn Project
The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project, is a four-year action from the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for the youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to youth job seekers in two selected regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Western in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.
-
EU announces strategies to reduce economic risks when working with China and Russia
The European Union unveiled a plan on Tuesday to safeguard the economy of the union from risks posed by unreliable suppliers in nations that do not uphold its ideals, such as China, after the conflict in the Ukraine exposed Europe’s reliance on Russia for oil and gas.
The EU’s executive body, the European Commission, is working to create regulations to safeguard commerce and investments, notably in the digital and communication sectors, which adversaries might try to use for security or military objectives.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU commission, made the announcement of the idea, which needs to be approved by members of the union. She said: “The globe has become more contested and geopolitical, and there is a restricted collection of important technologies that can be exploited in a different and aggressive way.
“Given the changing nature of the risks, we now need a strategic vision for how we are going to handle these risks.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU needed to be “more assertive” in using its existing tools to tackle the problem and develop new ones.
‘Country agnostic’
The plans are being promoted as “country agnostic” because no target nations are mentioned by name, but they dovetail with the commission’s new drive to “de-risk” its relations with China without completely “decoupling”, given it relies on the Asian giant to tackle global challenges such as climate change.
Von der Leyen said the capital, expertise and research of European companies must not be “abused by countries of concern for military applications”. She raised, in particular, concerns about the security of 5G and 6G telecoms networks.
The commission considers Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE to be high-risk suppliers. In recent days it endorsed moves by some of the 27 EU member countries to exclude the two companies from their 5G networks.
In the 2019 EU-China Strategic Outlook, Brussels for the first time called Beijing a “systemic rival.” Since then, things have gone downhill with both sides hitting each other with sanctions following increasing European criticism over China’s human rights situation, resulting in the EU cancelling a major investment deal in early 2021.
The aim of the new plan is to make European economies and supply chains more resilient to threats and to resist energy or inflation hikes produced by the war while keeping trade flowing.
Under the scheme, the EU would work with countries that share its economic security concerns.
“We cannot treat a supply dependency on a systemic rival the same as we would treat that dependency on an ally,” commission executive vice-president Margrethe Vestager said.
Other risks to be countered include those posed to cyber-security or to critical infrastructure such as pipelines, undersea cables, power generators and transport networks. The threats posed by countries using trade or investment to change EU policies would also be addressed.
The challenge will be to unite EU member states – each of which have their own national policies toward countries like China and Russia – around the plans.
EU leaders are expected to discuss the scheme at their June 29-30 summit in Brussels.
-
Zimbabwe and Ghana sign cooperation agreement to strengthen relations
Ghana and Zimbabwe have signed a historic general cooperation agreement, paving way for a formal framework to enhance political and socio-economic relations between the two countries.
The agreement was signed yesterday in Accra in the presence of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
The signing ceremony was attended by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube and Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong.
The event took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank. The signing was also witnessed by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ghana, Kufa Chinoza, and Ghana’s envoy to Harare, Ambassador Grant Ntrakwa.
Following the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Sarpong emphasized the historic nature of the event. He noted that although Zimbabwe and Ghana have maintained relations for over 60 years, no formal agreements have been in place to enhance cooperation until now.
Deputy Minister Sarpong highlighted the significance of formalizing the relations between the two countries, allowing for a more focused approach to cooperation. Priority areas such as agriculture, tourism, and aviation will be explored for collaboration.
He emphasized the need for diligent implementation to elevate the bilateral relations between Ghana and Zimbabwe.
Ambassador Chinoza, speaking to the media after the signing ceremony, regarded the agreement as a crucial starting point.
He expressed the hope that it would eventually evolve into a comprehensive joint permanent and bi-national cooperation agreement.
Ambassador Chinoza emphasized the importance of further enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
The historical connection between Zimbabwe and Ghana traces back to their founding Presidents, Robert Mugabe and Kwame Nkrumah, both driven by the pan-Africanist ideology. The shared history includes Mugabe marrying in Nkrumah’s country.
Zimbabwe has been actively seeking to strengthen cooperation with various countries as part of its Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement initiative.
This pursuit of collaboration comes after years of isolation resulting from sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, which aimed to isolate Zimbabwe from the international community due to its implementation of the Fast Track Land Reform program.
The program aimed to rectify colonial injustices related to land ownership and ensure equitable access to land for indigenous Zimbabweans.
President Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe following the signing ceremony, concluding his visit to Ghana.
-
Kenya and EU sign tariff-free trade deal
Kenya and the European Union have recently entered into a trade agreement that, upon ratification, will provide Kenya with tariff-free access to the EU market.
This significant development is expected to result in more affordable Kenyan goods for European consumers, potentially leading to an increase in exports and the generation of additional employment opportunities within Kenya.
The deal is expected to enhance Kenya’s economic development, with President William Ruto saying it “will stimulate Kenya’s manufacturing and export of finished, value-added products out of Kenya”.
Kenya’s Trade Minister, Moses Kuria, expressed great pride as he signed the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) alongside EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
Highlights of the Kenya – EU Economic Partnership Agreement signed today:
— Trade Kenya (@Trade_Kenya) June 19, 2023
◉ Kenyan exports to enjoy duty and quota free market access to EU
◉ The EPA secures a market for Kenyan farmers & boosts their income potential
◉ It expands and guarantees continued flower exports to EU pic.twitter.com/VCnAEC3TLmThis momentous occasion marks a significant milestone for the country. The European Union stands as one of Kenya’s largest markets, accounting for approximately one-fifth of its total exports, primarily consisting of agricultural products like vegetables, cut flowers, tea, and coffee.
In addition to gaining tariff-free access to the EU market, Kenya has committed to gradually reducing barriers for EU products.
An EU statement noted that this was a balanced agreement, as it considers “Kenya’s development needs by allowing it a longer period to gradually open its market”.
-
EU to support unemployed Ghanaian youth
The European Union (EU) has revealed that plans are underway to ensure that unemployed Ghanaian youth find jobs.
The initiatives are the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills worth €25 million and the Jobs, Migration and Development project worth €9 million.
Mr lrchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana made this known at a reception and an exhibition event to commemorate the Europe Day in Accra.
Europe Day held on May 9, every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe.
It is to commemorate the Schuman Declaration in 1950, only five years after the most horrific war in modern history in which 50 million people lost their lives.
The Ambassador said the Union recently inaugurated the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, together with Germany and the Ghanaian government.
The centre provides direct support to returning migrants and resident Ghanaians looking for jobs and training in Ghana and in Europe.
He said young people were ready to jump at new opportunities and this had been seen through their projects and initiatives, with over €3 billion currently invested in Africa on youth, skills and education at large.
He said in Ghana, “we support over 100,000 young job seekers to gain skills and training through a number of projects.”
He said the Union had seen that young people were open to learning and this was through the ever increasing applications to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme.
Last year, the Union sent off 45 talented Ghanaian students to European universities, the highest number of Ghanaian students eager to start rich academic and cultural experiences.
He said through the same Erasmus+ programme, hundreds of students in Ghana would also benefit from high-quality training and support to enter a competitive job market.
“When we put together all the scholarships served by the EU and its Member States, it is several hundreds of Ghanaians getting the opportunity to acquire world-class knowledge and training, foster long-lasting links between Ghana and Europe and find new opportunities for exchanges and investments,” he added.
The Ambassador said through their GrEEn worth €20.6 million and WACOMP worth €6.2 million projects were jointly supporting over 500 young entrepreneurs and youth-led enterprises and they have seen their innovativeness and creativity.
Mr Mustapha Ussif, Minister of Youth and Sports, expressed gratitude to the Union for their continuous support of the youth in the area of education through the provision of scholarships for Ghanaian students to study in various European universities.
“We are hopeful that other EU projects in the pipeline, aimed at empowering and developing the youth will be launched soon for mutual benefits,” he added.
-
Belgium smashes an American beer cargo over slogan ‘Champagne of Beer’
A shipment of American beer was destroyed by Belgium after it objected to the claim made by the manufacturer that it was “The Champagne of Beers.”
The 2,352 Miller High Life beer cans were destroyed earlier this week by Belgian customs, who claimed they should have been labelled as Champagne.
The move came after a trade association for the Champagne industry complained that the term should be used only on bottles of sparkling wine, made using a traditional method in Champagne, France.
By convention, true Champagne – as in, the French sparkling wine – can only be made using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.
The Comité Champagne, a joint trade association for the Champagne industry, requested the destruction of the American beers, arguing that the label “The Champagne of Beers” infringed on the protected designation of “Champagne”.
Miller High Life was launched in 1903 by a Milwaukee-based based firm. According to its website, it began to use the slogan “The Champagne of Bottle Beer” three years later, shortening it to “The Champagne of Beers” in 1969.
The beers were headed for Germany before they were intercepted at the port of Antwerp in February.
On April 17, the cans were destroyed “with the greatest respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, content and container, is recycled in an eco-responsible way,” the Comité Champagne said.
“Each year we carry out thousands of checks on designations of controlled origin,” said Kristian Vanderwaeren, general administrator of the Belgian General Administration for Customs and Excise.
“If a counterfeit is proven, as is the case here, we also consult each other on the decision to destroy these goods and on the way in which we have them destroyed.”
Charles Goemaere, managing director of the Comité Champagne, said the move is the result of successful collaboration between the Belgian customs authorities and the services of the Champagne Committee.
“It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the inhabitants of Champagne to protect their designation,” he said.
-
World leaders are lining up to meet Xi Jinping. Should the US be worried?
Since late last month the Chinese leader has hosted heads of state and government chiefs from Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, France and the European Union – an unusual pace of diplomatic activity that comes as countries look to Beijing as the global economy sputters in the wake of the pandemic and war in Ukraine.
On Friday, that list grew to include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is expected to sign a host of bilateral deals with Xi – and, like several of the leaders before him, arrives with hopes of making progress toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
But for Xi, this revolving door of visiting leaders – making the trip even as China has refused to condemn the Russian invasion – is also an opportunity to assert his vision for a global order not dictated by American rules – and push back against perceived threats.
That’s especially urgent for the Chinese leader now, observers say.
Three years of scaled-back diplomacy due to China’s strict Covid-19 controls coupled with economic challenges, entrenched competition with the United States and rising European concerns about Beijing’s foreign policy have left Xi under pressure to act.
“(Chinese leaders) believe it’s time now for China to make its strategic plans,” said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“A potentially good outcome is to weaken American alliances … so that’s why we’re seeing quite strenuous efforts made by Beijing to try to stabilize and improve relations with European countries, and also to try to improve and strengthen cooperation with emerging economies,” he said.
As world leaders return to Beijing despite international concerns over the growing China-Russia relationship and Beijing’s intimidation of Taiwan, Xi has used the opportunity to thread his conversations with veiled criticism of the US and keywords that signal Xi’s own view for how to reshape global power.
Speaking to Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong late last month, Xi stressed that Asian countries together should “firmly oppose bullying, decoupling or severing industrial and supply chains,”while he urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to “resolutely resist the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation.”
To Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that same day, he warned that the “sound development of China-EU relations requires the EU to uphold strategic independence,” according to readouts from the Chinese side.
Beijing has watched uneasily as the war in Ukraine has driven the US and its European allies closer. Now, analysts say playing up its economic partnerships and exploiting differences between countries on the two sides of the Atlantic is key.
When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing last week, Xi drew comparisons between China and France: both “major countries with a tradition of independence,” Xi said, and “firm advocates for a multi-polar world” – or a world without a dominant superpower.
After a day of meetings in Beijing, Xi met Macron in the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou to continue an “informal” conversation – sipping tea and listening to the plucked melodies of traditional Chinese music before a state dinner.
Macron, who has long advocated for Europe to develop an independent geopolitical policy and defense capabilities that needn’t rely on Washington, appeared receptive.
He released a 51-point joint statement with China outlining cooperation on areas from nuclear energy to food security and told reporters traveling with him that when it comes to the US-China rivalry Europe must not be “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy,” according to a Politico interview.
Macron’s comments have sparked backlash in Europe and the US, but analysts say they were likely seen as a triumph in Beijing.
“Everything that can weaken the US, divide the West and move countries closer to China is good for Xi,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University. “Hence, Macron’s trip is seen in Beijing as a major victory.”
Xi may be preparing for another potential diplomatic win when he meets Lula on Friday.
The leftist Brazilian leader, who ushered in a boom in China-Brazil trade ties during his first stint in power some two decades ago, is traveling with a delegation of business leaders, state governors, congressmen and ministers, and expected to close a raft of bilateral deals from agriculture and livestock to technology.
Lula’s return to power already shifts the dynamics of the China-Brazil relationship, which saw tense moments under former leader Jair Bolsonaro, who embraced anti-China rhetoric.
Lula has already started out his state visit in Shanghai with a nod to Brazil and China cooperation, attending the former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s inauguration as head of the New Development Bank of BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that offers an alternative power grouping to the Western-centric G7.
“Xi will find in Lula a BRICS enthusiast, openness to reforms in the global governance system and the desire to avoid automatic alignment with the US,” said Luiza Duarte, a research fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies in Washington.
Meanwhile, Lula’s expected warm welcome in Beijing “raises comparison with his frustrating less than 24-hour visit to Washington,” she said, referring to the Brazilian leader’s February 10 visit to the White House.
The meeting was seen at the time as a key outreach from the newly inaugurated Lula to the US.
But Beijing may use the “lack of deliverables” from that meeting “to position itself as a more appealing alternative for bilateral cooperation,” said Duarte.
Looming over diplomacy in Beijing is the Russian assault in Ukraine.
Some leaders – like Macron – have viewed Xi, a close friend and diplomatic partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a potential ally that could help push Putin toward peace.
But their relationship has also raised concern, with US officials earlier this year warning that China was considering providing the Kremlin with lethal aid – a claim Beijing has denied.
While France and China agreed to several points related to the war in their meeting – including opposition to attacks on nuclear power plants and the protection of women and children – Macron did not ultimately push Xi to commit on paper to any position China has not already publicly said.
Brazil, in advance of Lula’s trip, has offered another view: creating – as the country’s foreign minister put it – “a group of mediator countries” including China.
But how Beijing navigates these initiatives, observers say, comes down to a bottom line that’s integrally related to Xi’s global ambitions and world view.
“It will be difficult for China to respond positively to some of the requests made by either the Americans or Europeans, because doing this would produce the risk of making the Russians upset,” said Li in Singapore.
“Russia is the only major power that shares a lot of (China’s) views on how the world and the global system should look and how various political issues should be handled. Russia is irreplaceable for China,” he said.
That point was highlighted in another moment on Xi’s recent diplomatic agenda: his travel to Moscow in March for his own state visit – the first since he stepped into a third presidential term that same month.
And while China’s diplomacy – and deals – in the past week may not have been heavily impacted by the optics of that relationship, analysts say how Beijing handles the conflict will continue to affect views on China globally.
Perceptions about Xi’s potential influence over Putin have provided “leverage that allows (Xi) to get a lot of attention, and perhaps get mileage and support that he would otherwise not have,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
“Ultimately, the test will come down to whether Xi is actually able to exert any real influence on Putin, especially in terms of ceasing the war,” he said.
-
EU INTPA: Over 95% of Ghana’s cocoa is exempted from the EU’s ban
Cocoa farmers in Ghana can heave a sigh of relief as the European Union (EU) has clarified that the majority of cocoa from the West African country is at no risk of an EU market ban.
Legislation passed in December by the EU parliament seeks to ban some commodities linked to deforestation, including cocoa, coffee, soya, and beef. Cocoa production is tagged as the leading cause of deforestation in West Africa, a region responsible for two-thirds of global cocoa beans output.
Civil society groups, farmer cooperatives, the industry regulator and the government of Ghana alike have been reeling from the introduction of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Ghana exports more than 80 percent of its annual cocoa output to the European Union.
Fears are that hundreds of thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana will be left destitute when the EUDR comes into force.
But interacting with members of the Ghana Civil-society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) during his recent visit to Accra, the EU Director General for International Partnerships (INTPA), Regis Meritan (PhD), said the concerns are unfounded.
Dr Meritan explained that when the implementation of the law commences, in two years, it will only apply to produce from cocoa farms established after December 2020, and not those existing before.
“The objective of this law in Europe is to say thanks to our law we are stopping deforestation. And what happened before the law started, and it had been deforested before, it is too late,” he underscored.
The INTPA chief further clarified, “So, what we want is not to continue to encourage new deforestation.”
Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa beans globally, after its neighbour Cote d’Ivoire. More than 800,000 farmer families account for her output.
The country’s annual production has averaged 800K metric tonnes in the last decade, with most of it exported in the raw state to the EU and other markets.
With local value addition capacity almost non-existent, cocoa growers are apprehensive that a ban on Ghana cocoa from the EU market will inflict unimaginable hardship on them.
“Even without a ban, cocoa farmers are living in squalor due to low international market and farmgate prices for our harvests,” complained Leticia Yankey, President of Cocoa Mmaa, a female-only cocoa farmer cooperative in Ghana’s Central Region.
But Regis Meritan strongly assuaged the fears of cocoa farmers, in both Ghana and Ivory Coast, of any adverse impact of the EUDR on their livelihoods.
“I do not think that the regulation on deforestation will have a major impact on your ability to continue to sell your cocoa and your cocoa to be imported into Europe,” Dr Meritan assured.
“I am not talking about 100 per cent of your production, but I think we are talking about 98 per cent of your production or 95 [per cent] I will be probably right,” he stated.
The European Union DG for International Partnerships rather insisted that “the main problem that could happen is more probably linked to your own legislation than this new criterion applied by the EU after 2020.”
According to him although the majority of cocoa farms in Ghana predate the EUDR cut-off date of December 2020, the designation of such farmlands by Ghanaian law as protected areas could be problematic.
A Co-Convenor of the GCCP, Obed Owusu-Addai, advocated urgent reforms in the structure of the international cocoa industry to prioritise the income and livelihood of farmers.
-
UK economy to be boosted by 0.08% over trade deal
Three years after it formally left the European Union, the UK has agreed to join a trade agreement with 11 countries in Asia and the Pacific.
By lowering tariffs on products like cheese, vehicles, chocolate, machinery, gin, and whisky, joining the group will increase UK exports, according to the government.
But, according to the government’s own projections, joining the bloc will only increase the UK’s economy by 0.08%.
500 million people live in the market that is covered by the trading region.
Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam are participants in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, which was founded in 2018.
Membership of the CPTPP loosens restrictions on trade between members and reduce tariffs – a form of border tax – on goods.
Together, the 11 members account for about 13% of the world’s income and after 21 months of negotiations, the UK has become the first European country to join.
The government said the agreement was the UK’s “biggest trade deal since Brexit”.
However, the gains for the UK from joining are expected to be modest. The UK already has free trade deals with all of the members except Brunei and Malaysia, some of which were rolled over from its previous membership of the EU.
And even with some gains in trading the government only estimates it will add 0.08% to the size of the economy in 10 years. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which provides forecasts for the government, has previously said Brexit would reduce the UK’s potential economic growth by about 4% in the long term.
‘Prime position’
But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal demonstrated the “real economic benefits of our post-Brexit freedoms”.
“As part of CPTPP, the UK is now in a prime position in the global economy to seize opportunities for new jobs, growth and innovation,” he said.
“British businesses will now enjoy unparalleled access to markets from Europe to the south Pacific.”
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the agreement was like “buying a start-up”.
“This is not to replace EU trade, this is in addition. We are still in a free trade agreement with the EU,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme.
“You wouldn’t buy a small company like that and expect it to be delivering on the day – we are thinking about the potential,” she said, adding that in seven years “40% of the world’s middle class is going to come from that region”.
Ms Badenoch denied there would be any hit to UK agriculture, saying the deal would “create new markets” for farmers.
Labour’s shadow international trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the UK joining the CPTPP was “encouraging”, but added that questions remain on “consumer safety, food safety, data protection and environmental protections”.
The government said other “benefits” of being in the bloc included, a boost to the services sector, by UK firms not being required to establish a local office or be resident to supply a service, meaning they will be on a par with local firms.
The government said it and CPTPP members would make the final legal and administrative steps required for the UK to formally sign in 2023.
-
Russia establishes a network in the Balkans due to EU “negligence – Montenegro
The European Union appears to have realized the geopolitical significance of the Balkans as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Montenegro’s president cautioned that it might already be too late.
The unstable region has turned into a “platform” for anti-EU measures, according to pro-Western president Milo Djukanovic, as a result of the EU’s “negligence.”
He claimed that “Russia has merely walked into an open vacuum left by the European Union.”
‘The EU in the past 10 years didn’t know what to do with the western Balkans, but Russia did. It has developed its network in the Balkans.’
Mr Djukanovic is predicted to lose the election (Picture: SIPA/Shutterstock) Mr Djukanovic, who has been mostly in power since 1991, first as president, then as prime minister, holding four mandates, and then again president since 2018, is facing an election this Sunday.
He spoke about the Kremlin’s influence in the Balkans and unresolved disputes in the region as he unofficially prepares to give up his throne.
His challenger in the two-candidate runoff is ex-economy minister Jakov Milatovic who has the support of the government, which includes parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.
This is why analysts in Montenegro think this political newcomer stands a decent chance of winning.
With an early parliamentary election scheduled for June 11, this weekend’s vote is considered an important indicator of the future path of the Nato member nation of 620,000 people.
A political stalemate has stalled the country’s path to the union and raised fears of instability as the war rages in Ukraine.
Mr Djukanovic said the presidential election presents a choice between his pro-EU policies and the ‘brutal populism’ of the current coalition government.
But many say it is time for a change as his Democratic Party of Socialists governed the country more or less unchallenged for three decades.
Mr Djukanovic said: ‘For the past two and a half years, we have witnessed serious stumbling by Montenegro.’
The coalition government has pledged that the country would remain on its path to the EU.
But challenger, Mr Milatovic, also has expressed support for the country pursuing membership.
-
Greta Thunberg joins an anti-wind farm demonstration
Greta Thunberg joined Native American and environmental organizations in Norway this week to protest against wind turbines, which might seem weird to some.
In an effort to show their opposition to two wind farms constructed on Sámi reindeer grazing areas, dozens of protesters, including Thunberg, have blocked entry to Norwegian government facilities in Oslo.
A representative for the Oslo police district said that on Wednesday morning, police removed 10 persons, including Thunberg, from the door of the ministry of finance.
The Sámi people, the only recognized Indigenous group within the European Union, say their centuries-old tradition of reindeer herding is jeopardized by the windfarms in the Fosen region in Central Norway. Among the largest onshore windfarms in Europe, they are made up of 151 wind turbines that stretch 285 feet high.
“The constructions are stealing the reindeer’s grazing land,” Maja Kristine Jåma, a reindeer herder and Sámi politician, told CNN. The reindeer are also affected by the infrastructure around the turbines, including roads, she said. “It disturbs them a lot.”
Jåma and others are calling for the turbines to be torn down and the reindeer grazing lands restored.
“Indigenous rights, human rights, must go hand-in-hand with climate protection and climate action. That can’t happen at the expense of some people,” Thunberg told Reuters on Monday.
The fight over the wind turbines has been long running.
In October 2021, the Sámi people secured a legal victory. Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that the wind farm permits were invalid because the turbines violated the protected cultural rights of Sámi people by infringing on reindeer grazing lands.
But nearly a year and half on, the turbines are still operating.
“So far, the government has not even acknowledged the Supreme Court’s ruling on the violation of human rights or offered an apology to the Reindeer Sámi,” Eirik Larsen, Political Advisor to the Sámi Parliament in Norway, told CNN.
The Norwegian government said it is assessing how to secure the Sámi’s rights in Fosen. “The Supreme Court has considered that the permits that have been granted are invalid, but it does not follow from the judgment that the wind turbines must be taken down,” Elisabeth Sæther, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum, told CNN.
Sæther added that the government has been consulting with reindeer herders and the Sámi Parliament to find solutions “that make it possible for reindeer herding and the wind turbines to operate side by side.”
What’s happening in Norway is part of a growing conundrum when it comes to the green transition: How to implement climate policies without riding roughshod over Indigenous rights and the environment.
Wind energy is an important plank in Norway’s green energy transition. The country’s electricity generation is already almost completely renewable. In 2020, more than 90% of its electricity was generated using hydropower and wind, which has increased 10-fold in the last decade, accounted for 6.5%.
Norway, which remains a major oil and gas producer, has pledged to reduce its levels of planet heating pollution to 55% below 1990 levels by 2030.
“But you cannot have a green shift that violates human rights or Indigenous rights,” said Jåma. “These constructions threaten our way of living and our way of engaging in our culture as reindeer herders.”
Jåma calls what’s happening “green colonization,” a term the Norwegian government told CNN was “misleading and incorrect.”
Steve Trent, CEO and Founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation, told CNN: “The Sámi did not cause the climate crisis, and their traditional ways of life – which they have practiced for millennia – should not be jeopardized by efforts to resolve it.”
“Our efforts to roll back global heating must be equitable and fair,” he added.
The Sámi people, whose traditional lands – Sapmi – span northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, already live on the frontline of the climate crisis.
The Arctic is warming as much as four times faster than the rest of the world and the temperature changes are making it harder for reindeer to feed, as increased rainfall means layers of ice freeze over their food.
“Indigenous Peoples are asked to give up their lands for the wind industry, mining, and other purposes to save the world from a crisis mainly created by others,” Larsen said.
-
Ghana wants child labour to be clearly defined
Ghana is demanding a for a more precise definition of what counts as child labor child labour as new European Union law on the practice kicks in.
This according to the Employment and Labour Relations Minister is imperative to ensure domestic chores are not mistaken for child labour.
The Labour Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah also said the country’s cultural practices must be considered in matters relating to the subject.
“We have always insisted that the original hazardous activity framework which was used as the yardstick of measuring children’s involvement in cocoa production had to be reviewed through your instrumentality we have that.
“The cocoa industry is currently being handled by persons whose ages are above 45. So how do we sustain this industry going into the future if we do not train young people to be in it?
“And we need to do that with a combination of formal and informal education and most of these people learn informally from their parents outside school hours.”
The call follows the introduction of a new law on child labour.
Under the new regime, Member States would be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the regulation.
The national authorities of the states further empowered to withdraw products made using forced labour from the EU market, following an investigation.
Customs authorities would also identify and stop products made using forced labour at EU borders.
At a meeting at the Jubilee House, the German Labour and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil says enforcement has started.
-
18 people found dead in abandoned truck in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s government says at least 18 people, including a child, have been discovered dead inside an abandoned truck.
About 40 migrants appeared to have been being illegally transported by the vehicle. The survivors were transported to a hospital for medical attention.According to the health minister, the people in the truck were chilly, damp, and hungry after several days.
It is thought to be the most fatal immigrant-related incident to have occurred in Bulgaria.
Large numbers of people attempting to enter the European Union from Turkey have long caused Bulgaria problems.
The truck, found near the village of Lokorsko, 12 miles (20 km) north-east of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, was illegally transporting the migrants hidden under some wood, the interior ministry said.
Health Minister Asen Medzhidiev described the conditions inside the truck: “There has been a lack of oxygen for those who were locked in this truck.””They were freezing and wet, and they hadn’t eaten in days.”
Fourteen people found alive in the truck, including eight in serious condition, were taken to the hospital, he added, while another 10 people were found hiding nearby and would be taken to the hospital for examination.
Police are searching for the human traffickers believed to have driven the truck and fled, officials said.
Bulgaria has faced accusations that it is abusing people attempting to enter from Turkey, with asylum seekers saying they have been blocked, arrested, stripped, and beaten.
-
TikTok planning new European data centres amid regulatory pressure
The video-sharing app plans to add two more data centres in Europe, according to a senior executive.
According to a senior executive, Chinese social media company TikTok plans to open two more data centres in Europe, which could allay worries about the security of user data and lessen regulatory pressure on the business.
TikTok has been attempting to reassure governments and regulators that users’ personal information cannot be accessed and that its content cannot be altered by the Chinese Communist Party or anyone else working for Beijing.
According to Rich Waterworth, general manager of operations for TikTok in Europe, the short video-sharing app wants to increase the amount of data it stores in the continent. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
“We are at an advanced stage of finalising a plan for a second data centre in Ireland with a third-party service provider, in addition to the site announced last year,” he said.
“We’re also in talks to establish a third data centre in Europe to further complement our planned operations in Ireland. European TikTok user data will begin migrating this year, continuing into 2024,” Waterworth said.
The company on Friday also reported on average 125 million monthly active users in the European Union between August 2022 to January 2023, subjecting it to stricter EU online content rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA labels companies with more than 45 million users as very large online platforms and requires them to do risk management, external and independent auditing, share data with authorities and researchers and adopt a code of conduct.
The European Commission had given online platforms and search engines until February 17 to publish their monthly active users. Very large online platforms have four months to comply with the rules or risk fines.
Twitter on Thursday said it has 100.9 million average monthly users in the EU, based on an estimation of the last 45 days.
Alphabet provided one set of numbers based on users’ accounts and another set based on signed-out recipients, saying that users can access its services whether they sign into an account or when they are signed out.
It said the average monthly number of signed-in users totalled 278.6 million at Google Maps, 274.6 million at Google Play, 332 million at Google Search, 74.9 million at Shopping and 401.7 million at YouTube.
Earlier this week, Meta Platforms said it had 255 million average monthly active users on Facebook in the EU and about 250 million average monthly active users on Instagram in the last six months of 2022.
-
President Zelenskyy arrives in UK, expected to have discussions with PM, King
Since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, this is the second time Volodymyr Zelenskyy has travelled to the UK .
During this visit, the UK will provide additional support by way of training, equipment, and Russian sanctions.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, has travelled to the UK to meet with Rishi Sunak, the King, and Ukrainian troops.
He arrived in an RAF plane just before 10.30am on Wednesday for his first trip to the UK since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, and the prime minister met him at Stansted Airport.
Since then, Mr. Zelenskyy has only taken one other trip outside of Ukraine: just before Christmas, he travelled to the United States and then stopped in Poland on the way back.
The Ukrainian leader will meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
Before that, he and Mr Sunak will discuss the UK’s support for Ukraine, starting with an “immediate surge” of military equipment being sent to the country by the UK and the prime minister will reinforce his long-term support.
Shortly after Mr Zelenskyy landed, the UK announced further Russian sanctions, including against six entities providing military equipment, such as drones, to Russia, and eight individuals and one entity connected to “nefarious financial networks” helping maintain “wealth and power amongst Kremlin elites”, the government said.
Both Mr Sunak and Mr Zelenskyy will visit Ukrainian troops training in the UK later on Wednesday.
In December, Mr Sunak travelled to Kyiv for the first time since becoming prime minister in October where he pledged a £50 million package to boost Ukrainian air defence.
His predecessor, Boris Johnson, had a very close relationship with Mr Zelenskyy and was one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers.
Image:Mr Zelenskyy arrived in London on an RAF plane on Wednesday morning Fighter jet pilot training
There are expectations the Ukrainian leader might also make his first visit to European Union institutions since the war began, as leaders gather for a summit in Brussels on Thursday. However, this has not been confirmed.
On Wednesday, Mr Sunak will offer to bolster the UK’s training for Ukrainian troops, including to fighter jet pilots so they can fly NATO-standard fighter jets, Number 10 said.
He will also offer to begin an immediate training programme for marines.
Image:Rishi Sunak visited Ukraine in November The UK has already trained 10,000 Ukrainian troops over the past six months and is planning to train 20,000 more this year as part of an international effort to scale up training of Ukrainian troops.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak will also offer to provide Ukraine with longer-range capabilities to “disrupt Russia’s ability to continually target Ukraine’s civilian and critical national infrastructure”.
Image:Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visiting Ukrainian troops being trained in the UK last year Mr Sunak said: “President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries.
“Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their territory.
“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future.
“It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come.”
‘ -
Brexit’s a complete disaster for trade – Shropshire business owner
Three years on since the UK left the European Union (EU), a Midlands business owner has described the move as a “complete disaster”.
Nic Laurens, who runs an abrasives supply firm in Shropshire, moved 90% of his company to the Republic of Ireland in order to remain in the EU.
Higher costs and piles of paperwork to export goods left customers with four-week waits for orders, he said.
The government has previously said trade with the EU was “rebounding”.
It said recent data showed “trade to both EU and non-EU countries is above pre-Covid levels”.
However, Mr Laurens, a former Conservative councillor, said Brexit had left his firm facing filling out 24 forms to export goods into the EU.
“Brexit has [caused] barriers to trade and additional costs that you have to pass on to the consumer,” he told the BBC.
“We’ve had to completely rethink our business model.
“The UK hasn’t grown, it has stagnated, but the Irish side of the business has gone from strength to strength.”
Image caption, Mr Laurens’ company supplies abrasive tool parts All of the products at his company, Severn Diamond Tools and Abrasives, are manufactured abroad.
“We never ship anything from the UK to Ireland anymore. The last time we did, it took four weeks for a parcel to arrive to the customer. Before Brexit it used to take three days,” Mr Laurens said.
“As a business, we have no plans to invest in the UK market because of the uncertainty around the government.”
Nationally, when the British Chambers of Commerce surveyed 500 firms, more than half of them said they were still grappling with the rules for trading within the Union.
The red tape may have deterred some small exporters altogether. A study of customs classifications shows the variety of goods British businesses export has diminished.
Leaving the EU also meant changes to the rules on the free movement of labour and the introduction of a points-based immigration system that has prompted complaints from some unlikely quarters.
Image caption, Ms Husein-Miya says recruitment in the hospitality took a hit after Brexit Shamim Husein-Miya, the business director of Five Rivers Restaurant, has said the Walsall firm has had to adapt the way it recruits staff. “As a business, we looked at overseas recruitment for many years before Brexit, but now it has been more challenging.”
However, as many around the country struggle to cope with the rising cost-of-living, the restaurateur said it had boosted staffing levels, with many people now seeking second jobs and other means of income.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted the UK economy will shrink and perform worse than other advanced economies, including Russia, as the cost of living continues to hit households.
The IMF forecasts the UK economy will contract by 0.6% in 2023, rather than grow slightly as previously predicted.
However, the IMF also said it thought the UK was now “on the right track”.
The UK government has previously said Brexit “opens new opportunities for UK businesses”.
Speaking in December, it said: “Despite difficult global economic headwinds, UK-EU trade is rebounding, with recent data showing that UK trade to both EU and non-EU countries is above pre-Covid levels,” adding exporters had been provided with “practical support” with post-Brexit trading arrangements.
“We’ve also removed 400 trade barriers across 70 countries in the past two years, removed tariffs on £30bn worth of goods and cut £1bn business costs arising from current retained EU law,” a spokesperson added.
Source BBC -
EU to increase sanctions as bloc clash with Iran over IRGC ‘terror’ tag
The chief of EU foreign policy says that the bloc won’t classify the IRGC as a ‘terrorist’ organization for now.
The European Union will increase sanctions against Iranian officials thought to be involved in the nation’s ongoing crackdown on anti-government protesters, but it will hold off on designating Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist” group until after additional legal procedures are finished.
“Ministers adopted a new package of sanctions against Iran, targeting those driving the repression,” the EU Presidency said in a tweet on Monday. “The EU strongly condemns the brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters.”
The decision saw 37 additional Iranian officials and entities placed on the sanctions list.
However, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, had earlier told reporters that listing the IRGC could not happen until the designation had gone through a legal process first.
“It is something that cannot be decided without a court, a court decision first. You cannot say I consider you a terrorist because I don’t like you,” Borrell said.
In Iran, the government was adamant that any attempts to proscribe the IRGC were illegitimate.
“Based on the United Nations Charter and international law, blacklisting this state entity would constitute a clear violation of the Charter,” Nasser Kanani, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said, touting the IRGC as an organisation that significantly contributes to the security of Iran and the region.
“Any violation of the IRGC would be a violation of Iran’s national security, and the repercussions would be directed at the violator,” Kanani added.
The European Parliament last week overwhelmingly voted for a resolution that called for the IRGC to be proscribed, in addition to the imposition of sanctions on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi, among others.
The resolution condemned Tehran’s response to the country’s protests, which began last September, the executions linked to the protests, and drone sales to Russia. It is not binding and needs to be approved by the European Council’s consensus mechanism before being enforced.
In response, Iran’s parliament on Sunday tabled legislation to designate European armed forces as “terrorists”, which would be put to a vote if the bloc moves forward with its proposal.
Speaking to state media on Sunday, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian claimed that he was assured in phone calls with Borrell and his counterpart from Sweden, the current presidency of the bloc, that the EU would not push the proposal through.
Iran has also warned that blacklisting the IRGC in its entirety would mean the death of stalled talks to restore the country’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, with Amirabdollahian saying on Sunday that he could not rule out an exit from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if that happens.
The Iranian foreign minister also said on Monday that the United States has “constantly” sent messages in an effort to facilitate a return to the accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“The Americans found out sooner than the E3 [France, Germany and the United Kingdom] that there is nothing behind the riots in Iran. They sent a message sooner and insisted on returning to the JCPOA,” Amirabdollahian said, in line with Tehran’s repeated stance that the West has been behind the country’s unrest.
The foreign minister’s comments come as Washington continues to publicly maintain that the talks are currently not a priority.
The US, the EU and others have imposed waves of human rights sanctions on Iranian entities and individuals in recent months in support of the protests.
The US unilaterally abandoned the JCPOA in 2018, imposing harsh sanctions. If restored, the deal would lift sanctions on Tehran while re-introducing strict limits on its nuclear programme.
-
EU requests Rwanda to cease aiding the M23 rebels in DR Congo
The bloc made its remarks after a report by UN experts revealed that Rwandan military had engaged in “direct engagement” within the DR Congo.
The M23 rebel group, which has taken over large portions of the North Kivu region in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, has received calls from the European Union urging it to cease helping Rwanda (DRC).
The DRC, the US, and a number of European nations have accused Rwanda, a smaller neighbor in Central Africa, of supporting the M23 on numerous occasions, though Kigali has always denied this.
Recently, the Tutsi rebel group has made strides that have brought Goma, the capital of North Kivu, within a few hundred kilometers.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday said the European bloc had urged Rwanda to “stop supporting the M23 and use all means to press the M23 to comply with the decisions taken by the EAC [East African Community]” at a November summit in Angola.
“It also firmly urges all states of the region to prevent the provision of any support to armed groups active in the DRC,” said Borrell.
He called on Kinshasa to “take all measures necessary to protect the civilian population in its territory”.
Under heavy international pressure to disarm, M23 joined a ceremony last week to deliver the strategic town of Kibumba to an East African military force as a “goodwill gesture” for peace.
The EAC also said the group had to withdraw to the border between the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. However, the Congolese army promptly dubbed the Kibumba handover a “sham”.
Borrell’s comments came after a United Nations experts’ report on DRC indicated it had collected proof of “direct intervention” by Rwandan defence forces inside DRC territory between November 2021 and October 2022.
The report says Rwandan troops launched operations to reinforce the M23 against the mainly Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – notably by supplying weapons, ammunition and uniforms.
Kigali sees the FDLR as a threat which justifies interventions inside the DRC.
Rwanda has also accused the DRC – where presidential elections are due next December – of using the conflict for political purposes as well as of “fabricating” a November massacre of at least 131 civilians.
A United Nations inquiry blamed the deaths on M23 rebels.
Prior to the massacre, Angola had been mediating peace talks designed to pave the way for a truce agreement.
In a statement on Saturday, Kinshasa welcomed the findings of the UN experts, which it said “put an end to the lies and manipulations” of Rwanda.
Given the gravity of the allegations, it called for the UN Security Council to examine the experts’ report with a view to possible sanctions against Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame blamed Kinshasa for the chaos in its volatile eastern regions in his New Year address.
“After spending tens of billions of dollars on peacekeeping over the past two decades, the security situation in Eastern Congo is worse than ever,” Kagame said in a statement on Saturday.
“To explain this failure, some in the international community blame Rwanda, even though they know very well that the true responsibility lies primarily with the government of the DRC. It is high time that the unwarranted vilification of Rwanda stopped.”
Source: Aljazeera.com
-
Eight people sanctioned by EU over DR Congo violence
Sanctions have been imposed by the European Union on a number of participants in the war in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They include Willy Ngoma, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel faction. Mr. Ngoma has remained silent.
The M23 is held accountable for spreading unrest and insecurity in the country’s east and committing human rights violations, including sexual assault.
More than 130 villagers were allegedly killed by the group last week, according to the UN. The M23 refuted the assertion, attributing all but eight fatalities to “stray gunfire.”
A senior member of the Congolese army is one of individuals whose assets have been frozen and who is also prohibited from traveling.
According to reports, between June and December of last year, the forces under his leadership committed assaults on civilians, including rapes.
A Ugandan man accused of being a top ADF militia leader involved in arming rebels, recruiting them, and collaborating with the militant Islamic State group is also named on the list.
Numerous armed factions are active in eastern DR Congo, many of which are vying for control of the area’s mineral wealth.
The EU has also sanctioned a Belgian-born businessman, Alain Goetz. He’s accused of exploiting the instability to illicitly trade in natural resources.
But the Reuters news agency reports that Mr Goetz has pulled out of the company that was allegedly involved in the trade and has never dealt with gold from DR Congo.
-
Chad’s 262 protesters jailed after bloody crackdown
A court in a high-security desert prison in Chad has sentenced 262 people arrested during a bloody anti-regime protest in October to two to three years in prison after a mass trial behind closed doors with no lawyers and no independent media.
Some 80 others, out of 401 people on trial – mostly young demonstrators – were given one to two years’ suspended prison sentences, and 59 were acquitted, N’Djamena’s public prosecutor, Moussa Wade Djibrine, told reporters on Monday.
The trial lasted four days and ended on Friday, but as only state television was allowed to attend, in the absence of any other media, the prosecutor did not make the judgment public until three days later, on his return to the capital on Monday.
On 20 October 2022, around fifty people – mostly young demonstrators shot dead – died, mainly in N’Djamena, when the police opened fire on the slightest attempt at a rally.
They were responding to the call of the opposition against the extension of General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno’s rule for two years. He had been proclaimed head of state by the military on 20 April 2021 following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed at the front by rebels after ruling Chad with an iron fist for 30 years.
– Mass trial –
The government had acknowledged the arrest of 601 people in N’Djamena alone – including 83 minors – and their transfer to the high-security prison of Koro Toro. The transitional president Mahamat Déby had accused them of having wanted to lead an “insurrection” and an attempted “coup d’état”.
Those convicted on Friday were found guilty of “unauthorised assembly, destruction of property, arson, violence and assault and disturbance of public order”, according to the prosecutor.
The mass trial took place in the prison of Koro Toro, 600 km northeast of the capital, an “illegal” procedure according to the lawyers who decided not to attend.
Amnesty International had denounced on Friday “a trial behind closed doors which raises serious concerns about respect for the right to a fair trial (…) the right to prepare one’s defence (…) the right to a public trial (…) and the right to information” of the public, “rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Chad is a party”.
– Excessive use of violence” –
The Bar Association went on strike throughout the country before the opening and for the duration of the trial, denouncing the “arbitrariness and injustice” of a “parody of a trial”. He announced on Monday a resumption of the pleadings from Tuesday and their intention to appeal.
Of the 600 people arrested during and after the demonstration in N’Djamena, the cases of more than 200 are still under investigation by investigating judges, including 80 minors repatriated from Koro Toro to N’Djamena, the prosecutor said Monday.
After the bloody demonstrations, the opposition – whose main leaders are now in hiding or in exile -, local and international NGOs, as well as part of the international community, led by the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), strongly condemned the excessive use of violence “against civilians”.
On Monday, the government announced the lifting of the state of emergency declared in N’Djamena and some other cities on the evening of 20 October.
On 20 April 2021, Mahamat Déby, a young 37-year-old general, was proclaimed President of the Republic at the head of a junta of 15 generals and had promised to hand over power to civilians through elections after a “transition” of 18 months.
But he extended his presidency on the recommendation of a “National Reconciliation Dialogue” boycotted by the vast majority of the political opposition and several of the most important armed rebel groups.
Source: African News