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France's Jean-Marc Ayrault and Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier have started their West African tour in Mali. Both have underlined their countries' commitment to the further stabilization of the region.

Following a delay of more than three hours due to a burst airplane tire, foreign ministers Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Mali late on Sunday

"We have come on this symbolic visit to demonstrate France and Germany's determination to support the ongoing peace and development processes," Ayrault said shortly after arriving at the airport in Mali's capital, Bamako.
Mali
German and French foreign ministers pledge support for Mali

France's Jean-Marc Ayrault and Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier have started their West African tour in Mali. Both have underlined their countries' commitment to the further stabilization of the region.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter visit Mali

Following a delay of more than three hours due to a burst airplane tire, foreign ministers Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Mali late on Sunday.

"We have come on this symbolic visit to demonstrate France and Germany's determination to support the ongoing peace and development processes," Ayrault said shortly after arriving at the airport in Mali's capital, Bamako.

Steinmeier also praised Mali's peace agreement between government and rebel groups, but cautioned that there was "still much to do to actually implement the peace process."

For several months in 2012, northern Mali was taken over by Islamic rebel groups before being recaptured in early 2013 with the help of French-led troops.

"Without the intervention, today Mali would be under the control of terrorists," said Ayrault. The West-African nation still struggles with terrorist attacks and kidnappings from extremist groups.

The two foreign ministers are set to meet with Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita later on Monday and visit with German, French and Dutch soldiers from the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.

The German Bundeswehr has been involved in Mali for the past three years as part of international operations with the UN as well as an EU military training mission.

Around 230 German peacekeeping troops are currently deployed near the northern city of Gao, while 200 soldiers have been deployed to the south as part of the EUTM mission to train Malian forces. Germany's parliament is expected to make a decision mid-May on whether or not to extend its military operation in Mali.

On Tuesday, Ayrault and Steinmeier will travel to the capital of Niger to discuss security issues, as well as the movement of refugees from Africa to Europe.

DW

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Elangwe Pauline

02.May.2016

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Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Party has chosen former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as its presidential candidate at the party’s national delegates congress Saturday in the capital, Accra.  

National Democratic Party supporters say the former first lady's popularity could pose a significant challenge to incumbent President John Dramani Mahama in the November 7 general election.

NDP General Secretary Mohammed Frimpong says Agyeman-Rawlings is the best candidate to deliver the change Ghanaians demand.

“The entire country is clamoring for her return onto the political landscape to give to Ghanaians what she has done and knows best in terms of mobilization, women empowerment, and so on and so forth.  That is why the NDP followers throughout the country had unanimously decided to endorse her as our presidential candidate for the 2016 election,” said Frimpong.

Former president Jerry John Rawlings, who is the founding father of the ruling National Democratic Congress expressed support for his wife before she was overwhelmingly endorsed by the NDP as the party’s presidential candidate.  It remains to be seen if the former president will also support his wife against incumbent President John Dramani Mahama from the NDC.

VOA

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Elangwe Pauline

02.May.2016

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Eight days after the protest by Cameroonians in South Africa, another demonstration took place April 30 in front of the White House (American Presidency) and the Cameroon Embassy in Washington.

The organizers of the protests, USA- Joint Africa Initiative and the Cameroon Transitional Council, CCT in a statement earlier said, their intention was to denounce a failed and oppressive regime.

 “Countless Cameroonians are arbitrarily arrested, raped and killed with no (judicial) process. Kidnappings, barbaric crimes and human trafficking have become rampant. We stand for the defenseless in Cameroon,” read the statement.

They said the protest was also in honor of Monique Koumateke who died under worrisome circumstances and was laid to rest in Yabassi, same day the protest was taking place in the USA.“We are preparing other protest demonstrations during which we would be handing a memorandum to government officials,” said Patrice Nouma, (in hat) one of the organizers of the USA picket.

The organizers of the Cameroon Diaspora Black Friday Movement in South Africa, CDBFM on April 22 said, more of such protests would take place in not too distant future in Cameroon’s different diplomatic representations worldwide.

“Cameroon would forever remain indebted to all those who take part in these protests worldwide. CDBFM gives its support to such patriotic Cameroonians” said CDBFM’s Roland Chebefuh.

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SOLOMON AMABO

01.May.2016

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France will nearly double the number of troops it has in Ivory Coast, the defense minister said on Saturday on a visit during which he laid flowers at the site of an attack on tourists that killed 19 people.

Jean-Yves Le Drian placed a bouquet on the beach in Grand Bassam, a resort town 40 km (25 miles) from Abidjan, where gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming hotels last month, an attack claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Four French citizens were killed. 

Le Drian said France, the former colonial power, would increase its contingent of troops in Ivory Coast to 900 from 550.

"We need to reinforce coordination in an intelligence capacity at the same time as in an intervention capacity in the whole of West Africa," the defense minister said.

Reuters

 

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Elangwe Pauline

30.Apr.2016

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30.Apr.2016

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Nearly two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states are struggling to pay civil servants' salaries despite receiving a government bailout, President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman quoted him as saying on Thursday.

Nigeria, Africa's top oil exporter and biggest economy, has been hit hard by the fall in crude prices. Oil sales account for about 70 percent of government revenues.

Several states around the country raised money on the domestic bond market and from banks to fund infrastructure projects at the peak of oil prices, but as crude prices have plunged many have found themselves unable to pay bills or salaries.

Last year several received financial assistance from the central bank and Debt Management Office, as their combined debts including unpaid salaries climbed to around 658 billion naira ($3.3 bln).

Garba Shehu, the president's spokesman, said Buhari met with governors on Thursday at his residence in the capital, Abuja, to discuss the financial problems in their states.

He said Buhari had expressed "great concern" that "nearly two-thirds of states of the federation are still having difficulties with salary payments despite the bailout funds provided to them by the federal government".

"President Buhari also said that he will establish an inter-ministerial committee to study a fiscal restructuring plan for the federation, which was presented to him by the governors," said Shehu.

He added that Buhari said the committee would review the plan to improve the finances of state governments and make recommendations on how the proposals could be implemented.

On Monday the finance ministry said the government would allow states to defer deductions for loans in March so that they would have sufficient funds to pay salaries.

 

Reuters

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Elangwe Pauline

29.Apr.2016

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