Following the extreme rainfall between 28 June – 1 July 2024 and the resulting flooding in Montserrado, Bong, and Grand Cape Mount counties, the European Union has allocated emergency humanitarian funding of EUR 130,000 [141.028,55 United States dollars], to help alleviate the plight of those affected by the floods.

With the rains expected to continue until September, immediate action is needed to support the affected population and prepare for future similar events. The emergency funding provided by the EU will support the Liberia National Red Cross (LNRC) in providing the most vulnerable with shelters and multi-purpose cash grants intended to cover non-food items as well as their livelihood, water, hygiene and sanitation needs. The LNRC action is expected to last four months, i.e. until the end of November 2024.

The Liberia Meteorological Department has predicted continuous rains between May and September 2024 across six counties: Montserrado, Bomi, Cape Mount, Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Maryland (coastal). The affected populations have lost valuable household items and are exposed to risks of disease outbreaks, loss of shelter, loss of livelihood mechanisms, and water source pollution. About 68% of the affected people are women, children, and other vulnerable groups, including the physically challenged and single mothers, who are seeking shelter in temporary facilities (public and private buildings) and with neighbors and relatives.

Background

The European Union together with its Member States is the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and human-made crises.

Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid operations  department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflicts and disasters every year. Headquartered in Brussels and with a global network of field offices, the EU assists the most vulnerable people, based on humanitarian needs.

The European Commission has signed a €8 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund was established in 1979 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The contribution agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €8 million.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to Liberia.

The new Force Commander for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma from Uganda, arrived in Mogadishu yesterday to assume his duties.

Lt. Gen. Kavuma takes over from Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, who left the mission in April following his appointment as Deputy Chief of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).

On arrival on Sunday, Lt. Gen. Kavuma was officially welcomed with a guard of honour at the ATMIS Force Headquarters, mounted by the ATMIS Uganda contingent.

He then met with the Head of ATMIS Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef and the Senior leadership team at the Mission Headquarters.

Later, he received a briefing from senior ATMIS military officers led by the Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Maj. Gen. Peter Muteti. During the meeting, he was briefed on the security situation in Somalia and the progress made in implementing the mission mandate.

“The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and international partners have worked collaboratively towards the progress we see today. The achievements made so far are remarkable, and we will continue to support the FGS to ensure Al-Shabaab is degraded, peace prevails, and the Somalis can engage in the development of their country without fear,” said Lt. Gen. Kavuma.

Lt. Gen. Kavuma joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in the early 1980s and has held several senior positions leading up to his appointment as ATMIS Force Commander.

At different times in his military career, he has served as Division Commander, Deputy Air Force Commander, and Deputy Commander Land Forces in Uganda.

Prior to his appointment, he was a Parliamentarian representing the military in Uganda’s Parliament and Deputy Chief Coordinator of Uganda’s national wealth-creation programme.

Lt. Gen. Kavuma has extensive experience in peacekeeping operations, having served as commander of the Uganda contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) from October 2014 to November 2016.

He also served in the Central African Republic as commander of the African Union-authorised Regional Taskforce deployed to hunt down the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency group.

Previously, he oversaw operations in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.

He has completed several professional training programmes, including military courses. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. He has recently completed a Master’s in National Security Studies at Cavendish University in Uganda. He is a committed lecturer who has contributed significantly to military education by teaching in various military colleges and training schools throughout his career.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

“Today, I feel like the happiest person in the world,” said a student at Agok Primary School in Kuac East County, expressing the collective joy of more than 2,000 fellow pupils.

Their euphoria was prompted by the recent renovation of their now glorious-looking home of learning, funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) through its Quick Impact Projects Programme.

Among other significant improvements of the building, refurbished in partnership with the local implementing partner Food Insecurity Reduction Organization, pupils and teachers alike now have unlimited access to two newly constructed toilets.

Residents in the area think that the much-upgraded school sends a symbolic signal of support to the wider community.

“We used to believe that we were alone and without any support in our remote location, but not anymore. Now, we feel lucky to be able to provide our children with an education in a decent structure. As women, we also have the chance to pursue learning after finishing our household chores,” said Angela Nyandeng, a women’s representative from the Mathiangdit community.

James Madut, a dedicated schoolteacher, was equally happy about the positive development, but also pointed out that learning takes more than classrooms and a staff office.

“We urgently need more teachers to guarantee that all students receive quality education. As you can see, we are currently severely understaffed,” he explained.

According to Marco Guot, Executive Director of the Food Insecurity Reduction Organization, the school renovation project has also empowered women.

“We are dedicated to allocating funds to hire more women, thus allowing them to become more self-sufficient and reduce the risk of them becoming subject to domestic violence,” he said.

On his part, Adewuyi Adewumi, Acting Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Kuajok, stressed the long-term vision of initiatives supporting education.

“We stand committed to assisting the government and the people of South Sudan in their journey toward lasting peace. By prioritizing schooling for all, we are laying the groundwork for the emergence of future leaders in the country.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Following a string of offshore oil and gas discoveries made between 2022 and 2024, Namibia’s Orange Basin has garnered substantial interest from IOCs and independent exploration and production (E&P) firms. Largely considered one of the world’s hottest frontier oil plays, the country plans to produce first oil by 2030, joining the likes of Angola as a major African oil producer.

Namibia’s Minister of Energy and Mines Tom Alweendo will speak at the Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference this October. His participation reflects the country’s commitment to leveraging regional collaboration to boost oil and gas development and aligns closely with Angola and Namibia’s shared goals of Driving Exploration and Development Towards Increased Production – the theme of AOG 2024. During the event, Minister Alweendo will provide an update on exploration endeavors in Namibia while drawing insight into future investment opportunities and areas for collaboration.

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Since play-opening discoveries were made in the Orange Basin in 2022 by energy majors Shell (Graff-1) and TotalEnergies (Venus-1), a number of companies have entered Namibia’s upstream market in the hopes of delivering similar finds. Canadian oil and gas exploration company Sintana Energy secured a stake in two blocks in the Orange Basin in June 2024 through its acquisition of a 49% interest in private Namibian company Giraffe Energy Investments. Petroleum refineries corporation Chevron signed a deal for an 80% operating interest in PEL 82 while Azule Energy – Angola’s largest independent equity producers of oil – farmed-in to Block 2914A in PEL 85. Meanwhile, Shell and oil and natural gas conglomerate ExxonMobil are evaluating bids for a stake in energy corporation Galp’s Mopane oilfield – boasting up to 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

These developments follow discoveries made at the Mangetti-1X well in February 2024; the Mopane-1X well in January 2024; the Lesedi-1X well in July 2023; and the Jonker-1X well in March 2023. Shell’s Graff-1X, La Rona and Jonker-1X wells could contain as much as 1.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent while TotalEnergies’ Venus-1X project could contain as much as three billion barrels – making it sub-Saharan Africa’s largest discovery. With these, Namibia is on track to become a major oil and gas producer while demonstrating its commitment to fast-tracking developments, with a focus on offshore projects.

In this sense, Namibia stands to learn a lot from neighboring Angola, which has significant experience in developing deepwater oil and gas projects. Up to 75% of Angola’s crude is produced offshore, primarily from the Cabinda field and deepwater fields in the Lower Congo Basin. Going forward, deep and ultra-deepwater projects will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to maintain production above one million barrels per day. Major projects include the Kaminho development in Block 20/11 – the first large deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin, comprising the Cameia and Golfinho fields – and the Agogo Integrated West Hub Development in Block 15/06. Set to come online in 2028 and 2026, respectively, the projects serve as a benchmark for emerging deepwater developments in Namibia.

Onshore, various companies are making strides towards uncovering commercial deposits in the country. Oil and gas company ReconAfrica spud the Naingopo exploration well at PEL 73 in July 2024, targeting 163 million barrels of oil. The well is the first of a multi-well campaign, with the second to be drilled by Q4 this year. Additionally, in July 2024, exploration company 88 Energy launched a 2D seismic acquisition program for PEL 93 in the Owambo Basin, onshore Namibia, aimed at determining untapped deposits.

During the AOG 2024 conference, Minister Alweendo will participate in a ministerial panel exploring regional trade and integration. His participation is expected to create new pathways for cross-border collaboration and will be instrumental in strengthening cooperation around oil and gas exploration and production in Africa.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.