Parliament is committed to working with the Church to promote and protect biblical values, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has assured Christians. 

“As Parliament, we pledge our unwavering support towards making laws that are good for humanity, respect for family and gives value to biblical teachings,” she said as she graced the ordination of new priests for Soroti Catholic Diocese on Saturday 13 July 2024.

Among, who advised the new priests to be good shepherds, witnessed the ordination of six deacons into priesthood and one seminarian into deaconate in the event presided over by the Bishop of Soroti Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Eciru Oliach at Regina Caeli Cathedral site in Aminit, Soroti. 

The Vice President, Jessica Alupo, and several Members of Parliament, attended the event.

“We thank you (priests) for accepting to serve God because it is a noble calling. Do it with utmost dedication,” Among said.

In his sermon, Bishop Eciru encouraged the newly ordained priests and deacon to be frontliners of the church, saying priesthood is a daunting task that requires total dedication and sacrifice.

“Priesthood is not for jokers, it is a daunting task and therefore, it is business and not picnic. You are ordained for the glory of the Lord and salvation of souls… At all costs, save souls. If you do this, you will live in peace and die as a saint,” Bishop Eciru said.

He also urged Christians to remain resolute and pray at all times. 

“Members of Team Jesus must be resolute. For this to happen, prayer is indispensable. A catholic without prayer is the same as a soldier without arms. So, as we pray for you, you should also pray for us. Work as you pray, and also pray as you work,” he said.

President Yoweri Museveni in his message delivered by Alupo congratulated the new priests, saying their ordination is a testimony of their devotion to God and the Catholic Church.

He urged the church to preach the gospel of wealth creation so that communities embrace government programmes like Emyooga and Parish Development Model to create wealth and alleviate them from poverty.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

The Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €5 million under the European Peace Facility to provide the Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armées Béninoises) with military equipment to meet their operational requirements and pre-deployment training needs.

This decision comes on top of two other new assistance measures, worth €25 million and €5 million, adopted on 21 May and 13 June respectively. The three assistance measures aim to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Benin and its civilian population. They also aim to strengthen the capabilities of the country’s navy in support of its commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, in the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture.

Today’s adoption brings the EU’s overall support to Benin to €35 million in 2024 under the European Peace Facility, representing 27% of Benin’s defence budget.

Through this assistance, the Beninese Armed Forces will be equipped with a multipurpose military aircraft, and  their medical capacities and land medical evacuation capabilities will be strengthened. The EU support will also initiate the creation of a national military academy for the training of pilots and aircraft mechanics, through the training of instructors, and provide an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance radar and command and control capacities, as well as training ammunition and small arms for operational purposes.

The support under the European Peace Facility is part of a broader package that combines various tools, including development assistance aimed at preventing and combatting violent extremism, which represents an increasing threat to stability in Northern Benin. This package complements the recently launched EU Security and Defence Initiative for the Gulf of Guinea, contributing to peace and stability in the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Council of the European Union.

On July 15, 2024, the U.S. Embassy in Namibia participated in a handover ceremony with the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) at the Walvis Bay State Hospital.  In attendance was Mr. Ben Nangombe, Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as many other senior government and esteemed local leaders. During the ceremony Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Tiffany Miller formally handed over a state-of-the-art mobile Intensive Care Unit, or ICU on behalf of the U.S. government.

The ICU is valued at 20 million Namibian dollars and was funded through the United States Department of Defense’s Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid Program, known as OHDACA.

The 5-bed ICU is designed to provide MoHSS with the ability to not only serve the local population of Walvis Bay, but also deploy the ICU to other locations in response to a possible medical crisis. The system has self-sufficient, dual generator power, water and sewage systems and air conditioning allowing it to operate autonomously in the field.  It is also stocked with 600,000 Namibian Dollars of medicine to ensure the ICU is ready for operations.

A team of Namibian personnel to include doctors and nurses from MoHSS were trained in all aspects of the system set up as well as the individual pieces of medical equipment within the ICU.

In her remarks, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Miller stated, “By partnering with Namibia to enhance critical baseline medical infrastructure, we enhance the nation’s health security. We also enable Namibia to respond to potential future pandemics as well as health emergencies and natural disasters, which positively affects the region as a whole.”

The donation in Walvis Bay is part of a larger medical infrastructure donation package valued at over 130 million Namibian dollars that will be spread across four regions in Namibia. This is the largest OHDACA donation to Namibia since its independence and signifies the commitment of the American people to help ensure every Namibian has access to medical care.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Namibia.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has hailed the cooperation between Uganda and France in the areas of trade, investment and diplomatic relations as a formidable uniting factor that ought to be fostered for further growth.

“We are looking forward to increasing the trade volumes between our two countries and the European Union in general. We hope that the newly established chamber will also contribute to reduction of the balance of trade which stood at US$57 million in favor of France, according to 2023/2024 figures,” said Tayebwa.

Tayebwa made the remarks while speaking at an event to commemorate Bastille Day, held at the residence of the French Ambassador to Uganda on Friday, 12 July 2024.

The Bastille Day is a French national anniversary celebrated every 14 July to commemorate the 1789 storming of the Bastille, a major event of the French revolution.

According to Tayebwa, the recent establishment of the French Chamber of Commerce in Uganda on 04 July 2024, will galvanise the operations and impact of French companies in the country.

He called for more investment by French companies in the areas of agro-industrialisation and agribusiness, mineral beneficiation of oil and gas, and tourism development.

“Uganda is ready to continue improving the investment environment to attract strategic investors and ensure good return on their investment. French companies in Uganda numbering over 40, are today reputed to employ around 3,000 Ugandans and directly contributing strongly to revenue through taxation,” Tayebwa said.

He also commended France’s key role in maintaining peace and security as a member of the United Nations Security Council, and called for its support for the African position at the Council.

“Uganda believes that Africa should have a bigger voice on the Security Council. In this regard, Uganda would welcome France’s positive voice and support for the African position in the framework of the ongoing discussions on the reform of the UN Security Council,” he said.

The French Ambassador to Uganda, Xavier Sticker, highlighted the impact of investments by French companies in Uganda, noting that their turnover currently exceeds 2 per cent of Uganda’s GDP in sectors like energy, infrastructure, logistics, transport, engineering and agriculture.

“In 2023, they invested US$1.6 billion which is 53 per cent of the total foreign direct investment in Uganda. Over the next three years, they plan to invest US$4.1 billion (Shs16 trillion), according to the results of a survey by France’s foreign trade advisers in Uganda,” Sticker said.

He also noted support worth more than €800 million from French Development Agency (AFD) in sectors like water and energy, including planned delivery in December 2024, of a major water treatment plant and network that will supply water to a million Ugandans from the border with Tanzania to Mbarara.

The French Ambassador lauded the Uganda-France partnership for peace and stability in East Africa.

“This is illustrated in particular by the cooperation between the UPDF and the French forces stationed in Djibouti, in support of peace operations in Somalia and the Democratic of Congo. France also supports Uganda’s generous refugee policy and also provides food aid to Karamoja and West Nile,” said Sticker.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.