Eric Matabaro from Real Bridge Systems, a Rwanda advisory firm that supports sustainable agriculture practices expressed excitement at gaining new insights:

“I will use the knowledge gained to train my clients in coffee who are implementing circular food system in their operations.”

And, Mijele Washington from the State Department of Trade, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry Kenya said:

 “The training is critical as it fosters sustainable production which is in line with the climate adaptation and mitigation measures – a high priority at the national and global level”.

Eric and Mijele were among over 30 experts in Kenya and over 20 in Rwanda, who attended two Training of Trainers (ToTs) on the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Resource Efficiency and Circular Production (RECP) coaching methodology held in May and June respectively.

Drawn from a diverse cohort of professionals, the ToT participants belonged to environmental sustainability, energy and the coffee sectors.

The sessions aimed at training local experts on the coaching methodology to be used in individual coaching to MSMEs.

Customized to the needs of small businesses, ITC coaches work directly with companies to evaluate their resource use and management, assess gaps and develop a strategy outlining cost-benefit analyses of RECP measures.

Participants were introduced to the RECP coaching programme and its benefit for companies, as well as the first steps of the coaching methodology. Participants also learnt about analysing costs and benefits of prioritized measures.

They also benefited from guest presentations from the Centre for Circular Economy in Coffee, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (Coffee Technology Centre), the Africa Circular Economy Network – Rwanda Chapter and a former ITC RECP coach on RECP practices in the coffee sector.

Earlier in May, the ITC Trade and Environment Programme kicked off the coaching programme on RECP, which supports MSMEs to strengthen their competitiveness through the adoption of resource efficient and circular practices.

The coaching component builds the capacity of MSMEs in practices to optimize resources including water and energy management and use, and to identify circular production opportunities. These practices result in cost savings, enhanced productivity, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over a multi-year process and contributes to regulatory and standards compliance.

These efforts build on the achievements under EU-EAC MARKUP Phase I, during which ITC trained MSMEs in tea and coffee value chains in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. In 2024, ITC will coach coffee processing MSMEs in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.  

Following the training, ITC also launched an expression of interest for coffee sector MSMEs interested in participating in the coaching programme.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met today with HE Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre, who id visiting Qatar.

During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them, in addition to the latest developments in Somalia.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s unwavering support for Somalia, as well as its support for state institutions and all efforts aimed at achieving security and stability, and ensuring the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.

During the 45th Session of its Executive Session, the African Union Executive Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the second highest decision making Body of the African Union, selected Uganda as host of the African Humanitarian Agency. The decision was reached during the African Union 45th Session in Accra, Ghana from 18th – 19th July 2024.

The African Humanitarian Agency is a Specialized Technical Agency of the African Union charged with the responsibility to coordinate and provide Humanitarian responses in coordination with affected Member States.

During this session, the African Union Commission presented the outcome of its Independent Technical Evaluation Report on the hosting of the African Humanitarian Agency. 

This was a process that started in May 2023 with a call for countries to express interest to Host the African Humanitarian Agency and submit their bid proposals for the same. Four Countries (Uganda, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria) expressed interest and submitted their proposals.

The Independent Evaluation Team from the African Union Commission was set up, with the mandate to conduct an Assessment Mission to the four countries to assess their proposals and suitability to host the African Humanitarian Agency. This exercise was conducted in May 2024. In Uganda it was conducted from 23rd -27th May 2024.

The outcome of this evaluation exercise resulted in the four countries scoring as follows:

KENYA : 76.13%;

NIGERIA: 74.50%;

UGANDA: 85.66%;

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: 76.70%.

The Executive Council welcomed the report and the results from the assessment exercise and congratulated Uganda on winning the rights to Host the Africa Humanitarian Agency.

Permanent Representative to the African Union, Amb. Rebecca Otengo expressed excitement at the win. “This is the first African Union Agency hosted by Uganda since joining the Union when it was first called the Organisation of African Union (OAU)”, she said.

Speaking from Kampala, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar said “Uganda being the largest refugee hosting country on the African Continent with established legal and institutional frameworks on forcibly displaced persons and impeccable experience in dealing with humanitarian action made her an acceptable candidate to many African Union Members. Attributing the success to a formidable team at the Mission, he added “This is doubled by the goodwill enjoyed by the Ambassador and members of Ugandan Embassy among other African Union Member states in Addis Ababa”

The process for the operationalization of the Agency in Uganda has already began with the approval of the budget to recruit the top management staff of the Agency during Financial Year 2025/2026.

In other news, during the 45th Executive Council session the Embassy of Uganda in Addis Ababa also secured the election of Justice Duncan Gaswaga to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for a period of 6 years, by an overwhelming majority of 46 member states, of those present and able to vote at the session.

The delegation of Uganda to this 45th Executive Council session included Amb. Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the AU, Justice Duncan Gaswaga, Justice of the High Court of Uganda, Lira, Mr. Michael Wamai, Counsellor and Ms. Daphine Teddy Nyanduri, First Secretary, Uganda Embassy in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Stellantis (www.Stellantis.com) now overseeing import and distribution for Peugeot, Citroën, and DS Automobile brands; The group reaffirms its commitment to boosting Morocco’s automotive industry; Enhanced and unified customer experience across Morocco in line with Stellantis’ high standards.

In a strategic move, Stellantis has announced a two-phase acquisition of Sopriam, a subsidiary of the Al Mada group. The initial phase involves immediate majority control, followed by the full acquisition of 100% of shares by early 2025. Stellantis will now directly handle the import and distribution of its Peugeot, Citroën, and DS Automobiles brands in Morocco, in addition to its existing brands (Fiat, Abarth, Jeep®, Alfa Romeo) through its established distribution network.

This capital injection marks a significant step in consolidating Stellantis’ presence in Morocco, a journey that began in 2015 under a strategic partnership with the Moroccan government.

Stellantis’ diverse footprint in Morocco is highlighted by its extensive commercial network, the establishment of the first Africa Technical Center (ATC) in Casablanca focusing on “Core Technologies” and future mobility solutions, and the consistent growth of its Kenitra plant, which aims to double its production capacity to 400,000 vehicles by 2027.

Samir Cherfan, Stellantis COO for the Middle East and Africa, stated: “This acquisition underlines Stellantis’ dedication to advancing the automotive industry in Morocco. Our Kenitra plant is already among Stellantis’ top industrial sites and significantly contributes to our regional goals of achieving an annual production capacity of one million vehicles by 2030, with local integration exceeding 90%.”

He continued: “”Regarding our business objectives, our ambition is to become the Market Leader with over 22% market share by 2030, aligning with our ‘Dare Forward 2030’ strategic goals. This substantial vertical integration of our import and distribution activities, especially in a key market like Morocco, represents significant progress toward this ambition.”

As part of this acquisition, Stellantis is committed to delivering a unified and enhanced customer experience across the Kingdom.

Yves Peyrot des Gachons, Managing Director of Stellantis Morocco, commented: “By optimizing our commercial capabilities and consolidating synergies across our various operations, we are committed to providing our customers with a consistent experience that meets Stellantis’ high-quality standards and adheres to our customer-centric approach.”

He added: “Our customers will have access to a broader range of vehicles and benefit from increasingly innovative mobility solutions. We are more dedicated than ever to providing cleaner, safer, and more accessible mobility options.”

He concluded: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sopriam and its management teams for over 90 years of exceptional partnership. Together, we have navigated many milestones and overcome numerous challenges, always remaining true to our commitment to excellence and innovation. I thank Sopriam for its trust, continuous collaboration, and dedication, which have been pivotal to our shared success.”

Following the Executive Board held today, Samir Chefan was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of Sopriam. Yves Peyrot de Gachons was named Managing Director of Sopriam.

Stellantis in Morocco:

Employment
5192 employees, including:

Kenitra plant: 3,852 workers
ATC (Casablanca) : 922 engineers

Commercial network
59 sales sites
Brands marketed : Fiat, Abarth, Jeep®, Alfa Roméo, Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel.
Used vehicles: Stellantis &You, Spoticar

Production capacity (Kenitra plant)
200,000 véhicules/year
Vehicles produced : Peugeot 208, Citroën Ami, Opel Rocks-e, Fiat Topolino

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Stellantis.

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About Stellantis: 
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM / Euronext Paris: STLAP) is one of the world’s leading automakers aiming to provide clean, safe and affordable freedom of mobility to all. It’s best known for its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, FIAT, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. Stellantis is executing its Dare Forward 2030, a bold strategic plan that paves the way to achieve the ambitious target of becoming a carbon net zero mobility tech company by 2038, while creating added value for all stakeholders. For more information, visit www.Stellantis.com