Liberia’s Foreign Minister H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, representing His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, met with His Excellency João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, at the Presidential Palace in Upper City, Luanda. This high-level diplomatic engagement marks a significant step forward in bolstering bilateral relations, with a particular emphasis on cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

During the meeting, both leaders expressed their commitment to deepening the collaboration between Liberia and Angola. Foreign Minister Beysolow Nyanti conveyed President Boakai’s greetings and emphasized Liberia’s eagerness to learn from Angola’s extensive experience and expertise in the oil and gas industry. The discussions underscored the mutual benefits of such a partnership, aiming to harness Angola’s advanced technological capabilities and Liberia’s untapped resource potential. President Lourenço highlighted Angola’s readiness to share knowledge, best practices, and technical support to assist Liberia in developing its oil and gas sector. This collaboration is expected to lead to substantial economic growth and job creation, significantly impacting Liberia’s socio-economic landscape.

The meeting also covered broader aspects of bilateral cooperation, including trade, investment, and capacity building. Both parties acknowledged the importance of creating a conducive environment for private sector investment and collaboration. The exchange underscored the necessity of establishing robust regulatory frameworks and infrastructure to support the growth of the oil and gas industry in Liberia. Foreign Minister Beysolow Nyanti remarked, “This engagement signifies a new chapter in Liberia-Angola relations. We are committed to leveraging this partnership to boost our oil and gas industry, which is pivotal for Liberia’s economic diversification and development. We appreciate Angola’s willingness to support us in this critical sector.”

President Lourenço echoed these sentiments, stating, “Angola is pleased to collaborate with Liberia and share our experiences. This partnership not only strengthens our bilateral ties but also contributes to the stability and prosperity of the region.” The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to establish a joint task force to explore and implement strategies for cooperation in the oil and gas sector. This task force will be responsible for facilitating technical exchanges, investment opportunities, and the development of joint ventures. The diplomatic engagement between Liberia and Angola represents a significant milestone in their bilateral relations, reinforcing a shared vision of economic growth and regional stability through strategic cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

The WHO Africa Regional Office (WHO AFRO) in collaboration with WHO Headquarters and WHO Ethiopia,  hosted the first regional workshop on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PRSEAH). The three-day event, held from May 15 to 17, brought together 79 participants from 47 African countries to evaluate achievements from the last biennium, discuss challenges, and explore innovative actions related to PRSEAH.

The workshop follows the harrowing revelations of sexual exploitation and abuse during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which underscored the need for systemic changes within the organization. In response, WHO launched the #NoExcuse initiative in February 2022 to prevent SEAH and protect communities. This initiative focuses on reforms that foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and trust, with victims and survivors at its core.

In his welcoming speech, Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, emphasized the organization’s zero-tolerance policy for SEAH, stating, “There is no room within WHO for perpetrators of SEAH or bystanders who fail to speak up. Each of us is responsible for preventing and responding effectively to SEAH wherever it may occur.”

The workshop agenda included a comprehensive review of past achievements and challenges, strategic discussions on integrating PRSEAH  into emergency preparedness and response and identifying specific actions for the next two years. Sessions were designed to promote a shared understanding and approach among the AFRO PRS network. They included case studies, experience sharing, and panel discussions to address questions and enhance collaboration and effectiveness across WHO’s three organizational levels.

Key sessions included:

Reflections on the Past Biennium: A review of achievements and challenges faced in implementing PRSEAH strategies across the AFRO region.
Strategic Priorities for 2024-2025: Outlining priorities and engagement techniques with member states and governments.
Integration into Emergency Preparedness and Response: Exploring best practices and case studies from countries like Nigeria and Mozambique.
Accountability Framework and Organizational Culture Change: Discussing roles, responsibilities, and strategies to foster a zero-tolerance culture against SEAH.

Dr Patrick Abok, Emergency Preparedness and Response cluster lead, reaffirmed:, “The decision to host the workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was driven by strategic considerations regarding impact and visibility. Ethiopia’s recurrent emergencies and the alignment of PRSEAH with the country’s Health Emergency Response framework offer a unique opportunity for meaningful engagement and practical integration of SEAH prevention measures.”

The regional workshop in Addis Ababa marked a significant step in WHO’s ongoing efforts to combat SEAH within its operations and communities, by bringing together experts, stakeholders, and representatives from across the African continent, WHO aims to strengthen its PRSEAH initiatives and ensure a safer, more accountable environment for all.

Dr. Khawla Akel, PRSEAH Coordinator, emphasized the importance of everyone understanding their role in preventing or responding to SEAH. The goal is to rebuild trust and establish WHO as a leader in addressing SEAH. As part of the SURGE Flagship initiative, 200 first responders received training on module 4 (GBV&PSEA) using national resources. Efforts to enhance victim assistance included training 28 PRSEAH trainers from the Regional Health Bureau and Bureau of Women Affairs and adapting training material to the Ethiopian context. Additionally, there was a focus on linking referrals with economic empowerment services.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

Energy Capital&Power (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) officially denounces the disruptive and unprofessional behavior of the African Energies Summit organizers in selecting overlapping dates with the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 forum.

On May 9, event organizers ECP launched the official dates for the 2025 edition of the IAE forum as May 14-15, serving as an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Today – over one week later – Africa Energies Summit in London announced its 2025 dates as May 13-15, deliberately and maliciously overlapping with the dates already announced by ECP.

ECP is disappointed by the behavior of the Africa Energies Summit organizers, who selected these dates with the intent to split audiences and cause confusion between the two events.

The mission of the IAE forum is to connect Africa’s immense hydrocarbon, mineral and renewable resources with the global investment community, with a view to eradicating energy poverty and supporting industrialized growth across the continent.  As a result, the forum stands in complete opposition to the practice of confusing potential delegates, co-opting dates and diverting attention from the core issue at hand – investment in African energy.  

“We are extremely disappointed to see unprofessional, and frankly, spiteful behavior from a company that claims to promote Africa’s interests, especially after communicating to them the IAE 2025 dates in advance. This behavior is not conducive to the growth of Africa’s energy industry. As a leading advocate for the sector, the Chamber wants to work with people – not against them. Africa wins when people collaborate,” states Sandra Jeque, IAE Conference Director.

Set to run for its third consecutive year, the IAE forum has evolved into Africa’s premier energy project showcase outside of Africa, uniting projects from all four corners of the continent to the global investment stage. IAE 2025 is set to catalyze new sources of capital and continue promoting the role of diversified energy investment in Africa’s energy security and transition. 

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

Parliamentary Commissioner and Nyendo – Mukungwe Member of Parliament, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga has called on government to plan for mental health services in all its departments and agencies.

Mpuuga said the same efforts should eventually be spread to the private sector just as it is in the case with HIV/AIDS.

“One of the biggest approaches that curtailed HIV/AIDS was mainstreaming it in all sectors and all activities. Now we can attest to a very serious reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Is it hard to do the same for mental health in all we do? Mpuuga wondered.

Mpuuga made this call at the opening of the mental health camp at Parliament on Tuesday, 21 May 2023.

Mpuuga also wants government to respond to the occasional mental health drug stock outs at Butabika National Referral Hospital.

The Chairperson for the Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, Hon. Geoffrey Macho said that additional funds are required to support Butabika Hospital which he said lacks basic needs like accommodation for patients.

“In case any supplementary budget is tabled, the hospital should be considered being the only national referral hospital handling mental health,” Macho said adding that, ‘it was planned for 400 patients but now they have more than 1200 patients who go to  an extent of fighting for mattresses’.

He reiterated the need for Parliament to fast-track the Alcohol Control Bill which he feared might be ‘fought’ by the breweries companies.

The Assistant Commissioner for Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hafsa Lukwata re-echoed the urgency for Parliament to process the Alcohol Control Bill, noting that substance abuse is the leading cause for mental health illness among the youth.

The Deputy Director of Butabika Hospital, Dr. Byamah Mutamba on his part asked for an increased funding to be able to reach out to communities, a strategy he says would reduce patients at the oversubscribed Butabika.

“As a national referral hospital, it is our mandate to take services to primary health care centres and in communities. This way, we would not have many patients at the hospital,” said Dr Mutamba.

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