President Cyril Ramaphosa was honoured yesterday evening, Sunday, 7 July 2024, with a phone call from His Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt who warmly congratulated President Ramaphosa on his new term of office.

President El-Sisi shared with President Ramaphosa his expectation that South Africa and Egypt will continue to cooperate on issues of common interest.

President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation for President El-Sisi’s good wishes and agreed on the importance of continued partnership between our two countries on matters of bilateral, continental and multilateral interest.

Of particular significance to the two leaders is the need to work together on the Palestinian issue and the crisis in the Gaza strip.

The Presidents committed themselves to deepening the fraternal ties between Egypt and South Africa as part of advancing continental solidarity.

President Ramaphosa and President El-Sisi were also in agreement on the expansion of trade, mutual investment and other areas of economic cooperation between the two states.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

The newly appointed Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, assumed his new position today. He is succeeding Shubham Chaudhuri who completed his term in the same capacity.

Prior to his assignment to Abuja, Dr. Ndiamé Diop served as the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, based in Manila. In this position, he more than tripled the Bank’s financing to the Philippines to scale up the Bank’s support to key economic reforms (policy-based budget support programs) and the nation’s endeavors to bridge disparities in various sectors, including nutrition, stunting, healthcare, social protection delivery, education, agriculture, and digital connectivity. In Malaysia, he supervised the delivery of a large Malaysia-funded knowledge program aimed at helping the country become a high-income economy through cutting edge economic analyses and technical assistance. Furthermore, he engaged the Thai government to resume World Bank investment lending after a pause of two decades.

“I am most excited to be leading the World Bank’s program in Nigeria, especially at this critical time when Nigeria has a significant opportunity to make progress towards improving its economy and delivering development outcomes for its citizens. I look forward to deepening our partnership with the Government of Nigeria at the Federal and States level by ensuring quality technical and financial support which will help accelerate progress for Nigeria’s development priorities,” said Dr. Ndiamé Diop. “Nigeria is a dynamic and vibrant country which is significant for the entire sub region. The World Bank Group is most committed to working with the Government, development partners and citizens to realize a thriving economy where jobs and economic prospects are created, and millions of Nigerians are lifted out of poverty”.

In his new position Dr. Ndiamé Diop will lead the World Bank’s team in Nigeria and deepen policy dialogue and partnership with the government and key stakeholders. He will oversee the delivery and implementation of lending and non-lending support to Nigeria.

Dr. Diop has held several leadership positions in the World Bank which include, Head of the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment unit for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, based in Jakarta and Bangkok, Lead Economist for Indonesia, based in Jakarta, Lead economist roles for Jordan and Lebanon, Country Economist roles in the Middle East and North Africa. Notably he served as the Bank’s Resident Representative for Tunisia between 2007 and 2010. He joined the World Bank in Washington DC in 2000 as a Young Professional.

As an economist, Dr. Ndiamé Diop has published in peer reviewed Journals and books on fiscal policy and growth, monetary policy and inflation, macro policies and resilience to sudden stops in capital inflows, natural resource abundance, Dutch disease, and economic diversification.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Republic of Seychelles witnessed the reappointment of Justice Bernadin Renaud as Chairperson of the Seychelles Human Rights Commission and presided over the swearing-in of Mr. Elvis Julie as a new Electoral Commissioner during a ceremony at State House this afternoon.

Justice Renaud, initially appointed as Chairperson in July 2019 for a five-year term, has been reappointed under Section 5(1) of the Seychelles Human Rights Commission Act, 2018, following the President’s consultation with the Speaker of the National Assembly. In the presence of distinguished guests, Justice Renaud took the Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution and the Judicial Oath.

The ceremony also included the swearing-in of Mr. Elvis Julie as a new Electoral Commissioner. Mr. Julie, currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Human Rights Commission, has been appointed in accordance with Article 115 of the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles. He replaces Ms. Veronique Bonnelame-Alcindor, whose term has ended. In the presence of family members and distinguished guests, Mr. Julie took the Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution and the Official Oath.

In his remarks, President Ramkalawan congratulated the two appointees, expressing confidence that their knowledge and extensive experience will enable them to discharge their responsibilities with utmost integrity and professionalism.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Justice Bernadin Renaud addressed the press, stating that over the past five years, the Human Rights Commission has focused on formalizing its structure and establishing regulations for its functions. He emphasized that the commission’s vision includes implementing more educational programs to inform the public about the Human Rights Commission and address priority cases.

Commissioner Elvis Julie expressed confidence that his experience and expertise will be a significant advantage in his new role, particularly in strategic planning and electoral education.

Also present at the swearing-in ceremony were First Lady Linda Ramkalawan, Vice President Ahmed Afif, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Gervais Henrie, Brigadier Michael Rosette, Commissioner of Police Ted Barbe, Ombudsman Georges Robert, Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Afif, members of the Constitutional Appointees, members of the Human Rights Commission, and commissioners of the Electoral Commission.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.

Enhancing the economic inclusion of refugees necessitates acknowledging their economic contributions, according to the World Bank Chad Economic Update 2024, which dedicates a special chapter to examining the economic ramifications of refugee influxes.

The outbreak of the Sudanese crisis in April 2023 has led to a significant increase of refugee population in Chad, and this trend is expected to continue. As of December 2023, Chad was hosting 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers.

Chad’s economy has proven resilient despite the war in neighboring Sudan, although there have been spillover effects on trade, public expenditure, and inflation. GDP growth in 2023 is estimated at 4.1% (1% per capita). This growth is underpinned by oil production, which is estimated to have risen by 4.4%. Non-oil GDP is estimated to have grown by 4.1%, up from 2% the previous year, and driven by public investment. After recovering from the 2022 floods, the agricultural sector is estimated to contribute 1.6 percentage points (ppts) to growth, followed by the services and industry sectors. Public investment has been the main growth driver on the demand side, contributing 7 ppts to growth.

The Economic Update, titled “Hosting Refugees in an Inclusive Manner”, aims to fuel public debate on recent economic developments and prospects for macroeconomic and social policies to promote growth and reduce poverty.

The economic inclusion of refugees can be enhanced through improved mobility, restoration of assets, and integrated productive inclusion strategies. Chad’s authorities have adopted an open stance with respect to welcoming refugees, with a strong support for refugee’s local integration as evidenced by Chad‘s Asylum law signed in 2023. The government’s policy of refugee integration and dispersion also aims to reduce potential conflict hotspots and maximize economic inclusion benefits.

“Chad currently faces important challenges. In this difficult context, it is important to establish national safety net systems that promotes economic inclusion while being adaptive, productive, and tailored to the specificities of vulnerable populations including refugees and host communities, with a particular focus on women” declares Rasit Pertev, Country Manager for the World Bank in Chad.

The refugee response has been focused on covering humanitarian needs of refugees settled in large camps located in border areas. The influx of refugees has heightened food insecurity and strained basic services and natural resources. The integration of refugees into national systems and in the economy requires predictable, recurrent, and sustained donor funding, reports the authors.

“Strengthening social cohesion and avoiding further conflict, requires developing programs and reforms  that benefit both host communities and refugees. Integrated policies should target host provinces, combining humanitarian and development efforts to support local development” adds Claudia Noumedem Temgoua, Country Economist at the World Bank.

Download the report: Chad Economic Update 2024 – Special Chapter: Hosting Refugees in an Inclusive Manner

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.