Eid Al-Adha Al-Mubarek, Heijira year 1445, was colorfully celebrated nationwide today.

A Salat sermon, presided over by Sheik Salim Ibrahim Al-Muktar, Mufti of Eritrea, was held at Bahti Meskerem Square. The event was attended by Ministers, senior Government and PFDJ officials, members of the diplomatic community, and thousands of the faithful.

During the ceremony, Sheik Salim Ibrahim Al-Muktar gave an extensive briefing on the spiritual meaning of Eid Al-Adha and called on the faithful to extend a helping hand to the needy. Sheik Salim also wished a Happy Eid to the Eritrean people in general, and the faithful in particular, as well as to members of the Eritrean Defense Forces. He also wished peace and prosperity to the Eritrean people.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Mr Sylvestre Radegonde welcomed the Commander of the visiting Japanese Training Squadron, Rear Admiral NISHIYAMA Takahiro and Ambassador of Japan to Seychelles, H.E. Mr OKANIWA Ken at Maison Queau de Quinssy on Monday 17th June 2024.

During the meeting, the Minister, Ambassador and Rear Admiral exchanged on Seychelles and Japan’s longstanding partnership in maritime security, a collaboration, of which Minister Sylvestre Radegonde says the Seychelles government is very appreciative.

To note, Japan donated a patrol vessel in April 2023, which is currently being used by the Maritime Police for surveillance purposes. Seychelles has also participated in maritime security conferences, workshops organised by Japan and received technical assistance from Japan in this field.

Rear Admiral NISHIYAMA Takahiro expressed his squadron’s eagerness to have landed in Port Victoria ahead of the Constitution Day celebrations on Tuesday 18th June, saying they are looking forward to exchanging with their counterparts and members of the public. Seychelles is their 2nd port of call out of 11. The training squadron is composed of 2 vessels, the JS Kashima and JS Shimakaze.

Ambassador OKANIWA and Minister Sylvestre Radegonde also broached on the upcoming 9th TICAD Ministerial Meeting to be held in Japan in August 2024 where they hope to find new areas of cooperation for the two countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism – Foreign Affairs Department, Republic of Seychelles.

The Federal Republic of Somalia has reaffirmed its commitment to integrating into the East African Community (EAC), demonstrating strong participation in a pivotal regional meeting currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya.

The one-week meeting, attended by EAC Partner State delegates, aims to develop a comprehensive roadmap for Somalia’s integration into the EAC, marking a significant step towards bolstering regional cooperation and economic integration.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, the EAC Secretary General, Ms. Veronica Mueni Nduva, highlighted the historical context and importance of the roadmap for Somalia’s integration into the bloc.

“The Federal Republic of Somalia became a full member of the EAC in March 2024, after officially depositing her instrument of ratification of the Treaty of Accession with the EAC Secretary General in Arusha, Tanzania. Today’s meeting signifies a critical milestone in this journey, aligning Somalia’s national processes with regional frameworks to ensure comprehensive integration,” she said.

Ms. Nduva said that the roadmap will incorporate activities that should be jointly undertaken by Somalia and the EAC Organs and Institutions.

“The roadmap outlines essential activities categorised into national and community-oriented initiatives. These include aligning Somalia’s legal framework with established regional standards and ensuring robust participation in EAC programmes and activities,” she added.

The Secretary General said that the roadmap, once concluded, will serve as a strategic tool to synchronise programmes and mobilise resources effectively across the Community.

Somalia’s entry into the Community will see the country benefit from the EAC’s regional infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and energy networks.

“These projects aim to improve connectivity, enhance transportation links, and boost regional trade, ultimately supporting Somalia’s economic development and integration,” said Ms. Nduva.

Somalia has the longest national coastline of over 3,000km in Africa, linking Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, which the region can tap into to increase intra-regional trade and improve the lives of East Africans.

On his part, Dr. Abdusalam H. Omer, Somalia’s Presidential Special Envoy to the EAC, expressed optimism about the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in shaping a roadmap that will ensure the effective integration of Somalia into the bloc.

“The Federal Republic of Somalia remains steadfast in its commitment to realising the goals of the East African Community, fostering unity, prosperity, and peace across the region,” he said.

Dr. Omer reaffirmed Somalia’s readiness to play an active role as a contributing member of the Community.

“We are dedicated to working closely with all stakeholders towards a brighter and more prosperous future for all EAC member states and their citizens,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Beny Gideon Mabor, the Under Secretary in the Ministry of East African Affairs, Republic of South Sudan commended Somalia’s enthusiasm to integrate into the Community.

“Somalia has assured us that it aims to play an active role in the growth and prosperity of the East African region and is committed to participating in initiatives that promote sustainable development, job creation and improved living standards for EAC Citizens,” he said.

Somalia is poised to elect nine (9) Members of Parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and appoint a Judge to the First Instance Division of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), further solidifying its commitment to the regional integration process.

Also present at the meeting were: the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth; the Counsel to the Community, Dr. Anthony Kafumbe; the Deputy Registrar of the EACJ, Her Worship Christine Mutimura Wekesa; and delegates from EAC Partner States.

VIDEO LINK – https://we.tl/t-BRUFXoqXyH 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East African Community.

Morocco is experiencing fluctuations in water availability exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, resulting in declining rainfall, groundwater depletion and alarming degradation of water resources; The World Bank-funded Large Scale Irrigation Modernization Project is fostering the adoption of drip irrigation promoting better water consumption and energy while increasing agricultural productivity; The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership bolstered this support by financing a study to evaluate water consumption and water productivity, as well as the effects on water conservation and groundwater use of the conversion of collective projects to drip irrigation, within the modernized irrigated regions of the El Haouz perimeter.

Among the world’s most water-stressed countries, Morocco is experiencing considerable fluctuations in water availability over space and time. This predicament is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, resulting in declining rainfall and reduced runoff, and escalating demand, resulting in groundwater depletion and alarming degradation of water resources. Notably, a substantial portion of the country’s water resources is consumed by irrigated agriculture. To combat water scarcity in agriculture, Morocco has instituted the National Program of Water Savings in Irrigation. This program aims to enhance the efficient use of water in irrigation, primarily by modernizing irrigation on approximately 550,000 hectares, 220,000 of which are covered by large-scale irrigation plans.

The overarching goal is to provide a water service that aligns with the standards of drip irrigation and other more efficient irrigation technologies.

The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership, (GWSP), financed a study to evaluate water consumption and water productivity, as well as the effects on water conservation and groundwater use of the conversion of collective projects to drip irrigation, within the modernized irrigated regions of the El Haouz perimeter. This irrigation plan fell within the scope of areas designated for improvement under the $150 million World Bank financed Large-Scale Irrigation Modernization Project, an integral component of the broader National Program of Water Savings in Irrigation. The GWSP-funded study used remote sensing and satellite technologies to successfully gather and analyze data related to changes in biomass (as a proxy for productivity) and overall water consumption in the study area. In so doing, the climate resilient irrigation team conducting the study, established the correlation between evapotranspiration and biomass on the one hand and water use in agriculture on the other. Later, the initiative evaluated the volume of groundwater used for irrigation and its correlation with surface water allocated by the irrigation operator, thus building the country’s capacity to sustainably manage water resources and service delivery.

This GWSP-funded study strengthened dialogue with the Government of Morocco on the importance of water conservation policies. With GWSP’s support, the climate resilience irrigation team held a high-level policy dialogue on water use in Moroccan agriculture and developed a technical note to support policy engagement related to resilient and inclusive agrifood systems in the Maghreb. The key Moroccan counterparts, the Regional Office for Irrigation of El Haouz (operating under the Ministry of Agriculture) and the River Basin Agency of Tensift (under the Ministry of Equipment and Water), greatly benefited from adoption of the innovative monitoring technologies used in the study. The data, knowledge, and dialogues supported by GWSP also informed the development of water quotas, which the government will implement in tandem with technology upgrades. Furthermore, the study and dialogue informed two World Bank-financed projects. By December 2022, the Large-Scale Irrigation Modernization Project had benefited more than 9,000 farmers with improved water services and access to improved irrigation technologies covering an area of 20,700 hectares.

The World Bank–Morocco collaboration also provided significant insights for the $182 million Resilient and Sustainable Water in Agriculture (RESWAG) project, approved in FY22 on the basis of an analysis of water conservation technologies’ capacity to alleviate water scarcity in agriculture. This analysis provided a strong foundation for the establishment of observatories such as those proposed in the RESWAG project to measure the impacts of water conservation technologies in the long term. The project aims to enhance the governance of water in agriculture, improve the quality of irrigation services, and modernize on-farm irrigation technologies in areas suffering onerous water restrictions or served by overexploited aquifers.

By 2027, the project expects to provide 51,485 hectares with new or improved irrigation or drainage services and to reach more than 23,000 farmers with agricultural assets or services. Combined, these activities will help Moroccan water authorities and irrigator operators maintain water withdrawals at a sustainable level and cope with interannual variability.

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