President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday, 15 April 2024, host His Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of eSwatini for a working visit at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the President’s Official Residence in Pretoria.

The visit follows a courtesy visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa to His Majesty King Mswati III in Lozitha, eSwatini on Wednesday, 03 April 2024.

South Africa and eSwatini share strong historical bonds as well as mutually beneficial political and trade ties.

Official media will deliver to all media platforms pictures and video footage.

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

The Government of South Africa is gravely concerned at developments in the Middle East following the retaliatory action by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel following Israel’s attacks on Iran’s Embassy in Damascus, Syria, on 1 April 2024.

As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has stated, there is a “very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation”.

In this context, South Africa emphasises that all parties must exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any act that would escalate tensions in a particularly fragile region.

South Africa has continuously stressed that irrespective of whether states believe that their use of force is lawful, it is never wise to resort to war as inevitably, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of conflict.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council, in particular, must act in the pursuit of sustainable and just peace for all people.

While we turn our attention to these developments, let us not forget that the war in Gaza continues with devastating humanitarian consequences for its people.  An immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian access are required.

The proliferation of global conflicts will continue if we, as the international community, do not commit ourselves to the ending of war and the establishment of conditions under which justice and respect for international law are maintained.

As long as there is impunity for unlawful acts, war and injustice will continue.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The United States remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism and protect its citizens. We continue to support the Nigerian government’s ongoing efforts to make Nigeria more secure, to hold perpetrators of attacks accountable, and to ensure the safety and well-being of all its citizens.

The partnership between the United States and Nigeria is built on a foundation of shared values and common goals.  We will continue to work together to promote peace, security, and stability in the region, and to support initiatives that foster education, economic growth, and human rights.

As we mark one decade since this terrible act, we reaffirm our support for the survivors, their families, and all those affected by terrorism.  The United States stands with Nigeria in its fight against extremism and its commitment to creating a safer, more prosperous future for all its people.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.

More women must be included in economic decision making in Libya to accelerate economic progress and women’s empowerment. 

This was the conclusion of a panel discussion the United Nations Support Mission in Libya organized to mark this year’s International Women’s Day.

Twenty women from the civil society sector participated in the webinar, which featured remarks from economic expert Hala Bugaighis, of the Jusoor Foundation, and representatives from UNSMIL and the United Nations Development Programme.

“There are no women in the Ministry of Economy’s senior management,” Burgaighis said. “The Minister only has one female consultant.”

The same is true for the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, she said.

“Decision making comes from a patriarchal perspective, so half of the population – women – deals with decisions that weren’t made by them,” she said. “We need to include the women’s perspective.”

One consequence of this, Burgaighis said, is policies that are not adapted to address the challenges facing Libyan women on the ground. 

“Libya’s legal framework, at least theoretically, grants women the right to equality and nondiscrimination,” Bugaighis said. “Despite this … there is no clear mechanism for career advancement, access to justice, especially with cases related to discrimination and inequality.”

Libyan law states, for example, that men and women should be paid the same for the same work, she said. It guarantees women the right to own property, permits them to open bank accounts, and protects them from losing their inheritance.

However, in practice, women in Libya are paid nearly three times less than their male peers and account for only 12 percent of property owners, she said. While unemployment remains high across all demographics, women are roughly twice as likely not to be working  –  despite the fact that unemployed women seek employment at a higher rate.

Sonja Sigmund, a Political Affairs Officer at UNSMIL, during the discussion, emphasized how systematic discrimination against and unequal opportunities for women, along with limited access to resources, not only restricts individuals from reaching their potential but also “hampers the overall prosperity and resilience of Libyan society.”

While Libya is considered an upper-middle-income county, owing to years of conflict and political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters, the country’s GDP declined 54 percent between 2010 and 2024, she said, quoting World Bank statistics. 

“Unfortunately, unequal access to Libya’s wealth, lack of transparency, and accountability in its management and limited socioeconomic prospects – especially for Libyan women and youth – remain powerful drivers of political instability and insecurity in Libya,” she said.

Khadija Elboaishi, an advisor on equality between men and women for UNDP in Libya, said increasing the percentage of women in decision making positions is key to addressing these challenges.

“We all know that the presence of women at these levels is very important because it ensures the integration of women’s perspectives, women’s priorities, and their challenges,” she said.

For its part, the United Nations aligns its work in Libya with a strategy to ensure equality between men and women, she said. Fifteen percent of UNDP spending is directed at promoting and supporting women.

UNDP has programming to increase women’s participation in the technology sector by teaching computer programming skills and funding small women-led businesses – among other things.

“Whatever the subject of the project is, whether it is a development project, whether it is an energy project, whether it is a project to strengthen the capabilities of rule of law institutions, we must determine what the challenges (for women) are,” she said. 

This aligns with SRSG Abdoulaye Bathily’s call on International Women’s Day to “empower women to assume their rightful role as drivers of Libya’s transformative change.”

“Libyan women play a crucial role in shaping and advancing Libya’s political and economic landscape and their meaningful engagement in political, economic and reconciliation processes brings advantages to the entire society,“ he said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).