President Cyril Ramaphosa has this morning, 17 August 2024, arrived in Harare, in the Republic of Zimbabwe to attend the 44th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government.

The 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government will take place today under the theme: “Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an Industrialised SADC”.

As South Africa commemorates the 30th Anniversary of its democracy and freedom, it will equally marks the 30th Anniversary of its membership and active participation in SADC, since it joined this regional body in August 1994.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for SADC leaders to assess and review progress made in terms of the region’s flagship integration agenda, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, which is about promoting peace and security, good governance, socio-economic development and integration in the region.

The President will participate in discussions on the agenda of the Summit that include the Status of Member State Contributions; Regional Food and Nutrition Security, Status of health in the region, Implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap as well as candidatures to continental and international organisations.

The President will also sign two SADC legal instruments; the SADC Declaration on Accelerating Action to End AIDS as a Public Health Threat in the Region by 2030 as well as the Agreement Amending the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

During the Summit, the Republic of Zimbabwe will assume the Chairpersonship of SADC, taking over from the Republic of Angola, which chaired SADC since the previous Summit held in Luanda, in August 2023.  

The Summit is preceded by the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting which took place from 13-14 August 2024.  

A SADC Organ Troika Summit was also held on 16 August 2024.

President Ramaphosa is supported by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola and the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana.

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

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Stéphane Séjourné, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdel-Atty.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said the French Minister conveyed French President Emmanuel Macron’s greetings to President El-Sisi. He noted that President Macron had tasked him with undertaking a regional tour to contribute to efforts towards de-escalation and reducing tension. The tour was set to end in Egypt to brief President El-Sisi on the results of France’s efforts in this regard. The French Foreign Minister commended Egypt’s vital role in the joint mediation with Qatar and the United States aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of hostages.

President El-Sisi emphasized the vital need for concerted efforts to seize the opportunity offered by the ongoing negotiations to reach an agreement that would prevent further bloodshed and spare the region from the consequences of further escalation. The President warned that the continuation of the conflict will plunge the region into a severe and relentless cycle of instability. President El-Sisi reiterated the international community’s responsibility to exert pressure to reduce escalation and address the root causes of the conflict by establishing a Palestinian state and enforce the two-state solution. The French Foreign Minister agreed with this stance, confirming his country’s full support for these efforts and its commitment to its intensive activities to end the current state of regional tension.

Discussions during the meeting also underscored the robust and solid Egyptian-French strategic partnership and commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across various fields to serve the interests of the two peoples.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of the Republic of Gabon, on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, dispatched similar congratulatory messages to the President of Gabon and Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima on the occasion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

The UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) top operations and protection officials are calling attention to the plight of 3.7 million forcibly displaced people in Nigeria and the need to accelerate sustainable solutions for them.

Commending the government for respecting its international legal obligations and welcoming over 100,000 asylum-seekers and refugees from almost 50 countries, Raouf Mazou, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, and Ruven Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, pledged to increase the self-reliance of forcibly displaced people in Nigeria after a visit to the country that ends today. 

Over 3 per cent of the world’s 120 million forcibly displaced people are Nigerians. More than 3.6 million are forcibly displaced within their own country by factors ranging from conflict instigated by non-state armed groups to communal clashes exacerbated by scarce resources. The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) has been gradually increasing and many continue to rely heavily on humanitarian assistance.

The high-level visit focused on sustainable solutions to this forgotten crisis, emphasizing a whole-of-society approach led by the government and harnessing the expertise of diverse actors including the UN, other development partners, member states and the private sector.

“We cannot watch this protracted situation endure, with families dependent on assistance year after year,” said Mazou. “Refugees and IDPs have repeatedly told us that they would prefer a job rather than be given a handout. In the town of Banki, I met men and women who have returned home and are ready to rebuild their lives. We hear them and are helping to build livelihood opportunities.”

In practice, sustainable programming means supporting the government, helping displaced communities get back to work, ensuring they have access to government services including social safety net programmes, working closely with the private sector to create value chains, setting up innovative financial instruments to encourage investments in communities at risk, and more. This is in line with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Secretary General’s Action Agenda for IDPs. 

UNHCR is already working with the government to help displaced communities farm thousands of hectares of land, develop irrigation systems, tackle food security and increase rural employment.

During the five-day visit, the delegation travelled to Benue state in the north-central region. They also visited Borno state in the northeast, where they met returnees from Cameroon. Over 30,000 people have returned since the start of the year and the intention is for them to also benefit from social and economic inclusion activities.

 “Solutions are the highest form of protection,” Menikdiwela said. “This requires humanitarian, development and peace partners to work together.”

UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain added “While UNHCR in Nigeria is always prepared to respond to humanitarian emergencies, we will be catalytic in supporting the government to find solutions to forced displacement in line with our responsibility for protection and solutions.”

The Assistant High Commissioners were joined by UNHCR’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, who will prioritize sustainable solutions for the forcibly displaced across the region, contingent upon the protection environment, labour opportunities and conditions, and the availability of development and private-sector funding.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).