The Brazilian Association of Piped Gas Distributing Companies (ABEGÀS) will bring a delegation of Brazilian companies to the Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference this year – taking place October 2-3 in Luanda.

During a working visit to Angola this week, the organization participated in a meeting hosted by the Angola-Brazil Chamber of Commerce, where the parties highlighted opportunities for collaboration between the two countries. AOG 2024 event producer Energy Capital&Power also took part in the discussion.

The meeting called attention to strategic areas of cooperation such as the expansion of the natural gas sector in Angola. ABEGÀS President Luiz Gavazza underscored Brazil’s expertise in this field, emphasizing that the country’s 150-year experience of piped gas usage can support the development of Angola’s gas industry.

Additionally, the parties discussed key regulatory and fiscal indicators that stand to strengthen investment in the natural gas market. Strategies for bolstering the domestic uptake of gas across various sectors of the economy – specifically, agriculture, industry and urban mobility – were also explored.

The meeting formed part of a working visit by ABEGÀS to Angola, with the organization meeting with Angola’s national concessionaire, the National Oil, Gas&Biofuels Agency; the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute; and the Brazilian Embassy in Angola.

The Angola-Brazil Chamber of Commerce is a partner of the AOG 2024 conference. The collaboration serves to promote investment by Brazilian companies in Angola’s oil and gas sector, with the chamber facilitating bilateral knowledge, trade and investment.

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

About Angola Oil&Gas (AOG):
AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been forced to suspend work in Madani Teaching Hospital in Sudan due to harassment and obstructions; Over three months, our teams in Madani Teaching Hospital have faced repeated security incidents, including looting of the hospital; MSF calls on warring parties in Sudan to stop violating health facilities and guarantee the safety of medical personnel.

MSF has been forced to suspend work and withdraw staff from Madani Teaching Hospital, the only functional hospital for the hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of medical assistance in the capital of Al Jazirah state, Sudan. 

This difficult decision comes after more than three months of relentless challenges trying to provide care at the hospital. Amidst the growing insecurity, we have been unable to bring new staff and medical supplies into the area due to the denial of travel permits, and faced repeated security incidents, such as looting and harassment, affecting our ability to provide medical care. 

We call on the warring parties to stop violating health facilities and guarantee the safety of medical personnel, and to grant the necessary travel permits for our staff and supplies. 

“The health system and basic services in Al Jazirah state have collapsed as a consequence of the fighting and the systematic blockade on supplies and personnel entering the area,” says Mari Carmen Viñoles, operations manager for MSF in Sudan.

“MSF was the only international NGO providing some support in Wad Madani. Our departure leaves a deep void for people struggling to access healthcare and living in a very insecure environment without transportation to move around.” 

In mid-December, when fighting reached Wad Madani – the capital of Al Jazirah state located about 136 kilometres southeast of Khartoum – at least 630,000 people were forced to flee Al Jazirah towards other parts of Sudan according to the International Organization for Migration – many of whom had already been displaced. 

At the end of that month, MSF evacuated all staff from Wad Madani following the offensive from the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city, which until then had been controlled by the Government led-Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). 

By 13 January, we were able to send a team back to Wad Madani, where several hundred thousand people remained in which used to be one of the most populated cities of Sudan. 

Since then, our teams have been supporting the emergency room, operation theatre, maternity, inpatient department – including paediatrics, the therapeutic feeding centre, and adult and surgical wards – and pharmacy at Madani Teaching Hospital.

We also provided mental health support and care for sexual violence. In addition, we are also provided training, salary incentives to 240 Ministry of Health (MoH) staff, and food for patients.

Between mid-January and the end of April, MSF provided nearly 10,000 outpatient consultations – malaria was the most common illness treated – 2,142 antenatal consultations, and care to 16 survivors of sexual violence. During this period, there was a constant influx of patients into the emergency room, totalling 2,981 admissions. A significant number of these admissions involved physical injuries sustained in the ongoing violence.  

MSF has now suspended all support to the facility, and we have relocated our staff to safer areas of Sudan. Over the past three months, our team and the supported MoH staff have faced repeated security incidents that have been either carried out or tolerated by the RSF, including looting of the hospital, stolen vehicles, and staff being retained, among multiple other incidents. 

Since January, Sudanese authorities have persistently denied travel permits to bring new staff and medical and logistic supplies into the city.  

“While the humanitarian and medical needs in Wad Madani and Al Jazirah are immense, we have no other option than to stop our work immediately and leave the area,” says Viñoles. 

“The deliberate administrative blockages, the increasing insecurity, and the constant violations of the hospital as a neutral space made it impossible to continue providing services.”  

MSF is willing to return to support the Madani Teaching Hospital to support people in Al Jazirah if the warring parties commit to respecting our medical work and ensure safe and uninterrupted access to the area. 

We call on the RSF to stop violating medical facilities and guarantee the safety of MoH and MSF personnel. We also call on the Government of Sudan-led military and civilian authorities to grant the necessary travel permits for our staff and supplies.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

Flooding and landslides in Eastern Africa are affecting almost a million people in Burundi, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania. As unusually heavy rains have pounded the region, exacerbated by the 2023-24 El Niño climate phenomenon, hundreds of lives have been lost, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.

Large numbers of people have been displaced and significant damage has been reported, including to homes, schools and infrastructure, as well as loss of crops and livestock. Many families have been forced to leave their homes, seeking refuge in makeshift shelters or evacuation centers. These are the individuals already most vulnerable, often living in informal settlements, close to riverbanks and without resilient water and sanitation. The situation has further exacerbated the lives of women and children, who already face high levels of discrimination in access to protection services and resources as well as vulnerability to violence, abuse and exploitation.

In Kenya, schools were closed for several weeks and due for reopening next week. The floods have also led to another cholera outbreak, with 48 cases reported. In Somalia, more than 160,000 people have been affected by the latest flooding, two-thirds of whom are children.

“The heavy rains and subsequent floods have disrupted lives, posing significant risks to children in the affected regions. Currently, safety and health, as well as access to food, clean water and vital services remain paramount. UNICEF is working closely with governments and local partners engaging with affected communities to identify the most urgent needs and ensure children are safe, able to continue learning and receiving psycho-social support as needed,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli.

In flood-affected countries, UNICEF is working with government and civil society partners to provide life-saving emergency relief to children and other vulnerable groups in affected communities. Efforts include cash assistance, technical support, and provision of clean water, hygiene kits and medical supplies. UNICEF is also working with partners to identify needs that will emerge once the floodwaters have subsided. This includes:

Ensuring the continuity of safe learning where schools are destroyed, closed or unable to be accessed; as well as support rapid school assessments, recovery and rebuilding efforts to get children back to school as soon as possible. In addition, UNICEF will work with partners to promote accelerated and recovery learning to help children catch up.
Protecting children from forced family separation, increased exposure to violence, including sexual violence as well as keeping children safe from exploitative activities such as child labour and abuse. 
Ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, enhancing infection prevention and control measures against outbreak of infectious diseases, as well as strengthening the capacity of community health workers.
Enhancing access to lifesaving, high-impact, and quality health services that improve health status of affected communities.
Establishing and strengthening access to essential nutrition services, including support to government to ensure provision and access to quality diets, practices and services.
Strengthening risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) with local governments and partners in El Niño-impacted areas.
Ensuring the availability of services for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors including referrals, case management, psychosocial support and continuous efforts to identify and mitigate GBV risks in affected communities.

Over the past decade, climate change has intensified extreme weather in Eastern and Southern Africa, such as the prolonged drought across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia from 2020 to 2023, followed by severe floods since late last year. In Eastern Africa, El Niño-induced heavy rains have intensified riverine and flash floods. In Southern Africa, El Niño has worsened dry weather conditions and caused lower rainfall, leading to states of emergency declared in Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

To help children and vulnerable communities cope with changing climate patterns, UNICEF is working with regional and national partners to facilitate and implement climate-resilient solutions, empower children and young people, including those with disabilities, to have their voices heard and improve their adaptive capacity, as well as advocate for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, use of nature-based solutions and restructuring of international Climate Financing to be child-sensitive.

“Amid the escalating crises of droughts and floods wrought by El Niño, the vulnerability of communities across Eastern and Southern Africa intensifies, posing grave concerns about the future of children in the region,” said Kadilli. “Children, young people and women, including those with disabilities are particularly at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation as humanitarian needs continue to increase. Thanks to the invaluable support from our donors and partners, UNICEF is actively engaged on the ground. Together with governments, civil society, and local communities, we are delivering lifesaving interventions and bracing for potential surges in humanitarian needs.

“However, the cost, scale and complexity of climate crises are only going to increase across the region.  Sustained and flexible support from donors and multilateral climate funds, including joint investments and other innovative financing with governments in climate prevention and preparedness programmes, will be vital in saving lives and strengthening the resilience of children repeatedly hit by climate emergencies.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa.

Wrapping up her third visit to the Horn of Africa country, the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Somalia today highlighted some of the findings from her visit and called on the international community to continue its assistance to Somalia.

“During my meetings with authorities, I discussed the progress achieved by the Government since my last visit in November 2023 and challenges encountered to advance the promotion and protection of human rights in Somalia,” said the Independent Expert, Isha Dyfan. 

The Independent Expert also called on the international community to continue its assistance to Somalia towards “strengthening the Federal and State institutions, and the justice and security sector,” and “addressing the negative effects of climate change on the populations, in particular ensuring access to basic social services such as water supply, health delivery and education for all children.”

Ms. Dyfan had been speaking with the media at a press conference in the Somali capital at the end of her latest visit to Somalia. She shared some preliminary observations ahead of her presentation of her full report to the United Nations Human Rights Council and General Assembly later this year.

She had previously come to Somalia in November last year.

Her latest visit saw her spend five days in Mogadishu, where she had a wide-ranging series of meetings with representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia, civil society, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and various United Nations agencies, funds and programmes.

Government efforts

Topics covered in the Independent Expert’s meetings included the country’s constitutional review process, legislative and institutional developments, the protection of civilians in the light of the ATMIS drawdown as well as violations of the rights of women and children. The humanitarian, economic and social situation as well as progress on the key benchmarks and indicators outlined in her previous reports were also discussed.

“On the efforts made by the Government, I commended the successful vote on amendments to the first four chapters of the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Government of Somalia by members of the bicameral federal parliament,’ Ms. Dyfan said.

“However,” she continued, “I expressed concerns about the lack of consensus among political actors regarding the changes. I call on all parties to prioritise dialogue to build consensus in order to safeguard these positive developments towards enhancing the promotion of democracy, rule of law and human rights in Somalia.”

Security

In her remarks on the country’s security situation, the Independent Expert said Somalia continues to face serious challenges – in particular, civilians, especially women and children, continue to bear the brunt of deadly attacks carried out by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

She also noted that joint military operations by Somali security forces and local clan militias had an impact on the civilian population and infrastructure.

“I strongly condemn the continued deadly attacks perpetrated by Al-Shabaab and urge the Government to take all steps to ensure the protection of civilians, and for armed groups to comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian and human rights law,” she said. “It is also important that the Government takes concrete actions to prosecute State officials involved in human rights violations, ensuring that those responsible were held accountable and that the survivors of such violations were adequately compensated.”

On the issue of ATMIS’ ongoing drawdown ahead of Somali security forces taking on full responsibility for the country’s security, the Independent Expert noted that, as of 30 April 2024, the first two phases of the drawdown were completed with the withdrawal of 3000 troops and the handing over of seven forward operating bases. The modalities of the third phase that is scheduled to be completed by June 2024 with the withdrawal of 4,000 troops are being discussed.

“In this context, I welcomed the holding of the Somali Security Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in December 2023, which delineates the Government’s strategic priorities and roadmap for the security sector over the next six years, including the requirement for international support,” Ms. Dyfan said.

She also noted that a proposed meeting on this issue between the Federal Government of Somalia, African Union and UN is expected in May.

Women’s participation

In relation to the participation of Somali women in their country’s political and public life, the Independent Expert took note of a political agreement on women’s quota which would be included in the primary legislation on elections.

“I urge the Federal Parliament to ensure that clear provisions and specific mechanism to protect women quota are included in the text,” Ms. Dyfan said. “I noted that the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has been localised at states levels and a steering committee has been established to coordinate implementation and secure funding to advance the implementation of the Action Plan.”

“I am also encouraged,” she continued, “by the establishment of a women’s committee, comprising of representatives from the Federal Government, Federal Member States, the Benadir region, and representatives of civil society that is tasked in representing women’s interests in the National Consultative Council, as part of national decision-making processes.”

Children’s rights

With regard to the rights of children, the Independent Expert noted that the Federal Government of Somalia has launched several critical initiatives to protect the rights of children during armed conflicts.

These include measures to prevent the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, implementing age verification processes, and biometric registration within the Somali National Armed Forces to ensure compliance.

“According to humanitarian and protection stakeholders, four million children are affected by the conflict situation as well as the impact of climate change. Children represent 60 to 70 per cent of the IDP [internally displaced people] and other vulnerable populations,” Ms. Dyfan said. “Most important challenges facing by vulnerable communities, include forced eviction and its impact on children as well as inadequate clearing of mines and hazardous materials in liberated areas that put children at risk. It was also reported that there is limited access to hard-to-reach areas to provide services to vulnerable populations.”

“I noted,” she continued, “slow progress in the implementation of the National Action plan on Children and I wish to call upon the Federal Government to take measures to promote and protect women and children rights.”

Media freedom

On the issue of freedom of the press, referring to her meeting with civil society organisations, the Independent Expert painted a concrening picture.

“I remain dismayed by the continuing restrictions on civic space, including harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention and imprisonment of journalists and media workers leading to self- censorship,” Ms. Dyfan said. “While I am encouraged by the appointment of the Somali National Media Council members in an effort to enhance the media landscape, I have also received concerns that the process was not in accordance with the media law.”

Ms. Dyfan went on to note that a safe and inclusive civic space is essential to good governance, rule of law, and can help to reduce and prevent violence.

Independent Experts

Independent Experts like Ms. Dyfan are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. 

Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).