Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammed Mustafa, and his accompanying delegation, including Minister of Planning, Wael Zakout. The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister, Dr. Mustafa Madbouly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Hala El-Said, in addition to Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt, Diab Al-Louh.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Counselor Dr. Ahmed Fahmy, stated that President El-Sisi welcomed the Palestinian Prime Minister, wishing him and the new Palestinian government success in their efforts to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people. The President emphasized Egypt’s immutable position in support of the Palestinian cause, until the just Palestinian rights are guaranteed for a sovereign and independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This position was appreciated by the Palestinian Prime Minister, who conveyed to President El-Sisi the greetings and appreciation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinian Prime Minister lauded Egypt’s steadfast support for the Palestinian rights, its tireless efforts, under the leadership of President El-Sisi, to stop the bloodshed of the Palestinian people and its categorical rejection of the liquidation of their cause and legitimate rights.

The meeting reviewed Egypt’s massive efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, exchange detainees, and ensure the delivery of much-needed aid and relief in adequate quantities to address the severe humanitarian crisis in the sector. The Palestinian Prime Minister commended Egypt’s historical role in assuming the responsibility of facilitating the delivery of relief aid into Gaza, despite the impediments and challenges encountered in this process.

The two sides confirmed their unequivocal rejection of the displacement of the Palestinians from their lands or the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, warning against the military escalation and the continuous expansion of the cycle of the conflict. They reiterated that a just settlement of the Palestinian issue is the guarantor for restoring security and stability in the region.

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

President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Mozambique following a disaster at sea in which nearly 100 people have perished.

At least 97 people reportedly died, and a small number of people were rescued in the incident which took place near Lunga in Nampula Province on Sunday, 07 April 2024.

On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to President Filipe Nyusi and the government and people of Mozambique and especially families who have lost relatives.

President Ramaphosa said: “As neighbours, we are deeply saddened by this tragedy and we wish authorities and citizens well in the recovery effort and the search for missing persons.

“We also pray for a speedy recovery for survivors of this incident.”

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

The NTF V Senegal Tech project at ITC led a delegation of 10 digital services companies on a mission to discover the Guinean market.

A launching pad to Guinea

One of the most effective ways of getting started in exporting is through a business trip, to better understand a target market and to make contacts. Thanks to the Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF V) project at the International Trade Centre (ITC), a dozen small Senegalese tech companies traveled to Conakry from 20-24 November to seize new business opportunities.

For Cheikh Sy, head of digital services company YOWIT, this business trip came at just the right time.

‘We already had a customer in Guinea, but we didn’t have enough time to look for new prospects. NTF V took care of scheduling around 10 sales meetings for us, with strategic prospects,’ he said. ‘We quickly signed our first contract with an Internet service provider, followed by two others with fuel distributors. Further discussions are currently underway. This mission has clearly exceeded our expectations.’

For Cheikh Sy, this is not the end of the story: he regularly returns to Conakry to assess the possibility of teaming up with a major local partner. For him, there’s no doubt that NTF V’s support has accelerated his export strategy.

‘This collegial visit saved us precious time, as well as encouraging synergies among the companies in the delegation. I’ve kept in touch with several of them with a view to possible partnerships,’ he said.

Supporting and facilitating export prospecting

Aristarc, a Dakar-based company that develops web and mobile applications, had already launched sales initiatives in Guinea when the opportunity for the business trip to Conakry arose.

For managing director Diyé Dia, the mission was a real boon.

‘While it’s a very effective way of gaining a better understanding of a foreign market and forging new relationships, business travel is still costly,’ he said. ‘Thanks to this mission, NTF V gave us the means to continue and strengthen the prospecting work we had begun in Guinea.’ 

With a particular interest in microfinance institutions, Aristarc was able to make seven key meetings with Guinean banking and insurance players.

‘It was very convenient because the interviews were planned in advance. To increase our chances of success, we extended our visit and offered our prospects two days of training. This was an opportunity for Aristarc to showcase its solutions and know-how.’

The initiative paid off, with the company issuing around 10 quotes. Discussions are ongoing, and Diyé Dia is confident.

‘NTF V is opening up new horizons for us. Last year we were in Ulan Bator, this year in Guinea. The strength of the program lies in its ability to get us involved in international events and to facilitate our access to prospects.’

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Cervical cancer claims more lives among women in Tanzania than any other illness. Each year, approximately 10,241 women between the ages of 15 and 44 are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 6,525 lose their lives as a consequence of delayed diagnosis. Studies suggest that women living with HIV are up to six times more likely to develop this cancer than those without the virus. UN Women Tanzania works with partners and local networks of women living with HIV on a project to promote awareness and advocate for cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment among low-income women and those living with HIV.

In the Kagera region of Tanzania, Lili,* a 57-year-old mother of two living with HIV, experienced unexplained pain and discomfort for years. Like many women in her community, she had never heard of cervical cancer or its symptoms.

“I had all the symptoms but thought they were just part of my HIV condition. When they worsened, I self-medicated, thinking it was just an infection,” she said.

For Lili, a project to promote cervical cancer screening implemented by UN Women and the Network of Women Living with HIV not only came at the right time but saved her life. The project, implemented in the Kagera and Mwanza regions of Tanzania, trained community volunteers, including women living with HIV, to raise awareness about cervical cancer effectively.

Lili learned about the cervical cancer screening initiative through one of the members of the network and was selected to participate in cervical cancer advocacy training. Filled with questions and doubts during the training, Lili requested to be screened.

After attending an advocacy training through the project, Lili underwent screening and treatment, ” After I was diagnosed, I immediately received treatment. This made me realize that many women in my village might be facing similar challenges without even knowing it. I was motivated to spread the word so others wouldn’t suffer as I did.”

Following the training, the Network of Women Living with HIV launched community mobilization campaigns, using different methods to inform their communities about the early signs of cervical cancer, treatment, HPV vaccines, and the importance of regular screening.

“In just a few months, we were able to visit about 250 homes in five wards of Bukoba district, educating families on cervical cancer. We also worked with local radio stations and went to all public events making sure we reached as many women as we could in Kagera,” Lili shared.

The project specifically aims to raise awareness of women and young women living with HIV. This information is crucial for prevention, screening and treatment. Due to these advocacy efforts, over 1,000 women have now undergone cervical cancer screenings.

Speaking about the project’s impact, Ms. Neema Kyamba, the coordinator of maternal and child health in the Kagera region, said that many women now have a deeper understanding of cervical cancer and have become more proactive about their health. This has led to an increase in the number of women seeking screening services, especially women and girls living with HIV.

Hali,* another beneficiary of the project echoed this sentiment, “Participating in this project has made me more health conscious. I now go for regular screenings and check-ups, setting an example for others in my community.”

* Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.