The Economic Community of West African States has convened a Joint Strategic Consultation Meeting with relevant partners and stakeholders to chart a new way forward for the implementation and management of the ECOWAS Peace Fund (EPF).

Established under Article 36 of ECOWAS 1999 Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, the ECOWAS Peace Fund is a support tool for ECOWAS activities in the areas of human security, conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security. Specifically, the Fund was established to assist in financing peace, security and humanitarian activities of ECOWAS.

During the 3-day Strategic Consultation Meeting held on 27- 29 August in Abuja, Nigeria, the Commission and its partners discussed the EPF mandate, its achievements, challenges and lessons learned; Peace Funding Mechanisms and Modalities; EPF’s 5 -Year Strategic Plan, objectives and priorities, and the European Union’s Peace Funding Mechanisms and Modalities, among other important issues.

Participants also highlighted the challenges facing the implementation and management of the ECOWAS Peace and shared innovative ideas on the way forward regarding how to enhance the operational efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the Fund for to achieve its overall objectives.

In his opening remarks to declare the meeting open, the Director, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Dr Cyriaque PAWOUMOTOM, who spoke on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau MUSAH, welcomed participants and enjoined them to come up with innovative and practicable ideas on areas of the ECOWAS Peace Fund which needed to be fine-tuned based on best global practices in order to make the Fund fit-for-purpose and more impactful. He noted that despite numerous challenges, the Commission has continued to make progress in supporting the consolidation of peace within the subregion.

In her presentation, Leila Ben Amor MATHIEU, Head of Human Development Section, Delegation of the European Union in Nigeria highlighted the EU’s mechanisms and facilities available for ECOWAS such as the INDICI, Africa Peace Facility/Early Response Mechanism, and the EU Peace Facility, among others. She expressed the EU’s willingness and commitment towards supporting the ECOWAS Peace Fund initiative.

Presenting the ECOWAS Peace Fund’s 5 -year Strategic Plan, the Fund Manager for the ECOWAS Peace Fund, Dieudonne Nikiema, said the Plan is the basis for the full operationalization and institutionalization of the EPF within the ECOWAS Commission. He stressed that the purpose of the Strategic Consultation Meeting was to bring stakeholders together to explore the best structure for the Peace Fund to enable it to fulfil its mandate and objectives.

“The 3-day Strategic Consultative Meeting has provided a good opportunity for ECOWAS and its partners and stakeholders to reflect together and cross-fertilise ideas on how to make the ECOWAS Peace Fund very strong in order to meet to the needs of our different Communities.”

In his closing remarks on behalf the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, the Director, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Dr Cyriaque PAWOUMOTOM, thanked participants and ECOWAS staff members for their participation in the highly productive and interactive consultative meeting.

He said, “We had three days of productive interactive meeting discussing how to make the ECOWAS Peace Fund work better. The objective is to make the fund more effective in supporting the funding of peace and security needs of our member states. The next step is for us to go to our decision-making bodies within the with all the necessary information that will enable them to take the necessary informed decisions based on the report from this strategic consultative meeting.”

ECOWAS was the first Regional Economic Community (REC) to set up a Peace Fund. Over the years, the ECOWAS Peace Fund has contributed to the materialization of programmes, projects and initiatives supporting ECOWAS peace and security agenda since its operationalization in 2006.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development Chairperson, Mr Xola Nqola, today confirmed that the committee will engage with Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Thembi Simelane later this week about recent media reports regarding a VBS Mutual Bank loan.

“The committee has noted with grave concern the serious allegations in media reports regarding an alleged loan to the Minister. These types of allegations are damaging to the image that South Africa is trying to portray as a country ridding itself of any form of corruption,” Mr Nqola emphasised.

“We therefore thought it prudent to call the Minister speedily to a committee meeting where she can take Parliament and South Africans into confidence regarding these allegations,” he said.

Mr Nqola said the meeting will take place on Friday at Parliament.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Interior, Major General Mahmoud Tawfiq, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Engineer Mahmoud Esmat, and Acting Head of the Administrative Control Authority, Mr. Amr Adel Hosni.

The Spokesman for the Presidency said the meeting touched on a number of issues, including the review of the government’s work plan to ensure the sustainability and stability of electrical supply.

President El-Sisi gave directives to intensify efforts pertinent to ongoing projects in the field of renewable energy to add new capacities to the electrical grid, in addition to the necessity to develop the grid using the latest technologies to accommodate and transfer energy with the highest efficiency and minimal loss.

The meeting also reviewed the integrated system of policies and measures being implemented to reduce the waste of electricity consumption This includes addressing encroachments and combating electricity theft in accordance with the constitution and the law, in order to protect public funds and citizens’ rights and to ensure stability and continuity of electrical supply all over the country.

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

The World Bank has appointed Mr. Qimiao Fan as the new Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda, effective September 1, 2024. Mr. Fan, who has over 35 years of experience in development practice, will oversee the design and implementation of the World Bank’s support program to the four countries that has an active portfolio consisting of 102 projects totaling $17.2 billion.

A Chinese national, Fan joined the World Bank in 1991 and has since held leadership positions in various countries and regions around the world. Prior to taking up this assignment, he served as Country Manager for Cambodia in the East Asia and Pacific Region; Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine in the Europe and Central Asia Region; Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal in the South Asia Region; Director of Strategy and Operations for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions Vice Presidency; Director of Strategy and Operations in the Office of the Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships; and most recently, as Director for Strategic and Corporate Initiatives.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Fan worked as a researcher in development and transition economics at the London School of Economics in the UK and as a policy researcher at Jiangxi Institute of Finance and Economics in China. He also took leave from the World Bank and worked as a senior executive including as a CEO and a vice chairman of the board in the private sector in China for a number of years. Mr. Fan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Birmingham, England. He has published on topics related to investment climate, private sector development, finance, and transition economies.

Mr. Fan is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

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