The increase in digital content consumption, the rapid expansion of cloud computing services and the ever-rising demand for high speed, low latency connectivity are just some of the factors that have led to the record levels of traffic being registered across the Angola Cables network (www.AngolaCables.co.ao).

“This milestone underscores Angola Cables’ growing responsibility and responsiveness to customer needs in West African markets, with an emphasis on improved Service Level Agreements (SLA). Our status as a reliable operator, fostering strong relationships with both local and international customers, is a testament to our resilience, commitment to good connectivity, security, and product diversity. In the long term, this reinforces the TelCables Nigeria brand, strengthening its position as a trusted name in the market,” said Fernando Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer for TelCables Nigeria (the local operation for Nigeria and West Africa countries of Angola Cables).

Rui Faria, Executive Board member and Chief Commercial Officer for Angola Cables, a global provider of network services and digital solutions said that many of the hyperscalers, content providers and other carriers have been using the South Atlantic configuration of the SACS, Monet and WACS cables as a convenient redundancy option to connect to destinations in the USA and the UK and Europe using EllaLink. “The recent cable faults experienced in parts of Africa and the Red Sea has resulted in large volumes of traffic being diverted to other cables. But apart from this, we have seen a steady and significant growth in overall traffic over our backbone network.”

“At present the Angola Cables fibre network point is accounting for more than 70% of the internet and data traffic flows to and from Africa,” notes Faria, “hyperscalers, streaming and gaming networks are using SACS as well as the Angola Cables’ backbone and its partner networks to connect to Europe and Asia at lower latencies.”

Angola Cables has also registered a substantial uptick in traffic volumes over the Monet Cable connecting the USA to South America, now accounting for over 20% of the data traffic between North and South America. “With the option to connect to the main centres in Europe via the EllaLink subsea cable and reduced latencies of around 30%, many companies are seeing this as an attractive option for their peering and IP Transit requirements.  

According to the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), Angola Cables AS 37468 is now ranked 24th in their official global rankings and the only African network operator in the top 50. The CAIDA rankings are determined by the ‘cone size’ or number of connections linked to its registered Autonomous System Number (ASN) and highlights the number of direct and indirect customers or links which is inferred from observed BGP paths. Today, Angola Cables’ has capacity across more than 80 000 km subsea cable network with multiple links to a growing number of data centres and global IXPs.

Faria maintains that the increase in traffic is strengthening Angola Cables’ position in the global and African market as a consistently reliable network service provider, allowing us to expand our services and invest in new technologies and strategic partnerships to better serve our customers.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
About Angola Cables:
Angola Cables is an internationally established ICT and digital solutions and network services provider and has been ranked as the most interconnected operator* on the African continent. Through our integrated IP networks and data centres, we provide extensive, low-latency, direct access connectivity to the largest IXPs, Tier 1 operators and global content providers.

Through our owned, high-capacity SACS, Monet, WACS and third-party submarine cable networks, the company directly connects to more than 30 Points of Presence and Internet Exchange Points in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Angola Cables also operates two data centres, AngoNAP Fortaleza Tier III (Brazil) and the data centre, AngoNAP Luanda (Angola), and manages PIX in Brazil and Angonix Angola – one of the largest Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in Africa.  Through our partners and resellers in selected markets we offer advanced and secure connectivity solutions and services to a range of customers across multiple industries.

*The Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) 2023

For more information, visit the website: www.AngolaCables.co.ao

About TelCables West Africa:
TelCables West Africa is a Nigerian provider of network services and digital solutions and is the local operation for Nigeria and West Africa countries of Angola Cables, an internationally established ICT multinational ranked* as the number 24 operator in the world.

The company also provides a wide range offer of Cloud and integration services, IP networks and integrated access to worldwide to data centres, which provide direct, comprehensive, and low-latency access connectivity to the largest IXPs, Tier 1 operators and global content providers.   

The company specializes in connectivity and IT solutions and services as well as the commercialisation of international data circuit capacity and IP Transit via submarine cables.

Our shared values and mission are to provide secure and low-latency connectivity to companies from West Africa to worldwide users. Our proven track record and dedicated team of IT and network professionals are here to partner you in expanding and advancing the capabilities of your network and business.

As the most connected network operator in Africa, we provide direct routings from West Africa to the USA and South America and from West Africa to London at the lowest latency. With our presence across several Nigerian IP hubs from Lekki, WACS CLS, Medallion DC, Rack Centre and others, and connections across Africa via the Djoliba network, we can connect your business to the world.

When Ibrahim Abdulrahman’s name was announced on national radio as the top performing student in the country’s high school examinations in 2020, his achievement was celebrated by everyone in his small mountainous village of Al-Dambaire in Sudan’s North Kordofan State.

“My friends could not believe the news,” Ibrahim recounted. “I ran to my parents and told them that I obtained the highest score in Sudan.”

He described the exuberant atmosphere in the village when local leaders including government officials visited his school the next day to congratulate him.

“It was a very happy moment for me,” he said.

Dreams on hold
Upon hearing the news, Ibrahim knew exactly what he wanted to do next. The following year, he enrolled at the University of Khartoum to study agriculture and pursue his long-term dream of becoming the country’s agriculture minister.

This dream was abruptly put on hold barely two years later when fierce fighting erupted in the capital, Khartoum.

“We hoped the situation would get better so we could continue with our work and education,” said Ibrahim. “But day by day the fighting got worse. After one month, I took the decision to head back home to North Kordofan, to my family.”

Now in its second year, the war in Sudan has disrupted education for millions of young people. More than 90 per cent of Sudan’s 19 million school-age children have no access to formal education according to the UN.

“By robbing children and young people of their education, the conflict is stealing their future,” said Kristine Hambrouck, the UN Refugee Agency’s Representative in Sudan. “The education of Sudan’s potential leaders like Ibrahim is at risk. Their dreams are being shattered by violence and displacement.”

Largest displacement crisis
Since 15 April 2023, when the war broke out, more than 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan. This number includes over 2 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries in search of safety. It is now the largest displacement crisis in the world.

In Ibrahim’s village, in North Kordofan, armed groups were looting harvests and forcing people to abandon their farms. He and his family joined hundreds of others from surrounding villages and fled for their lives.

After 15 days of traveling – sometimes having to hide in the bushes – they reached Kosti city in White Nile State.

“I was happy to be safe,” said Ibrahim. “We are very grateful to those who provided food and shelter to my family and others when we came here.”

In White Nile State alone, 1.3 million Sudanese are living in displacement camps or are hosted by local communities.

The unprecedented influx has put pressure on the already limited community resources and public services like health care and water supply.

UNHCR is coordinating with the Government and other humanitarian agencies to provide displaced people like Ibrahim and his family life-saving assistance like food, water, health care, household items, and cash assistance. But the needs are multiplying every day.

“UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations in Sudan do not have enough resources to reach even the most vulnerable people. We urgently need more support to scale up our response,” said Hambrouck.

Lost future
Schools across the country have been turned from places of learning into shelters for the displaced. Ibrahim’s family is now staying in a primary school where up to 80 people are crammed into a single classroom with no privacy and not enough space to sleep. One wall is covered with black soot from the open fire families use to cook their meals together.

Every day that he wakes up in the classroom is a stark reminder of the education he is missing out on, but he has not given up on his dreams entirely.

“I still hope that one day the situation will be good in Sudan and war will stop,” he said. “We will go back to our normal life, and we will go back to our universities.”

“I still have hope of being the Minister of Agriculture or an economic expert.”

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

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Joy Maimela, has noted with shock the death of several learners in Gauteng yesterday.

She said: “This is indeed incredibly sad such young lives, dying so tragically. They will now never reach their full potential. The youth is the future, but South Africa will now never benefit from these young people.”

Ms Maimela was reacting to media reports that three Sebokeng’s Evaton Primary School learners, two of them were siblings got sick at school and were taken to a nearby health facility. They were declared dead on arrival at hospital and food poison is alleged as the cause of their death.

In a separate incident a Grade 8 learner from Tsakane Secondary School in Ekurhuleni died yesterday after she allegedly consumed rat poison. “We want to appeal to all learners to seek help if they feel overwhelmed. Schools normally have support systems in place and learners should make use of this,” said Ms Maimela.

Ms Maimela appealed to parents and care givers to be vigilant, especially during examinations periods with the nearing Grade 12 preliminary and final examinations. She called for a favourable atmosphere of study for learners at this time.

Ms Maimela also noted that the body of a Grade 10 learner was found in the storeroom late last week at the Overberg High School in Caledon, Western Cape. “This learner was sent to school in what is supposed to be a safe environment. Now her parents and loved ones will never see her thrive in life.”

She appealed to the authorities for greater safety in schools. “Furthermore, we appeal to the police for swift investigations and to ensure that they leave no stone unturned.”

The committee also noted several road accidents in recent weeks where learners lost their lives. Ms Maimela appealed to the providers of scholar transport, public transport owners to screen drivers before hiring them to ensure they are trustworthy for transporting learners. “Sadly, we are losing too many learners on our roads,” said Ms Maimela.

She added: “We want to convey our sincerest condolences to all the families, friends and school communities at large that have been affected by these tragedies.”

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

Tens of thousands of people evicted since January 2024 from the Gesco, Boribana, Banco 1 and Abattoir neighbourhoods; Evictions without adequate and reasonable prior notice, some involving violence; children deprived of education; 133 farmers lost their livelihoods; Support measures announced in March 2024 must be urgently implemented for all affected people.

The Ivorian authorities must immediately guarantee the rights of the tens of thousands of people evicted and suspend mass evictions in Abidjan until safeguards are put in place to prohibit forced evictions and to ensure the protection of the rights of people potentially affected, said Amnesty International.

Large-scale operations to demolish neighbourhoods and evict their inhabitants were launched in January 2024, on sites notably considered to be at risk of flooding. The Gesco, Boribana, Banco 1 and Abattoir neighbourhoods were demolished as part of a plan to demolish 176 sites, according to an official communique dated 26 February 2024 of the autonomous district of Abidjan.

Evicted families Amnesty International spoke with shared that they were not meaningfully informed nor consulted on the process of evictions, options for compensation and alternative housing. Additionally, they were not provided with an adequate and reasonable notice prior to the day their homes were to be destroyed. Thousands of forcibly evicted families remained to be rehoused and/or compensated for all losses.

“Whatever the reasons given for the destruction, the authorities have clearly failed to meet their human rights obligations including those deriving from the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), ratified by Côte d’Ivoire (both in 1992). All residents must be protected from forced evictions. They should be genuinely consulted and provided with adequate and reasonable notice prior to the demolitions. They should also receive prior and fair compensation for any losses and adequate alternative housing if needed,” said Hervey Delmas Kokou, Executive Director of Amnesty International Côte d’Ivoire.  

‘More than 10 machines invaded the village without any warning or formal notice’

From 7 to 19 June 2024, Amnesty International visited four neighbourhoods affected by the demolitions: Gesco (Pays-Bas and Rivière sites), Banco 1, Boribana, destroyed in January and February 2024, and Abattoir, destroyed from 1 to 4 June 2024.

The number of people and properties affected by the demolitions is unclear as the authorities did not systematically carry out a census in every neighbourhood. 1,199 families and 203 owners in Gesco, and 600 families in Abattoir have lost their homes according to data shared by the local authorities. The number of affected people in Boribana has been estimated at 28,000 by Colombe Ivoire, a local NGO. According to a dignitary from the community chiefdom, 5,000 people were affected in Banco 1.

All people met by Amnesty International said they were not properly consulted on the conditions of the evictions nor duly notified of the day of the demolitions.

Echo Yapo, secretary general of the Banco 1 chiefdom, said: “We have been surprised on 25 February. More than 10 machines invaded the village without any warning or formal notice, without even a short note from the state… The machines destroyed everything.” Aimée owns a house in Gesco, which was destroyed on 20 February: “We have not been warned. I was out and the neighbours called to tell me that they were destroying the houses. When I came back, my house had already been demolished”.

Several of the residents Amnesty International met were in possession of Arrêtés de Concession Définitif (ACDs), legal documents conferring ownership of land in Côte d’Ivoire. They too have been affected by the demolitions, like Julien, the owner of a building in Gesco. “The ACD is the paper that proves this land belongs to me. But what I built on it has been demolished. Will this land still belong to me, or do they want to take it away from me?”

On 23 February, the National Council for Human Rights issued a statement denouncing the “operations carried out in disregard of fundamental rights” and “without consultation”. 

The right to education also violated

In addition to homes and shops, schools were also destroyed, depriving children and young people of an education, with no solution in sight.

Assita was a student in 4th grade at the Groupe Scolaire Cha-Hélène, a state-approved private school in Gesco with a student body of around 800. She has been out of education since the school was demolished on 19 February. “Our house and my school were destroyed. I was forced to go and live with my aunt in Songon, and I had to drop out of school.” In the Banco 1 neighbourhood, the imam explained that a Koranic school was destroyed: “This school had over 500 students, including my children. Since we were evicted, my children haven’t been to school, they’ve lost a year.”

Some students were unable to sit their exams as planned in June. Yaya, a student in his final year at the Groupe Scolaire Cha-Hélène, said: “The conditions for preparing for the exam were challenging. As well as the school, our houses were destroyed and there were documents we couldn’t save. We weren’t physically or mentally ready to take the Bac [exam at the end of the secondary school].”

Waraba, a student at the Université Virtuelle de Côte d’Ivoire, has stopped her studies since the destruction at Gesco: “Our house was destroyed. My father had a stroke and can’t work any more. I had to stop my studies to help my mum run a small business to support us.”

Evicted children and youth must have safe and secure access to education, according to the Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development Based Evictions and Displacement.

‘We are on the streets, in tears. Nothing is being done, nothing is being said’

On 13 March, the government announced the payment of 250,000 FCFA (around 372 euros) per household already evicted from two neighbourhoods, Boribana and Gesco, as well as support for landowners in acquiring plots of freehold land, the provision of plots of land according to family size, the allocation of construction aid of 1 million FCFA per family (around 1,500 euros), and the creation of a development unit for precarious neighbourhoods in the autonomous district of Abidjan, attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, to monitor the evictions.

In the Gesco neighbourhood, 133 farmers saw their enclosures and fishponds demolished on 21 February. A site of almost four hectares had been granted to them by a state-owned company, the Société pour le Développement des Forêts, for the creation of an agro-pastoral zone. The farmers’ association estimates the losses at around 650,000,000 FCFA – around 1 million euros.

Five months after the destruction, at the time of Amnesty International’s visit to the site, no compensation had been paid, according to the farmers, who deplored the lack of information provided by the authorities. Guillaume has lost all his livestock: “We went to ask the district technicians if our site will be affected, and they told us no, so we didn’t think it was necessary to evacuate our animals. To our great surprise, everything was destroyed, and our cattle ran off here and there.”

Konima, who had invested in fish farming, said she lost everything: “I invested nearly 10,000,000 FCFA that I had borrowed from the bank. Eight people worked for me. I’m lost in the face of everything that’s happening.” Since the destruction, “no authority has come to see us”, said Lazare, another farmer. “From 21 February until now, I’ve never been to a meeting with the mayor,” said Sophie, a pig farmer.

While 256 people from the Boribana neighbourhood have been rehoused in the Songon Ahiwayi commune ahead of the evictions according to the NGO Colombe Ivoire, thousands of other people declined the proposed rehousing as the relocation site was forty kilometres away. Alternative housing should be situated as close as possible to the original place of residence and source of livelihood of those evicted, according to the Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development Based Evictions and Displacement.

Aimée, who has been affected by the destruction in Gesco, said: “We’ve been on the streets for six months now, in tears and weeping. To this day, nothing has been done, nothing has been said. We still haven’t been compensated”.

The assistant to the Director General of Technical Services for the autonomous district of Abidjan told Amnesty International on 11 June that the households affected by the destruction of the Gesco neighbourhood had each received 250,000 FCFA in rehousing assistance. At the time of Amnesty International’s visit, households from Abattoir were still waiting for being rehoused as announced by the authorities. People met by Amnesty International from Banco 1 said they had not received any compensation.

Violence reported during forced evictions

Excessive use of force during the destruction of the sites was reported by around twenty witnesses met by Amnesty International. “There were a lot of police cargos. The police ordered us to leave our homes. Some people resisted, but they fired tear gas and there was smoke everywhere,” said a resident of Gesco. “They arrived at 11pm and stayed until 2am,” said a resident of Abattoir. Assita, a student at the Groupe Scolaire Cha-Hélène, said: “The police brutalised the students who tried to intervene during the destruction of the school.”

According to international law, evictions must take place during the day, with respect for dignity and safety of those affected, without resort to excessive use of force. Authorities must ensure that any use of force is strictly necessary, proportionate, and complies with international human rights standards, notably the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

On 25 July, in the Ebrié district of Adjamé, another area affected by evictions, clashes broke out between the security forces and residents, resulting in several people being injured, according to media sources.

“We call on the authorities to put an immediate end to forced evictions in Abidjan to prevent any violence and to ensure that those whose rights have been violated are provided with access to justice and effective remedies. We also call on them to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into the allegations of excessive use of force, and to bring to justice those suspected to be responsible,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

On 19 July 2024, Amnesty International sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, offering the opportunity to respond to the main conclusions presented in this publication. As of 5 August, no response had been received by Amnesty International.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.