Responding to the news that Angolan TikToker Ana da Silva Miguel, also known as Neth Nahara, has now spent one year behind bars for criticizing President João Lourenço in a TikTok video, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said: 

“Angolan authorities must immediately release Ana da Silva Miguel, aka Neth Nahara, as she marks the first anniversary of her arrest. Neth Nahara should never have been locked up in the first place.

“Neth Nahara’s conviction of committing an ‘outrage against the state’ is absurd, while her sentence was extended from six months to two years after a flawed appeals process. The Angolan authorities are abusing the penal code to try to silence peaceful dissent. Indeed, Angola’s constitution explicitly protects free expression, which includes voicing political views on social media. 

“Authorities must also release four other people who have been arbitrarily detained for more than ten months solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights to protest and expression.” 

BACKGROUND

On 13 August 2023, authorities arrested Neth Nahara in her home in Angola’s capital Luanda after she broadcast a live video on TikTok criticizing President Lourenço. 

The next day, Angola’s first stage court convicted her of an “outrage against the state, its symbols and bodies” under article 333 of Angola’s penal code. The court sentenced her to six months in prison and fined her one million Kwanza, or approximately 1,200 USD. 

On 27 September, Angola’s second stage court extended her sentence to two years on an appeal by the public prosecutor. The court did not allow Neth Nahara’s lawyers to counter-appeal as legally prescribed and has not responded to their complaint over the flawed process. 

During Neth Nahara’s imprisonment, authorities denied her daily HIV medication for eight months. 

Angolan authorities have repeatedly used article 333 of the penal code to justify arbitrary detention of critics. Four activists—Adolfo Campos, Hermenegildo Victor José AKA Gildo das Ruas, Abraão Pedro Santos AKA Pensador and Gilson Moreira AKA Tanaice Neutro—remain in prison after police apprehended them on 16 September 2023 after attempting to join a demonstration in Luanda. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) marked its 50th anniversary last month with the launch of the Arab-Africa Financial Consortium, which aims to enhance financial cooperation between the two regions. To further attract Arab capital and technical support to West Africa, BADEA President Sid Ould Tah will participate as a speaker at the MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power conference in Dakar this December. 

Based in Khartoum, BADEA has funded over 700 projects across 44 African nations, with total investments surpassing $6 billion. The bank’s lending strategy focuses on four key areas: infrastructure, agricultural value chains, private sector development and trade financing and support for SMEs. At MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024, Ould Tah is expected to discuss strategies for de-risking and accelerating funding for infrastructure projects across the region, with a focus on Senegal.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.msgbcoilgasandpower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

BADEA has established a strong presence in Senegal, managing one of the largest and most successful project portfolios within both ECOWAS and WAEMU. As of March 2023, BADEA’s commitments to Senegal totaled nearly $700 million, funding 95 initiatives. The bank has financed a variety of public sector projects, including 28 infrastructure developments that span transportation, water supply, sanitation, healthcare and urban and rural development. Notable projects include the Joal-Samba Dia-Djiffère road, the Linguère-Matam road and the drinking water supply system in the Saloum Delta region.

“Infrastructure is the backbone of energy development, enabling the effective and sustainable exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of local communities. BADEA plays a crucial role in not only mobilizing capital for critical infrastructure projects, but also connecting the MSGBC region with the broader Arab investment community,” said Sandra Jeque, Conference Director at Energy Capital&Power.

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

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially commenced a Field Monitoring and Evaluation Mission aimed at rigorously assessing the humanitarian response provided to victims of the 2022 flood disasters and food crises in The Gambia. This critical mission, scheduled from August 11th to 16th, 2024, seeks to evaluate the effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of the relief efforts directed toward the affected communities.

Head of the Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction Division at ECOWAS, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim, underscored the mission’s importance during the opening ceremony, stating, “Our objective is to ensure that the assistance provided reaches the most vulnerable populations and is utilized effectively. This mission reaffirms ECOWAS’s commitment to humanitarian principles and to enhancing the impact of our interventions through data-driven decisions.”

Executive Director of The Gambia’s National Disaster Management Agency, Mr. Sana Dahaba, emphasized the critical role of collaboration between ECOWAS and local agencies. He remarked, “Our joint efforts with ECOWAS are essential in addressing the immediate needs of those affected by these disasters, ensuring that relief reaches those who need it most, and fostering resilience within our communities.”

Executive Director of the National Nutrition Agency, Dr. Malamin Fofana, highlighted the severe nutritional challenges faced by the affected communities, noting, “The nutritional needs in these communities are significant, and this mission will help us better understand and address these challenges with the invaluable support of ECOWAS.”

Country Manager of Catholic Relief Services in The Gambia, Dr.  Amulai Touray discussed the strategies of employed in implementing the relief efforts, stating, “With ECOWAS’s support, we have been able to implement targeted interventions that are already making a notable impact on the ground. This mission will allow us to refine our approaches further to maximize the effectiveness and reach of our initiatives.”

The mission’s agenda includes detailed field visits to affected areas, comprehensive stakeholder engagements, and a thorough review of ongoing relief efforts across multiple regions in The Gambia. The findings from this mission are expected to inform future ECOWAS humanitarian strategies and contribute to the continuous improvement of disaster response mechanisms across the region.

The $954,616 allocated by ECOWAS for The Gambia, as part of a broader $10.16 million regional relief initiative, has been pivotal in addressing the vulnerabilities of households impacted by the 2022 disasters. The collaborative efforts of ECOWAS, the National Disaster Management Agency, the National Nutrition Agency, and various other partners reflect a unified approach to disaster management and humanitarian relief in The Gambia.

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

Just two months into the 2024 rainy season in West and Central Africa, torrential rains and severe flooding have affected 716,473 people in the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and Togo. In addition, at least 72 people are reported to have lost their lives due to drowning and 699 others have been injured.

“Every year, we sound the alarm on the effects of climate change and what it means for people’s actual lives: their homes, their ability to farm and to eat, to send their kids to school, to access basic health care,” noted Charles Bernimolin, Head of the UN Humanitarian Coordination office for West and Central Africa. “Meaningful and strategic investments need to be made to ensure communities are prepared and that the worst impacts are mitigated ahead of time,” he stressed.

So far, Chad is the worst-hit country, with 246, 883 people affected by the high waters in just a few weeks.

The floods, which in many cases affect the same communities year after year, have also severely affected livelihoods and basic social services, undermining the ability of communities to provide themselves and forcing them into reliance on aid to survive in dignity.

Access to health care and basic education is hampered with dozens of schools and medical centres destroyed or damaged.

Food production and food security are also at stake with at least 25,726 hectares of farmland damaged and 4,205 livestock killed.

Key buildings and infrastructure are also hit: about 62,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged, leaving 54,772 women, children and men homeless and displaced. Nigeria and Chad recorded the highest number of people displaced due to flooding: 45,797 and 5,286 respectively.

The 2024 seasonal forecast predicted above-average cumulative rainfall over the June to August and the July to September periods in areas already prone to flooding in the Sahel and some countries in West Africa. This will deepen the needs of a population already vulnerable due to chronic poverty, underdevelopment, conflict and political instability, and increase the resources required for the humanitarian response.

This year, the Central Emergency Response Fund allocated almost US$10 million to Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Niger, in response to emergencies related to climate shocks, including floods.

“Thinking we have time to address the climate crisis in West and Central Africa is a mistake. If we don’t proactively reduce the effects of heavy flooding, drought and soil degradation, a myriad other consequences await, with much higher costs for the regions’ most vulnerable people,” explained Charles Bernimolin. “The solutions to manage this exist, but it requires immediate action and sufficient funding,” he added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).