Day: March 7, 2023

The Secretary-General arrived in Addis Ababa from New York on Thursday, 16 February, where he would attend the thirty-sixth session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

On 17 February, the Secretary-General took part in several high-level open and closed events. He addressed the round-table on the Joint Sahel Assessment, the meeting of Heads of State and Government of the African Union Peace and Security Council on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the High-Level Committee on Libya.

In his remarks to the meeting on Libya, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations has one goal: to secure the right of the Libyan people to live in peace, to vote in free and fair elections, and to share in the prosperity of their country. (See Press Release SG/SM/21690.)

The Secretary-General met that day with Presidents Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda; Hage G. Geingob of the Republic of Namibia; William Samoei Ruto of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces; Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa; Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros and incoming President of the African Union; and Evariste Ndayishimiye of the Republic of Burundi.

On Saturday, 18 February, the Secretary-General delivered remarks during the Summit’s opening ceremony and highlighted important progress taking place on the continent, notably through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. He also called for action to address peace and security threats, the cost-of-living crisis, as well as the impact of the climate crisis on the continent. See Press Release SG/SM/21691.)

In a press conference in the afternoon, the Secretary-General reiterated the solidarity of the United Nations with the African Union, the African continent and the African people.

On the margins of the Summit, the Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with leaders attending the Summit, including the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat; Presidents Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic; Général Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, President of the transition and Head of State of the Republic of Chad; and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The Secretary-General traveled back to New York on Sunday, 19 February.

Source: United Nations

COLOMBO/WASHINGTON — Sri Lanka looks set to get a sign-off on a long-awaited $2.9 billion four-year bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on March 20 after the crisis-hit country secured new financing support from China.

The IMF and the island nation confirmed on Tuesday that Sri Lanka had received assurances from all its major bilateral creditors, a key step to deploy financing and an important moment for the country engulfed in its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament there were signs the economy was improving, but there was still insufficient foreign currency for all imports, making the IMF deal crucial so other creditors could also start releasing funds.

"Sri Lanka has completed all prior actions that were required by the IMF," Wickremesinghe said, and that he and the central bank governor had sent a letter of intent to the IMF.

"I welcome the progress made by Sri Lankan authorities in taking decisive policy actions & obtaining financing assurances from all their major creditors, incl. China, India & the Paris Club," IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Twitter, adding that she looked forward to presenting the IMF-supported program to the executive board on March 20.

Approval is expected since the board generally will not add items to its agenda unless its members are ready to act.

The country's international debt and currency soared higher on the news, with bonds adding around 3 cents in the dollar, while the Sri Lankan rupee jumped as much as 7.8% to a 10-month high. Stocks closed more than 2% higher.

A new letter by the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) sent on Monday to Sri Lanka resolved the stalemate. Sources close to the talks said EXIM provided "specific and credible" financing assurances for a debt restructuring, with a specific link to the IMF program and clear language on debt sustainability.

The first tranche of funding was expected to be released shortly after the board meeting, the sources added.

In a letter in January, EXIM had offered Sri Lanka a two-year debt moratorium, but sources said this was not enough to meet IMF conditions.

"This is a positive development: it might be the first time that China provides textbook financing assurances to the IMF outside of a Common Framework process," said Theo Maret, senior research analyst at Global Sovereign Advisory, in Paris.

By end-2020, Sri Lanka owed EXIM $2.83 billion, or 3.5% of its external debt, according to IMF data. In total, Sri Lanka owed Chinese lenders $7.4 billion, or nearly a fifth of public external debt, by end-2022, calculations by the China Africa Research Initiative showed.

IMF financing provides an anchor for countries to unlock other funding sources. Sri Lanka was in negotiations with India, its second biggest creditor, to extend a $1 billon credit line due to expire by March 17, two sources said.

Sri Lanka needs to repay about $6 billion on average each year until 2029 and will have to keep engaging with the IMF, Wickremesinghe said.

Countries in debt distress such as Zambia and Sri Lanka have faced unprecedented delays in securing IMF bailouts as China and Western economies have clashed over how to provide debt relief.

Sri Lanka has been waiting for about 187 days to finalize a bailout after reaching a preliminary deal. This compares to a median of 55 days it took low- and middle-income countries over the past decade to go from preliminary deal to board sign-off, according to data compiled by Reuters.

"Debt restructurings both within and outside the Common Framework have been taking longer than usual due to issues with creditor coordination and foot-dragging by China," said Patrick Curran at Tellimer. "The restructurings in Sri Lanka and Zambia are likely to set important precedents for future restructurings."

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday that Beijing would continue to participate in the settlement of international debt problems in a constructive manner.

Responding to a question on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting, Qin also said China should be the last to be accused of causing debt traps and called on other parties to share the burden.

Source: Voice of America

Officials in Somalia say an al-Shabab attack on a military base in the south of the country has been "repulsed.”

The deputy president of Jubaland state, Mohamud Sayid Aden, told VOA Somali that al-Shabab militants used explosives and armed fighters to attack Janaa Cabdalle, 60 kilometers west of Kismayo.

“This morning the Khawarij (deviants) attacked Janaa Cabdalle base, a strategic base which was captured from them before,” he said, using a term for al-Shabab militants.

“As is the hallmark for their attacks they used a series of explosives and suicide bombing, but the Somali troops defended the base,” he added.

He said Tuesday’s al-Shabab attack “failed” as government troops fought off the militants. Aden said barriers erected by the soldiers in anticipation of the al-Shabab attack prevented explosives penetrating the base.

Five soldiers were killed and more than 10 others injured, according to Aden.

“Brave men are among the dead, and as opined in fatwa (ruling) by the religious scholars, they will be in paradise,” he said.

He said al-Shabab suffered higher casualties as a result of the attack.

Al-Shabab said its fighters “overran” the base and killed 89 soldiers, a figure that has not been independently verified.

The group’s military affairs spokesperson, Abdulaziz Abu Mus’ab, told al-Shabab media that 20 vehicles were seized from the government forces.

Abu Mus’ab also said that al-Shabab ambushed reinforcements the government sent from Yontoy and Bar Sanguni bases, east of Janaa Cabdalle.

Aden denied al-Shabab claims of high casualty figures among regional and federal forces.

“It’s baseless,” he said.

Somali government forces supported by local fighters have driven al-Shabab from large areas in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states in operations that began last August.

The government’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, told VOA last week that authorities are preparing a second phase of military operations which will involve additional troops sent by the three countries bordering Somalia – Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Aden said government forces are in control of the Janaa Cabdalle base, which he said is key to advancing on al-Shabab strongholds in the Middle Juba region.

“The target is their biggest base in Middle Juba, a final offensive on Jilib and Buale and the other big bases they have been occupying for a long time,” he said. “Janaa Cabdalle is the closest strategic base to launch an offensive from.”

The government has been fighting al-Shabab for more than 15 years. Al-Shabab wants to remove the government and impose its brand of strict Islamic law.

Source: Voice of America

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa's ruling ANC party has brushed aside criticism of a large donation it accepted from a mining company linked to a Russian oligarch under U.S. sanctions.

Viktor Vekselberg is an investor in United Manganese of Kalahari Ltd, which last year donated $826,000 to help fund the ANC's electoral conference. Critics say the donation undermines the party's claim to a "neutral stance" on the Ukraine war and its refusal to criticize Russia's invasion.

The donation, worth 15 million rand in the local currency, was made public recently when South Africa’s electoral commission released a statement detailing funds received by political parties in the third quarter of the 2022/23 financial year.

Asked by VOA whether a donation by a company linked to a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin affected the ruling party’s stance on the war in Ukraine, spokeswoman Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri demurred.

“The ANC receives both solicited and unsolicited financial support from various parties from all over the world,” she said by text message. “Some get accepted and others returned if found not to be aligned to the ANC's values and policies. This current support will be looked at in the same light.

“The ANC's stance on Russia-Ukraine conflict will remain the same. We do not believe that anything progressive can come out of conflict and war. We still urge all parties to meet and find amicable solutions.”

Solly Malatsi, national spokesman for the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, criticized the donation.

“This explains what the ANC government’s approach to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is because it’s on the receiving end of millions of rands in donations from Russian oligarchs,” Malatsi said. “It flies in the face of South Africa’s quest for and respect for human rights as the light that guides our foreign policy.”

The money went toward the ANC’s December electoral conference in which President Cyril Ramaphosa was given a second term. There had been problems in funding for the event, with the heavily indebted party battling to meet its costs.

United Manganese of Kalahari, Ltd., or UMK, is a South African company that mines the metal crucial to the production of iron ore.

One of the shareholders is the ANC’s funding front Chancellor House, according to investigative reports in South African media, while a Vekselberg-linked company owns another share of less than 50% – effectively allowing UMK to avoid U.S. sanctions.

The Russian businessman, who is reportedly close to the Kremlin, was on U.S. sanctions lists even before the invasion of Ukraine last year. After the war started, his luxury yacht was seized by the U.S. government and his U.S. properties searched by the FBI.

South Africa, which has a history of close ties with Russia, has abstained from condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine at the U.N.

The donation raises questions about Pretoria’s political stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, said Steven Gruzd, a Russia expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs.

“Viktor Vekselberg has been linked to the ANC before; this is not the first time his name has come up, and this is a sizeable donation to a very cash-strapped political part,” Gruzd said.

“They’re trying to spin it that this is a regular donation, a run of the mill contribution to a political party among many others, and that they will screen it to see that it’s in line with their values.”

Last month, South Africa hosted the Chinese and Russian navies for joint military exercises off its east coast, despite the concerns of the United States and European Union.

In August, Putin is expected to visit South Africa for the annual summit of BRICS – a group of emerging economies made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Source: Voice of America

Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, has expressed sadness at the tragic passing of Free State Education MEC, Tate Makgoe, and his bodyguard, Warrant Officer Vuyo Mdi, in a car crash on the N1, outside Winburg.

The pair passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“Makgoe was a visionary. He has served in various portfolios as a Member of Free State Executive Council since 1994 and was appointed in 2009 as Free State education MEC. Since his appointment, the Free State province has become the best in the country in Matric performance.

“The MEC will be remembered for his confidence that he displayed in the learners, in that he boldly declared in 2022: 'We are destined to succeed. Nothing will stop us'. That is the spirit and determination that he left behind, and one that we must embrace as government leaders,” Gungubele said on Monday.

The Minister said the MEC was known for strategising, identifying the gaps and ensuring all role players, including teachers, leadership, learners and administrators, worked together.

“He firmly believed in raising the bar higher, and that very child has the potential to achieve anything. As such, part of the focus of his strategy to improve the education sector in the Free State was on rural and township-based schools. Under his leadership, the department had also adopted chartered accountants, economists and engineers to assist township and rural schools,” he said.

Makgoe was an engineering graduate from Technikon Vaal Triangle and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

He later obtained an BCom Honours from the University of the Free State and a Master’s degree in Business Leadership from UNISA.

In 1984, he left South Africa to join the African National Congress (ANC) military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, in exile.

“He lived a life of sacrifice, was devoted to the disadvantaged and marginalised, and was passionate about eradicating poverty. He served the Free State province and South Africa with distinction,” Gungubele said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa will later today officiate at the swearing-in ceremony of new members of the National Executive who were appointed on Monday.

The ceremony will take place from 18:00 at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.

The President announced changes to the National Executive on Monday to ensure that government is properly capacitated to give effect to the commitments made in the State of the Nation Address and the Budget speech.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo will preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed members of the National Executive.

Source: South African Government News Agency

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Peggy Nkonyeni, has assured the people of the province that the provincial government will act on issues raised by communities and refer matters to the relevant departments for their urgent intervention.

This follows the conclusion of pre-budget roadshows, where Nkonyeni solicited ideas and views from communities on what they would love to hear in the Budget Speech.

Nkonyeni will on 10 March 2023 present the provincial Budget Speech in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, in Pietermaritzburg.

Nkonyeni led the provincial Treasury roadshow in Ilembe District on 20 February 2023 and proceeded to Ugu District, where the input made and challenges raised by communities were almost similar with those from other rural areas of the province.

During the roadshows, issues including the energy crisis, water shortages, poor road conditions and rampant crime, came under the spotlight.

Nkonyeni said she is approaching the Provincial Budget Day with confidence and enthusiasm.

She said roadshows give citizens a chance to contribute to the provincial Budget Speech, and assist government in understanding the public’s expectations.

They also intend to deepen public participation in provincial budgeting processes and solicit perspectives from the public on how to prioritise the people’s needs in preparation for the provincial budget for the 2023/24 financial year.

The MEC commited to acting on various concerns and suggestions raised by communities.

“This is very important to us as KZN Treasury, as it ensures that the budget that we table responds to the needs of the people of KwaZulu-Natal. We are confident that the Budget Speech will speak to each and every citizen of KwaZulu-Natal,” Nkonyeni said.

Post-Budget roadshows are planned in all remaining districts to further entrench the culture of public engagement, and to accelerate and guide the implementation of the budget.

Source: South African Government News Agency