AIF ECOWAS
& AU News digest: 18-24 August, 2014
A compilation of
developments in the West African sub-region, and news from the AU, as compiled
by the Research & Communications Unit of “Africa in Focus”
Assistant producer: Freda Cann
Executive Producer: E.K.Bensah Jr
Executive Producer: E.K.Bensah Jr
ECOWAS to
hold emergency meeting over Ebola in Accra
Despite a
three-month moratorium on all international conferences in Ghana, an emergency
meeting of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic
Community of West African States (Ecowas) is likely to be held in Accra. That
meeting will be held “if it is necessary” and will follow a meeting of the
sub-region's health ministers.
This was
disclosed by President John Daramani Mahama on Friday, August 22 when he
welcomed the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV
and AIDS (UNAIDS) Michel Sidibe to the Flagstaff House, Kanda. Michel Sidibe is
in Ghana to inspect work done so far on setting up a production hub of
anti-retroviral drugs in Ghana. President Mahama, who is also Chairman of
Ecowas’ highest decision-making body, used the opportunity to brief Mr Sidibe
on a meeting of the West African Health Organisation which was held yesterday
25 August, 2014 over the deadly Ebola virus.
That meeting had
in attendance officers of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Center
for Disease Control. “And then after that if it is necessary we will hold
another emergency meeting of the heads of state to agree on the measures that
we must take going forward in order to eliminate Ebola.”
South Africa
bans incomers from West Africa
South Africa
says non-citizens arriving from Ebola-affected areas of West Africa will not be
allowed into the country, with borders closed to people from Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone. All non-essential outgoing travel to the affected countries
has been banned. South African nationals will be allowed to re-enter the
country when returning from high-risk countries, but will undergo strict
screening, the health ministry said on Thursday. Usual screening procedures are
in place for those who travel between Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia, which have
been defined as medium-risk countries. Separately, the African Union (AU)
announced plans to send a special team to the four affected countries. The
six-month-long operation, involving volunteer doctors, nurses and medical
personnel, will cost about $25m (£15m) and begin immediately, the AU said in a
statement.
Uhuru to
open meeting of Africa spy men
Kenya: African
spy men are meeting in Nairobi to discuss continental security threats in the
last one year. The spies are meeting under the auspices of Committee of
Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), established in 2004. The
week-long conference, which began on 23rd August, 2014, is expected
to end on Friday August 30. President Uhuru Kenyatta will open the conference,
which brings together African heads of intelligence and security services. The
meeting comes at a time when Kenya’s long serving intelligence boss Michael
Gichangi has been replaced with Major-General Philip Kameru.
Interpol
plans to open office at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa
The
International Police Organisation (Interpol) is planning to open a permanent
office at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, says the Ethiopian
National Interpol Head, Police Commander Girmay Kahsay. The decision to open a
permanent office took into consideration Ethiopia’s close collaboration with
the organisation and its active role in the continent. Activities are currently
underway to establish AFRIPOL, a continental organisation affiliated to the Interpol.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
The Research
& Communications Unit of Africa in Focus is pleased to announce that from
4-5 September, Eastgate Hotel will be hosting a High-Level Forum on Regional
Development in West Africa.
The
Forum will bring together a group of around ten that include senior policy
officials, civil society leaders, researchers and community leaders to discuss
ongoing debates around ECOWAS integration; regional peace and security; the
informal economy; and efforts to promote intra-African tourism with the view of
providing the necessary public support to these initiatives. The involvement of
these stakeholders in the advocacy efforts around ECOWAS and African
integration efforts is not only important but very urgent. The theme of the
forum is “enhancing public knowledge and
engagement on regional development in West Africa”.
The
forum has the following specific objectives:
1. Increase
participants’ and public knowledge and engagement on ongoing ECOWAS integration
efforts on energy security in the region and across the continent; and their
implications for Ghana;
2. Discuss
recent initiatives by ECOWAS and its stakeholders on West African integration
efforts; regional peace and security; and East Africa on facilitating tourism
in Africa
Moderated by host of, and Head of Research & Communications
of AIF, it is an opportunity to revisit and amplify some of the major topics
covered over the past three months of the show. The idea is to encourage
greater public engagement of the issues. The Forum is expected to start at
10:00am and end at 3:00pm with lunch
It is a fantastic opportunity to network with a number of the
people who have been on our show. These include ECOWAS officials; Ghana
Association of Susu Collectors; AgriPro Consulting; Borderless Alliance; and
many more! We will be launching the AIF Volunteer Scheme, which is an
opportunity to contribute to Africa’s integration.
