Somalia News Gazette

Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen received at his office today United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Volker Turk.

The two officials conferred on how to collaborate and coordinate efforts on matters pertaining to transitional justice, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke explained the various measures undertaken by the Government of Ethiopia to consolidate peace and stability.

He said that an interim administration has been established in Tigray region and that that rehabilitation efforts have already begun.

Demeke added that Ethiopia’s hosting of the recognition event last week by itself was a message that steps are being taken to advance peace and that efforts are being made to build trust between conflict-affected regions.

He also reaffirmed the Government’s efforts towards ensuring accountability and transitional justice and thus established an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce.

The High Commissioner expressed his appreciation for the Pretoria peace agreement and underscored that his office is ready to work in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia and will support efforts to sustain peace.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for respect and extension of the ceasefire agreed upon on April 30, 2023, by the conflicting parties in Sudan.

The African Union, IGAD, and UN have discussed today about ways of developing a joint de-escalation plan to the conflict in Sudan.

During the occasion, the chairperson said the objective of the meeting is to have a collective action in Sudan and to avoid incoherence that would bring dispersed action.

“Our priority today is to have the ceasefire respected and extended; and then ensure humanitarian assistance,” Faki Mahamat stressed.

According to him, the health system is completely broken and there is no water and electricity.

The chairperson appealed to the international organizations and neighboring countries of Sudan to help the Sudanese people who are in distress.

He emphasized the need to intensify efforts for the resumption of political process, saying that “our conviction is that there is no military solution to this type of crisis.”

Faki Mahamat, therefore, urged the international community to work in unison in order to attain result in the peace process.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Mogadishu, Somali National Army together with local forces on Tuesday morning killed 60 others injured after conducting an operation at Ceel Qabobe about 30 kilometers south of Harardhere town in Mudug region under Galmudug State.

Army Chief, Odowa Yusuf Rage told Somali National News Agency that the forces burnt down a big truck loaded with explosives and captured Toyota Hi-Lux car during the operation.

‘ SNA forces had prior intelligence reports about the terrorists’ movement and carried out the special operation in the area’, Rage said.

He added that the forces also arrested some Al-Shabaab captives and recovered weapons.

SONNA obtained more horrific photos from the battlefield, showing how the terrorist militants were defeated in today’s operation in the area.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Mogadishu, The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, received a delegation led by the Executive Director of the World Food Organization (WFP), Mrs. Cindy McCain, on Tuesday in Mogadishu.

The President and the Chief of WFP discussed the development of food programs in Somalia, the support of the World Food Organization and dealing with the challenges caused by the impact of climate change on food shortages.

Ms. Cindy McCain praised the efforts of the Somali government to provide food enrichment programs, and promised that the WFP will support the Somali people and the government to achieve full self-sufficiency.

Source: Somali National News Agency

A Prostate Cancer Early Detection Project has been launched to improve prostate cancer diagnosis, care and management for men aged 40 years and above in the Ghana Armed Forces.

The project, initiated by Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson and Johnson in partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces, aims at increasing awareness, screening, early detection and treatment of prostate cancer to ensure survival of patients.

Mr Henry Osei-Agyekum, Country Manager of Janssen who was speaking at the launch of the project in Accra, said the project would build the capacity of health promotion and medical officers at 24 selected military installations across the country to screen more patients and increase early detection of the disease.

He said a total of 2500 semi quantitative Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test kits for screening had been procured under the project to screen 2500 servicemen across the country.

Mr Osei-Agyekum said that would help reduce prostate cancer deaths among servicemen.

‘Once we can detect prostate cancer early and bring the diagnosed patients into care, they have a greater chance of being treated, and their quality of life will be drastically improved,’ he said.

The Country Manager of Janssen said the launch of the project was a great example of how public private partnerships could address the unmet needs of patients and strengthen healthcare systems in Ghana.

He said 50 medical officers and 34 health promotion officers would be trained on how to perform digital rectal examination to support the screening and early diagnostic activities across the country.

Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Defense Staff, said ‘Prostate Cancer when detected early can potentially be cured, unfortunately in our context, most cases are diagnosed late due to a low prostate cancer disease awareness among the population,’ he said.

He said the project would ensure a comprehensive uptake of prostate cancer management bills to overcome the’ Out-of-Pocket’ hurdle.

The Chief of Defense Staff said the project was in line with the national strategy for cancer control as well as the National Policy for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A sod has been cut for the construction of a food processing factory at Okobeyeyie, a farming community near Nsawam in the Eastern Region, to provide job opportunities to the people, especially the youth in the area.

Mr Isaac Kwadwo Buabeng, the Nsawam Municipal Chief Executive who joined the Adontenghene of Aburi Akuapem, Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II, to perform the sod-cutting said employment creation had been a major concern to the government, hence, its determination to implementing the One Dam, One Factory (1D1F) in the constituencies to provide jobs to the people at their doorsteps to reduce the rural-urban migration.

‘So far, the Municipality is benefiting from seven of the factories including the new food processing factory (Nii Lamptey Food Masters) to be constructed at Okobeyeyie, which would also provide income for farmers by feeding the facility with their farm produce,’ Mr Buabeng stated.

Otoobour Gyan Kwasi who offered the land for the factory and the Chairman of the occasion commended the government for the introduction of the 1D1F and urged chiefs to provide lands to support the initiative.

Nii Lamptey Lantei Botwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Nii Lamptey Food Masters in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the factory would employ 90 per cent of the youth of Okobeyeyie and its surroundings.

He advised the youth to equip themselves with employable skills so they would not become wanting in future.

Mr Botwe expressed gratitude to Otoobour Gyan Kwasi and the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Buabeng for their support for the construction of the factory.

Source: Ghana News Agency