By Samuel Ouma

Greek second-tier side Ionikos FC has confirmed the signing of Kenyan defender Abud Omar on a nine-month deal.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce the start of our cooperation with Abud Omar. This is a very important transfer move for our team especially after promotion to the second-tier.”

The family of Ionic welcomes Abud Omar and wishes him health, strength, and every success at the club,” read a statement on the club’s official portal.

The former Tusker FC player could not hide joy about the move.

“I am very happy to wear the Ionian jersey. From the first moment the interest arose, I searched the internet and saw how important a team Ionic is with a long history. I know the club has a top organisation and an administration that is working hard to bring success,” he told the club website.

“I’m happy to come here. I am hoping the coronavirus pandemic will end and I will be back in the pitch doing what I love most. On my part, I am ready to work hard and help my team achieve its goals,” Omar continued.

Before the move, the left-footed player was unattached after parting ways with the Romanian side Sepsi SG in 2019.

Apart from Sepsi SG, Omar also turned out for Slavia Sofia from Bulgaria, Panegialios FC (Greece), Bandari FC, and Tusker FC both from Kenya Premier League.

By Samuel Ouma

A fight that erupted in Migori County Assembly on Wednesday morning left an MCA with a broken arm.

Nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Mary Ogodo’s arm was broken when chaos erupted in the house over the impeachment of Governor Okoth Obado.

The melee got out of hands as the MCAs assault each other physically, verbally with bottles of water being thrown around.

Trouble started when five MCAs allied to the Governor stormed the house and tried to disrupt the session.

As the fiascos escalate, the sergeant-at-arms was forced to run away with the mace, the symbol of power in the assembly.

“The five MCAs were hiding in one of the offices in the assembly controlled by Obado’s relative before they made their way into the assembly and started creating chaos,” a staff told the Star.

The injured MCA was rushed to St. Joseph Mission Hospital.

“She is in hospital, her left arm has been broken and she is receiving treatment. She can’t talk right now. She is in stable condition,” an aide told the media.

Obado is accused of embezzling at least Ksh.73 million county funds and his party ODM had resolved to impeach him over graft.

The webinar will be moderated by Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President (SVP) of the African Energy Chamber. The discussion will be centred on opportunities for companies involved in oil and gas exploration in Africa and operations in a post COVID-19 environment; panellists include Chuks Enwereji, Chairman, International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Nigeria Chapter; Chijioke Akwukwuma, Managing Director, ODENL; Ross Compton, EAME Consultant, International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC); Wole Oyetoran, Country Manager, PGS Nigeria; John Scott, Vice President, Western Hemisphere, Polarcus and Chichi Emenike, Head, Gas Ventures, Neconde Energy Limited; the webinar will be moderated by Verner Ayukegba, SVP of the African Energy Chamber ; the webinar will be held on 29 September at 15:00 – 16:30 CET/SAST. To attend, please register here  Use #aecwebinars to join the conversation. The oil and gas industry globally is currently going through a period of transition, during which the industry is re-adjusting itself to operate in a post COVID-19 environment with oil prices likely to stabilise between USD 35-50 Barrels per day. Despite these challenges, drilling activity in Africa according to African Energy Chamber projections is expected to drop in 2021 only slightly from projected 2020 levels. A total number of 800 wells are expected to be drilled this year, with that number expected to drop only slightly below 800 in 2021. These numbers, however, represent a drop of over 25 percent compared to 2019. Similarly, capital expenditure is also expected to reduce by over 25% between 2019 and 2021. An estimated USD 28 Billion is expected to be spent on upstream capital expenditure projects in 2021, with over USD 10 billion of that dedicated to field development projects. This continues to present significant opportunities for companies involved in the upstream value chain like drilling and geophysical contractors. “Those service providers, that are able to adapt to the new market conditions by implementing effective cost control solutions and streamlining processes, especially with the help of technology will thrive and grow at the expense of those companies that are slow to adapt to the new market realities,” said Verner Ayukegba SVP at the African Energy Chamber. “The AEC position in Angola has not changed: we continue to see opportunities in Angola and believe it’s important to shine a light on these and bring industry players from across the globe to exploit these as we face this challenging situation together, and overcome. Angola’s oil and gas industry is a well-developed one, but it’s absolutely clear that we will need to always innovate and collaborate in order to remain relevant for the years to come. Our key role at the African Energy Chamber is to be the voice of the African energy industry and this is a prime example of how we do that. It’s a unique chance to make connections and hear more about the landscape of the African energy sector.” Concluded Sergio Pugliese, Angola President for the African Energy Chamber The International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) and the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) representatives on the panel will talk about emerging industry trends, technological developments in the industry, new standards and regulations that affect their members and possible changes in legislation that are likely to affect their members and the industry. The panel also contains experienced professionals who will enrich the discussions with on the ground experiences on how they are steering their companies to take advantage of existing opportunities in the African oil and gas sector and what plans they have going forward. As many African countries continue to bend over backwards to encourage exploration and drilling, especially of new licenses, what other concessions are companies looking for, to take up new exploration activity? Nigeria for example is currently going through a marginal field bidding round, which will lead to the award of numerous licenses in 2021. What incentives need to be availed, to the new license holders, to enable them to deploy exploration capital in the quickest and most effective manner possible? Finally, the webinar will also examine how Africa currently compares to other oil and gas producing regions and what African countries need to do to develop and grow their competitive edge vis-a-vis other oil and gas producing regions globally. For information on membership with the African Energy Chamber, please energychamber.org. To attend the webinar, register for free here *Source Africa Energy Chamber

The Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF), Africa Oil & Power and the African Energy Chamber co-hosted the webinar as part of a GABF cooperation-focused series.

“Investment and Trade for Africa’s Economic Development” – a public webinar held on Wednesday – targeted opportunities for cross-border collaboration between Africa and Germany; the African Export-Import Bank announced its plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with German car manufacturers to establish an automotive industry in Africa; the Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF), Africa Oil & Power and the African Energy Chamber co-hosted the webinar, as part of a GABF cooperation-focused series.

The Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF) hosted its second installment of its German-African cooperation-focused webinar series on Wednesday, aimed at outlining the opportunities for sustainable FDI between Germany and the African continent.

The panel comprised H.E. Günter Nooke, Africa Envoy to German Chancellor Angela Merkel; NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber; and Rene Awambeng, Global Head Client Relationship at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

Anchored by the theme of investment and trade for African economic development, the opening keynote was delivered by H.E. Nooke, and outlined four key success factors in driving Africa’s economic development: investment and business climate, transport, energy and technological infrastructure, available workforce, and access to markets.

Digitalization and green energy were advanced as two of the critical sectors for facilitating Africa’s economic and social development. Africa contains a young, tech-savvy population, noted H.E. Nooke, translating to smooth technological adoption and enhanced opportunities for both consumers and businesses.

Highlighting efforts to expand global market reach, H.E. Nooke noted the anticipated benefits of the recently adopted African Continental Free Trade Agreement, signed by 53 African countries and already implemented by 30. The agreement is set to boost intra-African trade, with the ultimate objective of creating a common market that empowers African nations.

Meanwhile, cross-border developments in clean energy have already been progressing. This month, a German delegation visited the Democratic Republic of Congo to study opportunities related to the Inga III hydroelectric dam project. Germany is eyeing major opportunities for hydrogen production, a clean fuel alternative, as well as wind, solar and hydropower resources scattered across the continent.

Germany is currently active in a range of investments across the continent. The European leader played a major role in securing a $300 million facility from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The funds are aimed at creating jobs, reviving economies in a post-COVID-19 environment, and encouraging investment reforms to boost FDI.

Furthermore, Afreximbank will imminently announce the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with German automotive manufacturers, such as Volkswagen, intended to create an African-driven automobile manufacturing strategy.

“We are looking to create a holistic approach to automotive manufacturing,” said Rene Awambeng. “Our goal is to build an entire value chain, with the support of Germany and Europe, in order to be able to design, build and market cars across Africa.”

In a bid to drive investor engagement in a variety of sectors, NJ Ayuk called for a change in the perception of risk associated with investing in Africa.

“We need to create an enabling environment for banks, financial institutions and investors to perceive Africa as a safe and profitable destination,” said Ayuk. “Rwanda paved the way and we have seen outstanding results. We have an obligation to make the change.”

Ayuk also appealed to Europeans nations, such as Germany, to focus on investment rather than aid. Investment enables the creation of synergies and partnerships and places project leaders in a position of accountability. While aid is welcome in periods of crisis, noted Ayuk, it must not be the standard for sustainable, long-term business. 

Awambeng underscored that long-term, affordable financing is available for Africa’s investment opportunities, combined with technical capacities and business support.

“Huge amounts of capital are available across the continent in all forms: equity, bank debt, development financial institutions, sovereign funds, among others. All we are missing are the people to make the transition happen.”

*Source Africa Oil & Power Conference

The President of Rwanda HE Paul Kagame and Commonwealth Secretary-General The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland have today announced the new date for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which was to have been held in Kigali in June 2020 but was postponed because of the impact of COVID-19.

The new date agreed with member countries will be the week of 21 June 2021.

CHOGM is customarily held every two years and is the Commonwealth’s highest consultative and policy-making gathering. Commonwealth leaders selected Rwanda as host for their next summit when they met in London in 2018.

President Kagame said:

“CHOGM Rwanda 2021 will be an exceptional occasion to deliberate together on the enormous technological, ecological, and economic challenges and opportunities facing the Commonwealth, particularly our young people, and which are all the more pressing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Rwanda looks forward to welcoming all delegates and participants to Kigali next year for a safe and productive meeting.” 

The Secretary-General said:

“At this historic CHOGM, the first to be held in Africa this millennium, we look forward to Commonwealth leaders coming together to take practical action on the critical issues we all face.

“Our meetings in Rwanda will give us a real opportunity to focus on our post COVID recovery, but we also know that the pandemic has not reduced the urgency with which global challenges such as climate change, the global economy, trade and sustainable development need to be dealt with decisively through multilateral cooperation and mutual support.”

The leaders’ summit, which is preceded by meetings for representatives from Commonwealth networks for youth, women, civil society and business, will be held in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. Representing a third of the world it is home to 2.4 billion people and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 32 of our members are small states, including many island nations.

*Source Commonwealth

Funsho honored for his work with Rotary International to eradicate wild polio in Africa. TIME named Nigerian physician Dr. Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Dr. Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here . The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Dr. Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honor for the organization’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020.  “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabled 75,000 African children every single year,” said Dr. Funsho. “Eradicating the wild poliovirus in Africa was a team effort that required the cooperation and dedication of governments, partners, Rotary members, hundreds of thousands of health workers, and countless parents who chose to have their children vaccinated against polio.” As the leader of Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee, Funsho has worked alongside Rotary members throughout the country to raise awareness about the importance of polio immunization, encouraged governments and public figures to support polio eradication, and served as a vocal leader and advocate for Rotary’s fight to end polio in Africa. Dr. Funsho works closely with Rotary’s partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI): the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. As a member of Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Polio, he has coordinated immunization and advocacy campaigns with the Minister of State for Health and the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee for Polio Eradication. He has also worked closely with the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, the Dangote Foundation, the Traditional Leaders Council and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria. In August 2019, Nigeria reached three years without a case of wild poliovirus. Nigeria’s progress, led by Rotary, its GPEI partners and local and national governments, was the result of decades of sustained efforts, including domestic and international financing, the commitment of hundreds of thousands of health workers, and innovative strategies to immunize children who previously couldn’t be reached due to insecurity in the country’s northern states. On 25 August, the African region was certified wild polio-free. This historic announcement means that five of the WHO’s six regions, representing more than 90 percent of the world’s population, are now free of the wild poliovirus. The virus is now endemic in just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary’s nearly 32,000 members in Africa have played a critical role in helping the region achieve its wild polio-free status by holding events to raise funds and awareness for polio, and working with world governments and national and local leaders to secure funding and support for polio eradication. About Rotary and Polio: Rotary has contributed more than $2.1 billion to fight polio, and countless volunteer hours since launching its polio eradication program, PolioPlus, in 1985. In 1988, Rotary formed the GPEI with the WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance later joined. When the initiative launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio every year in 125 countries. Today the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent and just two countries continue to report cases of wild polio. *SOURCE Rotary

By Vijay Prashad*

In 2004, Dr. José Armando Arronte Villamarín was posted to head a Cuban medical brigade in Namibia. Cuban medical personnel first came to southwest Africa in 1975 alongside Cuban soldiers; the soldiers had arrived there to assist the South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO) in the fight for the liberation of Namibia from the apartheid South African military. Dr. Arronte Villamarín, a friendly man with a glint in his eye, tells me how much he has enjoyed his work, not only during his time in Namibia, which lasted till 2007, but also—strikingly—in the United States of America.

I was surprised. I had no idea that Cuban medical personnel had served in the United States, which has—since the Cuban Revolution of 1959—tried to overthrow the government of Cuba. In 2005, Dr. Arronte Villamarín was in Havana for the annual meeting of the chiefs of Cuba’s medical brigades. That was when Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, destroying the city and putting the entire southern half of Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast in serious peril. Cuba offered to send its medical teams to assist their neighbors to the north. But U.S. President George W. Bush refused. Cuba’s Fidel Castro encouraged the formation of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade. Dr. Arronte Villamarín’s medical team in Namibia became part of this new brigade.

If Bush said not to come to the United States, then how did Dr. Arronte Villamarín find himself there? In 2017, due to the initiative of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, members of the Henry Reeve brigade—including Dr. Arronte Villamarín—came to Chicago to study and treat high rates of infant mortality. The infant mortality rate among African American mothers in the United States in 2018 was 11.7 per 1,000 live births, while it was 6 per 1,000 for white mothers; in Cuba, the infant mortality rate in 2019 was 5.1 per 1,000 live births. Dr. Arronte Villamarín tells me he was shocked by what he saw. He and his colleagues tried to do the very best that they could, but they were only in Chicago for five months. It was just not enough time to make a difference.

Almost Totally Isolated

The United States government has continued attacking Cuban medical internationalism right up to the current pandemic, making wild allegations against the program that disparage the medical workers. Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba who teaches in the United States, told Reuters recently that the U.S. is “almost totally isolated” when it comes to its Cuban policy. Each year since 1992, the UN General Assembly votes to end the U.S.-imposed embargo on the island. In 2019, 187 countries said the embargo must end, while the U.S. stood with two of its closest allies (Brazil and Israel); Ambassador Hare’s phrase—“almost totally isolated”—is an understatement.

Dr. Daymarelis Ortega Rodríguez, the chief of the Henry Reeve brigade in Barbados, told me that her work in the brigade gives her “immense pride.” “I enlisted to be part of this brigade by my own will,” she said, “not as a slave or exploited person. I am a fighter for life, for peace, and for human welfare.” Dr. Ortega Rodríguez, whose face lights up with a smile as she talks, is responding to one of the most bizarre accusations: that the Cuban government treats its doctors like “slaves.”

In June 2019, for instance, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio called Cuban medical internationalism “modern-day slavery.” Rubio, along with Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Scott, introduced the Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act of 2020, which would target countries that take assistance from the Cuban doctors. The Health Minister of Barbados, Jeffrey Bostic, responded sharply: “Barbados is a sovereign country and we make decisions in the interest of the country just like other countries large and small. We have engaged the nurses from Cuba… and we are not going to buckle under the pressure of any other nation.”

Commitments to Health

Dr. Ortega Rodríguez is sitting on a couch in Barbados, alongside Nurse Yandy Pérez, who is part of her brigade. They are sharing a phone, telling me about what they are doing in Barbados and what they had done beforehand. Both Dr. Ortega Rodríguez and Nurse Pérez are in the midst of the fight against COVID-19. Nurse Pérez had been in Vietnam, while Dr. Ortega Rodríguez had spent time in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and in Antigua. Nurse Pérez says that he has not worked in Vietnam and in Barbados for any personal gain. “Why do you spend years outside Cuba?” I asked them. “We do it out of conviction,” said Nurse Pérez, “out of solidarity. We do it from the heart.”

Dr. Jany Cabrera Paumier has been a physician since 2012 and an internist since 2016. She is talking to me from Belize, where she is on her first medical internationalist mission. Dr. Cabrera Paumier has a four-year-old daughter, who lives in Santiago de Cuba; her voice breaks as she says that it will be her daughter’s birthday in a few days. “I decided that I wanted to be part of this brigade and its honorable work for the world,” Dr. Cabrera Paumier told me. “Believe me, my choice could not make me prouder to be Cuban.”

This year, the Henry Reeve brigade celebrates 15 years of work, although Cuban medical internationalism goes back to 1960. I have interacted with doctors like Dr. Arronte Villamarín and Dr. Cabrera Paumier over the years and have been overwhelmed by their commitment to health and love, to human possibility. But it is important to remember that they are also human beings, people with lives that are folded into their internationalism.

Dr. Cabrera Paumier’s daughter is proud of her mother. So is Dr. Ortega Rodríguez’s son, who plays the trombone in the Havana theater. So are Dr. Arronte Villamarín’s children, a son who is a dental surgeon and a daughter who is in medical school; they follow in their father’s footsteps. It is not easy to be away from their families, but each of these medical workers thinks that it is worthwhile. “I came to Belize to help people to do the best for their own country,” Dr. Cabrera Paumier told me.

On September 26, these Cuban doctors join Danny Glover and Vijay Prashad to talk about the campaign for the Cuban doctors to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

*This article was produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute.Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He is the chief editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest book is Washington Bullets, with an introduction by Evo Morales Ayma.

By Bakary Ceesay

United Democratic Party, UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has fault President Adama Barrow government of masterminded the rejection of the  draft constitution by the National Assembly members.

On Tuesday, the 2020 draft Constitution bill has been rejected at the National Assembly after 23 members have voted against its passing to the third reading. This means the process to adopt the new Constitution has been killed. At least for now.

“The Yes is 31. The No is 23. According to Section 226 of the 1997 Constitution reads and I quote. A bill for an Act of the National Assembly under this section shall not be passed by the assembly or presented to the president for an assent unless the bill is supported on the second and third reading by the votes of not less than three quarters of the members of the National Assembly,”  Mariama Jack Denton speaker of Gambia’s National Assembly said.

Darboe told a press conference that: “It is quite disheartening that the tireless efforts of the commission and its members for the past three years have been made futile due to the indifference of the current administration,”.

He added: “It is even more disturbing that the government spent D116 million dalasis to fund a reform process they unjustifiably brought to an ill-fated end. The commission worked extensively at every stage of the drafting process seeking out the opinions of Gambians across the entire spectrum in and out of the country, studying best practices in other established democracies and exerting great effort to come up with a document that broadly reflected the considered views of the Gambian people. The commission did its job within the prescribed time and submitted to the president as directed by the CRC Act.

“Not once after receiving the draft had the president taken a moment to address the Gambian people about the significance of this national priority. Instead his cabinet and advisers publicly attacked the draft in ways that were unbecoming. No single member of the executive branched weighed in on the draft following its submission to the national assembly.”

Foundation also announces three Global Goals award winners and launches two innovative partnerships to address COVID-19 impacts in Kenya.

SEATTLE, September 21, 2020 – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today named Dr. John N. Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as the winner of the 2020 Global Goalkeeper Award. As part of its annual Goalkeepers campaign, the foundation also announced three other Goalkeepers Awards and launched two innovative partnerships that address the impact of COVID-19 on Kenya’s health and economy.

“Dr. Nkengasong and his team at Africa CDC are deeply deserving of this award,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Their commitment to securing the latest innovations from elsewhere in the world—as well as developing them themselves—will go a long way towards ensuring that the continent has the vaccines and medicines it needs to fight COVID-19.”

In addition to Dr. Nkengasong, this year’s awards went to Hauwa Ojeifo of Nigeria, Bonita Sharma of Nepal, and the MASH Project Foundation based in India. Each was recognized for playing a role in addressing the effects of COVID-19 in their communities. More details about each of the awards and their winners follows.

The 2020 Global Goalkeeper Award recognizes an established individual demonstrating significant commitment to health and development, specifically in response to the pandemic. The award is being presented to Dr. Nkengasong, a central voice for Africa’s scientific community. As co-chair of the Africa CDC Consortium for COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials (CONCVACT), Dr. Nkengasong is leading the securement of a variety of late-stage vaccine clinical trials on the continent by bringing together global vaccine developers, funders, and local facilitators. This work will be vital to ensure that the most promising vaccine candidates for the African population are identified and scaled up.

The 2020 Changemaker Award, which celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership, recognizes Hauwa Ojeifo of Nigeria for her work promoting gender equality (Global Goal #5). Ojeifo is a sexual and domestic abuse survivor and the founder of She Writes Woman, a women-led movement giving the issue of mental health a voice in Nigeria.

The 2020 Progress Award, which celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative, recognizes Bonita Sharma of Nepal for her work promoting good health and well-being (Global Goal #3). Sharma is the co-founder and CEO of Social Changemakers and Innovators (SOCHAI), a youth-led nonprofit working to improve the nutritional health of nursing mothers and young children and to economically empower marginalized women through business opportunities.

The 2020 Campaign Award, which celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change, recognizes the MASH Project Foundation for furthering global cooperation and partnership (Global Goal #17). A social enterprise based in India, the MASH Project Foundation is building a global community of social change makers by bridging the gaps between governments, civil society, the corporate sector, youth, and media to drive social impact.

“While the pandemic and the inequalities it highlights will undoubtedly define this era, the world is seeing the very best of humanity emerge,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We’re inspired by the energy and drive of this year’s award winners to create a safer, healthier, and more equitable world.”

The foundation also announced two dynamic, cross-sector partnerships called Goalkeepers Accelerators. These partnerships catalyze progress by bringing together partners from different sectors to pool their collective investment, knowledge, and big ideas to tackle one or more of the SDGs. The 2020 Accelerators—led by Sanergy and Educate!—are actively helping stem the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya while defending against the ripple effects of the pandemic on the country’s economy and a multitude of health issues.

Safe Sanitation for a Healthy, Sustainable World: Led by Sanergy, this Accelerator will scale access to safe sanitation services in Kenya’s informal settlements and help stop the spread of COVID-19 by providing soap, PPE and hand-washing education for residents, with the goal of reaching 1.3 million Kenyans by 2025. As part of this Accelerator, Sanergy will expand to Kisumu—Kenya’s third-largest city and the company’s first market outside of Nairobi—to bring its proven sanitation services to 300,000 Kisumu residents by 2025. Partners involved in this Accelerator driving progress toward SDG 6 include the Kisumu and Nairobi county governments, the Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO), AFD, and Who Gives a Crap.

Preparing Youth to Thrive in the Informal Economy: This Accelerator, led by Educate!, will launch a new series of skills-based, intensive training bootcamps to provide a pathway to a safe and sustainable livelihood by equipping out-of-school youth with the skills they need to succeed in Kenya’s high-growth informal economy. As part of the Accelerator, Educate! will pilot its eLearning platform NawiriPro to train 100,000 youth to become professional motorbike drivers in Kenya by 2023; launch a new bootcamp model supporting women and rural youth by 2021; and create a marketplace for young people to access business services and resources. Partners involved in this Accelerator driving progress toward SDG 8 include the Kenyan ministries of health and trade, Accenture Development Partners, Aspira, the Atlassian Foundation, Imaginable Futures, the Ray & Tye Noorda Foundation, Rippleworks Foundation, Sendy, the Umsizi Fund, and the Waterloo Foundation.

The announcement of the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards and the Accelerators follows the release last week of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers Report. This year’s report shows how economic damage caused by COVID-19 has reinforced inequities and derailed achievement of the Global Goals, but also spotlights countries innovating to meet the challenge and outlines a path for a shared global response.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

About Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers is the foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). By sharing stories and data behind the Global Goals through an annual report, we hope to inspire a new generation of leaders—Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the Global Goals.

About the Global Goals

On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030: end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.

Project Everyone, co-creators of Goalkeepers, was founded by writer, director, and SDG Advocate Richard Curtis with the ambition to help achieve the Global Goals through raising awareness, holding leaders accountable, and driving action.

*Gates Foundation

By Jessica Stang*

According to the World Bank, just under 20 percent of the population in the DRC currently has access to electricity. Every time I take an Uber, the first topic of small talk is what my roots are. The reactions that I am half German and half Congolese differ greatly between Europe and Africa. Typically, when I mention the DRC in Berlin, I get the following response: a compassionate look and the thought of civil war, child soldiers and Ebola. In Johannesburg, on the other hand, the first associations are of beautiful nature and a country rich in mineral resources such as gold, diamonds and coltan. These reactions, which could hardly be more different, reflect well the current situation in the DRC: a country with great potential, but also with great challenges. One of the biggest problems is the lack of infrastructure. According to the World Bank, just under 20 percent of the population in the DRC currently has access to electricity. This inadequate infrastructure is also a major focus of Congolese politics. Acting President Félix Tshisekedi tackled this major problem during his election campaign and promised the population that new roads would be built. This election promise even gave him the nickname “Béton” (concrete) and gave the population great hope that much will change. Because it is not complicated quantum physics: infrastructure is the basis of a functioning economy, be it power supply, road construction, education, or digital networking. All this is essential to get the economy going. But how do you manage to build a country both as diverse but also complicated as the DRC , sustainably and effectively? It almost seems like a vicious cycle: many international companies are deterred from investing in the DRC because of the uncertain situation. However, such investments are inevitable necessary in order to reinforce the infrastructure and thus stabilize the economy. It is therefore important that steps are now being taken by German politicians to include the private sector, in particular, and also to support it in making investments. For instance, Compact with Africa (CwA) is an interesting way for the G20 states to make various African countries more attractive on the international market. Initiated under the German G20 presidency, CwA aims to promote private investment in Africa, including in the infrastructure sector. Even though the DRC is not (yet) a member state, it is a right step to break the vicious cycle aforementioned, which many other African economies are also experiencing. During his visit to Berlin, President Tshisekedi made the case for the DRC as a business location and called for greater investments in the DRC. A first step towards the manifestation of German-Congolese economic relations is the construction of the Inga III Dam on the Congo River. The German government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Africa Commissioner Günter Nooke, wants to use German technology to combine Congolese energy supply and climate protection. The aim is to reuse the surplus hydrogen in Europe in order to achieve German climate targets. Nevertheless, in such international projects it is important to consider new approaches and turn away from classical development aid, to involve the private sector of all participating countries more strongly. For there is a fine line between economic promotion and market distortion or further dependence on Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us here in Europe how important a stable economy is to survive crises, but also international cooperation. I look forward to the future results of the Inga III Dam. It is an interesting approach to strengthen German-Congolese economic relations and to integrate the German private sector into the Congolese market. It is highly hoped that this project will benefit both Germany and the DRC and that a sustainable partnership on equal terms can be developed from it. With projects like these, I hope that the view of the Congo will change here in Germany as well. Hopefully, first association with the DRC will then be positive, even as far as in German Ubers. Undoubtedly, the DRC is a country with infinite wealth and great potential. *Jessica Stang is Community Manager of the Germany Africa Business Forum, a private association that promotes socio-economic relations between Germany and Africa.

By Amos Fofung

Pauline Binam, a Cameroonian lady was almost deported last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE if not for the intervention of members of US Congress.

Pauline who has been in the US since when she was 2 years old was on the tarmac when members of Congress say they intervened. Pan African Vision has gathered that she was granted humanitarian release.

“It felt like ICE was trying to rush through her deportation,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state. “I can’t say that for certain, but all of this is extremely troubling.”

Binam, now 30, says she was involuntarily sterilized while held at the privately owned Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, has been granted humanitarian releaseafter intervention by congress.

Attorney Vân Huynh says Binam’s fallopian tube was removed without her knowledge by the same doctor who is accused of performing forced hysterectomies on several other prisoners, and who is reportedly not a board-certified OB-GYN. Last week, Binam’s deportation was halted at the last minute after pressure from immigration rights advocates and members of Congress.

 

Members of Congress are demanding an investigation into allegations from immigrant women who say they were subjected to medical procedures without their consent while detained at an ICE facility in Georgia. Some women say they underwent hysterectomies or other surgeries that left them sterile.

Jayapal, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, wants Binam in the U.S. so that she can tell her story to investigators. More than 170 U.S. lawmakers have signed a letter calling for an investigation by the Homeland Security inspector general and want investigators to report back on the status of the investigation by next Friday.

According to NPR, ICE denies any link between her allegations and her scheduled deportation saying she was pulled off the plane because of a paperwork snafu with the Cameroonian government — not because of congressional intervention.

In a statement, ICE says that all female detainees receive routine gynecological care and that “a medical procedure like a hysterectomy would never be performed” without informed consent.

Binam’s lawyer, Vân Huynh, says her client sought treatment for an irregular menstrual cycle and thought she was getting a routine procedure known as dilation and curettage to remove tissue from her uterus last year.

“When she woke up from the surgery, the doctor informed her that they had to remove one of her fallopian tubes,” says Huynh, with the non-profit Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, which also helped prepare the whistleblower complaint.

“Of course, Pauline was very upset and sort of appalled that this had happened without her consent,” Huynh says.

The long-term medical implications are not clear, but that the procedure could prevent Binam from conceiving a child, Huynh says.

“Detention itself takes so much away from a person’s life,” Huynh says. “And then for her to have gone through this experience while she was in immigration detention just robs her of so much more than her time.”

Huynh says Binam complained to the staff at the detention center, but those complaints went nowhere. Binam is one of a growing number of over 17 immigrant women complaining about care they received while they were held at the privately-operated Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia.

By Nevson Mpofu*

Africa has been challenged to have collective vision and spearhead African Regional Integration and solidarity. This, Albert Muchanga , Commissioner of Trade and Industry notes is vital especially during this time of covid-19 . He further notes that there are implications that have been brought by covid-19 of which we learn through experiences.

Speaking Virtually to audio- visually connected invited, linked and connected to technology delegates Albert said African countries must learn lessons from covid-19 . This he adds, covid-19 is an experience of a life time to take note of when in Trade. HE Albert Muchanga gave a tirade speech at the TRALAC 2020 Summit in Cape Town on the 1st day. The discussion centered on Trade and doing Business in the covid- 19 era which started on Monday 20 September and is ending Tuesday 21 September.

The Summit is dubbed creating One African Market. It has other important speakers from the African Region. H.E Albert Muchanga , African Continental Free Trade Area Commissioner of Trade and Industry added initially that Africa is grappling with challenges and difficulties due to covid-19 pandemic . He has warned the continent to remain vigilant in the future, keep watch an eye to diseases, disasters, climate change and displacement of people.

” Africa has had challenges and difficulties but this time around, we are challenged by Health issues. The covid-19 pandemic has done us damage to the whole World of-course but as Africa let us stand up and fight whole-heartedly. The continent is grappling with tight challenges and problems that need to be solved. We need to have solutions to problems and such challenges we face as a continent.

”Let us be ready in the future to fight against other disasters like climate-change, diseases and disasters we face. These have over-time affected us time and again. We need to have devices and get responses. Off-course big economies have been affected as well but let us in the future have the devices to fight such challenges, craft polies like we did to lock-down and take more controlled action.”

”This corona-virus does not recognize and respect national jurisdiction and boundaries. It neither respects border controls, so we are in a challenge especially looking at Trade in the region. That is why we called for this Summit. Let us use policies effectively by having National Emergency Powers to lock-down, close boarders, restrict movements” .

Albert Muchanga believes that Trade played a role in improving access to essential goods and services since start of covid-19 . He adds that World Trade Organization Members have used trade measures to expedite access to critical medical goods and services as part of their responses to covid-19 pandemic.

”Trade played a role in improving access to essential goods and services since the start of covid-19 . WTO Members have used trade measures to expedite access to critical medical goods and services as part of their response to covid-19 pandemic. Trade played role as well in improving on the situation of shortages of medical personal and protective equipment. Production and Trade have expanded to meet un-paralleled spike in demand.”

HE Muchanga reveals that data has it that 41 countries which trade in medical goods grew by 38,7% in the 1st half of 202 although sourcing remains a challenge in the developing World. The Report describes wide Trade related measures Members in WTO employed from temporary reductions or deferral of duties, taxes and charges on covid-19 critical medical supplies to simplified customs procedures and boarder clearance.

The Report looks at International related measures to facilitate innovation and access to covid-19 related Technologies such as the one used to prevent it. Secondly, use of compulsory Government licenses to foster access to relevant patent data-bases and steps to make it easy to exchange clinical trial data. WTO Members acted as well to facilitate Tele-Medicine and International movement of Health Workers so that prevention, treatment, care and support could be easy at any cost.

Lessons Learnt From Covid-19 in Africa ..

Countries in the Region have been advised by H.E Muchanga to exercise National Public Health Care so that people’ rights in terms of Health are observed. He said countries must take advantage of the mile -stone taken by WTO in facilitating trade in medicines which have helped millions of people who needed help, care and support.

Regional Secretariates must play role in designing guidelines, procedures for joint responses and harmonized boarder control measures in times of need. Times of disasters must be prepared for in the future so that lives can be saved. Saving lives means as well keeping others safe from new outbreaks, keeping budgets undisturbed and avoiding un-necessary spending by countries.

H.E Muchanga reiterated on the need to come up with many ideas meant to make life easy to manage during disasters. Apart from the spirit of solidarity he digs into issues of practical demonstration on Regional Integration arrangements which he emphasizes must be used to facilitate joint responses ..

”Let us as Africa learn from the experiences. Let us be prepared to take head-on on issues that affect us every day. These are disasters, diseases and climate-change that still up to now affects us as Africa. Let us embrace the spirit of intensive regional integration rather than only looking at spirit of solidarity. This helps us in Regional Integration. There must be arrangements used to facilitate joint responses in Africa.”

Deliberations ..

 Africa and the World is one home according to HE Muchanga . He said Africa and the World is Interdependent. This means then that Africa must work with the World to bring an Integration that brings home openness to free trade that benefits Africa, boosts growth and fosters development.

”Africa and the World is interdependent. We have deliberations then to make it clear that we work with the World in Trade to develop the Industry. We Import and export. We get from outside that we do not have. We give them resources, they make for us technology, we learn as well, we grow on and on that way.

”We have a deliberation to boost Intra-African Trade through Regional Integration that bring us together as one Africa, one continent in fight against poverty. In-Order to win on this, we, come up with trade arrangements to meet challenges related to disasters that affect us every-day. These are related to climate-change and environmental disasters’’.

African Continental Free Trade Area has plans in hand to spear-head economic growth and foster economic development in the African Region. Under new plans there are indications that Trade in Goods and Services under AFCFTA rules start in early 2021. AFCFTA deliberates on State Parties to take concerted effort on commitments to look at ..

-Domestic follow-up action technical assistance

-Transparency

-Development Partners and Support

-Deeper Integration ..

Utilization of Regional Economic Communities remains vital to serve as building blocks – Article 5 of AFCFTA Agreement states this explicitly. There are new arrangements and mechanisms put in place to move Africa forward despite challenges faced. Negotiations Phase 2 Protocols of AFCFTA to be launched relates to Investments, Competition Policy and Intellectual Property Rights. Protocol on e-commerce is to be added to list of protocols to be adopted during Phase 3 of AFCFTA negotiations ..

-The Continent is compelled to be in abreast with ability and technology to convert to African Trade and Industrial development looking at the following concluding points.

-Trade and Economic growth promotion

-Sustainable Development

-Poverty Reduction

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*Nevson Mpofu a seasoned Zimbabwean Journalist is an Advanced Sustainable Development Student working as a Lecturer in the field with students studying Cambridge University, City and Guilds and ABMA Curricular in Zimbabwe ..