May 27, 2023 – Page 2 – Angola Newswire

May 27, 2023

Parliamentarians from Indian Ocean Commission countries meet in Seychelles to chart action plan

Members of parliament from countries of the Indian Ocean Commission have held statutory meetings in Seychelles to validate the Indian Ocean Commission Parliamentary Association (AP-COI) action plan and prepare activities for 2023.

The meetings held in Seychelles took place over the course of four days – from May 23 to May 26. This included the second meeting of the executive committee (COMEX), the Conference of Presidents of National Assemblies, and a plenary session.

AP-COI brings together parliamentarians from Comoros, La Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles. It was founded in November 2015 in Port Louis and after a few years of inactivity, it was re-launched in November 2022 under the impetus of the Indian Ocean Commission through the Governance, Peace, and Stability project.

In a press conference on Friday, a member of the Seychelles National Assembly, Philip Monthy said that the aim of AP-COI is to bring together the parliaments of the Indian Ocean Commission member countries.

This is so that “we work together as a block so as to outline and look at our common challenges and interests that our different islands are facing. This includes IUU [illegal, unreported and unregulated] fishing, drug trafficking, peace, and stability in the region. Coming together allows us to have a stronger voice on the international scene, especially on the African scene. An example of this is within SADC,” said Monthy.

A parliament member of Madagascar, Aina Rafenomanantsoa, outlined that during the plenary session held on the last day of the meetings, members “approved the association’s statutes and rules of procedure, the association’s action plan, activities for 2023 and the AP-COI logo.”

“We also validated a joint declaration to support our common interests,” said Rafenomanantsoa.

This is expected to be carried to regional and international institutions including the African Union. The joint advocacy to be carried out at the level of the executive and consultative bodies of the African Union aims to better highlight the specific needs of the southwest Indian Ocean islands at the continental level.

Speaking of plans for 2023, Monthy said that there will be a parliamentary diplomatic formation that will be financed and organised jointly by the United Nations mission in Mauritius in October, and it will see the participation of parliament members.

“There is also a Governance Peace and Stability project being organised,” said Monthy.

The Governance, Peace, and Stability (GPS) project, being funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is being carried out at a cost of around €8 million over the course of two and a half years.

The GPS project aims to contribute to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region. Its component in strengthening democratic institutions, including the AP-COI, provides support for the re-dynamisation and functioning of the AP-COI through technical and operational support.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

May 27, 2023

SADC Parliamentary Forum: Parliamentarians meet in Seychelles to prepare upcoming plenary assembly

The executive committee of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) is meeting in Seychelles to discuss pressing issues in preparation for the 53rd Plenary Assembly.

Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan opened the meeting on Saturday with words of thanks and welcome to the executive committeemembers to the island state.

“I want to thank you for the honour for entrusting the presidency of the SADC PF to the Speaker of our National Assembly – my long-time colleague in politics – the Honourable Roger Mancienne. In placing your confidence in him, you have also honoured our National Assembly and our country. Although we are the smallest member country, we have always been ready to play our part in this very august organisation and indeed in all others of which we are part,” said Ramkalawan.

President Wavel Ramkalawan addressing the SADC PF meeting (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

He added that he participated in the SADC PF for many years as a parliamentarian and had been involved in its projects for the formulation of policies and resolutions, which are achievements for the organisation, such as work on democratic elections.

“I hope we can continue to ensure that our region delivers credible, just and fair elections… I know that the work that you do is profound,” said Ramkalawan.

The president of SADC PF, Roger Mancienne, said that the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a regional parliament is a topic to be tabled during the meeting being held from May 27 to May 28.

“We are obligated to continue the transformation of the Forum into a SADC Regional Parliament. We are obligated to continue our advocacy efforts with our respective governments so that this important process is taken to its completion in the most efficient manner, always keeping in mind the noble objectives for which we seek this transformation,” said Mancienne during his opening speech.

Also, on the agenda during the meeting are several issues that have been taken up by executive committee in previous meetings and new issues that come in relation to these, “such as agriculture, climate change, democratic rights, and so on,” said Mancienne.

Speaker of the Seychelles National Assembly, Roger Mancienne – president of the SADC PF (Seychelles National Assembly) Photo License: CC-BY

During the two days, the committee also considered the proposal for the creation of a world-class International Learning Centre and Library.

SADC PF was established in 1997 and brings together members of parliaments from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The executive committee of the SADC PF (Seychelles National Assembly) Photo License: CC-BY

It provides a platform for parliaments and parliamentarians to promote and improve regional integration in the SADC region, through parliamentary involvement.

“As the management committee of our organisation, it is our duty to ensure that our institution operates with excellence as it continues to build the capacity of parliamentarians in our region while observing the obligations of human rights and good governance including transparency and accountability. This meeting is only one way in which we can deliver on this mandate through the oversight of the work being done by the secretariat and by providing guidance and decisions where necessary,” said Mancienne.

The Plenary Assembly – the highest policy-making and deliberative body of the SADC PF – will be held in Tanzania in July 2023.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

May 27, 2023

Seychellois international footballer Michael Mancienne to retire in 2023 due to knee injury

Seychellois international footballer Michael Mancienne has announced his retirement from professional football after his current contract with Burton Albion in the UK’s League One expires this summer.

Mancienne, 35, told SNA that he took the decision to end his career because his body is telling him it is time.

“I have been having problems with my left knee, which has been causing a lot of pain, so I don’t want it to get worse, as I want to be able to run and play with my kids,” he said.

The Burton Albion defender has been suffering from knee problems since July last year and was absent for three months after suffering a knee injury that needed surgery.

Mancienne, a graduate of the famous Chelsea Academy in London, has a career that spanned over two decades, playing four times for Chelsea Football Club, before making his name out on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Football League Championship.

It was at Wolves that Mancienne earned a surprise call-up to the England national team for a match against Romania.

“That was a huge achievement for me as it was not normal for a championship player to get called into the England first team,” Mancienne told SNA.

Mancienne was however not involved in the match, which meant he was free to still represent Seychelles, which he did in 2022.

Aside from Chelsea and Wolves, he has played for Queens Park Rangers, Nottingham Forest and Burton Albion in England. Mancienne also played for Hamburg in Germany and New England Revolution in the United States.

“I have no regrets about my career. I have travelled the world and played against some great players,” he added.

Asked if he will remain in football, Mancienne said, “I don’t think I’ll be a coach as it is not something I want to do, but helping young players develop on and off the pitch… I like the sound of that.”

The 35-year-old owns a property company and he said he will continue to keep a healthy lifestyle and will be building some houses.

He will end his career after having played over 360 games in his career and was even named Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year in 2009.

Mancienne has played five times for Seychelles, scoring his one and only international goal from the penalty spot against Bangladesh in March 2023.

His current team, Burton Albion, finished the 2022/23 League One season in 15th place.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

May 27, 2023

CPLP recommends mobility of cultural assets

The Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) has recommended increase in political dialogue, in partnership with finance officials.

The decision is expressed in a statement released at the end of the 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the CPLP ministers of Culture held Friday in Luanda.

The document states that the common measures will ensure the import and export of cultural goods in the space.

The participants praised the financial contribution of Angola, Brazil and Portugal to the third edition of the CPLP Audiovisual programme, which is in the process of completion of preparatory works and expected to be released in 2023.

They also encouraged the collaboration among the national structures of the member States, aiming to assure the good implementation of the 2022-2024 Plan of Action and the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan for Multilateral Cultural Cooperation.

The ministers decided to create the conditions for the participation of the CPLP, as a guest of honour, in the Gothenburg Book Fair 2025.

The event that will take place in Sweden aims to provide exchange of knowledge between cultural agents, authors, composers, writers, researchers, managers and civil society worldwide.

The CPLP minister were also pleased with the various initiatives carried out, aligned with the political agenda of the institution, for the promotion of the Portuguese language and the cultural diversity of the Member States, as well as the implementation, by 2024, of the activities of the Action Plan, with stress to the Forum on Public Cultural Policies for sustainable development.

They also praised the holding of the CPLP International Conference on Historical Archives, as well as the annual meeting of Specialised Entities and those in charge of the protection of copyright and related rights.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

May 27, 2023

Politico-diplomatic relations between Angola and Italy highlighted

The political and diplomatic relations between Angola and Italy were stressed during the week that ends this Saturday, among the political news from ANGOP.

The relationship was strengthened during a two-day state visit that the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, made to the European country, having met the most distinguished national entities, with stress to his counterpart Sergio Mattarella.

As part of the visit, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday, the two states signed several cooperation agreements, focusing on oil, transport, finance, health and education.

In the Italian Parliament, João Lourenço met with the President of the Senate, Ignacio La Russa, and the President of this sovereign body, Lorenzo Fontana.

On Wednesday evening, President Sergio Mattarella awarded him the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and, on the same occasion, the Angolan statesman decorated with the Order Agostinho Neto, his counterpart and the Italian First Lady, Laura Mattarella.

On the last day of the visit, he participated in the Italy-Angola Economic Forum, organized by the business association Confindustria Assafrica in collaboration with the Agency for the Promotion of Private Investments and Exports (AIPEX).

Also during the week that ends this Saturday, the Angolan authorities reaffirmed their interest in continuing to develop their efforts to strengthen and deepen political-diplomatic relations and economic cooperation with the United States of America (USA). .

This commitment was made by the Angolan Head of State, in a message on the occasion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between Angola and the United States, celebrated on the 19th of this month.

In his letter, João Lourenço defended the deepening of relations with the United States based on respect, reciprocity and mutual benefits for the benefit of both countries and peoples.

Still within the framework of the presidential agenda, the question of peace, security and development in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was studied on Monday, during an audience the head of the Angolan State, João Lourenço, granted to the President of the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-CIRGL), Jemma Nunu Kumba.

The week was also marked by the approval, by the National Assembly (AN), as a whole, of the bill on freedom of assembly and demonstration, with 172 votes in favour, none against and as many abstentions.

This is the first legislative initiative of the opposition generally approved by the Parliament, prepared by the UNITA parliamentary group and about which the MPLA has expressed total openness to its discussion.

Also in the Chamber of Laws, last week, the general labor law proposal was approved, with 172 votes in favor, two against and none abstentions.

The General Labor Law essentially aims to restore a set of standards that were repealed with Law No. 2/2000, of February 11, in order to create a better balance in the defense of the interests of workers and employers and to strengthen the harmony in the working relationship.

The bill reintroduces as a general rule the employment contract of indefinite duration, and unequivocally assumes the employment contract as the only form of constitution of legal and labor relations.

ANGOP also highlighted the statements of the Speaker of the National Assembly (AN), Carolina Cerqueira, who reiterated, on Tuesday, the Angolan State’s commitment to the promotion of democracy, good governance, defense human rights and the achievement of lasting peace and security in the Great Lakes region.

Speaking during a round table on the “foreign policy of the Republic of Angola in the Great Lakes region”, promoted by the AN, Carolina Cerqueira said that it is necessary for everyone to take up the challenge of transforming the Great Lakes region into a space of political and social stability, of shared growth and development.

In the week just ending this Saturday, Africans also celebrated May 25, Africa Day, and in a note alluding to the date, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “the continent continues the struggle to eradicate poverty, illiteracy, various endemics and hunger”, caused by cyclical food crises”.

It adds that, 60 years later, countless challenges remain for the full realization of the objectives proposed by the founding fathers of the OAU.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)