Category: General

The National Police seized a total of 70 diamond stones of various carats during a micro-operation carried out early in the weekend, the spokesman of the Police in eastern Lunda Norte Province, Domingos Muanafumo, said Tuesday.

During the operation, which was coordinated with the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), 16 gravel washing nets, 14 shovels, 13 machetes, six motor pumps and a dredge were seized, amongst other materials used for illegal mining.

The diamonds and equipment seized were handed over to the “Operation Transparency” collection commission, the spokesperson said.

Without revealing the number of people detained in the operation, Muanafumo said they have been sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for illegal possession, illegal mining and trafficking.

The police chief added that the operation will continue, since the aim is to eliminate illegal mining exploitation areas in Lunda Norte Province.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Angola’s Oil Firm Sonangol and China National Chemical Engineering (CNCEC) Tuesday in Beijing, China, signed a memorandum of understanding providing for construction of Lobito Refinery in Angola’s coastal Benguela province, ANGOP has learnt.

Sonangol’s CEO , Gaspar Martins, signed the document, in the presence of minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, and other officials of the sector.

In its publication, the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, states that the event is part of the responsibility for implementing and seeking financing for the Lobito Refinery project.

The conclusion of Lobito Refinery, with a capacity to process 200, 000 barrels/day of oil, is set for 2026.

The infrastructure will supply the domestic market and the countries of the SADC region.

In addition to Lobito Refinery, Sonangol also has other refining projects under way, aimed to increase the country’s refining capacity from 65,000 barrels/day (kbbs/d) to 425 k bbs/d.

The Cabinda refinery, with a capacity for 60,000 kbbs/d, will enter the first phase of completion this year.

The infrastructure is expected to supply the local and regional market, including neighbouring countries such as Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The second phase of this project ends in 2025.

In this project, Sonangol holds 10% and GEMCORP 90% in terms of corporate structure.

In Soyo, Zaire province, Sonangol also holds 10% in the corporate structure, while Quanten retains 90%.

Luanda refinery is currently fully operational, with a platforming 1,200 metric tons per day of refined products from the previous 370 metric tons, a production that contributes to reducing imports

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Seychelles’ Ministry of Education and the Colombo International Nautical Engineering College (CINEC) have signed a renewed memorandum of agreement (MoA) to further improve safety, efficiency, and competency within not only the maritime sector, but also the fisheries sector of Seychelles.

The agreement was signed by the education minister, Justin Valentin, and the president of the CINEC Campus, Ajith Peiris, on Tuesday.

CINEC has been collaborating with the ministry for the past 10 years, and through this agreement, Seychellois cadets and Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) lecturers have had the opportunity to attend training programmes at the SMA on Mahe Island and the CINEC Campus in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The academy offers cadets certifications across varying levels in navigation and seamanship, fishing science and technology, and marine mechanics, in addition to several other short courses.

During the short signing ceremony, Peiris outlined that CINEC “brought Seychelles into the IMO [International Maritime Organisation] whitelist and that means international recognition of Seychelles’ Certificates is now in place.”

“Our next step is to make sure that the Certificate of Competency issued by Seychelles becomes a reality, which is expected to come into effect, in about 3 months. This certificate is internationally recognised, meaning Seychellois can sail on any other foreign ships and bring more foreign exchange to this country,” said Peiris.

Valentin said that the renewal of the agreement is a commitment that the government is making to the youth of the country in terms of development in the maritime sector.

Peiris further added that CINEC is now shifting activities to expand into the fisheries sector of Seychelles and getting involved in developing programmes and training in the port sector. He outlined that at the moment, tug masters are receiving further training to handle ships more efficiently and competently.

Through the training, CINEC wishes to bring more professionalism into the fisheries sector, especially when it comes to rules and regulations.

The fisheries minister, Jean Francois Ferrari, who was also present at the signing, outlined that the first link between CINEC and SMA was more geared toward training Seychellois youth to work on tankers.

“At the ministry, we want to make a shift to now include fisheries, yachting, and activities in the port. SMA has also accepted to provide more practical short courses,” said Ferrari.

The shore-based shipping industries expected to benefit include logistics and supply chain management.

The first MoA with CINEC was signed on August 30, 2013, and has since been renewed every three years. The last agreement, which expired in December 2022, was extended to cover part of 2023 until this agreement was signed.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who is making a working visit to Tunisia at the invitation of President Kais Saied, was received on Tuesday by Premier Najla Bouden at the Government Palace in Kasbah.

The two parties stressed the need to ensure “joint coordination” in the management of the migration issue and to prepare the best possible “practical and concrete” perceptions, visions and proposals as part of a “comprehensive approach”, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry.

This approach will have the merit of making it possible to find effective solutions to this phenomenon, to curb its growth, to understand its many facets and, finally, to decipher its causes and effects in a considered manner that respects the interests of the various parties involved, according to the same source.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that this visit would give a fresh impetus to bilateral cooperation relations and economic and investment relations within the European Union.

It was also hoped that the visit would lead to a joint strategy to address the challenges facing the two shores of the Mediterranean, particularly in the fight against the negative effects of migration.

Najla Bouden took the opportunity to stress the importance of Italy’s support for Tunisia in a number of areas, including investment, economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, renewable energies, energy transition programmes and the electricity interconnection between the two countries, and its role in creating a dynamic for cooperation, including with the European partner in general.

She expressed Tunisia’s desire to further strengthen these relations in order to cover new areas of cooperation with Italy.

She also emphasised the importance for Italian companies operating in Tunisia to focus more on activities and investments in promising sectors with high employment and added value. She mentioned the hydrocarbons, gas and clean energy sectors as examples, in addition to Italy’s continued cooperation under the “value chains” programme.

For her part, Meloni welcomed President Kaïs Saïed’s initiative to hold a high-level conference involving all the countries concerned by irregular migration. The ultimate aim is to tackle the origins and causes of this scourge.

Meloni also expressed her satisfaction at the “higher level” of coordination and cooperation with Tunisia on the challenges and issues raised. She reiterated her country’s willingness to stand by Tunisia, to strengthen its capacities and reform programmes and to promote the framework for this cooperation by seeking new lines of financing for Tunisia, whether with Italy, the European Union or the G7.

In this context, the Italian PM Welcomed Tunisia’s role and the importance of its strategic position as a gateway to the African continent and a bridge for cooperation between countries in the service of common interests.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Italy is pushing for an agreement between Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund that takes into account the country’s economic and social reality, said Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.

Meloni, who is making a friendship and working visit to Tunisia Tuesday, at the invitation of President Kais Saied, was speaking after a meeting with the President at the Palace of Carthage Tuesday.

She said she has raised this issue in the meeting that brought together the G7 countries in Hiroshima, Japan last May, as well as at the meetings of the European Union in Brussels.

Meloni stressing the need for the approach to be ‘pragmatic and realistic’ so that Tunisia can obtain funding opportunities from the European Union, which she said ‘is currently preparing for them’.

Italy is pushing to support Tunisia’s efforts to resolve the economic and social crisis by opening a funding line, announcing that pound 700 million will be injected to Tunisia to support priority life sectors such as health and services «in full respect of Tunisian sovereignty.»

She highlighted the importance of the existing cooperation between Tunisia and Italy, “who have a historical relationship and have always been cooperative.”

The Italian PM stressed her country’s keenness to always push for Tunisia’s growth, development and stability in the context of democracy, and to find realistic solutions through job creation, in order to «establish a standard of living worthy of Tunisians.»

Meloni reviewed the decades-old Tunisian-Italian cooperation, noting that more than 900 Italian companies are based in Tunisia. She also spoke of the new cooperation in the energy field, through the ELMED project, which connects the two shores of the Mediterranean.

She stressed that the Tunisian-Italian cooperation aims to strengthen the comprehensive approach, which is a ‘continuation of long-term cooperation’ in employment and reduction of irregular migration.

In this context, she expressed Italy’s appreciation for the efforts made by Tunisia to address irregular migration, which it said “starts mainly from the Sfax region.

Meloni said an international conference will soon be held in Rome to address this phenomenon, by adopting an “unconventional approach” in this direction, stressing that this conference will be an opportunity to bring together the views of Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund.

During his meeting with Meloni Tuesday, President Saied rejected any «diktats that may cause the situation to explode which will affect not only civil peace in Tunisia only, but also extend to the entire region without exception.»

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

State officials do not respect the law and that the situation in the country is in danger of deteriorating further, said president of the National Salvation Front, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi,.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday to shed light on the detention of Ennahdha leader Sahbi Atig, he added that while the country is facing a tough economic and social crisis, state officials are being sacked on the basis of their political and ideological affiliations.

Regarding the detention of Sahbi Atig, the head of the Front pointed out that the case was brought on the basis of a defamatory denunciation in 2016.

He regretted that the case against Sahbi Atig was damaging his political career.

For his part, Samir Dilou, a member of Sahbi Atig’s defence committee, pointed out that his client’s case file is empty, which explains his decision to go on hunger strike.

Dilou and Sahbi Atig’s wife blamed the examining magistrate for the deterioration of his health, claiming that he had been hospitalised seven times in less than a month.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Seychelles’ environment ministry continues to explore new ways to address the issue of plastic waste through new restrictions to be imposed on the use, possession, and commercial distribution of plastics and plastic products still in circulation, a high government official said on Monday.

Environment minister Flavien Joubert made the announcement in his message to commemorate World Environment Day, which is marked on June 5, annually.

In his message for World Environment Day, Joubert said that today is a good day to “remind ourselves that at this very moment, plastics and their hazardous additives continue to warm the climate, damage human health, and destroy ecosystems.”

“Plastics are not only found in landfills, but, they are also present in the oceans and in our bodies,” said Joubert.

Under the campaign ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, the theme for this year’s Environment Day focuses on solutions to plastic pollution.

“Whilst not a producer, Seychelles is an importer of plastics and plastic products. The protection of our natural environment including the marine environment is, therefore, crucial and remains one of our top priorities as we depend on it to sustain our economy through the fisheries and tourism industries,” said Joubert.

In 2017, Seychelles’ government placed a ban on the importation and sales of plastic bags, and plastic utensils including cups, forks, Styrofoam takeaway boxes, and plates. This was followed by a ban on single-use plastic straws in June 2019 and on balloons in 2021.

“I call upon every one of you, to reduce our plastic usage, recycle and dispose of plastic waste responsibly. Let us come together as a community, as a nation to tackle this issue,” said Joubert.

Aside from addressing the plastic issue, the Seychelles government is making strides to move towards a paperless economy, with one of the biggest achievements being at the airport.

In August 2021, Seychelles announced the roll-out of paperless entry for international arrivals in Seychelles. As of November 2022, citizens of Seychelles and permit holders starting their travel from Seychelles were required to submit embarkation information digitally as they prepare to exit the country.

In a bid to encourage recycling and minimise the amount of waste in Seychelles’ landfills, the country encourages the redeeming of PET and glass bottles as well as aluminium cans.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

The President of the United Seychelles (US) party, Patrick Herminie, has announced he will put his candidacy within his party to stand as a presidential candidate in the 2025 elections.

Herminie made the announcement in the second part of the 36th Annual Congress of the US at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS) on Saturday.

This comes after a resolution adopted by the Central Committee in the first part of the Congress. The resolution was to launch the process for the selection of the candidates for the 2025 elections. This is a process that will take up to three to six months. The confirmation of the candidates will be announced in an extraordinary congress next year.

“The congress has put an obligation on us to launch the process to choose our candidates for the presidential and national assembly elections. This is an invitation for all members who feel they are capable to come forward and submit their candidatures,” said Herminie.

He then announced that “today I would like to tell you that I personally have the intention of submitting my candidature.”

Herminie told supporters that “we should not be afraid because the new US will judge you on your performance and hard work and not on the opinion of one or two individuals.”

The sub-article 5.17, 31.2 and 31.3 of the party’s constitution addresses its internal process to select candidates for both the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Seychelles presidential elections are expected to take place in 2025 and United Seychelles.

Presidential elections in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, take place every five years.

There are currently three main political parties in the country – Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (Seychelles Democratic Alliance), which is the ruling party, United Seychelles, the main opposition party, and One Seychelles, a smaller party.

In the last elections in October 2020, President Wavel Ramkalawan, from the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa, won 54.9 percent of the votes followed by Danny Faure of the United Seychelles with 43.5 percent.

The LDS won 20 out of the 26 directly elected seats in the National Assembly and five proportionately elected seats.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, arrived this Monday in the Angolan capital, Luanda, for a two-day official visit.

António Costa heads a delegation made up of ministers who will hold meetings with their Angolan counterparts, aiming to lay out new areas of cooperation.

During the two-day visit, several bilateral cooperation agreements are to be signed, including a new strategic cooperation programme and a credit line reinforcement.

On Monday, António Costa will be received in a private meeting at the Presidential Palace by the Head of State, João Lourenço, and then the two officials will witness the meeting of the two countries’ delegations.

On the same day, the Portuguese Prime Minister plans to visit the Special Economic Zone located in the Municipality of Viana, where Portuguese businesspeople will be received.

For Tuesday, António Costa is scheduled to visit Banco Caixa Angola bank, the São Francisco do Penedo Fortress, as well as the Portuguese School of Luanda.

Angola and Portugal established diplomatic relations on March 9, 1976.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Portuguese bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) has agreed to fund the rehabilitation works of roads in some regions of Angola.

The contracts of works, that will cover the provinces of Cabinda, Moxico and Zaire, are part of strengthening cooperation between Angola and Portugal.

The work will include the 250 national road, in the Lumeje-Cameia-Lucano section (Moxico), on the Cacongo-Miconje axis (Cabinda) and conclusion and repair of the Nzeto-Soyo highway (Zaire).

The financing contracts were signed this Monday by the Angolan Finance minister Vera Daves, the chairman of the Executive Commission of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos bank Paulo José Semedo and the Portuguese Prosecutor João Manuel de Castro Placido Pires.

A total of 13 legal documents were signed in the presence of the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, and the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, who is visiting the country for the second time, after 2018.

António Costa has been in Angola for an official visit, at the invitation of the President João Lourenço.

Angola and Portugal established diplomatic relations on 9 March, 1976.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)