Metro

AU Chairperson equates Africa to ‘collateral victim’ of Ukraine war

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2022

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has described the continent as the “collateral victim” of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Mahamat who disclosed in a message on Wednesday as the AU marks African Day, said the situation has further dented the continent’s ability to fulfil its “enormous promise and potential.”

The African Day is celebrated every year on May 25, which is the anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, which later metamorphosed into the African Union in July 2002.

In the message as the AU begins a three-day summit in Equatorial Guinea, Mahamat said as a result of the Russian-Ukraine war, Africa has been thrown into an economic crisis as many countries in the continent depended heavily on Russia and Ukraine who both produce approximately a third of global wheat and barley, and two-thirds of the world’s exports of sunflower oil used for cooking.

Mahamat added that the conflict has damaged Ukraine’s maritime and agricultural infrastructure, and that could limit its agricultural production for years which would continue to have a telling effect on Africa.

“By profoundly upsetting the fragile global geopolitical and geostrategic balance, it has also cast a harsh light on the structural fragility of our economies.

“The war in Ukraine is creating a perfect storm for developing countries, especially in Africa.

“This crisis is resulting in soaring costs for food, energy and fertilizer with devastating consequences on nutrition and food systems, while making it even more difficult for the continent to mobilize the financial resources needed to invest in its people.

“The most emblematic sign of these fragilities is the food crisis following the climatic disorders, the health crisis of COVID-19, amplified today by the conflict in Ukraine.

“This crisis is characterised by a shrinking world supply of agricultural products and a soaring inflation of food prices.

“And now, the continent has been hit hard by rising food costs caused partly by disruptions linked to the war,” the AU chair said.

Related Topics:Africa African Union Featured Russian-Ukraine War

Click to comment

Metro

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Published

1 hour ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those residing in rural areas about their digital rights, resulting in limited access to media platforms for free expression.

Libila underscored the marginalization of people with disabilities in discussions on community development, leading to their exclusion from voicing their perspectives.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Eastern Province, Libila discussed the discrimination and stigma faced by individuals with disabilities in the media landscape.

Read More: Differently-abled person speaks on challenges impacting freedom of expression in rural areas

“Persons with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to community developments,” he emphasized.

Moreover, as someone with a physical disability, Libala pointed out shortcomings in the Cybersecurity Act which failed to adequately address online barriers to freedom of expression.

“The act fails to ensure online safety for all; it only offers protection to certain groups while neglecting others,” he asserted.

He stressed the importance of bridging these gaps to foster inclusivity within the media.

“There’s a lack of sign language interpreters in most media outlets, which poses challenges for the deaf community,” he observed.

Libila also emphasized the necessity of providing braille reading materials and writing tools for individuals who are blind.

“Even basic resources like braille books are often unavailable for the blind,” he lamented.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Tinubu, who made the assertion in Hague, The Netherlands, during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, insisted that though some of the policies had brought hardship on Nigerian masses, he was not afraid to implement more of such policies as they would yield positive results in the end.

“I am a determined leader of my people. I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” Tinubu said.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

The President also noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.