MEPs discuss migration management

EU-Africa, Immigration

The European Parliament has hosted the conference on migration management ahead of the EU summit to launch a platform for regular dialogue between all actors involved.

It has addressed responsibility sharing among Member States, ensuring a stable and secure environment both in and at the external borders of the EU, and tackling the root causes of migration through cooperation with third countries.

The European Parliament is committed to acting effectively upon the Rome Declaration,
which prioritises “a Europe in which citizens are safe and can travel freely; a Europe with  secure external borders and a responsible, sustainable migration policy that complies with international standards; and a Europe that is determined to fight terrorism and organized crime”.

European Parliament Presse Centre, waiting for the president Antonio Tajani.

 

 

EU diplomacy looking forward towards elections in Kenya

East Africa, EU-Africa, Politics

20.06.2017. Brussels. Today the EU top diplomat Federica Mogherini met with Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya.

The forthcoming general elections in Kenya on 8 August 2017 were discussed. Amina Mohamed welcomed the deployment of the EU Election Observation Mission to contribute to transparent, credible and peaceful elections, while the EU diplomat confirmed the bloc’s commitment to be a key partner of Kenya.

The EU diplomat recognised Kenya’s significant role in hosting refugees from Somalia and South Sudan and ensured that the EU will continue to support Kenya in this respect.

Mogherini underlined that Kenya is also playing a crucial role in the region in terms of peace and security. The EU will remain a staunch supporter of this work  including AMISOM, the African Union peace keeping force in Somalia, in full recognition that a stable and peaceful Somalia is crucial for the security of the region and in view of a sustainable solution to the refugee situation.

As regards economic integration within East Africa and trade cooperation with the EU, they touched upon the state of play of EU-East African Community Economic Partnership Agreement.

The EU looks forward to a reinforced partnership with Kenya after the conduct of the upcoming elections in August.

Forward towards Sahel G5 joint force!

Central Africa, EU-Africa, Politics

Luxembourg, 19.06.2017. Today, the Council adopted conclusions on Mali and the Sahel recalling its strong integrated approach towards achieving stabilisation of the region. This approach includes full range of relevant instruments in the field of diplomacy, long-term development cooperation, support to human rights, stabilisation efforts, resilience building, humanitarian assistance, migration management and security, including CSDP missions.

The Council strongly condemns yesterday’s terrorist attack in Bamako.

The Council reiterates its full support to the implementation of the Malian Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, with full involvement of civil society, women and youth, as the only way to restore peace and security in the country. The High Representative’s participation on 5 June 2017 to the Comité de suivi de l’accord de paix (CSA) in Bamako confirms the strong commitment of the EU to the agreement. The EU also encourages an enhanced engagement of the G5 Sahel countries in the Malian peace process.

The EU commends the political leadership of the G5 Sahel countries, ECOWAS and the African Union in their efforts to support regional security, development and reconciliation. The EU welcomes the initiative of the Heads of State of the G5 Sahel on the establishment of the G5 Sahel Joint Force. The EU has been the first to announce a financial contribution, with EUR 50 million as planned support to this initiative.

President Tajani s’adresse à la Côte d’Ivoire

EU-Africa, Immigration, West Africa

«Grace à la diversification et à une base industrielle, la Côte-d’Ivoire se classe parmi les économies les plus dynamiques du monde. Avec une croissance estimée à 8% cette année, elle se place en tête du continent africain. La Côte-d’Ivoire doit servir d’exemple à d’autres pays du continent, en particulier en Afrique de l’Ouest» a déclaré le Président du Parlement européen à l’issue de sa rencontre avec le Président de la Côte-d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara.

«Nous devons approfondir notre partenariat et notre coopération avec la Côte d’Ivoire dans de nombreux domaines» a souligné Tajani, expliquant que : «la venue en plénière du Président Ouattara, un mois après celle du Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine, Moussa Faki Mahamat, confirme que l’Afrique est une priorité pour l’Union européenne.»

Le Président Tajani a poursuivi: «la Côte d’Ivoire a un enjeu démographique mais un potentiel économique extraordinaire. Il faut donc investir dans la jeunesse en donnant des perspectives futures. Pour cela, une vraie diplomatie économique est nécessaire qui encourage les PME, l’entreprenariat, aussi féminin, et regarde aux secteurs porteurs de croissance comme le numérique.»

«Je salue aussi le fort engagement du Président Ouattara dans la lutte contre la menace terroriste. Il ne faut pas oublier que la Côte d’Ivoire aussi a été frappée par des attaques. La coopération entre l’Union européenne, la CÉDÉAO et l’Union Africaine est cruciale dans ce domaine, en particulier dans le Sahel et en Lybie pour éviter que les groupes terroristes se propagent dans d’autres régions du continent africain», a conclu Tajani.

 

Président Ouattara au Parlement européen à Strasbourg

Uncategorized

Le Président du Parlement européen Antonio Tajani reçoit le Président de la Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara:

«Je salue aussi le fort engagement du Président Ouattara dans la lutte contre la menace terroriste. Il ne faut pas oublier que la Côte d’Ivoire aussi a été frappée par des attaques. La coopération entre l’Union européenne, la CÉDÉAO et l’Union Africaine est cruciale dans ce domaine, en particulier dans le Sahel et en Lybie pour éviter que les groupes terroristes se propagent dans d’autres régions du continent africain», a dit le présdident Antonio Tajani.

«Grace à la diversification et à une base industrielle, la Côte-d’Ivoire se classe parmi les économies les plus dynamiques du monde. Avec une croissance estimée à 8% cette année, elle se place en tête du continent africain. La Côte-d’Ivoire doit servir d’exemple à d’autres pays du continent, en particulier en Afrique de l’Ouest» a déclaré le Président du Parlement européen à l’issue de sa rencontre avec le Président de la Côte-d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara. (Strasbourg, 16.06.2017).

 

Al-Shabaab strikes in Mogadishu

East Africa, Security

A suicide car bombing and assault by Shabaab militants on two neighbouring restaurants in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu ended on the 15th of June, in the morning with 18 dead, a government spokesman said.

“The operation is over now and the gunmen were killed by the security forces,” said Mohamed Ahmed Arab, spokesman for Somalia’s security ministry.

 

 

Colonel Gaddafi’s son liberated by militants

Conflict, EU-Africa, Human rights, Maghreb

 

Said al-Islam Gaddafi –  the youngest son of the assassinated Colonel Gaddafi (+20.10.2011) the longstanding leader of Libya – has been realised by the supporters of his father, according to sources from Tobruk Parliament.

The mean stream media (MSM) does not inform about the detail of his liberation. According to the BBC sources,  Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of  Col Muammar Gaddafi, is said to have been freed “under an amnesty”. His father’s preferred successor, he had been held by a militia in the town of Zintan for the past six years after Gaddafi’s assassination,

“The death of Muammar Gaddafi on the 20th of October last year in Syrte is one of the questions to be clarified. There is a serious suspicion that this act was one of the war crimes” – said Luis Moreno-Camp the General prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) commenting on the death  (Le Figaro, 16 December 2011). At the moment it is unclear is Saif Al Islam would launch a legal action to investigate the assassination of his father, casting a long shadow on the Western leaders, especially on former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The assassination of Colonel Gaddafi lead to collapse of the Libyan state, and taking over of the immense Libyan territories by multiple groups of jihadists  – the consequences the Western leaders have not foreseen, when they started to bombard Libya, violating  the UN resolution 1973. The assassination of Gaddafi, and subsequent collapse of Libyan state became a detonator of an ongoing #migrantcrisis in Europe.