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Nov. 9, 2018

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AFRICAN WORLD 647.785.5553 Ilhan Omar, first African-born and female Muslim elected to US Congress She arrived in the United States as a refu- Labour Party wing of the Democratic gee with her parents from Somalia. But today party under which she was first she has just been elected to the US Congress elected to the Minnesota House of representing a Minnesota district. Representatives in 2016. A fervent Ilhan Omar, became the first female Mus- critic of Israel, calling it an lim and African-born to be elected to the US “apartheid regime”, she says those House of Representatives beating conserva- who call her anti-Semitic have no tive activist Jennifer Zielinski. clue of the difference between criti- Omar joins a myriad of “firsts” to emerge cising the policies of the Israeli gov- in the November 6 midterm elections in the ernment and hating Jewish people, United States; among them the first openly in effect saying she does not hate gay governorship candidate Jared Polis who Jewish people but detests the policies of the against her “are rooted in bigotry toward a belief won in Colorado, and first two Native Ameri- Israeli state against Palestinians. “Even Jewish about what Muslims are stereotyped to believe.” cans elected to congress. people criticise the policies of the Israeli gov- By Peter Uduehi Omar belongs to the Democratic Farmer ernment, “ she said, stressing that criticisms

France's World Cup win stirs debate on anti- immigrant sentiment in Europe This story was first published in Now Toronto Maga- mense work and flourishing of the cultures that tries around the world by some 9.4 per cent. zine and originally written by have contributed to their successes. You don’t have The institute’s study also emphasizes that proper African World’s Peter Uduehi... to look too far to find examples that immigration integration makes new immigrants less burden- brings a net benefit to a country, not just in sports.” some to society, and figures across the board show "The old right in Europe was not against immi- According to the that immigrant populations are more em- grants because they provided cheap labour, but Inter Press Ser- ployed than native-born and commit less the alt-right is interested only in stirring fear to vice (IPS), a non- crime. get into power." profit news agen- “Statistics generally also favour migrants in the cy specializing in area of crime,” says Dillon. “There are studies In the face of growing anti-immigrant senti- globalization, pointing to these facts contrary to what some ment in the United States and parts of Europe, development people want others to believe. It is true in Swe- France’s national team triumphed in the recently and aid, statistics den, Finland and the United States.” concluded World Cup with a squad composed from almost eve- The cynics, however, continue to be egged on mostly of players whose families are originally ry country in by opportunistic politicians selling fake nation- from Africa. Europe – includ- alism, in particular U.S. president Donald , , , ing countries France striker Kylian Mbappe Trump, whose abusive rhetoric against mi- Kylian Mbappé, , , Samuel where anti-immigrant parties are on the rise – re- grants is well known. Umtiti, and are veal the significant contributions immigrants make Trump criticized the European Union policy on the children of African immigrants who found a to the economy. immigration on his trip there recently, saying mi- new home in France. Yet, myths about immigration persist. gration is “a very negative thing for Europe. You There are others among the team, like Olivier “The old right,” notes IPS founder Roberto Savio in are changing culture,” he warned. Giroud and , whose parents a recent news report, “was not against immigrants, Early this year, Trump said Africans in the United emigrated from other parts of Europe to France. In because they provided cheap labour. It was mildly States “come from shithole countries,” even while fact, only two in the starting lineup – Benjamin nationalist but was never xenophobic (Jews apart). African immigrants in the U.S. account for 57 per Pavard and – can lay claim to be- The alternative right is not interested in statistics cent of university graduates and are actually the ing full-blooded Frenchmen. and economics. It is interested only in stirring fear, most educated ethnic group in the American work- It’s the second time France has won the World Cup to get to power.” force. with a similar composition of immigrants’ sons In its own 2016 study, the U.S.-based management On the opening day of his campaign for president having raised the trophy with the great Zinedine consulting giant McKinsey Global Institute makes in 2016, he lashed out at Mexicans as criminals, say- Zidane as captain in 1998. Zidane’s background is the following observations: “The movement of peo- ing “they bring in crime.” Algerian. ple to regions where they can be more productive But recent figures released by the Public Policy In- “It is not only in sport that immigrants show their boosts output; many of the world’s leading destina- stitute of California show that people born outside mettle and ability to excel. In almost every sphere tions are also aging societies that can benefit from the United States make up about 35 per cent of Cal- of human endeavour, immigrants make immense the labour-force growth and improved old-age de- ifornia’s adult population but account for about 17 contributions to their new environment,” notes pendency ratios that an influx of immigrants can per cent of the adult prison population. Paul Dillon, managing editor of the media and bring.” Critics of immigration, says Spanish philosopher communications division at the Geneva, Switzer- The report goes on to say that the benefits of immi- Adela Cortina, are not only perverted by bigotry, land-based International Organization for Migra- gration “have ripple effects that persist well into but a hatred for poor people. According to Cortina, tion, which provides services and advice on immi- the second and third generations. Yet policy discus- “football players, artists and rich people, even gration to governments and migrants, including sions surrounding immigration in many countries those who are Muslims, like princes, are most wel- internally displaced persons, refugees and migrant tend to focus on determining the right numbers come in Europe. Those who are not welcome are workers. and mix of people to admit rather than finding the the poor.” “I am Canadian from Quebec, and my parents were right formula for integration.” And almost all of the African-born footballers on immigrants, too,” says Dillon. “I can tell you that By 2015, migrants produced 2.5 trillion dollars in the victorious French team will tell you that their Canada and America and many European nations the U.S. economy, 2.3 trillion dollars in Western immigrant parents, too, were once very poor. will not be what they are today without the im- Europe and generally increased the GDP of coun- African World News Nov. 9, 2018 Page 2

Are investigative journalists facing more threats in Africa?

Anonymous threats. Police harassment. Hostile officials. The constant, hovering cloud of self- censorship, social exclusion and forced exile. And Ghana must do more to fight floods to top it all off: low pay. Welcome to the life of a typical African investiga- rather than just coping with them tive journalist. In recent years, intrepid African reporters have played a key role in uncovering corruption, hu- Ghana has a serious flood problem. Over about 50 should include; a 24 hour monitoring and warning ser- man rights abuses, gang violence, drug and wild- years, 4 million people have been affected by floods, vice during peak rain seasons and an education pro- life crimes, and other unsavory dealings; but, says resulting in economic damage exceeding USD$780 mil- gram to help communities understand the risk, respect South African journalism professor Anton Har- lion. At least one major flood disaster has occurred eve- the warnings and know how to respond ry year over the past 10 years. Social protection - like affordable social housing - ber, that's come at a cost. Floods are not uncommon in West Africa. Rainfall vari- which will move more people out of informal settle- "There's a tale of repression, assassination, harass- ability and land use changes have made them increas- ments built in flood prone zones ment, jailing," he told VOA. "It's pretty rough out ingly common throughout the region. Strategies aimed at improving the natural environment there." In Ghana's urban areas, like Accra and Kumasi, floods - for example, creating riparian buffer zones that protect Each year since 2004, the professor has hosted a are mostly triggered by seasonal rainfall combined with and expand wetlands so that vegetation slows and ab- conference that brings hundreds of African inves- poor drainage, the dumping of waste into waterways sorbs flood waters tigative journalists to Johannesburg to talk about and the low elevation of settlements. In northern Gha- Encourage households to adapt and advise on actions the business and make connections. Even among na, some floods are caused by spillage from a dam in they can take, like using more water resistant building the hardcore crowd, Muno Gedi stands out. Burkina Faso. materials The floods expose communities to health risks, food Restore lagoons and rivers She's an investigative journalist in what is possi- shortages and mental stress. Proper waste management. Ghana has a huge solid bly the world's toughest dateline: Mogadishu, The problem is Ghana's government currently reacts to waste problem. Poor disposal of solid waste often leads Somalia's unstable capital. Gedi writes about top- the floods using coping strategies. These don't deal to the blocking of drains and drainage systems, pre- ics like the traditional practice of female genital with the underlying risks, are expensive and don't con- venting flood waters from flowing through. mutilation, the sale of international food aid in sider that floods will get worse. The government must Moving homes and businesses out of flood prone loca- refugee camps, and the ongoing, relentless con- take steps towards more proactive flood risk manage- tions. They can choose to do this, or the government can flict between Somali clans and militant groups. ment. facilitate it by buying out at-risk properties Reactive strategies Build new homes on elevated ground or foundations Gedi says she often receives threats, many of After every flood, the country's national disaster man- Strict planning to avoid construction in flood-prone agement organisation - along with the military, police, areas them anonymous. and other emergency personnel - is deployed for rescue Deal with spillage from dams by building canals that "I think the investigative journalism in the world and emergency relief. channel the water. These can be dammed and the water is always risky, especially Somalia; it is a risky The government then repairs damaged infrastructure, used for irrigation. area," she said. "So when you work for the investi- clears waterways and demolishes properties built close The initial cost of adaptation measures will be expen- gative journalism in Somalia, it's not easy." to drainage channels. sive, but it will pay off. Research shows that for every Reporters without Borders says Somalia is the The problem is this doesn't deal with the underlying US$1 spent on flood risk reduction, it saves at least deadliest country for reporters in sub-Saharan causes of the floods, or prepare people for them. Money US$4 to US$9 otherwise spent in an emergency re- Africa, with two journalists killed this year in that could go towards future prevention is instead sponse when disaster occurs. The Netherlands is a clas- connection with their work. spent on perpetual cycles of recovery. sic example of a country that has taken flood risk adap- tation seriously. A quarter of the country is below sea In Tanzania, the Committee to Protect Journalists These coping strategies will get more costly because the level and 60% of its people in flood-risk areas but the says the government has in the last three years flood risk is set to get worse. The amount of rainfall measures it has taken have reduced the likelihood of implemented harsh legislation and harassed jour- classified as "heavy" is projected to increase between major flooding. nalists and bloggers. 2010 and 2050, with the wet seasons projected to get Ghana can take advantage of predictions and past expe- Newspaper journalist Kelvin Matandiko says he wetter and the dry seasons drier. riences of floods to aggressively pursue flood risk ad- feels that every day. This will be felt intensely in the urban areas as popula- aptation. Failure to do this will increase flood disasters, "It's a shock to different journalists who were ex- tions continue to grow. Already, about 40% of Accra is and social and economic disruptions. perienced in working in free areas like Tanzania," classified as "highly he told VOA. "But the current political regime has prone" to flooding. This will increase as, due to come with new changes and I don't know what is more building, less water the reason behind this, but we believe that this is will drain into the soil. to kill our media industry." The case for flood risk It all comes down to integrity, says Premium adaptation Times publisher Dapo Olorunyomi. And in his The government needs to notoriously corrupt country of Nigeria, Olorun- make the country more yomi says that sometimes means shining a light resilient and able to with- on the threats that come from within journalism stand the challenges posed itself. He pointed to the recent terminations or by intense and frequent floods. proposed dismissals of 15 VOA Hausa service Ghana participates in a employees after an investigation found they had variety of adaptation pro- accepted improper payments from a top Nigerian grammes. Like the resili- official. ent cities network and the He says that's what makes investigative journal- Africa Adaptation Pro- ism so hard: The truth trumps all, even when the gram. But this hasn't trans- truth hurts. lated into action. "Nigerians are really very upset about that, I must The government has also let you know," he said. "Especially for those who taken on projects to protect against floods, but these are doing their jobs daily, trying to hold public are focused on the coastal officials accountable in Nigeria. That's a difficult areas. For example the job in itself, not to add this kind of embarrassing Keta sea defence project. situation to it. So we are generally upset about it, but I think VOA management has also done what The current greater Accra it must do. It was the right thing to do." Metropolitan Area sanita- Journalism professor Harber said one of the most tion and water project is worrying threats to journalism lies far beyond constructing drains and Africa's borders. Just this week, U.S. President culverts in Accra. But this isn't a major part of the Donald Trump described what he called the "fake project. news media" as the "true enemy of the people." Much more needs to be American and international media houses have done. Ghana must fully widely refuted and condemned these statements. transition from coping Harber says these words resonate globally. strategies, to proactive, "There's no question that dictators or potential long-term measures. These dictators here cite things being said in places like include: Washington to support the view that things need Structural flood protection to be done about the media and the way they be- measures - like storm drains or levees. These have." need to be constructed to Gedi, Matandiko and Olorunyomi laughed when protect all at risk areas, asked why they like such difficult, thankless and not just the coastal work. But then they all paused, and gave some areas version of the same answer: Because, they said, Improve early warning people deserve the truth. systems to ensure timely flood risk alerts. This African World News November 9, 2018 Page 3

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African World News Assignment Page 4 Nov 9, 2018 What’s the real cost for a plate of food around the world? Geneva — How much would you expect to pay for the cency, and it's why we - the World Food Programme and organics," Paul Holmbeck, Political Director of 'Organic most basic plate of food? The kind of thing you might other humanitarian partners - are there. Denmark', told IPS. The importance of being organic and whip up at home - nothing fancy, just enough to fill you agroecological.The policies of Sikkim and Denmark, as However, the impact of WFP and other humanitarian up and meet a third of today's calorie needs. A soup, well as those of Ecuador and Brazil -- countries that also actors in saving and changing lives cannot be sustained maybe, or a simple stew - some beans or lentils, a hand- received Silver Awards -- are steps towards a world without political investment, good governance, transpar- ful of rice, bread, or corn? where agroecology becomes widespread and practiced ent markets, and wider partnerships. globally. In fact, to conceive cultivated land as ecosys- In the rich Global North - say, in New York State, USA - Societies cannot lift themselves out of the poverty trap if tems themselves, in which every living and nonliving families are continuously priced out of providing their component affects every other component, is vital to ob- children with the nutritional meals essential for them to tain not only healthy and organic food, but also to pre- develop into healthy and productive adults, if climate serve our environment. degradation continues to threaten food security and de- Indeed, it would be a mistake to think that having organ- velopment gains, and if protracted conflicts continue to ic products on our tables necessarily means having destroy societies and force young talent elsewhere. solved all problems related to intensive agriculture and With a concerted global effort, the international commu- to the damages on the environment. nity can achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals "Agroecology is one approach that applies ecological and end hunger and malnutrition. Governments must concepts and principles to food and farm systems, focus- engage with and support their developing country coun- ing on the interaction between micro-organisms, plants, terparts in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and disaster animals, humans and the environment, to foster sustaina- risk reduction. ble agriculture development, in order to ensure food such a meal would cost almost nothing to make: 0.6 per- security and nutrition for all, now and in the future," cent of the average daily income, or US$1.20. The private sector must embrace that turning a profit can go hand in hand with advancing the Sustainable Devel- Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director General, In parts of the developing world, by contrast, food af- opment Goals (SDGs) through employing young people told IPS. "It is based on co-creation of knowledge, shar- fordability can shrink to the point of absurdity: in South to boost incomes, sourcing from smallholder farms, and ing and innovation, combining local, traditional, indige- Sudan, a country born out of war and disintegrating into through working alongside leaders to strengthen supply nous practices with multi-disciplinary science." Acording more war, the meal-to-income ratio is 300 times that of chains. to the report, The World of Organic Agriculture 2018 - industrialized countries. The shocking and outraging numbers in this year's Statistics and Emerging Trends, released earlier this year It is, in other words, as if a New Yorker had to pay nearly "Counting the Beans" index highlight that peaceful socie- and authored by the Research Institute of Organic Agri- US$348.36 for the privilege of cooking and eating that ties and affordable food go hand in hand. We have the culture (FiBL) and IFOAM, 57.8 million hectares (ha) plate of food. modern technological capacities to end world hunger, worldwide were farmed organically in 2016. This is an but first we must end the conflict that fosters it. increase of 7.5 million ha (or 13 percent) compared to the How do people in South Sudan afford it? It's simple. previous year. In 2016, the share of land dedicated to They don't. Together, we can work towards reversing the figures in organic farmland increased across the globe: Europe (6.7 this year's index, and ensure that in the future, nobody This is not a unique issue to South Sudan. Across the percent increase), Asia (34 percent increase), Africa (7 will have to work a day and a half to afford a simple board, food is becoming ever less affordable in poorer percent increase), Latin America (6 percent increase), meal. countries that are subject to political instabilities. North America (5 percent increase). Australia had the largest agricultural area farmed organically (27.2 million Lack of access to food, and the costliness of it, have many New verdict on organ- ha), followed by Argentina (3 million ha), and China (2.3 causes: climate extremes, natural disasters, post-harvest million ha). In 2016, there were 2.7 million organic farm- losses, or bad governance, all of which can damage- or ers. even shatter- farming supply chains and markets. ic foods—policy works Around 40 percent of whom live in Asia, followed by But, one overriding cause stands out: conflict. At WFP, Rome — Many countries and farmers around the world Africa (27 percent) and Latin America (17 percent). Ac- we've long known that hunger and war are tragically are not readily making the switch to organic farming. But cording to the report, the total area devoted in Asia to symbiotic. Which makes it that much harder to eradicate the small Himalayan mountain state of Sikkim, which organic agriculture was almost 4.9 million ha in 2016 and the one without ending the other. borders Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, is the first 100 percent there were 1.1 million organic producers in the region, The 2018 edition of WFPs Counting the Beans: The True organic farming state in the world. with India being the country with the highest number of Cost of a Plate of Food Around the World index, now organic producers (835,000). So the success of Sikkim is Earlier this month, Sikkim, won the Future Policy Award spanning 52 countries, underscores this clear correlation not surprising considering that the Asian continent can 2018 (FPA) for being the first state in the world to declare between food affordability costs and political stability be considered among the regions at the forefront of or- itself, in 2015, 100 percent organic. and security. ganic production. Its path towards becoming completely organic started in The index looks at whether food costs for the original 33 However, favouring the scale up of agroecology, which 2003, when Chief Minister Pawan Chamling announced countries analyzed in 2017 have risen or fallen, and com- includes producing organic products, is unfortunately the political vision to make Sikkim "the first organic state pares costs for the same meal in some of the world's not that simple. "To harness the multiple sustainability of India". The FPA, also known as the 'Oscar for Best poorest places with one of its richest, by using a New benefits that arise from agroecological approaches, as Policies' is organised every year by the World Future York baseline to highlight vast gaps in global food af- enabling environment is required, including adapted Council (WFC). The aim of the FPA is to investigate solu- fordability. policies, public investments, institutions and research tions to the challenges in today's world. The WFC looks priorities," said Semedo. "However, this is not yet a reali- at which policies have a holistic and long-term outlook, In many countries, it was found that food affordability ty in the majority of countries." Indeed, poverty, malnu- and which protect the rights of future generations. And measured in this way has actually improved since 2017. trition, unfair distribution of wealth, decreasing of biodi- once a year the WFC awards showcases the very best of This is situational, thanks to strong economic growth, versity, deterioration of natural resources like soil and them. This year, in cooperation with IFOAM-Organics political stability, and/or a better rainy season- or in the water, and climate change are significant challenges in International (IFOAM) and the Food and Agriculture case of southern Africa- humanitarian assistance helping most countries. to offset the effects of severe drought. Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the FPA de- cided to focus on the best policies to scale up agroecolo- Agriculture will become one of the greatest challenges, if Though despite such progress made in many countries gy. In 2004, one year after the vision was announced, not addressed properly. Therefore, moving towards through the past year, food costs are often still intensely Sikkim adopted its Policy on Organic Farming and in more sustainable agriculture and food systems is certain- disproportionate in relation to income. This is the case 2010, the state launched the Organic Mission, an action ly a potential part of the solution, not only for our health across much of Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and, to a plan to implement the policy. In 2015, thanks to strong and wellness but for the planet itself. lesser degree, of Latin America. political coherence and strategy planning, the goal was "It's vital for everyone to be organic [and] for every per- achieved. Among the countries surveyed for the study, Peru tops son to eat organic because otherwise people would eat the list with the most affordable plate at the NY equiva- Among the noteworthy measures adopted by Sikkim poison and basically writing a recipe for chronic diseases. lent of US$ 3.44, just 1.6 percent of per capita income, vs. during that decade, the fact that 80 percent of the budget It could be cancer [as well as] neurological problems," what that same plate would cost in New York, amount- between 2010 and 2014 was intended to build the capaci- warned Vandana Shiva, a food and agriculture expert ing to 0.6 percent of per capita income. ty of farmers, rural service providers and certification and member of the WFC, told IPS during the ceremony While Laos and Jordan are close runners-up to Peru, oth- bodies. The budget also supported farmers in acquiring of the Future Policy Award 2018 at FAO headquarters in er countries have deteriorated. Almost invariably, these certifications, and had various measures to provide farm- Rome this October. ers with quality organic seeds. Best practices on agroecol- are nations where peace has been (further) eroded by "Organic is the only living solution to climate change. ogy: Denmark's Organic Action Plan. violence, insecurity or political tension, including South Chemical farming is a very big contributor to greenhouse Sudan- where the cost of a plate of food has soared from The WFC has also rewarded other government policies gas emissions but organic farming takes the excess car- the exorbitant 155 percent of daily income in 2016 (USD with Silver Awards, Vision Awards and Honourable bon out of the atmosphere and puts it in the soil," she $321.70) to 201.7 percent of daily income in 2018 (USD Mentions. Among the Silver awardees was Denmark's added. $348.36). Organic Action Plan, which has become a popular policy However, there seems to be a large consensus with the planning tool in European countries over the last decade. It now costs twice the national daily income to buy a fact that the planet needs to move towards a more sus- Almost 80 percent of Danes purchase organic food and plate of food in South Sudan. Northeast Nigeria took tainable way of living and this is a reason for optimism. second to last place, at USD $222.05, or 128.6 percent of today the country has the highest organic market share daily income in 2018, up from USD $200.32, or 121 per- in the world (13 percent). "I'm very optimistic about organics [because] we are cre- ating new solutions for climate and animal welfare, sus- cent of daily income in 2016. "What has made Danish consumers among the most en- tainability and good soil every single day," said thusiastic organic consumers [in the world], is that we These abysmal numbers highlight the vast gaps in global Holmbeck. "Governments are starting to see that organic have done a lot of consumer information and we have food affordability, where 821 million people go hungry food policy works: it is good for farmers, for consumers worked strategically with the supermarkets to place or- while elsewhere one can get a simple nutritious meal and for the planet." with a just a handful of change. ganics as part of their strategy to appeal to consumers on the value of food, putting more value into food through The fact that this still occurs defies both reason and de- African World News Page 05 Nov 9, 2018

News of theAFRICAN World Egypt kills Coptic Christian attackers

Nineteen Islamist militants accused of carrying out a deadly attack on Christians in Bloody protests erupted after President Bongo was officially declared the win- Egypt have been killed by police, the interior ministry says. ner by a razor-thin margin. Mr Bongo, whose family has governed the west They died in a shoot-out after police pursued "fugitive terrorist elements" into the African nation for some 50 years, is currently being treated at a hospital in desert area west of Minya province, the statement said. Saudi Arabia'sSince capital Riyadh. APRIL, 2016... Seven Coptic Christians were killed in an attack on two buses near a monastery in There has been no official news about the president's condition since an initial Minya on Friday. announcementGovt 10 days Grant ago that he was of extremely $20,000 tired and needed to rest. The Islamic State (IS) group has said it carried out the attack. - Guaranteed Sale of Your Home or I Will Sell it After the 2016 poll, Gabon's opposition claimed the vote had been rigged and It was the latest in a series of attacksFor FREE** by extremists on Egypt's Coptic Christian mi- demandedAvailable a recount - but for this was Peel rejected byResidents the country's constitutional nority. The ministry said -security Access forces to Power had exchangedof Sales Bank fire -withOwned "terrorist Prop- elements" court. erties and Foreclosures To Buy Their Own Home they were pursuing, although it did not say exactly when the firefight happened. In its ruling, the court partially changed the results of the bitterly-fought elec- - First Time Home Buyers The ministry posted images of bodies and a tent in which the militants were said to  tion, givingYou’re President Eligible IfBongo you are50.66% currently of the vote renting and Mr Ping 47.24%. have been hiding. Guns, rifles and IS propaganda can be seen next to the bodies. in Peel Region Friday's attack near the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor in Minya also left at least seven other people wounded, including children, according to reports.  MaliGrant on firstthanks-come first-serve UN basis… for peace

Funerals were held for the victims on Friday and Saturday, with many mourners ex-  MalianContact President me Ibrahimimmediately!! Boubacar Keita, whose West African country has pressing their anger. benefitted from a 15,000-strong United Nations Stabilization Force "What do these terrorists want? Do they want us to hate Muslims?" said Michel, 23, (MINUSMA) to bring peace after Tuareg rebels and militant Islamists devas- who lost a neighbour in the attack. tated its northern and central regions, mounted the General Assembly podium on Wednesday to thank the world Organization for "its immense and multi- The Copts, who make up most of the Christian minority, have in the past accused the 647.891.2367 dimensional" support. "This is the place to pay homage to the women and authorities in Muslim-majority Egypt of making only token gestures to protect them Mortgage payment $763* bi-weekly with 10% down men of MINUSMA for their engagement and their sacrifice in a security situa- from such attacks. payment, And be a landlord of 3 Bedroom Semi- tion Detachedthat I know Home is complex Located and Near difficult," Public Transit,he told Heads of State and Govern- Schools And Shopping. Built-In Garage Has En- One at the same spot left 28 dead in May 2017. menttrance on the To secondThe Basement day of With the 9FtAssembly's ceiling. annual general debate. MINUSMA was set up in 2013. "I reiterate the profound gratitudeNajeeb of the people Sumraniand Government of Mali to- wards the United Nations, Sales our bilateral Representative/ and multilateral Real partners, Estate for their Gabon opposition leader constant support in our emergence from crisis." At the same time, he called forResidential making the UN even more relevant and effi- reignites election row cient for all by adopting reforms, including enlarging the 15-member Security Council,Najeeb Sumranithe only UN body whose decisions are legally binding, by increasing Gabon's opposi- representationSales Reprsentative for African  and Commercialother developing countries, and strengthening tion leader Jean the powers of the 193-Member Assembly, whose decisions are non-binding. Ping has again On the domestic front, Mr. Keita noted that Mali continued on its path to sta- claimed victory  bility with last month's presidentialBusiness elections, in which he won a second term in elections held Mortgage payment $351* bi-weekly with 10% down and which,payment. despite 2 Bed room, all sorts Clean, of Bright,challenges Rooms were Just held in conditions hailed by the in 2016, as Presi- Painted. Brand New Refrigerator & Stove., B/In Dish- dent Ali Bongo internationalwasher As community.Is. Balcony Looks He Out pledged To Bramalea to restore City faith between the State and its citizensCenter and highlighted the returnInvestments of civil administration to northern areas is being treated Direct: in a hospital that had been riven by conflict. He also noted his efforts to combat poverty, abroad. (416)promote youth and invest in infrastructure, including road building, agricul- ture, water and energy projects, and affordable housing. Speaking in Li- 454.3485 breville, Mr On the regional front, he called on the international community to provide Ping urged the nation to overcome its divisions and rally around a common adequate funding for the G5 Sahel, a military task force comprising Burkina ideal. Faso, Chad, Mali, MauritaniaWinner and Niger of to Gold fight terrorism Award in sub2015-Sahara. In the international domain Mr.Home Keita Life reiterated Maple Leaf his support Realty Inc.for the Brokerage. Global Com- He said this ideal was the one conveyed in the August 2016 poll, adding it was pact on Migration, pledging that Mali will do its part in managing migratory him who1200 really Derry won Rd East most Unit of the 16, votes. Mississauga L5T 0B3 80 Eastern Avenue, Unit # 3 , Brampton,On, Garyflows. Multani, Sales Representative L6W1X9 Email : [email protected] Page 6 African World News theafricanworldnews.com Nov 9, 2018

THE ENVIRONMENT In Mali they’re using Can Djibouti desert be regreened? irrigation to ward off

Ali Omar remembers a time when the practi- buffer for important ecosystems and communities extremism cally bare patch of desert in northern Djibouti he from seawater intrusion. The community cleared calls home was a bustling seaside resort and the the debris clogging up the forest, and mechanical Kouna, Mali — A short journey in a wooden canoe waters around it were teeming with fish. "Lots of diggers were brought in to drag out the larger piec- separates villagers from militants sowing fear with people lived here and they had shops all along the es and clear the sand from seawater channels. their weapons just across the calm waters of the seaside," says 75-year-old Omar, recalling his When the circulation of water was restored, the Niger River in the Malian town of Kouna. hometown Khor Angar's 1970s heyday, before it forest could breathe and grow again. was hot year-round and the village had dwindled "We worry that these people infiltrate and indoctri- to just a few huts in the desert. nate our children," said Kouna resident Madou New generations of mangroves now dot the shore Touléma, 51, clearing weeds with his teenage son, "You used to need a jacket around here," he says, in an area outside the village that has been fenced shin-deep in their flooded rice field. squinting in the morning sun next to a sparkling off to stop camels--the only animal that can now shoreline, now empty apart from crabs scuttling to survive here due to the lack of pasture--from eating Violence involving armed groups has proliferated and from the froth. There used to be enough fresh the plants. in Mali since Islamist militants hijacked a Tuareg water for all and so much seafood that planes rebellion in 2012. would come from the capital to fill up with lobster, The Khor Angar nursery now produces around crab, fish and langoustine. 35,000 seedlings per year and the community has Groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have planted more than 100,000 seedlings in total, says used the centre and north of the West African na- "And then the problems began," says Omar. Rising Djibril, who oversaw this pilot project. "The most tion as a launch pad for attacks across the region. seawater started forming sand banks that blocked important thing for us was to make sure the com- a channel feeding oxygenated sea water to a man- munity that depend on these mangroves can live The United Nations recorded nearly 290 civilians grove forest providing a breeding ground for fish and keep living from them," he says. killed in Mopti and other central Mali areas from and crabs. As trees wilted and died, their fallen June to mid-September, noting in a recent report trunks further suffocated the forest. It will take between 50 and 100 years to fully re- security continues to deteriorate. store the mangrove forest, but the community is "There was dead wood everywhere inside the for- already seeing results, most noticeably with the As Islamist and other armed groups push into once est that stopped the rest of the trees from getting return of crabs to the area. It's not like it was in its -peaceful Mopti, to loot and spread their influence, freshly oxygenated water," says Mohammed Omar, heyday, explains Ali Omar, "but it is getting better, locals hope their young people will spurn the ap- who runs a small eco-hotel next to the mangroves. little by little". The aim is for natural reforestation peal of joining the militants if farmland is better "Mangroves need mud to grow, but the sand was to take over from the project's success at replanting protected from the effects of climate change. coming in, smothering them, and the water was mangroves with only a 0.5 per cent mortality rate. stagnating because the salt water they need was "The more land we can harvest, the less children blocked from entering", he says. "A lot of man- The project has helped fishing communities to leave," said Touléma. groves died and the fish went away." overcome falling fish stocks by providing better Central Mali, home to the Inner Niger Delta, is the equipment and training on sustainable fishing breadbasket of this largely desert country. The forest kept shrinking as the local community practices, date palm cultivation, eco-tourism and chopped down trees for firewood and timber, small-scale agriculture. It has also helped people Nearly all - 98 percent - of Mopti residents survive while natural reforestation--falling mangrove seeds access a better quality, cheaper supply of fresh wa- from farming, according to the International Insti- creating new trees--stopped due to the degrada- ter by upgrading its desalination system with a tute for Environment and Development, a London- tion. new pump, pipes and generator. based think tank.

"Mangroves are very important for the ecosystem But their livelihood is at risk as rains become more and to protect the small fish that are growing erratic from year to year. there," says mangrove expert Hassan Haissama Khor Angar is one of two sites in Djibouti where Gozola, who works at Djibouti's Ministry of Envi- the project has helped communities to adapt to Some areas of Mopti now receive about half the ronment. "Fish come to nest there and lay their climate change, and the effects of more frequent amount of rainfall - up to 80 cm (28 inches) per eggs, and hatchlings need a place to grow before droughts and erratic rains. In an area of southern year - that fed the land in the 1960s, according to going out to sea," he adds. Djibouti called Damerjog, the project constructed local climate official Lassana Kamia. three small dams to improve farming and prevent salt water from intruding into wells, as well as sup- Researchers say climate change will shift West Af- porting the installation of solar-powered irrigation rica's rainfall patterns, although they disagree over With the fish business waning and the supply of in 18 farms. whether a warming climate will bring more or less fresh water drying up, people who had lived in the rain to the region overall. desert for generations started moving away. Those Further inland from Khor Angar, UN Environment who stayed had to pay for fuel to power generators and partners have also supported the construction Abdraman Touré, a leader in Kouna, said yields to pump fresh water from the ground--water that of a small tree nursery to grow date palms for here have plummeted in a drier climate, causing was becoming increasingly hard to reach due to shade and fruit, and to test whether areas of the rice farming, which dates back to the 19th-century salt water intrusion into aquifers, or pay for water desert can be successfully regreened. "There used Massina Empire, to lose its appeal. trucks to come from the nearest town. to be so much forest here that you would not even be able to see if people were passing," says Ali Ib- In recent years, up to 200 young people have left Globally, rising sea levels and temperatures, defor- rahim Mohammed, 65, who has watched the the town of nearly 8,000 inhabitants in search of estation and increasingly unpredictable rains are weather changing. better prospects, he added. The same is happening damaging fragile coastal ecosystems and putting in many villages in the area. people in already arid and poor countries like Dji- "When I was little it would rain every season, and Many of the migrants end up in cities working in bouti at the forefront of the battle against climate for the past ten years, it hasn't rained at all," he low-skilled jobs, such as security guards and hand- change. says. "Without trees there is no rain and without ymen. But stories of young men abandoning farm- rain there is nothing." ing for jihadist or criminal groups are not uncom- "Khor Angar is the biggest mangrove forest in Dji- mon - even if shared reluctantly. bouti and the most important. It used to span 120 Mohammed hopes that the now knee-high cluster Koh Coulibaly, who liaises with communities for hectares and dropped to 60 hectares," says climate of date palms planted in 2014 will survive and that the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, said people change adaptation specialist Mohamed Ahmed the reforestation initiative will be expanded to en- fear revenge. Djibril, who works for Djibouti's Ministry of Envi- sure the survival of people living in the surround- "If you say, 'Yes, X person has joined an armed ronment. "To make sure it didn't disappear, we ing areas. group,' they will come and kill you," he said. had to intervene." Youth become members of such groups to loot and Abdul Mohammed Omar still walks two kilome- plunder, gain power over others or settle scores, To save this important ecosystem and the people tres a day to guard and water the trees, even said Bréma Ely Dicko, a Mopti expert at the Uni- who rely on it from ruin, the Government of Dji- though he is no longer being paid. "I am working versity of Arts and Humanities of Bamako. bouti, UN Environment and partners have helped for my country and community," he says, adding "Mercenaries can make money," he added. the community to restore forest areas, unblock ca- that he dreams of the day when the trees will bear In Saré Mala village, also in Mopti, Allayheri Dicko nals and improve the drinking water supply. fruit and provide much needed patches of green lowered his voice when speaking of a young rice and shade in the Djiboutian desert. farmer who left to hook up with a band of crimi- With just over US$2 million in funding from the nals in 2013 after a poor harvest. "It was a bad year Global Environment Facility, the project supported during which crops were destroyed," said the 48- the restoration of mangrove forests to provide a year-old. Nov 9, 2018 African World News From African Press Page 7

Ibadan Express Way and the Abuja-Kano road. Nigeria: "There is no area that this government has not Moi airport to touched," he said.

be solar- Previous govt abandoned power No record of Buhari’s powered projects—Buhari certificate at WAEC From the East African Newspaper From the Nigeria Vanguard Newspaper headquarters The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Moi International Airport in Mombasa will Mohammed had disclosed that the past govern- From the Nigeria angyuard newpaper get the region's first ground-mounted 500kW solar ments abandoned 800 containers of power equip- system, which will be interconnected to the its ter- Following the presentation of attestation cer- ment meant to help boost power generation in the tificate to President Muhammadu Buhari by the minal grid. country. The system, to be installed by Solarcentury East Registrar of West African Examination Council The minister made this known when he featured Africa, is expected to generate 820,000 kWh per (WAEC) in Abuja yesterday, the Number one best- on a national television on Saturday to discuss on selling author and former aide to ex-President year and offset 1,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide an- the state of the nation. nually. G o o d l u c k He said the containers were abandoned because J o n a t h a n , The firm is expected to install airport gate electrifi- contractors were not paid. cation equipment consisting of a mobile electric- Pastor Reno He, however, noted that the present government in Omokri has powered preconditioned air unit, an electric con- its determination to boost power supply was able verter and a backup battery that will provide unin- d e s c r i b e d to retrieve 690 of those containers. the develop- terrupted power He said the contractors had also been paid and mo- Director of Solarcentury East Africa Guy Lawrence ment as bilised to site, adding that the effort had yielded said the project also entails the addition of ground pure gar- positive result. bage, main- power units (GPUs) to enable arriving aircraft to "How many hours of power did we have. When we offset all their carbon emissions on the ground. taining that came in all the GENCOs were generating were un- P r e s i d e n t The electricity generated from the solar photovolta- der 5000 megawatt, which we have been able to ic panels will power the gate equipment, which Buhari has raise to 7000. no WAEC will supply pre-conditioned air and compatible "Today people who live in part of Ondo that have Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria president electric power to aircraft docked at an existing pas- certificate. not seen power for 10 years will tell you they now Pastor Omokri who said this on his viral Facebook senger boarding bridge or parked at a remote have power. stand. page said even the Headquarters of WAEC had

They will eliminate existing carbon emissions from confirmed in 2015 that it had no record of Buhari as one who had written its exams. the aircraft on-board auxiliary power unit powered "As a matter of fact, not only do we generate 7000 by jet fuel and from the GPUs fuelled by diesel, by President Buhari has come under serious criti- megawatt of power, by the end of this year we will cisms, especially from members of the opposition providing pre-conditioned air and compatible elec- generate additional 2000 megawatt," he said. tricity that runs on solar energy to the aircraft dur- Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who have contin- On challenges of power distribution, the minister ued to maintain that Buhari does not have WAEC ing ground operations. said the government had put measures in place to Mombasa will be the first airport in East Africa to certificate and so, is not eligible to vie for elective solve the problem. position much less that of the presidency in Nige- have such a solar power system. "If once in a while there is problem in distribution, It is a critical step in reducing the carbon footprint ria. it is not about generation. of aviation in Africa, in support of the environmen- Minimum Wage: Kogi Workers stage protest, tasks "Yes there is this disconnect between the genera- Buhari tal objectives of ICAO's member states. tion and distribution and this is where the govern- Once completed, the solar system will enable the The allegation which first arose in the run-up to the ment has come in to help the distribution compa- 2015 election which Buhari later won has, however, international airport to save thousands of dollars nies through a programme called the Distribution per year on grid consumption for at least 25 years. resurfaced just as the 2019 election is at the corner. Expansion Project," he said. Although the military claimed it was not in posses- "We are excited to be the pioneer airports authority He further reiterated the effort of the present gov- in the region to have the Solar PV system installed. sion of Buhari's WAEC certificate and other aca- ernment in working to revive the Mambilla Power demic credentials, the President, however, contin- The expected savings on electricity as well as re- Project, duction in carbon emissions will contribute to- ued to maintain that all his academic credentials, According to him, going by the effort of the present wards the efficient operations of Moi International including his WAEC certificate are with the Secre- government the Mambilla Plateau will generate tary of the military board. Airport," KAA chief executive officer Jonny Ander- additional 3050 megawatt of power in a few years sen said. The drama took a new turn when, yesterday, the time. Registrar of WAEC, Iyi Uwadiae, came from the Work on the site will take 10 months, and the sys- He pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari tems are expected to be generating solar electricity WAEC headquarters in Ghana to present the attes- was the only one that had summoned the courage tation certificate to the President in his mini confer- by next year. and political will to see that the project was re- Solarcentury will provide two years of operations ence hall in Abuja. vived. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and and maintenance on the system, and will set up "We have improved on what we inherited because two educational kiosks inside the terminal building Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a tweet, wrote, we put together a payment assurance scheme of to provide the public with real-time information on "WAEC presents attestation certificate and confir- N701 billion to ease the difficulties of gas suppliers mation of school certificate result to President power output and carbon emission reductions over and generating companies who complained that the life of the system. Buhari. What will the naysayers say next?" they have the capacity to generate but the discos However, Pastor Omokri countered the develop- The project is part of a $7.36 million initiative im- do not have the capacity to pay them. plemented by ICAO and funded by the European ment, saying that the Headquarters of WAEC "In the area of distribution, we were distributing which is in Ghana had confirmed in 2015 that it did Union targeting 14 countries -- 12 of them from 2,690 megawatts of power in 2015. Africa -- to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation not have records of Buhari's certificate. "January 2018, we distributed 5,125 megawatts. So, He also said that the University of Cambridge had sector. in every area of power we have stories to tell," he India's Cochin International Airport is the first air- also confirmed that, as at 1961, that they did not added. port in the world to be powered entirely by solar use the alphanumeric grading system which is now Mohammed explained that beyond power, the found in the recent attestation certificate given to energy. Huge power bills prompted the airport to Federal Government had touched the lives of Nige- build a 12 Megawatt solar plant that has more than Buhari rians positively in other areas including education, According to him, "The Headquarters of The West 46,000 solar panels. agriculture, infrastructure and technological devel- In August, Unep awarded Cochin International African Examination Council (WAEC) is in Ghana. opment. They are immune to political control by President Airport its 2018 Champion of the Earth Prize. "This "The N100 billion Sukuk bond that was divided is the United Nations' highest environmental acco- Muhammadu Buhari. In 2015, Move On Nigeria into N16.6 billion for each of the geopolitical zones lade," said Unep director Erik Solheim. wrote WAEC Headquarters and they said they is powering infrastructure of 25 critical roads. have no record of Buhari's certificate. Also, Univer- "As the world's first fully solar-powered airport, "The present government has invested in bridges, you set an ambitious example that we hope many sity of Cambridge confirmed that they did not use roads and rails and had put aside a 1.3billion dollar the alphanumeric grading system in 1961 which others will follow." under the Presidential Infrastructure Development appears in Buhari's 'certificate'. #RenosDarts" Fund to ensure that five critical projects did not suffer from funding. "Some of these projects have been there for about 40 years, such as the Mambilla Power Project, Se- cond Niger Bridge, the East West road, the Lagos- African World News Web: theafricanworldnews.com Nov 9, 2018 Page 8

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Contributors The Great Dr. Chigbo Etienne Dare Austin Nosa Jude Akan Doh Ndatu Kennedy Nyako Modupe Babs Bodejo Slamiside Julius Esele

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Former Germany youth international Kev- But his performances have yet to convince Ger- For advertising rates, call us in Akpoguma says he would consider playing man manager Joachim Löw, who has a plethora at: 647.785.5553 or for Nigeria at senior international level - if the of world-class defenders at his disposal. (713) 280-1783 Europeans failed to give him a chance. Akpoguma's admission could give Nigeria coach Akpoguma, 23, who plays for Bundesliga side Gernot Rohr an extra option as he looks for a Hoffenheim, has a German mother and a Nigeri- long-term addition to the regular centre back an father - making him eligible to play for the duo of Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong. The African World three-time African champions. "I believe that if you want to play for a country I Newspaper remains Under Fifa rules he is free to switch because he think you should play for that country with love your only link has not yet played for Germany's senior national and passion," he added. team. to Africa & Diaspora "That is why if I play for Nigeria I should be in a And, despite 62 Germany caps from under-16 to position to play my whole career for them. No under-21 level, Akpoguma says he will not close half measures. the door on Nigeria. "Gernot Rohr visited us here in Hoffenheim and "I was born in Germany and I have played for all talked a lot about the young team he is building. the youth teams of Germany and I am still a I saw it at the World Cup; there are very good young player," Akpoguma told Nigeria's Guard- players like Iwobi, Ndidi and Leon Balogun. ian Newspaper. "He explained all the things because I had a good "I want to leave it open because Germany can conversation with him. But as I said, I want to still call me. But if I have no other option to play leave every door open. When the time comes, I for Germany, then I can consider playing for Ni- will let the world know my decision." geria because my dad is from Nigeria. Akpoguma started his professional career at "My father has told me to listen to my heart… he Karlsruhe SC and also played for Fortuna Düs- as a footballer. But he has come doesn't want to put pressure on me to make any seldorf. through it all, and scored on his debut decision. It is very important I make the right de- for his adopted nation in a 4-0 win in Kuwait in October. Mabil was born in cision." He captained Germany at the 2015 Fifa U-20 a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kakuma Akpoguma has been in impressive form for Hof- World Cup in New Zealand, helping Germany after his parents fled the civil war in fenheim this season, missing only three games in edge Nigeria 1-0 in the second round. Sudan. the league campaign. Hunger and cramped conditions were just two of the daily challenges faced Australia’s Mabil shows mettle from refugee to football sensation by his family.

"We built a hut out of mud," he tells the Awer Mabil's journey from life as a refugee in a hut BBC's World Football programme. built out of mud to scoring on his international debut is the "Probably the size of one bedroom in a stuff dreams are made of. normal house in the Western world, as you would call it. The 23-year-old grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya, where hunger and cramped conditions were everyday "But you know it's not your home. problems for his family. There were four of us living in it - me, my mum, my brother and sister. We got After moving to Australia as part of a humanitarian pro- food from the UN once a month. gramme, he was subjected to racism as he tried to make it African World News Nov 9, 2018 Page 12

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