Day: June 2, 2023

Uganda students from 13 universities gathered in front of the country’s parliament on Wednesday to express their disapproval of US President Joe Biden’s stance on Kampala’s new anti-LGBTQ legislation, local media reported.

Biden called the law a “tragic violation of universal human rights” and called for its repeal, adding that Washington would consider all aspects of its engagement with the country in light of the move.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 mandates life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of engaging in same-sex sexual activities. It also provides for the death penalty for “aggravated cases,” which include instances of statutory rape involving a minor.

Ahmed Moustafa, director of the Asia Center for Studies and Translation, told RT it was “a big mistake” by the West to interfere into the domestic politics of Uganda. The West is trying to impose its own values on other independent countries, he said.

Source: Russia Today

This Friday's Burkinabè dailies echo the conviction of the Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko, the care of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the launch of the composition of school exams in Burkina Faso.

"First exams of the BEPC session 2023: Optimistic candidates", headlines the private newspaper Le Quotidien, which also presents the image of students in full composition.

For its part, the public daily Sidwaya displays on its headline: "Exam session 2023: Minister Joseph André launches the BEPC tests".

The newspaper informs that the Minister of National Education, Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages, Joseph André Ouédraogo gave, Thursday, June 1, 2023 , at the Naaba Baongho provincial high school in Manga, in the Center- south, the start of the written tests for the 2023 session of the Undergraduate Study Certificate (BEPC).

Sidwaya adds that in the Center-South region, 8,772 candidates, including 5,127 girls, are taking the BEPC exams for the 2023 session, adding that nationally, 216,284 candidates are looking for their parchment.

According to him, the figure is below that of the 2022 session which was 260,058 candidates.

For its part, L'Observateur Paalga, the dean of private Burkinabè dailies boasts: "BEPC, BEP, and CAP: 239,879 candidates in the examination rooms".

The newspaper indicates that in the commune of Ouagadougou, it is the governor of the Center region, Abdoulaye Bassinga, with a strong delegation at his side who proceeded to the official launch of the BEPC session 2023 tests, at the Marien N'Gouabi high school. .

The dean of private dailies relates the words of the president of jury 30 who says he is satisfied with the major innovation of this section, which is the use for the first time of the new software called SIGEC (Integrated system for managing examinations and competitions) .

As for L'Express du Faso, a private daily published in Bobo-Dioulasso, it announces through its front page that for the BEPC 2023, there are "35,255 candidates in the running in the Hauts-Bassins".

From another angle, the newspaper Le Pays informs that the minister in charge of humanitarian actions announced that already, about 5 billion FCFA have been used for the care of internally displaced persons.

According to this private daily, the Minister confirmed and reassured the figure of 125,000 internally displaced persons who have returned to their land of origin.

In this regard, L'Observateur Paalga informs that food assistance amounts to more than 21 billion FCFA and shelter to 630 million FCFA.

Meanwhile, the national daily Sidwaya highlights: "Management of the humanitarian crisis: 20,457 households back home, according to Minister Nandy Somé".

The newspaper Le Quotidien is content to take up on its front page the words of the minister in charge of humanitarian actions who declares: “more than 21,000 tonnes of food delivered to the populations of several localities”.

In its ''Regard sur l'actualité'', L'Observateur Paalga reports that in Senegal, opponent Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of 600 thousand FCFA and 20 million FCFA for damages and interest to be paid jointly with Mrs. Ndèye Khady Ndiaye to the complainant Adji Sarr.

For the newspaper, with this situation the leader of the African Patriots of Senegal for work, ethics and fraternity (PASTEF) will not be able to be a candidate for the next presidential election set for February 2024.

Hence the interrogative title: “Ousmane Sonko: Checkmate for 2024? ".

Sidwaya recalls that the criminal court on Thursday sentenced the Senegalese opponent, accused of rape, to two years in prison for “youth corruption”, further compromising his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election in a context of high tensions.

In this regard, Today in Faso, a private daily, understands that “all things considered, Sonko is Djerna Tak reck! (it's over! in Wolof) in any case temporarily and especially for 2024. Unless there is a political arrangement

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The Secretary General of the province of Ioba, André Lankoandé officially installed the new Provincial Director of the National Police, the Chief Commissioner of Police Souleymane Zouri, on Friday May 26, 2023 in Dano.

The Dano High Commission meeting room served as the setting for the handover ceremony between the incoming and outgoing Provincial Directors of the Ioba National Police, attended by the Southwest Regional Director of the National Police (DRPN) the chief police commissioner, Yacouba Ouattara.

It was at the Council of Ministers of April 28, 2023 that the Chief Commissioner of Police, Souleymane Zouri was appointed head of the Provincial Directorate of the National Police (DPPN) of Ioba.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Zouri was on duty at the central police station in the city of Ouagadougou.

For his new function, the DPPN entered requested the support of all the members of the constituted bodies of the province.

He wished to organize outings to make contact with the actors and other services of the defense and security forces, in order to safeguard the synergy of actions for the maintenance of peace in the province.

He replaces in this post the main police commissioner Henri Joël Sanou, now DPPN of the Balé, Boromo capital.

Mr. Sanou spent 4 years 5 months 23 days in Ioba.

He says he has gone through difficult times due to the health (COVID-19) and security crises.

Nevertheless, he is delighted to have been able to manage all these situations with the support of all the players concerned.

Commissioner Sanou also acted as interim regional director in Gaoua from April 15 to December 22, 2022 where security services were performed.

For the happiness of the populations, he asked to provide the same support from which he benefited to the newly installed DPPN.

The Ioba National Police staff representative claims to have learned good manners from the released DPPN.

He undertakes to accompany the newcomer for the success of his mission in Ioba.

As for the DRPN of the south-west, Yacouba Ouattara, he hailed the merits of the outgoing DPPN Henri Joël Sanou.

When the director entered, he advised him to be attentive to everyone and available.

The secretary general of the province of Ioba, André Lankoandé congratulated Mr. Sanou for the frank collaboration and the work done.

He reassured Mr. Zouri of the readiness of the entire administration to support him.

Mr. Lankoandé invited the other defense and security forces to accompany him for the success of his mission in Ioba.

The friendship of the directors and heads of services, the staff of the Ioba national police and his majesty Naonfa 2, chief of the canton of Dano said goodbye to the DPPN who left by giving him each a present.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

ECOWAS on Friday called for a peaceful settlement of disputes in Senegal, as the country has experienced a resurgence of deadly violence since Thursday, following the sentencing of main opponent Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison for "corruption of youth".

Burkina Information Agency

Read the press release in full

ECOWAS COMMUNIQUE

“The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is following with concern the eruption of violence in Senegal following the court verdict in the Ousmane Sonko – Adji Sarr case.

ECOWAS strongly condemns the violence that targeted security forces, public property, private property and disturbed public order.

It deplores the loss of life and calls for restraint and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means. ECOWAS remains seized of developments in Senegal.

It calls on all to uphold the country's laudable reputation as a bastion of peace and stability.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The new Director General of Donsin Airport Project Management (MOAD), Zakaria Sieba, has hired employees to "act quickly and firmly", in order to deliver the infrastructure as soon as possible, the AIB has learned.

“The Donsin airport project lasted, too long. We will have to think big and far, act fast and firm, in a vision of shared prosperity”, declared the new Director General of MOAD, Zakaria Serge Landolo Sieba, according to a note published by its communication services.

Mr. Sieba was speaking on June 1, 2023, when he was installed in place of Mr. Tamoussi Bonzi.

The DG announced consultations with all the parties, with a view to collecting their contributions which will make it possible to make the new airport available as soon as possible, continues the same source.

Zakaria Sieba also announced the main lines of his action at the head of MOAD.

In particular, he listed the updating of the master plan for the new airport to make it an airport hub and a center of economic and social growth, making up for the time lost in the process of building the infrastructure, the construction of which was launched in June 2017.

The site of the new airport located in Donsin, a town 35 km northeast of Ouagadougou, covers an area of 4,400 hectares.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The Somkieta association for the conservation of oral cultural values, initiated on Saturday, a night dedicated to oral cultures, in order to allow the new generation to know them.

"This is an initiative that we have undertaken to allow everyone to know what there are as oral sources in Burkina Faso", declared the president of the Organizing Committee (CO) of the night of oral cultures, Somkieta Innocent Ouedraogo.

For him, the new generation must know its origins and this must go through the oral cultures that our ancestors have bequeathed to us.

Mr. Ouédraogo spoke on Saturday May 27, 2023, at the National Museum of Ouagadougou, on the occasion of the first edition of the night of oral cultures, under the theme “Orality, cultural production and living together”.

He also explained that the initiative of the organizing committee will allow Burkinabè to know their bases, by going to draw on the archives that will be collected to educate the Nation.

"When we ask the youth questions about their own history, they tell us that they weren't born in the village so they don't know their origins," he said.

Somkieta Innocent Ouédraogo indicated that the exhibition of the objects of the museum of the word of the black world Gomsomkeita at the national museum, consists in making Burkinabè discover "sacred words, of dignity, of education", which will truly contribute to that young people become aware of their riches.

The representative of Mogho Naaba Baongho, Zoukongue Naaba Sonré from Wemtingua, welcomed the initiative.

According to him, the Mogho Naaba Baongho cannot abandon everything related to culture and social cohesion, because according to him, he remains an actor of peace, an actor of development.

"When we talk about living together, we must do everything so that the words we are going to address to others do not affect their sensitivity," he continued.

The representative of the Minister in charge of Culture, Moussa Dicko, noted that the department must technically and financially support cultural actors for the development of the sector in Burkina Faso.

"It's a noble and very important initiative because whoever talks about culture feels challenged and concerned by the question of orality," he said.

Note that this first of the night of oral cultures was under the patronage of Mogho Naaba Baongho.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The first meeting of the leaders of the Maqdesi cultural institutions ended on Thursday (June 1, 2023) at the headquarters of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, with the announcement of the Cultural Al-Quds Forum.

This meeting, organized by the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture and the Agency and which lasted three days, with the participation of 13 Arab cultural institutions of Al-Quds, was crowned by the announcement of this Forum to bring together defenders and supporters of Arab culture in the city of Al-Quds.

The closing session, which was held in the presence of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mrs. Samira Al-Melizi, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Morocco, Ambassador Jamal Al-Shobaki, the Director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, Dr. Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, and the Under-Secretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Mr. Jad Izzat Mohamed Zaidan, and the representative of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science, Dr. Ahmadou Habibi, saw the presentation of the preliminary characteristics of the project to support and accompany Arab cultural institutions Maqdessies.

In a speech, read on her behalf by Mrs. Samira Al-Melizi, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mohamed Al-Mahdi Bensaïd, affirmed the will of the Kingdom of Morocco "to pay particular attention to the recommendations and proposals that resulted from the meeting to put them into practice” and to include them in an official document entitled “The Rabat Declaration to strengthen and consolidate cultural activity in Al-Quds Al-Sharif” , and which will be presented as a reference document in the documents of the 24th session of the Conference of Ministers Responsible for Cultural Affairs of the Arab World, to be held in Marrakech in April 2024.

The Minister recalled the particular interest that His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, has in preserving the historical and cultural identity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, through cultural, educational and social projects and programs that the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency oversees its implementation with excellence and skill.

For his part, the director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, Dr. Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, affirmed that the Agency welcomed the useful results of this meeting, expressing its involvement in principle in all initiatives that serve Al-Quds and Maqdessis, indicating that the Agency has laid down, on the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, its cornerstone on this basis, focusing on the culture sector, through an ambitious program of cultural and artistic activities which initially concerned four cultural centres.

This three-day conclave was an opportunity to discuss the urgent needs of cultural institutions in Al-Quds, to develop an action plan to support and accompany them in their activities and to launch initiatives that will help preserve the cultural cachet. and the civilizational fabric of the Holy City and to consecrate its Arab identity, protecting the cultural rights of its inhabitants and strengthening coordination and networking between institutions active in the sector.

This meeting, which coincides with the celebration by the Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency of its silver jubilee, sees the inauguration of a photographic exhibition entitled "Al Quds: Source of lights" and the launch of the ALECSO chair for studies of Al Quds Acharif.

Source: Burkina Information Agency