Month: June 2023

“No one will make us move,” Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said on Wednesday in response to threats of sanctions from some Western countries since he signed into law the “Anti-Homosexuality Law 2023”, considered to be one of the most repressive in the world.

“The NRM (National Resistance Movement, the ruling party) has never had a double standard: what we tell you by day is what we will tell you by night.

So, the signing of the bill is over, nobody will make us move”, declared Museveni at a meeting of members of the ruling party, quoted in a press release issued by the Ugandan presidency and on the NRM’s official website.

“President Museveni urged Ugandans to stand firm, stressing that the issue of homosexuality is a serious matter that concerns the human race. He congratulated the legislators for their support, adding that once they fight for the right cause, no one can defeat them”, the statement said, referring to his speech on Wednesday to 400 NRM parliamentarians gathered in Kyankwanzi, some 200 kilometres south of the capital.

According to the statement, the President also said: “The other time, when I met you in Kololo (a district of Kampala), I told you that you should be ready for a war. And you can’t go to war when you’re looking for pleasure, if you like the good life”.

These are the first public comments by the Ugandan Head of State since the announcement on Monday of the promulgation of the law known as the “Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023”.

This law provides for heavy penalties for people who have homosexual relations and “promote” homosexuality. The crime of “aggravated homosexuality” is punishable by death, a penalty that has not been applied for years in Uganda.

The enactment of this law provoked a wave of indignation from human rights organisations and many Western countries.

Ugandan human rights activists have urged the international community to impose sanctions against their leaders.

Denouncing a “tragic attack” on human rights, US President Joe Biden said he had asked his administration to study the consequences of this “shameful” law on “all aspects of cooperation between the United States and Uganda”.

The American authorities are considering “additional measures”, such as sanctions or restrictions on entry to their territory for “anyone associated with human rights violations or corruption”, he added.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also condemned a law that was “contrary to human rights”.

“The Ugandan government has an obligation to protect all its citizens and ensure that their fundamental rights are respected. If it fails to do so, relations with international partners will be compromised”, he warned.

In 2014, international donors had already reduced their aid following the passing of a law punishing homosexuality.

In particular, Washington suspended funding for government programmes and imposed visa bans. European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands had also frozen part of their bilateral aid.

Source: Nam News Network (NNN)

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has told off Western powers and human rights groups over their opposition to a tough new anti-gay bill that he has signed into law.

Mr Museveni insisted that the law was a done deal, defying calls to have it repealed.

"The signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is finished, nobody will move us. We should be ready for a war," he said in a statement after a meeting with members of his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

"The NRM has never had two languages, what we tell you in the day is what we shall say to you at night," he added.

US President Joe Biden criticised the law as a "tragic violation of universal human rights" and called for its repeal, adding that the US was considering sanctions.

The European Union and UN chief Antonio Guterres have also condemned the law.

Mr Museveni signed the bill into law after parliament watered it down at his request – but It is still among the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world.

Anyone convicted for gay sexual acts faces life imprisonment. The law also imposes the death penalty for "aggravated cases", which include statutory rape of a person younger than 18, or where one is infected with a life-long illness including HIV.

Source: BBC

The High Commissioner of the province of Namentenga, Adama Conseiga opened Thursday morning in the jury n ° 1 in Boulsa, the first envelope of the dictation test of the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC ), thus giving the starting signal for the 2023 session exams in which 1,268 candidates are taking part.

The High Commissioner of the province of Namentenga, Adama Conseiga proceeded to the opening of the first envelope of the examination of the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC) session 2023, in the presence of the provincial authorities on June 1 , 2023 in the N°1 jury of Boulsa.

Mr. Conseiga then encouraged the candidates who are taking part this year in the BEPC exam in his province.

The Provincial Director of Post-Primary and Secondary Education (DPEPS), Abdoulaye Yerbanga welcomed the start of the BEPC exams, session 2023.

According to him, the province has four juries, a secondary center for the BEPC, two juries for the CAP and the BEPC and four main centers including a secondary center.

In 2022, 2,072 candidates took part in the exams, with a success rate of 35%.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The governor of the Center-North region, Blaise Ouédraogo encouraged Thursday morning, at the Moussa Kargougou provincial high school in Kaya, the candidates at the start of the administration of the written examinations of the Brevet d'études for the first cycle (BEPC), session 2023.

Issaka Sawadogo is the only visually impaired student in the Center-North region for the undergraduate study certificate exam (BEPC), 2023 session, among the 9,032 registered.

A member of the Moussa Kargougou provincial high school in Kaya, a center made up of three juries, he received encouragement from the governor of the Center-North region, Blaise Ouédraogo, during the opening of the first test, which is dictation: a heavenly place.

“Your courage and selflessness is a model that we must magnify across Burkina Faso. Your determination also proves that disability is not inevitable. You have all the support of the regional authorities for the continuation of your studies,” reassured Governor Ouédraogo.

The first person in charge of the region also encouraged and wished good luck to all the candidates for the BEPC exam.

“The region is going through a rather delicate security and humanitarian crisis. And, among these students, there are internally displaced persons. It is fashionable to come and wish them good luck, because being able to compose is a form of resilience and being admitted is another form of fighting terrorism,” he said.

According to the Regional Director of Post-Primary and Secondary Education of the Center-North (DREPS / CN), Guénéba Ouédraogo, the Center-North has 30 juries at the BEPC, 4 juries at the BEP and CAP and 21 secondary centers at the BEPC.

The number of people enrolled in the BEPC at the regional level is 9,032 candidates, including 5,942 girls and 3,090 boys.

Note that there are 446 registered including 182 girls and 294 boys for the BEP/CAP whose centers are in Boulsa and Boussouma.

According to Ms. Ouédraogo, Soumaila Bamogo, born in 2009 is the young candidate and Paténéma Sawadogo born in 1978 is the old candidate from the Centre-Nord region for the BEPC exam, session 2023.

The results of the first round are expected on June 9 and those of the second round on June 14.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

At least 1,495 female candidates were registered this year for the Brevet d'Etude du Premier Cycle (BEPC) session in Bam province, representing more than 64? of the total number of 2,330 candidates, said Thursday morning, the provincial director of post-primary and secondary education of Bam, Hamadé Tinto.

The Provincial Director of Post-Primary and Secondary Education of Bam, Hamadé Tinto spoke on the sidelines of the official launch of the written tests for the BEPC exam on June 1, 2023, assisted by the High Commissioner of the province of Bam, Adama Jean-Yves Bere.

“We came to encourage the candidates and invite them to trust themselves by avoiding all forms of cheating. Also, we want to reassure all the actors concerned by the examination that all the measures are taken at the security level to avoid possible disruption, “he said.

the high commissioner of the province of Bam, Adama Jean Yves Béré opened the first envelope of the dictation test, thus marking the starting signal of the BEPC session 2023.

It should be noted that the Bam totals for this year 2023, eight juries and five secondary centers for more than 350 direct actors mobilized.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The governor of the center region, Abdoulaye Bassinga gave the starting signal this Thursday for the composition of the first test of the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC), DU Certificate of professional aptitude (CAP), and the vocational study certificate (BEP) at Marien N'Gouabi high school. More than 76,000 candidates divided into 67 juries are concerned by the various diplomas.

“We have more than 76,000 girl/boy candidates competing for the various events. I think that at the present time for the central region, no difficulty has been reported because all the actors, in collaboration with the defense and security forces, have taken all the measures so that the operations of the tests can be take place in better conditions,” said the governor of the center region, Abdoulaye Bassinga.

For him, the events are taking place in a difficult security context, but all the arrangements have been made to ensure that these events run smoothly.

For the secretary general (SG) of the ministry in charge of national education, Ibrahim Sanou, “the particularity this year is a new software that we are experimenting with”.

For Mr. Sanou, it is an integrated examination management system which will consist of taking into account all three examinations and “no difficulty has been reported”.

As for internally displaced students, the SG reassured that all arrangements have been made so that they can take the various school exams in "better conditions".

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The High Commissioner of Ganzourgou, Aminata Sorgho / Gouba opened Thursday morning, at the provincial high school of Zorgho, the first envelope containing the dictation test marking the start of the examination of the Brevet d'études du first cycle (BEPC), as well as the examinations for the Professional Study Certificate (BEP) and the 5CAP Professional Aptitude Certificate), session 2023.

The High Commissioner of the province of Ganzourgou, Aminata Sorgho / Gouba went to encourage this Thursday, June 1, 2023 at the provincial high school of Zorgho all the candidates and actors involved in the BEPC exam.

Aminata Sorgho / Gouba then invited the candidates to serenity for an abundant harvest.

She was accompanied by the secretary general of the province, Harouna Karambiri, the president of the special delegation of the municipality of Zorgho, Valentin Badolo, the provincial director of post-primary and secondary education (DPEPS), Salifou Seré, the provincial director in heads of primary education, Nobila Célestine Zagré/ Zoungrana and defense and security forces.

According to statistics from the provincial directorate of post-primary and secondary education in Ganzourgou, there are 2,931 candidates including 1,940 girls and 991 boys registered for the BEPC, 49 candidates including 17 girls and 32 boys for the BEP and 22 candidates including 11 girls and 11 boys for the CAP.

All BEPC candidates are divided into 12 juries and 28 secondary centres.

12 presidents of juries, 12 vice presidents of juries, 28 presidents of secondary centers, 172 correctors and 202 supervisors are mobilized to ensure the smooth running of the 2023 session exams.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The "Programme to support innovation in Tunisia's inland regions" (P.I.RTN), implemented by Initiative Médenine, leader of the Initiative Tunisie network, and supported by the European Innov'i-EU4Innovation project, came to a close on Thursday evening at the Baron d'Erlanger space in Tunis.

This support programme for innovative project leaders aims to promote innovation in Tunisia's inland regions. Since 2020, actions and activities to support entrepreneurs have been deployed in 5 regions, namely Médenine, Gafsa, Kasserine, Sidi-Bouzid and Jendouba, with the aim of providing direct financing to entrepreneurs.

A budget of 750,000 dinars over two years in the form of loans of honour has been mobilised as part of this programme. This funding enabled entrepreneurs to cover start-up needs for companies in the creation phase and access needs to new markets for growing companies (prototyping, intangible investment). According to Noureddine Ksiksi, Chairman of Initiative Tunisie and Initiative Médenine, "16 projects have so far been certified under this programme, giving them the chance to access the funding mobilised for this purpose.

14 projects have already been financed and two others are awaiting the release of the funds earmarked for them". He added that by June 30, 2023, a total of 19 projects will have been certified and financed in accordance with the objectives initially set by the programme.

The certified projects include Livrina, a digital home delivery platform in the governorate of Kasserine, and the start-up Inara Solutions, based in Sidi-Bouzid and specialising in the installation of photovoltaic panels for farmers and manufacturers, which hopes to extend its activities to other regions of the country thanks to the support of the programme. There is also an energy engineering and consultancy firm, Save Water, based in Gafsa and specialising in the detection of fluid leaks, and the start-up Fer Déco, based in Sidi-Bouzid and specialising in metal construction based on the recycling of iron from scrap metal and the circular economy.

Following the closure of this programme, Initiative Tunisie is preparing to launch a new Green Innov'i programme to support green projects in the governorates of Kairouan and Kef.

The call for projects is scheduled for September 2023 and the project will start at the beginning of 2024.

Initiative Tunisie is a support network for entrepreneurs which received its visa in 2019. It is made up of 9 independent and operational units called platforms. They are local economic development tools, bringing together local players in business creation and providing a decentralised local service free of charge for entrepreneurs. Innov'i - EU4Innovation is a project to support the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Tunisia, financed by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France.

The aim of the project is to support the strengthening, structuring and sustainability of the Tunisian entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Expertise France is the French public agency responsible for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Additional taxes can be imposed on individuals who unjustly benefit of subsidies on various products, instead of removing subsidy, President Kais Saied indicated at his meeting with Prime Minister Najla Bouden on Thursday at the Carthage Palace.

Saied suggested taking this action independently, without submitting to "external diktats."

He highlighted that such an approach had been previously implemented in Tunisia during the 1940s when the subsidy fund was originally established.

The meeting primarily revolved around the government's activities and ways to preservethe country's macroeconomic balances.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Anglican Diocese of Seychelles celebrates its golden jubilee this year. The diocese was set up on March 25 in 1973 and its first bishop was Reverend Canon George Cardell Briggs, consecrated at St. James Cathedral in Mauritius.

This year the community's celebration is two-fold as it is also during the month of March

SNA brings you seven interesting facts and events of the diocese since its establishment.

Construction of St. Paul's church

An Anglican church was built in May 1859 in the capital city of Victoria by Bishop Vincent William Ryan, the first Bishop of Mauritius. It acts as both a cathedral of the diocese and an Anglican parish church. It was demolished and rebuilt and on April 15, 2004, Archbishop French Chang Him inaugurated and re-consecrated the new cathedral that still stands today.

(Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

The Anglican church of St. Paul elevated to a cathedral

The Anglican Diocese of Victoria was established on April 3, 1973. In April 1961, the church was given the status of a cathedral by Bishop Alan Francis Rogers in Mauritius, who also ordained the first Anglican Priest of Seychelles, Father French Chang-Him in 1963.

This year 2023, marks 163 years since its consecration.

St. Paul's Church safe haven during the 1862 landslide

One of the worst natural disasters in the history of the island nation is the landslide that occurred in the capital city of Victoria. After days of heavy rainfall, in October 1862 a great avalanche devastated the town and many inhabitants sought refuge in the church. Sacks of rice that were able to be salvaged from the debris were stored in the bell tower. The church became a significant sanctuary for the homeless families whose homes were destroyed in the disaster.

A nearby Catholic convent was completely destroyed and 11 orphan girls and two nuns perished. Six bodies - a mother and her three children, a father and his daughter, who were swept away in the churchyard during the disaster -- were buried in the grounds of the cathedral.

(Seychelles National Archives) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Baptism of an exiled African king

On May 29, 1904, King Prempeh of Ashanti, who was exiled to Seychelles, was baptised in this church after he expressed his desire to belong to the same faith as King George V of the United Kingdom.

King Prempeh was exiled to Seychelles in the year 1900 by the British together with his family, several of his chiefs, and members of his entourage. The island nation at the time had a population of only 19,000.

After 24 years, the King was finally allowed to go back to Ghana and died in his native land in 1931.

(richardis.univ-paris1.f/Wikipedia) Photo License: CC0

Anglican Church formally establishes a parish on Praslin

The construction of the St. Mark church in 1852, symbolised the arrival of the Anglican Church on Praslin. Located at the centre of the streets of Baie Ste Anne, one of the two districts on Praslin, the church was originally made with wood and covered with leaves from the coco de mer tree.

St. Mark's church was originally built at the inspiration of Phillippe Annette, a renowned catechist and evangelist known as the apostle of Praslin. Dedicated to the first disciple of Jesus, Mark, the church was consecrated by the first bishop of the archipelago James Chapman who was then based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The church was renovated in 1906 and built with brightly red corrugated iron sheets.

(Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Four bishops at the head of the diocese

During the first 50 years of the Anglican diocese, four bishops led the congregation. George Briggs was the first bishop of the newly created diocese. French Chang Him, the first Seychellois Anglican priest and Archbishop was the second until he retired in 2005. He passed away on May 26, 2023.

Bishop Santosh Marray from Guyana was the third, until 2008.

Mauritian-born, but now a Seychellois citizen, James Wong, currently heads the diocese. He was elected the new Anglican Archbishop of the Indian Ocean Province in 2017, the second of the Seychelles Diocese to assume the position, after Archbishop French Chang Him.

(Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Book - Launching Out Into the Deep: The Anglican Church in the History of the Seychelles to 2000 AD'

Launched in 2005, the book written by Donald Taylor, a Mauritian theologian who previously worked in the Seychelles diocese, chronicles the history of the Anglican church in Seychelles. The 877-page book charts the Church's involvement in Seychelles from the first settlers to the year 2000.

The book covers events such as slavery, the Protestant Experiment, the creation of the Diocese of Mauritius, witchcraft and herbalism, the relations between the Roman Catholic and Anglican Church, the formation of the Seychelles Diocese, the coup d'état, the one-party state, the new constitution, and multi-party politics.

Source: Seychelles News Agency