Day: July 3, 2023

An illegal arms and anti-terrorism case trial started Monday in Seychelles' Supreme Court.

The persons charged in the case are prominent businessman Mukesh Valabjhi and his wife Laura, a lawyer. Also charged in the same case are Leslie Benoiton – a senior officer in the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), Leopold Payet - a former chief of the Seychelles People's Defence Forces [the former name of the Seychelles Defence Forces]- and Frank Marie - a retired lieutenant colonel and presidential chief security officer.

The presiding judge, Chief Justice Rony Govinden, began the hearing of the case, which relates to more than 100 firearms and over 35,000 rounds of ammunition recovered from the Valabjhi's home at Morne Blanc during a search on November 18.

This came after the couple was arrested in relation to a case of money laundering of a missing $50 million of funds granted to the government of Seychelles by the United Arab Emirates in 2002.

All the accused appeared before the Supreme Court and were read their amended charges amended by the prosecution on Wednesday, June 28. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial was initially set for April but was delayed following the application for the recusal of Justice Govinden as the presiding trial judge, which was dismissed on June 1.

Immediately before setting the new date for trial, Govinden had unblocked the couple's overseas accounts – which were frozen at the request of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS).

Despite the court releasing the couple's funds in Singapore, they argued again on Monday that they had been unable to pay for their international counsel due to their bank accounts still being frozen.

When addressing the court, Laura Valabhji - a prominent lawyer by profession -explained that the Central Bank in Singapore had not released the funds as they were yet to receive 'proof of release from the Seychelles Courts".

Govinden replied that since the courts had already ordered the funds to be released, it was up to the accused and their lawyers to sort out the payment issues.

He added that as technology has evolved there should be ways for the counsel to appear online to represent the couple together with the others representing them- namely France Bonte and Samantha Aglae.

Meanwhile, prosecution counsel, Stephen Powles, made his opening statement before the Supreme Court, providing a summary of the case so far, which included the five accused arrests and how some of the weapons were found in concealed places in the Valahbji couple's residence at Morne Blanc.

The Court adjourned until Tuesday morning when the prosecution will bring in its first witnesses in the case.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

The Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT) will hold its 3rd national congress on November 10, 2023 in Tunis. This date was set by the CONECT Board of Directors at its meeting on June 24 in Sfax. CONECT's second congress was held on November 14, 2018 to elect its 25-member executive board. Nearly 516 congress members, representing regional offices and different sectors, took part in the proceedings. Founded in September 2011 by Tarek Cherif, its current president and former member of the UTICA executive board, CONECT seeks to promote the brand image of companies and offer them better opportunities at national and international levels.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Tunisian incubator for projects with a social and environmental impact, Lab'ess (Laboratoire de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire), announced on Monday the launch on July 17 of a new incubation programme focusing on sustainable cities, for the benefit of project leaders providing viable responses to pressing needs specific to urban areas, particularly in Greater Tunis and Sousse. To this end, the incubator today launched its call for applications to select 10 high-impact project leaders to join its new programme, with the aim of encouraging the creation of innovative businesses that will bring about systemic change in the service of sustainable cities. The Lab'ess incubation programme will boost projects through support and funding. The incubation programme is aimed at projects proposing innovative technological solutions to urban environmental problems. These may be early stage companies or start-ups (at the stage of raising their first funds). It includes a comprehensive training programme, with two bootcamps and workshops tailored to the needs of the incubatees, run by guest speakers, experts and peer entrepreneurs. It also includes individual, tailor-made support, with specialised coaches, modules to choose from and post-incubation support; networking with complementary partners (experts, entrepreneurs, financiers, multi-format networking) and an interest-free loan of up to D19,000. It also provides access to an international network, enabling participation in international trade fairs and a global ecosystem. Interested social innovators can complete the form available at www.labess.tn until July 9, 2023, at 11.59 pm. The incubation programme will start on July 17, 2023. This comprehensive support scheme is backed by the French Development Agency and the Innov'i - EU4Innovation project, which supports the innovative entrepreneurship ecosystem, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France. Lab'ess is an incubator of PULSE, an association founded in 2006 whose mission is to support and promote entrepreneurship as a lever for inclusive and sustainable development.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The North Africa-Tunisia office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) called on Tunisian citizens on Monday to join its "Adopt a Beach" programme, aimed at monitoring and collecting data on marine debris and raising awareness about plastic pollution in the Mediterranean. To participate in this initiative, interested citizens must form an adoption team, collectively subscribe to the programme, choose a beach, and take responsibility for its maintenance. They will count and record the waste during each visit and repeat the process 2 to 4 times per year to ensure the cleanliness and preservation of the beach. These actions will contribute to data-driven solutions and influence relevant organisations to combat plastic pollution in Tunisia. According to the WWF, Tunisia is one of the Mediterranean countries most affected by plastic pollution. According to the Ministry of Environment, the country generates over 2.5 million tonnes of waste per year, with plastic waste accounting for about 10% of this total. Some 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste end up in the sea each year, causing severe environmental damage to marine ecosystems and harming human health. Launched in collaboration with WWF offices in Greece and Turkey, this youth-led programme aims to encourage volunteers, schools, and organisations to "adopt" specific beaches in Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey to monitor and collect data on marine debris. By participating in this initiative, young people and volunteer groups from across the Mediterranean can actively contribute to reducing plastic waste and protecting the planet's natural resources. The collected data will help establish a "pan-Mediterranean platform" for monitoring marine debris to combat plastic pollution in the Mediterranean.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

A 3-day training and mentoring programme (July 12-14, 2023) will be organised for Tunisian entrepreneurs interested in water, energy, and food technologies and innovations, as part of the European project "Technology Transfer and Capitalisation of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus" (WEF-CAP). Twelve participants from university technical teams or startups will benefit from advanced capacity-building services and support to enable them to bring their innovative products to the market through spin-offs, startups, or technology transfers. They will also have individual meetings with experts, mentors, and investors. Selected participants will be eligible for grants to travel abroad and attend networking events in European countries. A conference will also be organised by the National Agency for Environmental Protection, the national partner of the project, from July 26 to 28, 2023 in Tunis. It will bring together key stakeholders in the water, energy, and food sectors. The European project "WEF-CAP" was launched in September 2021 in 7 Mediterranean countries, namely Tunisia, Jordan, Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, and France, and will close at the end of August 2023. Its aim is to consolidate a regional meta-group on water, energy, and food, promoting the replication, exploitation, and commercialisation of technologies and their transfer to increase the resilience of territories.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (CTCPM), represented by its President Chokri Letaief, was elected by an overwhelming majority to the Steering Committee of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP), during the General Assembly held in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 23 and 24. Chokri Letaief indicated that the support received by the Coalition extends to all Tunisian civil and democratic associative movements that pursue their commitment to dignity, freedom and justice, according to a statement issued on Monday by the Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty. In this context, it called on the Tunisian authorities to respect the "right to life" and to approve the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Founded on May 13 2022, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty is made up of more than 160 NGOs, bar associations, local authorities and trade unions. Its aim is to strengthen the international dimension of the fight against the death penalty. Its objective is the universal abolition of the death penalty.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Members of the Provincial Transhumance Committee (COPT) of Ioba took three recommendations to facilitate animal mobility during the first session held on Monday, June 26, 2023 in Dano.

The secretary general of the province of Ioba André Lankoandé, chaired this first session of the COPT of Ioba. The inventory of transhumance at the national, regional and provincial levels were discussed.

These communications were presented by the provincial director of agriculture, animal and fishery resources (DPARAH) of Ioba Oumar Ouédraogo.

From his presentation, we note that transhumance is a seasonally or cyclically organized movement of herds in search of water, pasture and or salt cure.

It is practiced in two forms, namely national transhumance and cross-border transhumance.

According to DPARAH, transhumance allows, among other things, an increase in animal production, protection at a lower cost and a reduction in crop damage and hence conflicts between farmers and herders in the rainy season.

Mr. Ouédraogo also presented on the legislative and regulatory framework, the establishment of transhumance management bodies and the axes of cross-border transhumance.

He mentioned the situation of transhumance in 2022 and that of the first quarter of 2023. A table of the difficulties of transhumance followed by proposed solutions was presented to the members of COPT / Ioba.

These members previously followed the presentation of the regional support project for pastoralism in the Sahel phase 2 (PRAPS 2-BF). It covers six Sahelian countries.

In Burkina, the project is in its second phase, which began in 2021 and will end in 2026. The total cost of PRAPS 2 -BF amounts to more than 26 billion CFA francs, said the focal point in the south-west Wendsongda Pascal Kabore.

Ultimately, it should reach 950,000 beneficiaries with at least 30% women. Eleven regions of Burkina are covered by this project. In Ioba, a water reservoir in the form of a drinking trough and a pastoral borehole equipped with a water tower were created by PRAPS 2-BF. The project receives financial support from the World Bank.

The exchanges after these communications focused on the situation of transhumance in the province of Ioba. About twenty conflicts related to pastoralism have been recorded and managed amicably.

Only one 30 km long transhumance track between the communes of Dissihn and Zambo currently exists with occupation problems. COPT/Ioba members therefore made three recommendations to facilitate national transhumance.

It is a question of making the state of the Disshin – Zambo track for its total reopening; to identify the old existing access tracks by municipality; accelerate the establishment of village land conciliation commissions (CCFV) and village land commissions (CFV) in each commune.

The secretary general of the province of Ioba, André Lankoandé thanked all the participants for their contribution to the search for the improvement of animal health and livestock value chains without forgetting the sustainable management of the landscape.

He reiterated his gratitude to the partner PRAPS 2-BF who made it possible to hold this first session of COPT Ioba.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambaèla urged, on Monday in Bobo-Dioulasso, the actors of the Burkinabe business world to take all the place granted to them in the recovery process. of the national economy.

The head of government was speaking this Monday, July 3, 2023, in Bobo-Dioulasso, at the opening of the work of the 5th edition of the national meeting of the Consultation and Orientation Framework for State/Private Sector Dialogue (CODESP ).

The theme chosen for the meeting is: “The role of land in the promotion of productive investment in Burkina Faso”.

The 2023 edition of the CODESP aims to present the status of implementation of the recommendations and commitments of 2021 and the actions planned for the implementation of the recommendations resulting from the regional and sectoral meetings of 2022.

It will also make it possible to examine the concerns that have not been satisfactorily answered in previous instances, with a view to encouraging, in accordance with the objectives of this consultation framework, policies and reforms capable of establishing a more conducive to private sector development.

At the opening of the works, the Prime Minister (PM), Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambèla, indicated that the government has taken full measure of the many challenges to be met to support the structural transformation of the Burkinabè economy.

Indeed, explained the PM, the Action Plan for Stabilization and Development (PASD), driven by the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, grants, in addition to the security issue, a preponderant place to the private sector, rightly considered the main engine of economic growth.

“Thus, major structural and sectoral reforms are underway in a participatory approach in order to build a truly inclusive and prosperous economy through the said Action Plan, particularly in its Pillar 3, namely “refounding the State and improving governance”. , he added.

However, according to Apollinaire Joachimson Kyélèm de Tambèla, it should be noted that the development model which places productive investment at the heart of priorities is confronted with difficulties in mobilizing land, which annihilate the implementation of structuring projects, both public than private.

It is rightly that for him, the theme of this edition of the national meeting of CODESP is very evocative and gives the opportunity to consider the many challenges to be met by our country in land matters.

“This issue can only be dealt with through a strengthened and consolidated public/private dialogue with clearly defined strategic axes in order to find adequate responses,” he insisted.

Moreover, the Head of Government assured that the recommendations that will come out of this edition will be the subject of careful examination and joint evaluation of the implementation, via the CODESP Steering Committee that he presides.

Anything that will, in his opinion, achieve the expected progress.

Moreover, he urged the private sector to take all the place granted to it in the process of reviving our economy.

“The State for its part reiterates its commitment to creating favorable conditions for the emergence of a dynamic and prosperous private sector; pledge of inclusive and sustainable economic development,” promised the Prime Minister.

According to him, holding an event as major as the CODESP National Meeting in a particularly difficult economic, political and social context at the national and international level is a challenge and an act of resilience.

As for Mamady Sanoh, 2 nd Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burkina Faso (CCI-BF), he welcomed the recent adoption of the law on property development which will, among other things, ensure better management of national land, preserve arable land and promote the promotion of decent housing and the implementation of integrated development projects.

According to national news, he, on behalf of the business community, commended, at its true value, the efforts already undertaken by the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and the entire Government, with a view to restoring our territory.

As a result, he gave them all the support of the private sector in this fight which challenges all social strata, because he is convinced that it is in unity, cohesion and consultation that we will succeed.

Source: Burkina Information Agency