Day: July 14, 2023

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries announced on Thursday the holding of the 2nd of Artisan Mining Day (JAM) scheduled for July 21-22. in Gaoua (South-West) which will bring together more than 500 participants to reflect on the challenges related to the supervision of artisanal gold mining.

"Today's meeting aims to announce to the men and women of the press, the holding of the 2nd of the Artisan Miner's Day, called JAM, on July 21 and 22, 2023 in Gaoua, in the province of Poni, in the South-West region", affirmed the president of the National Organizing Committee (NOC) Jean-Baptiste Kaboré.

He indicated that this second meeting of mining artisans is held under the high patronage of the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré and it will bring together more than 500 participants.

Mr. Kaboré was Thursday in Ouagadougou in front of journalists to talk about the organization of the 2nd of the JAM, scheduled in Gaoua from July 21 to 22, 2023, in the South West region.

The 2nd edition of the JAM is placed under the theme " Artisanal mining: what mechanisms for the formalization of operators, in order to improve the socio-economic benefits of the sector?" ".

These Days will reflect on the organization and promotion of good practices in the mining sector, said Mr. Kaboré.

The President of the NOC and Secretary General (SG) of the Ministry in charge of Mines specified that according to a study carried out in 2018, Burkina Faso has to date recorded more than 600 active gold panning sites with more than one million people living of the activity.

Jean-Baptiste Kaboré pointed out that in recent years, efforts have been made by the government to better supervise artisanal miners, but difficulties still persist in respecting the regulations.

For him, this activity requires greater attention from the authorities and all stakeholders, so that mines are not a source of financing for terrorists, in this context of insecurity.

"The JAM, which is organized together with organizations of artisanal miners, technical and financial partners and NGOs working in the field, aims to bring about positive changes in the exploitation of artisanal sites in order to have a sector organized and responsible artisanal mining,” he said.

Mr. Kaboré also indicated that the 48 hours of reflection in Gaoua will allow, among other things, to debate on the central theme, the formalization of artisanal mining, the prevention of conflicts between industrial companies and artisanal miners, exhibition spaces and B to B meetings.

The SG of the department in charge of mines indicated that the recommendations resulting from the meeting will make it possible to better supervise artisanal gold panning confronted with landslide and other problems.

As a reminder, the first edition of the JAM was initiated in 2022 in Ouagadougou, by the State of Burkina Faso through the Department of Mines to promote good practices in gold panning.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The Ocades SED of Fada N'Gourma organized on July 11, 2023 in Fada N'Gourma, awareness sessions on gender-based violence (GBV) with companies realizing the infrastructures of the Emergency Project for Territorial Development and Resilience (PUDTR) and the host communities.

It is within the framework of the realization of the major projects of the PUDTR in the city of Fada N'Gourma for several months that the Ocades SED of Fada N'Gourma has organized awareness sessions on gender-based violence (GBV ) with company workers and host populations.

The Health-Nutrition, Wash and Protection program manager of the Ocades SED of Fada N'Gourma, D. Jean Thiombiano indicated that their visit to the field aims to raise awareness among company workers and host populations of responsible behavior in order to avoid GBV, sexual harassment of women, girls and children as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs). A project coordination unit from Ouagadougou attended these Ocades awareness sessions.

He added that their basis is that this PUDTR project starts well and ends well without any person being able to bear the damages of irresponsible behavior.

In addition, Mr. Thiombiano pointed out that until today, no case of GBV linked to the implementation of the PUDTR has been found in Fada N'Gourma. Also, the Health-Nutrition, Wash and Protection program manager suggested that Ocades through the Response and Prevention project takes charge in the event of the survival of acts of GBV linked to the work of the PUDTR.

Ocade's prevention actions in the field are appreciated by the beneficiaries. Thus, the head of the HSE Company of YELHY TECHNOGY AFRICA, Guy Fernand Ouédraogo argued that Ocades supports them "through awareness sessions on GBV, on the code of good conduct and the complaint mechanism".

He praised Ocades' awareness-raising actions for their benefit because, according to him, they reinforce the behavior they expect from workers.

A citizen of the host community, Maîmouna Kida added in these terms: "The facilitators advised us to take good care of our little girls who sell cakes, mangoes, peanuts so that they adopt responsible behavior in order to 'avoid unwanted pregnancies, GBV, early marriages...'.

"As for us women, they asked us to take care of ourselves so that the work that is being done ends without us being victims," said Mrs. Kida.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The Defense and Security Forces and the VDPs sensitized on the protection of wildlife

Fada N'Gourma Jul 14, 2023 (AIB)-The Eastern Regional Environment Directorate in collaboration with the Water Potential Improvement Project in Burkina Faso's Wildlife Areas (PAPHAF) organized on Tuesday July 11 2023 in Fada N'Gourma, an awareness session for the benefit of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).

According to Colonel Isidore Sama, the person in charge of the Water Potential Improvement Project in the Faunal Areas of Burkina Faso (PAPHAF), this awareness session for the benefit of these combatants who are fighting against terrorism is in line with the strengthening of capacities of project stakeholders.

“Today, the FDS and the VDP are in the theater of operations to combat insecurity. The objective of this training is to equip these actors in terms of wildlife legislation so that they themselves are not guilty or complicit in environmental crime,” said Colonel Sama.

The FDS and the VDPs favorably appreciated the holding of this sensitization. As such, a VDP who requested anonymity declared: “I am delighted with this training session on wildlife legislation. I learned which acts are allowed and which are prohibited in wildlife. Our mission as VDP is to fight against terrorism not to kill wild animals”.

According to him, "to kill animals is to contribute to the degradation of fauna, it is to destroy our dear country".

The governor of the Eastern region, Colonel Hubert Yaméogo also welcomed this training and invited these fighters to show professionalism in their quotient acts so as not to make themselves guilty of environmental crime.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Seychelles passport holders will now be allowed to board any airline coming to Seychelles without having to fill in an electronic disembarkation form, said a top government official on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Vice President Ahmed Afif in a cabinet press briefing with reporters.

"The important change that we are making is that we are giving a directive to all airline operators in Seychelles and their control point outside of the country that for any person with a valid Seychelles passport checking in at those territories, it will no longer be necessary for them to have an authorisation from the Seychelles Electronic Border Systems (SEBS) before entering the country," explained Afif.

Prior to the announcement Seychelles passport holders had to get an authorisation after filling out their electronic disembarkation form to be allowed to board any airline.

"What we are saying is that a person should not be refused entry into Seychelles simply because they have not filled out an electronic form. You will embark and when you reach Seychelles you will have to fill in your electronic form. A terminal will be placed at the airport to do the procedures. This will cause a short delay compared to passengers who had filled theirs before disembarkation," he added.

Nevertheless, he encourages all Seychellois to fill in their electronic disembarkation form before they embark but if they have not done it that will not be a reason for any airline to stop them from embarking.

The Vice President told reporters that the cabinet of ministers also approved the change of the name of the Immigration Border Control System to Seychelles Electronic Border System (SEBS) and not Travizory.

"It was called travel authorisation because, at the time it was introduced, people needed an authorisation from the health authority to enter Seychelles during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Afif said that this is not relevant anymore for Seychellois. However, foreign travellers coming to Seychelles must have a valid passport, travel itinerary, proof of accommodation, and apply for their travel authorisation online on the SEBS. Foreign workers returning to the country also need to use the SEBS to provide their valid work permits and other relevant work information.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Seychelles is set to partake in more regional cooperation in its fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing with the signing of the Charter for the SADC Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC).

The SADC Council of Ministers approved the Charter in August 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa, and entered into force on April 8, 2023. The Charter aims to provide a legal framework for establishing and operationalising an institution that will coordinate measures relating to fisheries monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) in the SADC region.

The Charter was signed by Seychelles' minister for fisheries, Jean Francois Ferrari, in a ceremony on Friday. Seychelles became the 12th SADC member state to sign the Charter.

The deputy chair of the regional technical team for SADC, Julie Bibi, told the press that joining the Charter will help Seychelles to increase its regional coorperation.

"We will have a regional vessel registry, where if a vessel is licensed in a country, we will be able to know through communication with other member countries. We plan to have a regional VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) through which we will be able to share data. There will be a lot of capacity building that will also help member countries to increase capacity in MCS," said Julie.

Through the years, Seychelles has made progress in monitoring, control and surveillance matters by improving the implementation of trade-related measures to prevent IUU fishing and reorganising the setup of the MCS department to allow the performance of crucial international obligations.

"Fisheries plays a critical role plays in the livelihoods of the Seychellois people, our economy and more so in the SADC region. The signing of the MCSCC Charter emphasises this importance and you will understand why we place that much importance on giving life and authority to this Charter," said Ferrari.

"Fisheries has played and continues to play a vital role in the socio-economic development of Seychelles. It accounts for a large part of exports and is a source of foreign exchange earnings, contributes to food security and balanced nutrition," he continued.

Seychelles has one of the highest levels of fish consumption per capita, ranging between 48 to 65 kilogrammes, and more or less entirely produced by the artisanal demersal fishery. The sector also has a substantial multiplier effect, supporting employment throughout the processing and marketing chain and other ancillary fishing activities.

Source: Seychelles News Agency