The Bureau of Public Affairs   

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014

The quest to stop the proliferation of small arms in Africa by African Leaders, and the continuous updates on the awareness of the deadly Ebola Virus are the most dominant stories in today’s dailies.

Other stories include, tracking the path of the deadly Ebola Virus by a US Medical Doctors, US Ambassador visit to Nimba County, Government’s stance on border closure and the ban against hunting by the Liberian Legislature.

Dominant Stories

As the Government of Liberia, through the Health Ministry and other agencies continue to update Liberians and the international community of the deadly Ebola virus, the death of Ebola victims and the quest to finding the path to the Ebola Virus are the most dominant stories on today’s newsstand. A New Dawn Newspaper Caption:Ebola Strikes 7 - Health Minister Reports says theMinister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Walter T. Gwenigale has disclosed that the deadly Ebola virus has killed seven persons in the country so far. Minister Gwenigale told journalist at the Ministry of Information during its regular press briefing Thursday the first suspected case of the woman who left her family in Firestone to cater to her sick sister in Foya District, Lofa County was also reported dead Wednesday night. He said 42 cases are being monitored by authority of the ministry, including the death of a hunter in Grand Gedeh County. He also noted that in order to stop the spread of the virus, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has proposed to the Legislature US$1.2m to fight the deadly Ebola virus, as well as help to facilitate the efforts of health workers deployed in every part of the country. “People in the country are saying many negative things about this virus, claiming that we just want to eat the government money without the proper use of it,” said the minister, expressing serious disappointment over the unnecessary criticisms certain persons make without knowing the facts about the entire Ebola situation. “If you can’t help the government with this problem, then don’t hurt it by saying things that will undermine the work of the government and create doubts in the minds of the people,” noted Dr. Gwenigale, emphasizing: “why would I want to bring disease in the country that will kill people; no one should think that because I want money so I will kill people by bringing disease that has no cure in the country.” “This Ebola problem is not a political problem, but a national problem that needs to be given national attention and not to be politicized by giving unnecessary statements because it harms not just the people, but the entire country.” He noted that in order to stop this virus from spreading in the leeward part of the country, citizens residing in the country must protect themselves by those measures already in place to avoid coming in contact with the virus,” he said. Related Story:US Team Helps Track Path Ebola Virus:According to FrontPage Africa, a team of US scientists will help to track the path of the Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 87 people in Africa. There have been 134 cases of the incurable virus – which is fatal in about 90% of cases – in Guinea and Liberia, the World Health Organization said On Wednesday. A Five-person team from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) arrived in Guinea on Monday. They will help to contact anyone who has been in touch with infected people, CDC official Steve Monroe said. A second team my go to Liberia and the agency is assessing the need for more laboratory assistance to analyze samples, he said. Related Caption:28 US Doctors To Visit Liberia – Rep. Saah Joseph Says For Free Medical Outreach (The Analyst Newspaper)

Related Caption: Ebola Death Toll Increases To Seven – Gov’t Commits $250,000 (The Analyst), Ebola Claims Another Victim (Daily Observer Newspaper),Ebola Kills Woman At Duside Hospital In Firestone (Heritage Newspaper), 7 Liberians Die From Ebola (New Democrat Newspaper), Ebola Virus Now Claims 7 Lives (The Inquirer Newspaper),and Ebola Fight Gets More Muscles (In Profile Daily)

To Stop Small Arms Proliferation: Ellen Stresses Concerted Efforts

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has emphasized the need for more robust, honest and concerted efforts to stop the proliferation of small arms in Africa. According to President Sirleaf, though the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty was a giant achievement, both the EU and Africa  were lagging in the robust implementation of the treaty, stressing the need for more effective EU-Africa cooperation to achieve this objective. The Liberian leader noted that while conflict resolution efforts were worth commending, both the EU and Africa needed to focus more attention on conflict prevention, highlighting the Liberian experience during its years of crisis and the huge negative toll it had on the society. President Sirleaf also spoke on the unemployment challenge facing both continents; urging that youth unemployment be put on the front burner. “Youth unemployment is a threat to peace and security, especially in post-conflict fragile states,” she pointed out. She  indicated that the sub-region was very grateful for the initiatives of the regional institutions, ECOWAS and the African Union, supported by the European Union and United Nations to restore constitutional order in several African countries as “conflict in one country is conflict in all; conversely peace in one country engenders peace in all.” President Sirleaf  hailed the gallant role played by France in the restoration of stability and democratic rule in Mali and its current intervention along with African troops in the Central African Republic. She cited Liberia’s modest contribution to the peacekeeping efforts in Mali by contributing a small contingent of troops, despite the country being considered a post-conflict and fragile state. She made the call at the start of the 4th Europe-Africa Summit held in the Belgium capital Brussels, headquarters of the European Union Institutions. Fifty-four African and 28 European countries are attending the two-day summit. Earlier, at the formal opening of the summit, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, reiterated that Europe and Africa need each other, adding that Europe is and wants to remain Africa’s largest trade, investment and development partner. He said, opening up trade will benefit both sides. “Make no mistake: there are things on which Europe needs Africa’s help. We need your help to tackle climate change, which threatens all of us; to manage migration, so that it benefits both of us; and to improve the security of both continents,” Rompuy said. He repeated that Europe was committed to helping Africa bring an end to conflicts on the continent, and will support the continent’s aspiration to silence the guns by 2020. According to the European Council President, as the theme “Investing in people, prosperity, and peace” suggests, it is expected to address people’s everyday concerns – their safety and security, their job prospects, and their future as families and individuals. “All should be able to live free from fear and all should have the possibility to prosper where they live,” he emphasized, warning that it is now for leaders to signal the strategic direction for the partnership, to set priorities for the future, and to confirm their commitment to deliver them. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Borraso said the EU’s vision of the world is one of cooperation and not competition, of openness and not retrenchment or exclusivity. He said history shows that people and countries prosper when they open up to the world, when they expand their trade, and when they exchange ideas. Mr. Barraso reiterated that the EU partnership with Africa was a partnership based on mutual respect and a partnership of equals. “Our partnership with Africa, like with any other partner, is constructed as a bridge and not as a barrier to more global cooperation. United Nations Secretary-General, who also made remarks, said as both continents advance on peace and security, they also face a crucial moment in the pursuit of economic and social development. He urged them to accelerate progress while crafting a new sustainable, inclusive agenda for the years ahead. Mr. Ban, in his statement, urged the summit focus on the vital need to empower women and gender equality, ensure that the voices of young people are heard, advance on food and nutrient security and ensure that they leave no one behind. “Europe and Africa share proximity and history,” Mr. Ban said, “ideas and ideals, trade and technology,” adding, “You are tied together by the ebb and flow of people. The UN Secretary General urged both continents to stay true to universal values and not to succumb to opportunists who seek to divide societies and exploit fears for political gain. “Across the range of challenges, solidarity must be our guide. Let us draw on the collective force of the people of Africa, Europe and the world and build a life of dignity for all.” The current President of the African Union, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stressed the need for reinforcing the economic and commercial cooperation between the two continents, while calling for more coordination in the security field, notably in the region of the Sahel so to reduce the terrorist threat. The Chairman of the AU Commission, Dr. Nkoazna Dlamini  Zuma also made remarks, New Dawn reports.

Related Caption: Stop Small Arms Proliferation – Pres. Sirleaf; Calls For Concerted Efforts  (The Analyst), Ellen Wants Robust Action – On Small Arms, But AppointsSuspects (The NEWS,)Ellen Joins Leaders At EU-Africa Summit (Heritage Newspaper),Stop Small Arms Proliferation (The Analyst Newspaper),Ellen Wants Tough Action (New Democrat Newspaper), Pres. Sirleaf Wants Stop To Proliferation Of Small Arms In Africa (Insight Newspaper)

Other Stories

Gov’t Opposes Border Closure

The NEWS newspaper asserts that a member of the House of Representatives Jeremiah Kpan Koung says the Government of Liberia has recommended that the country’s borders with Guinea remain opened. Koung represents Ganta, a commercial district in Nimba County that borders Guinea. Some citizens of Ganta and communities near the Guinean border in Nimba County are divided over suggestion from some Senators that the country’s border be closed to avoid the spread of Ebola virus. Locals in Support of the suggestion told this paper Wednesday that the closure of the border would prevent infected individuals from crossing over to Liberia, while those against the suggestion said it would hamper trade and result to illegal entrance.

Related Caption:“Keep Politics Out Of Ebola Fight”(The News)

Legislature Bans Hunting, For Now

Days following the unanimous vote by Senators to call on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to declare a state of emergency, and close borders with neighboring countries, the House and Senate appear to have settled on other means to contain (control) the Ebola virus locally. An authoritative source within the leadership of the two Houses told our legislative reporter Thursday, April 3, that after almost two hours of joint leadership discussion, the two agreed that a moratorium be placed on all hunting activities until the country is free of the Ebola virus, the Daily Observer reports.

US Ambassador Receives Clothing From Traditional Women

Many westerners who visit Africa admire certain traditions; especially the Traditional attire. Liberia is one of those countries in Africa with such beautiful tradition, especially the attire, many, including peace corps try to copy the Traditional style of the dress code of the typical Liberian woman who wear lappa made from strolls before the introduction of western clothing.
This picture is a clear example of many of the westerners who admire the traditional clothing made by Traditional women in Liberia. Madam Deborah Malac, United States Ambassador accredited to Liberia was traditionally dressed by women of the Buu-Yao clan in Nimba County during the week when she visited that isolated part of Liberia famous for being the first town that witnessed the rebel invasion led by Charles Taylor and Prince Johnson. As per their Tradition, women usually make traditional clothing to present important guests. As seen in this picture the women gathered their resources and time to sew these traditional clothes for the US ambassador during her visit which demonstrates how pleased they were for her visit. Overwhelmed by the gesture from the local women, the envoy expressed to them how grateful she was for the gifts and described them as hospitable people, FrontPageAfrica asserts.

Related Caption: US Envoy Visits Buutuo (The NEWS)

Most Raped Victims Under 18 - UNMIL Reports

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and Coordinator of UN programs in Liberia has disclosed that high rate of rape and other forms of sexual violence continue in the country, with most reported cases involving victims under age of 18. Madam Karin Landgren said while the Government/United Nations joint programme on sexual and gender-base violence is increasing its focus on prevention, efforts continue to improve response to sexual offences, including the launch in August 2013 of a pilot project to enhance forensics capacity. Reading the 27th progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Liberia Wednesday, 2 April at UNMIL Headquarters in the Plaza Building on 1st Street, Sinkor in Monrovia, SRSG Landgreen said the project, a joint initiative by the ministries of Health and Justice, included the training of police officers, nurses and laboratory technicians, and the creation of database to track investigations. “The Ministry of Gender and Development, with United Nations support, is training traditional leaders on preventing gender-based violence”, said the UNMIL boss. Speaking on politics, she said a dominant feature of the political environment here during the period under review was the continuous public expression of dissatisfaction with national authorities by different sectors of the Liberian society, often accompanied by threats of demonstrations. For example, the report noted that in mid-November last year, motorcycle taxi drivers, unhappy with new traffic regulations, threatened to demonstrate, and university unrest persisted through December and January. It furthered that while on 9 October, a pro-government group mobilized a large-scale show of support, which civil servants were encouraged to attend, to greet President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s return from a trip abroad, eleven individuals associated with a smaller anti-government rally on the same day were detained and subsequently charged with sedition and other crimes. “These developments, along with a decision by the Supreme Court to disbar the Minister for Justice for six months, contributed to a general public sense of an unsettled political environment”, the report pointed out, New Dawn reports.

ECOWAS Single Currency Set For 2020

The tortuous ECOWAS monetary cooperation adopted in 1987 could see light at the end of the tunnel in 2020 with establishment of a single common currency in the sub region, according to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Kadre Desire Ouedraogo. Implementation of this adopted monetary cooperation has experienced obstacles and challenges, thus prompting change in repeated strategies, the last of which occurred in 2009 focusing on two monetary zones for the project. The first zone comprises the eight UEMOA member countries, while the second consists of the  other seven member countries, including Liberia, that each of its own currency which by 2015 will be grouped in one currency area call WAMZ or West African Monetary Zone, reports the New Democrat Newspaper.

Gbarnga-Zorzor Road Near Completion

The New Dawn newspaper says a 104 kilometers stretch of road between Gbarnga, Bong County and Zorzor District, Lofa County is near completion. The US$4 million contract awarded to a Liberian-owned firm, Westwood Corporation Construction Company, said the project will be completed by end of May this year instead of July as spelled out in the contract between the Liberian Government and the company. Westwood Corporation, which some time ago won a bid for the rehabilitation of the Gbarnga-Zorzor Road project, has declared its commitment to successfully completing the rehabilitation exercise in line with specifications spelled out in the agreement reached with the Ministry of Public Works. “Already,” said site manager Jerome Scott, “graveling and reshaping from the St. Paul Bridge to Gbarnga (15 Kilometers), which forms a major part of the rehabilitation exercise, has been achieved. This reiterates to the people of Liberia that Westwood Corporation has all it takes to fully complete the project as had been demonstrated in the past.” Westwood Corporation’s executives entered into a contractual agreement with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Public Works for the rehabilitation of the Gbarnga-Zorzor road. The cost of the project is estimated at US$4 million with duration of about two years. With a large fleet of equipment and manpower currently being mobilized, while putting in place various mechanism to ensure efficiency, the Westwood official expressed satisfaction over the level of work accomplished by the company in recent weeks. At the moment, Westwood has in its employ several locals, some of whom are helping to buttress road rehabilitation work, while putting in place safety standard measures to fast track the entire exercise. When asked about UNMIL’s intervention into the situation by deployment of earth-moving equipment due to the deplorable nature of the road, Mr. Scott clarified that at no time was UNMIL asked to embark on any such venture, and that they did it of their own volition. He said now that Government has provided the necessary funding to carry out the project, UNMIL has stopped carrying out work on the road.

Gov’t To Revamp Research Institute – Information Ministry Discloses

The Government of Liberia is contemplating in revamped the Liberia Bio Medical Research Institute (LBMRI) in Lower Margibi County to meet the needs of research activities of the country. The Liberia Bio-Medical Research Institute is the only research institute that is geared towards lab researching of medical specimen and other medical research purposes of he country. The institute was badly hit and vandalized as results of the 15 years long of protracted civil war that engulf Liberia. Speaking Thursday at Conference held in Monrovia, the Minister of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Lewis G. Brown said that he has received information that the facilities is at level II Class two research, and therefore lacks the resources and the overall capability to help in the lab work required for the detection or confirmation of the Ebola virus, the Analyst newspaper reports.

Liberia To Benefit From EU Energy Project

The European Union Delegation to Liberia has issued a press release in Monrovia, announcing the fourth EU-Africa summit which opened Wednesday 2^nd April in Brussels. The Summit which ran to Thursday, 3^rd April, was held under the theme “Investing In People, Prosperity and Peace”. Leaders from Africa and the European Union discussed on how to deepen cooperation, building on the spirit of their 2007 Joint Strategy, the NEWS newspaper writes.

Liberians In Norway Seek Partnership For UL

The Heritage newspaper reports that a four-man delegation from the Union of Liberian Associations in Norway (ULAN) and the University in Tromso arrives in Liberia shortly to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Universiity of Liberia and the University in Tromso in Norway. Members of the delegation include ULAN’s National Chairman Emmanuel Suah, national Vice Chairman Michael Forstherand National Secretary General Linford Aagon Gweh. The University of Tromso will be represented by Dr. Percy Oware.

Liberia Ranks 31 in Quick Business Start up

Liberia has leaped to 31 position out of 189 for quick business starting as compared to 37 position in the 2013 report, LBR Register General Abu Kamara said. In his report to the Minister of Commerce, Registrar Kamara said Liberia got to the 31^st post after during Business Survey Team of the World Bank Group report of 2014 on 189 countries or economies. He said the ranking of these economies in 10 areas of business regulations, such as starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders while in other areas, Liberia ranked 144 out of 189. According to the report, businesses continued to be registered at the Liberia Business Registry within at most 48 hours when all requirements are met and when there are no technological glitches with the SRB system, despite the numerous financial constraints that the LRB faces since it was launched in April 2011, the New Republic Newspaper reports.