The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

News of Liberia’s Ambassador to Dakar, Dr. Brahima D. Kaba award from the Islamic Development Bank of Jaddah, the World Bank postpone US$90 million loan to Uganda and the 23 mental health graduates of the Carter Center Mental Health Training Program are  major highlights of our Monday, March 3, 2014 Daily News Summary.

Dominant stories

Ambassador Kaba Gets International Post

The Frontpage Africa newspaper quotes a release from the Embassy of Liberia – Dakar as saying that the Islamic Development Bank of Jaddah has announced that His Excellency Dr. Brahima D. Kaba, the Liberian Ambassador to Senegal, Mauritania, Cabo Verde and the Gambia has been selected and nominated as an External Member of the Bank’s General Committee on Scholarship Programme for Muslim Communities for the Africa Region for a period of two years, 2014-2015. In his letter nominating Ambassador Kaba, the President of the IDB Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali wrote: “we sincerely hope that your academic background and professional experience in the field of education and involvement in Ummah’s affairs will certainly contribute to the effectiveness of this Committee and IDB looks forward to see your kind attendance”.  It must be stated that the nomination is honorific. Ambassador Kaba is scheduled to join fellow General Committee Members at the Committee’s forthcoming annual (35th) meeting to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 21-23, 2014. The major tasks of the General Committee include the review of Annual Report of the Program for the previous year, recommend the Operations Budget for the following year and discuss/approve policy directions affecting the Program.  The Committee is also tasked with the review of the rules and regulations of the Program sand make any changes, amendments and additions, wherever it is deemed necessary. The IDB is a multilateral development financing institution located in Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1975 by the Finance Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference OIC and has 10 members. It has an authorized Capital of 150 billion US dollars. The IDB group comprises five financial entities; the IDB, the Islamic Represent and Training Institute (IRTI), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). IBD is an observer member of the UN. The IBD scholarships program objectives: IDB funds and implements its scholarship program as part of its several efforts in the development of human resources of its member countries and Muslim Communities in non-member countries.  It is within the scope of human resources development that the General Committee will meet in Jeddah to discuss measures in the interest of the education of future generations.

Related story: Amb. Kaba Gets Another Int’l Post (In Profile Daily)

World Bank Stalls $90m Uganda Loan

The World Bank has postponed its $90m loan to Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni signed a tough and controversial new anti-gay law, which has drawn criticism from around the world. Word Bank officials said they wanted to guarantee that the projects the loan was destined to support were not going to be adversely affected by the law. The loan was intended to boost Uganda’s health services. Ugandan Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said the World Bank “should not blackmail its members’. The Law, enacted on Monday, strengthens already strict legislation relating to homosexuals. It allows life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of “aggravated homosexuality” and also criminalizes the “Promotion of homosexuality”, the National Chronicle newspaper reports.

Related Caption: World Bank Postpones $90m Uganda Loan Over anti-gay law (Insight), World Bank Postpones $90m Uganda Loan Over Anti-gay Law (In Profile Daily), World Bank Postpones $90m Uganda Loan Over Anti-gay Law (The News)

Carter Center Graduates Mental Health Clinicians

The Inquirer newspaper says in an effort to adequately address mental health issues in Liberia, the Carter Center Mental Health Training Program, aimed at stimulating the country’s health system after the fourteen years of civil unrest has graduated additional 23 mental health clinicians marking the sixth class of trained clinicians who will help to improve the access to much needed mental health services in Liberia. According to the Inquirer, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Walter Gwenigale, stressed the need for more mental health clinicians to be trained as part of the Carter Center Mental health program in order to foster and sustain the advocacy against discriminations, stigmatizations and to provide adequate health care for people living with mental illness in the country.

Related Caption: Hope For People With Mental Illness (Focus)

Other stories

Ellen Congratulates Cameroon

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a Message of Congratulations to the Government and People of the Republic of Cameroon on the occasion marking the observance of the 50^th Anniversary of the Re-unification of that country. In her message to President Paul Biya of Cameroon, President Johnson Sirleaf stated “it gives me immense pleasure to extend to you, and through you, to the Government and People of the Republic of Cameroon, heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the Government and People of the Republic of Liberia, and in my own name”. While reflecting on the historic event, President Sirleaf indicated that both the French and British Territories of Cameroon became united under a single National Umbrella for the good of Cameroon and its people which she said signifies their commitment to a unify and more prosperous state. President Johnson Sirleaf entertained the hope that as the Government of Cameron commemorate this joyous occasion, the cordial ties of friendship and cooperation existing between both countries and people, will be further strengthened in the spirit of African solidarity. The Liberian President prayed that as the nations work together in furtherance of deepest cooperation at the United Nations and other International forums aimed at promoting International Peace and Security, the Almighty God will endow President Biya with abundant wisdom and strength as he leads his compatriots to greater prosperity, according to the In Profile Daily.

Neufville Confirmed Chief Of Protocol

The Liberian Senate has confirmed former Montserrado County Representative Rufus Dio Neufville as Chief of Protocol of he Republic of Liberia, replacing another former lawmaker, Mr. Elijah F. Seah. The confirmation of Mr. Neufville and others followed a report from the Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs presented to the Plenary of the Senate on Thursday, February 27, 2014. Others confirmed are Jeddi Armah and Depue Zoe as assistant Ministers for Legal Affairs and International Relations respectively of the Ministry of Foreign affairs, the FOCUS newspaper reports.

Liberia - Turkish Relations Get Boost With Dialogue Center

Frontpage Africa– Liberia’s Minister of Gender and Development has described the Rainbow Intercultural Dialogue Center as a way forward as both Liberian and Turkish nationals continue to engage one another through dialogue. Minister Julia Duncan Cassell said it is through peace, that the people of Turkey have decided to open up a relationship with the people of Liberia and through that relationship they have opened schools in the country and are carrying on construction of more schools. “As we all know without peace, we were not to be where we are today and so this Intercultural Dialogue center in relation with the Gender and Development Ministry is a big step forward as our two countries continue to work together”. Minister Cassell added that tolerance is the hallmark of life and praised officials of the Liberia Turkish Light International School for their support to the youth, who are the future leaders of Liberia. The Deputy Minister of Research and Technical Services at the Gender Ministry Mrs. Annette Kiaw told the people of Turkey that she was glad to be present at the Rainbow Intercultural Dialogue Center as part of the friendship dinner. “We are pleased to have insight about what this peace dialogue is all about and that we have seen the presentation and a little bit of insight so we are very pleased”, said Mrs. Kiaw. The Deputy Minister emphasized that peace is important and paid tribute to the Liberia Turkish Light International School for what she called the school professional way of teaching the future generation of Liberia about the danger of violence as they have seen in Liberia and other countries.  

African Women Meet In Turkey 

Over three hundred women from more than twenty African Countries converged on the Convention Center of the WOWHOTEL in Istanbul, Turkey from February 26^th to March 1^st2014 to attend this year’s Turkey-Africa Women Entrepreneurs Trade Bridge Conference. Hosted by TUSKON, one of the largest non-governmental trade and business organizations in the Asian-European region, the conference brought together women from Liberia, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Congo, Angola, Sudan, Gambia, Zambia, Guinea, Ivory coast, Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somali Land, Uganda, Niger, and Benin, amongst others. Liberia was represented by four young women entrepreneurs who used every minute of the conference to expand their desire for a largest partnership by engaging fellow women from Turkey and other African countries, Asia and Europe on bilateral trade lines, the New Democrat newspaper reports.

Chief Zoe Cautions Lawmakers On Traditional Practices

The INSIGHT newspaper reports that the Chairman of the Traditional Council of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Karwor, has warned Lawmakers against the enactment of any law that will prohibit some traditional practices of the country. He said plans by some Lawmakers to enact a law that will prohibit the presentation of Kola Nut as a symbol of welcome and appreciation, runs contrary to the cultural and traditional practices of the country. He said such law will not be tolerated by the council, chiefs and elders of the country.

British Envoy assures Zwedru Of UK Sister-City Relationship

The British Ambassador to Liberia, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, has promised the Zwedru City Council his Embassy’s cooperation in seeking sister-city relationships with cities in Great Britain. According to a release, the British envoy’s pledge was predicated upon an appeal by officials of the Zwedru City Council that he help forge a sister-city relationship with any city in Great Britain.  Ambassador Cochrane-Dyet gave the assurance at the end of a one day assessment visit to Grand Gedeh County to familiarize himself with development there. The British envoy was given a warm welcome by a party of county officials, headed by Grand Gedeh’s Superintendent, Peter L. Solo, and representatives of UN agencies operating in the country. Ambassador Cochrane-Dyet, who was guided on a tour of places of interest, including the Ivorian Refugee camp, located about 11km from Zwedru, later held a closed-door meeting with County officials before departing Zwedru, the National Chronicle newspaper reports.

Related caption: British Envoy Visits Zwedru (The News)

Lofa River Bridge Closed

Government has ordered temporary closure of the Lofa River Bridge between Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount Counties from vehicular traffic. The Lofa River Bridge connects Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount Counties in Western Liberia. The decision was announced on Thursday, February 27, 2014 when Internal Affairs Minister paid an emergency visit to the area along with Public Works, Minister D. Antoinette Weeks. Minister Dukuly said the halt of vehicle movement on the bridge will remain enforced until a decision is made by the Government of Liberia, the INSIGHT newspaper writes.

Bar Assoc. Empowers Committee…To Review CBL Act And Draft Bill

The Liberia Bar Association (LNBA) has ended its first quarterly Assembly in zwedru, Grand Gedeh County with several decisions. Among them, the Bar after a lengthy discussion on what action to take regarding the amended Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) Act, agreed and expanded the Wright’s Committee on the amended Jury Law and Magistrate Jurisdiction to review the CBL Act and draft bill to amend the CBL act and report to the Executive Council within one week. Recently, the National Legislature passed a legislation which prohibits the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia and members of the Board of Governors from contesting political offices while serving their respective offices and shall not be qualified to contest any electable office within three years consecutively after the expiration of their tenure with the CBL. The Legislature which many described as the ‘4G’ Bill for the hasty manner in which it was passed by the lawmakers also mandates the CBL to supply legal tender and banknotes and coins, among others, the Inquirer newspaper reports.