THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015

News ofPresident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the Third International Conference on financing for Development, Government’s pronouncement of an Ebola case in Paynesville, Montserrado County and the ECOWAS Commission to Liberia decision to construct housing units for border patrol officers of the National Police and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization are stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

President In Ethiopia

According to the New Democrat newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf continues the second day at the Third International Conference on financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conference, which ends on July 16, has brought together more than 5,000 high-level political representatives, including Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs, as well as relevant institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and business sector entities, will result in an intergovernmental negotiated and agreed outcome, which should constitute an important contribution to and support the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda to be known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that will shortly succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to a dispatch from Addis Ababa, having co-chaired the United Nations High Level Panel as well as the African Union High Level Committee, both focused on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Liberian President provided a rare insight on many issues facing the world in its quest to embark on a new development agenda that would leave no-one behind. Speaking at the opening of the Conference, organized at the behest of the United Nations and the World Bank, President Sirleaf stressed that the decisions reached in the Ethiopian capital will build upon the significant gains made in the last 15 years through unprecedented cooperation amongst nations. The Liberia leader said because of the strong partnership between developing countries and their international partners, there has been enormous progress in developing countries around the world, undergirded by the MDGs. President Sirleaf challenged the conference noting that “As we reach agreement on how to finance the new development objectives and goals, we must go beyond the old divisions that always stood in the way of achieving what we set ourselves to accomplish”. She underscored that it was imperative to nurture the potential for win-win solutions, which the Addis Ababa Action Agenda holds; adding, we have the means to do this and it can be done.

Related Captions: Ellen Continues Her Official Visit TO Ethiopia…Returns Home Today(Heritage), Ellen Returns Home Today(The INFORMER), Pres. Sirleaf Continues Official Visit To Ethiopia(INSIGHT), Ellen Returns Home Today(FOCUS), Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf Continues Her Official Visit To Ethiopia(FrontPage Africa)

Ebola Hits Montserrado

Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Francis Kateh has disclosed that the latest Ebola case has hit Paynesville, Montserrado County. The disclosure followed the recent Ebola outbreak in Newodein community, Lower Margibi County, which led to the death of a 17-year-old lad. Dr. Kateh said the latest confirmed case involves a resident of Paynesville Community, a densely populated Monrovia suburb. Speaking on Tuesday at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing, Dr. Kateh added that a total of 124 contacts are being followed by health care workers in Margibi County where the 17-year-old lad died, while 16 contacts are currently being followed from the latest confirmed case in Paynesville. The Chief Medical Officer however said investigation is still ongoing to identify source of the most recent outbreak in the country, and appealed to residents of A.B. Tolbert Road community, currently quarantined, to remain calm. “We are doing everything in our powers to ensure that no one gets infected with the virus”, CMO Kateh assured, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Captions: Ebola Enters Monrovia(New Democrat), In Liberia: New Ebola Death ate Hits Two…Several Quarantines In Margibi, Montserrado(Heritage), New Ebola Outbreak Spreads To Montserrado(FOCUS), Liberia Accounts For Total 6 Ebola Cases(Daily Observer)

ECOWAS Funds Housing Units…For LNP, BIN

The Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission to Liberia, Ambassador Babatunde O. Aijsomo says welfare of security personnel in the region is critical to performance and the survival of the West African region. Ambassador Aijisomo stressed the importance for security personnel of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN), especially those serving along the borders and the airport to familiarize themselves with ECOWAS Protocol on “Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services” as well as “Rights of Residence and Establishment”, the Newsnewspaper asserts.

Related Captions: In Sub-region: Security, Personnel Welfare Critical(The New Republic), Welfare of security Personnel  In The Region Is Very Critical…Says ECOWAS Commission Official(Heritage), BIN, LNP Get 8 Modern Housing Units .For Officers Assigned At Borders(INSIGHT)

EPA Hosts Climate Change Workshop Today

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will be holding a two-day climate change national Stakeholders inception Workshop. According to an EPA release, parties to the United Nations climate change convention are under obligation to conclude a new international climate agreement by the end of the Paris Climate summit in December 2015 in order to limit temperature increase to 2 degree Celsius, Countries have agreed to publicly outline what actions they intend to take under a global agreement well before the Paris Summit These country commitments are known as “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)”. Meanwhile, EPA National Climate Change Focal Point according to Ben Karmorh said the opening session of the workshop will be graced by some members of the diplomatic corps and officials of government. Madam Angela Cassell Bush, Minister of Transport will serve as the Keynote Speaker, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Captions: EPA Begins Discussion On Climate Change Today(Daily Observer), EPA Forum On New Climate Change Agreement Opens In Monrovia Today(Heritage), EPA Forum On New Climate Opens Today(The INFORMER)

OTHER STORIES

LRRRC Repatriates 10,748 Ivorian Refugees

The Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) in collaboration with the Bureau of Immigration and Nationalization, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repatriated some 10,740 Ivorian Refugees back home. The LRRRC says the exercise provided the Ivorian Refugees an opportunity to return to their country after the civil crisis there. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Deputy Executive Director for the LRRRC, Mr. Kojoe N. Ross spoke Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism regular press briefing.

Public Works Needs US$1.6B For Paved Primary, Secondary Roads Plans Afoot for a Four-lane Paved Highway from ELWA Junction to Coca Cola Factory

The Daily Observer writes that in order to modernize Liberia’s primary and secondary roads, Public Works Minister Gyude Moore says the Ministry needs US$1.6 billion. This amount, Minister Moore revealed, would only connect county capitals, for example from Buchanan, Grand Bassa County to Greenville, Sinoe County or from Barclayville, Grand Kru County to Pleebo, Maryland County. Additionally, the funds will cover the roads from Medina to Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County, from Gbarpolu to Bomi County and from Vahun in Lofa County to Grand Cape Mount. He  said these roads would ensure the vital connections for the conveyance of people, goods and services among Liberians in the country. Minister Moore pointed out that the cost figure was derived as a result of professional assessments carried out by personnel of the Ministry. In 15 years the Ministry would need US$1.5 billion to fulfill the modernization of the nation’s road network.

U.S. Ambassador Identify With Muslims

As Muslims observe the month of Ramadan and recommit themselves to their faith, United States Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Deborah Malac, yesterday identified with the Muslim communities in New Georgia and on 17th Street respectively. The U.S. Ambassador donated assorted food items to the Muslim Community at both Mosques and read a special statement from President Barack Obama, the Inquirer newspaper writes.

Gov’t Hospital Gets Rep. Joseph’s Medical Donation

Montserrado County’s District #13 Representative, Saah H. Joseph, over the weekend made a donation of assorted medical supplies to the government’s hospital in Bomi County for use by the people in the area and surrounding towns and villages, as well as other health posts in the country. The medical items donated by Representative Joseph, alias Ebola Hero, were oxygen equipment, crutches, walker wheels, hand gloves, nose masks and delivery beds, Hot Pepper newspaper writes.

UL Slate Rally Wednesday To resuscitate LUX FM

The University of Liberia (UL) is to host a rally Wednesday, July 15, to raise funds to reconstruct the building that once hosted the University’s radio station, LUXFM. Making the disclosure in an interview with the Liberia News Agency Tuesday, the Director of UL relations, Augustine Boakai, said the rally is intended to raise about US$25,000 to jumpstart the reconstruction and renovation of the station. Boakai noted that Alumni of the Mass Communication Department under the banner, “Blue Ribbon Committee”, will lead the fundraising effort, targeting both cash and materials in contributions, the Inquirer newspaper reports.

Merck, UNESCO, Cambridge Join Hands To Fight Ebola

Merck, the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and Chemical company in partnership with UNESCO, Cambridge University and University of Rome have planned to conduct UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit – MARS which will be held on the 19^th and 20^th of October in Switzerland. The UNESCO-Merck Africa Research summit – MARS aims to bring together researchers from across Africa to discuss the generation, sharing and dissemination of research data and to prepare for the road ahead in Africa’s development as a international hub for research excellence and scientific innovation. Diverse sets of speakers from Academia, Research institutes, major funding organizations of health/medical research, Chairs of Medical Research Councils, NGOs, Industry, established and emergent researchers, policy makers, ministries of health and editors of Scientific/medical journals, etc., will be participating,the INFORMER reports.

Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa’s Annual Camp Opens

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, in order to maximize the observed opportunities that sports present for converging large numbers of young people and passing new skills to them in practical ways, the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA) will Wednesday July 15 commence its 2nd Annual Youth Camp under the theme: Peace Through Fair -Play (PTFP). Nobel Peace Laureate Madam Leymah Gbowee, Director and lead facilitator of the champ said the four days event will promote sharing knowledge on respect, integrity and accountability as a basis for fostering peace among youths in Liberia. Madam Gbowee noted that during the event, the kids will visit the three branches of Government- the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive and interact with their officials.  Madam Gbowee said that over 40 kids between the ages 10—16 years old from various communities are expected to form part of the camp. Other events include a career day, learning about peacemaking from real-life activists, and a farm excursion to learn about farming, culture and traditional values.

Related Caption: Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa’s Annual Camp Opens(INSIGHT)