Day: June 19, 2024

Medenine: The full reopening of the Ras Jedir border crossing from the Libyan side has been postponed to Monday, June 24, pending the completion of certain procedures, the Libyan Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Movement at the crossing will continue to be limited to humanitarian, medical and diplomatic emergencies, as the crossing has been partially reopened since last Thursday in accordance with a Tunisian-Libyan agreement signed by the two countries’ interior ministers on Wednesday.

The agreement provides for the gradual reopening of the crossing, which has been closed since March by a Libyan decision, and the resumption of normal activity on Thursday, June 20, for travellers in both directions.

A Tunisian security source said that the Ras Jedir crossing continues to ensure the passage of emergency and diplomatic cases from the Tunisian side, without interfering in the decision to reopen all or part of the crossing, just as it did not interfere in the decision to close it last March.

I
t confirmed that it had received no information on the Libyan side’s decision to postpone the resumption of the crossing’s activities from Thursday to Monday.

The Ras Jedir crossing was due to return to normal on Thursday in the presence of the Tunisian and Libyan interior ministers.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Over 59,000 pupils on Thursday will sit for the 2023-2024 entrance exam to pilot middle schools (6th grade) and the results will be announced on July 7.

Overall, 59,062 pupils will compete for 3,850 places in pilot middle schools, up 2,169 compared to last year (56,893).

The entrance exam will end on June 22, said Information and Communication Director at the Education Ministry Mondher Aafi.

This national exam will last for three days and will kick off with the Arabic and English tests on Thursday, French and Sciences on Friday and Mathematics on Saturday, he told TAP.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani at the Government Palace in the Kasbah examined a draft law on maternity and paternity leave, according to a press release from the Prime Ministry.

The draft law is part of a “legislative revolution aimed at achieving social justice”. It aims to regulate maternity and paternity leave and to incorporate constitutional provisions, particularly Articles 12, 43, 51 and 52, which outline the state’s obligations to ensure social security.

It also seeks to protect the family as the fundamental unit of society and to establish mechanisms to guarantee equality for all without discrimination.

The draft law aims to improve and develop leave schemes, particularly those relating to maternity, applicable to all private sector employees and public servants under general legal provisions.

It seeks to provide all the necessary legal guarantees to ensure parity between the public and private sectors, to take into account the best interes
ts of the child, to support family ties and to reconcile work and family life.

The draft law provides for the introduction of pre-maternity leave, the extension of maternity leave, the creation of maternity leave for mothers of children with disabilities and maternity leave for mothers who have given birth to a stillborn child.

The law also provides for the extension of paternity leave, the extension of post-maternity leave and the extension of breastfeeding breaks.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The special delegation from the municipality of Gaoua launched a sanitation operation on Friday June 14, 2024 in order to clean the living environment of the Gaoualais during this winter season.

Very early in the morning of Friday June 14, 2024, Gaoualais equipped with shovels, brooms, rakes and dabas stormed the large market to clean up the interior and surroundings of said market.

This sanitation operation was initiated by the special delegation from Gaoua and will last 72 hours. Other operations will be carried out over the coming days and weeks with the aim of cleaning up their living environment. ‘Today we are at the launch but the cleaning operations will extend throughout the winter period,’ underlined the president of the special Gaoua delegation, Siaka Ouattara.

According to him, a team which will be put in place to continue activities and support the sanitation initiatives already observed in the city’s districts. In addition, this day is part of the sanitation activities launched by the governme
nt. According to him, this ‘Gaoua clean’ operation started from the observation that weather forecasts predict high rainfall above the average of the previous year. ‘This is why we decided to clean the blocked pipes in order to prevent possible flooding in the city,’ he said. Continuing, he affirmed that restoring one’s living environment is everyone’s business. This is why Helene Sana, a trader at the large Gaoua market, said she was doing her bit to improve sanitation around this market. ‘In a few places in the country we have seen flooding. This is why we went out to at least clean up the market,’ he indicated, while welcoming this initiative of the special delegation which makes it possible to clean up the living environment in order to avoid diseases.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The governor of the South-West region, Boureima Savadogo gave the start of the baccalaureate exams on Tuesday June 18, 2024 in the said region at the Gaoua municipal high school. In the South-West region, 3925 candidates in all series including 2239 boys and 1686 girls are taking part in this session.

Students in final year classes in the South-West region, like others in Burkina Faso, began the baccalaureate exams on Tuesday June 18, 2024. There are a total of 3,925 candidates, 3,925 candidates in all series combined. These candidates are made up of 2239 boys and 1686 girls to take part in this exam in the region. The Gaoua Municipal High School, one of the examination centers, served as the official launch of the tests in the South-West. The candidates are divided into 16 juries, namely 3 juries in Diébougou in Bougouriba, 3 juries in Dano and 3 in Disshin in Ioba, 1 jury in Batié in Noumbiel, 5 juries in Gaoua and 1 jury in Kampti.

The body constituted by the region, headed by the governor, Boureima Sava
dogo, toured the rooms to encourage and wish good luck to the candidates. It is the room housing the first candidates (36 in total) for Bac C in the region, all from Gaoua scientific high school, that the governor officially launched the exam with the French test. Before opening the first envelope, Boureima Savadogo encouraged the candidates in the different rooms visited and provided them with advice on usage. He invited the candidates to be more diligent and to stay away from cheating. ‘Rely on your own luck. Recently there have been some unfortunate cases. The South-West region usually produces very good results. The discrepancies must not taint the credibility of our results,’ he told the candidates. At the first promotion candidate for the Bac series C in the region, he said he hoped that his candidates would do 100%. Same story, the regional director of post-primary and secondary education in the South-West region, Michel Somé, who urged 100% for this first vintage of Bac C. Furthermore, his wish is to
see results in the first and second rounds beyond last year. For their part, Bac C candidates say they are ready to take up the challenge. ‘I am very confident to achieve a 100% success rate. I also trusted our promotion to honor the region,’ declared Sami Dabiré. Like Sami Dabiré, Eléonore Dabiré affirmed that despite the stress, the promotion has an honor to respect and a challenge to take on. She said she was confident of the success of the entire promotion.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The results of the Primary Education Certificate (CEP) were announced on Tuesday June 18, 2024. Out of a total of 5916 candidates presented, 4643 were declared admitted, ie a success rate of 78.62%

According to the provincial director of preschool, primary and non-formal education of Sissili, Richard Bienvenu Benon, out of a total of 6074 registered candidates, 5916 students composed including 3379 girls and 2537 boys in 36 centers which have 8 juries.

When the results were announced, 4,643 candidates were declared admitted with a success rate of 78.62%, ie a success rate of 80.43% for boys and 77.27% for girls.

This rate has increased compared to the 2023 session which was 69.85%, indicated Mr Benon.

At this session of the CEP 2024, the CEB of Niabouri is on the highest step with a success rate of 91.63% while that of Boura brings up the rear with a 70.19% success rate,

The CEB of Léo comes in 2nd position with 82.17%, that of Silly ranked 3rd obtains 80.38%, that of Bieha occupies the 4th place with 77
.09, 5th place goes to the CEB of Nebielianayou with 74.92%, To is 6th with 73.96 % and Boura brings up the rear with 70.19%.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The High Commissioner of the province of Léraba, Mahamadi Congo, chaired this Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the ceremony of handing over installation kits to 33 young people trained in restoration, welding, auto mechanics and electricity building.

In order to honor the will of the high commissioner of the province of Léraba, Mahamadi Congo on the one hand, and of the first authorities of the rural commune of Niankorodougou, on the other hand, the Wahgnion gold operations (WGO) mining site) trained 33 young people from the locality in catering, welding, auto mechanics and building electricity.

Made up of 5 girls and 28 boys, those who chose auto mechanics did 6 months of on-the-job training and the other sectors did 3 months.

Their official end-of-training outing took place on Tuesday June 18, 2024, under the presidency of the high commissioner of the province of Léraba, Mahamadi Congo, in the presence of the authorities of the rural communes of Niankorodougou and Dakoro.

According to the acting director general
of WGO, Doctor Eric Da, this is the first time to train young people from the said locality.

‘The objective of this gesture is to want to ensure the plan for the engagement of young people so that they can take charge of themselves,’ he indicated.

Equipped with complete installation kits in addition to a training certificate for each young person in their sector, they are committed to taking up the challenge of becoming leaders.

They thanked all the authorities as well as the first WGO managers who worked for them on these training courses.

The selection criterion for access to these training courses was to know how to read and write and the selection was made by the town halls of the rural commune of Niankorodougou and that of Dakoro with the support of the customary and religious authorities of the said localities.

The provincial director in charge of Youth in Léraba, Adama Konfé, hoped that the young people trained would make good use of the equipment given to them.

As for the general director of the
training center, Wolfgan Sanou, the center supports these young people for 6 months in their professional integration with the support of WGO, which has promised other training to come.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The province of Gourma recorded on Tuesday June 18, 2024, 5,919 admitted to the 2024 Primary Education Certificate (CEP) session, with a success rate of 81.72%.

Following the proclamations of the Certificate of Primary Studies (CEP) of 2024, the province of Gourma obtained 5,919 admissions including 3,141 girls and 2,778 boys, representing a success rate of 81.72%.

In a context marked by the security crisis, the province of Gourma presented 7,243 candidates including 3,886 girls and 3,357 boys for the 2024 CEP exam.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The province of Kompienga recorded on Wednesday June 19, 2024, the best results of the examinations for the Certificate of Primary Studies (CEP) and the Brevet d’études du premier cycle (BEPC), 2024 session.

With only one composition center, the Kompienga province obtained the best score of 93.13%, provincially.

145 students took the Brevet d’études du premier cycle (BEPC) exam with 107 admitted, representing a success rate of 69.48%.

As for the Primary Study Certificate (CEP), the exam takes place in the CEB of Pama and that of Kompienga.

Out of a total of 335 candidates registered out of 186 having composed, in the Basic Education District (CEB) of Kompienga, we recorded 169 admitted, representing a success rate of 90.86%.

In Pama, out of 149 who composed, there were 134 admitted, representing a success rate of 95.97%.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The journalist and man of culture, Baba Hama, magnifies in his latest novel entitled ‘Light of Guinal’, joking kinship.

The latest literary work by the journalist and man of culture, Baba Hama, entitled ‘Lumière de Guinal’, has just been published by Editions L’Harmattan.

The novel which has not yet been signed tells an ‘epic story’ between a Fulani shepherd, a Yarga peddler and a blacksmith.

These three characters, culturally linked by joking kinship ties, will embark on the trail of a cow sought by the Fulani shepherd.

Lumière de Guinal’, is the writer’s 6th novel.

Baba Hama has 8 works published by Editions L’Harmattan including 6 novels, 1 collection of short stories and 1 story.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The compilation of the results of the Certificate of Primary Studies (CEP) session 2024 in the province of Bazèga shows a general success rate of 85.46% for all 8 districts basic education.

After the start of the composition of the certificate of primary studies (CEP) session 2024 on June 4, the results are finally known in the province of Bazèga.

Out of a total of 7003 candidates who actually took part in this session and regularly enrolled in CM2 classes, 5985 were declared admitted, representing a general success rate of 85.46% including 85.11% girls.

For the provincial director of preschool, primary and non-formal education in Bazèga, Claude Ouédraogo, this feat is to the credit of all education stakeholders in the province.

‘I congratulate all the winners as well as all the actors who have done a titanic job during the school year,’ he added.

The results of the 8 basic education districts included in the Bazèga provincial directorate of primary and non-formal preschool education are as follows:

Dou
lougou 79.91%, Gaongo 93.56%, Ipelcé 98.74%, Kayao 86.52%, Kombissiri 1: 81.96%, Kombissiri 2: 89.82%, Saponé 81.33% and Toécé 85.63%.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Medenine: Two people were injured and admitted to the ICU of the regional hospital in Zarzis after a violent fight involving bladed weapons and hard objects broke out on Wednesday morning between a group of sub-Saharan migrants living in a building on Mohamed Ali Street in the centre of Zarzis, according to a medical source at the hospital.

In a statement to TAP news agency, the source added that the condition of one of the two injured was serious, explaining that one was a Liberian migrant born in 1999 and the other a Cameroonian migrant born in 1988.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the evacuation of all migrants from the building and their belongings were secured in the municipal warehouse. 16 people were arrested in the building, which houses around 40 migrants spread over 9 apartments. An investigation has been launched.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

United Nations – Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN, ambassador Omar Hilale, highlighted, Tuesday in New York, Morocco’s firm and permanent attachment, under the far-sighted leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to the values ??of coexistence and to the fight against hate speech and intolerance.

Hilale was speaking at a high-level event co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations and the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide on the occasion of the 3rd International Day for Countering Hate Speech under the theme “Investing in the Power of Youth on Countering and addressing Hate Speech’. This Day, celebrated on June 18, was proclaimed by the UN in July 2021 at Morocco’s initiative.

During this event, the ambassador stated that His Majesty King Mohammed VI has given His High Instructions to place the Moroccan youth at the heart of any integrated development strategy, by adopting policies that focus on the principles of equal opportunities, quality education, good c
itizenship, intellectual and professional empowerment.

The aim is to ensure that Moroccan youngsters are protected against any marginal risky behavior and empowered to act as vectors of change in the society, he said, adding that the involvement of the Moroccan youth in combating and reducing the rhetorics of extremism and hatred in society has proven to be very useful in combating all forms of social exclusion, hence the relevance of the Moroccan Integrated National Youth Strategy (2015-2030).

He further affirmed that Morocco attaches great importance to the indispensable role of civil society and youth associations, hence the establishment, in July 2011, of the Consultative Council for Youth and Associative Action.

‘To date, Morocco has around 50,000 associations present throughout the national territory. These associations operate in several areas covering education, including social inclusion, health, sport, political leadership, the defense of human rights and youth development’, he indicated, saying
that the work of these associations helps shield the Moroccan youth from the scourge of hate speech and empower them as actors of change.

Hilale further stated that His Majesty the King reiterated the importance of youth inclusion in his Royal Speech delivered during the opening ceremony of the Ninth United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Global Forum, held in Fez in November 2022, when the Sovereign underlined that: ”Dialogue is inter-generational, meaning that it should involve young people and be concerned with the present as well as the future. Young people do not only represent the generations we must shield form the scourge of war and hate speech; they are the ones already making peace.”

Other speakers at this event praised the role and leadership of the Kingdom in the fight against hate speech, in all its forms, including in the digital space. They also indicated that this international Day serves as a reminder of the importance of standing together against hate speech and mobilizing the efforts
of all components of society, including young people, to overcome this scourge.

The holding of this high-level event recognizes the role of Morocco, under the far-sighted leadership of His Majesty the King, as a regional and international leader in the fight against hate speech. It is also a recognition of the actions that the Kingdom continues to undertake to promote the virtues of coexistence, living together and dialogue in the world.

The event was marked by a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In this message, the senior UN official notably indicated that young people are often the most affected by hate speech, particularly online, believing that these young people must be part of the solution. ‘Governments, local authorities, religious, business and community leaders have a duty to invest in measures to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion, and to combat hate speech in all its forms’, he recommended.

For his part, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis insisted
in his pre-recorded message on the need to reflect the values ??of harmony, tolerance, understanding and respect which are fundamental for healthy societies.

“This is how we must involve the 1.2 billion people on the planet. Young people, who represent 16% of the world’s population, are the most connected online. They are often the first to be exposed to hatred online, as targets, victims or spectators, and they have an essential rule to play as actors of positive change,” he said.

Several ambassadors and diplomats accredited to the UN participated in this event which as marked by the interventions of young people and a number of UN officials, namely the UN Under-Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, the Special Adviser on rights of children at UNICEF, the Special Adviser of the Office on the issue of violence against children, the Representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Rabat – Nineteen people were killed and 2,968 injured, 124 of them seriously, in the 2,191 road accidents that occurred in urban areas from June 10 to 16, according to the General Directorate for National Security (DGSN).

These accidents were mainly due to drivers’ inattention, failure to give priority, speeding, failure to keep a safe distance, loss of vehicles’ control and pedestrians’ inattention, DGSN pointed out in a press release.

With regard to the control and repression of traffic offenses, the security services drew up 36,222 tickets, 5,548 reports submitted to the public prosecutor’s office, while 30,674 transactional fines were collected, according to the same source.

The sums collected from these fines amounted to over 6.56 million dirhams, according to the statement, which also mentioned the impounding of 3,727 vehicles, the seizure of 5,548 documents and the withdrawal of 186 vehicles from circulation.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Dubrovnik – President of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), Latifa Akharbach, called on Tuesday in Dubrovnik for Africa’s involvement in global digital platform governance.

“Africa must have an important role in the governance of global digital platforms,” she said in a speech at the opening of the International Conference on Digital Platform Governance, held by Unesco and Croatia’s Electronic Media Agency, to mark the International Day against Hate Speech.

Ms. Akharbach, who was also speaking in her capacity as President of the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network (ACRAN), made the case for Africa’s essential contribution to the establishment of a universal framework for the regulation of digital platforms, based on a global consensus that respects diversity.

“As the world’s youngest continent, with 65% of its population under the age of 35, Africa must, in the digital domain, be both able to access progress and protect itself against disruptions,” she pointed out.

T
he situation is urgent as the lack of governance of the actions of big tech giants is already affecting the continent in many ways, Ms. Akharbach pointed out. Africa is already having to deal with the “brain drain” and the “data drain” in the context of the ultra-fast development of technology and the insufficiently regulated uses of artificial intelligence (AI), she observed.

While expressing her support for Unesco initiative to create a Global Forum of Regulators, the HACA chief called for best practices dedicated to tailoring the governance of giant platforms to the challenges of technological, cultural, and media sovereignty in Africa.

In this regard, she mentioned the recent agreement signed between Morocco, UNESCO, and the AI Movement Center of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University to set up a center of excellence in the fields of AI and data science, with a focus on Africa’s needs in terms of ethical issues, data management, impact on employment, and transparency.

Several senior Unesco officials, C
roatia’s ministers of Culture and Justice, representatives of the EU, as well as regulators from 70 countries on five continents attended the opening ceremony.

Held under the theme “Building a Global Network Forum,” the two-day conference aims to rally international networks of audiovisual media, electronic media, online regulators, and digital platform representatives against the exponential spread and proliferation of hate speech, discrimination, and xenophobia online.

The highlight of the event is the launch of the Global Forum of Networks of Regulators, bringing together regulatory authorities to establish a global, collaborative space for discussions and the exchange of best practices in the regulation of digital platforms.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse