His call follows reports in the French media of China bugging and stealing data from the $200 million African Union (AU) Headquarters in Ethiopia it funded and built.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WRJQhnXkan49xg4m34BYF8RNTA75Nf58″]Speaking to Citi News on the reports, Dr. Antwi Danso called on the government to as a matter of urgency, build a robust system to avert any such attacks since they were a threat to the country’s security.

“The Chinese, the Americans and several other countries have cyber commands, proper cyber commands… whose work is always to look at the internet and see which country is trying to target or attack their country.”

“Let’s take cyber awareness very seriously. Let’s let the people know that it is now a weapon. Let us take it as that. It is no longer a computer kind of detection. It is now real warfare. If we take like that, then we can have people trained to know how to deal with cyber warfare.”

Plans for Cyber Security Centre 

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in October 2017, said his government intended to establish a National Cyber Security Centre though no concrete plan has been outlined as yet.

President Akufo-Addo said this would be key to safeguard the national identification system, the digital addressing system, e-payments, digital financial services and the various e-government initiatives.

He assured that the government will enforce existing legislation and will empower the Data Protection Commission to ensure enforcement of the provisions of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

Denials from China

China has since dismissed the reports it bugged the AU headquarters as “preposterous”.

The Chinese ambassador to the AU told reporters the media in Ethiopia that claims, first reported by French news outlet, Le Monde was “very difficult to understand”.

The article said the discovery resulted in all the AU servers being switched.

Le Monde spoke to a number of anonymous sources, who claimed the alleged transfer was taking place late at night and was only spotted in January 2017 due to the spike in activity between midnight and 02:00, despite no-one being in the building.

It was suggested the alleged data transfer had been taking place since 2012 when the building was opened.

AU officials brought in security experts from Algeria to sweep the entire headquarters for potential bugs leading to the discovery of microphones in desks, according to Le Monde.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said ensuring the protection of women and children’s right was key to meeting the deadline for the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at an AU forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, the President, who is the AU Gender Champion, said gender inequality has an unbearable impact on the development of African nations.

“I invite you all [African leaders] to be champions of women’s rights and agents of change in and out of your borders. Let us remind ourselves that inequality has an unbearable impact and cost on our economy, society, and development of our nations,” he said.

Akufo-Addo is in Ethiopia for the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.

The theme for the session, which started from 28th to 29th January, 2018, was under the theme, “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable path to Africa’s Transformation”.

Akufo-Addo is expected to later today [Tuesday], attend the funeral of the late South African trumpeter, composer and singer, Hugh Ramapolo Masekela, which is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In January 2017, the information technology unit at the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa noticed something strange, according to a stunning investigation in French newspaper Le Monde.

Every night, between midnight and 2am, there was a strange peak in data usage – even though the building was almost entirely empty. Upon further investigation, the technicians noticed something even stranger. That data – which included confidential information – was being sent to servers based in Shanghai.

The African Union’s shiny new headquarters was built and paid for by the Chinese government, as a gift to its “African friends”. But when the building was officially opened in 2012, China left a backdoor into the African Union’s computer network, allowing it to access the institution’s secrets at will.

“According to several sources within the institution, all sensitive content could be spied on by China,” wrote Le Monde. “It’s a spectacular leak of data, spread from January 2012 to January 2017.”

The Chinese mission to the AU did not respond to Le Monde’s request for comment.

Once the problem was discovered, African Union officials acted quickly to fix it. The organisation acquired its own servers, and began encrypting its communications. In July 2017, a team of experts from Algeria – a country with a notoriously efficient intelligence community – along with cybersecurity experts from Ethiopia combed the building from top to bottom, looking for hidden microphones and other potential weaknesses.

China would not be the first supposedly friendly superpower to spy on the African Union. A separate investigation in December 2016, conducted by Le Monde and The Intercept, revealed that African Union officials were targeted for surveillance by British intelligence.

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Source: Mail & Guardian

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For centuries now the world has witnessed the transformation of Africa. As a continent mostly termed as a “developing one’, Africa has fostered sustainability and development through partnerships and collaborations.

In spite of all this effort, the malnutrition in governance by most African governments has brought about deficiencies in developments. Several Africans across the continent have been deprived of basic amenities and infrastructure to the greed of some African leaders.

King Solomon will be envious of some of the ostentatious lifestyles of some political leaders in Africa. A report by AU asserts that $148billion is embezzled by African leaders and civil servants yearly. Irrespective of the exportation of valuable resources like oil, timber and cocoa, Africa continues to swim in the pool of poverty. Most of the proceeds made from such exportations are left in Swiss accounts of some political leaders. Corruption has indeed corroded the hearts of these leaders!

Consequently, such selfish acts have crippled most economies in Africa; there is a need for purgation and cleansing if Africa aims to develop. According to Claire (2010), corruption is a complex issue with a vast array of determinants and effects that are often context and country specific.

In Liberia,7 out of 10 people say they have had to pay bribes to access basic services like healthcare and schools .Now I ask, if the development of a people rest on the respect of democratic principles and practices how would Africa achieve this feat when the poor are marginalized in getting access to such basic amenities. There’s a need for accountability and responsibility. Transparency International estimates that around 75m people in sub Saharan Africa have paid a bribe in the past year with the poor having to make twice those payments.

One of the rippling effect is the Corruption-Trickle-Down-Syndrome. Corrupt political leaders’ lust to amass wealth at the detriment of Africans has been passed down like folklore to other civil servants. Majority of the civil servants are living like piggy boxes-taking bribes from the very people they are to serve and fattening their pockets. It must be emphasized that the continuous occurrence of bribery undermines citizens security and the rule of law.

It’s astonishing that these bribes are paid to facilitate the delivery of services which are already catered for in their taxes. The greed is impeccably alarming. Africa cannot toe this line if it expects to see any meaningful socio economic developments. Deterring mechanisms must be put In place to alienate this canker. The police service which has been one of the institutions characterized by this act needs a shake –heads roll.

Kumssa(2015)asserts that police corruption undermines public trust in the institution and impairs effective enforcement of the law.

Development and standards are maintained when the responsible individuals who support in making them real and active, perform their functions properly. When those who are supposed to perform certain tasks on a particular project are messing up due to their high selfish interest and corruption, the project will not in any way be achieved.

The police and courts-institutions which exist to safeguard citizens rights are seen as the most corrupt. There’s a need for accountability.

Are we to continue wallowing in half-baked development due to selfish and corrupt political leaders? In the words of Obama, ‘Africa doesn’t need strong men, it needs strong institutions”-one way of achieving this is by ensuring accountability and responsibility on the part of governments and civil servants.

The ammunition of words above have been leveled at corrupt political leaders but the onus lies on us as citizens to act our part. We must be conscientised to stop engaging in corrupt activities. “If there’s nothing to give then there will be nothing to receive”,

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By: Adelaide Yiriyelleh

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A special delegation sent by the King to Ghana on Wednesday, February 8, 2017,  to convey the message, assured the President of the co-operation of the King, and the people of Swaziland over the course of the tenure of office of President Akufo-Addo.

It was the hope of King Mswati III that bilateral relations between the two countries will grow to the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.

The King of Swaziland also extended his deepest condolences, through the President, to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asanteman and Ghana, on the passing of the Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked the King’s envoy for the message, and used the opportunity to congratulate the King Mswati III on his election as the Third Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union.

President Akufo-Addo also congratulated King Mswati on his nomination as Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), during the 28th African Union Summit which was held in Addis Ababa this January, and assured the King of Ghana’s support to help achieve a malaria-free Africa.

The President recounted how he, as Ghana’s Foreign Minister and Chairman of the AU Ministerial conclave in Swaziland, in 2005, together with his colleague AU Foreign Ministers drafted the Ezulwuni consensus, which called for a more representative and democratic Security Council.

The goal of the AU, as contained in the Ezulwuni Consensus, was to be fully represented in all the decision-making organs of the UN, particularly in the Security Council, which is the principal decision-making organ of the UN in matters relating to international peace and security.

Full representation of Africa on the Security Council would mean having not less than two permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership including the right of veto; five non-permanent seats; and that the AU should be responsible for the selection of Africa’s representatives on the Security Council.

Nearly 12 years after, President Akufo-Addo lamented the fact that little progress had been made since the drawing up of the Consensus in Swaziland. He, thus, urged King Mswati III and his colleague African leaders to help in the advocacy towards the full realization of this consensus.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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After an emotional and tense debate, member states decided by consensus to leave the question of the disputed territory of Western Sahara for another day, and resolve it with Morocco “back in the family”.

“Morocco has been admitted to join the AU with a view that it will become the 55th member of the continental body. That’s made with the understanding that Western Sahara will remain a member of the AU,” said Lamine Baali, ambassador of Western Sahara to Ethiopia and the AU.

“All the debates were focused on [the issue] that Morocco should respect the internationally recognised border of Western Sahara.”

The only African country not to belong to the AU, Morocco left its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, in 1984 after the body recognised the independence of Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.

Morocco submitted its bid to rejoin last year, reportedly in the hope that being inside the AU would bring it diplomatic gains against Western Sahara’s independence movement  – the Polisario Front – and allow it to lobby against Western Sahara’s membership in the AU.

But Baali said Morocco had been re-admitted “with the understanding that Western Sahara will remain a member of the AU”.

The membership of relatively wealthy Morocco was welcomed by many members of the AU, which has been criticised for being overly dependent on non-African donor funding.

There was also some opposition from countries supporting the Polisario, observers said.

An African Union source, who followed the debate for Morocco to return to the continental body, said that 39 countries supported Morocco’s bid but nine voted against it.

Polisario leader and member of the Sawhrawi delegation Minister Mohamed Beiset told Al Jazeera that while there was a lengthy debate, “the wisdom of the African leaders made it possible to reach a consensus that was acceptable to everyone”.

The delegation decided, said Beiset, that “it was better to have Morocco inside the house, inside the family, and to try to reach African solutions to African problems”.

He congratulated Morocco for joining the AU, and said it was “a new opportunity that we should all seize in starting a … genuine dialogue between us to reach a solution to the long-standing conflict that has separated us”.

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Source: Aljazeera

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The CFTA will, amongst others, reduce the vulnerability of the continent to external shocks, and will also enhance the participation of Africa in global trade as a respectable partner, thereby reducing the continent’s dependence on foreign aid and external borrowing.

This was made known at the closing ceremony of the 28th AU Summit on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This agreement is in furtherance of the commitment made by African leaders in Addis Ababa in 2012 towards the establishment of the CFTA

It will be recalled that at the 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU held in January, 2012, in the Ethiopian capital, the Assembly endorsed an Action plan to boost intra-Africa trade through the operationalisation of the CFTA by 2017.

The Action Plan was specifically aimed at deepening Africa’s market integration, and significantly increasing the volume of trade that African countries undertake among themselves. The plan also outlined a programme of activities required to remove all bottlenecks and obstacles to intra-African trade.

A key feature of African trade is its low level of intra-African trade, insignificant share of global trade and high external orientation. Intra-Africa trade accounts for some 10% of Africa’s total trade compared to about 60%, 40% and 30% intra-regional trade achieved by Europe, North America and ASEAN respectively.

At around 3%, the share of Africa in global trade is insignificant. In terms of the direction of Africa’s trade, exports are mainly to Europe and USA (57%) and in recent times to China.

Again, with the numerous free trade areas existing across the globe such as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Africa has no choice but to reduce its vulnerabilities with the creation of a CFTA.

The CFTA, therefore, will create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.

Additionally, the CFTA aims to expand intra African trade through better harmonization and coordination of trade liberalization and facilitation regimes, as well resolving resolve the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite the regional and continental integration processes.

THE NATURE OF TRADE IN AFRICA
Trade is widely accepted as an important engine of economic growth and development. There are many regions and countries of the world that have been able to lift their people from poverty to prosperity through trade. In Africa, however, trade has not served as a potent instrument for the achievement of rapid and sustainable economic growth and development due mainly to its size and structure (composition) and the direction of trade.

The bulk of Africa’s trade with the outside world is heavily concentrated on primary commodities. This has ensured that the continent has been particularly vulnerable to external macroeconomic shocks and protectionist trade policies. This is evident from the recent global economic and financial crisis which had adverse impact on the continent’s economic performance.

Africa, meanwhile, Africa has the potential to supply its imports needs from its own sources in areas such as fuels, beverages, ores, metals and precious stones, and basic foods, amongst others.

The CFTA, thus, provides the opportunity for Africa to maintain food security and boost trade in agricultural products.

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Source: Flagstaff House

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The Eleven Member AU Committee, Chaired by Professor Benyam Dawit Mezmur, lauded Ghana on the various interventions and plans the country has adopted all geared toward protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of children in the country at the ACERWC’s 28 Ordinary session and the 12 Pre-session of the Committee meeting at Banjul, The Gambia.

Ghana had submitted the country’s initial, first and second consolidated report on the implementation of ACERWC Charter on the rights and welfare of the child to the Committee and appeared before the experts to defend issues raised.

The Country report covered ten thematic areas which include: General measures taken to realize the rights and welfare of the child in the policies and law of the State party or in any other international convention or agreement in force in the state.

The others are the definition of the child under domestic law and regulations; civil rights and freedom; family environment and alternative care; health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; special protection measures; and responsibilities of the child.

Mrs Della Sowah, Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection who led Ghana’s delegation, said Government has taken measures to promote positive cultural values and traditions and to discourage those that are inconsistent with the rights, duties and obligations contained in the Children’s Charter.

In addition, the legal framework has also been strengthened with the amendment of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to criminalise female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).

She said to emphasise the seriousness of the offence, the punishment is a term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and not more than ten years.

“A new section 101A also makes sexual exploitation an offence and punishable in the case of a child to a term of imprisonment of not less than 7 years and not more than 25 years”.

She said the Government under President John Dramani Mahama has also instituted an institutional framework with the restructuring of the Gender Ministry with an expanded mandate to coordinate and ensure gender equality and equity.

The Gender Ministry is also to promote and protect the welfare and rights of children, the vulnerable and excluded and persons with disability, and empower them to fully participate in the national development process.

Mrs Sowah said the Gender Ministry is responsible for the overall coordination of all child-related matters in the country.

She said the Department of Children (DOC) serves as a technical department under the Ministry and plays a lead role in carrying out this function of the Ministry.

The DOC is the main coordinating agency with the mandate to coordinate child rights implementation in Ghana. “It plays a significant leading role in the effective formulation and implementation of child-related policies, as well as the enforcement of child-related legislation,” she said

She added that, “For child rights promotion, DOC undertakes activities aimed at fostering behaviour change of all actors in charge of child welfare and protection at the national, regional and district levels. Information management and documentation of relevant child-related issues is key to DOC’s work. Consequently, the DOC carries out research, coordinates the collation and compilation of all relevant child-related information which allows periodic evaluation of the status of child rights promotion in the country”.

The Deputy Gender Minister noted that the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has established a unit on children, which addresses cases involving children and monitors the implementation of children’s rights.

“The Commission conducts annual monitoring of various sector policies and their implementation. Its findings are published in an annual report on the state of human rights in Ghana,” she noted.

Mrs Sowah also highlighted challenges which included financial, human and material resource constraints as well as structural limitations to the full implementation of the charter.

“In spite of these challenges, a lot of significant achievements have been made to improve the rights and welfare of children through democracy and good governance which enabled strong government commitment and support for the implementation of child-focused programmes, immense support,” noted.

She said Government also in collaboration with UNICEF has been an instrumental point in ensuring some level of progress for children.
She praised the media for being proactive in the coverage and awareness creation on issues concerning children and the development of new legislation and strengthening of existing laws and policies which put the government and its partners on their toes in issues relating to children are dealt with appropraitely.

The delegation included Mr Kwesi Armo-Himbson, Chief Director, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Mrs Gifty Kusi, Representative of Parliament; Mrs Eunice Sackey, Ghana Health Services; Mrs Helena Obeng-Asamoah, Department of Children; Mr Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi, Head, Information Research and Advocacy (IRAD) Department of Children; and Mr Edmund Foley, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

The AU Committee of Experts seeks to promote and protect the rights enshrined in the Charter particularly; collect and document information, commission inter disciplinary assessment of situations on African problems in the fields of the rights and welfare of the child, organize meetings, encourage national and local institutions concerned with the rights and welfare of the child and where necessary, give its views and make recommendations to Government.

It also formulate and lay down principles and rules aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of children in Africa; cooperate with other African, International and Regional Institutions and organizations concerned with the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the child; and monitor’s the implementation and ensure protection of the rights enshrined in the Charter.

The Committee also interprets the provisions of the Charter at the request of a state party, an institution of the OAU/AU or any other person or institution recognized by OAU/AU and to perform such other tasks as may be entrusted to it by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

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Source: GNA

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