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Council of European Union’s Africa Working Group Begins 4-day Visit to Nigeria
Council of European Union’s Africa Working Group Begins 4-day Visit to Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
Members of the Council of European Union’s Africa Working Party (COAFR) have arrived in Abuja to begin a four-day working visit to the country.
During the visit taking place from 26-29 February 2024, the COAFR members will engage with Nigerian authorities, government agencies, civil society groups, regional and international organisations and private sector actors in Abuja and in Lagos.
According to a statement on Sunday by the European Union in Nigeria, the Africa Working Party (COAFR) is mandated with the supervision and management of EU external policy towards the 46 countries of the sub-Saharan Africa, the African Union and other sub-regional organisations, including ECOWAS.
The Africa Working Party (COAFR) is composed of representatives of all 27 EU Member States, chaired by a permanent member of the European External Action Service (EEAS), and assisted by representatives of the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council. It works under the auspices of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), itself composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense and/or development of the 27 Member States of the European Union.
The statement said in Abuja, the visiting COAFR members will meet with key Federal Government ministries and agencies starting from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, among others.
They will also have an interactive session with the ECOWAS Commission on regional developments and integration processes.
In Lagos, the COAFR is expected to meet with the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Consuls General of EU Member States, and the leadership of the European Business Chamber (EuroCham) Nigeria.
They will also visit several EU-funded projects in the state featuring digital and innovation, critical infrastructure and connectivity and migration. Deliberations during the meetings will centre on further boosting EU-Nigeria partnership.
The Africa Working Party’s (COAFR) visits to African countries aim at promoting direct contact, mutual information exchange and feedback between the political and foreign policy organs of the European Union and their African counterparts. They play an important role on taking stock of state and non-state actors views, perspectives, aspirations and expectations regarding their partnership with the European Union, its closest neighbour and its sister continent.
The team will commence a similar visit to the neighbouring Republic of Benin at the end of its current mission in Nigeria.
According to the statement, this is the group’s first-ever working visit to Nigeria, noting that in addition to the representatives of 17 EU Member States also officials from EU institutions, are expected to be in the team.
The statement further revealed that this year’s working visit will be the eleventh visit of the COAFR to the African continent, and the third visit to West Africa – following earlier visits to Senegal and Burkina Faso (2015) and Ivory Coast and Ghana (2019).
It said more than ever before, several top EU officials have visited Nigeria in recent years and months, underlining the importance the EU accords its partnership with the country.
Last October, the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnership, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, her counterpart for Energy, Ms. Kadri Simson, led other top officials to participate in the EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue Meeting held Abuja. The Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Ms Helena Konig, and the Managing Director, Africa at the EEAS, Ms. Rita Laranjinha, were also in the country shortly before then, following the visits in 2022 of European Commission’s Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager in February 2022, EU and Member States Maritime Security Coordinators in April 2022 and senior officials of the European Commission in charge of Energy and Home Affairs.
is mandated with the supervision and management of EU external policy towards the 46 countries of the sub-Saharan Africa, the African Union and other sub-regional organisations, including ECOWAS.
The Africa Working Party (COAFR) is composed of representatives of all 27 EU Member States, chaired by a permanent member of the European External Action Service (EEAS), and assisted by representatives of the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council. It works under the auspices of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), itself composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense and/or development of the 27 Member States of the European Union.
In Abuja, the visiting COAFR members will meet with key Federal Government ministries and agencies starting from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, among others. They will also have an interactive session with the ECOWAS Commission on regional developments and integration processes.
In Lagos, the COAFR is expected to meet with the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Consuls General of EU Member States, and the leadership of the European Business Chamber (EuroCham) Nigeria.
They will also visit several EU-funded projects in the state featuring digital and innovation, critical infrastructure and connectivity and migration. Deliberations during the meetings will centre on further boosting EU-Nigeria partnership.
The Africa Working Party’s (COAFR) visits to African countries aim at promoting direct contact, mutual information exchange and feedback between the political and foreign policy organs of the European Union and their African counterparts. They play an important role on taking stock of state and non-state actors views, perspectives, aspirations and expectations regarding their partnership with the European Union, its closest neighbour and its sister continent. The team will commence a similar visit to the neighbouring Republic of Benin at the end of its current mission in Nigeria.
This is the group’s first-ever working visit to Nigeria. In addition to the representatives of 17 EU Member States also officials from EU institutions, are expected to be in the team. This year’s working visit will be the eleventh visit of the COAFR to the African continent, and the third visit to West Africa – following earlier visits to Senegal and Burkina Faso (2015) and Ivory Coast and Ghana (2019).
More than ever before, several top EU officials have visited Nigeria in recent years and months, underlining the importance the EU accords its partnership with the country. Last October, the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnership, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, her counterpart for Energy, Ms. Kadri Simson, led other top officials to participate in the EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue Meeting held Abuja. The Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Ms Helena Konig, and the Managing Director, Africa at the EEAS, Ms. Rita Laranjinha, were also in the country shortly before then, following the visits in 2022 of European Commission’s Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager in February 2022, EU and Member States Maritime Security Coordinators in April 2022 and senior officials of the European Commission in charge of Energy and Home Affairs.
Council of European Union’s Africa Working Group Begins 4-day Visit to Nigeria
Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara
By: Zagazola Makama
Atleast three Fulani women were abducted by armed hoodlums who attacked Awi village, a Fulani/Hausa camp near Omu-Aran, under sporadic gunfire.
Sources disclosed that the incident occurred on June 29 at about 1:00 a.m. and was reported later that morning by one Danbare Sarki Fulani, a community leader.
The victims were identified as: Halimi Kadiri, Gaaje Yusuf, and a nursing mother Maria Isah. All the victims are said to be of Fulani Bororo origin.
Upon receipt of the report at about 10:00 a.m., a team security operatives and members of the local vigilante group was immediately mobilised to the scene and began combing the nearby forests,” the statement said.
Additionally, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) team attached to Omu-Aran, alongside neighbouring Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and local vigilantes, have launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation aimed at locating the victims and apprehending the perpetrators.
Police sources confirmed that investigation is ongoing and assured the public of continued efforts to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted women and restoration of peace in the area.
Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara
Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai, have neutralised two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attempting to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along a critical highway in Borno State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama on Monday that the ambush operation occurred along the strategic Trans-Timbuktu (TT) corridor, extending towards the Katarko–Goniri axis.
The sources said that the operation was conducted following credible intelligence on the movement of a terrorist IED-laying party along the route.
“During the encounter, troops engaged the terrorists in a brief but decisive firefight, killing two insurgents and forcing others to flee.
“Items recovered at the scene included two AK-47 rifles, several magazines, a motorcycle, and materials intended for constructing IEDs. Equipment designed to cut through tarred roads for the concealment of explosives was also found.
“The swift response by the troops not only thwarted a potential attack on military and civilian vehicles but also helped to secure a major supply route frequently targeted by terrorists,” a security source said.
The military has since intensified patrols and route clearance operations in the general area to prevent further attempts by the insurgents.
Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway
Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed two persons and abducted four others in a late-night attack on Gidan Tamba village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident, which occurred on June 29 at about 10:45 p.m., threw the quiet rural community into panic as the gunmen stormed the area and opened fire indiscriminately.
One of the victims, Ashiru Shafiu, aged 60, was reportedly shot dead on the spot, while another resident, Suleiman Yusuf, also 60, collapsed during the raid and later died of cardiac arrest. Both were rushed to the General Hospital in Kankara, where they were confirmed dead.
In addition to the fatalities, four residents were abducted during the attack. They have been identified as: Kazeem Nuhu, Shafiu Aliyu, Rama Dan Mallam and Ummah Abdulwahab.
The attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles and disappeared into the surrounding forest with the kidnapped victims.
Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community
Three Fulani women abducted by gunmen in Kwara
Troops neutralise 2 ISWAP insurgents planting IEDs on Borno highway
Bandits kill two, abduct four in Katsina community
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