ABUJA, Nigeria, May 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The ECOWAS Council of Ministers will meet in Abidjan from 18th May 2012 on the allocation of nine statutory positions in the ECOWAS Commission and other Community institutions.

The two-day extraordinary session will consider proposals by the President of the ECOWAS Commission to fill the vacant positions, including those of the Institution's Financial Controller as well as Director-General and Deputy Director-General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) based in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Also due for allocation is the position of the Commissioner for Human Development and Gender in the ECOWAS Commission which will become vacant by July 2012 as well as the Director-General and Deputy Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Group Action against Money Laundering and Terrorism financial in West Africa (GIABA), which fall vacant in April 2013 and January 2013, respectively.

Three other positions in the Community Court of Justice which will be vacant in February 2013 are also to be filled.

The Authority of Heads of State and Government, which approved the guidelines for the allocation of the positions in the Commission and the other Community institutions in February 2012, vests the President of the ECOWAS Commission with responsibility to make proposals based on agreed criteria for consideration by the Council of Ministers.

The criteria/guidelines seek to ensure an equitable, transparent and predictable system for the allocation of positions.

Countries in breach of the provisions of the regional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance are, however, excluded from benefitting from the posts allocation.

The provisions relate to the occurrence of a coup d'état in a State, a breach of the convergence criteria on democracy and where the government has obtained power through unconstitutional means

In addition, countries that fail to apply the text governing regular payment of the Community Levy may also not benefit from such allocations. The levy, a 0.5 per cent tax on goods imported into Member States from outside the region, was introduced to fund the activities of the Commission and other Community Institutions.

The ministerial Council will submit its recommendations for approval by regional leaders during their mid-year ordinary summit at Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire.

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- An extra-ordinary session of the ministers of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) will take place on Saturday, 19th May, 2012 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire to review the security situation in Guinea Bissau and Mali.

Coming after the just-ended regional Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) meeting in Abuja on 14th May 2012, the meeting which will be attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, will be updated on the political and security situation in Guinea Bissau and Mali by the President of the Commission, His Excellency Kadre Desire Ouedraogo.

The Chairman of the CCDS will present the report of the Committee's meeting of 14th May 2012 held in Abuja, while Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs will brief the ministers on behalf of President Blaise Compaore on the mediation efforts in Mali.

The opening of the meeting will also be addressed by Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Daniel Kablan Duncan, the current Chairman of the Council of Cote d'Ivoire. The Nigerian minister will also brief the meeting on the current status of discussions with the stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to resolve the political crisis in that country.

Nigeria was named to head a regional contact group to follow up on the region's response to the crisis after the 26th extraordinary summit of ECOWAS leaders in Abidjan.

Regional leaders set up the Contact Group on Guinea Bissau to follow up and coordinate implementation of the region's decisions on Mali, in the wake of the March 2012 military coup in the country and the separatist rebellion in the north.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- ANNOUNCEMENT TO JOURNALISTS

ACCREDITATION:

Journalists who are interested in covering the Global Africa Diaspora Summit to be hosted by the African Union in South Africa from 23 -- 25 May 2012 under the theme: “Towards the Realisation of a United and Integrated Africa and its Diaspora”, are strongly requested to be accredited.

Members of the media are invited to apply for accreditation to the Global African Diaspora Summit.

Applications for accreditation should include the following:

1. Full Names;

2. Name of media house;

3. Designation (e.g., reporter, photographer) ;

4. ID/passport number.

The above information should be forwarded to the following addresses no later than 18 May 2012:

Ms Laoura Lazouras, LazourasL@dirco.gov.za

Ms Nthabiseng Ramatshela, RamatshelaN@dirco.gov.za

More information about accreditation can be found on the following link: http://www.dirco.gov.za/diaspora/mediaaccr.html

NB: No media will be allowed access to the Summit venues without prior accreditation

Enquiries should be directed to: Mr Nelson Kgwete, 076 431 3078 or 012 351 1105

For further information about the Summit please consult the following links:

African Union Websites: http://au.int/en/summit/diasporasummit2012

South African Website: www.dirco.gov.za/diaspora

HOTEL RESERVATION:

Journalists are strongly advised to do their hotel reservations personally. A list of Hotels in Johannesburg is available on the internet.

VACCINATION:

Journalists should travel with their Yellow Fever Vaccination card.

VISA:

Journalists are strongly advised to get their visa from the South African Embassies in their respective country before traveling.

For Further Information consult the AU website: www.au.int

KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- All media are invited to the following sessions of the Regional Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control that will take place in Khartoum on 22 and 23 May 2012:

•    Tuesday, 22 May 2012, opening remarks at 09:00 hours, at the Corinthia (Burj Al-Fateh) Hotel, Khartoum.

•    Wednesday, 23 May 2012, opening remarks at 12:00 hours, and closing session followed by a press conference at 17:00 hours, at the Friendship Hall, Khartoum.

The main objective of the conference is to enhance coordination efforts on SALW control among Sudan's neighboring countries including Libya, the Central African Republic, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to strengthen security and stability in border areas, and promote sustainable peace and social and economic development in the region.

The cycles of conflict in the region due to long, porous borders have compromised the possibility of sustainable peace, security and development and weakened neighborly coordination. As long as these intra-country borders remain open and un-patrolled jointly, cross-border movement of armed groups, criminal activity and the proliferation of SALW will continue unabated across the region, engendering opportunities for insurgencies and further conflict.

The forum will foster a communique, a regional executive mechanism to enhance cooperation and coordination of arms control approaches among the participating countries.

The conference is organized by the Sudan Ministry of Interior and Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SDDRC) in collaboration with the Embassy of Germany, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union - United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

The conference will be attended by the Ministers of Interior of the participant countries accompanied by officials from the diplomatic community, international organizations on SALW control, national officials, security and law enforcement agencies, governors of neighboring districts and academics.

ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) resumes business next week by holding its Plenary in Arusha, Tanzania. The Plenary which takes place from Monday, May 21st 2012 through to Friday, June 1st, 2012, is the Fifth Meeting of the Fifth Session of the Second Assembly. It marks the last Sitting of the current Assembly - whose statutory political life ends on June 4, 2012.

The Assembly to be presided by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Abdirahin H. Abdi, shall during the two-week period listen to and debate on the EAC Budget for the Financial Year 2012/2013. The Budget Speech is expected to be delivered by the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Hon Musa Sirma on Thursday, May 24, 2012.

The following Bills shall be also be debated during the plenary:

• The East African Community Sectional Properties Bill, 2012 – 2nd & 3rd Reading

• The EAC Appropriation Bill, 2012 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Reading

• The EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2012 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Reading.

EALA shall during the Plenary period likewise:

• receive and consider reports from various Committees of the Assembly

• consider Motions and Questions brought before the House.

EALA shall debate on a Report of the Committee on General Purpose on the on-spot assessment of the Partner States' Policy Framework and facilitation of Civil Society Organisations' activities. The report focuses on women, youth, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the elderly and other special interest groups in the EAC Partner States.

The Committee chaired by Hon Sebtuu Nassor is also expected to table a second report on the recent Inter-Parliamentary Forum field visit on the monitoring and evaluation of various regional and national level health and HIV and AIDS interventions and responses in the Republic of Kenya.

The EALA Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution shall present a report of the findings of the public hearings on the border communities of Kenya and Uganda while the Committee on Accounts shall table its findings on the EAC Accountability process.

The Trans-boundary report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources to Lake Jipe and another by the same Committee on the status of implementation of Tourism and conservation issues are also to be tabled during the two-week plenary.

On its part, the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment is to make public its findings on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in the EAC region. The Committee on Legal, Rules and Privileges shall present the report on the audit of EAC laws and legislation.

EALA expects to inaugurate the 3rd Assembly on June 5, 2012. The 2nd Assembly has realised a number of achievements including passing over 35 pieces of legislation and carrying out oversight and on-spot assessments on various programmes and projects of the Community.

EALA has in its representative function deliberated and exchanged views with several stakeholders, all of whom have made immense contribution to the Assembly's agenda.

MAPUTO, Mozambique, May 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ --

• Viettel, one of the world's fastest growing telecom operators, launches its first African mobile Network in Mozambique and is seeking opportunities to expand investment in other African countries.

• In Just over a year, Viettel has helped propel Mozambique onto the list of Sub-Saharan Africa's top three countries in terms of fiber optic cable networks.

• Viettel has become the largest mobile coverage network in Mozambique, right at the launch, doubling the coverage level required by the licensing body.

• Viettel has been among the first corporations in the world providing free Internet access to all schools.

On May 15, 2012, Viettel (http://www.viettel.com.vn/Home.html) announced in in Maputo, Mozambique, the official launch of Movitel – the group's first mobile network in Africa to join its already flourishing networks in Asia and Latin America.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/viettel.jpg

In just over a year since being licensed on January 10, 2011, Viettel has built 12,600 kilometres of fiber optic cable and 1,800 mobile stations in Mozambique. This network represents 70% of the total Mozambique's fiber optic cable network and 50% of the country's mobile stations. The system has helped triple the density of Mozambique's telecom infrastructure (increasing the length of fiber optic cable network and number of mobile stations per one million inhabitants in Mozambique by 2-3 times), making it one of the world's fastest growing telecommunications networks and placing the country among the top three nations in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of fiber optic cable systems.

With the country's largest network right at the launch date, Viettel's Movitel network is the first mobile network operator in Mozambique to have doubled the network coverage level committed in its proposal for the license. In addition to expanding the network, Viettel also recruits one to two local people to provide services door-to-door in their own localities.

At the launch ceremony, Viettel also officially announced its project of connecting and providing free internet for 4,200 schools as part of the group's pledge to the Mozambican Government. At present, more than 500 schools have been connected thanks to this project.

“The Mozambican Government highly appreciates Viettel's serious investment and commitment to social responsibility. This is the first time many areas will have had access to telecom services, so the company has made a major contribution to the implementation of Mozambique's socio-economic development and poverty reduction strategy,” said Mozambican President Armano Emilio Guebuza.

Viettel has successfully developed and popularised telecom services in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Haiti, Mozambique and Peru.

“Mozambique is Viettel's first market in Africa. Viettel is seeking for new opportunities to expand its investment in other African countries.” a Viettel representative stressed.

On entering new markets Viettel companies have consistently become the leading telecommunications player within just two years, contributing from 1-2% to a country's national GDP; increasing national telecom network coverage by between 50% to 80% and jointly increasing telecom network density by 3 to 3.5 times more than the international average. Most local residents now have the opportunity to access telecom services, including 95% of people living in rural areas. Tens of thousands of jobs have been generated for rural people through the Viettel sales network. Free internet services are provided in all schools.

These efforts have helped narrow the digital gap between rural and urban areas, and rich and poor.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Viettel Group.

Information about Viettel

Viettel (http://www.viettel.com.vn/Home.html) is one of the world's fastest growing telecom operators, standing among the world's top 15 telecom companies in terms of subscriber numbers. Viettel currently invests in six countries in three continents and provides services to more than 60 million subscribers. Viettel has the largest telecom networks in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In 2011, Viettel's turnover was estimated at six billion USD, with an average growth rate of around 20% a year.

Viettel Profile: http://www.apo-mail.org/20120515ViettelprofileEnglish.pdf

Media Contact:

Ms. Nguyen Ha Thanh,

Viettel's PR Manager

Email: hathanh@viettel.com.vn

Ms. Aïssatou Diallo

African Press Organization

Email: sec.sg@apo-opa.org

Tel.: +41 22 534 96 97

Video: http://youtu.be/tmxz4wovXR4

Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=180 (Local people in Zambezia province, Mozambique, are eager to queue for getting Viettel owned Movitel's services. For years before, they have been out of telecom reach)

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=181 (Viettel's local staff is introducing mobile services in rural areas of Mozambique. Every locality here is served by at least 1-2 Viettel's local staffs)

Photo 3: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=182 (Viettel roll out its fiber optic cable and mobile networks to rural and remote areas in Mozambique)

Photo 4: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=183 (Viettel continues to expand its 12,600 km fiber optic cable network to 20,000 km by this year end to cover 100% of Mozambique's districts)

Photo 5: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=184 (Viettel's presence has contributed to propel Mozambique onto the list of Sub-Saharan Africa's top three countries in terms of fiber optic cable networks)

Photo 6: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=185 (Viettel's Movitel shops in Mozambique)

Photo 7: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=186 (Pupils in Mozambique enjoyed free Internet connections provided by Viettel's Movitel)

Photo 8: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=188 (Mozambican President, Armano Emilio Guebuza (third person from left hand), pressed the button to officially launch Viettel's Movitel network)

Photo 9: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=189 (During his speech at Movitel's launching ceremony, Mozambican President Armano Emilio Guebuza highly appreciated Viettel's contribution to Mozambique)

Photo 10: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=190 (Mozambican President highly appreciates Viettel's Movitel presence, stressing that Movitel has contributed to spread telecoms services to everyone and push social economic development)

ICT data in Africa

According to the World Bank's report on Africa's ICT infrastructure research published in June, 2011, the average broadband penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa was just 2% in the urban areas and barely 1% in rural areas. Except for South Africa where fiber optic cable networks accounted for 80% of the region's total, the average density of fiber optic cable in other Sub-Saharan African countries remained very low, at 140km per million people or one seventh the world average. The World Bank report also revealed that in the developing countries, one third of per capita GDP was generated from telecom investment. With a 10 percent increase in investment, telecom density will increase by 2%. While with a 10 percent increase in bandwidth, GDP per capita will be 1% to 1.5% higher, with hundreds of thousands of jobs created. Telecom services can contribute 6 to 7% to a country's GDP.

TOKYO, Japan, May 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Japan welcomes the holding of a parliamentary election in Algeria on Thursday, May 10, without major confusion and in a largely peaceful manner.

Japan hopes that based on the results of the election, Algeria will continue to make progress on political, economic and social reform in such a way that takes into account the opinions of the people.

Japan hopes to continue to work for the further strengthening the friendly and cooperative relations with Algeria, especially in light of this year's 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

TOKYO, Japan, May 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On Tuesday, May 15, the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency relief goods worth 10 million yen (portable jerry cans, plastic sheets, etc) to the Union of the Comoros, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in response to the request following serious damage from the floods.

In Comoros, cyclones and heavy rain which continued from April 20 to 27 caused the floods and the landslides in every island of the Union; Grand Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli. The Union has continuously been damaged, and the Government of Comoros reported, as of May 11, 57,323 people were suffered (Grand Comore: 15,000 people, Anjouan: 25,000 people, Moheli: 17,323 people), approximately 4,000 people were evacuated to the shelters, and 1,808 houses were destroyed.

In response to the request from the Government of Comoros, the Government of Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance from a humanitarian point of view for the victims as well as in light of friendly relations between Japan and Comoros.

MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing arm of Pearson, today announced the acquisition of Certiport, a leading provider of performance-based certification exams and practice test solutions for academic institutions, workforce and corporate technology markets. By joining forces with Certiport, Pearson VUE is furthering its commitment to offering the most robust, end-to-end professional learning and assessment solutions across the globe.

The acquisition of Certiport extends Pearson VUE's product range and geographic reach. Certiport's foundational level exams and test preparation materials will help Pearson VUE build relationships with technology professionals early in their academic and professional careers. The acquisition also supports Pearson VUE's expansion into fast-growing international markets with more than half of Certiport's revenue coming from outside North America.

As a leading provider of foundational level certification programs from Microsoft®, Adobe®, HP®, CompTIA®, AutoDesk®, Intuit® and other industry-recognized credentials, Certiport has 12,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers around the globe and delivers more than two million exams across 150 countries annually.

Bob Whelan, CEO, Pearson VUE said, "Certiport is a successful global assessment business which perfectly complements Pearson VUE's own high-stakes assessment model. We are impressed with the company's growth, the high caliber of Certiport's employees, clients, and partners and we look forward to the growth opportunities that will result from this acquisition."

Headquartered in American Fork, Utah, Certiport is dedicated to helping people excel and succeed through certification. The terms and conditions of all Certiport partner contracts will remain in place. Certiport will continue to operate independently and deliver on the company's partner-focused business plan, with oversight from Pearson VUE.

"Certiport's intense focus on customer service, our leading brand recognition in the global assessment and certification market, and our solid financial performance attracted Pearson to our company," said Ray Kelly, CEO, Certiport. "This well-positioned transaction validates our performance and business strategy, and proves the value that comes with a knowledgeable and skilled employee base. We are excited about the potential for new product offerings and an expanded distribution network our clients and partners will enjoy with new ownership."

About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE (www.PearsonVUE.com) is the global leader in computer-based testing for information technology, academic, government and professional testing programs around the world. Pearson VUE provides a full suite of services from test development to data management, and delivers exams through the world's most comprehensive and secure network of test centers in 170 countries. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (NYSE: PSO; LSE: PSON), the international education and information company, whose businesses include the Financial Times Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group.

About Certiport

Certiport is the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services delivered through an expansive network of over 12,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. Certiport manages a sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs including: the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, the Microsoft Technology Associate certification program, the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program, the HP Accredited Technical Associate, the CompTIA Strata™ IT Fundamentals, the Autodesk Certified User certification program, the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User certification program and the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3®). Certiport reliably delivers over two million tests each year throughout the secondary, post-secondary, workforce and corporate technology markets in more than 153 countries and 27 languages worldwide. For more information, please visit www.certiport.com or follow Certiport on Twitter at www.twitter.com/certiport.

"Certiport," "IC3" and "MeasureUp" are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Adam Gaber of Pearson, 1-800-745-8489, adam.gaber@pearson.com, @apgaber or @nextgenassess (Twitter)

PARIS, France, May 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Freelance journalist Faisal Mohammed Salih was released on bail yesterday after being held for six days by the security forces in Khartoum. He is to be prosecuted on a charge of refusing to cooperate with the authorities under article 94 of the criminal code, which is punishable by a month in prison and a heavy fine.

“Salih deserves a public apology from the Sudanese authorities for this constant harassment but instead they are keeping up the pressure by bringing criminal charges,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We call for the immediate withdrawal of the charges and for guarantees that he will be able to resume working without any further harassment.”

He was arrested on 9 May after being made to report to the office of the National Intelligence and Security Services in Khartoum every day since 25 April and spend six to seven hours there each time without being interrogated. The harassment began after he criticized President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in an interview for Al-Jazeera on 19 April.

More information: http://en.rsf.org/sudan-call-for-an-end-to-harassment-of-10-05-2012,42595.html