United States applauds Tinubu govt monetary policies

The United States government has lauded Nigeria’s monetary policies, being conducive for businesses to thrive, as well as strengthening and positioning the nation’s economy for overall growth.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, State Department, Joy Basu, made this known at a digital news conference with some selected select journalists in Abuja.

Basu said that the U.S. was committed to fostering its collaboration with Nigeria to tackle myriad pressing issues and obstacles, which Nigeria, being Africa’s largest economy, was facing.

The envoy said her country was working closely with the U.S. Treasury, the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government and African central banks towards ensuring public and private sector economic restoration, stability and prosperity across Africa.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recently concluded 16th U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, Basu said the U.S. was also working on curbing Africa’s security, infrastructure and energy challenges.

“We just came back from a meeting in Abuja, which was between the Secretaries of State and the United States is committed to being a good partner of prospect.

“We have made commitments to work on the security situation, infrastructure and energy, which is a common challenge not only in Nigeria but in some other countries in the continent.

“We have made concrete commitments to work on an enabling business environment in Nigeria and to make sure that American companies that are investing in Nigeria are having a transparent experience.

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“We are working closely with our U.S. treasury, and with the central banks of African countries, particularly Nigeria and the World Bank, to restore the economy, help the people and ensure public and private companies to thrive,” she said.

Reta Lewis, President, U.S. Export-Import Bank, in her remarks, highlighted U.S. efforts towards bolstering trade and investment across Africa, and emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in fostering stronger U.S.-Africa partnerships.

She disclosed that the U.S. government had earmarked $900 billion for the construction of solar power plants in Africa, being the largest renewable energy project and transaction this year.

Lewis announced that Eximbank had approved over 1.6 billion dollars for the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in sub-Saharan Africa and signed MoUs with six African governments and institutions.

She added that the U.S. government signed 1.3 billion dollars MoUs with Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation and Nigeria’s Bank of Industry, saying such interventions aimed to stimulate competition and foster economic growth.

“We are prepared to work with African countries and stakeholders from these MoUs to partner and foster competition, 88.5 per cent of the transactions that Exim does on a yearly basis is in small businesses.

“We feel small businesses are going to be part of the work we do, not only in the U.S. but in Africa,” she said.

Lewis urged participating journalists to always highlight the positive strides being made by U.S. to support businesses and bolster economic growth in Africa against the backdrop of the continent’s prevailing challenges.

Also speaking, Alice Albright, CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation, said that out of 17 billion dollars, which the U.S. had invested in Africa, about 10 billion dollars was allocated to infrastructure projects.

United States applauds Tinubu govt monetary policies

US Black airman fatally shot by security officer in wrong apartment

An attorney for the family of a Black airman fatally shot by a Florida deputy in his home last week is calling for the release of law enforcement bodycam footage, saying a witness believes the deputy was at the wrong apartment.

The 23-year-old victim has been identified by his family as Roger Fortson – an ​active-duty senior airman in United States, according to family attorney Ben Crump.

“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” Crump said, citing the account of an unidentified person who was on FaceTime with Fortson at the time of the shooting.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement deputies responded last Friday to an apartment after receiving a call for “a disturbance in progress.”

“Hearing sounds of a disturbance, (a deputy) reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement,” the sheriff said.

“The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries,” said the sheriff.

“I immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct the investigation that is required in such incidents,” the sheriff’s statement said.

The deputy involved in the shooting has not been identified by officials.

Crump – who’s expected to hold a news conference in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on Thursday – called Fortson “a stellar member of the Air Force and loved by his community.”

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“We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger’s death and the IMMEDIATE release of bodycam video to the family,” Crump said Wednesday in a post on X.

Fortson heard two separate knocks at the door and – the witness said – when no one could be seen through the peephole, Fortson retrieved his gun, which was legally owned, according to Crump.

The deputy then allegedly burst into the apartment and shot Fortson.

The witness said law enforcement responded to the wrong apartment, and there was no disturbance there at the time, Crump said in a news release. According to Crump, the witness said Fortson was alone at the time.

Her relationship to Fortson was not disclosed.

Deputies communicated with dispatch that Fortson had been shot six times with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest with one exit wound, according to police dispatch calls, obtained by CNN affiliate WEAR.

Officers can be heard saying that there was a “disturbance … physical in progress,” in the dispatch calls, WEAR reported.

“Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron. He entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019,” said a statement from the Air Force, which noted the shooting occurred at Fortson’s off-base residence.

“The 1st Special Operations Wing’s priorities are providing casualty affairs service to the family, supporting the squadron during this tragic time, and ensuring resources are available for all who are impacted,” said the Hurlburt Field statement.

While details about the shooting remain murky, the allegation the Okaloosa deputy responded to the wrong apartment echoes other shootings in recent years, in which a Black man or woman was killed by law enforcement in their home.

In 2019, a former Dallas police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after fatally shooting Botham Jean in his apartment the year prior. The officer – off duty but still in uniform – lived on the floor below Jean’s and said she approached what she believed to be her own apartment when she saw Jean inside.

Atatiana Jefferson was killed that same year when a Fort Worth officer, responding to what police believed to be a burglary, shot her through her bedroom window.

The officer testified at trial that Jefferson pointed a gun at him, but prosecutors argued there was no evidence he saw the gun before opening fire. The former Fort Worth officer was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison in 2022.

US Black airman fatally shot by security officer in wrong apartment

(CNN)

Russia urges Israel to comply with international humanitarian law in Rafah

Russia has urged Israel to comply with international humanitarian law as its military operation in the Gazan city of Rafah has become an additional destabilising factor in the situation in the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova disclosed this on Wednesday while answering reporters’ questions.

On Monday, Israel started a military operation in the eastern parts of Rafah and took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

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Hamas said it had agreed to the provisions of the ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar mediators, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the truce deal unacceptable.

Over a million people are believed to be sheltering in the city.

“An additional destabilising factor, including for the entire region, was the start of Israel’s ground military operation in Rafah in southern Gaza. About 1.5 million Palestinian civilians are concentrated there.

“In this regard, we demand strict compliance with the provisions of international humanitarian law,” Mr Zakharova told reporters.

Russia urges Israel to comply with international humanitarian law in Rafah