Fighting raged on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 in Khartoum between the paramilitaries threatening to take over the city and the army, which is now calling on all young people in Sudan to enlist under the flag on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Fighting between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and General Mohammed Hamdane Dogolo’s Rapid Support Forces (FSR), known as “Hemedti”, is now concentrated around military bases. Since the beginning of the war on 15 April, the FSR have been present en masse in the residential areas where they had long established their bases. The army, however, tries to play its main asset: the air, which it controls alone, without its infantry succeeding in gaining a foothold in the immense city crossed by two arms of the Nile.

For several days, the FSR have been trying to take the last bases of the army in the capital where millions of people are still hiding – nearly a million and a half have left, fleeing stray bullets and water and electricity cuts in a grueling heat. The FSR took the police headquarters and its huge arsenal in southern Khartoum and harassed the army on bases in central, northern and southern Khartoum on Tuesday, reported residents to AFP. If they take these last bases, they will have taken control of Khartoum, experts say.

The Chairman of the Management Board and the CEO of the Merck Foundation meet with the President of Tanzania to discuss the scaling up of their health programmes to transform the patient care landscape in Tanzania. We have provided 37 one-year and two-year master’s scholarships to Tanzanian doctors in partnership with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, and we will continue to increase the number of physician awards in many underserved and critical medical specialties,” said Senator Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation.

The philanthropic branch of Merck KGaA Germany, highlights its commitment to building health care capacity in Tanzania at its high-level meeting with H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The discussion led by Professor Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of the Board of the Merck BOT Foundation and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation, to discuss the scaling up of Merck Foundation programs to build health care capacity and transform the patient care landscape into more than 36 critical and underserved medical specialties in Tanzania.

The Senator said: It was a pleasure to meet the President of Tanzania. Our vision is to provide quality and equitable health care solutions to underserved and vulnerable populations, leading Africa and the rest of the world to a healthier future. We are committed to transforming the landscape of patient care in Africa through our scholarship programs. To date, more than 1,580 scholarships have been awarded to young doctors in 50 countries in 36 critical and underserved medical specialties.

It was a great honour to meet with H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to highlight our continued commitment to health and social development in Tanzania. She is a great leader; we African women are truly proud of her great achievements and success. She is a true role model for all of us.”

The Merck Foundation recently hosted the Merck Foundation Alumni Summit in Tanzania to meet their alumni and an awards ceremony to recognize the winners of the Merck Foundation Awards. The Summit was co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation. During the Summit, the Merck Foundation also organized the 2nd edition of its Media Training on Health for Tanzanian media representatives in partnership with the Media Council of Tanzania and the Dar es Salaam City Press Club (DCPC). The training was conducted to highlight the important role that the media play in influencing our society to create cultural change in order to solve a wide range of social and health problems such as: breaking the stigma associated with infertility, supporting girls’ education, empowering women, ending child marriage, ending FGM, stopping GBV, raising awareness about diabetes, etc.

In addition, the CEO of the Merck Foundation announced the call for nominations for 8 major awards for media, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students and potential new talent.

This distinction recognises African personalities involved in the development of transport infrastructure on the continent. On March 31, 2022, the Selection Committee of The Africa Road Builders – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy nominated the President of the United Republic of Tanzania in Abuja, Nigeria. Samia Suluhu Hassan, laureate of the 2022 edition of this award recognizing African personalities committed to the development of transport infrastructure on the continent.

Samia Suluhu Hassan was honoured for her “personal leadership and huge commitments and investments” in expanding Tanzania’s roads and rail transportation network, the selection committee said. She succeeds President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, laureate in 2021.The only woman and current head of state in Africa, Samia Suluhu Hassan came to power in March 2021 after the death of President John Magufuli, of whom she was vice-president.

In making its choice, the Selection Committee cited the US$290 million support of the African Development Bank for the revitalization of road, rail and air transport in Tanzania. It also took into account the $172.2 million contract with China Corporation Limited for the supply of 1,430 modern freight cars to the country for the implementation of the Tanzania Railways Corporation’s ambitious railway program. Finally, the Committee noted the official start of the construction of the historic project of the outer ring road of the city of Dodoma. The project was launched on 11 February by President Samia Hassan in the presence of the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to President Samia Hassan and the people of Tanzania. The award ceremony will take place at the final conference of The Africa Road Builders, which will take place on the margins of the next Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank,” the Selection Committee said.

Sponsored by the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, the Africa Road Builders Babacar Ndiaye Trophy is organized by Acturoutes, an information platform on infrastructure and the road network in Africa and the organization Médias pour les infrastructures et la finance en Afrique (MIFA), a network of African journalists specialized in road infrastructure.

This award was created in honour of Babacar Ndiaye, President of the African Development Bank Group from 1985 to 1995. Professor Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, is the Chairman of the Conference Bureau.
Distributed by APO Group