The Fourth Ministerial Follow-up Meeting of Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), which ended on Sunday in Marrakech, called for reinforcing the support for Africa in order to boost its economic growth. The conference was attended by 51 African nations and co-chaired by Japan and Morocco.

The conference committed to undertaking a joint action to turn Africa into a hot destination for investments through ameliorating the business climate, developing infrastructure and encouraging public-private partnerships and South-South cooperation. Co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani and  Japanese Foreign Minisdter Koichiro Gemba, the meeting assessed the implementation of the 2008 Yokohama action plan. TICAD V is scheduled for June 1-3, 2013, in the Japanese city of Yokohama.

Japan is  giving $1.3 billion  this  year in aid to African nations to help combat the effects of climate change, Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Koichiro Gemba said. “Sustainable development from now on depends on the consolidation of security and peace, and the processes of democratization and good governance,” he said.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani affirmed, on Saturday, that South-South cooperation is a crucial lever that backs up efforts by the international community in favor of development in Africa. He highlighted Morocco's role in supporting development in Africa which included private sector support in the field of  air transportation, banking services, mining exploitation, vocational training and fisheries. Morocco ranks first in terms of investments in West Africa which shows its effective commitment to upgrading and developing the economic fabric of the continent’s countries. He underlined Morocco’s active participation in peacekeeping and re-construction operations in some African countries and he urged African states and their development partners to act immediately in order to lay the bases for a comprehensive vision that would enable Africa to catch up with development and achieve an inclusive and equitable economic growth. the report in MAP concluded.

Japan extended about ¥10.8 billion (1.o9 million dirhams) in low-interest yen loans to Morocco on Friday to help the country upgrade sewerage systems in regional areas, with Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba and Moroccan Economics and Finance Minister Nizar Baraka exchanging notes to that effect. The targeted communes are Bouarfa, Nador, Targuist, Essaouira, Berkane, Al Aroui, Taourirt, Ouarzazate and M’rirt.

He had talks with Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Saad-Eddine el-Othmani that Japan will continue to support Morocco’s democratization, including efforts to reduce regional disparities and develop industries, according to Japanese officials. The Japanese foreign minister also met with King Mohammed VI and agreed to accelerate cooperation in the field of solar energy while confirming their aim to strengthen the two countries’ economic partnership by expanding investments from Japan.

In the side events of this ministerial meeting, African civil society – represented by the civic commission of Africa (CCf-A) was very active, and had organized several seminars and meetings to stress the voices of African grassroots community.

At the end of the meeting, Civic Commission of Africa has released a statement in which they call for:

A senior commander in the rebel army of the world’s most wanted warlord is now in custody, according to Ugandan military officials.

The officials told The Associated Press they captured Joseph Kony’s top military strategist, Ceasar Acellam, Saturday in a brief gun battle in central Africa.

“He’s a very big fish,” said one of the officials who asked to remain anonymous. “He is one of the top division commanders.”

Acellam was taken into custody along with two other rebel fighters in a region near the border between Congo and Central African Republic, the officials said.  The officials said the rest of the group of about 30 rebels escaped.

King Mohammed VI has presided over a ceremony in Casablanca to inaugurate the High Authority in charge of the national dialogue on the reform of Morocco's judiciary.

Stressing the importance of the judiciary reform as one of the country's key reform projects, the king said at Tuesday's ceremony: "I firmly believe justice lies at the heart of governance systems that are based on institutions and the rule of law, and it is my role to make sure the rule of law is upheld and to promote investment and development."

Recalling the broad outlines of the reform set out in his message to the nation on Aug 20, 2009, the king said he had ensured that Morocco's new Constitution guaranteed the independence of the judicial branch which was separate from the legislative and the executive branches.

The king also stressed the effectiveness of the inclusive and participatory approach used so far in all major reforms and