https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaG07sTJENxyeTTfph1G *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* *25 February 2025* *NEWS HEADLINES* *EFTCorp delivers Africa’s first open-loop payment solution for Rubicon charging station* *Sudan's RSF, Allies Sign Charter for Rival Government* *In Stunning Move, US and Russia Align Against Ukraine in the UN Security Council* *NEWS IN DETAIL* *EFTCorp delivers Africa’s first open-loop payment solution for Rubicon charging station* South Africa’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market is expanding rapidly, with sales reaching 7,746 units in 2024 – up 65.7% from the previous year. While NEVs still make up a small share of total vehicle sales, their adoption is accelerating, along with the necessary infrastructure. The country now has nearly 400 public charging stations, with further expansion planned for 2025. As charging infrastructure expands, EFT Corporation is pioneering payment innovation in South Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) charging space by implementing a cloud-based, open-loop payment system for EV charging stations. In collaboration with Rubicon, Visa and Verifone, EV charging stations will become more user-friendly, paving the way for growth in the electric transport sector. This groundbreaking solution, with the proof-of-concept phase already launched at several sites in Johannesburg and Cape Town, will allow customers to pay with major credit cards at Rubicon charging stations for the first time. Prior to this launch, the closed-loop system meant that customers needed to set up pre-funded wallets and use special cards to charge their vehicle. This created a series of extra steps in the process, inconveniencing users but also limiting interoperability across different charging stations. Additionally, there was a need for a more efficient, seamless payment process without requiring physical computers at each charging station due to concerns like theft, power management, and maintenance. Through the integration of EFTCorp’s payment platform with Verifone’s UX700 class-leading unattended payment device, customers can now use major credit cards on Rubicon charging stations, without having to pre-fund wallets. Additionally, terminals can now be controlled remotely using cloud-based technology. _Here’s how it works:_ Plug in: The user connects their car to a Rubicon charging station. Pre-authorisation: Once plugged in, the Verifone UX700 payment device at the station prompts for payment. The system then reserves a predefined amount on the user’s credit card before the charging starts. Charging: Once the pre-authorisation is approved, the charging process begins. Payment: If the user stops charging early, the final payment reflects only the electricity used, and the remaining reserved funds are released. If the charging process continues beyond the initial reservation, the system incrementally increases the reservation amount, adding funds to the initial pre-authorisation as needed, and the final amount is settled when the car is unplugged. “There is no substitute for the convenience of simply tapping a card to transact instead of setting up an account and logging into a mobile app for each purchase,” says Vahini Jaganath, Senior Director – Digital Solutions for Visa Sub-Saharan Africa. “With over 60% of transactions in South Africa now contactless, open-loop solutions allow drivers to charge their electric vehicles at any public charging station without needing an account or membership, creating a seamless payment experience. Enabling contactless payments at all public charging stations is an important step in making EV ownership more accessible.” “The implementation of incremental pre-authorisation for dynamic, consumption-based billing is a first for South Africa”, says Paul Carter-Brown, CTO at EFTCorp. “It’s a great example of how collaboration can lead to significant innovation, with complex technologies being integrated to deliver a streamlined and user-friendly experience for customers. EFTCorp orchestrated so many moving parts for this project: The payment terminals had to be controlled remotely without local computers for the first time, Verifone deployed its functionality to support remote cloud-based terminal control, and introducing incremental estimated authorisation and reducing pre-authorisation hold times necessitated specific customisations with our banking partner. And all these various systems, including Rubicon, Verifone payment devices, and EFTCorp’s integrated technology stack and switches, had to be synchronised. “The result is a significant advancement for the sector, benefitting all parties involved”, says Hilton Musk, E-Mobility Project Manager at Rubicon. “Though it required complex operational changes, the result is the opposite for the end-user: A considerably simplified experience. It’s a unique solution for the EV charging sector and an important step for sustainability in South Africa, because the easier it is to access and use EV charging solutions, the better the adoption of electric vehicles will be. “Unattended payments are revolutionising the way consumers interact with businesses, and it is our ongoing goal to upgrade these shopping touchpoints into powerful digital commerce hubs that streamline the experience for the end user. Together with its partners, Verifone leads this transformation through new standards for convenience and security, and through solutions for modern transactions that are deeply integrated with merchants’ and partners’ ecosystems,” said Craig Rankin, General Manager for Verifone South Africa. The solution can also be scaled to other regions and markets, and incremental pre-authorisation can be used for other services beyond just vehicle charging. Says Carter-Brown: “EFTCorp’s mission is to constantly push the boundaries of innovation to deliver payment solutions across Africa, increasing financial inclusion and access to the digital economy. This project does exactly that, and we’re excited to see it contribute to the payment landscape on the continent.” _Spiked_ *Sudan's RSF, Allies Sign Charter for Rival Government* Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and its allies have agreed to form a parallel government, they said Sunday, despite warnings such a move could further fragment the war-ravaged country. "The charter has been signed," Najm al-Din Drisa, spokesman of the United Civil Forces, one of the signatories, told AFP. The parties to the agreement, inked behind closed doors in Nairobi, said the charter establishes a "government of peace and unity" in rebel-controlled areas of the northeast African country. The move comes nearly two years into a devastating war with the regular army that has uprooted more than 12 million people and caused what the United Nations calls the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. Among those who agreed to it was a faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which controls parts of the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in the country's south. Abdel Rahim Daglo, deputy and brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- who was notably absent -- also signed. The charter, seen by AFP, calls for "a secular, democratic, decentralized state based on freedom, equality, and justice, without bias toward any cultural, ethnic, religious, or regional identity". It also outlines plans for a "new, unified, professional, national army" with a new military doctrine that "reflects the diversity and plurality characterizing the Sudanese state". The proposed government aims to end the war, ensure unhindered humanitarian aid and integrate armed groups into a single, national force. The war, originally triggered by disputes over integrating the RSF into the military, has killed tens of thousands, with both sides accused of atrocities. Last month, the US determined the RSF had committed genocide in the western region of Darfur. The conflict has torn the country in two, with the army controlling the north and east and the RSF holding nearly all of Darfur and swathes of the south. The army is currently on the verge of recapturing the capital Khartoum, after surging through central Sudan and regaining territory this year. In its alliance with the SPLM-N, the RSF side now controls more of the south and has border access to Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia. A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres warned the move could "increase the fragmentation of the country and risk making this crisis even worse". But the charter's signatories denied any intentions to divide the country. Alaa El-Din Nuqd, a signatory representing professional unions, said the proposed government would benefit people in RSF-held areas "who have been cut off from essential services". Nuqd said the charter was a step toward "protecting the dignity" of war-hit civilians. Analysts say the move is aimed at strengthening the RSF after their recent battlefield setbacks. Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair said the RSF's ultimate goals were to acquire an air force, facilitate humanitarian aid to areas under its control and secure a stronger negotiation position. "They want to go into mediations as a government, not a militia," she told AFP. However, any arms sales to the potential government would still be in violation of a Darfur embargo which the United Nations has recommended expanding to cover all of Sudan. _Asharq Al-Awsat_ *In Stunning Move, US and Russia Align Against Ukraine in the UN Security Council* The Security Council voted on a draft resolution, led by the United States, that “implores” a “swift end” to the war in Ukraine but does not acknowledge that Russia invaded the country exactly three years ago. Ten countries voted yes on the text, including Russia, while five abstained, including Britain, above, Feb. 24, 2024. A General Assembly resolution to end the war, drafted by Ukraine and the European Union, succeeded while a US text failed. The United Nations Security Council adopted a United States-led draft resolution that “implores” a “swift end” to the three-year-long war in Ukraine as Britain and France refrained from using their vetoes on America’s so-called “path for peace” text. Ten of the 15 Council members voted in favor of the US resolution while the Europeans — Britain, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia — abstained, allowing the resolution to pass. Britain and France have not used their veto since 1989. “The United States sincerely appreciates Council members’ support for this resolution and applauds the action — the first this Council has taken in three years on Ukraine — to firmly call for an end to the conflict,” Dorothy Shea, US interim chief of mission to the UN, said after the vote on Feb. 24. The Council session marked the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What Shea didn’t say was that the Council has been unable to take concerted action on Ukraine until now because of Russia’s veto. In the meeting, Britain and France each condemned Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and urged members to avoid drawing an equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in the fighting — as the US text implies. Britain and France tried to delay the vote by a day, but the US won out, after a vote on the proposal. “The terms of the peace must send a message that aggression does not pay,” Barbara Woodward, the UK’s permanent representative to the UN, said. “This is why there can be no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine. If we are to find a path to sustainable peace, the Council must be clear on the war’s origins.” The US text, only three paragraphs, makes no reference to Russia starting the full-on war in 2022, saying: “Mourning the tragic loss of life throughout the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict; Reiterating that the principal purpose of the United Nations, as expressed in the Charter of the United Nations, is to maintain international peace and security and to peacefully settle disputes; Implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” A similar resolution was proposed by the US to the General Assembly in the morning, rivaling a Ukraine-drafted resolution (sponsored with the European Union), calling for, among other aspects, “de-escalation” of Russia’s war on Ukrainian territory. The US text was amended successfully by the European Union through a two-thirds majority vote. (Similar amendments — and two suggested by Russia — all failed in the Council.) Assembly resolutions are merely advisory and not binding. Council resolutions, however, are binding on all member states. The EU amendments proposed substituting the phrase “Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” in the US document with “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.” It also proposed that the resolution insert a paragraph that “reaffirms our its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” The third amendment called for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine which respects the United Nations Charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.” In the General Assembly, the Russian delegation, above, tried to derail a Ukraine-European Union draft resolution referencing Russia’s “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine, but the text was approved by 93 countries, although not the US and 17 other states. The amendments forced the US to abstain from voting on its own text because it didn’t approve the changes. Washington hurriedly presented its mini-draft resolution on Friday, Feb. 21, to compete with the one proposed by Ukraine and the EU for the General Assembly vote on Feb. 24. The US informed Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Betsa Mariana about its new text in the early afternoon on Friday, surprising the EU and Ukraine. The text apparently came from the White House, a diplomat told PassBlue, taking the State Department aback as well. The EU text had involved extensive negotiations — including with the US — over several weeks, aiming to drum up solidarity for Kyiv. But by last weekend, Washington was pushing President Volodymyr Zelensky to soften or drop its text, though he prevailed. At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on UN member states to vote in favor of the US resolution. “This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace,” he said in a statement. Key parts of the three-page Ukrainian text refer to the “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and “the need to end the war this year, and to redouble diplomatic efforts to reduce the risks of further escalation and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, consistent with the UN Charter. . . .” As Mariana of Ukraine said in the General Assembly: “I want to reiterate our profound gratitude to over 140 member states that have stood with us,” nodding to previous resolutions condemning Russia’s attack on its neighbor. Vote tally board on Ukraine resolution at UN General Assembly on Feb 24, 2025 The General Assembly voted yes on the Ukraine-EU draft resolution reiterating the need to end the war and calling Russia the aggressor. The Ukraine resolution was adopted with 93 votes in favor (18 against, 65 abstentions). The US voted against it, along with 17 others, including Russia, North Korea, Israel and Belarus. “France will pursue its support for international and Ukrainian jurisdictions, as well as for all of the mechanisms of inquiry aimed at establishing responsibility for the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine,” Nicolas de Rivière, the French ambassador to the UN, said in the General Assembly, urging member states to vote yes on the EU amendments. Russia’s proposed amendment to the Washington draft suggested a paragraph addressing the “root causes” of the war, but it failed to gather the required two-thirds majority vote required for approval. Only 31 countries — mostly African — voted for Russia’s amendment, while a whooping 71 voted against and 59 abstained. The Assembly voting to end the war in Ukraine occurs as massive casualties on both sides continue to mount after three years and as the Trump administration is trying to force Zelensky to agree to a rare-earths mineral deal to pay for military aid from the US and as part of negotiations by the US and Russia to ostensibly stop the war. On Feb. 20,​​ Rubio and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential peace path to the war in Ukraine. The conversation did not involve Ukraine or the European Union. Zelensky, livid, said there cannot be peace talks without Kyiv. _PassBlue_ We welcome your comments on this article. What are your thoughts on US sidling toward Russia over Ukraine? Damilola Banjo Damilola Banjo Damilola Banjo is an award-winning staff reporter for PassBlue who has covered a wide range of topics, from Africa-centered stories to gender equality to UN peacekeeping and US-UN relations. She also oversees video production for PassBlue. She was a Dag Hammarskjold fellow in 2023 and a Pulitzer Center postgraduate fellow in 2021. She was named the 2020 Nigeria Investigative Journalist of the Year by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and was part of the BBC Africa team that produced the Emmy nominated documentary, “Sex for Grades.” In addition, she worked for WFAE, an NPR affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. Banjo has a master’s of science degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in communications and language arts from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Categories: General Assembly, Security Council, Ukraine-Russia War, US-UN Relations Tags: Russia-Ukraine war, UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, US-UN relations We would love your thoughts. Please comment: In Stunning Move, US and Russia Align Against Ukraine in the UN Security Council BACK TO TOP Subscribe Login Be the First to Comment! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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