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Assomption Island in the Seychelles, 2023.© Franz Neumeier/ImageBroker/Alamy

Spotlight | Africa
The high environmental risk of Al-Khayyat billionaires' luxury hotel diplomacy

The two Qatari brothers have turned ultra-luxury resorts into an instrument of influence, leveraging ties to Qatar's emir and the business network surrounding Donald Trump. In the Seychelles, a project negotiated behind closed doors with the country's political elite is emerging as a major threat to one of the world's most fragile ecosystems.

Subscribers only Business

Inner Circle | Africa
Rafael Grossi leverages solid African contacts in bid for UN top job

In the running to replace António Guterres as UN secretary-general, the Argentine diplomat can count on the network of African scientists and statespersons he has built since becoming head of the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2019.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in New York, on 21 April 2026.© Selcuk Acar/Anadolu

Subscribers only Diplomacy

DRC
Kinshasa's curious $205m debt to Abu Dhabi

Subscribers only Politics, Diplomacy

Algeria
Stellantis and Renault's contrasting fortunes in Oran

Subscribers only Business

Congo
French courts set to take 'presidential' Falcon off Commisimpex and its financiers

Subscribers only Energy

Eritrea
Eight candidates vie to become UN special rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea

As the vote approaches to renew a mandate Asmara has been lobbying to abolish, the deadline for applications to succeed Sudan's Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker had to be extended to 18 June.

Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker in Geneva, Switzerland, in February 2024. © Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Subscribers only Diplomacy

In brief

Ibrahim Traoré

Virtus Minerals

Paul Kagame

Savannah Energy

Denis Sassou-Nguesso

Spotlight | Africa The high environmental risk of Al-Khayyat billionaires' luxury hotel diplomacy

Inner Circle | Africa Rafael Grossi leverages solid African contacts in bid for UN top job

DRC Kinshasa's curious $205m debt to Abu Dhabi

Algeria Stellantis and Renault's contrasting fortunes in Oran

Congo French courts set to take 'presidential' Falcon off Commisimpex and its financiers

Eritrea Eight candidates vie to become UN special rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea

Ghana France's Ocea close to signing deal to supply Navy

Morocco Mohammed VI launches two new hospitality ventures

Ivory Coast, Niger From Niamey to Abidjan, Nab Consulting makes its mark in financial consulting sector

Somalia NISA intel agency and aviation authority in power struggle at Mogadishu airport

In Focus

Africa From Rabat to Kinshasa, a deep dive into Swiss group SICPA's traceability empire

Mali Iyad ag Ghali's coalition and Goïta brace for a decisive showdown

Africa Tracing Alexander Zingman's covert uranium and finance dealings tied to Putin

Central African Republic Sigma Mining, the low-profile Emirati company at the heart of CAR's gold system

Morocco In the king's shadow, Prince Moulay El Hassan's path to the throne

Morocco The enigmatic Swiss trader behind Russian oil shipments to the kingdom

The Continent

Central Africa

West Africa

Eastern Africa and the Horn

Somalia, Somaliland Irro administration makes new bid to enlist US lobbyists

Sudan Riyadh wires millions of dollars for two RSF defectors

Inner Circle | Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed's security strongmen line up against rebel threats

Kenya Chinese Communist Party builds influence within ruling UDA

Kenya, Sudan Embargo fails to stop tea from flowing

Kenya After takeover, Nation Media Group holds pivotal general meeting

Burundi Chinese firm CCECC wins construction contract for the country's second largest port

Kenya American supplier sues Kenya Airways over unpaid bills

Kenya Under local pressure, port authority CEO appeals to President Ruto

Kenya Parliament weighs diplomatic immunity for Ford Foundation

Uganda Museveni crosses swords with opposition over Buganda land tenure

Southern Africa and Islands

South Africa Rand Refinery bets on artisanal gold from Tanzania and Ghana, but not at home

Spotlight | Namibia Netumbo's endless chop and change plunges TotalEnergies and Shell into uncertainty

Inner Circle | South Africa Presidential hopeful Lamola builds broad base of backers

Spotlight | South Africa Pretoria bets on new strategy to arrest the fall of diamond flagship Alexkor

Madagascar Former Mamy Ravatomanga security firm breaks with France's Amarante International

South Africa New French ambassador heads to Pretoria ahead of Ramaphosa's Paris visit

Madagascar French employers' organisation MEDEF International postpones mission to Antananarivo

South Africa Ramaphosa expected in Paris in bid to reset ties

Mozambique TotalEnergies tries to calm tensions with Chapo administration

Madagascar Private sector representatives targeted by the junta

Zambia Mphepo Power struggles to make up mind over mega wind farm project

North Africa

Libya Saddam Haftar pushes for control of cross-border smuggling routes

Morocco Lockheed Martin must pay for F-16 fighter jet delay, Rabat says

Inner Circle | Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune's circle of faithful followers

Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh finally sacks spymaster

Spotlight | Libya Major oil companies grapple with confusion over concession contracts

Algeria CMA CGM replaces head as part of expansionary strategy

Algeria Legal trouble at home forces Spanish PM Sánchez to postpone Algiers visit

Morocco US firm Oliver Wyman in talks to acquire Southbridge A&I

Algeria PwC's former Algerian partners strike out on their own

Morocco Italian bidder for Casablanca shipyard revealed

Tunisia As the World Cup unfolds, Tunis faces mounting pressure over sports journalist Mourad Zeghidi

In our previous issues

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Spotlight | Africa
The high environmental risk of Al-Khayyat billionaires' luxury hotel diplomacy

Inner Circle | Africa
Rafael Grossi leverages solid African contacts in bid for UN top job

DRC
Kinshasa's curious $205m debt to Abu Dhabi

Algeria
Stellantis and Renault's contrasting fortunes in Oran

Congo
French courts set to take 'presidential' Falcon off Commisimpex and its financiers

Eritrea
Eight candidates vie to become UN special rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea

Ghana
France's Ocea close to signing deal to supply Navy

Morocco
Mohammed VI launches two new hospitality ventures

Ivory Coast, Niger
From Niamey to Abidjan, Nab Consulting makes its mark in financial consulting sector

Somalia
NISA intel agency and aviation authority in power struggle at Mogadishu airport

Africa
From Rabat to Kinshasa, a deep dive into Swiss group SICPA's traceability empire

Mali
Iyad ag Ghali's coalition and Goïta brace for a decisive showdown

Africa
Tracing Alexander Zingman's covert uranium and finance dealings tied to Putin

Central African Republic
Sigma Mining, the low-profile Emirati company at the heart of CAR's gold system

Morocco
In the king's shadow, Prince Moulay El Hassan's path to the throne

Morocco
The enigmatic Swiss trader behind Russian oil shipments to the kingdom

Somalia, Somaliland
Irro administration makes new bid to enlist US lobbyists

Sudan
Riyadh wires millions of dollars for two RSF defectors

Inner Circle | Ethiopia
Abiy Ahmed's security strongmen line up against rebel threats

Kenya
Chinese Communist Party builds influence within ruling UDA

Kenya, Sudan
Embargo fails to stop tea from flowing

Kenya
After takeover, Nation Media Group holds pivotal general meeting

Burundi
Chinese firm CCECC wins construction contract for the country's second largest port

Kenya
American supplier sues Kenya Airways over unpaid bills

Kenya
Under local pressure, port authority CEO appeals to President Ruto

Kenya
Parliament weighs diplomatic immunity for Ford Foundation

Uganda
Museveni crosses swords with opposition over Buganda land tenure

South Africa
Rand Refinery bets on artisanal gold from Tanzania and Ghana, but not at home

Spotlight | Namibia
Netumbo's endless chop and change plunges TotalEnergies and Shell into uncertainty

Inner Circle | South Africa
Presidential hopeful Lamola builds broad base of backers

Spotlight | South Africa
Pretoria bets on new strategy to arrest the fall of diamond flagship Alexkor

Madagascar
Former Mamy Ravatomanga security firm breaks with France's Amarante International

South Africa
New French ambassador heads to Pretoria ahead of Ramaphosa's Paris visit

Madagascar
French employers' organisation MEDEF International postpones mission to Antananarivo

South Africa
Ramaphosa expected in Paris in bid to reset ties

Mozambique
TotalEnergies tries to calm tensions with Chapo administration

Madagascar
Private sector representatives targeted by the junta

Zambia
Mphepo Power struggles to make up mind over mega wind farm project

Libya
Saddam Haftar pushes for control of cross-border smuggling routes

Morocco
Lockheed Martin must pay for F-16 fighter jet delay, Rabat says

Inner Circle | Algeria
Abdelmadjid Tebboune's circle of faithful followers

Libya
Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh finally sacks spymaster

Spotlight | Libya
Major oil companies grapple with confusion over concession contracts

Algeria
CMA CGM replaces head as part of expansionary strategy

Algeria
Legal trouble at home forces Spanish PM Sánchez to postpone Algiers visit

Morocco
US firm Oliver Wyman in talks to acquire Southbridge A&I

Algeria
PwC's former Algerian partners strike out on their own

Morocco
Italian bidder for Casablanca shipyard revealed

Tunisia
As the World Cup unfolds, Tunis faces mounting pressure over sports journalist Mourad Zeghidi