The Franco-British group, the country’s sole active oil producer, is facing a tax reassessment and hefty fines, which it is attempting to negotiate. Another issue, this time environmental, is also on the agenda for forthcoming talks.
Against a backdrop of heavy casualties, the Malian military high command is formalising ties with militias already active in the fight against jihadist groups and their allies.
Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.
The CBL's delays in honouring its payments are undermining imports by French-based companies operating in the country. In response, the bank's governor is seeking to bring exchange rates more under control.
Despite some uncertainty, Algerian and Spanish diplomats are pressing ahead with a high-level meeting in the Spanish capital at the end of October.
The reprimands and fines – some of which will remain in force throughout 2026 – relate to breaches of anti-money laundering regulations, governance issues, failure to comply with prudential ratios and multiple deductions.
Three months before cocoa sold in the EU must be guaranteed "sustainable" and of traceable geographical origin, sector regulators in Ghana and Ivory Coast are each going at it alone.
A delegation will travel to France to promote investment in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest anglophone regions, with the deep-water port of Limbe a key target. The economic push comes as armed separatist groups re-rally and violence persists.
Appointed CEO of the royal holding company in January, Noufissa Kessar is supported on a daily basis by the discreet Aymane Taud, as well as by a few younger executives whose influence is growing.
The head of state and the major’s CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, are struggling to ease the tension that has been building since the end of 2025. At issue are the French group’s financial claims following the lifting of the force majeure clause, demands the Mozambican presidency refuses to consider.
With Mohammed VI’s state visit to France possibly just a few months away, the new head of the Moroccan government is seeking to expand her network of contacts in France, which already includes a number of influential figures.
Egypt is seeking to blunt the momentum behind the Entebbe Agreement, which is reshaping the allocation of Nile waters. Kampala, which is leading the Nile Basin Initiative consultative process, is a key partner in the strategy pursued by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government.
True to his low-profile style, Mohammed VI’s younger brother operates in the business world surrounded by trusted associates and experts who advise him and help manage his investments. Although he has a marked preference for aviation, he is also active in agriculture and property.
The resumption of the conflict in the north is reshaping plans for a reshuffle. While the prime minister appears intent on closing ranks around allies from the Information Network Security Administration, the president of Oromia has managed to stay in office, at least on the surface.
A new round of consultations between the two groups are due to take place. At the same time, the Quintet is preparing to bring together civilian and political representatives in Addis Ababa in order to sketch out the contours of the post-war period.
In 15 years of talks, neither the tripartite technical committee between Egypt, Ethiopia and Khartoum, nor the interventions of Washington, the United Nations or the African Union have managed to make Addis Ababa back down.
Several businessmen with connections to the presidency are seeking to consolidate their positions within the financial industry. This move forms part of a strategy to see Ivorian investors take over banks, whilst powerful Lebanese groups are also preparing to enter the market.
The head of Vectus Global, who is close to Donald Trump, is in talks with the Congolese authorities regarding a contract to provide technical and logistical support to the FARDC, particularly in the field of aviation. This is a strategic contract that the American tycoon has long had his sights set on.
Brussels's forthcoming initiative, known as EUSDI Sahel, aims to enable Mauritania and Chad to benefit from assistance focused on combating terrorism and illegal immigration. This model has already been rolled out with partners bordering the Gulf of Guinea.
After months of strained relations, Rwanda and Belgium have agreed to reopen their embassies without waiting for their disagreements over eastern DRC to be resolved. The breakthrough was reached quietly and with considerable diplomatic caution.
For Brussels, continued support for Mozambique’s state forces is essential to maintain influence with the government and head off Russian involvement. Energy interests are also a key consideration.
The UN mission chief in the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, is preparing to hand over the post to her Malian deputy. However, the appointments of Rwandan officials are prompting internal questions.
On 9 October, a discreet meeting took place between Marco Rubio’s team and specialists on the thorny issue of the disputed territory. The aim was to discuss the renewal of MINURSO, which is due to be put to a vote in the Security Council on 31 October.
Far from showing a united front, the Castel clan watches with concern as the brewing group – on which their dividends depend – faces a governance crisis. Following a legal victory in Singapore, Pierre Castel’s daughter must now win over the family's trusts.
The Mauritian group controlled by the Indian Patel family and the distributor owned by a British fund have submitted bids in response to the tender for the supply of inputs to the CNPC-C cotton growers' association.
Targeted by a new complaint over his alleged involvement in the 2004 bombing of the French military camp in Bouaké, the arms broker has recently sought to position himself on a contract to secure the country’s highly sensitive northern border.
The head of state is relying on two of his children to engage with the American authorities on trade issues and on the planned deployment of Ugandan troops to Gaza.
The deputy commander of the Libyan National Army paved the way for the election of a new speaker of the House of Representatives, who is affiliated with him. Now that Aguila Saleh Issa is gone, he can rely on a legislature that is firmly in his hands.
The French games developer’s local partner ran up more than €1m in unpaid fees, partly because of Ethiopia’s foreign-exchange controls.
The ongoing rivalry between the president and his former PM has spread to the security sector. Behind the scenes, the two former allies are attempting to extend their respective influence over the army and the secret services.
From Nigeria to Morocco via Chad, Benin and Djibouti, the firm plans to use a capital increase to press ahead with a range of development projects.
The national security council sent a large delegation of senior intelligence and security officials to the site of Metalkol, a subsidiary of the Eurasian Resources Group, in Lualaba province. It was a delicate mission that was not without resistance or incidents.
Roughly 40 of the continent's countries were represented at the gathering of the world’s parliamentarians in Arusha, Tanzania, where they were heavily courted ahead of the vote. The Queensland-born winner left no stone unturned in seeking their support.
A newcomer to the small, exclusive circle of companies offering gas solutions to oil companies and gas-consuming countries, Exmar is determined to make its mark in the Ivorian and Congolese offshore sectors, previously dominated by Norway's Golar.
Despite the difficulties faced by the British financial technology firm Revolut, a handful of start-ups operating in the digital finance sector have been busy in Morocco in recent months with a view to establishing a presence.
In recent months, the trader led by Russell Hardy has established itself as the exclusive supplier in several countries in southern and eastern Africa, after they opted to bring petroleum-product imports under government control. Much to the dismay of its competitors and the International Monetary Fund.
Meeting for a seminar in Libreville, the Parti Démocratique Gabonais came close to openly opposing the head of state's government, but ultimately backed down. Divisions within the former ruling party point to a possible resurgence in the influence of ousted president Ali Bongo.
In the absence of an operational gold refinery, the reallocation of the licences that were revoked in May 2025, and effective control of the border with Mali, legal small-scale mining has virtually ground to a halt. Only industrial mining groups and illegal gold panners continue to thrive.
Active in the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors, the South African investor has just bought two companies specialising in armoured vehicles in order to expand his business in the sale of military equipment.
Only a scaled-down poll may be possible on 22 December. In addition to security concerns and population displacement, the detention of former vice-president Riek Machar and mounting rivalries among President Salva Kiir’s children add to an already bleak picture.
The French construction group has spent weeks trying to defuse tensions over demands by infrastructure minister Yacouba Hien Sié to revise the project. With the dispute closely monitored by the Élysée Palace and President Alassane Ouattara, a compromise is emerging ahead of Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit to Ivory Coast in March.
The Rwandan president has expressed his displeasure to his Central African counterpart over the partnership launched by Bangui and Kinshasa on defence and intelligence sharing. This leaves Touadéra in a delicate position, given that Kagame has an active military presence on his territory.
The future of Moroccan youth will be entrepreneurial. That is the underlying message set to emerge from an event scheduled for December at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, with discreet backing from the business community.
Fearing infiltration by sympathisers of the rebel movement and its allies, the government has carried out a series of arrests in recent weeks, further heightening political tensions ahead of the May 2027 presidential election.
In its search for financial and military backing, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) has turned to Benghazi and the United Arab Emirates, much to Algiers’ irritation.
At the helm of a powerful Ministry of Finance and the Economy, the technocrat has established himself as one of the pillars of the head of state’s administration, to the extent that this has raised concerns within the government. Appointed in 2019, he has served an unusually long term.
The local subsidiary of France’s Groupe Castel and the supermarket chain owned by Moroccan businessman Zouhaïr Bennani have failed to come to terms on their commercial partnership. As a result the country’s biggest brewer has turned to Coopérative U, in which it recently acquired a stake.
The French telecoms group is examining several scenarios for Orange Bank Africa, ranging from a shake-up of its business model to a sale. Six years after its launch, the digital bank remains heavily dependent on the Ivorian market.
President Duma Boko is considering increasing Botswana's stake in the world’s leading diamond company from 15% to 26% as part of its takeover by the Global Diamond consortium. His co-shareholders would be the consortium led by Gareth Penny, as well as the Angolan state.
With diplomatic talks at a standstill, four new participants – Norway, Qatar, Germany and the United Kingdom – have joined the talks in an effort to break the deadlock over a ceasefire.
CEO Henri-Claude Oyima has blended financial imperatives with political interests to make his institution the leading financial group in Central Africa. It posts record results each year, but several subsidiaries are racking up difficulties, and the bank is struggling to come up with a new business model.
The Senegalese head of state will travel to the French capital in early November, a few days after his French counterpart’s visit to Dakar.
Burdened by debt, the organisation has failed to shore up its finances, while tensions are emerging among its most active members. A radical overhaul of its legislative assembly is also causing concern in Arusha, Tanzania.
Nearly ten months after Benjamin Netanyahu recognised Somaliland, the opening of an Israeli embassy in the self-proclaimed republic remains a distant prospect. Despite its stated ambitions, the Jewish state’s diplomatic influence on the continent is struggling to take shape.
The unpopular president of the Confederation of African Football is now determined to serve out his term, which ends in 2029. He has proposed a series of reforms to Africa’s football federations, including changes to the schedule for future Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Seventeen African leaders have confirmed their attendance at the Moscow event to be held at the end of October. The Russian president aims to use the talks to showcase his country's influence across the continent.
Dissatisfied with his team’s handling of several issues, Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara is considering a government overhaul. He has asked his inner circle to put forward candidates after abandoning plans in January for a sweeping reshuffle.
Despite receiving support from the authorities, the agri-food giant’s infrastructure is struggling to meet its targets, three years after it was opened. This is due, in particular, to underestimated requirements.
While American Renaissance Minerals has spent several months trying to regain control of the nickel and cobalt mining project at the site, the state-owned mining firm is quietly favouring a US-Cameroonian competitor.
Tallinn and Nairobi are exploring new types of business forums and ways to extend their cooperation to emerging sectors. Negotiations are still ongoing in the field of taxation.
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