Intrigues big and small - every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.
The decision on 6 May to ban Chinese tankers from anchoring in the Beninese port of Sèmè is a sign of the failure of the negotiations that have been taking place between Niamey and Cotonou over the last few months.
Casablanca property magnate Mohamed Boudrika has been out of Morocco for several months but can rely on his family, who are heavily involved in his businesses, to keep an eye on the myriad of companies he owns.