Intrigues big and small: every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.
Appointed head of the Grande Loge du Gabon at the start of the year, Jacques-Denis Tsanga announced the suspension of several rites this month, including the Knights Templar rite linked to former Pro Grand Master Lin Mombo.
After almost four months in charge of a regional intervention force deployed to restore peace to eastern DRC, the South African is frustrated by a shortage of men and resources. And a chronically strained relationship with MONUSCO isn't helping.
In a bid to increase his influence, Babagana Zulum is imposing numerous conditions on a humanitarian aid programme in his home state. The European Union is now looking to provide support elsewhere in the country.
French electronics giant CS Group hopes it will finally clinch a €150m contract to secure Senegal's territorial waters now that Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected as president. The Israeli broker Gaby Peretz, whose interests may be damaged by Faye's arrival in power, has made a competing bid.
Increasingly sidelined in recent years, Rigathi Gachagua is determined to shore up his political standing. After several false starts, he has now set his sights on a new target: supporters of Musalia Mudavadi, the prime minister and a key rival.
Namibia's 70-year-old vice president is the overwhelming favourite to win November's presidential election. And a team of loyal followers will be supporting her all the way, with the discovery of billions of dollars worth of crude in the Orange Basin set to transform the economy.
A surprise legal challenge from APM Terminals is forcing the new management at the state-owned logistics group Transnet to defend their decision to award Durban port Pier 2 to Filipino ICTSI before the South African courts.