Egypt tried to put together a coalition to prevent the pan-African organisation from blackballing Sudan following the 25 October coup. Cairo and Khartoum have never been on closer terms.
Subscribers only
Diplomacy 
The late Idriss Déby's main opponent has hinted negotiations may be possible with Kaka's regime. Timan Erdimi has been living in Qatar since 2009.
Subscribers only
Politics The French defence giants, encouraged by Paris, have offered to sell surveillance drones to the Chadian army. But they are put off by N'Djamena's disastrous finances and are keenly aware that they could lose out to Turkey as "Kaka" and Erdogan grow closer.
The management team at the country's leading refuse collection firm astutely took advantage of a strike by its employees in Yaoundé to pressure the state into settling its arrears as rubbish started to pile up in the streets of the capital.
The keenly awaited audit of state mining company Gécamines is almost complete. It was launched in September by the Inspection Générale des Finances (IGF), which is under the direct authority of President Félix Tshisekedi.
Subscribers only
Mining The four arbitrations filed with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) against Congo by operators unhappy with having their iron ore permits annulled have been taken down to three.
Subscribers only
Mining 
The Swiss trading house Trafigura has begun proceedings to withdraw from Ivory Coast and its subsidiary Puma Energy is on the verge of closing shop.
Laurent Souquière, French consul general in Ivory Coast until September this year, has stayed on in Abidjan after his mandate ended. He is preparing his move into the private sector.
Subscribers only
Business 
As the demand for electric batteries increases, so does the demand for graphite. Yet Marvel Gold, formerly Graphex, is taking one more step toward reducing their exposure in Chilolo. The Magufuli era left a bad taste in international juniors' mouths and Samia Suluhu Hassan has not convinced them things have changed.
Subscribers only
Mining 
Like his central African peers, President Andry Rajoelina was in Glasgow to promote his forests' potential as a carbon sink, but he also used the opportunity to raise funds for solutions to replace charcoal with ethanol, a project dear to his wife Mialy.
Subscribers only
Diplomacy 
The Algerian president is looking to begin construction on two of the ten teaching hospitals promised by Abdelaziz Bouteflika. He has entrusted this sensitive project to his housing minister and trusted lieutenant Tarek Belaribi, while keeping the health minister at arm's length.
Subscribers only
Business The president's diplomatic team is shrinking. His adviser on European affairs, Mustapha Nebli, and his colleague in charge of international cooperation, Sarra Maaouia, have resigned from the presidential palace. This comes at a time when relations with the European Union are rapidly deteriorating.
Subscribers only
Diplomacy 
