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Central Africa
West Africa
Eastern Africa and the Horn
Southern Africa and islands
North Africa

Spotlight | DRC
Rubaya mine at heart of vast coltan trafficking network

Edouard Mwangachuchu, founder and former director of SMB, in the mining territory of Masisi, in 2011 © Zuma/REA

Tonnes of the strategic mineral coltan are being extracted and exported illegally from mines owned by the family of MP Edouard Mwangachuchu Hizi, who is currently being tried by a military court. Armed groups have been trafficking the mineral, allegedly with the complicity of the security forces.

Subscribers only Mining, Politics

Central Africa

DRC
Israelis provide covert training for Tshisekedi's Republican Guard

Private Israeli firms are discreetly training army units in special forces techniques at the behest of the Congolese authorities.

Subscribers only Defence

DRC
Denis Mukwege ponders presidential bid

L'entourage du gynécologue-obstétricien Denis Mukwege le dit déterminé à concourir à l'élection présidentielle. Sa candidature pourrait toutefois favoriser Félix Tshisekedi, en contribuant à disperser davantage les voix de l'opposition.

Subscribers only Politics

West Africa

Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal
Thales rejigs its West Africa operations

Having already closed its Nigerian office, the French electronics flagship is about to shut the doors of its Abidjan branch too. Its modest business activities in the region will henceforward be run from Dakar in Senegal.

Subscribers only Defence

Ivory Coast
Sarkozy's discreet trip to Abidjan to talk Sucden with Ouattara

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. © Olivier Lejeune/PhotoPQR/Le Parisien/MaxPPP

The ex-French president made a low-key visit to Abidjan on 3 July to discuss Sucden, a French company of which he is a board member, with the Ivorian leader Alassane Ouattara.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Business

Guinea
New wave of Guinea embassy promotions

Minister of Foreign Affairs Morissanda Kouyaté promoted 35 diplomats working in around 20 of the country's embassies.

Subscribers only Diplomacy

Eastern Africa and the Horn

Djibouti
The meteoric rise of Ibrahim Zakaria Jnr

Despite his lack of a university degree or noteworthy operational experience, Zakaria Jnr is soaring up the army ranks. Meanwhile, his octogenarian father, who is the army chief of staff, has confounded repeated rumours of his imminent retirement.

Subscribers only Defence

Kenya
Nairobi woos French business leaders

A Kenyan ministerial delegation is expected in France between 8 and 15 July. Representatives from the energy, digital and agriculture ministries will be present.

Subscribers only Business, Diplomacy

Southern Africa and islands

South Africa
Pretoria irks US by hushing up Russian ship report

Russian cargo ship Lady R docked inside Simon's Town Naval Base in Cape Town, South Africa, 8 December 2022. © Nic Bothma/EPA/MaxPPP

The South African government plans to keep secret an official report on the illegal mooring of the Lady R, a Russian vessel that allegedly shipped arms to the country despite sanctions over the Ukraine war.

Subscribers only Diplomacy

Madagascar
The restaurateur behind Corsair's return

The French airline could have not made its return to Madagascan soil on 28 June without the intervention of Franck Legrand, a dual nationality citizen close to Andry Rajoelina who is the owner of a restaurant popular among the Antananarivo political and business elite.

Subscribers only Politics, Business

North Africa

Morocco
Institut Choiseul gives Benin pride of place at Casablanca forum

The French think tank has opted for the second year running to hold its annual business forum in Morocco.

Subscribers only Business

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