Franco-Lebanese businessman Gilbert Chagoury, who lives in Paris, is banking on Bola Tinubu becoming Nigeria's new president after next year's elections. He is hoping to regain the influence he enjoyed under Sani Abacha, the country's military junta leader in the 1990s.
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Politics 
In a rare occurrence, negotiations for the presidencies of parliamentary friendship groups in France's National Assembly are the subject of bitter negotiations between the majority and opposition groups. The France-Morocco group is particularly disputed.
French officials are due to visit Bangui next month, ahead of the UN Security Council's December deliberations on renewing the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA
Winning Consortium Simandou has retained Franco-Australian lawyer Christophe Asselineau, indicating a shift of power between the three partners of the consortium that owns blocks 1 and 2 of the massive iron ore deposit in Guinea.
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Mining Guinea has asked Natixis to submit a financing offer for a project to supply electricity to the northwest of the country, a major bauxite mining area where a range of foreign and domestic mining firms are active.
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Energy 
After five consecutive presidential election defeats, Raila Odinga is hoping to turn the page. But both the perpetuation of his political dynasty and the survival of his party are at stake in the battle for his succession.
It is unlikely the halted bill aimed at sanctioning African states deemed too close to Russia will be reintroduced to Congress after the midterms in November. The Senate sees the text as counterproductive and poorly presented.
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Diplomacy 
The São Paulo-based mining group, a subsidiary of Votorantim conglomerate, had been focused on Latin America, but has made zinc exploration in Namibia - the only African country where it is present - a priority.
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Energy 
Egypt's spy chief went to Benghazi on 12 October to try to dissuade the Haftar clan from getting closer to Turkish companies amid Ankara's growing economic offensive.
Egypt's long-serving foreign minister Sameh Choukri, who has been at his post since 2014, could shortly be stepping down as part of a reshuffle by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which should take place before the end of the year.
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Politics German shipbuilder Lürssen has been negotiating with Cairo over technology transfer for the local assembly of ships. But its plans to set up shop in Egypt may be delayed by Germany's reinforced vigilance over export licenses for military equipment.
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Defence 
