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Kinshasa's pan-African plans for Grand Inga

Kinshasa's pan-African plans for Grand Inga
Simandou, Nimba and Zogota: the long and difficult road to the start of iron ore production

Simandou, Nimba and Zogota: the long and difficult road to the start of iron ore production

Africa in the Russia-Ukraine war
See all Running stories

IN FOCUS

The Focus pieces are the result of the Africa Intelligence editorial team's long-term investigations and aim to provide an in-depth analysis of the networks of political leaders and key players across the African continent.

SOUTH AFRICA Energy Politics 27/06/2022

Eskom's fate caught up in the clash between Ramaphosa and Mantashe 

South Africa's head of state supports the development of renewable energy, yet the energy minister opposes it and is promoting the benefits of coal. Caught in the crossfire of this political struggle is Eskom's CEO, Andre de Ruyter, who has come up with a recovery plan to save the ailing company. [...]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) and his Minister of Mining and Energy, Gwede Mantashe.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) and his Minister of Mining and Energy, Gwede Mantashe. © Gianluigi Guercia/AFP
KENYA Politics 20/06/2022

Shillings, prayers and votes: democracy in a very religious country 

Kenya's top clerics are key pieces on the political chessboard as the country heads for the polls. Both presidential front-runners, are desperate to win the large Pentecostal vote. We delve behind-the-scenes of political preaching and fundraising to explore the role of religion in the campaign. [...]
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Apostolic Bishop Margaret Wanjiru in September 2010.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Apostolic Bishop Margaret Wanjiru in September 2010. © STR/EPA/MaxPPP
SAUDI ARABIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR Commodity traders 06/06/2022

Gulf nations fall back on trading giants for food security 

Faced with a tense food situation and the lukewarm success of their agricultural projects in Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have fallen back on commodities traders such as Louis Dreyfus and Olam. They are also using the traders' Dubai-based teams to help Egypt and other friendly nations struggling. [...]
Salic CEO Sulaiman al-Rumaih (left) and Olam group CEO Sunny George Verghese.
Salic CEO Sulaiman al-Rumaih (left) and Olam group CEO Sunny George Verghese. © Linkedin/SulaimanAlRumaih / Edgar Su/Reuters
ANGOLA BOTSWANA SIERRA LEONE ZIMBABWE Mining 23/05/2022

Sanctions-hit Alrosa's woes impact on continent's diamond producers 

The West's sanctions on the Russian mining colossus Alrosa, the world's largest diamond producer, are taking a huge toll on Angola, its main partner. That has left the field open for the world's second largest diamond producer, Botswana, to charge ahead. [...]
Angolan President Joao Lourenco (C) watches as Endiama CEO Jose Manuel Augusto Ganga Junior (L) shakes hands with Alrosa CEO Sergei Ivanov (R), in the Kremlin in Moscow, 4 April 2019.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco (C) watches as Endiama CEO Jose Manuel Augusto Ganga Junior (L) shakes hands with Alrosa CEO Sergei Ivanov (R), in the Kremlin in Moscow, 4 April 2019. © Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool
AFRICA ONU Defence 16/05/2022

Chad, Togo and Ivory Coast vie for blue helmet contracts 

Amid Europe's gradual military withdrawal from Mali and as peacekeeping needs grow in the Central African Republic, three states are jostling for lucrative troop contribution contracts. But the UN's strict rules on equipment and training place tall hurdles in the way of their ambitions. [...]
A Chadian MINUSMA soldier parades during a visit by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous to Tessalit, Mali, in March 2013.
A Chadian MINUSMA soldier parades during a visit by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous to Tessalit, Mali, in March 2013. © UN Photo/Marco Dormino
SOUTH AFRICA ANGOLA Business 25/04/2022

Bekker, Penny, Dos Santos... Russia's African partners kept at bay by war in Ukraine 

Since Moscow began its military offensive in Ukraine, numerous southern African entrepreneurs have had to freeze their investment projects in Russia or leave their positions as directors of companies under sanctions. Being separated from these wealthy Africans has entrenched the dichotomy of Russia's presence on the continent: [...]
Naspers' boss Koos Bekker, former CEO of De Beers Gareth Penny and Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of Angola's former President.
Naspers' boss Koos Bekker, former CEO of De Beers Gareth Penny and Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of Angola's former President. © Naspers/Ninety One/Toby Melville/Reuters
DRC Mining Politics 18/04/2022

How a 40-tonne seizure of cobalt has led to Lualaba's leaders tearing each other apart 

Between accusations of conspiracy, fictitious expert reports and squabbles between departments, Lualaba's leaders have not stopped pulling each other apart after the seizure last year of a 40-tonne shipment of cobalt. At stake is the question of who will succeed Fifi Masuka Saini as head of the rich mining province after Governor Richard Muyej was ousted. [...]
The new governor of Lualaba province, Fifi Masuka Saini, and her predecessor, Richard Muyej.
The new governor of Lualaba province, Fifi Masuka Saini, and her predecessor, Richard Muyej. © Lualaba.gouv.cd
GUINEA Infrastructures Mining 04/04/2022

State agencies hungry for new public real estate assets 

The current leaders in Conakry are throwing themselves into a race to regain control of illegally acquired public assets, targeting political opponents, businesses and multinationals alike. State agencies are pushing each other out of the way to get ahold of the seized assets. [...]
Ownership of the Fria Base building in Conakry (located on the map) is claimed by the Agence nationale d'aménagement des infrastructures minières (Anaim).
Ownership of the Fria Base building in Conakry (located on the map) is claimed by the Agence nationale d'aménagement des infrastructures minières (Anaim). © Google Maps
AFRICA PALESTINE Diplomacy 28/03/2022

Palestine quietly rebuilds African networks to counter overwhelming Israeli activism 

From its heyday in the 1980s, Palestine's diplomatic presence in Africa - a 24-embassy strong network - has lost its lustre while Israel continues to gain ground. Wanting to counter Tel Aviv's push across the continent, Ramallah has taken steps to overhaul its strategy and build new networks. [...]
Tunisia's President Kais Saied and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas inaugurating the new Palestinian embassy headquarters in Tunis on December 8, 2021.
Tunisia's President Kais Saied and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas inaugurating the new Palestinian embassy headquarters in Tunis on December 8, 2021. © AFP Photo/HO/PPO
AFRICA MOROCCO Finance Business 14/03/2022

Banking magnate Othman Benjelloun settles his succession in Casablanca and Luxembourg 

Othman Benjelloun, chairman and CEO of BMCE Bank of Africa, has completed the reorganisation of his holding company O Capital, with its twin head offices in Morocco and Luxembourg. The handover of his fortune to his heirs has been settled but the future of his bank, the group's flagship, remains uncertain. [...]
BMCE Bank of Africa boss Othman Benjelloun.
BMCE Bank of Africa boss Othman Benjelloun. © David Rodrigues/Story&Brands
EQUATORIAL GUINEA Politics 28/02/2022

Political games for Obiang's approval at play in Malabo 

In a country with almost no political opposition, elections provide nonetheless a chance to shuffle power and influence within the ruling Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE) party. Regional party heads are holding no bars to win votes in their home turf with rewards of influential postings and favours in mind. [...]
Supporters of the Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE) during the campaign for the November 2017 legislative elections in Malabo.
Supporters of the Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE) during the campaign for the November 2017 legislative elections in Malabo. © Mario Cruz/EFE/Newscom/MaxPPP
SOUTH AFRICA RWANDA Mining 14/02/2022

Serial entrepreneur Brian Menell bets double on rare earth mining sovereignty 

The mining and defence specialist and heir to the dynasty that co-founded AngloVaal has been investing heavily in "technology metals" with help from the US, worried about being left behind by China. As he had done in the 1990s with British and South African army veterans, who found the first private military companies to help his activities, Menell now has a retired US admiral and a former British army officer on board. [...]
South African Brian Menell.
South African Brian Menell. © Facebook/africaminingforum

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