Agence Française de Developpement

Tunisia
SONEDE awards major contracts to boost water supplies

After several years of drought, Tunisia is racing against the clock to upgrade its drinking water supply network.

Egypt
French unis and business schools make major moves into Egypt's lucrative private education sector

New educational facilities worth tens of millions of euros are to open in the Egyptian capital. Paris's policy of promoting French language learning is facilitating this move in a growing sector.

Togo
Former army chief Maganawé takes on new role in north

General Dadja Maganawé, abruptly dismissed from his position as Chief of the armed forces in Togo, is preparing to take on a new role.

Africa
Macron appoints his new ambassadors, from Ouagadougou to Brazzaville

The French president has just appointed several ambassadors to strategic posts in Africa in Burkina Faso, Angola, Chad, Congo and Eritrea.

Senegal
France approves €150m budget aid loan

French economy minister Bruno Le Maire has just given the French state's guarantee to a major €150m loan to Senegal.

Kenya
Government probes carbon credits sale by Northern Rangelands Trust

The Kenyan NGO's environmental project was presented as a model of environmental and community protection, but it is now under fire from its donors and firms such as Netflix and Meta, which buy its carbon offsets.

Cameroon
Africa Food Distribution loses court battle with powdered milk giant Hoogwegt

Cameroonian food distribution company Africa Food Distribution (AFD) has definitively lost its case against Dutch dairy trader Hoogwegt. The Court of Cassation handed down the ruling on 22 March:

The New Guard
Guinea, Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

GuineaSaikou Amadou Diallo, helming the fight against graft

MoroccoAli Seddiki, investment champion

TanzaniaCharles Makakala, Francophile incubator

KenyaJustina Wamae, sights set on the middle classes

Mozambique
Brussels and Paris gift Zodiac Milpro coastguard vessels to Maputo

With European funds, the French defence parastatal Economat des Armées (EDA) is to supply eight Zodiac Milpro boats to reinforce Mozambique's coastguard. The service provider is muscling in on a security cooperation sector hitherto dominated by Expertise France.

Egypt
Construction giants in dispute over €1.7bn Alexandria metro line

Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors are in dispute over the award of a €1.7bn deal to build a metro line in Egypt's second city. Projects such as this one backed by international financial institutions are vital for Egyptian firms suffering from a dearth of foreign currency.

Congo
Paris Appeal Court rejects Commisimpex claim on French aid to Congo-Brazzaville

On 23 February 2023, the Paris Appeal Court rejected a claim from construction company Commisimpex that it had the legal right to seize aid paid to the Republic of the Congo by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Congo, Ivory Coast
Codimex banned from public contracts for two years

The Ivorian subsidiary of the Attie brothers' company has had its contract rescinded after failing to construct a number of schools on time.

Ivory Coast
BNP Paribas pulls out of Ivory Coast

BNP Paribas's management will leave is Ivorian branch Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de Côte d'Ivoire (BICICI) on 15 February, after it was purchased by the Ivorian state in September.

Djibouti, Monaco
From industry to finance, Monaco steps up interest in Djibouti

After a Djiboutian business delegation visited Monaco last year, a small number of Monegasque companies will next month make the return trip to the tiny state in the Horn of Africa.

Angola
Lourenço hands Paris embassy keys to legal eagle

A long-time activist within the ruling MPLA party, Guilhermina Contreiras Da Costa Prata will soon be appointed Angolan ambassador to Paris.

Ethiopia
Paris's €28m Ethiopian reconstruction plans

On a visit to Ethiopia today and tomorrow, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is expected to sign off on two AFD financing projects for a total of €28m for the country's reconstruction.