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Phosphates

A key agricultural input, phosphates are mainly produced and sold in Africa by Morocco's OCP. Numerous other companies have begun producing, transforming and selling phosphates, whether these are public (Compagnie des phosphates de Gafsa, Societe nationale des phosphates du Togo (SNPT) or private, Foskor and soon Kropz and Great Quest Fertilizer.

MOROCCO Business 30/03/2023

Danone's Moroccan branch tries one last throw of financial dice

The danger signals are everywhere for Centrale Danone, the Moroccan subsidiary of the French dairy giant, which has launched a financial salvage operation. The stakes are high for the parent company, since Morocco is its main African market.

WEST AFRICA Diplomacy 27/03/2023

In Bruxelles, Coalition of the Sahel to thrash out new strategy

Members of the Sahel Coalition will meet in Brussels on 27 March under the leadership of Djimet Adoum. The approach to be taken after Mali's withdrawal from the G5 Sahel last year will be on the agenda.

In Focus CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD SUDAN Defence Diplomacy 06/03/2023

CIA follows Hemeti trail from N'Djamena to Bangui

US intelligence agencies are closely following the activities of Sudan's deputy junta leader in Chad, the Central African Republic and in his own country. They suspect him of links to an alleged plot to topple Chad's interim president and are scrutinising his mining interests and dealings with Russian entities including the paramilitary firm Wagner.

The vice president of the transition in Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as 'Hemeti'.

MOROCCO Mining 03/03/2023

OCP appoints new North America CEO

The Moroccan fertiliser giant changed its New York chief last month.

SpotlightWEST AFRICA Diplomacy 14/02/2023

From Dakar to Algiers, Belgrade's charm offensive in Africa

Serbia is conducting a charm offensive in African capitals in a bid to boost business and persuade them not to recognise Kosovo's independence. The operation is steered behind the scenes by a powerful Serbian businessman with deep links to Africa, working in concert with Belgrade's foreign minister Ivica Dacic.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on 26 February 2020.

ITALY NORTH AFRICA TUNISIA Energy 01/02/2023

Tunisia fears losing pipeline revenues as its neighbours strike gas deals with Italy

The recent North African tour of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which concentrated on securing Italy's gas supplies from Algeria and Libya, left Italy's traditional partner, Tunisia, on the sidelines. The authorities in Tunis now fear that they could find themselves isolated on the regional energy map.

The Tunisian segment of the Trans-Mediterranean (Transmed) pipeline, through which natural gas flows from Algeria to Italy.

NIGER Business 20/01/2023

Veolia on verge of new deal in Niamey

After the termination of its concession contract in October, the French giant is continuing its discussions with the state of Niger in an effort to retain its monopoly on distributing drinking water there. The two parties are considering an approach that would avoid resorting to a call for tenders.

SpotlightFRANCE SAHEL Defence 18/01/2023

Closed-door talks over future of French military presence in Sahel

The Elysée Palace and the Ministry of the Armed Forces are busy laying plans for the future of France's military presence in the Sahel. While the Sabre task force is on the out, various troop redeployment options are on the cards, as is a highly awaited clarification of French soldiers' status in the region.

French soldiers from Operation Barkhane set up a temporary advanced operating base as they leave Gossi, Mali, on 18 April 2022.

DENMARK NIGER Diplomacy 18/01/2023

Copenhagen working on plans for embassy in Niger

The Danish foreign ministry, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen has for several months been deliberating over plans to open an embassy in Niamey.

MOROCCO Politics Business 10/01/2023

Rabat's heavyweight Davos delegation

Africa's fifth largest economy, which aims to decarbonise its economy by 2050, will turn up in force this month at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

CONGO Mining 15/12/2022

Congo PM sets up potash task force

The Congolese government is in a standoff with the British mining company Kore Potash, which has failed to make any headway on its Kola and Dougou projects. Prime Minister Anatole Collinet is casting his net wide to find new partners in the potash sector, even if it means expropriating other companies and risking international arbitration.

Congolese prime minister Anatole Collinet Makosso delivers a speech at the opening of the 'European Development Days 2022' in Brussels, Belgium, the 21 June 2022.

SOMALIA Defence Diplomacy 14/12/2022

Brussels weighs up support for Somali army

After focusing on the Sahel and the DRC, the European External Action Service is looking towards the Horn of Africa.

SENEGAL Commodity traders 09/12/2022

AU fertiliser summit backed by Bill Gates Foundation

To address the severe impact of rising food prices in several African countries, the AU is organising the African Union Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit from 23 to 30 June in Dakar.

SAHEL Diplomacy 02/12/2022

Berlin and Rome work to counter Moscow's propaganda in Sahel

Italian and German diplomats are taking a leaf out of France's book and adopting a more aggressive stance in the war of information in the Sahel, as the Russians step up their operations in francophone Africa.

NAMIBIA Mining 09/11/2022

Namphos tries again to win approval for marine phosphate mining project

After several years of legal wrangling, the Omani-Namibian company is trying again to obtain approval from the Namibian authorities for its unique marine phosphate extraction project, despite opposition from the fishing community and other business interests in Walvis Bay.

DRC EUROPEAN UNION Diplomacy 09/11/2022

EU hard at work on its Great Lakes strategy in midst of Kinshasa/Kigali crisis

Africa: The EU's External Action Service, headed by Josep Borrell, is working on its Great Lakes strategy. These efforts come at a time of growing tension between Rwanda and the DRC.

IVORY COAST Defence Politics 03/11/2022

Ouattara's €153m plan to boost Ivorian army

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has since mid-October been mulling a plan estimated at nearly 100bn CFA francs (€153m) to accelerate the acquisition of military equipment to strengthen the Ivorian army.

In Focus WEST AFRICA Mining 24/10/2022

Where next for mining's wild child, Robert Friedland?

From Singapore to Monrovia, via New York and Conakry, the American-Canadian tycoon Robert Friedland is one of the global mining sector's most flamboyant figures. Well established in the DR Congo, he is working behind the scenes in Conakry and Monrovia to expand his empire in West Africa.

Ivanhoe Mines founder Robert Friedland at a conference in Cape Town in 2022.

BURKINA FASO FRANCE Defence Diplomacy 12/10/2022

France struggles to find a way through the confusion in Burkina Faso

Before Captain Ibrahim Traore's 30 September coup, France had been relying heavily on Burkina Faso - and Niger - to reorganise its security presence in West Africa following its withdrawal from Mali. It had been preparing a major support plan for the authorities in Ouagadougou but this has now been largely compromised and its future presence in the country rendered uncertain.

Smoke around the French embassy in Burkina Faso on 1 October.

AUSTRALIA MOROCCO WESTERN SAHARA Mining Commodity traders 04/10/2022

OCP resumes Western Sahara phosphate exports to Australia

Faced with supply difficulties linked to Russia's war on Ukraine, the Australian fertiliser producer Incitec Pivot has restarted its imports of phosphates from the Boucraa mine in the Sahara, operated by OCP. It had stopped sourcing there in 2016, after protest from Scandinavian shareholders.

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Algerian secret services in survival mode in North Mali

Phosphates

Danone's Moroccan branch tries one last throw of financial dice

In Bruxelles, Coalition of the Sahel to thrash out new strategy