Will Beijing boycott Macron's Africa Summit?

• IVORY COAST - Alassane Ouattara takes a break in Mougins

• BURKINA FASO - Captain Traoré opens dialogue with neighbours

• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - GainJet helps Touadéra fly

• DJIBOUTI -  First visit of Somali PM Hamza Abdi Barre

• UNITED KINGDOM - Perenco boss Perrodo's London rave party

• SENEGAL - Rémi Rioux posts former Senegalese minister Papa Amadou Sarr to the AFD. 

• BENIN - Schwan Badirou Gafari, the Franco-Beninese civil servant steering the Elysée's financial affairs.

• KENYA - Linet Chepkorir, the pro-Ruto child prodigy of the Rift Valley. 

• SOMALIA - Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, the US link in Hassan Sheikh's cabinet. 

Groupe Agir Europe-Afrique puts positive spin on African elections 

The association, which is officially based in France and coordinated by the Ivorian Jean Amoikon Eba, has been observing elections across the African continent for the last decade.

Britain's Atkins unveils plans for Nairobi train station mega-project 

Atkins Global consulting firm has beaten off competitors from Korea and the Arabian Peninsula with its plans for Nairobi's giant new train station, which were unveiled last month with great fanfare.

Heads of state get ready to attend Malabo's African Union summit 

A handful of African heads of state are expected to be heavily involved in the African Union counter-terrorism summit, which Teodoro Obiang Nguema will host in Malabo from 25 to 28 May.

• KENYA - Solomon Kuria, the link between Kenyatta and Odinga.

• SOUTH AFRICA - Nonceba Mhlauli, President Ramaphosa's youth champion
  

• CONGO - Steven Moussala, Prime Minister Anatole Makosso's Franco-Congolese sherpa

• GUINEA - Mohamed Lamine Solano, Conakry's voice in Washington.

• MOROCCO - Omar Chraibi, the man behind Voltalia's solar victory.

Gérard Askinazi's J5 Co, low-key organiser for Macky Sall's Water Forum 

Just as the 9th edition of the Water Forum ended in Dakar, the Senegalese state called on a handful of subcontractors for the occasion. Among them: the J5 Co group, headed by the French PR specialist Gérard Askinazi.

OECD prepares to enlist banks in fight against gold fraud 

Recognising that high banking fees are among the factors contributing to illegal gold trafficking, particularly in the west of the continent, the OECD plans to shortly engage in discussions with financial institutions and governments in the region.

Lisbon gives Praia another break over debt to maintain influence 

In September, Lisbon froze the servicing of Cape Verde's debt to the Portuguese state. Now, at its own expense, it has extended its repayment guarantee over Praia's loans from Portuguese banks.

Several African heads of state to attend Paris Peace Forum 

Over ten African heads of state will travel to France for the Paris Peace forum, due to be held 11 November.

West Africa on lobbying spree to recover developed countries' share of IMF SDRs 

With France's active support, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) is on a mission to obtain some of the special drawing rights (SDR) funds attributed to developed countries to offset the impact of Covid-19.

Former Iraqi general Georges Sada looks to Lourenço, Biya and Tshisekedi for oil contracts 

The former Iraqi general has now turned to the oil industry and is eyeing markets in Angola, the DRC and Cameroon with the help of a local consultancy.

Russian miners play a part in Moscow's humanitarian diplomacy 

As it struggles to establish robust cooperation with southern African countries, despite Moscow's historical ties with the region, Russia is relying heavily on the networks and finances of locally based miners.

LSE Consulting negotiates for EU with Zimbabwe and Indian Ocean 

The European Union is trying to rework its economic partnership with East and Southern Africa but is struggling to make a mark on the continent.

CEMAC leaders brood over exclusion from Paris summit 

Denis Sassou NGuesso, much to the irritation of his fellow Central African heads of state, was the only one among them who managed to get himself invited to the Paris summit on the financing of African economies.

Under IMF's watchful eye, Conakry cracks down on money-laundering 

At the end of April, Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana had to give the International Monetary Fund proof of progress in the fight against financial crime. The National Assembly passed a law on the subject the same month.

Xi Jinping invites foreign experts into closed-door meetings on China's challenges 

The Chinese Communist Party is increasingly relying on small meetings with foreign participants to tackle the country's problems. It has launched a new LinkedIn recruitment campaign with the aim of building a database of foreign experts who can be called upon at short notice when needed.

Communist party's gene giant MGI sets foot in Europe 

Restricted in the US, Chinese Communist Party's DNA collection rep MGI takes root in Europe.

Xi Jinping and Zelensky set to speak 

Everyone is waiting to see what China will do about the war in Ukraine, but Xi Jinping and Zelensky's upcoming conversation may not give any concrete answers.