Benin, France, Togo
French Grand Orient leader wraps up low-key African tour

Palace Intrigues
Patrice Talon, Nicolas Sarkozy, Félix Tshisekedi, Diego Aponte, 'Teodorin' Obiang

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

BeninPatrice Talon's secret Paris tête-à-tête with Nicolas Sarkozy

DRCMSC boss Diego Aponte's hush-hush dinner with Félix Tshisekedi

Equatorial GuineaVice President 'Teodorin' Obiang is a fan of Singapore

West AfricaThe Grand Orient de France to hold talks on the Sahel

Ivory Coast
Sylvère Koyo set to take over at Grande Loge de Côte d'Ivoire

Ivory Coast's main Masonic lodge will next month officially appoint its new leader, a year after its veteran Grand Master and former prime minister Hamed Bakayoko died.

Congo
Congo's Masonic lodges fall under control of securocrats

Two of the three main lodges in Congo are now headed by the powerful securocrats Jean-Dominique Okemba and Philippe Obara.

Ivory Coast
French consul general Laurent Souquière moves to private sector

Laurent Souquière, French consul general in Ivory Coast until September this year, has stayed on in Abidjan after his mandate ended. He is preparing his move into the private sector.

Congo, Ivory Coast
Sassou set to mediate in Freemason crisis

The succession tussle at the Grande Loge de Côte d'Ivoire (GLCI) is continuing to divide the country's Freemasons. The Congolese president, who is influential in this milieu, is gearing up to mediate in the coming days.

Africa
French grand lodge faces pushback from 'regular' Masons in Africa

The trip to Benin by Jean-Pierre Rollet, one of France's most senior Freemasons, has riled African affiliates of his French grand lodge who take increasing exception to his tutelage and look with envy to so-called 'regular' lodges with loose ties to the United Grand Lodge of England.

Spotlight | Africa
The Freemasons push back against the politicians

Freemasonry may be the classic means for governments to co-opt their elites, but lodges throughout west and central Africa are increasingly defying the politicians. An investigation into the lodges that are striving to assert their independence.

Spotlight | West Africa
Freemasonry in disarray

The death in a road accident on Jan. 29 of Clotaire Magloire Coffie shouldn’t result in a major shake-up of the Grande Loge de Cote d’Ivoire (GLCI). After serving as grand master for three decades Coffie gave up his post [.

Spotlight | DRC
Storm clouds over Kinshasa summit

Members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie are fearful that new French President François Hollande might carry out his threat to boycott the organisation's 14th conference of heads of state in Kinshasa on October 12-14.