AFRICA INTELLIGENCE: EXCLUSIVE NEWS ON AFRICA Africa Intelligence, leading professional Web site specialising in political and economic developments in Africa: investigations about government, business circles and influential figures. SOUTH AFRICA : COURT RULES BHP AND ANGLO AMERICAN MUST PAY On 21 May, after 10 years of lawsuits, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal rejected mining giants BHP Billiton and Anglo American's latest appeal. The court declared them responsible for tax arrears for the 2005 fiscal year for their Samancor Holdings (SH) joint venture, which they own 60% and 40% respectively. The lawsuit went on for quite a long time considering the rather piddly sum DRC : HOW ORRICK'S FORMER STAR AFRICA LAWYER DODGED SEXUAL Star attorney Pascal Agboyibor was abruptly fired by US law firm Orrick in 2019 amid allegations of rape and sexual harassment which are still being investigated by the Paris bar association. The Togolose lawyer, who denies the accusations, has DJIBOUTI : IOG'S ENTOURAGE OUSTS CEO AND TAKES CONTROL OF Before it even hits its stride, Djibouti's new sovereign wealth fund, launched by President Ismail Omar Guelleh (IOG) in September 2020 to better manage the country's revenue, is facing a leadership crisis. Despite coming with Senegalese president Macky Sall 's recommendation, less than eight months after his appointment as the managing RUSSIA/EGYPT : VLADIMIR PUTIN DUE IN CAIRO Vladimir Putin due in Cairo. Russian president Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to Cairo to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi this spring. As well as reinforcing bilateral cooperation, they have several hot issues to discuss, including the situation in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, GERD,

which

SENEGAL : WOODSIDE'S SUBCONTRACTORS TO SOON SET UP SHOP IN Woodside's agenda. The Australian operator now expects oil and gas production to start at the end of 2023 (with 100,000 bpd), but has had to revise its costs upwards. In its Q1 2021 results, Woodside said the project is now valued at $4.6bn, up from the $4.2bn initially envisaged. Some 24% of Phase 1 was completed in the first quarter of

2021.

GABON : VAALCO BRINGS IN NEW BLOOD AS IT PREPARES FOR Vaalco operates Etame Marin using the BW Adolo FPSO, which belongs to Norway's BW Offshore, itself operator on Gabon's Dussafu field since 2018. To reduce its operating costs on Etame Marin, Vaalco is considering releasing the FPSO when its contract expires in MOZAMBIQUE : TOTAL'S CABO DELGADO LNG PROJECT ON Total's Cabo Delgado LNG project on indefinite hold. The development of Cabo Delgado province's vast gas resources has brought with it the emergence of an armed insurgency, one that is yet to be clearly defined but is already impinging on Total and ExxonMobil's operations there. As the conflict worsens, President Nyusi has been prompted to

seek

MOZAMBIQUE : DENTEC AEROSPACE TARGETS WARPLANE REPAIR Dentec Aerospace targets warplane repair business. Dentec Aerospace, which is based in Grand Central Airport in the Midrand area of South Africa, expanded into Mozambique on 11 June with the aim of taking advantage of the fast-growing market for the repair and maintenance of militarised aircraft. South African national Evance Phiri, a former DRC : TSHISEKEDI SEEKS TO RENEGOTIATE KABILA-ERA DEALS Tshisekedi seeks to renegotiate Kabila-era deals with China. The Congolese government is trying to renegotiate contracts signed with Beijing during the long reign of former president Joseph Kabila. Some of their terms are now deemed contrary to the national interest. Felix Tshisekedi 's aides are trying to overhaul agreements between the DR AFRICA INTELLIGENCE: EXCLUSIVE NEWS ON AFRICA Africa Intelligence, leading professional Web site specialising in political and economic developments in Africa: investigations about government, business circles and influential figures. SOUTH AFRICA : COURT RULES BHP AND ANGLO AMERICAN MUST PAY On 21 May, after 10 years of lawsuits, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal rejected mining giants BHP Billiton and Anglo American's latest appeal. The court declared them responsible for tax arrears for the 2005 fiscal year for their Samancor Holdings (SH) joint venture, which they own 60% and 40% respectively. The lawsuit went on for quite a long time considering the rather piddly sum DRC : HOW ORRICK'S FORMER STAR AFRICA LAWYER DODGED SEXUAL Star attorney Pascal Agboyibor was abruptly fired by US law firm Orrick in 2019 amid allegations of rape and sexual harassment which are still being investigated by the Paris bar association. The Togolose lawyer, who denies the accusations, has DJIBOUTI : IOG'S ENTOURAGE OUSTS CEO AND TAKES CONTROL OF Before it even hits its stride, Djibouti's new sovereign wealth fund, launched by President Ismail Omar Guelleh (IOG) in September 2020 to better manage the country's revenue, is facing a leadership crisis. Despite coming with Senegalese president Macky Sall 's recommendation, less than eight months after his appointment as the managing RUSSIA/EGYPT : VLADIMIR PUTIN DUE IN CAIRO Vladimir Putin due in Cairo. Russian president Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to Cairo to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi this spring. As well as reinforcing bilateral cooperation, they have several hot issues to discuss, including the situation in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, GERD,

which

SENEGAL : WOODSIDE'S SUBCONTRACTORS TO SOON SET UP SHOP IN Woodside's agenda. The Australian operator now expects oil and gas production to start at the end of 2023 (with 100,000 bpd), but has had to revise its costs upwards. In its Q1 2021 results, Woodside said the project is now valued at $4.6bn, up from the $4.2bn initially envisaged. Some 24% of Phase 1 was completed in the first quarter of

2021.

GABON : VAALCO BRINGS IN NEW BLOOD AS IT PREPARES FOR Vaalco operates Etame Marin using the BW Adolo FPSO, which belongs to Norway's BW Offshore, itself operator on Gabon's Dussafu field since 2018. To reduce its operating costs on Etame Marin, Vaalco is considering releasing the FPSO when its contract expires in MOZAMBIQUE : TOTAL'S CABO DELGADO LNG PROJECT ON Total's Cabo Delgado LNG project on indefinite hold. The development of Cabo Delgado province's vast gas resources has brought with it the emergence of an armed insurgency, one that is yet to be clearly defined but is already impinging on Total and ExxonMobil's operations there. As the conflict worsens, President Nyusi has been prompted to

seek

MOZAMBIQUE : DENTEC AEROSPACE TARGETS WARPLANE REPAIR Dentec Aerospace targets warplane repair business. Dentec Aerospace, which is based in Grand Central Airport in the Midrand area of South Africa, expanded into Mozambique on 11 June with the aim of taking advantage of the fast-growing market for the repair and maintenance of militarised aircraft. South African national Evance Phiri, a former DRC : TSHISEKEDI SEEKS TO RENEGOTIATE KABILA-ERA DEALS Tshisekedi seeks to renegotiate Kabila-era deals with China. The Congolese government is trying to renegotiate contracts signed with Beijing during the long reign of former president Joseph Kabila. Some of their terms are now deemed contrary to the national interest. Felix Tshisekedi 's aides are trying to overhaul agreements between the DR SUDAN : SUN PEAK METALS, BLOCKED BY TIGRAY CONFLICT 17 hours ago · The time is ripe. US sanctions against Sudan were lifted at the end of 2020, allowing the dollar to be used in the country and the use of banks which operate in the US. A conference in Paris on 17-18 May brought more good tidings. Details of Sudan's move towards conventional finance and of AFRICA SEEKS TO WREST CONTROL OF GECF, THE 'OPEC OF GAS' 17 hours ago · The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) will decide who will succeed former Russian deputy energy minister Yury Sentyurin as its secretary general at its next head of states' summit in Qatar on 18 November. The international organisation established in Doha in 2009 represents nearly all gas exporting countries, led by giants Russia, Iran, and Qatar, as well as four leading African producers MOZAMBIQUE : MAPUTO FINALISES CABO DELGADO WISH LIST 17 hours ago · Defence minister Jaime Neto has already reported to President Filipe Nyusi regarding the army's needs to better tackle the insurgents ravaging the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Nyusi is counting on foreign partners to come up with the kit sought by the minister and the new head of the Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM), Adm Joaquim Mangrasse. DRC : CONGO NATIONALITY DEBATE RAISES FRESH QUESTIONS 17 hours ago · A new debate has broken out on Congolese nationality after 2018 presidential candidate Noël Tshiani put forward a controversial proposal to open senior state positions, including that of president, only to candidates with a Congolese mother and father. In this context, the issue of Moïse Katumbi's origins and nationality is back on the table. Claims have been circulating for some years that IVORY COAST : FRENCH ECONOMY MINISTER HELPS RAZEL AND 17 hours ago · Bruno Le Maire went to Ivory Coast last month to bang the drum for French business. His trip sped up the attribution of a vast contract to improve the road between Abidjan and San Pedro, the world's busiest cocoa port. French Economy Minister Bruno TUNISIA : TURKEY'S HATTUSA EYES EL KHBAYET SPA TOWN 17 hours ago · European balneotherapy enthusiasts will have to wait a little longer to enjoy the hot springs of the large spa town planned by the national office of thermalism and hydrotherapy, the ONTH, in El Khbayet, in the governorate of Gabès.On 3 June, Austrian businessman Gerhard Weiser and his Tunisian partner Othman Znaiguia, who signed a memorandum with the ONTH in 2013 to take on the SOUTH AFRICA/BRAZIL : BOLSONARO, TO APPEASE EVANGELISTS 17 hours ago · Three ways to create your email notifications: Key word in an article: select the key words in an article and click on �Create notification» Search results: on the search results page, click on «Create notifications for this search» Personal input: specify their title, the key words, the country and the publication of your email notification. Do not hesitate to create your own AFRICA : TULLOW TAKES OUT EMERGENCY $1.8BN LOAN TO AVERT 17 hours ago · The ailing British junior has gone into survival mode to ensure it doesn't default or pierce its debt ceiling. Tullow Oil's managers have won themselves some breathing room - for now at least. The junior has managed to raise almost $1.8bn, repayable by 2026 at RWANDA : NEW FINANCIAL HUB STILL WOOING INVESTORS DESPITE 17 hours ago · Rwanda Finance, the state entity behind Kigali's new financial centre, is ramping up efforts to convince investors to settle in Rwanda. Even though the official launch was postponed again, the agency has been setting up bilateral meetings. Despite the TANZANIA : FOOTBALL BOSS SAVES FACE WITH BAKHRESA 17 hours ago · Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president Wallace Karia had to demonstrate his impartiality to Young Africans SC fans, who accused him of acting against them. But it was with the owners of the various clubs that Karia really tried to bury the hatchet on 25 May when he ceded the broadcasting rights for the Mainland Tanzania Premier League to industrialist Said Salim Bakhresa. AFRICA INTELLIGENCE: EXCLUSIVE NEWS ON AFRICAALL COUNTRIESSECTORSIN FOCUSLEGAL NOTICESSOUTH SUDANSOMALIA Africa Intelligence, leading professional Web site specialising in political and economic developments in Africa: investigations about government, business circles and influential figures.

FREE ARTICLES

VP of company building stadiums for Cup of Nations halted Interpol warrant to return to Cameroon Franck Mathière, the vice-president of the group building stadiums for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, returned to the country in April after obtaining a suspension of the Interpol Red Notice against him. SENEGAL : WOODSIDE'S SUBCONTRACTORS TO SOON SET UP SHOP IN Woodside's agenda. The Australian operator now expects oil and gas production to start at the end of 2023 (with 100,000 bpd), but has had to revise its costs upwards. In its Q1 2021 results, Woodside said the project is now valued at $4.6bn, up from the $4.2bn initially envisaged. Some 24% of Phase 1 was completed in the first quarter of

2021.

MADAGASCAR - AFRICA INTELLIGENCE Southbridge pulls its weight for Hassanein Hiridjee. Madagascar-based Hassanein Hiridjee's Axian Group has just bought cellular operator Millicom's operation in Tanzania and is closing another deal in infrastructure. Both operations are being shouldered by Southbridge advisory bank, founded by Rothschild veteran Lionel Zinsou. ETHIOPIA - AFRICA INTELLIGENCESCHOLARLY ARTICLES ON ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE

Addis Ababa has followed in Cairo's footsteps and hired a US lobbying heavyweight. Worried his Egyptian rival will take the lead in the Grand Renaissance dam debate and concerned about his declining reputation over the Tigray conflict, the Ethiopian prime minister is working institutions, diplomats, and the media. MOZAMBIQUE : DENTEC AEROSPACE TARGETS WARPLANE REPAIR Dentec Aerospace targets warplane repair business. Dentec Aerospace, which is based in Grand Central Airport in the Midrand area of South Africa, expanded into Mozambique on 11 June with the aim of taking advantage of the fast-growing market for the repair and maintenance of militarised aircraft. South African national Evance Phiri, a former CAMEROON - AFRICA INTELLIGENCE While rumours of his son's ambitions rage online, Paul Biya plots his succession. While the president and his chief of staff Samuel Mvondo Ayolo draw up secret plans for his succession behind palace walls, Cameroon's political bigwigs are making moves in the shadows. LIBYA : VELLICHOR RISK HOISTS UNION JACK OVER TRIPOLI The British private security firm Vellichor Risk is boosting its capacities in Libya, where leading foreign companies have been hoping for reconstruction contracts since the formation of Abdelhamid Dabaiba's new government of national unity on 17 March. To speed up the pace of its expansion in the country, the company has put Rob Jefferies in charge of operations. DRC/ZAMBIA : MOÏSE KATUMBI'S BROTHER-IN-LAW TO BUILD Hungarian entrepreneur René Hutton-Mills is leading the project to build a cross-border road between the DRC and Zambia which should facilitate the export of Congolese ore to Dar es Salaam. - AFRICA : MONACO RESOURCES STRUGGLES TO HIDE ITS SECRETS Monaco Resources struggles to hide its secrets. In less than 10 years, Monaco Resources has become a major player in African commodities. Until now, it has been quite secretive about its shareholders and the backgrounds of its executives, but is finding it increasingly hard to maintain this stance as it grows in size and is forced to jostle for AFRICA INTELLIGENCE: EXCLUSIVE NEWS ON AFRICAALL COUNTRIESSECTORSIN FOCUSLEGAL NOTICESSOUTH SUDANSOMALIA Africa Intelligence, leading professional Web site specialising in political and economic developments in Africa: investigations about government, business circles and influential figures.

FREE ARTICLES

VP of company building stadiums for Cup of Nations halted Interpol warrant to return to Cameroon Franck Mathière, the vice-president of the group building stadiums for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, returned to the country in April after obtaining a suspension of the Interpol Red Notice against him. SENEGAL : WOODSIDE'S SUBCONTRACTORS TO SOON SET UP SHOP IN Woodside's agenda. The Australian operator now expects oil and gas production to start at the end of 2023 (with 100,000 bpd), but has had to revise its costs upwards. In its Q1 2021 results, Woodside said the project is now valued at $4.6bn, up from the $4.2bn initially envisaged. Some 24% of Phase 1 was completed in the first quarter of

2021.

MADAGASCAR - AFRICA INTELLIGENCE Southbridge pulls its weight for Hassanein Hiridjee. Madagascar-based Hassanein Hiridjee's Axian Group has just bought cellular operator Millicom's operation in Tanzania and is closing another deal in infrastructure. Both operations are being shouldered by Southbridge advisory bank, founded by Rothschild veteran Lionel Zinsou. ETHIOPIA - AFRICA INTELLIGENCESCHOLARLY ARTICLES ON ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE

Addis Ababa has followed in Cairo's footsteps and hired a US lobbying heavyweight. Worried his Egyptian rival will take the lead in the Grand Renaissance dam debate and concerned about his declining reputation over the Tigray conflict, the Ethiopian prime minister is working institutions, diplomats, and the media. MOZAMBIQUE : DENTEC AEROSPACE TARGETS WARPLANE REPAIR Dentec Aerospace targets warplane repair business. Dentec Aerospace, which is based in Grand Central Airport in the Midrand area of South Africa, expanded into Mozambique on 11 June with the aim of taking advantage of the fast-growing market for the repair and maintenance of militarised aircraft. South African national Evance Phiri, a former CAMEROON - AFRICA INTELLIGENCE While rumours of his son's ambitions rage online, Paul Biya plots his succession. While the president and his chief of staff Samuel Mvondo Ayolo draw up secret plans for his succession behind palace walls, Cameroon's political bigwigs are making moves in the shadows. LIBYA : VELLICHOR RISK HOISTS UNION JACK OVER TRIPOLI The British private security firm Vellichor Risk is boosting its capacities in Libya, where leading foreign companies have been hoping for reconstruction contracts since the formation of Abdelhamid Dabaiba's new government of national unity on 17 March. To speed up the pace of its expansion in the country, the company has put Rob Jefferies in charge of operations. DRC/ZAMBIA : MOÏSE KATUMBI'S BROTHER-IN-LAW TO BUILD Hungarian entrepreneur René Hutton-Mills is leading the project to build a cross-border road between the DRC and Zambia which should facilitate the export of Congolese ore to Dar es Salaam. - AFRICA : MONACO RESOURCES STRUGGLES TO HIDE ITS SECRETS Monaco Resources struggles to hide its secrets. In less than 10 years, Monaco Resources has become a major player in African commodities. Until now, it has been quite secretive about its shareholders and the backgrounds of its executives, but is finding it increasingly hard to maintain this stance as it grows in size and is forced to jostle for ABOUT US - AFRICA INTELLIGENCE Africa Intelligence publishes daily exclusive information essential to understanding the local and regional challenges the continent faces today. In April 2020, after nearly 40 years of reporting, Africa Intelligence became a daily publication to better reflect the fast and complex developments taking place on SUBSCRIPTION TO AFRICA INTELLIGENCE All week. All Africa. All exclusive. The leading African news site for professionals, Africa Intelligence publishes exclusive daily content essential to understanding the local and regional challenges facing the continent today. Free of all political and economic influence, Africa Intelligence’s editorial team guarantees rigorous, independent and high-quality reporting. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC : TOUADÉRA SEEKS COMPROMISE WITH 16 hours ago · Bangui is soon to resume discussions with Axmin and its CAR subsidiary, Aurafrique, in an effort to resolve a disagreement over the Ndassima affair, named for the region that is home to the country's richest deposits of gold, the only ones with known industrial potential. The Canadian junior is AFRICA/HORN OF AFRICA : FRENCH BOSSES UNION MEDEF REVAMPS 16 hours ago · Boudet had been tying to organise a trip of potential French investors to the Horn of Africa for over a year. The delegation, led by Medef president Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux, was to stop over in Ethiopia and Djibouti. But after numerous delays, first due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has yet again CONGO : SASSOU'S SEIZED JET FLIES BACK TO FRENCH COURTS ON 16 hours ago · A court in Bordeaux is to hold a hearing on 10 June to decide on how Denis Sassou Nguesso's presidential plane should be sold. The Bordeaux hearing will come a week after a Paris appeal court rejected Congo's request to cancel the seizure of the IVORY COAST : ALL EYES ON HAMED BAKAYOKO'S WIDOW AS SHE 16 hours ago · Three ways to create your email notifications: Key word in an article: select the key words in an article and click on �Create notification» Search results: on the search results page, click on «Create notifications for this search» Personal input: specify their title, the key words, the country and the publication of your email notification. Do not hesitate to create your own GHANA : WASHINGTON SUPPLIES TWO SAFE BOAT CUTTERS TO HELP 16 hours ago · To meet the Ghana Navy's growing maritime surveillance needs (AI, 25/05/21), the US Coast Guard is giving Accra two 12-metre Defender-class speedboats designed by the US manufacturer Safe Boats.These small vessels are mainly destined for port and coastal security missions, in the face of an upsurge in crime, including piracy, in Ghanaian waters and more widely in the Gulf of

Guinea.

LIBYA : LIBYA LOSES APPEAL AGAINST $50M CENGIZ AWARD 16 hours ago · Turkish public works firm Cengiz managed to scupper the Libyan state's legal attempt to annul a €50m fine related to contracts made in 2008 and 2009 but the Tripoli government still has room for further appeal. Turkish constructor Cengiz has sealed a key win in its long legal battle with the CONGO : BRAZZAVILLE GEARS UP TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO NEIGHBOURS 16 hours ago · Energy minister Serge Blaise Zoniaba last month granted a ten-year export licence to the Centrale Electrique du Congo (CEC), a gas-fired power plant in the economic capital Pointe-Noire whose production capacity has increased from around 300 to 450 MW. The move came less than a year after the inauguration of a third turbine at the CEC, which is 80% owned by the state and 20% by Eni. MOROCCO : SUEZ TASKS FORMER FRENCH RAIL CHIEF WITH 16 hours ago · Pepy has sat on Suez's board since 2008, and has chaired its nominations, governance, and remuneration committee since 2019. His mission in Casablanca will be much more hands-on and political: it will consist of putting Lydec's delegated management

* Headlines

* Central and West Africa * Eastern and southern Africa

* North Africa

* Oil & gas

* Mining sector

* Infrastructures & power * Defence & security * Banking and finance

COUNTRIES

Interactive map ALGERIA ANGOLA

BENIN BOTSWANA

BURKINA FASO BURUNDI CAMEROON CAPE VERDE CAR CHAD COMOROS CONGO DJIBOUTI DRC EGYPT

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

ERITREA ESWATINI ETHIOPIA

GABON GAMBIA

GHANA GUINEA GUINEA BISSAU

IVORY COAST KENYA

LESOTHO LIBERIA

LIBYA MADAGASCAR MALAWI

MALI MAURITANIA

MAURITIUS MAYOTTE

MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE

NAMIBIA NIGER

NIGERIA REUNION ISLAND RWANDA SAO TOME AND

PRINCIPE SENEGAL

SEYCHELLES SIERRA LEONE

SOMALIA SOMALILAND

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH

SUDAN SUDAN TANZANIA

TOGO TUNISIA

UGANDA ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE

IN FOCUS

Business Attorney Pascal Agboyibor founded Asafo & Co shortly after being ousted from the US firm Orrick in 2019. © Asafo &

Co

DRC Published on 31/05/2021 HOW ORRICK'S FORMER STAR AFRICA LAWYER DODGED SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AND REBUILT HIS PRACTICE

Politics

Gabonese President Ali Bongo getting off his plane during a visit to Beijing, 2018. © Jin Liwang/Xinhua News Agency/Newscom/MaxPPP GABON Published on 24/05/2021 PRIVATE JETS, OFFSHORE FIELDS, FOOTBALL, MAGAZINES: THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE'S UNTRACEABLE HOLDINGS See all special investigations

INNER CIRCLES

RUNNING STORIES

ARCHIVES

FREE SECTION

ABOUT US

OUR EDITORIAL LINE

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES

SUBSCRIPTION AREA

CONTACT US

EDITION FRANÇAISE

FIND US

*

* Menu

* Archives

* About the website * Our editorial line * Subscriber services

*

* SEARCH

Ok

* Free section

* Subscribe now

* Log in

Password __

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password? -------------------------

NOT A READER YET?

Create a free account

*

Your account has been succesfully created.

Subscribe now

*   Edition française

*   About us

*   Contact us

* All countries

* ALGERIA

* ANGOLA

* BENIN

* BOTSWANA

* BURKINA FASO

* BURUNDI

* CAMEROON

* CAPE VERDE

* CAR

* CHAD

* COMOROS

* CONGO

* DJIBOUTI

* DRC

* EGYPT

* EQUATORIAL GUINEA

* ERITREA

* ESWATINI

* ETHIOPIA

* GABON

* GAMBIA

* GHANA

* GUINEA

* GUINEA BISSAU

* IVORY COAST

* KENYA

* LESOTHO

* LIBERIA

* LIBYA

* MADAGASCAR

* MALAWI

* MALI

* MAURITANIA

* MAURITIUS

* MAYOTTE

* MOROCCO

* MOZAMBIQUE

* NAMIBIA

* NIGER

* NIGERIA

* REUNION ISLAND

* RWANDA

* SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

* SENEGAL

* SEYCHELLES

* SIERRA LEONE

* SOMALIA

* SOMALILAND

* SOUTH AFRICA

* SOUTH SUDAN

* SUDAN

* TANZANIA

* TOGO

* TUNISIA

* UGANDA

* ZAMBIA

* ZIMBABWE

See the map

* Regions

* Central and West Africa * Eastern and southern Africa

* North Africa

* Sectors

* Oil & gas

* Mining sector

* Infrastructures & power * Defence & security * Banking and finance

* In Focus

* Inner circles

* Running stories

THE OIL COMPANIES' QUIET RETREAT FROM THE GULF OF GUINEA THE RENAISSANCE DAM – A NATIONAL SYMBOL BUT A REGIONAL QUANDARY CABO DELGADO: A GAS ELDORADO AND SECURITY NIGHTMARE See all Running stories LOG IN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT?

Your email address

Password __

Forgot password?

Keep me logged in

Log in

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT

Your email address

Your password

Confirm your password

Keep me logged in

Create my account

CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS You will receive an e-mail with a confirmation link. Please click on the link to activate your access Need help?Please contact customer service.

FRIDAY, JUNE 4 2021

SCROLL THROUGH EDITION / PDF CLICK HERE to read the whole edition or download PDF Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti. © diplomatie.gouv.dj __ SpotlightHORN OF AFRICA Defence SISI TRIES TWO-PRONGED ATTACK ON ABIY VIA KHARTOUM AND DJIBOUTI

CHAD Oil & gas

SAVANNAH AND EXXONMOBIL INCH TOWARDS DEAL ON DOBA OILFIELDS Savannah now has just a few weeks in which to analyse the ExxonMobil data and make a firm offer on its Doba assets.

The head of

the Libyan government Abdelhamid Dabaiba is received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. © Sadak Souici/Le

Pictorium/MaxPPP

LIBYA

BACHAGHA PULLS OFF MEDIA COUP AGAINST DABAIBA IN PARIS

ETHIOPIA

ABIY DITHERS AMID DEEPENING ADDIS HOUSING CRISIS A lack of hard data on the real estate market in the Ethiopian capital has deterred investors, except for a few pilot projects. Yet the city is in the throes of a severe housing shortage. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (R) welcomes Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (2nd L) at State House in Nairobi on 4 May 2021.

� Simon Maina/AFP

TANZANIA KENYA

KENYATTA AND SULUHU STILL AT ODDS OVER SHARING TOURISM REVENUES MAURITIUS RWANDA Investments

funds

AFREXIMBANK'S NEW EXPORT FUND STRADDLES KIGALI AND PORT LOUIS An investment fund created by Afreximbank to promote inter-African trade registered an entity in Mauritius last month. The institution itself is due to set up its headquarters in Kigali. The geological basin of Siguiri. © Indigo Publications - 2021

GUINEA Mining

INVESTORS MAKE BEELINE FOR SIGUIRI GOLD As gold prices continue to soar, investing in Guinea's gold-rich Siguiri Basin is becoming the latest craze among foreign firms.

ANGOLA Oil & gas

AMNI PULLS OUT OF ESPADARTE FINANCING DEAL WITH SOMOIL Somoil's hopes of having Amni finance part of the development of the Espadarte oil and gas field on Angolan block 2/05 have been dashed.

BRAZIL AFRICA

BOLSONARO HARKS BACK TO LULA ERA IN NEW VISION FOR BUSINESS RELATIONS

WITH AFRICA

Carlos França has finally set out his vision for future relations between Brazil and Africa, which marks a break with the policy of his predecessor and could lead to significant private sector investment in

the continent.

__ Inner circles SENEGAL Defence MACKY SALL USES ARMY TO BOOST INFLUENCE ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE

ANGOLA

COBALT ENERGY FINALLY PAYS OUT TO EX-SHAREHOLDERS After years of legal wrangling, the marathon Cobalt International Energy saga is nearing an end.

CONGO

ROGER-RIGOBERT ANDELY REPRISES HIS ROLE AS DEBT-SLAYER

MOROCCO

KHATTAT CLAN MOVES INTO PETROL DISTRIBUTION IN DAKHLA Dahi Ahl el-Khattat, the president of the new Rotary Club branch that opened in Dakhla, Western Sahara, in late May, is setting out to compete with Sahrawi businessmen on their own turf.

ISSUE 03/06/2021 __

ISSUE __

IN FOCUS

*

*

*

Attorney Pascal Agboyibor founded Asafo & Co shortly after being ousted from the US firm Orrick in 2019. © Asafo & Co

DRC Business

HOW ORRICK'S FORMER STAR AFRICA LAWYER DODGED SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AND REBUILT HIS PRACTICE Gabonese President Ali Bongo getting off his plane during a visit to Beijing, 2018. © Jin Liwang/Xinhua News Agency/Newscom/MaxPPP

GABON Politics

PRIVATE JETS, OFFSHORE FIELDS, FOOTBALL, MAGAZINES: THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE'S UNTRACEABLE HOLDINGS A miner holding coltan in a mine in Rukunda, Masisi territory, North Kivu province, DRC. © Goran Tomasevic/Reuters RWANDA DRC GREAT LAKES Supply chain DRC WANTS BACK IN DRIVER'S SEAT ON COLTAN Attorney Pascal Agboyibor founded Asafo & Co shortly after being ousted from the US firm Orrick in 2019. © Asafo & Co

DRC Business

HOW ORRICK'S FORMER STAR AFRICA LAWYER DODGED SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AND REBUILT HIS PRACTICE Gabonese President Ali Bongo getting off his plane during a visit to Beijing, 2018. © Jin Liwang/Xinhua News Agency/Newscom/MaxPPP

GABON Politics

PRIVATE JETS, OFFSHORE FIELDS, FOOTBALL, MAGAZINES: THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE'S UNTRACEABLE HOLDINGS A miner holding coltan in a mine in Rukunda, Masisi territory, North Kivu province, DRC. © Goran Tomasevic/Reuters RWANDA DRC GREAT LAKES Supply chain DRC WANTS BACK IN DRIVER'S SEAT ON COLTAN

All focus pieces

CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA __ Breaking newsGABON 04/06/2021 AHEAD OF JOINING COMMONWEALTH, GABON SENDS ENVOY TO PARIS French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. © Sadak Souici/Le Pictorium/MaxPPP __ SpotlightAFRICA 03/06/2021 FIFA BOSS GIANNI INFANTINO TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON AFRICAN FEDERATIONS The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and the president of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, on 4 May 2021 in Abidjan. © Legnan Koula/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

News In Brief

RUSSIA |GUINEA 03/06/2021 ALPHA CONDÉ'S TEAM TO WOO RUSSIAN INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANIES IN SAINT

PETERSBURG

IVORY COAST |BENIN

03/06/2021

STAR ARCHITECTS KOFFI & DIABATÉ SECURE COTONOU PORT CONTRACT

WITHOUT TENDER

CONGO 02/06/2021

INTERIOR MINISTER SAID TO BE VICTIM OF €400,000 BANK SCAM

NIGERIA 03/06/2021

BUHARI'S CHIEF OF STAFF IBRAHIM GAMBARI PLACES HIS DIPLOMATIC PAWNS Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. © CK/mos/Reuters

DRC 03/06/2021

WEST CHINA CEMENT BUYS OUT PHILIPPE DE MOERLOOSE Philippe de Moerloose, one of the wealthiest Belgians in the DRC, has been bought out of the cement plants he co-owned with West China Cement. The Chinese giant now aims to ramp up production and become a major player in the sector.

DRC 03/06/2021

DAMNING AUDIT REPORT CASTS DOUBT ON CONGO AIRWAYS' $272M FLEET

EXPANSION

Allegations of embezzlement and over-invoicing at Congo Airways could not have come at a worse time for the national carrier, which is hoping to finalise the $272m purchase of four new airliners. All Central and West Africa articles

FREE ARTICLES

*

*

*

NIGERIA UKRAINE CAMEROON Business 01/06/2021 VP OF COMPANY BUILDING STADIUMS FOR CUP OF NATIONS HALTED INTERPOL WARRANT TO RETURN TO CAMEROON Franck Mathière, the vice-president of the group building stadiums for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, returned to the country in April after obtaining a suspension of the Interpol Red Notice against him. The Frenchman was detained in Ukraine after Nigeria issued the

warrant.

NAMIBIA Mining

28/05/2021

DANISH ART MAGNATE OFFERS WINDHOEK PLATFORM TO BYPASS DIAMOND

MIDDLEMEN

Adex Platform's delegation were received by the executive director at the Ministry of International Relations, Penda Naanda (right). © Twitter/@MIRCO_NAMIBIA A delegation from the Swiss-based Adex Platform led by Danish businessman Teit Ritzau recently visited Windhoek to present its proposed diamond sales platform. EQUATORIAL GUINEA Diplomacy

25/05/2021

TEODORIN'S FAILED BID FOR PHOTO OP WITH MACRON Equatorial Guinea's bigwigs hoped until the very last minute that the summit on African economies in France would be an opportunity for the country's probable future leader to shine on the world stage. NIGERIA UKRAINE CAMEROON Business 01/06/2021 VP OF COMPANY BUILDING STADIUMS FOR CUP OF NATIONS HALTED INTERPOL WARRANT TO RETURN TO CAMEROON Franck Mathière, the vice-president of the group building stadiums for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, returned to the country in April after obtaining a suspension of the Interpol Red Notice against him. The Frenchman was detained in Ukraine after Nigeria issued the

warrant.

NAMIBIA Mining

28/05/2021

DANISH ART MAGNATE OFFERS WINDHOEK PLATFORM TO BYPASS DIAMOND

MIDDLEMEN

Adex Platform's delegation were received by the executive director at the Ministry of International Relations, Penda Naanda (right). © Twitter/@MIRCO_NAMIBIA A delegation from the Swiss-based Adex Platform led by Danish businessman Teit Ritzau recently visited Windhoek to present its proposed diamond sales platform. EQUATORIAL GUINEA Diplomacy

25/05/2021

TEODORIN'S FAILED BID FOR PHOTO OP WITH MACRON Equatorial Guinea's bigwigs hoped until the very last minute that the summit on African economies in France would be an opportunity for the country's probable future leader to shine on the world stage. Access the free section EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA MOZAMBIQUE 03/06/2021 GOVERNOR TAUABO ASSERTS HIS LEADERSHIP OVER CABO DELGADO The governor of Cabo Delgado, Valige Tauabo, has set up a new entity to channel public funds to his province to stimulate the economy and combat the ongoing insurrection. But the new public company will also serve to enhance the governor's personal influence.

SOMALIA 03/06/2021

PRIME MINISTER ROBLE RELUCTANTLY UPSTAGES FARMAJO

Somalian Prime

Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble. © @SomaliPM/Twitter

News In Brief

UGANDA 28/05/2021

BUSEGA-MPIGI HIGHWAY WORKS ADVANCE AT A SNAIL'S PACE SOUTH SUDAN 17/05/2021 RUSSIAN PANH HELICOPTERS RETURNS TO UNMISS ZIMBABWE 14/05/2021 MNANGAGWA'S PR MISSES A STEP OVER KAZUNGULA BRIDGE ETHIOPIA 02/06/2021 ERITREA LEAVES ETHIOPIA'S AMBASSADOR IN LIMBO Like his predecessor, Mihretab Mulugeta is finding it extremely difficult to present his credentials to the Eritrean head of state. __ SpotlightAFRICA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Ports and airports

01/06/2021

DP WORLD LOOKS AT USING SHARES TO FUNDRAISE __ Breaking newsFRANCE RWANDA 01/06/2021 MACRON SHARES WITH KAGAME HIS CHOICE FOR THE FUTURE FRENCH AMBASSADOR

TO RWANDA

French President

Emmanuel Macron (left) received by his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Kigali on 27 May 2021. © Ludovic Marin/AFP All Eastern and southern Africa articles

NORTH AFRICA

MOROCCO 03/06/2021

'BILLBOARD BARON' MOUNIR EL-MAJIDI AIMS TO RECAPTURE URBAN

ADVERTISING

King Mohammed VI's private secretary is using a new company, FT View, to win urban billboard contracts in a sector where his FC Com group has come under fire.

LIBYA 02/06/2021

FATHI BACHAGHA KICKS OFF PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WITH EUROPEAN TOUR

FREE

The former

Libyan interior minister Fathi Bashagha. © AFP

News In Brief

LIBYA 03/06/2021

LONDON TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON RUSSIAN AND TURKISH PARAMILITARY OUTFITS TO WITHDRAW FROM LIBYA

MOROCCO 02/06/2021

MAROC FRUIT BOARD PROVIDES DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR MOHAMMED VI'S

ORANGE EXPORTS

MOROCCO 31/05/2021

NIGERIA'S CELLULANT PLUGS INTO MOROCCAN MOBILE MONEY

MOROCCO 01/06/2021

ROYAL ADVISER EL HIMMA TAKES CONTROL OF TV SECTOR VIA 2M AND MEDI 1 TV NATIONALISATION Through his henchmen, Mohammed VI's political adviser Fouad Ali El Himma has taken charge of the takeover of the 2M and Medi 1 TV channels by public sector broadcasting group SNRT. And he has managed to put one of his supporters in charge of public relations at the

interior ministry.

ALGERIA 01/06/2021

NAFTAL'S LPG CONVERSION SCHEME YET TO REACH TOP SPEED IN WAKE OF FAILED POLISH PARTNERSHIP Despite the urgency of the project, a plan by energy transition minister Chems Eddine Chitour to get more cars using liquid petroleum gas is still in the slow lane.

LIBYA 31/05/2021

DRAGHI AND MACRON AIM TO STOP MIGRANTS REACHING MEDITERRANEAN Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron on May 18, 2021 in Paris. © Blondet Eliot/Abaca Press/Reuters All North Africa articles

OIL & GAS

CONGO 03/06/2021

HOW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INTEND TO DIVVY UP TOTAL, ENI AND PERENCO

FINES

The finance minister recently signed a decree on the sharing of upstream oil fines between the various government departments, but the text raises numerous legal issues. __ SpotlightEQUATORIAL GUINEA

02/06/2021

OIL MINISTER LOOKS TO TAX BREAKS TO RESCUE FLOUNDERING SECTOR Gabriel Obiang Lima, the minister of mines and hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea. © Florian Wieser/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

News In Brief

GHANA 31/05/2021

EXXONMOBIL READY TO CALL IT QUITS ON DEEPWATER-CAPE THREE POINTS

AFRICA 21/05/2021

TOTAL BOSS POUYANNÉ AND HIS EXECS NETWORK AT MACRON'S SUMMIT OF

AFRICAN LEADERS

SENEGAL 11/05/2021

STILL A LONG WAIT FOR FINAL ARBITRAL HEARING BETWEEN PETRONOR AND

SENEGAL

ANGOLA 02/06/2021

WITH KBR AND MCDERMOTT ABOARD, SOYO REFINERY PROJECT SHOWS SIGNS OF

LIFE

After numerous delays, the Angolan government now seems keener to move forward on plans to build the plant.

NIGERIA 01/06/2021

P&ID SAYS NIGERIA CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS IN US COURTS At the same time as invoking sovereign immunity from prosecution in the United States, Nigeria is taking legal action there in the P&ID affair. The gas company reckons this double game undermines Abuja's

standing.

DRC 01/06/2021

NEW JUSTICE MINISTER TAKES ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIG OIL ARBITRATION

CASE

The president's office has appointed new officials to oversee the thorny issue of arbitration with the South African junior. All Oil & gas articles

MINING SECTOR

BOTSWANA 03/06/2021 EX-BCL EXECS MOUNT JOINT MINING COMEBACK State-run BCL's upper management did not lose time when the company went into liquidation back in 2016. Many of them have combined their skills and banded together to make it big in Botswanan mining. SIERRA LEONE 01/06/2021 GOVERNMENT TO FLAUNT MINERAL WEALTH IN LONDON, DUBAI, AND MOSCOW After presenting the findings of a two-year study of the country's mining resources in Freetown, the Sierra Leone government now wants to tout this potential to the world's investors.

News In Brief

SOUTHERN AFRICA |DENMARK 03/06/2021 DENMARK'S SCANDI ROLL TAKES A STEP INTO AFRICAN MINING BURKINA FASO 02/06/2021 INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE WINS OVER POLITICS FOR TOP BUMIGEB JOB TANZANIA 02/06/2021 MONTERO BOSS TONY HARWOOD BRINGS BACK OCH-ZIFF CASE CONSULTANT FOR RARE EARTHS ARBITRATION CLAIM SOUTH AFRICA 31/05/2021 COURT RULES BHP AND ANGLO AMERICAN MUST PAY $2M SAMANCOR TAX ARREARS

BILL

Mining multinationals BHP Billiton and Anglo American lost their almost ten-year legal battle with Samancor Chrome Holdings, owned by Croatian Danko Koncar, over who was responsible for paying South African tax authorities 27m rands in tax arrears. AFRICA Oil & gas 31/05/2021 STRATEGIA WORLDWIDE AND AFRICA MATTERS SET UP JOINT ESG VENTURE British consulting companies Strategia Worldwide and Africa Matters have set up a partnership to help firms operating in Africa to deal with their environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, particularly in the extractive industries.

GUINEA 28/05/2021

DYNAMIC MINING AWAITS BANKS' GREEN LIGHT TO FINALISE BAUXITE FINANCE

PLAN

The Indian firm is in advanced discussions with three banks to finance the debt portion of the $150m needed to move its Bon Ami bauxite mine in Guinea into production. Its majority shareholder is meanwhile prospecting elsewhere. All Mining sector articles

Scroll over the map

to access the latest articles by country

SUDAN

Hamdok's difficult debt relief conversation with the Gulf Paris conference provided golden opportunity for Orca Gold Siemens inches closer to solar farm deal Hamdok sends his foreign minister to defuse Russian naval base row Hamdok turns to advisory banks for major financial sector overhaul Orca Gold readies to sign $300m deal with Hamdok Islamic finance set to lose its monopoly Hamdok prepares Sudan for regional autonomy Paris conference gives Hamdok two days to win over creditors Burhan and Hemeti questioned over Khartoum massacre

See more articles

SUDAN

ON TWITTER

See all tweets from Africa Intelligence

*

*

*

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 The Libyan prime minister has fallen into a media ambush in Paris orchestrated by the former interior minister @fathi_bashagha , who is already on the presidential campaign trail. #Libya https://t.co/4aOek9eGhZ

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 An investment fund created by @afreximbank to promote inter-African trade registered an entity in #Mauritius last month. The institution itself is due to set up its headquarters in #Kigali

, #Rwanda

. https://t.co/HvX7XsSdki

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 The reopening of the Bolongoja border post, which connects #Tanzania ’s Serengeti national park to #Kenya ’s Masai Mara, is one of the last remaining bones of contention between the two countries. https://t.co/OGquoobvQT

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 The Libyan prime minister has fallen into a media ambush in Paris orchestrated by the former interior minister @fathi_bashagha , who is already on the presidential campaign trail. #Libya https://t.co/4aOek9eGhZ

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 An investment fund created by @afreximbank to promote inter-African trade registered an entity in #Mauritius last month. The institution itself is due to set up its headquarters in #Kigali

, #Rwanda

. https://t.co/HvX7XsSdki

AFRICA INTELLIGENCE

@AfricaIntell . 04/06 The reopening of the Bolongoja border post, which connects #Tanzania ’s Serengeti national park to #Kenya ’s Masai Mara, is one of the last remaining bones of contention between the two countries. https://t.co/OGquoobvQT See all tweets from Africa Intelligence

READ ALSO

A MINUSCA patrol

in the Central African Republic. © @UN_CAR/Twitter CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Politics

Defence

03/06/2021

EMBATTLED MINUSCA LAUNCHES MEDIA COUNTER-OFFENSIVE To push back against the often pro-Russian lobbies that are calling for MINUSCA contingents to withdraw from the CAR, the UN mission's communications team is seeking to boost its profile in the local press and in neighbouring Cameroon.

SENEGAL Business

Defence

02/06/2021

TURKEY'S DESAN SHIPYARD POISED TO WIN CONTRACT FOR NAVY LOGISTICS

VESSEL

The Turkish yard is at an advanced stage in talks with the government on a contract to supply a 100 m long logistics vessel to the navy. A major opportunity for the Turkish defence industry which is determined to win greater market share in West Africa.

ANGOLA Business

02/06/2021

BUENOS AIRES CURRIES FAVOUR THROUGH SPATIAL IMAGERY A year before the scheduled launch of the Angosat-2 satellite, the Argentine space agency is offering to work closely with its Angolan counterpart, against a backdrop of investments.

GABON Business

02/06/2021

GABON TUSSLES WITH IMF OVER LOAN PROGRAMME Gabon, which is due to start repaying $2bn worth of eurobonds next year, equivalent to 5% of the country's GNP, is struggling to agree the terms of a new programme with the IMF and has turned to regional

banks.

MALI Diplomacy

02/06/2021

PARIS WORRIED EU PARTNERS' COMMITMENT COULD WANE AFTER GOITA'S SHOW

OF FORCE

For the past two years, France has been pushing for greater engagement from its fellow European Union members in the Sahel region but could see these efforts scuppered by transitional president Bah N'Daw's forced resignation on 25 May.

See more articles

Search

THIS SERVICE IS ONLY FOR SUBSCRIBERS. LOG IN TO ACCESS. ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT?

LOG IN

Email address

Password __

Forgot your password?

Keep me logged in

OK

NOT SUBSCRIBED YET? DISCOVER OUR OFFERS THIS SERVICE IS ONLY FOR SUBSCRIBERS. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS. New: Sign up for real-time alerts and be notified of new editions!

Submit

What is it ?

ONCE REGISTERED, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED BY A SHORT MESSAGE ON YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE PHONE AS SOON AS A NEW EDITION OF OUR PUBLICATION OR AN ALERT IS PUBLISHED. STAY INFORMED ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!

Submit

By continuing your visit to this site, you accept the use of cookies allowing us to adapt and enhance your experience. Read more

Read more

*

*

A pioneer on the web since 1996, Africa Intelligence is the leading news site on Africa for professionals.

*

FIRST VISIT

* About us

* Our editorial line * Subscriber services

*

CONTACTS

* Customer service

* The editorial team

* Partnerships

*

TOOLS

* FAQ

* Terms & Conditions * Confidence charter

* Legal notices

* Sitemap

*

FREE SERVICES

* Create email notifications

* Receive summaries

* Read articles

*

FOLLOW US

*

*   Edition française

*   About us

*   Contact us

*   Free section

Legal notices

A WEBSITE PRODUCED BY INDIGO PUBLICATIONS ALSO PUBLISHES: