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Africa Intelligence brings you exclusive coverage of the major political, economic and diplomatic issues at stake on the African continent, identifying power players on the rise and low-frequency signals on the horizon.
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The Nigerian president and the UK prime minister held discreet talks at 10 Downing Street in early October. Since July, Britain’s new Labour government has stepped up its contacts with Nigeria, where the UK foreign secretary is expected on 4 November.
Article published at 14:15 GMT – In the wake of the Élysée’s recognition of ‘Moroccan sovereignty’ over the disputed territory and Emmanuel Macron’s recent trip to Morocco, the two countries are due to discuss how to revise an autonomy plan first proposed in 2007.
Determined to assert its rights over its offshore oil resources, the Congolese government is progressing on the development of the Common Interest Zone with Angola under the lead of hydrocarbons minister Sakombi Molendo.
Fifteen months from the elections, the president’s eldest son Muhoozi Kainerugaba is making less noise about succeeding his father. But he hasn’t stopped trying to extend the army’s influence, with his father’s help.
The rapprochement between Tripoli interior minister Imad Trabelsi and the Haftar clan is helping Ankara to strengthen its military presence in western Libya as well as opening up opportunities in the eastern region of Cyrenaica.
The French group is still suffering the consequences of selling its large-format stores to Intermarché and Auchan. The companies running its franchises in Africa want to terminate their contracts and move to competitor Coopérative U, which offers a wider range of products at a lower price.
Intrigues big and small – every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.
As the African Union’s military engagement in Somalia enters a third chapter in January, Kenya is keen to keep its boots on the ground to counter the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.
Simon Paley, who was sacked as Tradex’s chief executive in early October, has paid the price for his strained relations with Nathalie Moudiki, wife of Adolphe Moudiki, the octogenarian director general of Tradex’s parent company, Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures.
Gabon’s debt-laden electricity and water supplier wants to rescind an onerous deal it signed less than six months ago with a Turkish electricity producer at the initiative of Energy Minister Jeannot Kalima. The country’s junta leader is keeping a close eye on developments.
The president’s new chief of staff may lack political clout, but he has a strong business background and enjoys support from powerful government figures. During Tshisekedi’s first term, the leadership of his private office was deemed erratic, and he is keen to buck that trend.
Since July, Cameroonian diplomats have been pushing for economist Albert Zeufack to take over the presidency of the African Development Bank, instead of the former BEAC governor whom N’Djamena is supporting.
Portfolio minister Jean-Lucien Bussa Tongba is cracking down on the tensions between the chief executives and board chairs of state companies, which are affecting their results. On his list is a clarification of their responsibilities and a first assessment of their compliance in November.
After having indicated that they wanted to take control of the Senegalese subsidiary of France’s Société Générale banking group, the Senegalese authorities could now backtrack. This opens the door to the possibility of a private sector buyer. Several consortia have quietly expressed an interest.
President Bola Tinubu has tasked former vice president Yemi Osinbajo’s adviser, Jumoke Oduwole with ending the flight of multinationals from Nigeria and pulling in the foreign investment he has promised voters. Her appointment has been welcomed by industry.
President Tinubu has parted company with the heads of domestic and foreign intelligence. Both were appointed during his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari’s reign but were deemed incompatible with the current administration.
After a slowdown following the Covid-19 pandemic, the ports of Nigeria’s economic capital are once more attracting foreign investors. With activity picking up again, two Emirati companies seem particularly interested.
The impeachment of Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua gives coffee industry players the opportunity to revisit a key reform of his mandate. The initial reforms adopted have not delivered the expected results for producers.
Militia leader Abu Aqla Kikl, who is coveted by both camps for his knowledge of the terrain, has switched allegiances once again. His recent defection to the army’s SAF forces was presented as a major victory over the RSF, even though he has few fighters at his disposal.
The Ethiopian PM has appointed the former Addis Ababa mayor and minister of mines, whom he dismissed last year, to revitalize the struggling railway. An early supporter of Abiy, Takele has surrounded himself with loyalists, which risks raising some hackles.
The former justice minister hopes to make the most of the anti-government sentiment prevailing within civil society and among voters in her native region of central Kenya. But while Karua has already sounded out some prominent names, she’s steering clear of an alliance with other opposition heavyweights.
The Kenyan president is nearly halfway through his term of office and is keen to bolster his track record on infrastructure. He has asked the government to press ahead on the capital’s future bus network, with a new timetable for completion that could prove challenging.
South Africa is to host the G20 summit in 2025 and intends to use the event to push its political and economic agendas. The president has called on his inner circle to coordinate preparations.
With a clear majority in parliament, the president has ensured that his big guns will head up the country’s most strategic regions. A handful of MPs, elected as independents, are also likely to back him and give him a two-thirds majority.
Botswana’s president hopes to be returned to office this week. In the run-up to the 30 October elections, he has ordered spending taps to be kept open despite budgetary red flags and falling revenues in the diamond sector.
Breaking news published on 24/10/24 at 11:15 GMT – South Africa is to be the British foreign secretary’s chosen port of call on his first official trip to Africa. On the agenda will be the situation in the Middle East and the next G20 presidency. His trip will overlap with Prince William’s visit to the rainbow state.
The sale of the Ras el-Hekma resort destination to an Emirati fund has allowed the Egyptian government to pay off some of its debt to the UAE directly. As Cairo’s crippling cash flow crisis continues, such a solution looks set to repeat.
Galilee Export is seeking to capitalise on the booming avocado sector in Morocco by joining forces with a local partner, Unique Packing, whose produce it already markets in Europe.
Good connections within the French right and Franco-Moroccan business circles have helped the French ambassador gain acceptance in the country he professes to love, despite past tensions between Paris and Rabat. He is now seen as the lynchpin of their rapprochement, particularly on Western Sahara.
The US aeronautics giant had reached an agreement with Morocco to produce parts for its Apache attack helicopters in the kingdom. But with the manufacturer in the grips of a crisis, the project is now in jeopardy.
French company MGH Energy, backed by former Royal Air Maroc boss Driss Benhima, is pulling out all the stops to get the Moroccan renewable energy agency to approve a €5bn project to produce e-fuel in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
The bank has hired Bennett Group DC to lobby on its behalf in Washington.
The aim is to kick-start the sector.
The many financial transactions conducted by one of Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi’s most loyal followers have aroused the suspicions of Tunisian prosecutors. Yet hard evidence in the sprawling Instalingo affair remains scant.
Intrigues big and small – every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.
Its withdrawal means Burundi qualifies automatically for the second round.
From Monday to Friday at 04:40 GMT.
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