The Congolese authorities signed a second, more restricted and secretive agreement with Dan Gertler last month, in addition to the major settlement negotiated in February. Africa Intelligence is able to detail the contents of this new deal, which concerns the oil assets previously run by the businessman.
The preliminary talks in Doha between the political and military forces and the Chadian government, which began three weeks ago, are stalling. Splits within one of the main rebel group have come to light. At the same time, the presidency is working on extending the transition period by several months.
In 2019 Gabon was ordered by a Paris arbitration panel to pay the equivalent of €137m in unpaid invoices to the late Guido Santullo's Sericom construction group. On Tuesday, the country managed to have that arbitration overturned arguing that the Italian contractor had obtained its contracts by paying Gabonese officials.
Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso, who is originally from Pointe-Noire, tried to take advantage of the July legislative elections nominations to place relatives there and extend his still weak political influence. However, his attempt was in vain.
The programme to overhaul Nigeria's fleet of Alpha Jet attack aircraft, which was made a priority by President Buhari, is faltering, and plans to acquire M-346 planes are on hold. This hampers the fight against Boko Haram.
Sacked by the junta in October 2021, Namory Traoré, Alpha Condé's influential chief of staff from 2013 until the coup d'état, is expected to be appointed Guinea's ambassador to Morocco soon.
Although a clarification meeting was held between the state-owned NNPC, ExxonMobil's Nigerian subsidiary and Seplat, the transfer of the US major's shares in shallow offshore blocks is on the verge of completion.
Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe has been at daggers drawn with the Somali president since 2019. Kenya's presidential election this year may well seal his fate.
The long court case over President Uhuru Kenyatta's proposed constitutional review has ended, meaning presidential candidate Raila Odinga's plans for a grand coalition have been endangered.
Stargems, until now present only in diamond processing and trade, is in the process of acquiring two South African rough stone production subsidiaries from the Luxembourg company Reinet Investments, which is run by luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert.
Numerous global gas giants, as well as local leaders Nareva and Afriquia Gaz, are still waiting on Leila Benali to make her decision on a tender launched in October. But as gas prices skyrocket, the Moroccan energy minister is looking to get the timing right.
Despite having stopped imports of phosphate from Western Sahara as a matter of "social responsibility" in 2018, the US company Innophos resumed these in 2021 according to the NGO Western Sahara Resource Watch. President Donald Trump had recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory the year before, around the same time Innophos pulled its stock listing.
