As the Italian major moves towards the start of production from the Baleine discovery, CEO Claudio Descalzi has been making sure every thing goes smoothly with the Ivorian authorities. After several trips to visit President Alassane Ouattara, he is now planning another journey to Abidjan.
Ali Bongo's opponent and former Gabon National Assembly speaker Guy Nzouba-Ndama was arrested at the border in September in possession of 1.19bn CFA francs. Behind the arrest lies a dispute between Congolese spymaster Jean-Dominique Okemba and Guy Pella, a top official working for President Sassou.
The ruling junta in N'Djamena has succeeded in avoiding suspension from the AU. Its subtle game of dividing the Peace and Security Council's 15 members has paid off.
The head of the National Mechanism for Monitoring the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement, Claude Ibalanky, has been criticised for his handling of the situation with the M23. Africa Intelligence has been given access to the minutes of a meeting where he met the rebel group's leaders.
Yamoussa Camara has in less than a year become one of the most influential figures in Mali's Koulouba presidential palace. Junta leader Assimi Goïta made him his permanent secretary last year, and he advises the five putschist colonels he had under his command at a military high school in the 1990s.
The coming election to succeed Jean-Marie Ackah as president of the Ivory Coast employers' association CGECI is expected to be a mere formality, as the electoral committee has received only the application of Ahmed Cissé.
Should, as our sources intimate, the governorship of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) fall vacant ahead of schedule, it could well go to an economist close to William Ruto. Such an appointment would help the president seal his political alliances.
Far from the Kalahari Copperbelt, the Namibian company co-managed by former mining ministry official Edward Godfried is about to obtain two copper mining licences near the Angolan border.
The former ministry of mines adviser at the heart of a corruption scandal in the Namibian government has created a mining exploration firm in Botswana. He set the business up with his brother, already an active mining investor in Namibia.
The climate summit, which opened on 6 November in Egypt, brought together a scant grouping of representatives from the African oil sector.
Archrivals Algeria and Morocco are expected to submit their bids on Wednesday to host the African Cup of Nations 2025. Guinea had been due to organise the event but lost the opportunity due to its lack of preparation.
Raisedon Zenenga is about to step down as deputy head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
