Central African Republic
Energy minister Piri thwarts Rochefort International's revival plans

Palace Intrigues
Andry Rajoelina, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Emmanuel Macron

Intrigues big and small... Every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

MadagascarRajoelina puts on fine spread for Macron

CongoDenis Sassou Nguesso to skip his son's wedding in Dubai

Central African RepublicWelcome gardening leave for Minister of Energy Arthur Bertrand Piri

Central African Republic
IMF sends last-ditch mission to Bangui

A team from the International Monetary Fund is due in the Central African Republic on 9 January to try to reestablish dialogue. Relations between the financial institution and Bangui have been strained for many months due to a failure to reform the country's fuel prices.

Central African Republic
Neptune Oil manoeuvres to become SOCASP shareholder

CAR energy minister Arthur Bertrand Piri is continuing to push for Cameroon's Neptune Oil to be allowed to take shares in Société Centrafrique de Stockage des Produits Pétroliers. But his latest attempt at a SOCASP shareholders' meeting in late October failed.

Central African Republic
Emirati oil company Tristar gets green light to supply commercial airlines

The MINUSCA supplier can now sell Jet A-1 fuel at Bangui airport.

Central African Republic
Fuel shortage forces MINUSCA to curb travel

The UN peacekeeping mission's supplier Tristar is struggling to import its products.

Central African Republic
Tamoil boss questioned by Gendarmerie as conflict with government escalates

The company's CAR director, Clovis Kape, has been questioned by the Gendarmerie. The energy ministry is accusing him of inciting public disorder, amid a dispute over the supply of Jet A-1 kerosene for aircraft.

Central African Republic
Tamoil petrol stations taken over as CAR's fuel crisis continues

Amid a major fuel shortage in the Central African Republic, Energy Minister Arthur Bertrand Piri decided to requisition six Tamoil petrol stations and give three of them to Prisca Mamadou, an influential businesswoman and wife to the head of the country's armed forces.

Central African Republic
Cameroon's Neptune Oil under pressure in CAR

Faced with a worsening fuel crisis, Central African Republic lawmakers and the IMF want Energy Minister Arthur Bertrand Piri to end an exclusive deal with Cameroon's Neptune Oil.

Central African Republic
Discreet Parisian meeting between Touadéra and Tamoil RCA boss

Enguerrand Rochefort met the CAR president in Paris last week to discuss the problems his company faces in the Central African market.

Central African Republic
US to build much larger embassy in Bangui

The US State Department's call for tenders for the construction of a new embassy in Bangui closed on 28 March. Plans for the 33,000m2 building include secure offices, staff accommodation, a leisure centre and a helicopter pad.

Central African Republic
Germany's LS Telcom seeks to set up in Bangui

The German company's Paris-based subsidiary is interested in an international call for tenders issued as part of a programme to improve the Central African government's IT systems.

Central African Republic
Total and state settle their financial scores

Total Centrafrique, the largest company in the country, had not been paying taxes. At the same time, the government had been racking up debt with the group bought by corporate banker Enguerrand Rochefort.

Central African Republic
Touadéra set up 'task force' to oversee Total Centrafrique sale

The planned sale of the Central African Republic's largest importer [...]

Central African Republic
TotalEnergies poised to tiptoe out of CAR

The French oil major appears to have found a way out of the Central African Republic at last. The country's largest company is selling its assets to Tamoil, a Libyan company that is based in Europe.

Central African Republic
Fuel shortages persist in Bangui

Fuel shortages remain acute in Central African Republic, despite the recent arrival of barges carrying fuel supplies.