Leonardo

DRC
International TV series in pipeline

The Italian screenwriters Maddalena Ravagli and Leonardo Fasoli (Django, Gomorra, ZeroZeroZero) are currently putting the finishing touches to an international television series whose main plot centres around the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria
Elbit, Thales and Nexter approached to arm Leonardo fighters

The Nigerian Air Force is due to receive its first M-346 light attack jets from Italy's Leonardo next year and negotiations over who will arm the aircraft are already well under way. The Israeli intermediation firm Ebony Enterprises has been commissioned to contact suppliers.

Senegal
Armament: Israeli firm AD Con on tenterhooks before presidential elections

Gaby Peretz's firm AD Con, Dakar's leading military brokerage firm, may suffer setbacks when President Macky Sall's term in office ends in February. The firm - which supplies equipment to the army and finances operations - is only active while the political situation is in its favour.

Nigeria
French firm Sofema looks after Nigerian Air Force

Sofema, a French company specialising in reconditioned military equipment, is currently studying a plan to rehabilitate French Alpha Jets for the Nigerian Air Force.

Angola
Kapose family, well-connected under dos Santos, thrives under Lourenço

Some politically well-connected Angolan families who were favoured by the previous government have boosted their businesses under the current presidency of João Lourenço. Silvestre Tulumba Kapose's clan, which is involved in the automobile and banking sectors, is doing particularly well.

West Africa
Mozambican ex-foreign minister tipped for top UNOWAS job

At UN headquarters in New York, the name Leonardo Santos Simão, Mozambique's former foreign minister under Joaquim Chissano, is doing the rounds as the potential next head of UNOWAS.

Senegal
Cheikh Ndiaye liaises between Italian defence firms and Dakar

The Senegalese businessman running Ortho International, Cheikh Ndiaye, has been the representative for several flagship Italian defence firms for many years. He used these relationships to bring his clients to the African Air Chiefs Symposium.

Algeria
French defence leaders to showcase wares in Algiers

Representatives of Safran Electronics & Defense, Thales, MBDA and Airbus are preparing to present their catalogues to Algeria's military command in Algiers.

Nigeria
Defence giants Leonardo and PolyTech top Nigeria pre-election spending

Defence groups have been making the most of the Buhari administration's splurge on arms ahead of Nigeria's presidential election. Italy's Leonardo has sealed a €1bn deal for its M-346 light attack aircraft, while China's Poly Technologies has also secured a new contract.

Nigeria
Washington stalls over gunships as Turkey's TAI claims victory and Leonardo gets busy

Washington, which in April approved the potential sale of twelve Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Nigeria, is struggling to finalise this contract, which takes the form of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS).

Nigeria
Paris keen to help Abuja create light aviation unit

The French armed forces are keen to be involved in the creation of a light aviation unit within the Nigerian Army. There is a chance that Airbus will supply helicopters, but despite Paris' support, competition from Turkey's TAI and Italy's Leonardo remains tough.

The New Guard
Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

Senegal Ousseynou Ly, PASTEF's media man in fight against Sall

Cameroon Jacques Jonathan Nyemb, multi-tasking lawyer

Ghana Edmund Akoto Bamfo, young security successor

Egypt Bassam Rady, Sisi's loyal diplomat in Rome

Spotlight | Egypt
US warnings ineffective on Egypt's Su-35 plans as pilots train in Russia

Despite US pressure to stop Egypt acquiring Russian Su-35 fighter jets, the programme seems to be continuing, with some Egyptian officers currently training in Russia.