The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, historically associated with oil fields stretching to the horizon, is running an acquisition campaign in Africa that would be the envy of any global mining major. At stake are not gold deposits or copper veins alone, but the precise minerals — cobalt, lithium, nickel, manganese, rare earth elements — that […]
South Africa’s National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, has been charged with corruption and fraud in connection with a $20 million procurement scandal involving a state health contract, the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) announced this week. Masemola, who assumed the top police role in 2023, is accused of facilitating the award of a health sector
In the ancient city of Kidal, deep in Mali’s troubled north, Russian flags fly openly now. Paramilitaries in sandy fatigues, identifiable by their distinctive insignia and their heavily armed convoys of white Toyota Hilux pickups, patrol streets that once bustled with Tuareg traders. Their presence was meant to bring security. Instead, it has brought a
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Senegal has formally signed into law a bill that doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to ten years, in a move that human rights organisations have condemned as a catastrophic retreat from the principles of individual liberty and human dignity. The law, passed by the National Assembly in March with an
When the sun rises over Burkina Faso’s remote villages, families wake to a terror that comes from two directions at once. A landmark report by Human Rights Watch has laid bare what analysts have long suspected: both government security forces and jihadist insurgent groups are responsible for systematic civilian killings that have claimed the lives
South Africa’s Top Cop to Appear in Court Over $20 Million Corruption Scandal South Africa’s National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has been summoned to appear in court next month alongside a dozen senior officers, over a murky R370 million ($20 million) health tender that has sent shockwaves through the country’s law enforcement establishment. Prosecutors
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The Gulf Crisis and Its Ripple Effects on African Economies As the war in the Middle East continues to disrupt one of the world’s most critical oil shipping corridors, African nations are counting the cost — and in some unexpected corners, discovering opportunity. The Strait of Hormuz handles approximately 20% of global oil exports and
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A Golden Decade: How Senegal Became West Africa’s New Mining Powerhouse For years, Senegal was overshadowed in the gold sector by its wealthier neighbours — Mali, Mauritania and Guinea. But the country is now experiencing a remarkable surge in gold production and investment, recording more than 10.4 tonnes of gold output in 2025, as mining
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Kenya’s Lamu Port Sees Unprecedented Surge as Middle East Conflict Reroutes Global Shipping Kenya’s Lamu Port, a facility that has long struggled to find its footing due to incomplete infrastructure networks connecting it to the East African hinterland, is experiencing an unexpected renaissance — driven entirely by crisis elsewhere. As vessels bound for the Middle
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Push Into Africa’s Critical Minerals Sector At January’s Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman delivered a statement that crystallised the kingdom’s strategic rethink: “Oil is no longer the energy security challenge — it’s going to be gas, electricity and predominantly minerals.” It was a revealing
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