Author: Albert Savana

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), a UN judicial organ sitting in The Hague, the Netherlands, whose decisions in this matter are irreversible, will rule definitively on the territorial dispute between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. For lack of consensus, the two neighboring countries, members of the international community and members of continental and regional groupings have decided to bring their border dispute to international justice on the subject of the property of the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Conga islands. Competent to judge territorial disputes between the States, the ICJ was seized so that the law is said on this subject which…

Nicolas Kazadi has been appointed Minister of Finance in the government of Prime Minister Sama Lukonde. Close to Felix Tshisekedi of whom he was, until his appointment as Goodwill Ambassador, Nicolas Kazadi will be the pivot if not the central hinge of the government team called “Wariors” by the Prime Minister. Enarque, an economist by training, Nicolas Kazadi is a former international civil servant who worked at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and at the UNDP where he held important positions. In the current configuration, Nicolas Kazadi will have the heavy task of applying the policy initiated by President Félix…

Kribi Conteneurs Terminal (KCT) took delivery on 13th April 2021 of a new mobile crane intended for ship handling operations. The new equipment boosts the dock-handling capacity of the concessionary of the Port of Kribi container terminal. With a 100-tonne lifting capacity, the wheel-mounted Gottwald 8412 crane is able to handle two 20‑feet containers at the same time. The crane’s projection capacity extends to the 20th row of containers on board ships, where it can lift 41 tonnes. As efficient as a dock gantry, this mobile crane offers a productivity of +/- 25 container movements. It will allow to reduce by…

In Mali, Sidi Brahim Ould Sidatt, president of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), succumbed to his injuries. The leader of the rebel groups that signed the peace accord resulting from the Algiers process was seriously injured early this morning as he left a mosque in a suburb of Bamako. “We have just lost our president Sidi Brahim Ould Sidatt assassinated this morning in Bamako. May Paradise El Ferdaous be his eternal home, ”reacted Almou Ag Mohamed, spokesperson for the CMA. It is an attack carried out by two unidentified armed individuals, according to several official sources. “I strongly condemn…

While Europe, including France, remain entangled in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, China is stepping up to cover Africa with its two vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) – Sinopharm and SinoVac – as part of a large campaign targeting some 70 developing countries around the world. In recent weeks, some fifteen...

The Malian Solidarity Bank (BMS) achieved a record net income of 10.454 billion CFA francs for the year ended December 31, 2020, against 6.865 billion CFA francs in 2019, an increase of more than 50%. Figures communicated on April 12, 2021 during the 68th ordinary session of the Board of Directors. “Despite the health crisis, the total balance sheet of the Malian Solidarity Bank rose from 841 billion CFA francs in 2019 to 1,004 billion CFA francs in 2020, an increase of 19.38%. We are recording unparalleled performance on all indicators, “said Ousmane Babalaye Daou, Chairman of the Board of…

The rating agency Fitch Ratings has confirmed the long-term issuer default ratings (IDR) in foreign and local currencies of the Tunisian bank Arab Tunisian Bank (ATB) at “B +”. And this with a stable outlook. In its press release issued Monday, April 12, Fitch points out that “ATB is strategically important to its shareholder and 64.2% parent company, Arab Bank Plc (AB, BB / Negative), based in Jordan, given the strategic orientation of the latter on the Middle East / North Africa region. ATB is one of AB’s largest overseas subsidiaries and fulfills its parent company’s goal of maintaining a…

At the end of a tête-à-tête with the Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi on Monday, April 12, the French Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Jean-Christophe Belliard, reassured France of the need for France to support Côte d’Ivoire in its economic and social development. “I have come to congratulate the Prime Minister on his appointment and to take a tour of the major issues. We are entering a new moment. We can clearly sense a desire to accelerate, to go faster, to go further in the economic and social field in the Ivory Coast. This is the objective of the President of…

The administrators of the Malian Housing Office (OMH) held the 44th ordinary session of the board of directors on April 10, 2021 in Bamako. This is a meeting chaired by Dionké Diarra, Malian Minister of Land Affairs, Town Planning and Housing. At the end of the work, the administrators decided that the 2021 program of activities will focus primarily on finding solutions to the Office’s indebtedness, the pursuit of the direct sale of 1,200 housing units following new, more efficient approaches. , the search for innovative and sustainable solutions to the financing of social housing in order to limit the…

The G20 agreement to extend the debt service grace period for low-income countries offers welcome, but only short-term, pandemic-related relief, given the prospect of higher future repayment of debt and over-indebtedness in the medium term. This is the point of view of Scope Ratings. The Berlin-based rating agency believes that the expansion of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) will translate into further short-term savings for the world’s poorest governments, including those in Africa. “These savings are, however, offset by higher payments for medium-term debt service, with perhaps a face amount higher than the amounts initially suspended due to the…

The Côte d’Ivoire subsidiary of SEA Invest intends to strengthen its operational capacity at the autonomous ports of Abidjan (PAA) and San Pedro (PASP) with a new investment of 22 million USD (12 billion F CFA) for a transport project lagoon designed to load larger capacity vessels. “Mining exporters will therefore be able to load bulk carriers with drafts of up to 16 meters, which is the current maximum limit for vessel access in the Vridi Canal, for a loading capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes” , notes the concessionaire of the bulk terminal (which covers 6 hectares and 800…

Sovereign debt defaults hit a record 7 in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic and falling oil prices affecting credit quality globally. By the end of 2020, the number of sovereigns rated at the lowest rating levels, ‘CCC +’ and below, had risen to seven, suggesting defaults may remain high for years to come, ”Nick said. Kraemer, Head of S&P Global Ratings Performance Analytics. Sovereign ratings could continue to come under pressure amid the expected massive fiscal and monetary stimulus that will leave substantial debt overhang for several years to come. Suriname was the sovereign with the best profile with a…

The Development Bank of Mali (BDM-SA) held the 72nd session of its board of directors on April 10, 2021 in Bamako. At the end of the work, it emerges that the institution posted a total balance sheet of over 1.5 trillion CFA francs, and a profit of over 20 billion CFA francs at the end of fiscal year 2020. After adoption and examination of the items on the agenda, “the board assessed the specific performance achieved by the leading Malian banking group under the closing of the accounts at December 31, 2020 which ended for the first time in Mali’s…

This operation is part of the strengthening of financial inclusion for poor and vulnerable people, which is the leitmotif of the National Economic and Social Inclusion Agency (ANIES) of Guinea. Supported financially by its partner Societe Generale to the tune of 140,000 USD (or 70% of the project) for the production, Kunfabo will complete the remaining 30% of the financing of the operation for a total cost of 200,000 USD. The startup Kunfabo has developed a new feature phone model called Kunfabo B20. According to the brand, it is a basic, solid and practical model that adapts to its environment…

The State of Senegal through its Public Treasury awarded on April 9, 2020 an amount of 55 billion FCFA (82.500 million euros) at the end of its issue of assimilable treasury bonds (BAT) with a maturity of 182 days on the market. financial institution of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU). These funds raised are part of the strategy of the Senegalese authorities to cover the financing needs of the state budget. For the second quarter of 2021, these authorities have expressed the wish to issue 250 billion FCFA against 225 billion FCFA in the first quarter of 2021, an…

President Patrice Talon is in pole position to win the presidential elections held on April 11, due to the partial boycott of the opposition and the resulting drop in turnout. Nevertheless, believes Aurelien Mali, vice-president of Moody’s, “the credit problems in Benin remain and include political and social tensions, a relatively low income per capita and a relatively undiversified economy which still struggles to attract direct investment. important foreigners ”. Note that the outlook attached to B1 had been reduced a few weeks ago from “positive” to “stable”, reflecting political tensions. “Our view of Benin’s credit reflects the small size…

French Prime Minister Jean Castex was due to visit Algiers on Sunday April 11. The meeting was postponed indefinitely for reasons related to the “health crisis,” according to a sober statement from Matignon released Thursday, April 8 amid the wildest rumors of deep disagreement. The El Mouradia palace would not have appreciated the composition of...

In a few months, the cashew nut, whose production reached nearly 800,000 tonnes in 2020, will trade on the Agricultural Raw Materials Exchange (BMPA) to allow the setting of a national price per kilogram in accordance with the law of the supply and demand. If this platform (BMPA) allows the farmer to secure the selling price of his production, it proves the requirement to accommodate quality walnuts in storage centers. This is why the actors expect to benefit from training and appropriate means of control for a good quality of the post-harvest almonds. Already, more than 200 professional agricultural organizations…

Bolloré Logistics is reinforcing its healthcare product processing facilities with an 800 m2 extension of a pharmaceutical unit with a temperature of +15 °C to +25 °C. The health crisis having increased global trade in pharma products, it has become necessary to resize the corresponding logistics resources. Bolloré Logistics, the leader in air trade in France, has taken the initiative to support this trend by investing in its Roissy CDG Hub. With the new unit, Bolloré Logistics now boasts a surface area of 2,200 m2 at its Roissy CDG Hub, divided into three temperature-controlled areas of +2 °C to +8…

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), parent company of the Ecobank Group, announces that Tomisin Fashina has been appointed as its new Group Executive for Operations & Technology, a position he will now hold in addition to his existing role of Managing Director of eProcess International. Ade Ayeyemi, CEO Ecobank Group said: “The rapidly accelerating digital adoption by Africa’s citizenry and businesses, together with the explosion in ecommerce across the continent, is driving transformation throughout the banking and payment sectors. Winning across operations and technology is essential for the Ecobank Group’s short, medium and long-term success, and is an integral requirement of…

Mr. Joe Rainey, President Halliburton for the Eastern Hemisphere has just paid a visit to the Liquid Mud Plant (LMP) built by the Mauritanian company Sepco Industries at the port of Dakar. Mr. Rainey and his delegation visited the plant site, welcoming the progress made in the ongoing construction work. This 03-year contract for the construction and rental of 20,000 bbl LMP was awarded to SEPCO Industries Senegal in July 2020. The LMP will support the drilling campaign scheduled for the second quarter of 2021 for the development of the SNE field. This drilling campaign was entrusted to Halliburton by…

Rwanda Finance Limited, the agency mandated to promote the Kigali Financial Center, launched a new brand on Wednesday March 31. According to Nick Bariye, CEO of Rwanda Finance International Financial Center, the institution wants to become one of the main international financial centers on the African continent. “Today’s launch of our brand brings bold ambitions to life and marks a milestone in the journey of the Kigali International Financial Center (KIFC). We want KIFC to be a new destination for Pan-African investments. We want to be the jurisdiction of choice to effectively consolidate capital and deploy it effectively across the…

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) published on Tuesday, March 30, the report of the investigation into the Bounty events of January 3, 2021. A report on which France has “many reservations” , refuting any blunders. Following allegations of the death of several civilians caused by an airstrike near the village of Bounty (center) on January 3, 2021, MINUSMA, through its Human Rights and Protection Division (DDHP) , deployed a special fact-finding mission from January 4 to February 20, with support from the Force and the support of United Nations forensic science and public information, to…

The news sent shock waves through. Mustapha Bakkoury, the executive chairman of the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN for its acronym in English), the entity that built the Ouarzazate solar power plant, the largest in the world, is prohibited from leaving the territory . The former boss of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG was notified of the decision at Casablanca airport on Monday, March 29, as he was about to take a flight to Dubai. According to our colleague Ledesk who revealed the information, the trip of Mustapha Bakkoury, also administrator of Casablanca Finance City and,…

The national company of the Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD) of Senegal will proceed, on April 19, 2021, to the payment of the half-yearly interest on its bond loan called “PAD 6.60% 2020-2027” for an amount of 1.980 billion FCFA (2.970 millions of euros). In order to finance the land infrastructure of the Port of Ndayane located in the commune of Poponguine 70 km south of Dakar, the PAD had to resort to the financial market of the West African Monetary Union (UMOA) through a bond loan by public offering in the amount of CFAF 60 billion. As such, 6…

In January 2021, Senegal’s exports increased by 32.9% compared to the previous month, according to data from the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD) based in Dakar. These exports amounted to 242.5 billion FCFA against 182.4 billion FCFA in December 2020, an increase of 60.1 billion FCFA in absolute value. “This increase is mainly due to the increase in shipments of fresh vegetables (8.5 billion FCFA against 4.0 billion FCFA the previous month), mineral and chemical fertilizers (2.9 billion FCFA against 79 million of FCFA in the previous month) and phosphoric acid (+ 18.9%) ”, underlines the ANSD. Moreover,…

The benefit of Bank Of Africa (BOA) Burkina Faso, a subsidiary of the banking group of the same name, will pay its shareholders on May 3, 2021, for the financial year 2020 an overall net dividend of CFAF 8.140 billion (12.210 million euros). ‘euros), announced the leaders of this banking establishment based in Ouagadougou. Compared to the 22 million shares that make up the bank’s capital, this corresponds to a net dividend of CFAF 370 per share of CFAF 1,000 as in 2019. This dividend level, which represents 37% of the par value of the share of the bank, follows…

The Ivory Coast Armed Forces checkpoint in Kafolo (border with Burkina Faso in the north, Sikolo sub-prefecture) was once again attacked by jihadists on the night of Sunday, March 28. The death toll shows two deaths on both sides. The regular army was able to neutralize two attackers, witnesses said. This is the second attack perpetrated in this locality. The first, which took place on the night of June 10 to 11, 2020, left 13 dead and 6 injured according to official data. The Ivorian authorities announced on June 22 that they had stopped the brain from the operation. Since…

Jeune Afrique Media Group, the leading Pan-African media group, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, has unveiled its 2021–2025 strategy. With this transformation project, which comes amid a global pandemic and major digital disruption, the group aims to capitalize on the strength of its brands, its extensive client portfolio, and the size of its digital audience to reinforce its status as the best source for African economic and political elites. Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group, commented, “The current transformation gives us the means to remain the leading source of political and economic information as well as…

While the cashew nut marketing campaign has just opened with promising yield prospects, the government is stepping up measures to limit the effects of Covid and boost processing, in accordance with its commitment made in 2016. Officially launched on March 11 in Kétou, in the Plateau department, the cashew nut marketing campaign was marked by two contrasting news. On the upside, good prospects for returns thanks to a favorable climate – excellent news for the some 200,000 families who make a living from this sector. On the other side, a minimum price guaranteed to historically low producers: for this campaign,…