Author: Christine Holzbauer

By Christine Holzbauer In addition to having been the DG of the autonomous port of Dakar and Minister of State in charge of monitoring the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), Dr. Cheikh Kanté can also boast of a long career as an economist and researcher. On April 21st, the President of the Departmental Council of Fatick...

President Emmanuel Macron begins a decisive state visit to India on February 17. Beyond the record sale of Rafale jets by France to New Delhi, the African continent, although not a co-organizer, is primarily concerned. The “India AI Impact” summit on February 19, 2026, materializes the outlines of a tripartite technological partnership in artificial intelligence, of which Africa is the natural beneficiary. Analysis of the stakes of a summit placed under the sign of “impact” and strategic autonomy in the face of China and the United States’ hegemonic ambitions. By Christine Holzbauer, in Paris In addition to bilateral contracts, Emmanuel…

The presidential decree of January 2026 confirmed what many observers suspected: by reappointing Amadou Oury Bah as Prime Minister, President Mamadi Doumbouya chose strategic continuity. However, behind this apparent stability, the “piecemeal” appointment on February 2 of the new government reveals an administrative war machine designed to overcome two historical milestones: the industrial launch of...

Inaugurated by H.E. President Adama Barrow, this 7th edition of the Financial Afrik Awards, held in Banjul on January 22 and 23, brought together 400 participants from Africa, Europe, and North America. Like the previous edition in Abidjan, the focus was on the partnership between Africa and the Arab world, with the presentation of no less than 29 investment opportunities covering Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Guinea, and Burkina Faso. The heart of the discussions revolved around Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in a context marked by over-indebtedness, shrinking budget margins, rising interest rates, and the limitation of sovereign guarantees by international…

By Christine Holzbauer, special envoy to Conakry With the presidential election on December 28, 2025, Guinea finds itself at a new crossroads in its history. Four years after the military coup that overthrew President Alpha Condé, General Mamadi Doumbouya swaps his military uniform for a candidate’s suit, with the ambition of turning the transition period into a seven-year term. As an independent candidate, Mamadi Doumbouya, 41 years old, is running under the banner “Building Together.” This former Foreign Legion officer, married to a French woman, is the strong but discreet man of the transitional regime he has led since the…

The five-day African tour that President Emmanuel Macron embarked on Thursday with a State visit to Mauritius, -before heading to South Africa, Gabon, and Angola-, aims to “deeply redefine the relationship between France and the continent. Far from the military issues in the Sahel that France had to leave, the focus is on more balanced...

Although this case should be viewed as separate from the multifaceted legal challenges facing former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, both, however, are major indicators of the French judiciary’s intensified focus on anti-corruption efforts involving powerful figures. The latest developments in the looming trial of a retired French Air Force General and a European civil servant over an alleged influence-peddling scheme for a €100 million diplomatic complex in Mogadishu, Somalia, is less a routine court case and more a testament to the unyielding campaign waged by a single individual: Abshir Aden Ferro. The Franco-Somali businessman and politician has spent nearly…

“African financiers’ enthusiasm for green finance has never been greater!” During the “Proparco Days Leaders for Climate Finance” held in Paris on October 2, Françoise Lombard told Financial Afrik of her satisfaction that green finance is gaining momentum among bankers and investment funds operating in Africa, while paradoxically, announcements of disengagement from major climate financial coalitions have multiplied since the beginning of the year in other parts of the world. Interview by Christine Holzbauer Nearly 200 representatives from financial institutions and banks worldwide came to Paris to participate in the first edition of “Proparco Days” dedicated to climate finance. How…

The next candidate elected to the position of Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will take office at the end of November, after being inaugurated by the 25th General Assembly. However, it is on Monday, October 6th that the 58 member states of the Executive Board will vote to select...