Author: The Editorial Staff

“In a context marked by the resurgence of geopolitical tensions and the proliferation of high-risk maritime zones, maritime transport insurance is once again a central parameter of the global economy. The increase in premiums, and even the introduction of non-insurance clauses on certain strategic corridors, directly threatens the fluidity of international trade. For Africa, heavily dependent on imports of energy products, cereals, and fertilizers, these developments represent a major challenge to the stability of supply chains. In this interview, Moses Emmanuel, CEO of ATIDI (African Trade & Investment Development Insurance), deciphers the implications of these turbulences and outlines ways to…

Re-election of Marième Tamata-Varin-Watt in Yèbles, Seine-et-Marne, stands out for its almost arithmetic clarity. On Sunday, March 15, 2026, this Mauritanian-born elected official was re-elected at the head of the municipality with 100% of the votes cast, totaling 279 votes, following a vote marked by a turnout of 50.84% (303 voters out of 596 registered)....

The World Bank has approved a budgetary financing of $45 million for Zambia, signaling renewed confidence in the economic reforms undertaken by Lusaka in a context marked by high debt, moderate growth, and increasingly frequent climate shocks. Granted through the International Development Association, this financial support is part of the second phase of the country’s Development Policy Program for Climate and Economic Resilience. The objective is to support government efforts to stabilize public finances, strengthen the business environment, and accelerate the transition to a more climate-resilient economy. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane emphasized that this funding will help improve budget management,…

By Jean Charles Biyo’o Ella In the East of Cameroon, classrooms are emptying while rivers are filling up with children in search of gold. Between the hope of quick wealth and poverty, the future is sacrificed on the altar of gold mining. “We did not receive any students this year in CM2. They have all deserted to go look for gold in the mines,” testifies Adamou Oumarou Théophile. With a heavy heart, the teacher and director of the public school in Zamboi, 45 km from Garoua-Boulaï, recounts the reality of his students in this village surrounded by several gold mining…

Under the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, particularly the war in Iran, and the volatility of energy prices, Mauritania is accelerating the securing of its supplies of oil products and basic commodities. The stated objective is to limit the risks of shortages, contain imported inflationary pressure, and preserve purchasing power in a globally more uncertain environment. During a government weekly press conference held on March 11, 2026, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mohamed Ould Mohamed Malainine Ould Khaled, stated that five ships loaded with oil products were expected by the end of the month to strengthen national reserves.…

The beginning of the year marks a clear shift in the hierarchy of African stock markets. The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) takes the lead in the continental ranking with a performance of +78% in dollars and +72% in euros, according to data from African Markets tracking performances between January 1 and March 13, 2026. A...

The World Bank announced on March 16, 2026, the appointment of Djibrilla Issa as Division Director for five strategic countries in West Africa: Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia. Based in Dakar, he will be responsible for overseeing a regional portfolio estimated at nearly $6 billion, aimed at supporting the economic and social transformation of these economies. This appointment comes at a time when West Africa is accelerating its efforts to strengthen inclusive growth, modernize its infrastructure, and attract more international investments. In his new role, Djibrilla Issa will be tasked with coordinating the operational and strategic engagement…

On the eve of the Monetary Policy Council meeting, there is almost unanimous consensus among analysts and investors: the key rate of Bank Al-Maghrib is expected to remain unchanged. In an international context marked by strong geopolitical uncertainties, caution now seems to be the preferred option for the central bank. According to a survey conducted...

Recently promoted as Director of Business Development & Marketing at SOAGA, Jocelyne GBAH embodies a generation of financial leaders committed to the concrete transformation of the West African ecosystem. A commercial engineer, certified in HEC Paris Finance & Business Strategy, certified in AMF France Financial Markets Regulation, graduate of ITB CFPB France, she also intervenes at ITB in training bank executives in banking, finance, and market professions. For over ten years, she has been working with a clear conviction: finance creates value only when it becomes understandable, accessible, and useful to the population. Far from an exclusively institutional approach, she…

Clean victory and political symbol. The candidate supported by La France insoumise (LFI) and allied with the French Communist Party (PCF), Bally Bagayoko, won a resounding victory on Sunday during the 2026 municipal elections in the city of Saint-Denis, in Seine-Saint-Denis. With approximately 50.8% of the votes, according to initial estimates provided by his entourage,...

The curve of the Senegalese eurobond “4.75% maturing in March 2028” published by Cbonds offers a very instructive reading of investors’ perception of risk over the past three months. Between December and mid-February, the bond was generally on an upward trajectory. For the markets, Senegal was then seen as a relatively credible African issuer, comparable...

On the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Rights Day, Aïssata LY WANE publishes “The Colors of Marriage,” a book of reflection and awareness dedicated to one of the oldest and most complex social institutions: marriage. Often idealized, marriage is nevertheless crossed by multiple, sometimes contradictory realities. Through this book, the author offers a lucid and deeply human exploration of married life. Far from simplistic discourses, she invites the reader to look at what really happens behind the doors of households: the joys, tensions, misunderstandings, but also the capacities for resilience and reconstruction. The book is based on a hundred…

Senegal honored the sensitive deadline of March 13, 2026 on its international debt by paying approximately 471 million dollars of principal and coupons to its creditors, thus avoiding any immediate risk of default. Finance Minister Cheikh Diba (pictured), at the forefront of the debt issue, managed to find a solution that was even more unexpected...

Caught in the turmoil of the debate on mining and industrial agreements reignited by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, cement manufacturers operating in Senegal have chosen to respond with numbers. In a joint statement released this Friday, they claim to have committed over 600 billion CFA francs in investments over the past five years and to...

In Mauritania, smartphones are subject to a 30% duty, while non-smartphones are taxed at 12%. However, this reform of mobile phone customs clearance, adopted as part of the 2026 finance law, has sparked strong opposition. In Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, traders protested on Wednesday, March 11 to denounce a measure they consider detrimental to their business....

Bissau, March 13, 2026. The private sector of Guinea Bissau is taking a decisive step in valorizing its agricultural resources. The Constituent General Assembly (AGC) and the first session of the Board of Directors of the Cashew Company of Guinea-Bissau (SOCA GB) SA were held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Bissau, formalizing the creation of the company and the appointment of its first directors. Supported by a financial contribution from the West African Development Bank (BOAD) amounting to 9.150 billion CFA francs, this initiative marks a desire for structural transformation. Beyond financing, the Bank demonstrates its commitment through a…

The announcement was made following the Council of Ministers meeting on March 12, 2026. The Burkinabe State now intends to manage its stakes in the banking sector through Yennenga Holding. Established by decree, this new state-owned anonymous company, whose statutes have already been adopted, will be responsible for holding the shares of the State and...

Dakar is set to become one of the focal points of the African energy debate next June. The organizing committee of the Africa Oil & Gas Expo (AFOGEX Dakar 2026) has announced that the next edition of the exhibition will be held from June 10 to 12, 2026 at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (CICAD) in Diamniadio. Under the theme “Senegal: oil and gas discoveries, opportunities and challenges”, this edition comes at a strategic time marked by Senegal’s entry into the circle of hydrocarbon producers and the industrial transformation ambitions driven by the Vision Senegal 2050. Leading up to…

The Ivorian cable company (Sicable), a member of the PRYSMIAN Group, the world leader in electrical cables, will pay its shareholders a gross total dividend of 1.022 billion CFA francs (1.840 million dollars) for the 2025 fiscal year, announced the leaders of this company based in Abidjan. This is the result of the proposed resolutions...

France and the Central African Republic are turning a new page. The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, is making an official visit to Bangui on March 12 and 13, 2026, marking a strong signal of the warming relations between Paris and the Central African Republic. According to a diplomatic source, this...

Bange Sociedad de Valores, the first stock exchange company in Equatorial Guinea, and Harvest Asset Management signed a distribution agreement on March 11, 2026 in Malabo aimed at expanding access to investment solutions in the country. Thanks to this agreement, Equatorial Guinean investors, whether individuals or institutional, will now be able to access the full...

The Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) continues its push into financing green innovation in Africa. The impact investment fund of the Open Society Foundations announces a commitment of $7 million to the Africa Climate Venture Builder Fund, a $70 million vehicle dedicated to African climate startups. Created to support investments with high social and economic...

Since the first rains of American-Israeli bombs on Iran on February 28, 2026, the fears of African countries were centered around the increase in the price of Brent oil. On the twelfth day of this joint operation against the Islamic Republic, the price of a barrel of oil was around $92 after soaring to $115...

The Saham group strengthens its exposure to Teleperformance through a derivative financial contract (Equity swap) of 355 million euros, allowing it to track the performance of the stock without becoming a shareholder. At 64 years old, Moulay Hafid Elalamy is back in the spotlight of the kingdom’s economy. After signing the “deal of the century”...

French President Emmanuel Macron wishes to appoint Christophe Lecourtier, the current French ambassador to Morocco, as the head of the French Development Agency (AFD). The announcement was made on Tuesday, March 9 by the Elysée Palace. However, this nomination is subject to the approval of the relevant parliamentary committees and the opinion of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life. At 63 years old, this former student of the ENA has a career combining diplomacy, economics, and the promotion of French attractiveness. Former CEO of Business France between 2017 and 2022, Christophe Lecourtier previously worked in the ministerial offices…

Mauritania has signed a strategic framework agreement worth one billion dollars with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a subsidiary of the Islamic Development Bank Group, in Jeddah. Concluded for the period 2026-2030, this partnership aims to support the economic and social development of the country. The agreement includes financing for key sectors of...

The National Institute of Biology and Health Surveillance (INBVS) in Pointe-Noire is now fully operational. Opened by President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, this facility built by MBTP, a company of the CODIMEX group, daily confirms the ambitions assigned to it: to modernize the Congolese healthcare system sustainably and make it a reference on the continent. Located in the 1st district of Emery-Patrice-Lumumba, the INBVS now demonstrates its daily utility. With its five interconnected laboratories covering molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, and emergency biology, the facility allows for locally conducting analyses that were previously sent abroad. This advancement significantly reduces diagnostic delays…

The escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East acts as a revealer of vulnerabilities in global financial markets. Rising oil prices, dollar volatility, and disruptions in supply chains are factors that could potentially affect listed companies, including those in markets relatively far from the theater of tension. At the Casablanca Stock Exchange, these developments...

The war in the Middle East, which fuels strong global geopolitical uncertainty and drives up energy prices, currently has only a limited direct impact on African insurers. This is the conclusion of a note published on March 6, 2026 by S&P Global Ratings, which highlights that indirect effects could strengthen if the conflict persists. According...

The insurance group AXA is taking a new step in its development on the African continent with the establishment of a regional organization called AXA Atlantic Africa. This new entity brings together five strategic markets: Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Gabon. Analysis. In a context marked by the intensification of global risks – climatic,...