Search results

The government of Equatorial Guinea has invested considerably in promoting its ‘soft power’ – including hosting such prestigious events as the African Cup of Nations football tournament and, next year, the African Development Bank annual meetings – in a costly effort to reverse decades of negative perceptions based on a flow of corruption and other governance abuses. Through his energy diplomacy and commitment to engaging with investors and other partners, mines and hydrocarbons minister Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima has played an important role.

President Yoweri Museveni named a new cabinet on 27 May, appointing former Ugandan Electricity Distribution Company managing director Irene Muloni as energy and minerals minister. Muloni, the MP for Bulambuli, takes over from Hilary Onek, who moves to internal affairs.

The Ministry of Petroleum is pushing ahead with plans to extend upstream exploration into several new frontiers despite the low oil price and difficulties in finding a market for currently produced gas, and it is expecting support from IOC partners that have made exploration commitments in bid rounds or bilaterally over the course of this year.

The permanent ceasefire and agreement on withdrawal of mercenaries that allowed force majeure to be lifted was agreed by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission at a meeting in Geneva on 23 October.  This is just one of several parallel peace processes promoted by the United Nations and others. The Government of National Accord (GNA) and Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces have each appointed five senior officers to the commission, which has been meeting since early 2020.

Parliament’s Environment, Tourism, Natural Resources and Development Committee has given its support to the 166MW Sombwe hydropower project being developed by Congolese company Kipay Investments in Upper Katanga province. The $500m project is being developed on the Lufira River, 30km downstream of the Kiubo Falls, 300km north of Kolwezi, to help to reduce a supply/demand gap in the Katanga region estimated at 1,000MW, including 270MW for Ivanhoe Mines. It will include a solar plant to be built by Kipay near the Fungurume substation to ensure uninterrupted supply.

The Western Cape Government on 24 November launched a three-year Municipal Energy Resilience Project that will help municipalities in the province take advantage of new energy regulations. The provincial government led by the opposition Democratic Alliance has been pushing the national authorities to move more quickly to allow power procurement by municipalities as supply from bulk supplier Eskom has deteriorated.

EU concern over drilling plan The European Commission has expressed concern about the potential impact of oil exploration on the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, where Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) plans to drill three wells starting in late December.

The new US administration has restored sanctions on Israeli diamond magnate Dan Gertler over alleged corruption in DR Congo. The Treasury Department had eased the sanctions five days before Donald Trump left office, quietly issuing a licence that temporarily lifted restrictions on the mining tycoon.

Tanzania’s newly installed President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged to complete the big projects initiated by her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli, who died on 17 March, officially of heart failure. Speaking at Magufuli’s state funeral in the capital Dodoma on 22 March, she said the late president’s legacy of opposing corruption and introducing strict discipline in public office would continue. “Make no mistake that my government will continue from where the late Magufuli left, there is no going back,” she said.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) on 23 April approved a proposal to clear $413m-worth of arrears owed by Sudan to the Abidjan-based institution, for which the UK and Sweden have offered the necessary funds. The UK will provide bridge financing to clear Sudan’s arrears to the AfDB’s African Development Fund, while Sweden has committed $4.2m in grant financing to meet Sudan’s AfDB burden-share.

The United States’ International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has committed to reach net-zero emissions in its investment portfolio by 2040 and increase climate-focused commitments to 33% of new investments from 2023. DFC’s 22 April statement also said a five-year, $50m technical assistance platform would be launched to support feasibility studies and the implementation of its portfolio.

Reports emerged in early May that Somalia and Kenya were restoring diplomatic relations almost six months after severing ties due to tensions over shared oil and gas deposits.

Sovereign wealth fund the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) is to concentrate on its domestic market this year in an effort to help rebuild the shattered country, according to chairman Dr Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohammed. He told  told African Energy the LIA would focus in particular on the power and real estate sectors.

Regional rivals Qatar and the UAE are both seeking a role in mediating cross-border disputes in East Africa – which some in the Gulf see as their geopolitical ‘near abroad’ – centred on Ethiopia. They are also searching for a role in post-conflict Libya. While there are potential benefits for African countries seeking investment and diplomatic support, the two Gulf states’ efforts suggest they may find it hard to remain neutral actors

The Lower Kafue Gorge project is set for commissioning in the coming days, as President Lungu continues his strategy of heavy investment in transport and power infrastructure in the run-up to polling day. However, if challenger Hakainde Hichilema prevails in the August election there are likely to be significant changes for state utility Zesco and for the dispute involving Copperbelt Energy Corporation, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe.