Geopolitics / Africa

May 24, 2013 at 13:43 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: Somalia plans to sign 30 PSCs this year with foreign oil companies and auction off over 300 new oil blocks, but oil rights here are not solidified and…

May 24, 2013 at 13:38 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: It’s been a rough ride for Namibia explorers but this week explorers announced their first oil discovery, and while it’s not commercially viable, it could be the first…

May 10, 2013 at 18:15 | Daniel J. Graeber

The wealthiest man in Africa said he's secured billions of dollars in loans to help kick start the refinery business in Nigeria. OPEC-member Nigeria is forced to import most of…

May 10, 2013 at 15:12 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: A new discovery by France’s Total SA (TOT) just inside territorial waters of Cote d’Ivoire will either exacerbate or speed up a resolution for a maritime boundary dispute…

May 10, 2013 at 15:08 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: Close to proving commercial viability of its major finds since last year, a new report by the IMF suggests that Kenya will start producing in 6-7 years.

May 03, 2013 at 15:41 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: Following a long-awaited agreement with Sudan that has South Sudan ready to continue oil production, other developments bode well for South Sudan output, including the integration of rebel…

May 02, 2013 at 17:00 | Charles Kennedy

Kenya is moving forward incrementally with its massive $24 billion regional infrastructure project, the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transit Corridor (LAPSSET), awarding a key tender to a Chinese company.In…

Apr 25, 2013 at 17:14 | Charles Kennedy

A day after Libya announced it would seek to increase its OPEC oil output quota once production reaches 1.7 billion barrels per day, an attack on the French Embassy recalled…

Apr 24, 2013 at 16:06 | Daniel J. Graeber

A U.S. report on the 2012 attacks in Benghazi highlighted longstanding concerns about the threat level in Libya. The interim report from the House of Representatives followed an attack this…

Apr 19, 2013 at 14:11 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: Yemen is offering up new oil exploration licenses citing a great interest by foreign oil companies, but the truth is that this venue presents THE HIGHEST political risk…

Apr 18, 2013 at 17:03 | Charles Kennedy

Recent significant offshore oil discoveries in Ghana will catapult the nation into Africa’s major producers club, but it will also be a boon for piracy on the high seas, which…

Apr 02, 2013 at 18:00 | Claude Salhani

Egypt’s economy is in rather bad shape; practically in a shambles. Unemployment is officially placed at 13 percent, though the reality is certainly much higher. Inflation has almost doubled since…

Apr 01, 2013 at 11:20 | Editorial Dept

I’ve been skeptical about investing in either of the two Sudans without an oil and border security deal in place. That said, recent developments remove a lot of the political…

Apr 01, 2013 at 11:03 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: A new leadership is emerging for this resource-rich country after Seleka rebels seized the presidential palace in Bangui and forced CAR President Francois Bozize to flee, while French…

Mar 25, 2013 at 18:35 | Geopolitical Monitor

South Sudan may have taken most of Sudan’s known energy reserves with it when it voted for independence in 2011, but that doesn’t mean Khartoum has given up on keeping…

Mar 22, 2013 at 15:45 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: As the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalates, the surrender to international authorities of a key Congolese general linked to M23 rebels will reshape the…

Mar 21, 2013 at 18:16 | John Daly

Africa is undergoing the great scrabble for its resources since Europeans carved up the Dark Continent in the 19th century.The latest to enter the fray for Africa’s energy…

Mar 15, 2013 at 14:07 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: Kenya’s new president-elect has scratched by with a very narrow victory that is likely to be challenged by his key opponent, but the public has indicated—through non-violence—that it…

Mar 15, 2013 at 13:56 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: The kidnapping and apparent execution of 7 hostages (European nationals and Middle Eastern nationals) by Ansaru is a significant cause for concern for foreign companies operating in Northern…

Mar 01, 2013 at 09:40 | Editorial Dept

Bottom Line: The kidnapping of seven French nationals in Cameroon, near the border with Nigeria, is only the start of what will be a wave of kidnappings across the region—and…