President Hassan revives diplomacy | Lukonde, an isolated PM | Minerals Council war vs Eskom

Power Brokers and their Connections

Daily issue Friday 14 May 2021 SPOTLIGHT  TANZANIA _ _   President Hassan kick-starts her diplomatic service     Newly installed President Samia Suluhu Hassan has put career diplomats back in charge at the top of the foreign ministry. Although not much more than a symbolic departure from the Magufuli era, it has been enough to attract overseas delegations.  [...] CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA  INNER CIRCLES _ _  DRC _ _   Hard road ahead for new PM to step out of president's grip  IVORY COAST _ _   Cocoa unions resist rolling blackout plans   For weeks frequent power cuts have put pressure on the country and industry unions have held several meetings with the ministry of energy to review its rolling blackout plan.  [...]      CONGO _ _   Sassou loyalist Athanase Ngassaki appointed Banque congolaise de l'habitat chairman   Athanase Ngassaki, who advises the Congolese president on economic issues, has been been parachuted into the top job at the Banque congolaise de l'habitat, one of the country's two state-owned banks.  [...]      CAMEROON _ _   Hayatou dynasty lets Garoua throne slip away   The election of Captain Ibrahim El Rachidine to the throne of the Lamido of Garoua was facilitated by infighting among the Hayatou family. This dynasty, which had until now controlled the great chieftaincy, includes a former king of African football and several of President Paul Biya's ex-ministers.  [...]      LEBANON _ _  AFRICA _ _   Lebanese banks' African subsidiaries hit by chaos back home   The ongoing political and financial disaster in Lebanon is slowing the growth of the country's banks in Africa. Bank Audi has sacrificed its Egyptian subsidiary in order to inject some liquidity into its parent company.  [...]    FREE  _ _      CHAD _ _   Kaka ready to make concessions on transitional charter   Yielding to international pressure, the head of the interim goverment Mahamat Idriss Déby, aka "Kaka", has pledged to modify parts of the charter governing the 18-month transition period. On 18 May, the UN Security Council will address the country's situation.  [...]  CAMEROON _ _   Cameroon's C-130s grounded for months due to unpaid bills EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA  ZIMBABWE _ _   Mnangagwa's PR misses a step over Kazungula Bridge NORTH AFRICA  TUNISIA _ _   No solution for budget crisis as Mechichi is cold-shouldered by IMF and Ghannouchi by Doha   Having failed to present a structural reform plan to the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi is unlikely to get any new budgetary aid in the short term. Parliamentary speaker Rached Ghannouchi, meanwhile, has been unable to obtain support from his allies in Qatar.  [...]  ALGERIA _ _   Low-profile Elbayrak Construction enters the big time      LIBYA _ _   Macron leaves al-Manfi and Libya off guest list for Parisian summits MINING SECTOR  SOUTH AFRICA _ _   As Eskom falters, mining industry struggles to generate its own electricity   Mining companies keen to build their own renewable energy plants have run into a wall of South African red tape and are increasingly frustrated by the shortcomings of the public utility company Eskom, which are affecting the entire sector.  [...] Discover our subscription offers

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