The Swiss trading company Augusta Energy is set to regain the contract to distil SOGARA's atmospheric residue, which it lost in 2020 under the previous Gabonese administration. Under the new deal, the trader has agreed to drop legal proceedings in exchange for $25m in compensation.
At the comparatively young age of 44, the French-Ivorian banker has established himself as a leading adviser to indebted states, initially to Ivory Coast and then to Congo and Ghana. He can rely on a solid network of contacts in Paris, not least at the investment bank Rothschild.
Under pressure from the IMF, the Gabonese government is hoping to nurture closer ties with the United Arab Emirates. A delegation headed by a prominent Emirati businessman is currently in Libreville and various diplomatic initiatives are underway.
The Ivorian and French presidents will dine together at the Élysée Palace on 1 February. On the agenda of this luncheon is the handover of the base housing the French forces stationed in Ivory Coast and possibly this year's presidential election.
In November, the European Union recalled its ambassador to Niamey against a backdrop of disagreement over humanitarian issues. However, Brussels is now seeking to calm relations with Niger.
The Canadian company FreeBalance has been awarded a two-year contract worth around $15m, financed by the World Bank, to improve the management of South Sudan's public finances.
In anticipation of future payments from the International Monetary Fund, which will be holding its next board meeting in March, the finance minister has tightened the conditions for companies facing a tax reassessment.
Farhat Omar Bengdara's replacement by one of his lieutenants, Masoud Suleiman Musa, enables Libya's two strongmen to maintain their shared control of the National Oil Corporation.
"Friend of Morocco" Gérard Larcher will visit the contested territory in the south of the kingdom next month to check on the progress of development projects.
