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Zimbabwe
Finance minister Ncube struggles to make mark as Harare's debt negotiator

Mthuli Ncube was little known before he became finance minister in 2018, though he came with an impressive contact book from his time at the African Development Bank. However, he has struggled to make Zimbabwe more democratic as demanded by the country's international financial backers.

LogoSubscribers only 15.11.2024
Zimbabwe's finance and economic development minister Mthuli Ncube in Harare on 11 March 2020.

Zimbabwe
Finance minister Ncube struggles to make mark as Harare's debt negotiator

Zimbabwe's finance and economic development minister Mthuli Ncube in Harare on 11 March 2020.
Zimbabwe's finance and economic development minister Mthuli Ncube in Harare on 11 March 2020. © Shaun Jusa/Xinhua via MaxPPP

Mthuli Ncube was little known before he became finance minister in 2018, though he came with an impressive contact book from his time at the African Development Bank. However, he has struggled to make Zimbabwe more democratic as demanded by the country's international financial backers.

LogoSubscribers only 15.11.2024

Libya
Business magnate Mohamed Taher Issa tempted by political role

As many call for a new government, the Misrata businessman is no longer hiding his hostility towards Prime Minister Dabaiba and could decide to step into the political arena on his own account.

LogoSubscribers only 08.11.2024
Businessman Mohamed Taher Issa on 7 May 2022 in Misrata.

Libya
Business magnate Mohamed Taher Issa tempted by political role

Businessman Mohamed Taher Issa on 7 May 2022 in Misrata.
Businessman Mohamed Taher Issa on 7 May 2022 in Misrata. © Islam Alatrash/SOPA Images/Sipa/Reuters

As many call for a new government, the Misrata businessman is no longer hiding his hostility towards Prime Minister Dabaiba and could decide to step into the political arena on his own account.

LogoSubscribers only 08.11.2024

Africa
Kamala Harris's African networks

Africa may not be high on the Democrat candidate's list of priorities, but her advisers are starting to think about a strategy for the continent in the event that she wins on 5 November. Her approach is unlikely to depart radically from the Biden administration's.

LogoSubscribers only 01.11.2024
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Accra, Ghana, on 28 March 2023.

Africa
Kamala Harris's African networks

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Accra, Ghana, on 28 March 2023.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Accra, Ghana, on 28 March 2023. © Misper Apawu/Pool via Reuters

Africa may not be high on the Democrat candidate's list of priorities, but her advisers are starting to think about a strategy for the continent in the event that she wins on 5 November. Her approach is unlikely to depart radically from the Biden administration's.

LogoSubscribers only 01.11.2024

Ethiopia
Who's who in the entourage of Takele Uma, Abiy's new Ethio-Djibouti Railway boss

The Ethiopian PM has appointed the former Addis Ababa mayor and minister of mines, whom he dismissed last year, to revitalize the struggling railway. An early supporter of Abiy, Takele has surrounded himself with loyalists, which risks raising some hackles.

LogoSubscribers only 25.10.2024
The chief executive officer of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, Takele Uma Banti, in Addis Ababa in May 2022.

Ethiopia
Who's who in the entourage of Takele Uma, Abiy's new Ethio-Djibouti Railway boss

The chief executive officer of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, Takele Uma Banti, in Addis Ababa in May 2022.
The chief executive officer of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, Takele Uma Banti, in Addis Ababa in May 2022. © Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu via AFP

The Ethiopian PM has appointed the former Addis Ababa mayor and minister of mines, whom he dismissed last year, to revitalize the struggling railway. An early supporter of Abiy, Takele has surrounded himself with loyalists, which risks raising some hackles.

LogoSubscribers only 25.10.2024

Morocco
Christophe Lecourtier, the well-connected ambassador tasked with reconciling Rabat and Paris

Good connections within the French right and Franco-Moroccan business circles have helped the French ambassador gain acceptance in the country he professes to love, despite past tensions between Paris and Rabat. He is now seen as the lynchpin of their rapprochement, particularly on Western Sahara.

LogoSubscribers only 18.10.2024
The French ambassador to Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, in Paris in November 2022.

Morocco
Christophe Lecourtier, the well-connected ambassador tasked with reconciling Rabat and Paris

The French ambassador to Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, in Paris in November 2022.
The French ambassador to Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, in Paris in November 2022. © Eric Tschaen/REA

Good connections within the French right and Franco-Moroccan business circles have helped the French ambassador gain acceptance in the country he professes to love, despite past tensions between Paris and Rabat. He is now seen as the lynchpin of their rapprochement, particularly on Western Sahara.

LogoSubscribers only 18.10.2024

Togo
Gnassingbé tightens grip on power with selective security sector reshuffle

Employing his knack for surprise promotions and sidelining senior officers, the Togolese president is focused on ensuring stability in an army tasked with countering jihadist threats on the northern border. Meanwhile, internal security remains under the steady hand of regime loyalists.

LogoSubscribers only 04.10.2024
Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé in Abidjan in July 2021.

Togo
Gnassingbé tightens grip on power with selective security sector reshuffle

Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé in Abidjan in July 2021.
Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé in Abidjan in July 2021. © Legnan Koula/EPA/MaxPPP

Employing his knack for surprise promotions and sidelining senior officers, the Togolese president is focused on ensuring stability in an army tasked with countering jihadist threats on the northern border. Meanwhile, internal security remains under the steady hand of regime loyalists.

LogoSubscribers only 04.10.2024

Djibouti
Foreign minister Youssouf works his African networks in bid for AU Commission chair

The Djibouti contender, backed by his country's top government officials, is seeking media coverage to promote his agenda. As foreign minister, he also meets frequently with African leaders, affording him opportunities to promote his candidacy.

LogoSubscribers only 27.09.2024
Djiboutian foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on 20 September 2024 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Djibouti
Foreign minister Youssouf works his African networks in bid for AU Commission chair

Djiboutian foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on 20 September 2024 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Djiboutian foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on 20 September 2024 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. © David Dee Delgado/Reuters

The Djibouti contender, backed by his country's top government officials, is seeking media coverage to promote his agenda. As foreign minister, he also meets frequently with African leaders, affording him opportunities to promote his candidacy.

LogoSubscribers only 27.09.2024

DRC
Major General Christian Ndaywel, the spymaster assisting the war effort in Kivu

The military intelligence chief has put together a team of senior officials to hold talks with Rwanda mediated by Angola. Despite limited resources, he has demonstrated an ability to negotiate firmly.

LogoSubscribers only 20.09.2024
FARDC soldiers close to the front line in North Kivu on 14 May 2024.

DRC
Major General Christian Ndaywel, the spymaster assisting the war effort in Kivu

FARDC soldiers close to the front line in North Kivu on 14 May 2024.
FARDC soldiers close to the front line in North Kivu on 14 May 2024. © Alexis Huguet/AFP

The military intelligence chief has put together a team of senior officials to hold talks with Rwanda mediated by Angola. Despite limited resources, he has demonstrated an ability to negotiate firmly.

LogoSubscribers only 20.09.2024

Morocco
Fouzi Lekjâa, a skilful player in football and state finance

Head of Morocco's football and with no political affiliation, Lekjâa is a shrewd negotiator who also leads the ministry responsible for the budget. He has a reputation for pugnacity and can count on the unfailing support of his early allies.

LogoSubscribers only 13.09.2024
Fouzi Lekjâa receives the Best Team Award at the 2023 CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, 11 December 2023.

Morocco
Fouzi Lekjâa, a skilful player in football and state finance

Fouzi Lekjâa receives the Best Team Award at the 2023 CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, 11 December 2023.
Fouzi Lekjâa receives the Best Team Award at the 2023 CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, 11 December 2023. © STR/AFP

Head of Morocco's football and with no political affiliation, Lekjâa is a shrewd negotiator who also leads the ministry responsible for the budget. He has a reputation for pugnacity and can count on the unfailing support of his early allies.

LogoSubscribers only 13.09.2024

Cameroon
Cyrus Ngo'o, watchdog for Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh at Douala port

Ngo'o runs Central Africa's leading port, Douala, on behalf of the influential secretary-general of Cameroon's presidency, but his management of this strategic place is increasingly being questioned.

LogoSubscribers only 06.09.2024
Cyrus Ngo'o, MD of the Port Authority of Douala, September 2021.

Cameroon
Cyrus Ngo'o, watchdog for Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh at Douala port

Cyrus Ngo'o, MD of the Port Authority of Douala, September 2021.
Cyrus Ngo'o, MD of the Port Authority of Douala, September 2021. © Twitter/@UN_Cameroon

Ngo'o runs Central Africa's leading port, Douala, on behalf of the influential secretary-general of Cameroon's presidency, but his management of this strategic place is increasingly being questioned.

LogoSubscribers only 06.09.2024

Mauritania
Powerful Prime Minister Moctar Ould Djay's system

The newly elected PM has taken the time to compose a government partly under his control. While ministries with sovereign powers remain the president's prerogative, Ould Djay has taken charge of the country's productive sectors and the priority youth portfolio.

LogoSubscribers only 30.08.2024
Mauritanian Prime Minister, Moctar Ould Djay.

Mauritania
Powerful Prime Minister Moctar Ould Djay's system

Mauritanian Prime Minister, Moctar Ould Djay.
Mauritanian Prime Minister, Moctar Ould Djay. © primature.gov.mr

The newly elected PM has taken the time to compose a government partly under his control. While ministries with sovereign powers remain the president's prerogative, Ould Djay has taken charge of the country's productive sectors and the priority youth portfolio.

LogoSubscribers only 30.08.2024

Cameroon
Françoise 'Mamy Nyanga' Puene, Yaoundé's best-connected senator

Puene's influence continues to grow in her native Cameroon and beyond. An eccentric and popular figure with an impressive address book, she bridges the worlds of politics and business.

LogoSubscribers only 19.07.2024
Françoise Puene, the owner of the Hôtel Franco, in Yaounde on 13 July 2021.

Cameroon
Françoise 'Mamy Nyanga' Puene, Yaoundé's best-connected senator

Françoise Puene, the owner of the Hôtel Franco, in Yaounde on 13 July 2021.
Françoise Puene, the owner of the Hôtel Franco, in Yaounde on 13 July 2021. © Adrien Marotte/AFP

Puene's influence continues to grow in her native Cameroon and beyond. An eccentric and popular figure with an impressive address book, she bridges the worlds of politics and business.

LogoSubscribers only 19.07.2024

Africa
The powerful friends of star oil lawyer NJ Ayuk

With 20 years' experience in legal counsel and lobbying for African governments keen to secure their countries' place on the oil map, Cameroonian NJ Ayuk, a thorn in the side of anti-fossil fuel civil society, now fancies his hand at investment.

Free access 12.07.2024
NJ Ayuk in Dubai on 30 March 2023.

Africa
The powerful friends of star oil lawyer NJ Ayuk

NJ Ayuk in Dubai on 30 March 2023.
NJ Ayuk in Dubai on 30 March 2023. © Ali Haider/EPA/MaxPPP

With 20 years' experience in legal counsel and lobbying for African governments keen to secure their countries' place on the oil map, Cameroonian NJ Ayuk, a thorn in the side of anti-fossil fuel civil society, now fancies his hand at investment.

Free access 12.07.2024

Madagascar
Rajoelina's National Assembly lieutenants

With a clear majority in parliament, the president has ensured that his big guns will head up the country's most strategic regions. A handful of MPs, elected as independents, are also likely to back him and give him a two-thirds majority.

LogoSubscribers only 05.07.2024
Malagasy president Andry Rajoelina casts his vote at a polling station in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 29 May 2024.

Madagascar
Rajoelina's National Assembly lieutenants

Malagasy president Andry Rajoelina casts his vote at a polling station in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 29 May 2024.
Malagasy president Andry Rajoelina casts his vote at a polling station in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 29 May 2024. © Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua via MaxPPP

With a clear majority in parliament, the president has ensured that his big guns will head up the country's most strategic regions. A handful of MPs, elected as independents, are also likely to back him and give him a two-thirds majority.

LogoSubscribers only 05.07.2024

Sudan
The Bashir old guard in Hemeti's ranks

Key figures in the ousted regime of Omar al-Bashir now gravitate around the RSF paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, despite his claim of battling the regular army in part to rid Sudan of the former president's stalwarts.

LogoSubscribers only 28.06.2024
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commander in Khartoum on 8 June 2022.

Sudan
The Bashir old guard in Hemeti's ranks

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commander in Khartoum on 8 June 2022.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commander in Khartoum on 8 June 2022. © Ashraf Shazly/AFP

Key figures in the ousted regime of Omar al-Bashir now gravitate around the RSF paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, despite his claim of battling the regular army in part to rid Sudan of the former president's stalwarts.

LogoSubscribers only 28.06.2024

Ethiopia
Ethiopian Olympic Committee boss Ashebir Woldegiorgis aims high

With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the multi-faceted and well-connected businessman is set on not disappointing PM Abiy Ahmed.

LogoSubscribers only 21.06.2024
The Ethiopian Olympic Committee president, Ashebir Woldegiorgis.

Ethiopia
Ethiopian Olympic Committee boss Ashebir Woldegiorgis aims high

The Ethiopian Olympic Committee president, Ashebir Woldegiorgis.
The Ethiopian Olympic Committee president, Ashebir Woldegiorgis. © EOC

With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the multi-faceted and well-connected businessman is set on not disappointing PM Abiy Ahmed.

LogoSubscribers only 21.06.2024

Senegal
Diomaye Faye's not-so-new securocrats

From his own office to the defence ministry, the police and the intelligence services, the new president is reshaping the country's security landscape. But this is no radical break with the past, as he has surrounded himself with powerful figures from the Macky Sall era.

LogoSubscribers only 14.06.2024
Gendarmerie head General Martin Faye at the investiture ceremony of new DGPN chief Mame Seydou Ndour (centre) on 6 June 2024 in Dakar.

Senegal
Diomaye Faye's not-so-new securocrats

Gendarmerie head General Martin Faye at the investiture ceremony of new DGPN chief Mame Seydou Ndour (centre) on 6 June 2024 in Dakar.
Gendarmerie head General Martin Faye at the investiture ceremony of new DGPN chief Mame Seydou Ndour (centre) on 6 June 2024 in Dakar. © Indigo Publications

From his own office to the defence ministry, the police and the intelligence services, the new president is reshaping the country's security landscape. But this is no radical break with the past, as he has surrounded himself with powerful figures from the Macky Sall era.

LogoSubscribers only 14.06.2024

Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria
Michel Arrion, the cocoa diplomat with a global network

Executive director of the International Cocoa Organisation since January 2019 and triumphantly re-elected last December, the Belgian ambassador has managed to revive an ageing body and open it up to the private sector and NGOs.

LogoSubscribers only 07.06.2024
Michel Arrion, the executive director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 15 May 2019.

Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria
Michel Arrion, the cocoa diplomat with a global network

Michel Arrion, the executive director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 15 May 2019.
Michel Arrion, the executive director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 15 May 2019. © Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters

Executive director of the International Cocoa Organisation since January 2019 and triumphantly re-elected last December, the Belgian ambassador has managed to revive an ageing body and open it up to the private sector and NGOs.

LogoSubscribers only 07.06.2024

Libya
Aguila Salah Issa, the parliamentary kingpin with myriad networks

He may have ruffled legislators' feathers by forcing through a forex tax, but the speaker of Libya's House of Representatives enjoys much support among MPs and within the country's eastern tribes.

LogoSubscribers only 31.05.2024
Aguila Salah Issa, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Libya, in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28 June 2022.

Libya
Aguila Salah Issa, the parliamentary kingpin with myriad networks

Aguila Salah Issa, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Libya, in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28 June 2022.
Aguila Salah Issa, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Libya, in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28 June 2022. © Denis Balibouse/Pool/EPA

He may have ruffled legislators' feathers by forcing through a forex tax, but the speaker of Libya's House of Representatives enjoys much support among MPs and within the country's eastern tribes.

LogoSubscribers only 31.05.2024

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