Countries in East Africa are increasing investment in solar energy projects, notably in Rwanda and Tanzania, with Uganda looking to increase electricity access in rural areas. Rwanda’s total on-grid installed solar energy is 12,050MW which it gets from three solar power plants: Jali power plant generating 0.25MW, Rwamagana Gigawatt generating 8.5MW, and the Nasho solar plant generating 3.3MW. Investment in renewable energy projects across the regionThe Partner States reported that investments in wind and solar energy infrastructure were underway – from Burundi’s solar mini-grids to Kenya’s wind and solar projects. Kenya: Renewable energy sector expansion on the cardsThe bloc has embarked on various initiatives in an effort to tap into the potential of renewable energy and energy conservation. These include:Review of national renewable energy laws;Implementation of energy management regulations;National strategies and standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy; andPromotion of energy efficiency and conservation.

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An announced visit by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares to Algiers never took place, due to what Spanish media ascribe to the conflicting agenda of Tebboune. According to analysts, the visit could have signaled a rapprochement between the two countries after Algiers protested at the sovereign decision of Madrid to back Morocco on the Sahara issue. Albares conditioned his visit on a meeting with president Tebboune, the latter declined and insisted that Albares meets his foreign minister Ahmed Attaf. Algeria has in late 2021 reduced gas flows to Spain when it halted the flow through the pipeline crossing Morocco. It then threatened to cut gas exports to Spain altogether if Madrid sells Algerian gas to Morocco.

The Islamic State extremist group poses a rising threat amid political instability in West Africa and the Sahel and remains intent on carrying out attacks abroad, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said Thursday. Vladimir Voronkov reiterated U.N. findings that IS continues to pose a significant threat to international peace and security, especially in conflict zones, despite significant progress by U.N. member nations in countering the threat. The group has also increased operations in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria as well as Southeast Asia, Voronkov said. Voronkov, who heads the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, said countering the threat of terrorism in Africa remains a priority for his office. The Islamic State group broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and attracted supporters from around the world.

bp and ADNOC form Egypt joint ventureADNOC and bp are forming a joint venture (JV) in Egypt which is expected to complete in the second half of 2024. The JV (51% bp, 49% ADNOC) will combine the pair’s technical capabilities and proven track records as it aims to grow a highly competitive gas portfolio. bp will contribute its interests in three development concessions, as well as exploration agreements, in Egypt to the new JV. Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Executive Director for low carbon solutions and international growth, said the tie up represents a significant step forward as the Abu Dhabi company builds its international natural gas portfolio. He said, “This progressive joint venture partnership will enhance Egyptian energy security and the economic potential of the region’s most populous Arab country.

MENA Digest: Kema, Logidoo raise early-stage capital, Sowt buys Rising Giants NetworkCredit: VCCircleStartup dealmaking in the Middle East and North Africa region this week was led by a couple of early-stage funding deals and an acquisition. While the UAE-based fintech platform Kema secured pre-seed funding, Moroccan logistics solutions provider Logidoo raised seed funding. Jordan-based Arabic audio content production platform Sowt acquired the UAE-based podcast platform Rising Giants Network. AdvertisementDubai Future District Fund (DFDF), the region’s first evergreen venture capital fund-of-funds and direct investment vehicle, also participated in the round. AdvertisementSowt-Rising GiantsAmman-based Arabic audio content production platform Sowt has acquired podcast producer Rising Giants Network (RGN) for an undisclosed sum to widen its reach and product portfolio.

Now that liner networks have been reworked to use the round-of-Africa routing, using our usual model for calculating demand in TEU*Miles, Sea-Intelligence estimates that moving the same amount of cargo globally would increase the demand by 16 percent. This equates to an increase of 16 percent," says the latest update. "The trade between Far East and North America is the least impacted overall but this is because the impact is volume-weighted, and of course the distances from Far East to U.S. West Coast are not impacted and neither is the distance from Far East to U.S. East Coast via Panama." The 16 percent increase in global TEU*Miles, in turn, means that the need for capacity also increases by 16 percent, the update added. The second is by speeding up vessels to allow the same amount of vessel capacity to deliver more TEU*Miles per year.

The AfDB said political instability and China’s economic slowdown were compounding the shocks of COVID-19 and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The final figure for 2023 was below the 3.4% growth the AfDB had forecast in November. It also cut its regional growth estimates for central and north Africa, amid a recession in oil producer Equatorial Guinea and the aftermath of devastating flooding in Libya.

Emilio de la Cruz Managing Director of South West Europe at Maersk. Emilio de la Cruz Managing Director of South West Europe at Maersk. The new Morocco Bridge solution is a multimodal service that connects Morocco with Spain and the rest of Europe. Emilio de la Cruz Managing Director of South West Europe at Maersk. Emilio de la Cruz Managing Director of South West Europe at Maersk.

Politicians from the Wiper Democratic Movement, an affiliate party of the opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja are continuing to press Raila Odinga to back his erstwhile ally. Leading the path is Makueni governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior. The Wiper party argue that Kalonzo Musyoka shelved his presidential ambitions to support Raila, having been his deputy in 2013 and 2017. “The time for Raila to declare Kalonzo [as the presidential candidate] is now. There is no argument about it,” Kilonzo Junior said at a gathering on Saturday where Raila was in attendance.

Progress towards credible elections in Libya is impossible without an agreement between the key political players, the UN’s top envoy to the north African country said on Thursday. Adding to the complexities is the reality of two rival administrations, with the internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli and the Government of National Stability (GNS) in the east. The President of the Presidential Council (PC), Mohamed al-Menfi, “does not want to be seen as a party, but is prepared to act as facilitator to support my initiative”, Special Representative Bathily told ambassadors. He highlighted that the Security Council and the international community have a “critical role” to play in pressuring Libyan leaders to engage constructively. On the security front, hundreds of Chadian mercenaries and foreign fighters reportedly returned from Libya to Chad, however, security in southern Libya remains alarming due to the crises in Sudan and the vast Sahel region.

Offshore staffSAN DONATO MILANESE, Italy — Eni has revealed strong results from its Cronos-2 appraisal well on Block 6, 160 km offshore southwest Cyprus. The well was drilled to appraise a lateral extension of the Cronos discovery from August 2022, and to assess reservoir characteristics via a production test. An extended production test that followed suggested well production capacity of more than 150 MMcf/d would be feasible. This was the fourth well on Block 6 following the gas discoveries of Calypso in 2018 and Zeus in 2022. “The successful appraisal of the Cronos gas discovery confirms the presence of significant resources and production potential in Block 6,” said Julien Pouget, senior vice president Middle East & North Africa, Exploration & Production with TotalEnergies.

This new multi-year agreement will consolidate TDA’s TV and radio channels at the 7/8° West orbital position, the country’s leading video neighbourhood. The additional capacity at 7/8° West will enable the company to enhance its content offering to audiences across the country, and further afield across the Middle East and North Africa. The 7/8° West orbital position is the leading satellite neighbourhood for audiences in Algeria, reaching 97% of satellite TV households, and the leading orbital position across the Middle East and North Africa. Offering broadcasters, the largest exclusive reach in the region, audiences prefer the 7/8° West video neighbourhood thanks to its unparalleled line-up of around 900 TV channels broadcasting from the 7/8° West orbital location. The Company is headquartered in Paris and Eutelsat Group employs more than 1,700 people from more than 50 countries.

At this time of crisis, Egypt stood out for its stability in onion supplies, with production rising and exports flowing. According to official statistics authority Capmas, Egyptian onion exports rose by 95.9 per cent in the first half of 2023. In October, however, even Egypt had introduced a three-month ban on onion exports, which has since been extended until 30 March. It is the first time exports have been stopped to cover the market.”According to Mostafa, exporters will have to wait until the government announces that exports can resume, as it did earlier this year for potatoes. In Central Asia, abundant onion stocks have reportedly resulted in low prices, as companies seek to shift volumes ahead of the new harvest.

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