GHANAOIL AND GASASIA Lining up for Jubilee 22nd September 2010 Image courtesy of Panos Pictures View site Asia's big oil companies, backed by their governments, are outbidding their Western rivals President John Evans Atta Mills, his government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation are entertaining offers for cooperation and a stake in the Jubilee oil field from all over Asia. Since ExxonMobil's US$4 billon offer for Kosmos Energy's 23.5% stake in the Jubilee field was rejected last month (AC Vol 51 No 17), Asian national oil companies have been doing the rounds in Accra, all aiming to become GNPC's financier and operating partner. Kosmos, however, is contemplating a listing of its shares as an alternate way to go ahead with the project.
UGANDACHINAINDIAOIL AND GAS Queueing up for Lake Albert's oil 22nd September 2010 Image courtesy of Panos Pictures View site Indian and Chinese companies have joined the race for Uganda's oil assets in the Lake Albert Basin, where at least 2 billion barrels of oil have been discovered....
SOUTH AFRICACHINA Relations have never been better 22nd September 2010 Image courtesy of Panos Pictures View site If only half of the recent deals signed by China and South Africa come to fruition, they promise to revolutionise Africa's biggest economy From energy and construction to transport and agriculture, President Jacob Zuma's 23-26 August trip to China has garnered billions of dollars in potential investments across the economic spectrum....
SOUTH AFRICACHINA In the BRIC of it 22nd September 2010 President Jacob Zuma's August trip to China completed the final stage of his tour this year of the BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India and China - economies. The...
CONGO-KINSHASAMININGASIA Aiming high 22nd September 2010 China will soon surge ahead to become Congo's leading partner but not before sorting out employment and artisanal mining issues Congo-Kinshasa will outstrip its rivals over the next two years to become the world's second largest copper producer (behind Chile), with a total annual production of 1.94 million...
ZIMBABWE Downtown crackdown 22nd September 2010 The National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board, whose mandate is to ensure that 51% of the economy is indigenised by 2015, is swinging into action. David Chapfika, the...
SUDANCHINA China weighs its options 22nd September 2010 Whatever the outcome of next January's referendum on Southern independence, China wants its oil to keep flowing Beijing hopes that business and non-interference will win the day in Sudan. Liu Guijin, China's highest-ranking Africa envoy, told Africa-Asia Confidential that in Sudan China's 'overall concern is...
VIETNAMAFRICA Friends and competitors 22nd September 2010 Vietnam hosted its second African investment forum on 17-19 August in Hanoi with the theme 'Vietnam-Africa: Cooperation for Sustainable Development'. Attended by delegates from 30 African countries including...
KENYASUDANCHINA Beijing backs Nairobi over Omer el Beshir 22nd September 2010 The International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Sudanese President Omer Hassan Ahmed el Beshir continues to cast clouds over China's Africa policy. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki invited Omer...
SOUTH KOREAAFRICA Seoul's modest but steady progress 22nd September 2010 South Korea cannot match the deals made by China nor can it provide the same levels of aid as countries in North America and Europe. Still, that does not stop...
ZAMBIA Felix Mutati 22nd September 2010 Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia For companies eager to secure a share of the wealth in Zambia's mines, a call on Felix Mutati is obligatory. Mutati oversees much of the investment that drives Zambia's mineral-dependent economy....
SOUTH KOREA Chun Seung-hun 22nd September 2010 President, Korea Institute for Development Strategy South Korea has come late to the African party. Seoul's anxiety to match Japan, China and India's engagement with the continent has seen it emulate many of their multilateral development forums...
JAPAN Osamu Fujimura 22nd September 2010 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Japan Since taking power in 2009, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has struggled to distinguish itself from its long-ruling predecessor and turn around Japan's economy. In African relations, however, it projects...
CHINA Liu Yuhe 22nd September 2010 China's Ambassador to Algeria China has diverse commercial and political interests in Algeria, leaving Ambassador Liu Yuhe with plenty to do. Investigations into the US$12 billion East-West Highway project, in which Chinese companies are involved,...