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Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt

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Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt: The crisis over the construction of the Grand Dam in Ethiopia is back in the headlines. Estimates vary between the two countries on how to benefit from the Nile’s water and its impact on regional peace, as well as on economic and social activities in the Nile basin countries.

The exit of more than one million and one hundred thousand people from the labor market and the loss of about 15% of the agricultural area in Egypt as a result of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis on Egypt

Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt: The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr. Hani Sweilem before the plenary session of the United Nations Water Conference 2023, “The existence of effective cooperation on transboundary water is an existential and indispensable issue for Egypt, and that the issue requires taking into account that the management of shared water is at the level of the “basin” as an integrated unit, including the integrated management blue and green water.

Equitable use of the common resource

He added: “This also requires taking into account the non-selective commitment to the applicable principles of international law, in particular the principle of cooperation and consultation based on adequate studies, which is an indispensable necessity to ensure the equitable use of the common resource and avoid harm as much as possible.”

He went on to say, “In this regard, the dangers of unilateral measures that do not respect these principles emerge on shared river basins, one of which is the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, whose construction began more than 12 years ago on the Nile River without consultation and without conducting adequate studies on safety or its economic, environmental, social and environmental effects in the riparian countries”.

Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt

“The process of construction, filling and even unilateral commissioning continues. These practices are a violation of international law, including the Declaration of Principles agreement signed in 2015, and are not in line with the Security Council statement issued in September 2012,” says the Egyptian minister.

He pointed out that if these practices continue in tandem with a prolonged period of drought, it could result in the exit of more than one million and one hundred thousand people from the labor market, and the loss of about 15% of Egypt’s agricultural area. With the resulting risks of increasing social and economic tensions and exacerbating illegal immigration, these practices could also lead to a doubling of Egypt’s food import bill.

Ethiopia rejects Egyptian “threats” over Renaissance Dam and affirms its commitment to a negotiated solution

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry confirmed its rejection of the statement attributed to Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which threatens Addis Ababa that all options are open, and called the statement “irresponsible”.

Nile crisis: Violation” of the UN Charter

In a statement, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said the statements of the Egyptian Foreign Minister were a “flagrant violation” of the UN Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and renewed the call for a negotiated solution to the Renaissance Dam, affirming its commitment to a settlement “in the interest of all.

For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that negotiations with Ethiopia are currently at a standstill.

Shoukry said in a televised address on the Egyptian channel “Cairo and the People” that his country has the right to defend the capabilities and interests of its people, and to adopt disciplined positions that take into account all considerations and relationships.

Addis Ababa confirmed its intention to complete the construction of the dam

He added: “All options are open in the Renaissance Dam crisis, and all alternatives remain available… Egypt has its capabilities and its external relations, and it has its capabilities.”

Addis Ababa confirmed its intention to complete the construction of the dam and called for a resolution of the dispute within the African House. Foreign Ministry spokesman Meles Elm said the Nile is African and disputes over it must be resolved in the African House, calling for an end to the referral of the Renaissance Dam issue to the UN Security Council or the League of Arab States.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that his country continues to complete the construction of the dam, indicating that the objective is to achieve its development projects and provide electricity to 65 million Ethiopians who live in darkness, stressing that what he described as previous colonial agreements are old and his country will not accept them. Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt.

Egyptian experts threaten a “disaster” for Egypt

Egyptians worried

Egyptian experts confirmed the determination of Ethiopia to keep him a fixed share and its uses equivalent to 18 billion cubic meters per year, pointing out that due to the semi-stable and sustainable flow, Sudan will be able to use 12 billion cubic meters per year in addition to what it becomes now, because Sudan considers it a right for him to compensate for what it was.You leave that to Egypt in recent years.

They added that as a result of what Sudan and Ethiopia will grasp, Egypt’s share will decrease by 30 billion cubic meters per year, and in the next two years, the fourth and fifth fillings of the Renaissance Dam will take place at a rate of about 30 billion cubic meters per year.

They said that after completing the filling of the dam, the fixed annual deficit on the part of Egypt will be 30 billion cubic meters per year, noting that it is certain that the needs of drinking and industry will be provided without decrease, but agricultural consumption will be in deficit. of 30 billion cubic meters per year.

The most dangerous scenario – in the opinion of water experts – will occur in the years of drought, when the water reserves of the dam lake will be insufficient for Egypt, and what this lake has provided in the eighties will not be available.

They concluded that the Renaissance Dam is the disaster that Egypt has allowed, and with the increase in population, life in Egypt will become almost impossible, demanding the destruction of the Ethiopian dam, pointing out that it is available, hitting the side cumulus dam and reducing its volume to 14 billion cubic meters per year instead of 75 billion cubic meters. ).

Ethiopians point to a luck of trust

On the other hand, Yassin Ahmed, director of the Ethiopian Institute for Popular Diplomacy, said that Ethiopia always welcomes the negotiations, pointing out that sister Egypt is the one that has raised mistrust.

Ahmed pointed out that there is a crisis of lack of trust on the part of the Ethiopian side towards Egypt, due to its tendency to internationalize the dam issue, once in the Arab League and once in the Security Council.

The Ethiopian expert concluded in statements to the media that the solution lies in Egypt’s acceptance of a return to negotiations under the auspices of the African Union, calling on Egypt to abandon the imposition of impossible conditions, which are represented in what it claims historical rights over the Nile .

He concluded by stressing that there are no so-called historical rights in international law. Rather, it is an international law that codifies the course of international navigation and recognizes the common benefit of countries of the waters of international rivers.

For Ethiopia, this dam is necessary to fill its energy deficit.

Ethiopia called on all concerned to take note of what it called Egypt’s flagrant violation of the principles of international relations.

“If approached in good faith and with full respect for the principles of international law, an amicable solution between the three countries is within reach through negotiations under the auspices of the African Union,” the Ethiopian authorities said.

“Once again, Ethiopia reiterates its calls on the parties to re-engage the African Union platform and reach a negotiated solution on GERD. For its part, Ethiopia remains committed to a win-win resolution of this issue,” the Addis Ababa statement said.

Nile crisis deepens dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt.

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One billion dollars to improve women’s economic empowerment in Africa (Harris)

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced in Ghana a $1 billion initiative to improve the economic empowerment of women in Africa.

One billion dollars to improve women’s economic empowerment in Africa (Harris)

At the end of the first leg of her tour of the continent, in the capital Accra, Harris’ office unveiled the program, which is largely funded by the private sector: One billion dollars to improve women’s economic empowerment in Africa!

The African Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative includes nearly $400 million from the private sector “to help bridge the gender digital divide.”

“Improving the economic status of women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice and equity, it is also a strategic imperative that reduces poverty and promotes sustainable economic growth,” the U.S. Vice President’s office said.

Several aid packages announced

The U.S. vice president has already announced several aid packages, including $139 million for economic and cultural development in Ghana and the investment of $100 million in coastal West African countries facing the risk of spillover jihadist violence from the Sahel.

More than $500 million, again from the private sector, will also be used to support women’s economic empowerment in Africa, according to the release.

We are “all in” on Africa,” added Kamala Harris, repeating the words of Joe Biden during the U.S.-Africa summit last year.

Africa has become a geopolitical issue

The stakes are high to catch up with Washington, accentuated by the Trump years. From now on, the Biden administration must accelerate its efforts, because the battle is being played out on the diplomatic field. And to meet these challenges, Kamara Harris must provide evidence of U.S. sincerity, including through the fulfillment of the many unfulfilled promises so far, and clearly avoid several pitfalls, including that of presenting African states as pawns in the U.S. geopolitical strategy.

“What an honor to be here in Ghana, and on the African continent. I am very excited about the future of Africa. I’m very excited about the impact of Africa’s future on the rest of the world. When I look at what’s happening on this continent and the fact that the average age is 19, what that tells us about the growth of innovation and opportunity. I see this as a great opportunity, not just for Africans, but for the rest of the world,” the U.S. vice president said as she got off the plane.

Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine has undoubtedly given the U.S. an added sense of urgency to convince more African countries. UN votes to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine have divided African countries.

Podcast - Briefs

Inflation in Africa: 10 most affected countries (podcast)

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The end of the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine, in addition to endogenous factors, have created a serious inflation crisis. This podcast briefly analyzes the situation of the 10 most impacted African countries. Inflation in Africa: 10 most affected countries (podcast):

Inflation has become the obsession of all the economies of the world. Africa is no exception. The inflation rate in some countries is close to 100% in the first two months of 2023.

Entitled “Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Prospects 2023,” a recent AfDB report indicates, however, that the continent’s medium-term growth prospects are subject to significant constraints, including a sharp slowdown in the global economy, persistent inflation, prolonged tightening of global financial conditions, high cost of capital, depreciations of national currencies, declining financial flows, continued climate-related losses and damages, geopolitical tensions, and a further escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The AfDB also noted that inflation in Africa is expected to rise from an average of 13.8% in 2022 to 13.5% in 2023, before falling to 8.8% in 2024, below the 9.1% recorded prior to the coronavirus outbreak in 2019 and the 9.6% average recorded between 2014 and 2018.

At the regional level, inflation will remain high in East Africa due to persistent supply constraints, the impact of climate change, conflicts, and political uncertainty affecting some countries in the region.

Central Africa will experience relatively stable and low inflation, projected at 5.7 percent in 2023, partly reflecting coordinated monetary policies and the relative advantages of a stable regional currency.

Here are the African countries most affected by inflation at the beginning of 2023:

  • Malawi: 25,9%
  • Burundi: 28,6%
  • Rwanda: 30,3%
  • South-Sudan: 30,7%
  • Egypt: 31,9%
  • Ethiopia: 32%
  • Sierra-Leone: 38,48%
  • Ghana: 54,1%
  • Sudan: 83,6%
  • Zimbabwe: 92,8%

Inflation in Africa: 10 most affected countries (podcast):

Policy Briefs

5G: it’s Africa’s turn this year

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After landing in several countries, 5G is expected to largely take hold in “emerging” countries this year. According to a study by the GSMA, some 30 countries in Africa and Asia will adopt the fifth generation of mobile networks in 2023, which will be the “second wave” of deployment of the technology. 5G: it’s Africa’s turn this year:

5G: it’s Africa’s turn this year: Available for five years in the United States and South Korea and for more than two years in Europe, 5G will continue to expand around the world.

By 2023, 30 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, will see the fifth generation of mobile networks installed.

According to a study by the GSMA, the organization representing the world’s telecom operators, these deployments will be the “second wave” of 5G rollouts, showing that the technology is becoming a “true global trend.” And of the networks that will be deployed, 15 will be 5G SA (Stand-Alone).

5G in more than 100 countries by the end of 2023

The GSMA reports that as of January, 87 countries could already take advantage of 5G, and 229 telecom operators are marketing 5G-enabled plans to date. And by the end of the year, more than 100 countries are expected to benefit from the telecommunications technology worldwide.

5G: it’s Africa’s turn this year. In Africa, several countries will benefit from 5G this year, including Ethiopia and Ghana, which will drastically increase the 5G coverage rate in the sub-Saharan region. To date, it is only 1% but will be 4% by 2025 and 16% by 2030.

In short, 5G is still in its infancy in Africa. Even its commercial deployment in some countries is to be put into perspective, knowing that it is very often limited to the scale of certain large cities and/or a few business districts.

African candidate countries

Does Africa have 5G? In Barcelona this year, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) was the scene of the latest innovations in mobile connectivity, both on the quality of services and network security, highlighting in particular 5G.

From February 27 to March 2, 2023, operators and equipment manufacturers took advantage of this international gathering of ecosystem players to reveal these innovations and announce multiple partnerships to encourage 5G deployment worldwide. At MWC 2023, Cisco and Intel, for example, announced the launch of joint reference architecture projects for private 5G services for enterprises and IoT use cases, with ambitious goals: they predict that “by 2026, approximately 80 to 90% of enterprises will have integrated private 5G into their network.

At the end of 2022, on the African continent alone, we counted 10 states in the test phase of 5G services: Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritius, Madagascar, Lesotho, Kenya, Gabon and finally, Egypt.

Other countries are expected to join this list very soon, such as Benin. The latter is home to a new player providing 2G, 3G and 4G services, Celtiis, which has been present on the Beninese market since October 2022 and which announced in early 2023 that its telecommunications network is now compatible with 5G technology.

How can 5G be harnessed to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa?

2023 will be the year of 5G in Africa and the expected positive externalities in the industry are immense. This technology will allow some countries to impressively accelerate the performance of companies by reducing the costs and drudgery of certain trades by allowing, for example, to remotely control devices dedicated to mining through a technology developed by Huawei Northern Africa.

These technologies will be applied to both tertiary and primary industrial segments, which are sources of dynamism for developing countries’ exports, such as agriculture and freight transport, in order to boost the performance of these economies and thus strengthen the resilience of the countries. On February 23, the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said: “African countries should adopt digital tools in their attempt to increase crop yields in the face of climate shocks.

At the same time, while 5G technology can reduce the environmental impact of certain industries by increasing their yields and efficiency tenfold, it is itself an intrinsic source of energy savings. Studies show that today’s 5G antenna designs consume three times less energy than 4G antennas. By 2025, these antennas are expected to save up to ten times less energy than a 4G antenna and up to 20 times less by 2030.

Technological innovation has become a major pillar to accelerate national and international responses to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are just as cross-cutting as the opportunities offered by faster and more secure connectivity with 5G.

The mobile industry has always mobilized to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs as defined by the UN. Including during the COVID-19 crisis. In a 2020 report published by the GSM Association: the entire industry was halfway to achieving the SDGs by the end of 2020. Up from 48% in 2019 and 33% in 2015.

Among the greatest achievements, a 33% gain in average download speeds worldwide despite a growing tariff cost. A significant improvement that is explained, according to the association, by the increase in quality and connectivity through 4G and 5G technologies.

Future Leadership Academy of Africa

Air pollution: Africa suffocates

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Air pollution – Africa suffocates! It is a “silent killer”. In the continent’s major metropolises, breathing the air is twice as deadly as in the rest of the world. In the continent, pollution kills more than AIDS !

Air pollution: the most affected African cities

Air quality is poor in the city of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, as well as in the localities of Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou.

This is the conclusion of a study on “Spatio-temporal monitoring of air pollution due to suspended particles by low-cost sensors in Burkina”, conducted by researchers from the Laboratory of Environmental Physics and Chemistry of Joseph Ki-Zerbo University and Columbia University in the United States.

The study was conducted for one year (November 2021 – November 2022) at 19 sites in the cities of Ouagadougou (13), Koudougou (03) and Bobo-Dioulasso (03). Pollution sensors have been installed at these sites.

In Ouagadougou, these sensors have shown that the average daily concentrations of pollutants vary between 17 and 36 micrograms per cubic meter, the study says.

At all sites, concentrations exceed the WHO standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter, and the two daily pollution peaks are between 7-8 am and 7-8 pm.

It is a “silent killer”. In the continent’s major metropolises, breathing the air is twice as deadly as in the rest of the world. According to a study by the British NGO Clean Air Fund, the cause is the lack of alternatives to the car, the presence of mining and oil industries near cities and the open burning of waste.

“The status quo cannot be the only solution,” the NGO warns. In Cairo, Accra, Lagos and Johannesburg in particular, the authorities would be well advised to take up the problem. The study recommends investing in public transport, monitoring air quality and introducing cleaner stoves in households. Especially since the rural exodus is accelerating: the African population, mostly rural, has only recently experienced the exodus to urban centers. According to experts, more than 65% of the continent’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2060. By the end of the century, Africa will be home to 5 of the world’s 10 largest megacities.

Pollution kills more than AIDS

According to previous research, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, in 2019, this pollution caused the premature death of more than 1 million people in Africa. By comparison, 650,000 people lost their lives to HIV/AIDS-related diseases worldwide in the same year, according to UN figures. By following the NGO’s recommendations, by 2040 125,000 lives could be saved and CO2 emissions reduced by 20%. It is also an economic opportunity, according to the study, which anticipates a reduction in work stoppages where high levels of pollution affect employees’ health. Some $20 billion could be saved in these four cities.

Another study (by the Health Effects Institute) found that the human cost of air pollution in Africa is among the highest in the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, the death rate from air pollution is 155 deaths per 100,000 people, nearly double the global average of 85.6 deaths per 100,000 people, HEI said in a report. If nothing changes, however, the study warns that “the financial costs of air pollution will increase sixfold by 2040.”

Policy Notes

The giant gas pipeline is an “African dream” between Morocco and Nigeria

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Morocco and Nigeria announced the huge project in 2016 to connect Nigeria’s natural gas wells to Morocco through several countries, during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria, where the project was initialed, and in 2018 the project entered a new phase with the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements, followed by another phase in 2022. The giant gas pipeline is an “African dream” between Morocco and Nigeria:

The titanic project of West and North Africa

Does morocco have oil and gas? The giant gas pipeline is an “African dream” between Morocco and Nigeria: Announced several months ago, this Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project will run along the West African coast from Nigeria, through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania to end in Morocco.

In the long term, said the statement, it will be connected to the Maghreb Europe Pipeline (abandoned by Algeria since November 2021) and the European gas network. It will also supply the landlocked states of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The impact of this project is very important because it will ensure the supply of electricity to the West African area, and in the long term the export of natural gas as fuel in Europe.

The project is 6,000 km long and is expected to cost $25 billion. Several stakeholders are expected to provide the financing.

OPEC’s support for the Moroccan-Nigerian pipeline is also thought to be an indication of at least Gulf support and backing. Last April, the project received funding from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ International Development Fund in the amount of $14 million to finance the second part of the pre-final engineering studies that determined the map and route of the pipeline’s overland passage (and offshore), and to study the potential environmental, natural, social and economic implications on aquatic populations and organisms. The project had previously received funding from the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah for the Mediterranean and Spain.

Nigeria, Morocco and ECOWAS agree to build a 6000 km gas pipeline

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline mega-project, which will cross 15 West African countries, is beginning to take shape.

A Memorandum of Understanding confirming the realization of this project was signed on September 15 in Rabat.

The signing ceremony was attended by the representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sédiko Douka, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization of Nigeria, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, the CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited “NNPC” and the Director General of the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco, Amina Benkhadra.

According to a joint statement issued at the end of the signing ceremony, this Memorandum of Understanding “confirms the commitment of ECOWAS and all the countries crossed by the pipeline to contribute to the feasibility, technical studies, mobilization of resources and implementation of this important project, which, once completed, will provide gas to all West African countries and will also allow a new export route to Europe.

“This strategic project will contribute to the improvement of the standard of living of the populations, the integration of the economies of the region, the mitigation of desertification through a sustainable and reliable gas supply through the reduction or elimination of gas flaring among other effects,” said the same source. The giant gas pipeline is an “African dream” between Morocco and Nigeria.

Nigeria’s President calls on UK and EU countries to invest in Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project to Europe.

In an interview with Bloomberg, the Nigerian president stressed the need for a long-term partnership between Nigeria and the UK and the European Union on green energy policy.

“We need a long-term partnership, not inconsistencies and contradictions in the UK and EU green energy policy,” he said.

“For a change, the UK and EU countries should thus invest in our pipeline project to bring Nigerian gas – the largest reserves in Africa – via Morocco, to Europe.”

Muhammadu Buhari expressed the hope that, once completed, the Moroccan-Nigeria the Moroccan-Nigerian pipeline project would help solve the gas gas supply crisis in Europe. He also recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) had concluded (in early June) (early June), in record time, an agreement with the Economic Community of Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the construction of the construction of the said pipeline.

This project, which seemed to some to be pharaonic and unrealistic, has never been so close to realization. This is evidenced by progress on the technical aspects, but also the political mobilization of Morocco and Nigeria.

For beyond its purely energy dimension, it is shown as a model of what could be a successful African economic integration.

From Rabat, on June 20, the President of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Uche Orgi said that “this dream (gas pipeline), which is gradually becoming a reality, is an excellent example of what African countries must do together to prepare for a African countries must accomplish together to prepare a better future for their future for their populations”.

Nigerians call on new president to speed up gas pipeline with Morocco

At a time when the Nigerian-Moroccan gas pipeline project is progressing at a steady pace to supply Europe with gas, several Nigerian engineers have called on the new president to accelerate the pace of the project, “given its economic benefits” to the citizens.

The Nigerian engineer, specializing in energy and minerals, Sendai Adebayo Babalola, expressed, in comments reported by the Nigerian newspaper “The New Telegraph”, his hope to achieve a comprehensive development of the country through the pipeline, stressing that “the federal government must work to protect this project to achieve African integration.

On his part, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Malam Milli Kyari, said the project will create wealth and improve the standard of living, and explained that it aims to liquefy natural gas resources in Nigeria, thus generating additional revenue for the country, diversifying the methods of exporting gas and eliminating Burn it.

The project which goes beyond gas supply

According to the same spokesman, the relentless and motivating efforts of the Nigerian government and the Kingdom of Morocco resulted in the signing of the MoU, which the federal government described as “the most important”, saying it “will benefit the country in terms of wealth and job creation.

Mallam Milli Kyari continued that the project will benefit the participating countries, adding, “Our country will benefit immeasurably from the implementation of the project which goes beyond gas supply to revitalize the countries along the way. Some of the benefits include wealth creation, improved living standards, integration of economies in the region, mitigation of desertification and other benefits that will come from the reduction of carbon emissions.

In the same context, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timiber Silva, said that Russia has expressed interest in investing in the project, adding that “there are many other players who are also interested in doing so,” and that “the pipeline will carry Nigerian gas through many countries in Africa,” and also to the far reaches of the African continent, where the country can access the European market.

The giant gas pipeline is an “African dream” between Morocco and Nigeria

Morocco and Nigeria announced the huge project in 2016 to connect Nigeria’s natural gas wells to Morocco through several countries, during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria, where the project was initialed, and in 2018 the project entered a new phase with the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements, followed by another phase in 2022.

Many African countries with primary resources such as energy and minerals suffer from low incomes and lagging development, due to dependence on exports of raw materials without much added value, which is the economic school established by the former colonizer, preventing them from having diversified economies. This prevents them from having diversified economies, like their European counterparts with natural resources, weak for example due to the lack of industrialization. This explains its concentration on a single source of national income, and is one of the causes of social backwardness and weak economic governance, which increases external dependence, in addition to exploiting part of the energy revenues to buy weapons, in the border wars left by colonialism.

British and American companies, including Shell and Chevron, years ago extended a gas pipeline from Nigeria to neighbouring countries such as Benin, Togo and Ghana, called the West African Gas Pipeline, in an effort to establish a regional gas market. However, the lack of infrastructure needed for international trade, such as ports, and the weakness of the region’s economies, prevented the development of the project, which was joined by four countries.

ECOWAS integration

Currently, the countries of the “Economic Community of West Africa” found in the pipeline between Nigeria and Morocco a huge opportunity to develop the gas pipeline project of old Africa, and integrate them together in a huge pipeline, which can transport 5 trillion cubic meters of gas stored in this pipeline regions of the jungles of Africa.

Although each side has its own economic and geostrategic calculations, the commercial and development benefits seem great for the entire region of West Atlantic Africa, which suffers from a severe shortage of electricity, which hinders the economic development of these countries, despite the natural potential and raw materials that abound.

So far, 13 countries of North and West Atlantic Africa have committed to extend this pipeline, which will be the largest gas carrier under the sea, with a depth of hundreds of meters in the Atlantic Ocean, to the Mediterranean Sea and Spain.

Europe’s future needs and rivalry in North Africa

But questions are emerging at a time when Brussels says it wants to free itself from fossil fuels in the medium term. “We have to count the cost when it (the pipeline) is finished. Will we still want to use gas, methane?”, asked recently in Rabat the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, stressing that Morocco has a strong potential in clean energy such as hydrogen, wind and solar.

The acceleration of cooperation between Rabat and Abuja coincides with the re-launch of the trans-Saharan gas pipeline (TSGP) to connect Nigeria to Algeria via Niger, at an estimated cost of between 12 and 18 billion euros. Last July, Algiers, Abuja and Niamey signed a memorandum of understanding to materialize this 4,128 km long gas pipeline, without setting a start-up date.

Launched in 2009, the project also aims to bring Nigerian gas to the European continent. Once it arrives in Algeria, it should be shipped there, in particular via the Transmed pipeline, which already links the Algerian fields to Italy via Tunisia. “The technical studies are underway,” said Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab in Algiers on 18 February.

New reality in Europe

Unlike before the crisis in Ukraine, the European Union is not harmonious in the energy position, as each country seeks an individual solution to its problems. Spain appeared among the first Europeans interested in the project, because the pipeline will reach its coast in any case, and this will give it European supremacy, similar to what happens in the field of liquefied gas, which is shipped from the U.S., the Gulf countries and Nigeria, and then pumped back into the European pipeline, or the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline to Morocco.

Since the outbreak of the war, Madrid has become more present in the supply of gas to Europe to face the cold winter, and this is part of its differences with Algeria, which preferred to go east and cooperate with the Italian company “Eni”. Spain has preferred to support politically the position of Morocco in the desert, and economically in the desert.

Policy Briefs

Insurance in Africa, towards a more innovative sector?

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Insurance in Africa, towards a more innovative sector? A sector that has been growing steadily for several years, the African insurance market benefits from an environment that is conducive to its development. The digitization of the insurance industry is also highlighted in this context.

A market in full mutation

A sector that has been growing steadily for several years, the African insurance market benefits from an environment that is conducive to its development: with extremely strong growth possibilities throughout the continent, the insurance sector has significant room for improvement, mainly in the “retirement”, “individual health” and “life insurance” sectors. Recent regulatory requirements on the “solvency of local players” should also “contribute to the development of larger and stronger companies”, which presages several “promising trends”.

According to a December 2020 McKinsey study on insurance in Africa, the sector is “unevenly distributed” across the continent. Valued “at about $68 billion in premiums (GWP),” the insurance sector remains “highly disparate in terms of size, composition, growth and degree of consolidation, with 91% of premiums concentrated in just ten countries.” The study adds that the largest African market is South Africa, which accounts for “70% of total premiums.

With “double-digit average annual growth rates” for “most African countries,” the African insurance market has “immense development potential. Faced with this observation, several “trends” are highlighted by the McKinsey report. First of all, the emphasis is placed on “economic growth” and the implementation of “structural reforms” in African countries, considered to be conducive to the growth of the sector: “liberalization and deregulation of the market”, “implementation of compulsory insurance”, “facilitated access thanks to a wider distribution”, or the development of “public-private partnerships”. The study recommends that insurance companies “collaborate” with African governments to “shape” reform programs.

New technologies, the future of insurance?

Insurance in Africa, towards a more innovative sector? The digitization of the insurance industry is also highlighted by the study, which describes it as an “engine of growth”. To ensure this development, investments in digitalization are essential to “boost” the sector, a digitalization that has already seen a strong increase due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, in the continuity of digitalization, a multiplication of “partnerships between traditional insurers” and “the world of Tech”, would allow the creation of a ground conducive to “innovations”, already motivated by the “competition between players”.

Offering connected and accessible services represents the new strategy of insurance on the continent. Thanks to digital innovation and the digitization of the sector, insurance activities will be able to allow “a reduction in the cost of service to customers”, “a rationalization of internal processes”, but “above all, the provision of an enriched customer experience to the greatest number”. Indeed, the challenge for insurance start-ups is to “democratize” subscriptions and “restore” the confidence of Africans towards the players. In addition, these new digital offers “contribute to the renovation of costly historical systems, still centered on the principle of branches and broker networks. For example, according to McKinsey, fundraising in the insurtech sector has reached “between 15 and 20 million euros”, “record amounts”.

The future of the insurance sector in Africa will be played out through the digital sector and more particularly through the mobile sector: on a continent where 660 million people have a smartphone, it is now essential to focus on digital innovations: “smartphones are becoming essential to expand an insurer’s customer base, but above all to enrich its service offering. By investing in cell phones, they are expanding their product range and reinforcing their market share and brand image – essential for this type of service.

Insurance in Africa: new risks, outdated recipes

To truly enter a sustainable growth trajectory, the African insurance industry needs to break out of the status quo culture by being agile. As is often the case in business, our insurers tend to reproduce the recipe that has always made them money. The problem is that this recipe has become outdated, even obsolete in the face of the transformations of the insurance industry.

However, despite these challenges, many insurance companies continue to rely on traditional recipes that have become obsolete. They need to rethink their business models to better adapt to rapidly changing customer needs and emerging risks. Insurers must also invest in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to better assess risks and improve operational efficiency.

Ultimately, the insurers that will succeed in this ever-changing environment will be those that have the ability to quickly adapt to new market realities while offering innovative products that meet customer needs … at any price.

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FIFA wants to put African football “at the center of the world

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To carry out a “revolution in African soccer” that he calls for, FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to give the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the means to invest in more competitions and infrastructure. FIFA wants to put African football “at the center of the world:

Putting African football”at the center of the world” is the conclusion of a six-month mission conducted by FIFA, at the request of the President of the African Confederation (CAF). Ahmad Ahmad asked for FIFA’s help in setting up better “governance” of this gigantic group of 54 federations – 54 African countries that make up CAF, but none of whose teams has ever won a world competition.

The African continent, however, “provides” (although it sometimes fails to train them itself) the world’s greatest players… who are quickly snapped up by European or Persian Gulf clubs. This is what experts call the “exogenous trend” of African soccer.

There are European soccer clubs that create training centers in African countries, but often these initiatives do not last, there are local realities that they do not necessarily master and that, over time, discourage them. Today, Africa must take care of itself. European clubs are still interested, many future stars come from Africa. How to structure all this again? It is the local actors, the local federations that must work better and more seriously.

As such, Morocco is given as an example on the continent with the performances of its national team and its great capacity to host international competitions.

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Normalization of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East

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The meeting of the two Egyptian and Turkish presidents, then of the foreign ministers, augurs a clearing in the sky of the two countries. Libyan crisis, gas exploration, Arab “revolutions”, Muslim brothers, … many issues are on the table of a rapprochement that promises to reshape the Middle East. Normalization of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East:

Turkey and Egypt… Is reconciliation coming?

Turkey and Egypt have taken another important step toward reforming their relations following the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Cairo, the first by a Turkish official of that level since the mutual withdrawal of ambassadors nearly a decade ago.

However, the conditions for reconciliation are not yet fully ripe, although political communication between the two countries has reasonably recovered since the launch of talks to reform relations about two years ago and has reached high levels, such as the exchange of visits at the foreign minister level and the two talks held by Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi (the first was a Qatar-sponsored meeting in Doha a few months ago, and the second was a telephone conversation after the February 6 earthquake). Another summit is planned, but the two countries have not yet agreed to swap ambassadors again.

As two countries that have entered a major crisis since 2013 and have been involved for a decade in serious regional polarization, conducted a military proxy confrontation in Libya and clashed in the struggle for the wealth of the eastern Mediterranean, it will not be easy to address all aspects of the crisis at once.

Nevertheless, what gives cause for optimism today in turning the page on the rivalry is that both sides are displaying a strong political will to move forward with reconciliation and are negotiating on more productive political ground. Whereas political communication after the launch of the exploratory talks in May 2021 was limited to diplomats at the level of deputy foreign ministers, communication is now taking place at the level of presidents and foreign ministers.

Moreover, the regional circumstances that previously complicated the Turkish-Egyptian crisis have turned into a catalyst for reconciliation. Two years ago, Turkey initiated a shift in its regional policy, reforming its relations with Egypt’s allies such as the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel, and restricting the activity of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood on its soil. It has also brought about a change in position vis-à-vis the Syrian regime, although this change has less influence on the new dynamics of Turkish-Arab relations. Cairo, on the other hand, did not raise the level of its openness to Ankara and sent its foreign minister to Turkey after the February 6 earthquake, before officially inviting the Turkish foreign minister to visit.

Normalization of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East.

Despite rapprochement, Egypt insists on rejecting presence of Turkish mercenaries in Libya

Libyan lands were one of the most important arenas of entanglement and disagreement between Egypt and Turkey, and despite the efforts of rapprochement between the two countries, sources assure Firat news agency that Libya still represents a major knot on the way to restore normal relations.

The sources said that Cairo rejects, in any case, the presence of mercenaries that Turkey has brought to Libya since late 2019, as well as Turkish forces present in western Libya, following an agreement previously reached between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the former Libyan Presidential Council Fayez al-Sarraj.

The sources said the presence of Turkish-backed mercenaries and militias, in addition to the proliferation of weapons outside the state, was a major reason for Cairo’s rejection of an international plan announced by Abdullah Batili, the UN Secretary-General’s representative in Libya, to hold elections by June 2023.

The sources added that what is happening now regarding the rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey is part of the postponement of controversial issues, and works to create an atmosphere conducive to discussion between the two countries, but the issue of the Turkish presence in Libya and mercenaries will never be accepted by Cairo.

Turkish Foreign Minister comments on Egypt’s “unease” with his country’s presence in Libya

On Monday, the official Turkish news agency “Anatolia” quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu saying that the maritime jurisdiction agreement reached between his country and the Tripoli government in Libya “is not against Egypt’s interests,” and that Cairo’s agreement with Greece “is not against Ankara.”

Anadolu Agency reported that the Turkish minister’s statements came at the end of his visit to Cairo on Saturday and following his talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Cavusoglu said that “Egypt took into account Turkey’s interests when it concluded maritime agreements with Greece,” according to the Turkish agency.

Regarding Egypt’s position on the agreement to explore energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean, Cavusoglu said, “This is not a problem. Every country concludes hydrocarbon agreements with another country. Egypt is currently opposing this agreement under the pretext that the current government in Libya cannot sign agreements.” Because its mandate is over and it is no longer legitimate, and Cairo did not say that the agreement signed was against it.

And he added: “The issue that Egypt is not comfortable with is our presence in Libya, and we have been saying since the beginning that our presence there is not a threat to Egypt, and that this presence came at the invitation of the legitimate government at that time, and continued on the basis of the desire of subsequent governments, And we still declare that the Turkish presence in Libya does not have any negative effect on Egypt,” according to “Anatolia” agency.

Cavusoglu stressed that “Ankara and Cairo have agreed to continue close consultation and cooperation on Libya,” noting that “Egypt believes that the Turkish presence in Libya or military cooperation between the two sides does not pose a threat to it.”

The Turkish Foreign Minister stressed that “Egypt has security concerns regarding the problem of stability in Libya. He said: “Egypt will benefit greatly from the conclusion of a maritime validity agreement between Ankara and Cairo in the future”.

These are Turkey’s stories about the presence of its mercenaries in Libya

In this context, Muhammad Mustafa, editor of the Middle East News Agency for Foreign Affairs, said that the recent meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Cairo showed a reluctance on the part of both sides to exchange on the situation in Libya, which was only mentioned in passing at this conference, indicating that this issue has yet to be dealt with at a broader level.

The Turkish affairs expert said that Turkey will present a formula including the following points:

— Turkey agrees to expel foreign militias and mercenaries loyal to it, according to a timetable.

— Hold general elections in Libya with pressure to hold parliamentary elections first.

— Begin the withdrawal of mercenaries immediately before the elections, provided that their withdrawal is completed after a certain period of time following the transfer of power.

— Integration of the Turkish-linked Libyan militias into the Libyan army, with changes in the army’s command structure.

Mustafa believes that an agreement could be reached between Egypt and Libya under the title of removing the militias and holding elections, but the details are more dangerous because, in his opinion, they will establish Turkey’s continued control over the Libyan political decision.

Return of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East

Normalization of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East: After the outbreak of the Arab rebellions and revolutions in 2011, relations between Turkey and Egypt deteriorated on the one hand, and between Turkey and status quo-supporting Arab countries on the other. As a result, Middle Eastern states split into two camps: pro-change and pro-status quo coalitions. With the consolidation of the status quo and new dynamics, the countries of the region began to normalize their relations with each other.

The first normalization process began among the Arab countries themselves, when these countries normalized their relations with Qatar, and later the normalization process between Arab and non-Arab countries in the region began. In this context, Turkey normalized its relations with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. But starting a similar process with Egypt has taken a long time.

In any case, two major regional powers like Turkey and Egypt cannot ignore each other any longer. Therefore, the two countries devoted appropriate time to holding exploratory talks in 2021. It was difficult to achieve reconciliation between the two conflicting states, but the fact that normalization in the Middle East would remain incomplete without the normalization of relations between Ankara and Cairo made the two of them take serious steps in this regard. Turkey took the first step when Treasury and Finance Minister Noureddine Nabatai attended the annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank in Cairo in June 2022. The positive atmosphere was reflected in trade relations, after the volume of trade between Turkey and Egypt reached $1.3 billion. in the first quarter of 2021, it increased by 85% in the first quarter of 2022 to $2.5 billion. While the economic institutions continued to hold joint meetings to further improve economic relations.

The World Cup opening ceremony was also an opportunity for Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to bring together President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It was the first time they met face to face in 10 years, in November 2022 in Doha. At the end of the meeting, the two leaders stressed the depth of historical relations and indicated an improvement in the normalization process. However, differences of opinion between the two countries persisted in regional crises.

Given the deep historical ties and cultural affinities between the two sides, it is easy to conclude that it will not be difficult to restore relations. The two countries will soon restore their relations and engage in mutually beneficial cooperation. As the changing regional conditions and balance of power require an adjustment of bilateral and multilateral relations, the countries in the region will act accordingly and seek harmonious relations. With all this momentum of recent movements, the circle of normalization in the Middle East will be completed. Normalization of Turkish-Egyptian relations will reshape the Middle East.

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Morocco vs Brazil – live stream

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After making history by becoming the first African-Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, Morocco host international powerhouse Brazil in a friendly clash at the Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier on Saturday evening.

Morocco return to home soil for the first time since their World Cup heroics tonight, as they take on South American giants Brazil in friendly action

To watch the match click the link (the game is finished)

You can watch the match summary here:

. Towards a new African leadership .

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