Silver prices surged past $37 per ounce this week, continuing an upward trend that pushed the metal to its highest point since 2012. While gold has still outperformed silver in 2024, with a year-to-date rise of 30% versus 25% for silver—the gap between the two metals is closing fast, driven in part by rising tensions in the Middle East. Back in early May, Goldman Sachs said gold was...

Syrah restarts Balama graphite mine in Mozambique. Gradual output; exports may resume in Q3 2025. Force majeure continues amid low global prices.  Australian mining firm Syrah Resources has resumed production at its Balama graphite mine in Mozambique, Africa's largest graphite operation. The company announced the restart on Thursday, June 19, following several weeks of...

TotalEnergies, Eni, Sinopec win Algeria oil, gas blocks. Aim is to boost gas output to 200 bcm/year. Contracts to be signed July 30. Oil giants TotalEnergies, Eni, Sinopec, and other companies have been selected to operate exploration and production blocks in Algeria’s Illizi, Reggane, Berkine, Ahnet-Gourara, and Gourara-Timimoun basins. This announcement came on June 17,...

Marriott Cotonou to rebrand as Hilton by 2028. State-funded upgrade adds 233 rooms for business travel. Part of €1 Billion plan to boost tourism and GDP share. A symbolic change is underway in Cotonou. Marriott hotel, located near Palais des Congrès and major embassies, will soon be rebranded under the Hilton flag. Carlos Khneisser, Vice President of Development for the...

From July 14, 2025, palm oil importers in Ghana must register and obtain permits The move aims to stabilize the domestic market and protect local producers from unfair competition Ghana imported an average of 257,400 tons of crude palm oil annually between 2019 and 2023 Ghana, Africa's fifth-largest palm oil producer, is taking steps to tighten control over palm oil imports as it...

Mauritius is the most peaceful country in Africa for the 18th year in a row Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the most conflicts globally Global peace has dropped to its lowest level since the index began in 2008 Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia are Africa’s most peaceful nations in 2025, according to the latest Global Peace Index released on Wednesday, June 18, by the...

CSR in CEMAC banks is inadequate, lacking real ESG focus. Critics say current efforts are more marketing than impact. Experts call for training, strategy, and transparency. Despite recent progress, corporate social responsibility remains lacking among banks in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, or CEMAC, experts said at the Business Sustainability Forum in...

DRC and Rwanda to sign U.S.-backed peace deal on June 27 Pact covers disarmament, refugees, and economic ties Tensions driven by rebels, ethnic strife, and mineral smuggling  The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are set to sign a peace agreement in Washington on June 27. This potential breakthrough follows talks that began in March under the guidance of the U.S....

Highlights: • Ghana lost $11.4 billion to gold smuggling from artisanal mining between 2019 and 2023, Swissaid reports. • Smugglers reroute undeclared gold through Togo, Burkina Faso, and Mali, mainly to the UAE. • Tax cuts failed to curb smuggling; NGO blames corruption and weak regulation. Ghana lost an estimated $11.4 billion in gold revenue between 2019 and 2023 due to...

Highlights: • World Bank urges Niger to boost irrigation as climate shocks threaten food security. • Just 2% of farmland is irrigated, yet it produces a third of Niger’s agricultural GDP.  • Niger targets 31,200 hectares of new and rehabilitated irrigated land by 2027 under national expansion plan. The World Bank is urging Niger to expand irrigation as climate change threatens to...