La Ministra Delegada del Ministerio de Hacienda, Presupuestos y Planificación Nacional, Milagrosa Obono Angue, ha defendido una mayor participación de los países africanos en el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías, apostando por una alianza de co-inversión y co-creación tecnológica entre Corea y África.
La representante de Guinea Ecuatorial hizo estas declaraciones durante su intervención en la 8ª Conferencia Ministerial de la Cooperación Económica Corea-África (KOAFEC), que se celebra en Seúl del 8 al 11 de septiembre de 2026, bajo el eje de la inteligencia artificial y las infraestructuras digitales como motores de transformación económica del continente africano.
-“África no quiere limitarse a importar Inteligencia Artificial, África quiere crearla y adaptarla a sus realidades, construyendo con Corea una alianza de co-inversión y co-creación tecnológica”, afirmó la ministra delegada, situando la soberanía digital como uno de los principales desafíos estratégicos para el desarrollo del continente.
La conferencia, enmarcada en los veinte años de cooperación estratégica entre Corea y África, congrega a ministros africanos, autoridades coreanas, instituciones financieras, inversores, empresas y representantes del ecosistema tecnológico, con el propósito de explorar nuevas oportunidades de cooperación e inversión en el ámbito digital.
Durante su intervención, Milagrosa Obono Angue subrayó la necesidad de que los países africanos desarrollen mayores capacidades propias en materia tecnológica, mediante inversiones sostenidas en energía, centros de datos, conectividad de fibra óptica y formación de talento especializado.
Desde la perspectiva de Guinea Ecuatorial, la transformación digital representa una nueva oportunidad para fortalecer la cooperación internacional y generar capacidades que permitan al continente avanzar hacia un modelo tecnológico más autónomo y adaptado a sus propias necesidades.
En este contexto, Guinea Ecuatorial aspira a desempeñar un papel activo, no únicamente como receptor de tecnología y financiación, sino también como socio estratégico en proyectos capaces de generar conocimiento, empleo cualificado y valor añadido dentro de África.
La ministra delegada destacó asimismo que el país está dispuesto a poner sus infraestructuras energéticas y digitales al servicio de iniciativas que contribuyan al fortalecimiento de las capacidades nacionales y, al mismo tiempo, impulsen la transformación tecnológica del continente.
La participación de Guinea Ecuatorial en este foro internacional reafirma, de este modo, su interés por formar parte de una nueva etapa de cooperación con Corea, basada en la inversión, la innovación, la transferencia de conocimientos y el desarrollo conjunto de soluciones tecnológicas.
Desde Seúl, el mensaje planteado por la delegación ecuatoguineana es claro: África no debe limitarse a ser un mercado para la revolución tecnológica, sino convertirse también en un espacio donde esa revolución se diseñe, se desarrolle y se transforme en nuevas oportunidades económicas y de desarrollo.
Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.
The Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference and Exhibition opened in Luanda on Wednesday with Angola looking toward its next phase of oil and gas development, underpinned by a Hydrocarbon Strategy through 2050, more than $70 billion in projected upstream investment, Sonangol’s expanding operational footprint and new downstream infrastructure.
Financing that next phase could receive a major boost as early as November. African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk announced during the AOG opening that he had been informed that Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) will launch the long-awaited Africa Energy Bank that month.
“This will allow companies to do the big work,” Ayuk said, calling for continued exploration and investment across the continent. “Always explore, keep exploring.”
APPO Secretary General Farid Ghezali echoed these remarks, emphasizing in his opening address that mobilizing African capital will be essential if countries such as Angola are to translate their resource wealth into broader economic development.
“Resources alone do not create prosperity. What matters is our ability to turn these resources into opportunity,” he said. “Institutions such as the African Energy Bank can help mobilize capital, support strategic projects and finance Africa’s development.”
The financing announcement comes as Angola advances its 2025-2050 Hydrocarbon Strategy, targeting more exploration, faster project development and sustained production. Alcides Andrade, Executive Administrator of the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG), said the Hydrocarbon Strategy is currently being reviewed as Angola competes for increasingly selective global capital.
“Our objective is not only to award blocks, but to transform blocks into investment, investment into discovery, and discovery into production,” Andrade said.
The ANPG projects an upstream investment pipeline of $70 billion over the coming five years, supported by opportunities spanning offshore acreage, underexplored onshore basins and mature producing assets. Andrade highlighted that the regulator will also continue the Permanent Offer Regime while working to simplify procedures, improve contractual models and reduce decision-making timelines.
National oil company Sonangol is set to play an increasingly operational role in this next phase as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Sonangol Board Member Osvaldo Inacio said the company is now present in 42 oil concessions and operates 11, while expanding across gas, petrochemicals and other industrial activities.
“There is a principle which synthesizes our responsibility: produce to transform,” Inacio said. “It is not enough to have resources. It is fundamental to develop the capacity to transform them into added value.”
According to Inacio, Sonangol invested $10.5 billion between 2021 and 2025, while its portfolio grew from $995 million in 2022 to $3.4 billion in 2025. He said the company has also increased its net volumes by 200,000 barrels per day in recent years and processed 50,000 km² of 3D seismic.
That expansion extends downstream, where Angola is seeking greater domestic refining, storage and distribution capacity. Luís Fernandes, Director General of petroleum derivatives regulator Instituto Regulador dos Derivados do Petróleo (IRDP), identified energy security, domestic value creation, competition and product quality as central pillars for the sector.
“Domestic refining will reduce the dependence on importation,” Fernandes said, adding that Angola needs “an integrated logistics network that connects refineries with terminals.”
The recently completed Cabinda Refinery and ongoing Lobito Refinery development – scheduled to come online in 2027 – form part of this strategy, while IRDP sees further investment opportunities in storage, pipelines, distribution and lubricant manufacturing.
With Angola’s long-term hydrocarbons strategy taking shape and new African financing mechanisms emerging, Angolan energy leaders used the opening of AOG 2026 to make a central message clear: the next phase of the country’s oil and gas development will be built around investment, exploration, domestic capacity and execution.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
O Banco Africano de Exportação e Importação (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) organizou um Fórum sobre o Desenvolvimento do Conteúdo Local em Luanda, Angola, a 9 de Setembro de 2026, reunindo instituições governamentais, instituições financeiras, empresas locais e intervenientes do sector para explorar oportunidades de financiamento ao longo da cadeia de valor do petróleo e gás de Angola.
Realizado no Centro de Convenções de Talatona, o fórum teve como foco a forma como o financiamento, as parcerias e as estruturas de transacção poderiam apoiar o crescimento das empresas angolanas em todo o sector, incluindo oportunidades no financiamento de projectos, no financiamento comercial, nas infra-estruturas a jusante e no desenvolvimento industrial.
Angola continua a ser um dos mercados energéticos mais importantes de África, tendo o Afreximbank investido cerca de 2 mil milhões de USD no sector do petróleo e gás do país. O fórum deu continuidade a esse envolvimento ao analisar de que forma mais empresas angolanas poderiam evoluir da participação para uma maior participação acionista e expansão, desde que lhes sejam disponibilizados o financiamento, as parcerias e as estruturas adequadas.
Comentando a ambição do Afreximbank de apoiar a próxima geração de empresas angolanas do sector energético, o Sr. Haytham Elmaayergi, Vice-Presidente Executivo para o Financiamento do Comércio Internacional do Afreximbank, afirmou:
“Angola construiu uma plataforma sólida para o seu sector energético, tendo o Afreximbank desempenhado um papel de longa data na estruturação, financiamento e mobilização de capital para apoiar o seu desenvolvimento em grande escala. A próxima fase consiste em permitir que mais empresas angolanas passem da participação e prestação de serviços para a propriedade, a operação e a expansão, aproveitando a experiência de operadores africanos locais de sucesso para transformar essa ambição em transacções financiáveis e construir a próxima geração de líderes nacionais e regionais.”
Ao intervir no Fórum, Berta Rodrigues Issa, presidente da ASSEA (Associação de Empresas Autóctones para a Indústria Petrolífera de Angola), felicitou o Afreximbank por organizar o evento e por atribuir ao Conteúdo Local o lugar que este realmente merece: “Um país não se industrializa simplesmente por exportar mais do que importa. Industrializa-se quando transforma os seus recursos, desenvolve capacidade produtiva e cria empresas capazes de competir para além das suas fronteiras. É por isso que o tema do Afreximbank, “Dos Recursos ao Valor”, está tão profundamente alinhado com a agenda de Conteúdo Local de Angola.
“Para a ASSEA, o Conteúdo Local não pode limitar-se à participação de empresas de capital angolano em contratos pontuais. Deve ser um percurso deliberado rumo ao reforço das capacidades, à industrialização e à competitividade.”
O fórum analisou os constrangimentos práticos com que se defrontam as empresas locais, incluindo o acesso a financiamento adequado, a viabilidade financeira, a capacidade de execução e o acesso ao mercado e considerou de que forma as capacidades de financiamento e consultoria do Afreximbank poderiam ajudar a superar estas barreiras.
Os participantes retiraram igualmente lições da Nigéria, onde empresas locais como a Oando e a Heirs Energies expandiram as suas posições de propriedade e operação através de transacções de aquisição significativas. A aquisição da Nigerian Agip Oil Company pela Oando, no valor de 783 milhões de USD, aumentou a sua participação nos Contratos de Concessão de Produção [Oil Mining Lease (OML 60–63)] de 20% para 40%, enquanto a Heirs Energies adquiriu uma participação de 45% no Contrato de Concessão de Produção [Oil Mining Lease (OML 17)] e assumiu a operação do activo. Os exemplos ilustraram como as empresas africanas locais podem expandir-se para assumir papéis de maior participação accionista e operacionais.
O fórum destacou ainda um conjunto significativo de oportunidades no sector do petróleo e gás de Angola, incluindo 2,5 mil milhões de USD para a Lobito Oil, mil milhões de USD para a Sonangol, 1,4 mil milhões de USD para a Amufert e 280 milhões de USD para a Itracom.
Os debates centraram-se na forma como as instituições públicas, os bancos locais, os operadores do sector e os investidores poderiam colaborar para levar estas oportunidades à concretização.
Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Afreximbank.
Contacto para a Imprensa:
Vincent Musumba
Gestor de Comunicações e Eventos (Relações com a Imprensa)
Correio Electrónico: press@afreximbank.com
Sobre o Afreximbank:
O Banco Africano de Exportação e Importação (Afreximbank) é uma instituição financeira multilateral pan-africana com mandato para financiar e promover o comércio intra e extra-africano. Há mais de 30 anos que o Banco utiliza estruturas inovadoras para oferecer soluções de financiamento que apoiam a transformação da estrutura do comércio africano, acelerando a industrialização e o comércio intra-regional, impulsionando assim a expansão económica em África. Apoiante firme do Acordo de Comércio Livre Continental Africano (ACLCA), o Afreximbank lançou um Sistema Pan-Africano de Pagamento e Liquidação (PAPSS) que foi adoptado pela União Africana (UA) como plataforma de pagamento e liquidação para sustentar a implementação da ZCLCA. Em colaboração com o Secretariado da ZCLCA e a UA, o Banco criou um Fundo de Ajustamento de 10 mil milhões de dólares para apoiar os países que participam de forma efectiva na ZCLCA. No final de Dezembro de 2025, o total de activos e passivos contingentes do Afreximbank atingiu mais de 48,5 mil milhões de USD, e os seus fundos próprios totalizaram 8,4 mil milhões de USD. O Afreximbank tem notações de grau de investimento atribuídas pela China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), pela GCR (A), pela Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) e pela Moody’s (Baa2) e pela S&P Global Ratings (BBB+). O Banco tem a sua sede em Cairo, Egipto.
Para mais informações, visite: www.Afreximbank.com.
La Banque Africaine d’Import-Export (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) a organisé un forum sur le développement du contenu local à Luanda, en Angola, le 9 septembre 2026. Cet événement a réuni des institutions gouvernementales, des institutions financières, des entreprises locales et des acteurs du secteur pour explorer les opportunités de financement tout au long de la chaîne de valeur pétrolière et gazière angolaise.
Organisé au Centro de Convenções de Talatona, le forum a mis l’accent sur la manière dont le financement, les partenariats et les structures de transaction pouvaient soutenir la croissance des entreprises angolaises dans le secteur, notamment à travers des opportunités liées au financement de projets, au financement du commerce, aux infrastructures en aval et au développement industriel.
L’Angola demeure l’un des marchés énergétiques les plus importants d’Afrique, Afreximbank ayant investi près de 2 milliards de dollars US dans le secteur pétrolier et gazier du pays. Le forum s’est appuyé sur cet engagement en examinant la manière dont davantage d’entreprises angolaises pourraient passer de la participation à une plus grande prise de participation et à un changement d’échelle, dès lors que les financements, les partenariats et les structures appropriés sont mis à leur disposition.
Évoquant l’ambition d’Afreximbank de soutenir la prochaine génération d’entreprises énergétiques angolaises, M. Haytham Elmaayergi, Vice-président exécutif, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank, a déclaré :
« L’Angola a bâti une plateforme solide pour son secteur énergétique, Afreximbank jouant depuis longtemps un rôle clé dans la structuration, le financement et la mobilisation de capitaux pour soutenir son développement à grande échelle. La prochaine étape consiste à permettre à un plus grand nombre d’entreprises angolaises de passer de la participation et de la prestation de services à la maîtrise de la propriété, à la gestion opérationnelle et au changement d’échelle. En effet, il s’agit de s’appuyer sur l’expérience d’opérateurs africains locaux ayant réussi pour transformer cette ambition en transactions bancables et faire émerger la prochaine génération de champions nationaux et régionaux ».
Lors du Forum, Berta Rodrigues Issa, Présidente de l’ASSEA (Association des entreprises nationales du secteur pétrolier en Angola), a félicité Afreximbank pour l’organisation de l’événement et pour avoir placé le contenu local au cœur de sa vocation : « Un pays ne s’industrialise pas simplement en exportant davantage qu’il n’importe. Il s’industrialise lorsqu’il transforme ses ressources, développe ses capacités productives et fait émerger des entreprises capables de se mesurer à la concurrence au-delà de ses frontières. C’est pourquoi le thème d’Afreximbank, « Des ressources à la création de valeur », s’inscrit si pleinement dans la démarche de l’Angola en matière de contenu local.
Pour l’ASSEA, le contenu local ne peut se limiter à la participation d’entreprises à capitaux angolais à des contrats ponctuels. Il doit s’inscrire dans une démarche délibérée de renforcement des capacités, d’industrialisation et de compétitivité. »
Le forum a examiné les contraintes concrètes auxquelles font face les entreprises locales — notamment l’accès à des financements adaptés, la bancabilité, les capacités d’exécution et l’accès au marché — et s’est penché sur la manière dont les capacités de financement et de conseil d’Afreximbank pourraient contribuer à lever ces obstacles.
Les participants se sont également inspirés de l’exemple du Nigeria, où des entreprises locales telles qu’Oando et Heirs Energies ont renforcé leur position en tant que propriétaires et opérateurs grâce à d’importantes acquisitions. Le rachat de la Nigerian Agip Oil Company par Oando pour 783 millions de dollars a porté sa participation dans les licences OML 60 à 63 de 20 % à 40 %, tandis qu’Heirs Energies a acquis une participation de 45 % dans l’OML 17 et en a repris l’exploitation. Ces exemples illustrent la manière dont les entreprises africaines locales peuvent monter en puissance pour assumer des rôles plus importants en tant que propriétaires et opérateurs.
Le forum a également mis en lumière un important portefeuille d’opportunités dans le secteur angolais des hydrocarbures, notamment des projets représentant des besoins de financement de 2,5 milliards de dollars pour Lobito Oil, 1 milliard de dollars US pour Sonangol, 1,4 milliard de dollars US pour Amufert et 280 millions de dollars pour Itracom.
Les discussions ont porté sur la manière dont les institutions publiques, les banques locales, les opérateurs du secteur et les investisseurs pouvaient collaborer pour faire avancer ces projets vers leur mise en œuvre.
Distribué par APO Group pour Afreximbank.
Contact Presse :
Vincent Musumba
Responsable de la communication et de la gestion événementielle (Relations presse)
Courriel : press@afreximbank.com
À propos d’Afreximbank :
La Banque Africaine d’Import-Export (Afreximbank) est une institution financière multilatérale panafricaine dédiée au financement et à la promotion du commerce intra et extra-africain. Depuis 30 ans, Afreximbank déploie des structures innovantes pour fournir des solutions de financement qui facilitent la transformation de la structure du commerce africain et accélèrent l’industrialisation et le commerce intrarégional, soutenant ainsi l’expansion économique en Afrique. Fervente défenseur de l’Accord sur la Zone de Libre-Échange Continentale Africaine (ZLECAf), Afreximbank a lancé les le Système panafricain de paiement et de règlement (PAPSS) qui a été adopté par l’Union africaine (UA) comme la plateforme de paiement et de règlement devant appuyer la mise en œuvre de la ZLECAf. En collaboration avec le Secrétariat de la ZLECAf et l’UA, la Banque a mis en place un Fonds d’ajustement de 10 milliards de dollars US pour aider les pays à participer de manière effective à la ZLECAf. À la fin de décembre 2025, le total des actifs et des garanties de la Banque s’élevait à environ 48,5 milliards de dollars US et les fonds de ses actionnaires s’établissaient à 8,4 milliards de dollars US. Afreximbank est notée AAA par China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI), A par GCR, A- par Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) et Baa2 par Moody’s. Moody’s (Baa2) et S&P Global Ratings (BBB+). La Banque a son siège social au Caire, en Égypte.
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) hosted a Local Content Development Forum in Luanda, Angola, on 9 September 2026, bringing together government institutions, financial institutions, indigenous companies and industry players to explore financing opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas value chain.
Held at the Centro de Convenções de Talatona, the forum focused on how financing, partnerships and transaction structures could support the growth of Angolan companies across the sector, including opportunities in project finance, trade finance, downstream infrastructure and industrial development.
Angola remains one of Africa’s most significant energy markets, with Afreximbank having invested close to US$2 billion in the country’s oil and gas sector. The forum built on that engagement by examining how more Angolan companies could progress from participation into ownership and scale, when the right financing, partnerships and structures are made available to them.
Commenting on Afreximbank’s ambition to support the next generation of Angolan energy companies, Mr. Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank, said:
“Angola has built a strong platform for its energy sector, with Afreximbank playing a longstanding role in structuring, financing and mobilising capital to support its development at scale. The next phase is about enabling more Angolan companies to move from participation and service provision towards ownership and scale, drawing on the experience of successful indigenous African operators to turn that ambition into bankable transactions and build the next generation of national and regional champions.”
Speaking at the Forum, Berta Rodrigues Issa, President of ASSEA (Association of Indigenous Companies for the Oil Industry of Angola), congratulated Afreximbank on hosting the event, and for placing Local Content where it truly belongs: “A country does not industrialise merely by exporting more than it imports. It industrialises when it transforms its resources, develops productive capacity and builds companies capable of competing beyond its borders. That is why Afreximbank’s theme- “From Resources to Value” – is so deeply aligned with Angola’s Local Content agenda.
“For ASSEA, Local Content cannot be limited to the participation of Angolan-owned companies in one-off contracts. It must be a deliberate path towards capacity building, industrialization and competitiveness.”
The forum examined practical constraints facing indigenous companies, including access to appropriate financing, bankability, execution capability and market access, and considered how Afreximbank’s financing and advisory capabilities could help address these barriers.
Participants also drew lessons from Nigeria, where indigenous companies such as Oando and Heirs Energies have expanded their ownership and operating positions through significant acquisition transactions. Oando’s US$783 million acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company increased its interests in OMLs 60–63 from 20% to 40%, while Heirs Energies acquired a 45% interest in OML 17 and assumed operatorship of the asset. The examples illustrated how indigenous African companies can scale into larger ownership and operating roles.
The forum also highlighted significant pipeline of opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas sector, including US$2.5 billion for Lobito Oil, US$1 billion for Sonangol, US$1.4 billion for Amufert and US$280 million for Itracom.
Discussions centred on how public institutions, local banks, industry operators and investors could work together to advance these opportunities towards implementation.
– on behalf of Afreximbank.
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Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com
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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A strong supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2025, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$48.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$8.4 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), Moody’s (Baa2) and S&P Global Ratings (BBB+). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
Les juridictions militaires de Bouar ont ouvert, le 10 septembre 2026, leur toute première audience correctionnelle dans la préfecture de la Nana-Mambere. Cette activité marque une étape importante dans le renforcement de la justice militaire en République centrafricaine. Organisée avec l’appui technique de la MINUSCA, cette session s’inscrit dans les efforts visant à promouvoir l’État de droit, à renforcer le secteur de la sécurité et à lutter contre l’impunité.
Lors de l’ouverture de l’audience, le président des juridictions militaires de Bouar, Guigra Didier Nicaise, a indiqué que les affaires inscrites au rôle concernent exclusivement des infractions de nature militaire. Il a insisté sur la nécessité du strict respect des procédures judiciaires ainsi que des principes qui régissent le fonctionnement des juridictions militaires.
De son côté, le commissaire du gouvernement, Laurent Ouabita, a souligné le caractère historique de cette audience, la première depuis la création de la juridiction militaire de Bouar. « Le rôle comprend quatre dossiers », a-t-il précisé, ajoutant que plusieurs réunions préparatoires avaient été organisées afin de définir les responsabilités des assesseurs et d’harmoniser le déroulement des travaux.
Prévue sur deux jours, cette première audience correctionnelle constitue une étape majeure dans l’opérationnalisation des juridictions militaires de Bouar. Elle offre également l’occasion de renforcer les capacités des acteurs de la justice militaire tout en consolidant les mécanismes de reddition de comptes au sein des institutions de défense et de sécurité.
L’accompagnement de la MINUSCA dans cette initiative s’inscrit dans le cadre de son appui aux autorités centrafricaines dans les domaines de la réforme du secteur de la sécurité et de la justice. Cet appui vise notamment à renforcer les capacités des institutions judiciaires, à améliorer leur fonctionnement opérationnel et à promouvoir une justice indépendante, accessible et conforme aux principes de l’État de droit.
Il convient de rappeler que la MINUSCA avait officiellement remis, le 7 février 2025, aux autorités centrafricaines le bâtiment destiné à abriter les juridictions militaires de Bouar. Cette infrastructure contribue aujourd’hui à l’effectivité de cette justice spécialisée et au rapprochement de la justice militaire des populations de la région.
Distribué par APO Group pour United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
“Digital technology is changing the very nature of police cooperation.” Deputy Commissioner Stéphane Mawana is closely observing the changes brought about by digital technologies in police work. An investigator with the Congolese National Police (PNC) for the past eight years, he attended the National School of Cybersecurity in Dakar. He says he fully understands the importance of celebrating International Police Cooperation Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this year under the theme “Digital Technology at the Heart of Police Cooperation.”
Threats that know no borders
“Today, in addition to informants and physical resources, cyberspace is helping us a great deal in solving crimes,” explains Deputy Commissioner Stéphane Mawana.
Digital technology was therefore a major focus on Monday, September 7, during the celebration of International Police Cooperation Day at the University of Kinshasa.
“Digital technology is playing an increasingly prominent role in police investigations,” the Deputy Commissioner further notes.
The Commissioner General of the Congolese National Police, Benjamin Alongaboni, shares the same view. “Crime is evolving; it is becoming digital,” he observes, regretting that “technologies are increasingly being exploited for criminal purposes.”
Cybercrime, disinformation and transnational criminal networks are among the threats that know no borders and are increasingly posing risks to countries around the world.
This led Christiane Sophie Eone, UNPOL’s Coordinator for Reform and Restructuring, to observe: “We are operating in an environment where technology is redefining threats.”
Cooperation: “a strategic necessity”
During the day’s celebrations, police officers, academics, civil society representatives and government partners unanimously recognized that the complexity of digital threats requires information sharing. Hence the importance of police cooperation.
“Information sharing is crucial,” insists Deputy Commissioner Stéphane Mawana, for whom police cooperation is a key asset in the fight against cybercrime.
UNPOL made the same case.
“Faced with this complexity,” says Christiane Sophie Eone, “police cooperation is no longer an option; it has become a strategic necessity.”
She further emphasized that MONUSCO is mobilized to support the Congolese police “in this spirit of shared responsibility.”
“Our shared ambition is to see the emergence of a police force capable of anticipating digital threats while remaining deeply human and worthy of the trust of the Congolese people,” she said.
For the Commissioner General of the Congolese National Police, it is likewise essential for police forces to share information in order to combat networks that increasingly rely on digital tools that know no borders.
The Minister of the Interior, who also attended the celebration, concluded that, at present, “no State can claim to act effectively alone” in the face of such threats.
He particularly stressed the need to exchange experiences among police forces from different countries in order to effectively combat criminal networks.
From laboratories to police stations
But why celebrate Police Cooperation Day within the grounds of the country’s oldest university?
UNPOL is advocating for stronger bridges between academia and the police.
“By celebrating International Police Cooperation Day here, we are demonstrating our commitment to linking academic reflection with security action,” explains Christiane Sophie Eone.
For the Commissioner General of Police, it is imperative to bring the police closer to academia and the research community.
UNPOL’s Coordinator for Reform and Restructuring took the opportunity to challenge the many students who attended the celebration: “Dare. Innovate. Dare to put forward ideas, because tomorrow’s security is being created today in your laboratories and through your research and reflections.”
Since 2023, International Police Cooperation Day has been celebrated on September 7 to highlight the essential role of international police cooperation in promoting peace, security and justice.
– on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Egypt, Sisira Senavirathne, together with officials of the Embassy, met with the Chairman of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce in Ismailia, Akram Hussein Al-Shafei, and members of the Executive Board at the Chamber’s headquarters in Ismailia on 26 August 2026. The meeting discussed a broad range of trade and investment opportunities and explored avenues to further strengthen bilateral economic relations through enhanced engagement between the business communities of Sri Lanka and Egypt.
The meeting was attended by more than 20 representatives from the business and investment community, including company representatives and Board Members of the Chamber engaged in various sectors in Ismailia. The interaction provided an important platform to showcase Sri Lanka’s trade and investment potential, foster greater engagement between the business communities of the two countries, and promote Sri Lanka Expo 2027 among Egyptian investors and business entities.
Ambassador Sisira Senavirathne briefed the Chamber delegation on business and investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka and encouraged the Egyptian business community to explore avenues for business partnerships, joint ventures and direct linkages with their Sri Lankan counterparts. He also underscored the importance of strengthening institutional linkages between business chambers of the two countries, including through the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding, to facilitate sustained business-to-business cooperation.
Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Mangala Wijesinghe, delivered a presentation on Sri Lanka Expo 2027, Sri Lanka’s flagship international trade and investment forum, which was scheduled to be held in Colombo from 14 to 17 January 2027. He invited the Chamber and the Egyptian business community to participate in the Expo and explore opportunities for establishing and expanding business partnerships with Sri Lankan companies.
Chairman of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce in Ismailia, Akram Hussein Al-Shafei, underscored the importance of enhancing trade and investment cooperation between Sri Lanka and Egypt for mutual benefit. He highlighted opportunities in Ismailia for foreign direct investment and expanding the presence of Sri Lankan products in the Egyptian market, particularly agricultural products. He also expressed keen interest in participating in Sri Lanka Expo 2027 with a Chamber delegation. Both sides agreed to identify and pursue new opportunities in trade and investment and strengthen partnerships between the business communities through enhanced cooperation and closer engagement between trade chambers.
Key participants from the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce in Ismailia included Vice Chairman Galal Mohammed Taher; Second Vice Chairman Osama El-Adawy; Secretary General Saeed Mohamed Shuaib; Treasurer Wael Abdel Aziz; Assistant Treasurer Ahmed Sami Selim; Chairwoman of the Women’s Business Council Amal Ibrahim Mahmoud; and other members of the Board of Directors. Ambassador Sisira Senavirathne was accompanied by Second Secretary Darshika Dasanayake and Trade Assistant Omar Hamdy of the Embassy.
– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism – Sri Lanka.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ryan A. Manzuk, Research Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The southern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is known as the Copperbelt because of its rich deposits of copper and other minerals.
The area was the original source of uranium ore for the first nuclear weapons built by the US’s Manhattan Project (1942 and 1947). Two atomic bombs were then dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The Manhattan Project’s main source of uranium was the Cobberbelt’s Shinkolobwe mine in south-east DRC. It has been officially closed to excavation since 2004.
However, our recent research shows that substantial unreported quantities of uranium are likely to be leaving the country today. I am a geologist with expertise in analysing data concerning the chemical and mineral contents of rocks. I do most of my work in map-view, taking in spatial data points – like regional cobalt statistics – and drawing conclusions.
Our research is the first to systematically take two crucial factors into account:
the natural geologic co-occurence of uranium and cobalt
their similar behaviour in processing chemistry.
Uranium and cobalt occur together in rock and respond the same way to chemical processing, so they are hard to separate.
From this we were able to come up with a single estimate of how much uranium is at stake when cobalt is mined and exported.
Very few data points about uranium concentrations in ores or the chemical steps that prepare cobalt for shipment are publicly available. We reached our estimates by using geologic maps to model the likely uranium grades in cobalt ores.
We combined these grades with the amount of ore being processed at each facility in the Copperbelt, and a model of uranium behaviour during the processing chemistry prior to shipment.
The end result links cobalt production to likely uranium export. Our calculations show that, in the most likely scenarios, 2,000-5,000 tonnes of natural uranium were exported from the DRC in cobalt-hydroxide shipments between 2000 and 2024.
Less than 10% of this material appears to have been publicly declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency is responsible for uranium accountancy and safeguards. Most of the material was exported to China, which dominates the global cobalt market.
This quantity of uranium could be processed into enough material for roughly 600-1,500 nuclear weapons, by our calculations. Or fuel a standard light-water nuclear reactor for 10-25 years.
Our findings identify a substantial gap in nuclear accountancy and environmental oversight within a critical mineral supply chain. In the weeks following our study’s publication in July 2026, the DRC launched a probe to test outgoing cobalt shipments for uranium content. It will also consult with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
But more needs to be done.
Putting pieces of the puzzle together
The specific risk of uranium exports as a byproduct of cobalt is not a story of covert access to deposits and smuggling. It stems from a geologic coincidence.
Cobalt is key to many modern conveniences and technologies, such as smartphones and laptops. Southern DRC is the source of 70% of the world’s cobalt. The ores that supply this cobalt sit in close proximity to the several concentrated uranium deposits, like Shinkolobwe, that dot the region.
Over the past few million years, uranium has spread throughout the Copperbelt as rainwater has gradually carried it away from the concentrated deposits that formed roughly 600 million years ago, before the first animals even walked on land. Heterogenite, the main mineral that supplies cobalt, can adsorb – or grab hold of – this uranium as it passes by.
The result is that the same minerals that form the world’s majority supply of cobalt are known to have elevated uranium content.
We reviewed several pieces of prior research that noted that uranium and cobalt have similar chemical behaviours in the crude refining that takes place in the DRC.
So nearly all the uranium that comes out of the ground when extracting cobalt minerals will remain in the final product that’s ready for export.
Refineries can follow explicit processes to remove uranium from cobalt. Discussions about these techniques have only begun to happen in recent years, starting roughly in 2020. They are not common. We compiled DRC import records of the chemicals required to remove uranium and found only three of the 31 operations we investigated appeared to be consistently implementing uranium removal measures.
We built a model that took the uranium and cobalt’s geologic co-occurrence and similar behaviours in processing chemistry to form a single estimate of how much uranium is involved. The end result linked cobalt production to likely uranium export.
The risks
The sheer size of the DRC cobalt industry poses a uranium accountancy problem, regardless of uranium grades in ores or removal strategies. The country exported over 200,000 tonnes of cobalt in 2024.
Even if mines in the DRC were systematically implementing uranium removal strategies to keep cobalt products within international shipping limits for radioactivity, enough uranium would be reaching China to make approximately 12 nuclear weapons per year. This is based on our calculations and the size of the DRC’s cobalt industry.
Beyond the clear global security risk that comes from the undocumented flow of uranium, our results demonstrate a widespread risk to the people and environments near these mines.
People are exposed to this uranium when working in the mines. We estimate 1,000-4,000 tonnes of uranium have been discarded in highly mobile forms in tailings areas – sites used to hold material left over after mining. This poses an environmental health and safety risk to the surrounding communities.
Prior research has shown that some populations of miners and communities near mines in the DRC show signs of uranium exposure, based on sampling of their blood and urine. Our research shows that this risk must be considered across the entire Copperbelt.
What next
Systematic assay measurement of cobalt products is a crucial first step in bringing transparency to this issue. This would involve an independent agency taking representative samples of cobalt shipments and measuring the precise amount of uranium present to produce a shared record.
In addition to testing the outgoing shipments, we would also recommend monitoring workers in the DRC cobalt industry for radiation exposure. Our results indicate that even ores that have modest uranium grades present a potential exposure risk as they can eventually achieve high concentrations through processing.
And policies are needed that mandate the treatment of cobalt products to remove uranium and dispose of it in stable forms in tailings areas that are isolated from public water supplies.
– DRC’s cobalt exports contain unreported uranium – our study estimates the global nuclear risk – https://theconversation.com/drcs-cobalt-exports-contain-unreported-uranium-our-study-estimates-the-global-nuclear-risk-291107
Connected to wireless earphones, Yoofi Greene from Ghana begins his dance steps down a busy sidewalk in Guangzhou, China. People, bicycles and cars zoom past. Pedestrians watch with a mix of amusement and annoyance as he glides by them and moves to occupy the middle of the street.
Yoofi draws closer to the long lane of traffic that his dancing has managed to interrupt. He pauses. I steady my phone to track his choreography. He looks directly at the camera. A big smile extends across his face as he proceeds to twerk at an impatient taxi.
Back on the sidewalk, I airdrop him the footage to edit and before you can say “viral dance” he’s uploaded it to social media and his followers – 215,000 at the time of writing.
Yoofi is one of many Africans living in China who are participants in a broader movement to bring emerging lifestyle trends from the continent to new audiences. Like most dancers, he connects with these new audiences on social media.
Dancers rely on social media to create and share dances from different parts of the world. The more followers, likes and reposts they get, the more recognition, status and money they can gain. Going viral also helps dancers connect with and learn from others, while giving them opportunities to travel and migrate.
I am a social and cultural anthropologist from Finland who grew up in China. I was first drawn to the contagious energy of African dance in 2018. The following year, I took my new hobby to Guangzhou. From learning choreography in studios to shooting dance videos on the streets to dancing in nightclubs, I entered this rich world of dance and developed a research project around it to study how African dancers in China harness cultural norms and market themselves to serve their larger mobility project.
I learned that as dance moves from the streets or the studio to the screen, dancers are in a position to provide alternatives to the circulating stereotypes about “Africanness”.
The public display of dance can emphasise racial and ethnic differences and reinforce the perception of certain people as outsiders in both the dancer’s and the audience’s imaginations.
But at the same time it offers opportunities for cultural exchange, friendship and collaboration.
Yoofi Greene
My study was conducted several years ago. The African dance scene has since grown into a big industry in China. Established African dancers regularly teach at dance studios in the country’s cities. Alongside classes, dance camps (intensive short programmes) featuring instructors from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and the wider African diaspora are becoming increasingly common.
This did not happen overnight. Over the past decade, African dance influencers and dance entrepreneurs in China, like Yoofi, have worked hard to attract audiences, offering new ways of imagining Africa.
Yoofi first started posting dance videos in China a decade ago. At the time, African dance had not yet gained public appeal in the country. The market has changed enormously since then. At the tail end of the COVID pandemic, African dance genres moved from the margins to the mainstream.
Yoofi’s popularity rides the waves of many African artists who have exploded in popularity around the world with their vibrant sounds and rhythms.
Internationally, dancers play a prominent role in amplifying music trends like Afrobeats by filming choreographies and “dance crazes” to the music, inspiring viewers to imitate the dance.
Dancers bring a blend of dance styles borrowed from across the African continent to China. These include the sensual hip rotations of Congolese ndombolo, the intricate footwork of Afro house emerging from Angola, and the slick moves grooving to the hypnotic synths of South Africa’s amapiano. Others go viral using Nigerian street styles or Ghana’s azonto style with fast-paced legwork to complement the music’s rapid tempos, and sharp shoulder thrusts, pelvic grinds, and facial movements.
Posting eye-catching and sometimes disruptive videos – like Yoofi’s public street dancing – consistently on social media accounts becomes an entrepreneurial strategy for dancers. The exposure becomes quantifiable in followers, likes and reposts as a crucial way for them to grow their fame and attract paid work.
Yet going viral goes not guarantee long term security or profit.
Countering stereotypes
Many people in China carry racialised stereotypes about Africa and Black people. Tribalist and primitive tropes are presented through dance performances on state television and in theme parks. Globally, Blackness has also become commodified as fashionable.
My study of African dance influencers shows how they defy these stereotypes. They use their phones and cameras to share their dances on their own terms, to celebrate all the layers of diversity of African dance and thus of the African subject.
Viral African dance in China becomes simultaneously a form of cultural exchange, a site that treats racial identity as a commodity, and a means through which dancers strategically negotiate and reproduce ideas about Africa and African dance.
Mathew Nandala
Not all dancers chase online fame by making videos that stop traffic. For example, during the years that Ugandan dancer Mathew Nandala was living in China, he chose to film his dance videos with public backgrounds that display visual contrasts between Africa and China.
With their intricately choreographed sword fighting and acrobatics, Chinese movies influenced Nandala’s aspirations to become a dancer when he arrived in the country. These influences are visible in his dance videos. In one, for example, he is wearing body paint and dancing in a pagoda. In another, he dons a Chinese-inspired outfit while incorporating martial arts into his sequences. Hashtags like #AfroinChina and #Africatotheworld draw wider audiences into these expressions. In a way, this portrays his ability to inhabit multiple places – an expression of being Afropolitan.
Nandala’s viral videos catch people’s attention because they play with cultural and racialised images and stir people to think about them in new ways, to compose multiple worlds at once.
Dance as a way to appreciate difference
Digital platforms offer vital opportunities for African dance influencers to construct their own visions of what it means to be African.
Whether the dance is filmed on the street, like Yoofi’s, or uses imagined worlds, like Nandala’s, viral dance content spreads to new audiences. Its meaning constantly changes as different people use and share it.
What I learned in the course of my research is that, for people who are open to these experiences, dance can challenge racialised stereotypes and transform how we see one another. This does not mean that differences will disappear. It means that we become open to new ways of understanding one another with a deeper complexity.
– Viral African dance videos are busting stereotypes in China – and making money for some – https://theconversation.com/viral-african-dance-videos-are-busting-stereotypes-in-china-and-making-money-for-some-290555
