Category: English

Source: APO

On March 2, 2026, Yanar Mohammed, one of Iraq’s leading women’s rights defenders, was shot outside her home in Baghdad by two unidentified gunmen. One hundred days after her assassination, no one has been charged with her murder.

The absence of meaningful progress in the investigation reflects the culture of impunity that Yanar dedicated her life to changing, a culture in which violence against women and girls is routinely tolerated and left unpunished.

Yanar’s murder sparked global outrage and grief. Her death is a profound loss for her family, friends, and colleagues, for the women’s rights movement in Iraq and beyond, and for the countless women and girls she sought to protect. It is also a stark reminder of the risks faced by women’s rights activists in Iraq. The failure by the government to charge anyone in connection with Yanar’s killing sends a chilling message that those who target human rights defenders can act without consequence.

Justice for Yanar Mohammed

The Hurra Coalition (https://apo-opa.co/3QwR08Q), an association of 15 feminist organisations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) working to reform discriminatory family laws, and Equality Now (https://apo-opa.co/4v2k1YY), the coalition’s Secretariat, urge the Government of Iraq to deliver justice for Yanar by conducting a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation.

State authorities must ensure that all those responsible for her death are identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable in accordance with international human rights standards.

Yanar Mohammed built a network of safe houses for survivors fleeing violence

Yanar, 65, was a courageous advocate for equality and the rights of women and girls. As co-founder and director of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) (https://apo-opa.co/4fC0Xfn), she assisted survivors of gender-based violence, domestic abuse, and trafficking, and campaigned to end so-called “honour” crimes.

Under her leadership, OWFI established Iraq’s first women’s shelters and developed a network of safe houses across the country. These shelters continue to provide not only much-needed refuge from violence and exploitation but also counselling, legal support, and vocational training, enabling many hundreds of women to build new lives.

Kawthar Bashar Al-Husayjawi killed after resisting forced marriage

In an interview with Nobel Women’s Initiative (https://apo-opa.co/4ggRASu), Yanar said: “My work is focused on protecting women in Iraq from the crimes of patriarchy. The government has allowed an agenda that is dismissive of women’s rights. The government policies are based on religion and are extremely patriarchal and tribal, and they preach hatred of women. Iraq has become a place where polygamy is encouraged, where honour killings are allowed, and child marriage is an everyday occurrence.”

This cruel reality was tragically demonstrated by the killing in May 2026 of Kawthar Bashar al-Husayjawi, a 15-year-old girl from Baghdad. Writing in The Guardian, a female relative described how Kawthar had tried to escape a forced marriage (https://apo-opa.co/4oiT4xy) to an older cousin who had recently been released from prison. Kawthar was allegedly shot ten times by her father, uncle, and cousin, while an unverified video circulating widely online reportedly shows family members celebrating her death.

The female relative explained that Kawthar had already survived one abusive child marriage. At just 13 years old, she was removed from school and forced to marry an alcoholic who was much older than her. After enduring a year of violent mistreatment, she returned to her family seeking protection. Instead, they tried to pressure her to return to her abuser and kept her under effective house arrest.

Following repeated threats to kill herself, Kawthar was granted a divorce by a court in late 2025, only to face new efforts by her family to force her into another unwanted marriage. 

Kawthar’s case demands the same urgent commitment to justice as Yanar’s. The Iraqi authorities must conduct a thorough investigation and ensure full accountability for all those involved. Failure to do so would reinforce the culture of impunity that emboldens would-be perpetrators, enables gender-based violence, and undermines efforts to protect women and girls at risk. Breaking this cycle is integral to honouring Yanar’s legacy.

Standing in solidarity with women’s human rights defenders

At this critical moment, Hurra Coalition members stand in full solidarity with women human rights defenders, particularly those in Iraq. No one should be defamed, threatened, or harmed because of their human rights work, nor should institutional barriers be used to restrict or suppress their activism.

As a regional movement spanning the Middle East and North Africa, we will continue to amplify the vital work of Iraqi civil society and support efforts to advance women’s rights and fundamental freedoms. We urge the Iraqi authorities to take immediate steps to protect human rights defenders and guarantee a safe and enabling environment in which they can carry out their work without risk of harassment, violence, or reprisals.

More determined than ever, we remain committed to advancing the causes that Yanar championed throughout her life. Her courage, leadership, and unwavering dedication to ending gender-based violence continue to inspire our efforts to build a future where all women and girls can live with equality, dignity, and freedom in Iraq and across the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now.

About Equality Now:
Equality Now is a worldwide human rights organisation dedicated to securing the legal and systemic change needed to end discrimination against all women and girls. Since its inception in 1992, it has played a role in reforming over 130 discriminatory laws globally, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of women and girls, their communities and nations, both now and for generations to come.

Working with partners at national, regional and global levels, Equality Now draws on deep legal expertise and a diverse range of social, political and cultural perspectives to continue to lead the way in steering, shaping and driving the change needed to achieve enduring gender equality, to the benefit of all.

For more details, go to www.EqualityNow.org.

Source: APO

.

A new roadmap for Africa’s downstream oil sector is taking shape following high-level discussions in Algeria on June 7. Algerian Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab hosted Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA). The talks focused on transforming the continent’s refining, petrochemicals and LPG infrastructure networks, creating new pathways for continental downstream expansion.

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – as the voice of the African energy sector – strongly supports this collaborative milestone between ARDA and Algeria. The Chamber views the engagement as a vital step toward achieving continental energy security and reducing dependence on foreign product imports. By leveraging Algeria’s extensive technical expertise, the AEC believe Africa can rapidly accelerate its downstream integration goals.

The ministerial meetings brought together executive leadership from Algeria’s state-backed energy enterprises, including Sonatrach and Naftal. Discussions centered on creating unified regulatory and legal frameworks to attract regional investments. Both parties emphasized industrial safety, environmental protection and evaluating global market trends to shield vulnerable African economies from external shocks.

During the meetings, Minister Arkab stressed that Africa must transition from a traditional rent-based export model toward integrated development. This strategy relies on processing raw natural resources locally to build resilient national and regional value chains. Algeria’s framework showcases how sovereign resource management and public companies can stabilize markets while fostering technology transfers.

For its part, ARDA expressed deep interest in replicating Algeria’s successful downstream infrastructure blueprint across other member states. Kragha highlighted the necessity of strengthening African energy solidarity through coordinated cross-border supply chains. The association aims to utilize advanced processing technologies to support economic development and alleviate regional energy deficits.

This cooperation aligns with Algeria’s massive $7 billion downstream expansion strategy, managed by Sonatrach. This processing initiative serves as a core pillar of the country’s broader $60 billion 2026–2030 Hydrocarbon Development Plan. The strategic goal is to elevate the local hydrocarbon conversion rate from 32% to 50% by 2030.

Algeria’s refining modernization is anchored by six domestic refineries boasting a combined processing capacity of 657,000 barrels per day. Current projects include the Arzew refinery upgrade with Sinopec to double gasoline output to 1.2 million tons annually by mid-2028. Additionally, the Skikda fuel oil cracking project will deliver 1.75 million tons of diesel by January 2029.

The petrochemical sector is also expanding through a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing push targeting core industrial inputs and plastics. Key installations include the 550,000-tons-per-year STEP polypropylene plant and a $1 billion linear alkylbenzene complex in Skikda. Furthermore, a new MTBE plant entered its phased production start-up cycle in early 2026.

In the gas sector, Algeria operates four mega LNG liquefaction complexes and two LPG separation complexes in Arzew and Skikda. This extensive gas infrastructure provides a reliable foundation for expanding continental LPG distribution networks.

To sustain this expansion, Algeria’s 2019 Hydrocarbons Law offers attractive tax provisions and robust investment protections for international oil companies. While Sonatrach relies on foreign engineering partnerships for heavy machinery, it is actively mitigating supply risks. Simultaneously, a parallel $1 billion investment addresses European carbon tariffs by capturing flared gas and piloting green hydrogen.

“These talks between Algeria and ARDA mark a decisive turning point in Africa’s journey toward total energy independence and structural industrialization. By leveraging Algeria’s world-class downstream infrastructure and sovereign expertise, the continent can fully transition from a raw exporter to a self-sufficient powerhouse,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Source: APO

.

Multinational oil and gas services company SBM Offshore will participate at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition as a Silver Sponsor, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to Africa’s expanding deepwater oil and gas industry. Their participation comes as SBM Offshore accelerates brownfield optimization projects in Angola while aggressively positioning itself for new frontier developments in Namibia’s Orange Basin.

SBM Offshore’s return to AEW, which takes place from October 12–16 in Cape Town, is expected to draw significant industry attention as operators, financiers and EPC contractors evaluate the next wave of floating production infrastructure across the Atlantic Basin. With more than 20 years of experience in Africa and over $31 billion in contract backlog globally, the company remains one of the world’s most influential FPSO suppliers.

The Sponsorship follows several major milestones announced during 2025 and 2026. On May 26, the American Bureau of Shipping approved SBM Offshore’s seawater intake riser technology developed alongside Shell. The system pumps cold seawater from depths of 700m to FPSO topsides, reducing onboard cooling energy demand and improving emissions performance for future African and South American projects.

The company’s financial position strengthened considerably following the $2.32 billion sale of FPSO One Guyana to ExxonMobil in February 2026. The transaction helped drive a 216% year-on-year increase in Q1 2026 directional revenue to $3.5 billion while reducing SBM Offshore’s net debt from $5.7 billion to $3.2 billion by March 21, 2026.

In March 2026, ExxonMobil awarded SBM Offshore front-end engineering and design contracts for the Longtail development in Guyana. The proposed FPSO is expected to feature the world’s highest gas-handling capacity ever deployed on a floating production vessel, processing 1.2 billion cubic feet of gas and 250,000 barrels of condensate daily.

Across Africa, SBM Offshore continues expanding its offshore footprint. In Angola, the company signed multi-year extensions in December 2025 with Esso Exploration Angola for FPSO Mondo and FPSO Saxi Batuque in Block 15, extending operations through 2032. Brownfield upgrades and life-extension works commenced in early 2026 to support declining reservoir pressure management and maintain environmental compliance standards.

The company also finalized a share purchase agreement with Equatorial Guinea’s national oil company GEPetrol in December 2025, restructuring regional asset ownership and supporting localized operational transitions. The FPSO Aseng formally exited SBM Offshore’s lease-and-operate fleet during the same period as management responsibilities shifted toward Equatoguinean entities.

Namibia retains a central focus of SBM Offshore’s African growth strategy. The company is actively competing for TotalEnergies’ Venus FPSO contract in the Orange Basin, one of Africa’s largest recent offshore discoveries with estimated resources of roughly 2 billion barrels. SBM Offshore has expanded its Cape Town commercial engineering workforce while positioning its standardized technologies for upcoming South Atlantic developments.

“SBM Offshore’s participation at this year’s event reflects the growing momentum behind Africa’s deepwater industry and the critical role FPSO technology will play in unlocking new production. From Angola’s mature offshore hubs to Namibia’s frontier discoveries, SBM Offshore continues to demonstrate the technical expertise, operational scale and long-term investment approach needed to advance Africa’s next generation of energy projects,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

Looking ahead, SBM Offshore aims to combine frontier expansion with lower-emission offshore production systems. Through partnerships with SLB and Cognite, the company is integrating industrial AI platforms to its global fleet while scaling standardized hull construction to accelerate project delivery timelines across Africa and Latin America.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Source: APO

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy of the Republic of South Africa, has been confirmed as a featured speaker at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, where he is expected to outline the next phase of the country’s power-sector recovery and the investment drive needed to expand the electricity grid.

Taking place October 12-16, AEW 2026 represents the largest energy gathering on the African continent, offering a strategic platform for dealmaking and partnerships. Minister Ramokgopa’s participation reflects the country’s ambitions to strengthen investment flows across the power and energy markets, supporting long-term generation resilience and improved transmission networks.

South Africa has moved from one of the worst phases of its electricity crisis to its most stable supply in years. The country recently passed a full year without load-shedding, and the grid is at its strongest in half a decade, with roughly 4,400 MW more generation on hand than a year earlier. The return of Kusile Power Station to its full output of about 4,800 MW helped anchor the turnaround.

With supply stabilized, Ramokgopa has reframed the current market challenge as being less about generation and more to do with transmission, offtakers and bottlenecks, pointing to more than 130 GW of generation projects that have yet to secure firm offtake agreements. That bottleneck sits at the center of the country’s largest infrastructure push. The Transmission Development Plan calls for 14,000 km of new power lines and 105 substations by 2030, at a cost of roughly R400 billion, to unlock an additional 22.5 GW of capacity.

Because neither Eskom nor the state can fund that build alone, the government has opened transmission to private investment for the first time through the Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) program. In December 2025, Ramokgopa named seven prequalified bidders for the first phase, all of them international-led consortia. The phase covers 1,164 km of high-voltage lines across seven corridors, with a combined value of about $1 billion. A request for proposals is expected in the second half of 2026.

“South Africa’s recovery shows what disciplined execution can achieve, and opening the grid to private capital is the logical next step,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The real opportunity now is in transmission, and the investors who help build that network will open up generation that will change South Africa’s future for the better.”

Private appetite is already evident on the generation side. The latest round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program drew 10.2 GW of bids against the 5 GW on offer. In the 2025/26 financial year, eight new independent power projects came online with a combined 800 MW, and another 1,610 MW is under construction.

Minister Ramokgopa is also expected to address the Integrated Resource Plan 2025, the government’s blueprint guiding new generation capacity, and the rollout of a competitive wholesale electricity market intended to open the sector beyond Eskom.

As AEW 2026 prepares to convene policymakers, investors and operators at the Cape Town International Convention Center this October, Minister Ramokgopa’s participation is the host nation’s signal that its power sector is open for investment.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.