Category: MIL-OSI

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Vantage Capital leads R635m investment into SolarAfrica Energy

Source: APO

Vantage Capital (www.VantageCapital.co.za), Africa’s largest mezzanine debt fund manager, announced that it has made a R635m investment into Commercial Energy South Africa (“CESA”), a subsidiary of SolarAfrica Energy (“SolarAfrica”), a leading South African energy solutions provider, alongside co-investor, Greenpoint Capital. CESA holds commercial & industrial (“C&I”) solar and battery energy assets developed by SolarAfrica.

The investment comprises a mezzanine facility which was used to exit Inspired Evolution from CESA, making SolarAfrica the 100% owner of CESA.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, SolarAfrica provides solar-PV, battery storage, energy trading, electricity wheeling and gas-to-power services tailored for C&I clients, helping businesses lower electricity costs, secure reliable power and reduce carbon emissions. SolarAfrica has a strong track record, having delivered ~343MW of funded solar projects in Southern Africa (with a further 1.14GW plus being rolled out).  SolarAfrica has been twice recognised as the African Solar Company of the Year (2021 and 2023) by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).

CESA acts as a holding company for C&I rooftop solar and battery storage solutions assets that have been developed by SolarAfrica. CESA currently holds a portfolio of assets with energy capacity of ~90MW across 134 different sites. All assets within CESA are managed by SolarAfrica.

Roshal Ramdenee, Partner at Vantage Capital, said “This transaction reflects our conviction in distributed energy infrastructure and the strength of SolarAfrica’s platform. CESA’s contracted C&I solar and battery portfolio provides predictable cash flows and supports South Africa’s shift to reliable and sustainable power. We look forward to working closely with SolarAfrica and Greenpoint as the platform continues to scale.”

Warren van der Merwe, Managing Partner at Vantage Capital, added “Vantage has provided senior debt to a number of renewable energy projects through its GreenX senior debt division. We are pleased to showcase in this deal how mezzanine finance can play a part in the rapidly evolving power sector. Congratulations to Charl and his team for driving a super-efficient process, which allowed us to close this deal under very tight timelines.”

Nic van Zyl, CIO at Greenpoint Capital, added “We are pleased to have finalised this transaction in support of the SolarAfrica team, whose progress we have tracked over many years. We look forward to collaborating with Vantage Capital on this high-quality solar asset.”

Charl Alheit, CIO at SolarAfrica, added “Vantage Capital and Greenpoint Capital have proven to be very innovative and efficient partners in enabling us to execute the buy-out of this portfolio from Inspired Evolution. Taking full control of the portfolio means we can continue to innovate by bringing more renewable energy solutions, such as electricity wheeling, to customers. This underscores our commitment to making cheaper, greener power more accessible to C&I businesses as part of their green energy journey.”

Step Advisory acted as deal advisor to SolarAfrica on the transaction, Werksmans acted as legal counsel for Vantage. Other advisors to the transaction included Cresco, Ernst and Young, Webber Wentzel and SLR Consulting.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vantage Capital Group.

For more information contact:
Warren van der Merwe
Managing Partner – Vantage Capital
warren@vantagecapital.co.za
+ 27 (0) 11 530 9100

Roshal Ramdenee
Associate Partner – Vantage Capital
roshal@vantagemezzanine.com

Abigail Brews
Senior Associate – Vantage Capital
abigail@vantagecapital.co.za

About Vantage Capital:
Vantage Capital Group was established in 2001 and is the largest independent pan-African mezzanine debt fund manager on the African continent. It has raised funds of US$ 1.6 billion in seven distinct mezzanine and renewable energy debt funds as well as in a technology fund and has to date made 66 investments across the African continent.

Vantage targets investment opportunities, with a focus on mezzanine debt, of US$ 10 – 50m across more than a dozen key African markets. Mezzanine debt is an intermediate form of risk capital, which is situated between senior debt, the lowest risk tranche of the capital structure, and equity, the highest risk. It combines elements of both debt and equity thereby providing companies with long-term funding on terms which are less dilutive to shareholders than pure equity.

Vantage recently launched an education investment platform which is targeting the education markets of Poland and Czechia.

Website: www.VantageCapital.co.za

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Minister of State at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Receives Calls From Panama, Norway, and UK Officials

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 1, 2026

HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi received on Sunday phone calls from three senior officials from Panama, Norway and the UK, to discuss the recent escalation in the region and its impact on security and stability.

The talks involved HE Javier Martinez-Acha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama; HE Andreas Kravik, State Secretary for Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway; and HE Hamish Faulkner, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They focused on the recent military escalation in the region, its serious implications for regional and international security, and ways to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

HE Al Khulaifi emphasized that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian missiles constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty, contradicts principles of good neighborliness, and cannot be justified under any circumstances. He noted that Qatar has consistently sought to distance itself from regional conflicts and to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community.

He also stressed the urgent need to halt all escalatory actions, return to dialogue, prioritize reason and wisdom, and work to contain the crisis in a way that preserves regional security.

Their Excellencies the ministers expressed their countries’ solidarity with Qatar, describing the missile attacks as a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.

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Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Participates in 50th Extraordinary Meeting of GCC Ministerial Council

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 1, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani participated in the 50th extraordinary meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council, held Sunday via video conference, in the presence of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the GCC Foreign Ministers, to discuss developments in the Iranian aggression against the GCC countries.

At the outset of the meeting, the Ministerial Council voiced its strongest condemnation of the Iranian missile attacks targeting the territories of the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in flagrant violation of their sovereignty.

The Ministerial Council also affirmed the solidarity of all GCC countries in addressing Iranian attacks and defending their sovereignty, security, and national interests, while reserving their right to respond and defend themselves in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The council stressed that this heinous targeting is contrary to the provisions of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the principles of good neighborliness, and cannot be accepted under any justification or pretext, urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately cease any escalatory actions that would undermine regional security and stability.

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Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Call from Norwegian PM

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 1, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call on Sunday from HE Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, Jonas Gahr Store.

During the call, the two sides discussed the recent military escalation in the region, its serious implications for regional and international security, and ways to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty, contradicts principles of good neighborliness, and cannot be justified under any circumstances.

He noted that Qatar has consistently sought to remain neutral in regional conflicts and to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community, but repeated attacks on its territory show a lack of good faith and threaten the foundations of bilateral relations.

He also stressed the urgent need to halt all escalatory actions, return to dialogue, prioritize reason and wisdom, and work to contain the crisis in a way that preserves regional security.

In response, HE Store expressed his country’s condemnation of the Iranian missile attacks on Qatari territory, describing them as a clear violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.

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Opération Mirador : L’armée béninoise scelle un nouveau pacte de confiance avec les communautés

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French


L’armée béninoise poursuit son engagement aux côtés des populations de la région des 2KP. Depuis le vendredi 27 février 2026, les habitants de Makrou, Yinkinin, Becket et plusieurs autres villages des communes de Kouandé et de Kérou ont désormais accès à l’eau potable grâce à la réalisation de forages modernes équipés de pompes solaires de 1.500 watts. Dans la commune de Pehunco, le CEG 1 bénéficie également d’un module de trois salles de classe entièrement équipées de plus de 400 tables et bancs. 

Ces infrastructures hydrauliques et éducatives ont été offertes par les Forces Armées Béninoises (FAB) dans le cadre des actions sociales et humanitaires du comité civilo-militaire de l’opération Mirador de l’Atacora, avec l’appui de partenaires internationaux tels que le Département américain de la Défense, Spirit of America et Strategic Stabilization Advisors. La cérémonie officielle de remise s’est tenue à Pehunco, après une visite guidée des installations conduite par le Colonel ADAMASSO Valère, Commandant Adjoint de l’Opération Mirador, assisté du Colonel TASSOU Abdou Wassiou, Chef de la cellule des actions civilo-militaires. 

À cette occasion, le Commandant Adjoint a souligné que ces réalisations dépassent la simple livraison d’ouvrages. « Nous célébrons un pacte de confiance entre l’armée béninoise et les populations que nous avons pour mission de protéger. La sécurité durable ne se décrète pas, elle se construit avec les populations et pour les populations », a-t-il déclaré, insistant sur la nécessité d’une approche globale face aux menaces terroristes. Selon lui, aucune armée, aussi déterminée soit-elle, ne peut vaincre durablement sans l’adhésion active des communautés. 

La cérémonie a rassemblé élèves, bénéficiaires, autorités locales et têtes couronnées. Le maire de Pehunco, Orou Maré KOTO, saluant au nom de ses pairs ce geste « fort », y voit un levier d’amélioration des conditions de vie et de développement local. Mohamed Bawa CISSÉ, représentant du Préfet de l’Atacora, a pour sa part estimé que ces infrastructures renforcent la résilience des populations dans un contexte sécuritaire exigeant. 

Installée en mars 2025, la Cellule des actions civilo-militaires de l’Opération Mirador s’affirme ainsi comme un cadre permanent de concertation entre les FAB, les autorités et les communautés, avec un principe central : bâtir une sécurité durable fondée sur l’écoute, la concertation et des réponses concrètes aux besoins locaux.

Distribué par APO Group pour Présidence de la République du Bénin.

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Ghana: Lordina Foundation gifts Asukawkaw community a Maternity & Children’s Health Facility

Source: APO


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The First Lady and President of the Lordina Foundation, H.E. Lordina Dramani Mahama, on Saturday inaugurated a newly built maternity and child health facility at Asukawkaw in the Krachi East District of the Oti region.

The handing over of the facility, financed by the Foundation with support from donors and partners, fulfills Mrs Mahama’s positive response to a request from the Chief of Akroso-Asukawkaw a year ago.

This brings to four, the number of Maternity and Children’s Wards built and handed over to communities and the Ghana Health Service by the Lordina Foundation.

This is in fulfillment of Mrs Mahama’s personal commitment and the objective of her Foundation to reduce Maternal, Infant and Child Mortality cases in Ghana’s hospitals.

The first three were commissioned for the Bole District Hospital, the Nkoranza Health Centre and the Abodom community.

The foundation has also renovated and expanded the Hohoe Adabraka Health Centre, and continue to donate medical equipment to health centres across the country.

According to Mrs Mahama, while planning the next phase of his support programmes, her office received an email from Nana Odamu Gyamfi III, Paramount Chief of the Akroso-Asukawkaw Traditional Area, describing the risk pregnant women in his community go through to reach distant clinics, often too late to save them and their newborns.

“This is no coincidence, it was a call to action,” Mrs. Mahama told a crowd of happy community members, health officials, workers, community elders and chiefs.

Designed for dignity and excellence, the facility includes a reception area, doctors’ and nurses’ offices, maternity and children’s wards, a fully equipped operating theatre, a delivery room, a sterilisation room, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), storage, and data rooms.

Key equipment installed in the facility include the electric beds, operating tables, infant incubators, ultrasound machines, C-section and delivery kits, ECG machines, phototherapy units, patient monitors, oxygen systems, television sets, and more.

Also installed is a hybrid power system, that combines the national grid with solar to ensure reliable emergency lighting and efficiency.

“No woman should die while giving life, and no child should start without proper care just because of where they were born,” Mrs Mahama said.

She noted that nearly one in ten Ghanaian women face pregnancy-related death risks.

She urged health authorities, facility managers, and the Akroso-Asukawkaw community under the Akroso Traditional Council to maintain the facility to benefit more generations.

“Let this be more than a building but a reminder that with government, leaders, and partners, we can protect every vulnerable Ghanaian.”

Minister for Health, Kwabena Akandoh, praised the project as “a practical step towards safe, timely, and dignified care for mothers, newborns, and children.”

He thanked Mrs Mahama for her “unparalleled contributions” to women, girls and children’s health.

The facility, the First Lady, stated reflects the Foundation’s commitment to life at its most vulnerable stages and shows what credible partnerships can achieve.

The Board Chair of the Lordina Foundation, Pastor Kwame Boateng Sarpong hailed the project as emblematic of the foundation’s mission to support rural women and children, pledging continued aid to deprived communities.

The paramount chief, Nana Odamu Gyamfi III expressed profound gratitude, calling the project a “life-saving initiative” that will ease prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care for Asukawkaw and surrounding areas.

The Chief and his elders enstooled Mrs Mahama as the Development Queen Mother of the Akroso-Asukawkaw Traditional Area, with the title Nana Oseadeayo Odamwaa II.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

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State Minister for Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Calls from Bulgaria and North Macedonia FMs

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 1, 2026

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi has discussed the recent military escalation in the region with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Nadezhda Neynski, and HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Timcho Mucunski.

This came during phone conversations HE Al Muraikhi received on Sunday from the two officials. The talks focused on the current situation and its grave implications for regional and international security, as well as ways to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

HE Al Muraikhi emphasized that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty, contradicts principles of good neighborliness, and cannot be justified under any circumstances.

He noted that Qatar has consistently sought to remain neutral in regional conflicts and facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community. Yet, he stressed that repeated attacks on Qatari territory demonstrate a lack of good faith and threaten the foundations of bilateral relations.

HE Al Muraikhi also called for the immediate cessation of any escalation, a return to dialogue, the prioritization of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a way that preserves regional security.

Their Excellencies Neynski and Mucunski voiced their countries’ condemnations of the Iranian missile attacks on Qatari territory, describing them as a clear violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.

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Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Calls from Canadian Foreign Minister, UK Foreign Secretary

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 01, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received two phone calls today from HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Anita Anand and HE Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom Yvette Cooper.

The two calls went over the developments of the military escalation in the region and its menacing impacts on regional and global security and stability, as well as avenues for resolving all disputes through peaceful means.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs underscored, during the two calls, that targeting Qatari soil with Iranian ballistic missiles is a flagrant breach of its national sovereignty and doesn’t suggest good neighbourliness principles and can’t be accepted under any pretext.

The State of Qatar has always been committed to desisting itself from regional conflicts and sought to facilitate dialogue between the Iranian side and the international community, however, the renewal of targeting its soil isn’t a sign of good intention and threatens the groundwork for understandings that underpin the bilateral relations between the two countries, he underlined.

His Excellency stressed the importance of the immediate cessation of any escalatory acts, returning to the negotiating table, prioritizing the language of judiciousness and reason, and working to contain the crisis in a way that protects the region’s security.

For their parts, HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada and HE Foreign Secretary of the UK expressed their countries’ condemnation of the Iranian attack on Qatari soil, stressing that the assault represents a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, as well as international law and the UN Charter.

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Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Call from Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha, March 01, 2026

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received a phone call on Sunday from HE Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan.

During the call, the two sides reviewed developments in the military escalation in the region, its serious implications for regional and international security and stability, and ways to resolve all disputes through peaceful means.

HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs affirmed that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles constitutes a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and is inconsistent with the principles of good neighborliness, stressing that it cannot be accepted under any pretext.

He noted that Qatar has consistently sought to stay out of regional conflicts and has worked to facilitate dialogue between the Iranian side and the international community. However, the renewed targeting of its territory does not reflect good intentions and threatens the foundations of understanding upon which bilateral relations are based.

He further stressed the necessity of an immediate halt to escalation, a return to dialogue, predominance of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a way that preserves regional security.

For his part, HE Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister expressed his country’s concern over the Iranian missile attack on Qatari territory, describing it as a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, airspace, international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

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Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Calls from Foreign Ministers of Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, India, and Uzbekistan

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha| March 01, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received phone calls on Sunday from HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Malta Ian Borg; HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus Dr. Constantinos Kombos; HE Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Gordan Grlić Radman; HE Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar; and HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov.

During the calls, they discussed the developments of the military escalation in the region and its serious repercussions on regional and international security and stability as well as ways to resolve all disputes through peaceful means.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed, during the calls, that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles constitutes a blatant violation of its national sovereignty, and it is inconsistent with the principles of good neighborliness, and it cannot be accepted under any justification or pretext. He noted that the State of Qatar has always been keen to distance itself from regional conflicts and has sought to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community. However, the renewed targeting of its territory does not reflect good faith and threatens the foundation of understanding upon which bilateral relations between the two countries are built.

His Excellency also stressed the necessity of an immediate cessation of all escalatory actions, a return to the negotiating table, the prioritization of reason and wisdom, and working to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region.

For their part, Their Excellencies the Ministers expressed their countries’ condemnation of the Iranian missile attack on Qatari territory, considering it a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar and its airspace as well as a breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.