On 12 July, Youssouf Daba Diawara, former coordinator of the Coordination of Movements, Friends and Sympathizers of Imam Mahmoud Dicko (CMAS), an association dissolved by the transitional authorities in March 2024, was forced out of his car in Bamako by armed men and taken to the Criminal Investigations Brigade of the Gendarmerie. Brought before a judge on 15 July, he was charged with “opposing legitimate authority” for participating in an unauthorized protest on 7 June. His trial is due to take place on 3 October.

“We denounce the arbitrary detention of Youssouf Daba Diawara and other political leaders by the Malian authorities. Despite the lifting of the suspension of political activities on 10 July, there is a growing crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The Malian authorities must immediately end their judicial harassment of opposition members and dissenting voices,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

Escalating crackdown on human rights  

Since the beginning of the year, the Malian authorities have dissolved several political groups, including the CMAS, on 6 March. The Synergy of Actions for Mali, a coalition of some thirty opposition parties and formations of which the CMAS was a member, was also dissolved on 17 April by the government. 

On 20 June, 11 opposition leaders were arbitrarily arrested by the gendarmerie at the home of Moustapha Dicko, vice-president of Alliance of Democracy in Mali-African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA-PASJ) and charged with “plotting against state authority” and “opposing legitimate authority”. All of them were remanded into custody in various detention centers located in Bamako, Kéniéroba and Dioila.

The 11 detained politicians and their political parties had signed a public letter, on 31 March, in which they called on the military authorities “to create the conditions for a quick and inclusive consultation, that would set up an institutional architecture, to organize, as quickly as possible, presidential elections”.

Between 10 April and 10 July 2024, the Malian authorities had suspended political parties’ activities and associations’ activities of political nature and prohibited any coverage by the media of political activities within the country.

“We call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Youssouf Daba Diawara and the 11 other politicians detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and drop all the charges against them. Authorities must respect and protect the rights to freedom of expression, association and to participate in public affairs,” Samira Daoud said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France’s inclusive public financial institution committed to financing and technical assistance for projects that improve the lives of people in developing and emerging economies, today announced the launch of the Jr. NBA&AFD Basketball Experience in Nairobi, Kenya.

Basketball Experience is a youth development program that will feature weekly basketball and life-skills sessions to educate Kenyan youth about the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

The initiative builds on NBA Africa and AFD’s existing Basketball Experience programming in greater Casablanca, Morocco and Lagos, Nigeria, and aims to use basketball as a platform to promote social inclusion and inspire secondary school children as change makers in their local communities. 

To celebrate the announcement, NBA Africa and AFD today unveiled two refurbished outdoor basketball courts at Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) in Nairobi and hosted a basketball clinic for 150 boys and girls ages 16 and under.  The refurbished courts are expected to benefit more than a thousand boys and girls from the surrounding communities.

The unveiling was attended by French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet, AFD Kenya Country Director Bertrand Willocquet, NBA Kenya Senior Director and Country Operations Lead Michael Finley and NBA Africa Director of Basketball Operations Kita Matungulu.

“At AFD, we are team players.  We strongly believe that greater impacts can be reached when we work together and connect,” said Willocquet.  “The NBA was our first partner in the field of sport for development.  Together, we have launched the Jr. NBA&AFD Basketball Experience program that seeks to promote youth empowerment and improve access to sport for all.”

“The launch of Jr. NBA&AFD Basketball Experience reflects our commitment to making basketball more accessible to Kenyan youth and teaching them about the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Finley.  “Our selection of the KAS as the venue also speaks to our commitment to developing elite talent in Kenya.  We thank AFD for sharing that commitment and look forward to positively impacting the boys and girls who participate in this program in the months and years to come.”

The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.  Last year, Jr. NBA programming directly reached more than 170,000 youth across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Photo (http://apo-opa.co/4cHzJQa): NBA Africa and AFD Unveil New Basketball Courts in Nairobi as part of the Jr. NBA&AFD Basketball Experience Launch in Kenya (Credit: NBA Africa)

Contacts
Chumani Bambani
NBA Africa PR&Communications
cbambani@nba.com
+27 65 548 1031

Loran Meme
Social Sector Programme Officer
AFD Kenya Country Office
memel@afd.fr
+254 734 768 045

About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya.  The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, an NBA Store, the BAL, and more. 

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.  The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that concluded its fourth season in June 2024.  Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About AFD:
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group finances, supports and accelerates the transitions necessary for a more just and resilient world. It thus contributes to implementing France’s policy on sustainable development and international solidarity. It is with and for communities that we build, with our partners, solutions in more than 160 countries, as well as in 11 French overseas departments and territories.

Our objective: to reconcile economic development with the preservation of common goods: the climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality, education and health. Our teams are involved in more than 3,600 projects in the field, which are part of the commitment of France and the French people to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. For a world in common.

AFD strongly believes in the power of sport as a lever to achieve the sustainable development goals. Since the launch of its sport for development strategy in 2019, AFD has invested more than €130 million in over 160 projects that use sport as a tool to promote access to education, gender equality, youth empowerment, health and social cohesion. In Kenya, we have already supported 12 other projects implemented by 8 civil society organizations who seek to offer new opportunities to youth each day through sport.

AFD.fr

The MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024 conference and exhibition has partnered with the African Chamber of Commerce in China (AFCHAM). This strategic partnership is set to enhance Africa-China commercial ties by facilitating connections and providing business resources to global stakeholders and energy leaders in West Africa’s energy space.

Taking place in Dakar from December 3-4, the MSGBC 2024 conference will serve as a pivotal platform for AFCHAM members to explore emerging opportunities across various sectors including oil and gas, renewable energy, green hydrogen, infrastructure and many more. The partnership will leverage AFCHAM’s extensive network and expertise in China to connect Chinese businesses with potential partners and investment prospects in the MSGBC region.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.MSGBCOilGasAndPower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Chinese companies are playing a growing role across Africa’s extractive sectors. Cementing its footprint in the MSGBC region, steel production company China Baowu Steel Group secured a shareholder position in Simandou Blocks 1 and 2 in Guinea-Conakry in June of this year. China’s state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China has also signed a framework to develop an alumina refinery in Boké, aimed at boosting the country’s local refining capacity and value-added activities.

Shortly after a meeting with Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani during his state visit to China in July 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping granted a debt relief package to the Mauritanian government of $21 million. During the meeting, the two countries also signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening trade and commerce under the Belt and Road Initiative – a China-led multinational infrastructure project aimed at expanding global trade routes.

China is also a major investor in Senegal’s digital information and communication technology sector. In 2023, Chinese companies built Senegal’s government intranet, installed 4,500 km of fiber optic cable and constructed 3G and 4G networks. The government of China also funded the Diamniadio Digital Technology Park’s data center, in collaboration with Chinese multinational Huawei.

“Chinese business relations with the MSGBC region are pivotal bridges of progress, where innovation meets opportunity to power sustainable development across both continents. This strategic partnership with AFCHAM will enable MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024 to extend its reach and attract further investment to one of the world’s fastest-growing economic and business hubs,” states Energy Capital&Power Event and Project Director, Sandra Jeque.

Taking place under the theme A Blueprint for Progress: Accelerating Growth for Global Excellence, MSGBC 2024 offers exclusive insights into the West African region’s oil, gas and power sector. Uniting movers and shakers from across the global energy industry, the summit will explore and facilitate economic strategies, networking opportunities and strategic insights.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

International energy company Azule Energy plans to increase oil production to 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2026 while accelerating gas monetization through the development of non-associated projects. As the largest independent equity producer of oil and gas in Angola, the company’s diversified portfolio aligns closely with national objectives to sustain oil production above one million bpd while advancing the development of gas and associated industries.  

Azule Energy has joined the Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference as a Platinum Sponsor, underscoring the company’s commitment to Driving Exploration and Development Towards Increased Production in Angola – the theme of this year’s event. Azule Energy is also the sponsor of the AOG 2024 Networking Cocktail, while the company’s CEO Adriano Mongini is expected to discuss project developments, future investment plans and pioneering FPSO infrastructure. 

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Azule Energy has recently awarded a slate of contracts for the development of the Agogo Integrated West Hub project, which features the development of a new production hub in Block 15/06. Manufacturing company Amarinth received an order to supply pumps while service provider Blue Water won a logistics contract for the Agogo FPSO vessel. In 2023, contracts worth $7.8 billion were awarded to infrastructure and service companies including Yinson; Baker Hughes; Aker Solutions; Saipem and Subsea 7.

Set to produce hydrocarbons from the already-producing Agogo field and the under-development Ndungu field, the project will utilize the Ngoma FPSO – already in operation – and the Agogo FPSO which is under construction. The Agogo vessel will produce 120,000 bpd with a gas injection capacity of 230 million cubic feet per day, with the development on track for production by 2026.

In addition to the Agogo project, Azule Energy’s operated assets include the onshore Cabinda Norte and Cabinda Centro blocks and offshore Blocks 31, 15/06, 1/14, 18 and 28. The company also signed Risk Service Contracts in December 2023 for Blocks 46, 47 and 18/15 – located in the Lower Congo Basin. These assets are strategic deepwater blocks and mark an important step towards unlocking new reserves across deepwater basins.

On the gas front, Azule Energy is progressing with the development of Angola’s first non-associated gas project – the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields – through its operatorship of the New Gas Consortium. Situated in the shallow waters of the Northern Gas Complex, the produce will produce four billion cubic meters of gas per annum via two offshore platforms and an onshore gas processing plant. On track for first production by 2026, the fields will serve as feedstock for the Angola LNG project – a 12 billion project currently in operation.

Beyond oil and gas projects, Azule Energy is driving local content under efforts to promote sustainability and long-term economic growth. Through its various operations, the company has created thousands of job opportunities for local communities, incorporates specific skills development initiatives into projects and prioritizing local procurement in terms of goods, services and materials. Block 15/06 alone is projected to become a hub for local industries, creating up to 1,400 jobs while generating $5.6 billion by 2044. Additionally, to promote sustainable oil and gas operations, the company is currently producing its first-ever sustainability report, providing an overview of its Environmental, Social and Governance performance. During AOG 2024, strategies for enhancing local content and sustainable oil and gas operations will be further outlined.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.