Poised to drive socioeconomic development, resource monetization and sustainable growth, Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (www.MME.gov.na) have prioritized local content development in the country’s draft National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy.

The inter-governmental committee working on Namibian Content made a priority of local content development in the country’s oil and gas industry;  to improve Namibian participation in the sector and boosting the country’s supply chain while continuing to welcome international investment and contribution.

Devised to safeguard equity and inclusion in the oil and gas industry while ensuring the policy is beneficial for all parties involved, the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy is being expediated and will be ready for approval soon. The draft policy aims to ensure effective national stewardship in the oil and gas industry, prioritizing the role of local industry players and stakeholders in all operations associated with the sector.

“The draft policy outlines a pathway for Namibian citizens and companies to benefit from our natural resources by increasing their participation in the oil and gas industry, from exploration and production and throughout the entire industry’s value chain,” stated Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo. “We at the Ministry are striving to enact the framework to create an internationally competitive petroleum sector that maximizes the benefits for our people and leverages our natural resources for broader national development. We are laser-focused on achieving a balance between increasing local participation and attracting foreign investment,” stated Minister Alweendo.

Key tenets of the draft policy include sustainable resource development, energy independence and economic diversification; ensuring in-country resource wealth retention and adherence to global environmental standards. Furthermore, the policy aims to promote social inclusion, job creation, meaningful equity participation in service companies by previously disadvantaged Namibians, guaranteeing in-country processing through robust infrastructure development and public enterprise investments.

In addition, the Namibian Content policy aims to establish a stable, transparent regulatory framework for Namibian Content, making it a criterion for permits, licenses and contracts with strong institutions for enforcement.

The plan also seeks to leverage Namibia’s recent success in the oil and gas exploration arena, promote the transfer of technology, knowledge and skills to Namibians. International interest and participation in the country is poised to enable higher-value roles and collaboration with industry stakeholders to promote skills development and local value retention.

The policy also aims to facilitate meaningful participation and financing for Namibians and SMEs at all levels of the oil and gas value chain, ensuring broad sharing of resource development benefits and innovative financing mechanisms.

The vision of the draft Namibian Content Policy is to develop an internationally competitive supply chain in Namibia, maximizing output while making the country a preferred investment destination and hub for oil and gas goods and services.

“We are at the dawn of an energy revolution that will transform our economy. Discoveries in the Orange Basin suggest the biggest oil yield ever found in sub-Saharan Africa and there’s still so much to discover, both in the Orange Basin and in other locations. Which is why we must act proactively now. We must seize the opportunity to implement policies that will protect investors and Namibia’s best interests when it comes to our natural resources,” concluded Minister Alweendo.

The Ministry is moving with all deliberate speed to commence various stakeholders consultations and other engagements to revise the draft policy that will best serve the country, its people and our investors. The policy reflects the government’s desire to leverage its recent oil and gas discoveries for broader national development, with a focus on achieving a balance between local participation and attracting foreign investment.

The country’s foray into oil and gas is poised to reignite the economy by encouraging new investment and revitalizing the manufacturing sector. At the same time, a proactive introduction of solid Namibian content regulations will no doubt foster job creation, help combat energy poverty and promote hope and human dignity for the Namibian people.

About oil exprolation and discoveries in Namibia

On the back of a major exploration blitz in Namibia’s offshore in recent years – including the Graff-1, Venus-1, Jonker-1X, La Rona-1 and Lesedi-1X discoveries –, the country’s oil and gas sector is on the precipice of rapid transformation; having attracted interest from oil and gas supermajors including TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil, as well as multinational energy corporations such as Galp and QatarEnergy. ReconAfrica’s recent spudding of the Naingopo exploration well – drilled in partnership with Namcor – is expected to yield positive results and lead to a multi-well exploration drilling campaign on PEL 73.

This year, Woodside Energy entered an exclusive option with Pancontinental Energy to acquire a 56% participating interest in PEL 87, which is anticipated to result in the development of license area’s first exploration well. Meanwhile, Rhino Resources – which recently entered a farm-in agreement with Azule Energy – awarded Halliburton a contract for its deep-water multi-well construction project in Block 2914A, aligning with the companies’ strategy to leverage local and international expertise to expediate Namibia’s oil and gas industry expansion. This year, Namcor and Chevron also entered an agreement granting the major an 80% operating interest in PEL 82, under which Namcor and Custos Energy will maintain a carried interest.

Issued by:
Office of the Minister

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Mines&Energy – Namibia.

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Tunisian authorities have prosecuted, convicted, or imprisoned at least eight prospective candidates for the October 6, 2024, presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. The electoral commission has approved only three candidates, including incumbent President Kais Saied. Tunisian authorities should urgently end politically motivated prosecutions and allow for free and fair elections.

Tunisia is gearing up for a presidential election amid increased repression of dissent and free speech, without crucial checks and balances on President Saied’s power. President Saied has compromised the judiciary’s independence and overhauled a number of key institutions following a 2021 power grab, including the electoral commission, the Independent High Authority for Elections (Instance Supérieure Indépendante pour les Élections, ISIE), which he restructured to place under the control of the president in 2022. 

“After jailing dozens of prominent opponents and activists, Tunisian authorities have removed almost all serious contenders from the presidential race, reducing this vote to a mere formality,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should immediately end its political interference in the electoral process, reverse repressive measures, and allow opposition candidates to take part in the ballot.” 

On August 10, the electoral commission announced it had preliminarily approved the three presidential candidates, including two former parliament members, Zouhair Maghzaoui and Ayachi Zammel. The head of the commission, whose seven members are nominated by the president, said it rejected 14 candidacies for lack of required endorsement signatures or financial guarantees, or for not meeting nationality criteria. Several candidates have filed appeals before the administrative court. By comparison, in the 2019 election, the electoral commission approved 26 candidates of various political affiliations. 

At least eight prospective candidates have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms or lifetime bans on running for election since the start of the electoral period on July 14, with others experiencing harassment and intimidation. 

On August 14, the Jendouba First Instance Court sentenced a rapper and businessman, Karim Gharbi, to four years in prison and imposed a lifetime ban on running for office, finding him guilty of charges of buying endorsement signatures. Gharbi had stated his intention to run for the presidency on July 26. Four people volunteering for Gharbi’s campaign were sentenced to between two and four years in prison on August 2.

On August 5, a Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced five prospective presidential candidates to eight months in prison and a lifetime ban on running for office, on the charge of “making donations to influence voters” under article 161 of the electoral law, Mokhtar Jemai, one of the lawyers, told Human Rights Watch. They are Abdellatif Mekki, a politician; Nizar Chaari, a TV host; Mourad Messaoudi, a former judge; Mohamed Adel Dou, a retired military colonel; and Leila Hammami, an academic. 

The candidates have appealed the decision, but Chaari and Messaoudi had announced their withdrawal as presidential candidates the day after their conviction. Three others were sentenced to eight months in prison on the same charge, including a member of Mekki’s campaign and Chaari’s campaign director, and another individual was sentenced to four years in prison.

That same day, a Tunis Court of First Instance also sentenced Abir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party (Parti Destourien Libre, PDL) and prominent opponent of Saied, to two years in prison, one of her lawyers, Nafaa Laribi, told Human Rights Watch. She was convicted of “spreading fake news and rumors” about the electoral commission, under article 24 of the repressive Decree-Law 54 on cybercrime, following a complaint from the electoral commission. 

Moussi, who has been arbitrarily detained since October 2023, submitted her candidacy to the electoral commission just two days before the court convicted her. She faces several other prosecutions, including three based on complaints from the commission in connection with political statements or activities.

On July 18, a Tunis court sentenced Lotfi Mraihi, leader of the Republican People’s Union and prospective presidential candidate, to eight months in prison and imposed a fine of 2000 Tunisian dinars (approximately US$650), as well as a lifetime ban on running for office for allegedly “making donations in cash or in kind in order to influence voters.” His party’s executive director and three other members were also convicted and sentenced. 

Mraihi was previously arrested on July 3 allegedly on suspicion of money laundering, according to a Tunis court spokesperson. In January, a Tunis court had imposed a six-month suspended prison term under Decree-Law 54 for a comment he made on the radio that was deemed to criticize the president. 

Other potential candidates remain in arbitrary detention such as Ghazi Chaouachi, former leader of the Attayar (Democratic Current) party, who announced his intention to run for election on July 15, and Issam Chebbi, leader of Al Jomhouri (The Republican Party), whose party eventually withdrew. Both have been detained since February 2023 and are awaiting trial on politically motivated charges of conspiracy against state security and terrorism. Over a dozen of members of Ennahda (The Renaissance Party), the former ruling party, including its president and two party vice presidents, are also arbitrarily detained. 

Ten potential candidates on July 31 denounced “security harassment” and restrictions targeting members of their campaigns, including arrests and security force confiscation of endorsements. At least eight prospective candidates said that the Interior Ministry had failed to provide their criminal records, which are required to run for election, although the electoral commission president said that no candidate was rejected for lack of this document. 

On August 5, President Saied said: “No pressure has been exerted on anyone…. Those who speak of obstacles and difficulties … seek to spread chaos, discord, rumors, and lies.”

Under new regulations, presidential contenders are required to present a list of endorsement signatures from 10 members of parliament, 40 elected presidents of local governments, or 10,000 registered voters from at least 10 constituencies, with at least 500 voter signatures per constituency. The 2022 constitution also tightened nationality criteria, allowing only a Tunisian national, with Tunisian parents and paternal and maternal grandparents and no dual citizenship, to run for office.

Tunisia is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and as such is required to ensure that every citizen, without discrimination on the basis of political opinion, has the opportunity to take part and vote in genuinely free elections. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has found that “freedom of expression, assembly and association are essential conditions for the effective exercise of the right to vote and must be fully protected.”

“By blocking prospective challengers, President Saied is burying what remains of Tunisia’s democracy with this election,” Khawaja said. “The international community should no longer remain silent and should urge the government to rectify an already tainted electoral process.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Over sixty Somali Police Force (SPF) officers and inmates from Lower Juba received essential healthcare services during a two-day free medical camp organized by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Held at Dhobley Police Station, the camp aimed to enhance access to quality healthcare and improve the well-being of local police officers and vulnerable groups in the region. The event was facilitated by the ATMIS Police Reforms, Restructuring, and Development Unit (RRD).

“We are committed to bringing quality healthcare directly to Somali Police Force officers, recognizing the challenges they face in accessing medical services due to their operational environment,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kailian Dakurah, Medical Advisor at ATMIS Police Mission Headquarters.

DSP Dakurah emphasized ATMIS Police’s dedication to helping Federal Member States (FMS) address healthcare gaps by conducting more free medical camps. This initiative is part of ATMIS Police’s broader efforts to strengthen the SPF’s healthcare infrastructure, ensuring a healthy and sustainable workforce.

Since launching the health education and sensitization initiative last year, ATMIS Police has assisted 174 SPF personnel, including 110 officers in Baidoa, South West State, last December.

In Dhobley, beneficiaries received diagnosis and treatment for various conditions, including hypertension, kidney disorders, skin infections, gastritis, and musculoskeletal pain.

“We plan to return and extend treatment to more inmates, SPF personnel, and their dependents. This program has proven very successful,” DSP Dakurah added.

The Chief of Dhobley Police Station, Mohamed Abdi Omar, expressed gratitude to ATMIS Police for their efforts to improve healthcare access in Lower Juba.

“We highly appreciate this treatment program and hope it can be expanded to other areas. The local police force requires additional medical support, and it would be ideal to establish a dedicated medical center. We would like to see this initiative become a regular activity,” said Mr. Omar.

Patients requiring specialized treatment were referred to Dhobley Level Two Hospital, operated by Kenyan troops, for further assistance.

Similar medical outreach programs are planned across other Federal Member States as part of an ongoing ATMIS Police campaign to raise awareness of the importance of healthcare within the security forces.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

On 16 August 2024, President Hakainde Hichilema attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Sinomine Kitumba Mine in Mumbwa, Central Province. Ambassador of China to Zambia Han Jing, Sinomine Resource Group Chairman Wang Pingwei, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe, Minister of Central Province Felix Nkulukusa, Ambassador of Zambia to China Ivan Zyuulu attended the event.

Ambassador Han noted in his speech that the Kitumba Mine is located in the Central Province with natural endowment, and the ground-breaking of this project marked another milestone of the mining cooperation between China and Zambia. The Chinese government will continue to support the development of Zambia mining industry, encouraging Chinese enterprises to operate legally and compliantly, and hope more cooperation consensus be reached during the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held next month.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Zambia.