Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has completed and inaugurated the Hamidiye Mosque Ornamentation Project in Johannesburg, South Africa. The project aims to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between Türkiye and the South African Muslim community.

The Hamidiye Mosque, built in the mid-19th century, holds historical significance as the site where Mahatma Gandhi launched the civil disobedience movement with the pass burning in 1908. In 1980, the mosque was designated as a cultural heritage site and was renovated by TİKA at the request of Jamiatul Ulama. As part of the project, the mosque’s main ceiling was adorned with the Surahs of Al-Fath and Al-Fatiha, while the women’s prayer space was decorated with traditional Turkish motifs. Sultan Abdulhamid II’s tughra was placed at the entrance of the mosque.

Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks; Turkish Ambassador to South Africa, Ayşegül Kandaş; TİKA’s Coordinator in Pretoria, Abdulkadir Abukan; Jamiatul Ulama Secretary General and Hamidiye Mosque Imam, Ebrahim Bham; Muslim MPs, diplomats and representatives from NGOs attended the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Kandaş highlighted the significance of collaborating with the South African Muslim community and underscored the value of TİKA’s projects in South Africa.

Hendricks expressed his gratitude to TİKA for the mosque’s ornamentation project and shared his family’s historical connection to the mosque. He noted that his great-grandfather was one of the founding members and had organized a fundraising meeting in front of the mosque during the Tripoli War to support the Ottoman Empire.

TİKA’s Coordinator in Pretoria Abukan stated that TİKA will continue its efforts to preserve shared heritage in South Africa and strengthen existing connections.

Mr. Bham, Secretary General of Jamiatul Ulama and Imam of Hamidiye Mosque, referred to the congratulatory and welcome letter presented by the mosque community to Ottoman Consul General Mehmet Remzi Bey. He emphasized that the mosque has been a symbol of shared heritage for Turkish and South African Muslims since its establishment.

During the opening ceremony, Islamic calligraphy artist Refik Çarıkçı introduced the project to the guests and demonstrated calligraphy techniques.

This project is viewed as a significant step in strengthening the ties between Türkiye and the South African Muslim community, preserving shared cultural heritage and advancing diplomatic relations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

The U.S. government reaffirms its commitment to fight wildlife trafficking and corruption at the second Combating Wildlife Trafficking National Forum held in Antananarivo on August 13-14, 2024.

The forum was hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Transparency International – Madagascar Initiative (TI-MG) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Countering Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking (CCWT) activity. The event brought together the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Minister of Justice, Charge d’affaires for the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar and the Comoros, anti-corruption agencies, and other key stakeholders to discuss achievements and key issues such as the protection of environmental whistleblowers, best practices for utilizing wildlife trafficking data, and other sustainable approaches to fighting wildlife and natural resource trafficking and corruption in Madagascar.

Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar, Stephanie Arnold, emphasized the importance of both domestic and international collaboration during her remarks at the forum. “Together, we can create a sustainable future for Madagascar’s natural resources,” she stated. “By combining our efforts, sharing our knowledge, and committing to continuous improvement, we will protect Madagascar’s unique wildlife and natural heritage for generations to come.”

The USAID CCWT activity, which is implemented by a consortium including WWF, TI-MG and Alliance Voahary Gasy, hosted the first national forum in March 2022. This initial forum introduced the activity and its objectives, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and discussed challenges to fighting wildlife and natural resource trafficking and associated corruption.

Since 2022, the USAID CCWT activity has championed several initiatives that achieved significant results. CCWT’s impacts include strengthening Madagascar’s ability to combat illicit trafficking by training 350 Government of Madagascar officials in laws, procedures, and special investigation techniques for anti-corruption, international wildlife trafficking, illicit financial flows, and countering transnational organized crime.

Additionally, USAID CCWT trained 51 community volunteer informants in key regions where natural resource trafficking is prevalent, leading to the reporting and apprehension of tortoise traffickers in the south. The USAID CCWT activity will close in September of this year.

The U.S. government, through USAID, is investing $10 million in three current activities to address domestic and international wildlife trafficking, including the modernization of customs procedures, and strengthening environmental governance, law enforcement, and the judiciary through the USAID Mizana and CCWT activities.

Since 1984, the U.S. government has committed over $300 million in programs that combat wildlife and precious hardwood trafficking, strengthen natural resource governance, improve forest and marine management, and partner with the private sector to increase economic opportunities for local communities in Madagascar. This year is the 40th anniversary of USAID’s partnership with Madagascar, a significant milestone in our development journey.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Madagascar.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry undertook an official visit to Egypt from 07-11 August 2024 at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt Dr. Badr Abdelatty.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry held productive discussions with his counterpart Dr. Badr Abdelatty and reviewed bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Egypt.  Both sides noted the potential to expand the relations between the two countries by fostering closer links in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, education, culture, archaeology, maritime transport, renewable energy, and climate change. The two Ministers also discussed on regional and global issues of shared interest and on further strengthening cooperation in multilateral fora.

Upon completion of the bilateral talks, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry joined Egyptian Foreign Minister      Dr. Badr Abdelatty in the signing ceremony of the MoU between the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) and the Institute for Diplomatic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. The MoU aims to strengthen and consolidate cooperation in the fields of diplomatic training, capacity building, research and studies in diplomacy between the two countries.

Minister Sabry engaged in discussions with Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib and the President of the General Authority of Free Zones and Investment (GAFI) on avenues to enhance cooperation in trade and investment between the two countries and took note of prospective sectors of mutual interest, the importance of exchange of trade delegations and early convening of trade consultations mechanism. During these interactions, the Egyptian side commended on Sri Lankan private sector investments in Egypt and asserted their fullest cooperation to boost Sri Lankan investments in Egypt and overcome any challenges they may face.

During the visit, Minister Ali Sabry met with His Eminence Dr. Shawky Ibrahim Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt and exchanged views on matters related to religious cooperation, cultural links, combating extremism&radicalization, promoting peaceful coexistence and enhancing closer people-to-people ties between Sri Lanka and Egypt.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also participated in an event organized by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce in coordination with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce on enhancing trade and economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Egypt. The event entailed a constructive discussion on ways of unleashing untapped potential to expand trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in sectors of agriculture, apparel, IT, renewable energy and tourism. Foreign Minister Sabry made use of this opportunity to invite the Egyptian business community to explore enticing trade and investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka for the mutual growth and prosperity of the two countries.

The Minister also met with Ambassador Mohamed Al-Orabi, Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) along with a group of its members and engaged in a discussion on developments in the region and possible cooperation with the ECFA.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka.

By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org).

With energy majors and independent companies kicking off new projects in Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea, exciting things are happening for the oil and gas industry in the six-nation Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Particularly welcome news concerns Perenco, an Anglo-French company that recently spud a new appraisal well at the Hylia South West Field offshore Gabon. This field holds the potential for substantial oil reserves, estimated to be between 20 million and 100-plus million barrels.

However, the elephant in the room remains: Most of CEMAC’s potential remains untapped. Several factors have created a hostile business environment that hampers CEMAC’s ability to harness its abundant natural resources, raise its people’s standard of living, and participate more fully in the global community. As an example, Gabon and Chad have the 9th and 10th largest oil reserves in Africa, respectively, yet only 67% of Gabon’s population and 8% of Chad’s have access to electricity.

I would like to highlight one of the most frustrating — but easily solvable — barriers to CEMAC’s economic success: The Bank of Central Africa States’ (BEAC) absurd foreign exchange (FOREX) regulations. While said regulations were created with the best of intentions, they have ultimately cost the region countless jobs, foreign investment, and economic health.

Behind the FOREX Regulations

In 2019, BEAC (which governs monetary policy for the six CEMAC nations) took several measures to restrict the flow of foreign currency. The intention was to tackle the problems of low foreign exchange reserves, capital flight, money laundering, and terrorism funding. However, these regulations have only served to kill business in the region — particularly for the energy industry. Despite vehement opposition from local leaders and business owners, these rules stipulate that:

All routine transactions over USD 1,700 now require qualifying documentation and government approval.

This measure has skyrocketed the lead time for routine, legitimate money transfers.

“Businesses have complained of waiting months to get hold of hard currency and of being unable to import materials or pay suppliers,” says Celestin Tawamba, president of the Cameroon Employers group. “Slow money transfers mean there is a reticence, a climate of mistrust between operators and their foreign partners.”

Despite official claims that properly documented transfers clear within 48 hours, manufacturers in the Congo and the Central African Republic report that it can actually take two to three months. I invite every BEAC official who supported this particular measure to wait that long for their next paycheck.

Slow payments harm every industry, but the oil and gas sector is particularly vulnerable. Operators rely heavily on imports for equipment, spare parts, and goods to carry out daily operations. Delayed transactions aren’t just inconvenient — they can cause weeks-long delays and kill projects.  

Businesses must obtain specific government authorization to open a foreign bank account, or to domicile a foreign currency account in a CEMAC area.

Despite efforts to create a pan-African payment system, financial transactions are generally routed through a Western bank, converted into dollars or euros, and then converted again into the recipient’s preferred African currency. In 2017, only 12% of intra-African payments were cleared within the continent.

In other words, to function properly, modern African businesses must depend on foreign currency and foreign accounts. This particular BEAC rule essentially put hundreds of businesses on hold, dooming them to wade through red tape to conduct normal operations.

The Employers’ Group of Cameroon (Groupement Inter-Patronal du Cameroun or GICAM) reported that “71% of businesses considered this difficulty of access to foreign currency to be a major concern.” Because lead times and transaction costs have risen, importers “find it increasingly difficult to pay their foreign suppliers on time.”

These issues hit dollar-dominated industries even harder — particularly the energy sector, which relies heavily on foreign talent and a reliable supply chain. Gabriel Obiang Lima, former Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea, called it a “disaster for oil and gas in the Gulf of Guinea” that has led to “dire” currency shortages and delayed transactions.

Similarly, Sonara, Cameroon’s national refinery, saw shortages directly due to “the scarcity of foreign currency and the blocking of its import operations by BEAC.” If a government-subsidized company can’t run properly under these circumstances, then the entire region is in trouble.

Export proceeds over 5 million FCFA (Central African Francs) must be repatriated within 150 days of the exportation date.

Like many oil and gas-producing states, the CEMAC region holds reserves of foreign currency to cover imports. In 2018, CEMAC’s reserves were sufficient to cover 2.7 months of imports — a far cry from the five months recommended by the IMF.

To increase foreign currency reserves, the FOREX regulations stipulate that exporters must return their proceeds to CEMAC nations, rather than storing them indefinitely in foreign accounts. While we understand the need to bolster foreign currency reserves, this ruling is not a viable long-term plan: It signals to foreign investors that they cannot turn a profit. We cannot convince energy majors to fund more exploration and development projects under such restrictions.

Lima put it most succinctly in 2019: “Companies are saying ‘I am not going to invest $2-$3 billion there if I cannot take it out.’”

Sadly, little has changed in that regard.

Ironically, foreign currency reserves fell in 2023, rather than remaining stable — the ruling has not even accomplished its short-term goal. BEAC director Abbas Mahamat Tolli blamed oil and gas operators for failing to repatriate foreign currency. Rather than pointing the finger, it might behoove Tolli to cultivate a better relationship with the oil and gas industry that provides 70-75% of CEMAC’s GDP.

International Reputation

In short, these FOREX regulations have created a hostile environment for foreign investors —  and the world has begun to notice.

The International Trade Administration makes scathing references to the FOREX rules in its descriptions of Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, and the Central African Republic, including:

“Almost all business transactions require senior-level government approval, making for a cumbersome process susceptible to political influence and corruption.”

“International companies continue to have difficulties collecting timely payment, and some companies in the oil sector have closed operations.”

Moving Forward

We urge BEAC to seek a reasonable compromise. CEMAC does need practical measures to maintain foreign currency reserves and combat capital flight, money laundering, and terrorism funding — but without costing the region thousands of jobs, local businesses, and the foreign investment that we badly need to unlock CEMAC’s potential. The fact that any operators continue to invest in CEMAC speaks volumes for our abundant natural resources and long-term potential: Let’s create an environment that attracts forward-thinking players rather than repelling them.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.