China is making steady inroads into Seychelles, a key Indian partner in the Indian Ocean Region and last week Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles handed over broadcasting equipment to Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation. Meanwhile, India’s key partner in Africa – South Africa is going to polls next week and the ANC is facing its toughest ever fight and results may end ANC’s dominance. To boost its domestic ranking ANC led government has urgently requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order provisional measures against Israel. In an interesting development, Oman yet again played role of a mediator, and hosted talks between USA and Iran in Muscat last week. Oman is often considered a honest broker due to its goodwill and neutral stand on all geopolitical matters. Oman and UAE are getting connected via railway network that will also boost India’s connectivity corridors in the region. In gas rich Indian Ocean state of Mozambique, French energy major is indicating to relaunch it operations in the terror hit province. China will face serious competition from cash rich Gulf states of Saudi Arabia-UAE-Qatar which have decided to invest big time in Southern and Eastern Africa including states along Indian Ocean Region.
Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation’s nearly completed HQ gets new equipment from China
Seychelles News Agency | 17th May 2024
The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) new headquarters are nearly complete and on Friday (May 17) the Chinese Ambassador Lin Nan officially handed over the technical equipment they will use once they move in. Nan handed over the equipment to the SBC’s chief executive, Berard Dupres, in a ceremony held at the newly built SBC House. The SBC House project began in 2018 and after several delays, it is now nearing completion with the handing over being a significant part of the project. The project is financed by a grant from the Chinese government and the contractor is Hunan 6 Engineering Company. The grant is inclusive of furniture and equipment.
South Africa facing milestone election; here are the main players
Voice of America | 19th May 2024
After 30 years of dominating South African politics, the ruling African National Congress will face its toughest election this month as most opinion polls predict it will lose its parliamentary majority for the first time. Once admired under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, and regarded as a beacon of hope by the Black majority following the fall of apartheid in 1994, the ANC’s reputation has been battered by record levels of unemployment, widespread poverty, the collapse of some government services and more than a decade of corruption scandals, leaving voters disillusioned.
US & Iran held indirect talks in Oman: Report
Times of India | 20th May 2024
Senior US and Iranian officials held talks through intermediaries in Oman last week, first since Iran launched retaliatory attacks against Israel. Brett McGurk, the top White House official on West Asia policy and Abram Paley, the deputy special envoy for Iran attended the talks in Oman.
Preparatory work of Oman-UAE railway project launched
Times of Oman | 15th May 2024
Hafeet Rail has announced that preparatory work is in full speed ahead of the construction of the transformative railway link between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Key officials and members of the Asyad and Hafeet Rail executive management teams, in addition to project contractors and consultants, visited the site on Wednesday.
Club of Mozambique | 17th May 2024
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, acknowledged “positive progress” towards the resumption of the French multinational’s natural gas megaproject in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, but without committing to deadlines.
“We are working on it, and it is better to work gradually, like this,” Patrick Pouyanné told journalists in Kigali after a meeting with Mozambique’s President Nyusi, in which the security situation in Cabo Delgado and the status of the TotalEnergies project, worth around US$20 billion dollars (€18.6 billion), were discussed.
South Africa Urges UN Court to Order Gaza Ceasefire
AllAfrica.com | 19th May 2024
South Africa has urgently requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order provisional measures against Israel, including a ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city of Rafah. This marks the third hearing about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas at the UN’s top court.
Gulf States intensify scramble for control of Africa investments
The Citizen | 19th May 2024
Rich Gulf states – Saudi Arabia, UAE & Qatar are increasing their footprints in Africa, particularly in Southern and Eastern Africa along the Indian Ocean region challenging Chinese inroads in the region. Sectors being eyed by the Gulf states are energy, transport, logistics and mining.
