GABON
Why Gabon's Port Ambitions Are Drawing Fresh Interest from Monaco
Gabon is sending a clear signal that it wants to be more than just an oil exporter, and a long-standing investor from Monaco could play a bigger part in that push. Earlier this month, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema welcomed Adnan Houdrouge, the CEO of Mercure International of Monaco, for talks in Libreville that felt more like a handshake between old friends with fresh ideas than a routine business meeting.
Mercure International isn’t a newcomer to Gabon — the group has been operating there since 1994 after buying the Mbolo shopping centre, and has become a familiar name in big-box retail, logistics and food distribution. But what’s new is the firm’s appetite to go beyond shops and into infrastructure that could help transform the country’s economy. At the heart of the discussions was a plan to extend the Mbolo centre to meet changing urban demand and attract more international brands.
Even more eye-catching is Mercure’s interest in building economic and port infrastructure in Port-Gentil, Gabon’s commercial hub by the sea. That matters because improving ports and logistics is a linchpin for Gabon’s broader economic diversification strategy — it can make trade smoother, open doors for new business and create jobs.
Officials haven’t released timelines or investment figures yet, but the tone of the meetings — echoed in presidential communications and local coverage — was upbeat. For Gabon’s leadership, a stronger partnership with private investors like Mercure International is about more than capital. It’s about modernising key sectors, spreading opportunities beyond Libreville demonstrating that Gabon is open for business in 2026 and beyond.
Sources: afrimag.net | sikafinance.com | focusgroupmedia.com
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
From Concept to Reality: Assessing the DRC's Iron Ore Plan
The Democratic Republic of Congo is setting out a massive iron ore development designed to move the country into a new mining league. The project, known as Mines de Fer de la Grande Orientale (MIFOR), is based on iron ore resources estimated at between 15 and 20 billion tonnes in the country’s northeastern region, a scale that places it among the largest undeveloped deposits globally.
Government presentations describe MIFOR as far more than a mining operation. The plan outlines an integrated system combining large-scale extraction with new rail infrastructure, river transport along the Congo, and a connection to the future deep-water port at Banana on the Atlantic coast. If delivered as envisioned, it would mark a major shift for a country whose mining sector remains heavily concentrated on copper and cobalt.
The first phase of the project is estimated at $28.9 billion, with initial production targets of around 50 million tonnes of iron ore per year. Longer-term ambitions are even larger, with officials citing potential output of up to 300 million tonnes annually and substantial revenues over a 25-year period. However, many fundamentals remain unresolved.
There is no publicly available feasibility study, financing structure or confirmed investor group, and current figures are based on resource estimates rather than proven reserves. The project also revives elements of earlier export plans that stalled amid political and legal complications.
For now, MIFOR stands as a bold statement of intent. Whether it becomes a cornerstone of Congo’s industrial transformation will depend on execution, funding and sustained investor confidence in the years ahead.
Sources: ecofinagency.com | latribune.fr
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GUINEA
From Guinea to the Atlantic Coast: The Rail Line Everyone Suddenly Wants
West Africa’s proposed Liberty Corridor is quickly becoming more than an ambitious infrastructure plan. Designed to link iron-rich areas of Guinea through Liberia to the Atlantic coast, the rail-and-port project has caught the attention of Washington at a moment when minerals, supply chains and geopolitics are increasingly intertwined. For the United States, the appeal is clear: securing access to high-grade iron ore while reducing dependence on China and diversifying global supply routes.
The growing focus on the Liberty Corridor comes as enthusiasm around southern Africa’s Lobito Corridor begins to face practical and political limits. While Lobito remains important, U.S. policymakers and investors are looking for additional routes that can deliver faster results and tap into different mineral basins. West Africa, with its vast iron ore reserves and shorter shipping distances to U.S. and European markets, is emerging as a compelling alternative.
Momentum around the Liberty Corridor has been boosted by Ivanhoe Atlantic, which has secured key rail access agreements in Liberia and is pushing ahead with plans to bring iron ore to market by around 2027. That prospect has reignited interest in a region where infrastructure bottlenecks and rail disputes have stalled projects for years. Still, competition is fierce. Established players such as ArcelorMittal remain deeply invested in existing rail lines, and negotiations over access, expansion and control are far from resolved.
For governments in Guinea and Liberia, the corridor promises jobs, export revenues and long-overdue infrastructure upgrades. At the same time, officials are keenly aware of the risks, from environmental concerns to ensuring local communities see real benefits.
In the end, the Liberty Corridor isn’t just about moving iron ore to the coast. Like Lobito before it, it shows how African infrastructure has become central to global competition over resources, influence and economic security.
Sources: africandiplomats.com | theafricareport.com | ft.com
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IVORY COAST
Cocoa Congestion at Abidjan: What's Really Happening in Ivory Coast
In recent weeks, tens of trucks loaded with cocoa beans have been reported as unable to offload at Côte d’Ivoire’s key export hubs — especially the Port autonome d’Abidjan, West Africa’s largest commercial port, and the nearby Port autonome de San-Pédro. These delays have drawn attention because cocoa accounts for roughly 40–45 % of the global supply and is a cornerstone of the Ivorian economy.
Transporters and farmers have described a backlog of vehicles queued at port gates, waiting to export their cargo. Some trucks reportedly remain idle for extended periods, and prolonged storage raises concerns about quality deterioration. Producers who hoped for timely payment have found themselves waiting, at a time when international cocoa prices have softened, and buyers are exercising caution.
The Conseil Café-Cacao (CCC) — the regulatory body for the coffee and cocoa sector — has pushed back against descriptions of a full “blockage.” Its director general has characterized many of the trucks seen near ports as lacking proper bills of lading, documentary proof required for legal export, and therefore not eligible for unloading. According to the CCC, trucks with valid documentation are being processed and discharged. Officials have also sought to reassure farmers that all legally produced cocoa will ultimately be purchased under the established marketing system.
Still, agricultural unions and producer groups argue that administrative hurdles, combined with a cash crunch among buyers and an oversupply at export hubs, are contributing to genuine challenges in the field. The situation highlights structural pressures in a sector critical to rural livelihoods and global chocolate markets, even as authorities emphasize that regulatory compliance and orderly processing remain priorities.
Sources: allafrica.com | rfi.fr
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