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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (2nd L) and Libya's Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (3rd L) attend an agreement-signing ceremony between Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni and the Libyan National Oil Corporation in Tripoli, Libya, on Jan. 28, 2023.

As Europe turns away from Russian energy, Italy positions itself as a natural gas conduit between the Continent and Africa.

With Energy Deals in Africa, Italy Positions Itself as Europe's Next Gas Hub

United States

North Korea

South Korea

Angolan President Joao Lourenco addresses MPLA supporters at an election rally July 23, 2022, in Luanda, Angola. Lourenco will face off against Adalberto Costa Junior of the opposition UNITA on Aug. 24. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Independence Day in Ukraine, Election Day in Angola

Ethiopia

Zambia

China

Newly elected Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema delivers a speech during his inauguration at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on Aug. 24, 2021. 

Beijing's first foray into debt restructuring under the G-20 framework will offer insight into China's potential position in other African countries' creditor talks.

What Zambian Debt Talks Could Mean for Chinese Borrowers in Africa

Snapshots

Angolan President Joao Lourenco is pictured on a flag at a campaign rally for the country’s ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party on June 26, 2021, at Largo das Escolas in Luanda. 

President Lourenco will likely secure another term on Aug. 24. But it may be his last, as grievances over poverty, electoral fraud and political repression erode support for his ruling MPLA party.

Previewing Angola’s General Election

Nigeria

Iran

Kuwait

Oman

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OPEC headquarters on April 4, 2013, in Vienna. OPEC+'s decision to maintain production levels will bolster the idea that oil markets are entering a supercycle, contributing to concerns about rising inflation.

Energy

OPEC+'s decision to maintain production levels will bolster the idea that oil markets are entering a supercycle, contributing to concerns about rising inflation.

OPEC+ Stays the Course, Driving up Oil Price, Inflation Expectations

Qatar

An oil tanker sails on Maracaibo Lake in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on March 15, 2019. OPEC'S relevance will slowly decline over the next two decades as the global transition from fossil fuels accelerates and oil's dominance in the transportation sector is diminished.

OPEC'S relevance will slowly decline over the next two decades as the global transition from fossil fuels accelerates and oil's dominance in the transportation sector is diminished.

As Oil's Importance Fades, So Will OPEC

Guidance

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Africa

Brazil

A promotional board for the annual series of meetings between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank is seen outside the IMF headquarters in Washington D.C. on Oct. 13, 2020.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the two financial institutions will discuss the need to prop up global growth and address growing debt vulnerabilities in developing countries. 

What to Watch for During This Week's IMF-World Bank Meetings

Environment, Science & Technology

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

The IMF’s announced $1 billion disbursement will help fill some of Angola’s financing gaps, though there is clearly a market view that the country may still require more comprehensive debt restructuring.

Reading the Fine Print of Angola’s Debt Restructuring

COVID-19

Supply Chains

The New Silk Road

_Energy

Vietnam

Spain

Kazakhstan

India

An oil pumpjack operates in Signal Hill, California, on April 21, 2020, a day after oil prices dropped to below zero amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

A Crude Recovery

As the pandemic continues to sap demand, upticks in OPEC+ supply will undermine efforts to rapidly balance the global market and drain excess inventories.

Amid a Global COVID-19 Resurgence, Oil Prices Are Poised to Stall

The Saudi Survival Strategy

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

The Angolan government announced a reduction in fuel subsidies, nearly doubling gasoline prices across the country, Bloomberg reported on June 2.

Angola: Government Cuts Fuel Subsidies

The White House is considering a $250 million financing package for the Lobito Atlantic Railway Corridor, according to the Group of Seven's updated Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment plan, the China Global South Project reported on May 22.

Angola: White House Considers Investment in Lobito Rail Corridor

U.S.-Iran Relations

Thousands of Angolans in the country's capital of Luanda protested alleged fraudulent elections on Aug. 24 that led to the reelection of President Joao Lourenco, Voice of America reported Sept. 24.

Angola: Thousands Protest Alleged Electoral Fraud

Angola's main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), submitted a legal complaint on Aug. 29 to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) challenging the victory of the ruling Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the Aug. 24 presidential election, Reuters reported Aug. 30.

Angola: Opposition Party Challenges MPLA Electoral Victory

Angola’s ruling party, the Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), won the Aug. 24 general election, securing a second term for President Joao Lourenco, Africa News reported Aug. 26.

Angola: Ruling Party Wins General Election, Presidency

European oil companies BP and Eni have signed a non-binding agreement to discuss whether they should merge their upstream businesses in Angola, according to a statement issued by Eni. 

Angola: BP, Eni to Discuss Merging Oil and Gas Businesses

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has published a trove of leaked documents linking the business dealings of Isabel dos Santos, daughter of longtime Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, with diverted state funds.

Angola: Journalist Group Publishes Documents Linking President's Daughter to Diversion of State Funds

Angolan officials have frozen around $1 billion belonging to Isabel dos Santos, the former head of the state oil company Sonangol and the daughter of the country's former long-time president, Reuters reported Jan. 2.

Angola: Authorities Freeze Assets of Ex-President's Daughter

Afghanistan

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Argentina

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Burundi

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Djibouti

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Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

France

Grenada

Mongolia

Angola is a former Portuguese colony located in southwest Africa. It is mostly semi-arid savanna, with few natural geographic defensive barriers. The Namib Desert is found along its southern coastal strip, and the Congo Rainforest lies to Angola's north.    Crude oil is the country's predominant natural resource, found on and offshore northwestern Angola.     The country is roughly 1.25 million square kilometers, but is relatively unpopulated, with approximately 20 million people. Angola's main geographic challenge is maintaining control over its ethnic divisions across vast distances.    The planalto and Kwanza River Basin are the two regions capable of supporting a substantial population. The planalto is Angola's single elevated region and is the core for the majority Ovimbundu peoples. Relatively high rainfall makes this area Angola's corn-based agricultural breadbasket. The Kwanza River is Angola's sole navigable river and flows from the planalto to the Atlantic Ocean near the capital, Luanda. The Kwanza river mouth is a navigable entry into Angola's interior, allowing internal and external trade. This is the core for the ruling minority Mbundu.    The internal struggles and civil war between the Mbundu and Ovimbundu ethnic groups were triggered when the country gained independence in 1975. The Mbundu's absorption of the colonial infrastructure in Luanda and the country's licit crude oil-based economic relationships led to the group's control of the country, dominating the agrarian Ovimbundu. As a result of this dynamic, the Angolan government relies on a robust internal security force to control the vast, remote and resource-rich country against domestic rivals.

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

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SITUATION REPORTS

Angola: Government Cuts Fuel Subsidies

Angola: White House Considers Investment in Lobito Rail Corridor

Angola: Thousands Protest Alleged Electoral Fraud

Angola: Opposition Party Challenges MPLA Electoral Victory

Angola: Ruling Party Wins General Election, Presidency

Angola: BP, Eni to Discuss Merging Oil and Gas Businesses

Angola: Journalist Group Publishes Documents Linking President's Daughter to Diversion of State Funds

Angola: Authorities Freeze Assets of Ex-President's Daughter

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