Wagner’s Next Act In Africa
March 27th, 2024
Via The New Statesman, commentary on how Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son have rebranded the mercenary group in the Sahel: “There’s a little Russia growing inside Burkina Faso,” a Burkinabe official told me. “First you put down one settlement, somewhere you can speak safely, where you don’t have any Americans or French. Then you […]
Read more »Niger, Morocco: Prime Ministers Meet Amid Plans To Diversify Port Access
February 17th, 2024
Courtesy of Rane’s Worldview (subscription required), a report that Niger and Morocco are working to advance plans to help western Sahelian countries diversity their maritime access through Morocco’s ports: What Happened: Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine met with Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch as part of a two-day trip to Morocco, Radio France Internationale […]
Read more »Can Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso Maintain Growth Outside ECOWAS?
February 13th, 2024
Courtesy of The Africa Report, a look at whether Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso can maintain growth outside ECOWAS: The three countries shaken by coups have economies with growth prospects above the regional average as they close the door on the regional bloc. On 28 January, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly announced their withdrawal […]
Read more »Russia Steps Up Competition in Africa
January 11th, 2024
Via Foreign Policy Research Institute, a look at Russia’s efforts to step up its presence, and competitive position (both economically and militarily), in Africa: BOTTOM LINE The Kremlin is taking up the mantle of Wagner Group after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, and is now moving to compete directly with the West in Africa, particularly in the […]
Read more »The Elusive Figure Running Wagner’s Embattled Empire of Gold and Diamonds
September 24th, 2023
Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, an article on Dmitry Sytii the elusive figure working to preserve the Wagner’s multibillion-dollar African operations: T-shirts have appeared on the streets of the Central African Republic’s capital recently picturing a bearded man with flowing hair and an almost saintly look. The image, reminiscent of a revolutionary Che Guevara, […]
Read more »Burkina Faso Fashion Designer Weaves New Life into Ancient Fabric
July 28th, 2023
Via Reuters, a report on one entrepreneur’s efforts to weave new life into Burkina Faso’s ancient fabric: Amid the rhythmic clatter of traditional wooden looms, artisans at a workshop in rural Burkina Faso spin indigo-dyed cotton into sprawling lengths of cloth, destined for modern suits designed by the nation’s foremost couturier. Twenty years ago, Paris-based […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.