The African Continent - 19 February 2026

This daily brief examines heightened military posturing and strategic deployments amid ongoing diplomatic engagement, as major powers balance deterrence, signaling, and negotiation. It assesses force movements, operational readiness, and alliance dynamics alongside parallel diplomatic tracks, highlighting indicators that shape escalation risk and crisis management across multiple theaters. The brief is designed to support timely situational awareness by contextualizing tactical developments within broader geopolitical and security trends.

LIBYA

• The National Oil Corporation announced fuel stocks at ports and storage facilities in Libya as of February 18, 2026, stating that Misrata Port had the highest levels with 21,285 tons of gasoline and 37,014 tons of diesel.

• The Tripoli administration reduced its dependence on Russian fuel by granting gasoline and diesel supply rights in Libya to Vitol, Trafigura, and TotalEnergies, announcing that imports from Russia declined from 56,000 barrels per day to 5,000 barrels per day.

• In contacts held in Rome and Paris under U.S. mediation, the scenario of Saddam Haftar assuming the head of Libya’s Presidential Council was discussed, and it was reported that Massad Boulos was mediating military and economic integration talks between eastern and western Libya.

EGYPT

• Mubadala Energy acquired a 15% stake from Eni in Egypt’s offshore Nargis gas field, which has an estimated reserve potential of approximately 4 trillion cubic feet, becoming a partner in the project, while Chevron holds a 45% operating stake in the field.

• Mahmoud Esmat and Lars Bo Moller discussed increasing renewable energy investments in Egypt and localizing wind and solar equipment, and Cairo reaffirmed its target of raising the share of renewables to over 42% by 2030.

• Sameh El-Hefny announced that a fourth terminal would be built at Cairo International Airport and that the operation of Hurghada International Airport would be tendered to the private sector, adding that EgyptAir’s fleet would be expanded to 97 aircraft by 2030/31.

• Mubadala Energy announced that it had purchased Eni’s 15% stake in the Nargis offshore exploration concession in Egypt, stating that the company had expanded its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Modern Gas signed a 33-year central gas distribution concession with Talaat Moustafa Group for the 27,000-unit Banan project in Saudi Arabia, with an initial planned investment of 24 million SAR in the first phase.

SOUTH AFRICA

• The African Energy Chamber announced the African Energy Week 2026 program to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 12–16, 2026, stating that the summit aims to attract investment to reduce the ongoing financing gap of $31–50 billion despite Africa’s potential of 125 billion barrels of oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas.

• South Africa and China signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Framework Agreement in South Africa, and the parties agreed that, through an Early Harvest Agreement expected to be completed by the end of March 2026, South Africa’s exports to China would become duty-free, making the country the 33rd African nation to benefit from zero tariffs in the Chinese market.

• Jubilee Metals Group announced that it had sold its chrome and platinum group metal assets in South Africa to One Chrome for approximately $90 million, stating that due to high capital requirements it would exit South Africa and focus on expanding its copper operations in Zambia.

• Vitol announced its support for an approximately $3 billion project at the Port of Durban in South Africa, including a 1,000–1,800 MW gas power plant and LNG import terminal, stating that the consortium would proceed with Strategic Integrated Project status in line with a target of 16 GW gas capacity by 2039.

MOROCCO

• The Qantara Med submarine electricity cable project, which will connect Nador to the French coast, was brought to the agenda between Morocco and France, and the project aims to transport Morocco’s green electricity to the European market.

• The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco launched a new tender call covering 361 mining sites in the Tafilalet and Figuig regions, and the initiative covers approximately 13,000 km².

ETHIOPIA

• Ethiopia and Ireland signed a memorandum of understanding in Addis Ababa to expand cooperation in multiple areas including business and investment, and the parties committed to strengthening regular dialogue in economic, development, and political fields.

• MIDROC Investment Group inaugurated a coal beneficiation plant with a capacity of 200 tons per hour in Oromia Arjo, Ethiopia, in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the facility aims to reduce imports through domestic coal production reaching a calorific value of 6,600.

NIGERIA

• Bola Tinubu signed an executive order in Nigeria requiring the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to remit its oil and gas revenues directly to the Federation Account, with the regulation targeting more than 1.4 trillion naira in additional revenue.

• The Nigerian government announced that the country holds mineral reserves worth approximately $700 billion and launched a new mining-focused strategy, signing a geological data collection agreement with the Africa Finance Corporation and Xcalibur Smart Mapping.

• Olayemi Cardoso stated that Nigeria’s monthly remittance inflows have reached approximately $600 million and called for strengthening the G-24 digital cross-border payment infrastructure.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

• Gécamines obtained the marketing rights for approximately 95,000 tons of copper annually from Kamoto Copper Company for the 2026–2027 period under a new agreement with Glencore in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, increasing the state’s revenue share.

• It was announced that approximately 60 billion cubic meters of methane were found in Lake Kivu between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while Rwanda reported that it is carrying out projects to extract methane gas in a controlled manner using floating platforms.

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo added the M23-controlled Rubaya coltan mine to its strategic minerals cooperation framework with the United States, with plans to reactivate the site through investments of $50–150 million.

BENIN

• Akrake Petroleum Benin announced that it produced first oil at the AK-2H well in the Sèmè Field in Benin, while its parent company Lime Petroleum initiated a strategic and financial review due to rising drilling costs and delays exceeding three months.

IVORY COAST

• Oil and natural gas production began in Côte d’Ivoire at the Baleine deepwater field, developed jointly with Eni, with an initial processing capacity of 15,000 barrels of oil per day and 25 million cubic meters of gas.

• Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly and Bogolo Joy Kenewendo agreed to strengthen cooperation on a new value-added-focused mining model in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Abidjan administration announced that it would take Botswana’s local content experience as a model.

BOTSWANA

• The 4.6 MWp Sandveld Solar Park in Ghanzi, Botswana, was commissioned on January 23, 2026, and the Afrigreen Debt Impact Fund provided $2.5 million in financing for the project.

• The Botswana government accelerated its critical minerals strategy covering copper, cobalt, and lithium, targeting integrated production through the Kalahari Copperbelt and more than 15 lithium sites.

• Botswana focused on coal bed methane (CBM) and critical minerals in line with its 3.1% growth target for 2026 and plans to increase domestic gas production through projects by Tlou Energy and Botala Energy.

ZIMBABWE

• The Zimbabwean government approved a memorandum of understanding with Tajikistan in the field of geological research, aiming to expand mining development opportunities.

• Contango Holdings PLC announced plans to raise approximately £5 million in capital for the Muchesu Coal Project in Binga, Zimbabwe, and the funding is expected to strengthen the capacity of the project, which has a reserve potential of 1.3–2 billion tons.

SIERRA LEONE

• Meya Mining secured $25 million in financing from Ecobank to accelerate diamond production in the Kono District of Sierra Leone, and the investment is expected to create more than 400 direct jobs.

NAMIBIA

• Selma Ashipla-Musavyi invited the United Arab Emirates to invest in Namibia’s diamond cutting and polishing sector at a business forum held in Namibia, and the parties put the establishment of a Joint Economic Commission on the agenda.

GHANA

• John Dramani Mahama announced a target to end crude oil and unprocessed mineral exports in Ghana within five years and called for the establishment of local refinery and bullion infrastructure.

• Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah stated that more than 90 active exploration projects, including gold and manganese, are underway in Ghana and reported that the country has attracted over $20 billion in investment over the past two years.

MALAWI

• Malawi signed a memorandum of understanding between Sovereign Metals Limited and Traxys North America for the Kasiya rutile-graphite project, targeting the marketing of 40,000 tons of graphite annually to the United States’ $12 billion Project Vault initiative.

MOZAMBIQUE

• The Mozambican government established the North-South Railway Office to coordinate the construction of a national railway line linking the country’s north and south, and the project is expected to take 6–8 years to complete.

ANGOLA

• Eugénio Neto testified in court that a $1.5 billion loan obtained from Banco Espírito Santo Angola in Angola was used for land purchases, and five defendants, including Ricardo Salgado and Álvaro Sobrinho, are being tried in the case.

CONGO

• SONILS and ILOGS signed a memorandum of understanding to modernize oil and gas logistics in Congo, and it is planned to increase the capacity of the Port of Pointe-Noire in line with a target of producing 500,000 barrels per day by 2030.

GABON

• Gabon signed a geoscience cooperation agreement with the Council for Geoscience, and the government aims to increase mining’s share of GDP to 25% by 2030 after oil production declined from 370,000 barrels to 215,000 barrels.

ZAMBIA

• The Zambian government attracted $10 billion in investment and increased copper production by 8% to 890,346 tons in 2025, aiming to approach an annual target of 1 million tons.

• Lunda Resources is developing the Kazozu copper-cobalt project in Mwinilunga, Zambia, with U.S. support, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency provided a $1.4 million feasibility grant.

BURKINA FASO

• The International Monetary Fund disbursed $33.2 million to Burkina Faso following the fourth review of a 48-month program, and a record gold production of 94 tons was recorded in 2025.

SOMALIA

• Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud discussed the security transition plan in Somalia with AUSSOM Chair El Hadji Ibrahima Diene and Force Commander Sam Kavuma, and it was agreed to strengthen cooperation between the Somali National Army and the African Union mission.

KENYA

• China increased pressure to sign a police cooperation agreement in Kenya during talks with Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, and security cooperation was targeted in line with the 2025 understanding between William Ruto and Xi Jinping.