Continuing her farewell meetings, United Nations Special Representative Catriona Laing today visited Hargeisa where she met Somaliland’s leadership and discussed the world body’s support for development and humanitarian efforts.

“We had a very good discussion, and the President talked to me about the development plan, which sets out his economic long-term vision around the benefits of the ‘blue economy,’ around minerals, and thinking about transformation of the livestock trade as we prepare for climate change impacts on the nomadic lifestyle,” Ms. Laing said following a meeting with President Muse Bihi and members of his cabinet and advisors.

“We talked about the UN role in support of delivering the economic vision and all the other work we do around social development, health, education, humanitarian and in other areas,” Ms. Laing added.

The situation in the Laascaanood-Sool region – where conflict flared up last year, resulting in the loss of lives and displacement of thousands of people – was also discussed.

“There have been some challenges in the past and we were both pleased to see that things have calmed down, and the President assured me that it is his objective that the things remain calm,” the UN Special Representative said.

“The UN will play its part,” she continued, “in delivering humanitarian assistance and demining for the benefit of the people in that region.”

UN in Hargeisa

The UN Special Representative also took the opportunity to officially introduce the new head of the UN’s office in Hargeisa, Nikolai Rogosaroff, who took up his post in March this year. She described his presence there as an indication of the UN’s commitment to supporting local development and humanitarian efforts. Currently, more than a dozen UN agencies, funds and programmes operate in Somaliland.

Ms. Laing will complete her assignment later in May.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

The Libyan Mine Action Center announced plans 9 May to develop a country-wide mine action strategy in collaboration with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya’s Mine Action Section

The announcement came during a Tripoli event LibMAC organized, with support from UNSMIL’s Mine Action Section and seven nongovernmental organizations, to commemorate International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance.

The event, themed “Protecting Lives and Building Peace”, launched with speeches from key sector players before moving to a panel discussion and exhibition about demining efforts and activities to raise awareness about the danger of mines and unexploded ordnance. About 200 people attended, including representatives from the Presidential Council and ministries of defense, interior and health; mayors of municipalities and victims affected by landmines and remnants of war; the Ambassador to Libya from the Netherlands; and military attachés from Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy.

In her remarks, Fatma Zourrig, Chief of UNSMIL’s Mine Action Section, gave an overview of how the Mission acts in an advisory capacity, supporting Libyan institutions to clear explosive ordnance to protect civilians and secure and manage weapons stockpiles to prevent proliferation and unplanned explosions.

While Libya has managed to clean up about 36 percent of the hazardous land identified in Libya, about 436 million square meters remain contaminated, Zourrig said.

In the last five years, more than 400 people have been injured or killed in explosive ordnance related accidents, she said. Thirty-five of those happened in the last year. Twenty-six of those victims were children.

“These figures not only highlight the grave challenges we face, but also underscore the vital importance of international partnerships,” she said. “By collaborating, we can strengthen the capacities of the mine action sector, ensuring a safer future for all.”

Developing the Libya Mine Action Strategy will help the country to clarify needs and priorities and identify opportunities and risks, she said. This will guide collaboration between national and international governmental and non-governmental actors, maximizing the impact of mine action efforts and minimizing the risks to communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

Africa’s LNG export capacity is projected to grow in the coming years, with countries such as Nigeria expected to increase output from 22 million tons per annum (mtpa) to over 31 mtpa. Mozambique also has aspirations to raise output from 2.2 mtpa to well over 43 mtpa by the end of the decade. Production growth – in tandem with new discoveries made in Namibia, Ivory Coast and Senegal – affirm the continent’s potential role as a global LNG exporter.

A critical exploration of Africa’s gas and LNG industry future took place during the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris. Against the backdrop of African deepwater gas, LNG and FLNG projects, countries including Senegal, The Republic of the Congo and Mozambique are ascending as formidable exporters, spearheading a transformative charge. Simultaneously, pivotal gas initiatives in Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola stand poised to catalyze domestic industrialization efforts, heralding a new era of economic growth and energy sustainability across the continent.

Sponsored by independent oil company Perenco, the discussion delved into market outlooks, investment trends, regulatory strategies, technological advancements and new players in the African LNG landscape.

Per Magnus Nysveen, Senior Partner&Head of Analysis at Rystad Energy, set the tone for the conversation, emphasizing the increasing demand for LNG as a transition energy. “Africa has the potential to contribute to one-fourth of global gas production, while utilizing resources equitably to address energy poverty,” he said.

Armel Simondin, CEO of Perenco, outlined the company’s strategy in Africa: “We have been involved in gas projects since the 2010s in Africa and we are also involved in gas-to-power projects. Our Gabon project combines gas-to-power and LPG, we will build and develop a tech savvy LPG processing facility in the country.”

Julius Rone, Group Managing Director of UTM Offshore, provided updates on Nigeria’s first indigenous-owned Floating LNG project. UTM FLNG is a floating natural gas liquefaction facility being developed in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is the first FLNG project to be developed in the country. UTM Offshore is developing the project with an estimated investment of $5 billion.

“We aim to be the first LNG project spearheaded by a local company in Africa. We believe that in Q3 2028 the project will be completed,” he said.

Dr. Bi-Dia-Ayo Ibata, Head of Associations and Guardianship Relations Department, Administrator, SNPC, shared insights into the rapid development of the gas project between Eni and SNPC in the Republic of the Congo. “This project has been one of the fastest in the history of the Congo. The first cargo was sent to Italy in February. The initial phase started with 0.6 mtpa, then increased to 2.6 mtpa by 2025, and beyond that, we plan to produce 3 million tons,” said Ibata.

When asked about the biggest challenges in developing gas projects in Africa, speakers highlighted various obstacles. Ibata underscored the importance of environmental considerations in energy development, advocating for cleaner energy solutions like hydrogen and gas. Rone identified financing as a major hurdle, urging financial institutions to support hydrocarbon projects. Simondin cited infrastructure development and fiscal stability as critical challenges for gas projects.

Meanwhile, Cobie Loper, SVP, Operators and Geographical Sales for Energy Equipment at NOV, emphasized the need to adapt technology to project needs amid the energy transition, stating that, “As an industry, we are still tight with our capital.”

The need for energy access in Africa remains pressing, with 600 million Africans still lacking electricity and clean cooking facilities. “We know that in the West, the energy transition from coal to gas has allowed countries to develop, and Africa must do the same with its natural resources,” Dr. Ibata said. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

The second annual Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum opened in Paris on Tuesday, with OPEC and petroleum ministers from the Republic of Congo and Gabon adopting a unified stance on a just energy transition.

Africa is at a critical nexus in its energy development, as the continent seeks to scale up its energy supplies to meet electrification and industrialization goals, while also balancing climate concerns. As a result, African oil and gas markets are pursuing increased collaboration with international partners, along with an influx of foreign investment and technology to achieve a balanced energy mix.

Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua highlighted the Congo’s recent measures to create an attractive environment for future investments, including the upcoming submission of a new gas code to the Council of Ministers. The Republic of Congo has recently advanced several large-scale integrated gas projects, including Eni’s Marine XII permit development – targeting the production of 3 million tons of LNG by 2025 – and Wing Wah’s multi-phase Banga Kayo project set to produce 30 billion cubic meters of associated gas.

“Our goal is clear: not only to optimize the use of existing resources, but also to develop local infrastructures and skills that will create a solid and sustainable value chain,” stated Minister Itoua. “We are actively seeking to collaborate with international partners who share our vision of natural resource exploitation that is both fair and sustainable.”

Gabon’s Minister of Petroleum and OPEC 2024 President Marcel Abéké addressed efforts to expand the country’s low-carbon energy supply, as well as valorize associated gas resources. Gabon recently instituted the Global Gas Flaring Reduction initiative to reduce greenhouse gases and is in the process of establishing an incentive tax framework for the development of gas projects, as well as certified its gas reserves and launched a national gas master plan.

“Gabon has entered into a process of energy transition by directing its sectoral policy towards the encouragement of low-cost investment projects,” said Minister Abéké. “This progressive approach… aims to reverse the national energy mix in favor of renewable energies.”

Underscoring Africa’s long-term growth prospects and key drivers of oil demand, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al-Ghais affirmed OPEC’s commitment to driving Africa’s oil industry forward and fostering dialogue with international partners. By 2045, the continent’s oil demand is expected to double to 8.2 million barrels per day on the back of rising demand from residential, commercial and agricultural sectors, while refining capacity is set to expand by 3.2 million barrels per day.

“OPEC is here today in Paris in full force because we are an integral part of Africa, and Africa is an integral part of OPEC,” said Secretary General Al-Ghais. “The continent offers a vast horizon of undeveloped oil resources, which will be needed to meet future world energy needs. All sources of energy are going to be called upon to meet growing global primary energy demand, which is said to increase by 23% by 2045. Oil is still expected to represent the largest share of the energy mix through 2045, when we see long-term global oil demand rising to 116 million barrels per day.”

NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber highlighted that investment in Africa’s energy sector is crucial now more than ever. “This is the time for real partnership… We have to continue to demand a just energy transition for Africa – we have to produce every drop of hydrocarbons in order to transition into clean energies.”

Jude Brice Ondonda, Upstream Petroleum Director of Congolese national oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo stated that inn the Congo, SNPC is ready to lead a sustainable energy transformation, while tapping its resources and protecting its environment. “We would like to move towards a clean energy mix… and there is opportunity for investment in this area.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.