Menas Associates Blog
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Azerbaijan government orders oil audit from UK firm after EITI divorce
This is an excerpt from an article in our monthly Caspian Focus publication. Azerbaijan has been sending reassuring signals to the Western investor community following its decsion to withdraw from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in March (see...
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Harbinder Sethi Singh and James Rugemalira charged in Tegeta escrow scandal
This is an excerpt from an article in our fortnightly East Africa Politics & Security publication. The 19 June court appearance of Harbinder Sethi Singh and James Rugemalira is the Tanzanian government’s single most significant act against corruption. The two men...
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Gaza Strip: Another summer of violence?
The current situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly volatile. For the past two months, Gaza's power plant has been out of commission, which has greatly reduced power supplies available for Gaza Strip residents. This, in turn, has sparked massive public...
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Responses to Saif al-Islam Qadhafi’s release
This is an excerpt from an article in this month's Libya Focus publication. After six years in captivity, Saif al-Islam Qadhafi — the second eldest son and one-time heir-apparent of the former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi — was finally freed by his Zintani...
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Boko Haram’s daring attack designed to demonstrate its strength
This is an excerpt from an article in our weekly Nigeria Politics & Security publication. Maiduguri — a city that has been relentlessly besieged from Boko Haram’s suicide attacks — was once more threatened on 7 June, during an exchange of gunfire between the army...
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Interest from Chinese stakeholders in Argentina’s energy sector
This is an excerpt from an article in this month's Argentina Strategic Brief. China’s interests in shale gas exploration have led to several high-profile visits to support Chinese state-owned and private sector stakeholders who have been showing more interest in...
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Will Tebboune move to repair Sellal’s damage to Algeria’s economy?
This is an article from our weekly Algeria Politics & Security publication. Algeria's Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been preoccupied with his new government’s plan, to be presented on 18 June, which is geared towards repairing much of the damage done to...
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Egyptian regime seeks to deflect blame for latest attack on Christians
This is an except from our article in our fortnightly Egypt Politics & Security publication. The most significant security incident over the last two weeks was the 26 May attack on a group of Christians who were travelling to St Samuel Monastery in Upper Egypt, to...
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Special Commentary: Saudi-UAE embargo on Qatar
The action — led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE — against Qatar is unprecedented in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) because it seeks to isolate Doha both politically and economically. Whatever the exact pretext, it is clear that the Saudis and Emiratis have lost...
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Kenya Election Update: increased risk of localised violence
This is an article from our fortnightly East Africa Politics & Security publication. The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned of the increased risk of localised violence in the Rift Valley counties during the August election. In its 30 May report, ICG notes...
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