Photo : The Statesman
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : The Statesman
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger revive gas pipeline deal
On 28 July, BBC reported Nigeria, Niger and Algeria had signed an MoU to construct a gas pipeline across the Sahara. The development comes after the deputy director-general of the European Commission’s energy department said that Europe was seeking alternatives to Russia’s potential supply cuts. The pipeline through the Sahara is proposed to supply 30 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe. The deputy director-general said currently, Nigeria was supplying 14 per cent of the EU’s gas imports He said: “If we can get up to beyond 80%, at that point, there might be additional LNG that could be available for spot cargoes to come to Europe.” The revival of the pipeline comes more than a decade after an agreement was signed in 2009. (Ahmed Rouaba, “Algeria, Nigeria and Niger agree gas pipeline deal,” BBC, 28 July 2022; “EU looks to replace gas from Russia with Nigerian supplies,” Reuters, 23 July 2022)
Ethiopia: Government ready for talks with Tigray
On 28 July, the security advisor to the prime minister tweeted that the government is ready to hold talks with the leaders of Tigray “anytime, anywhere,” without preconditions. The government has also lifted restrictions on diplomats from the US, EU, UK and UN from travelling to Tigray. Further, the security advisor called on the African Union to lead the negotiations and “solicit logistical support from any source.” (Hanna Temauri, “Ethiopia ready for talks with Tigrayans 'anytime',” BBC, 28 July 2022)
Tunisia: Blinken expresses concern over new draft constitution
On 28 July, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement on the US concerns over the new draft constitution in light of the referendum held on 25 July. The statement said the new constitution could “weaken Tunisia’s democracy and erode respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The statement outlined that the threat to democracy has been evident since July 2021 when Saied suspended the parliament, consolidated executive power and weakened independent institutions like the judiciary. (“Tunisia’s July 25 Referendum,” US Department of State, 28 July 2022)