US keen for stronger ties with Nigeria - ClintonAbuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Visiting American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said here Wednesdaythe US was keen to see ''the development of stronger ties'' with Nigeria. 12/08/2009 Full Text... Aug 13, 2009
was collaborating with the American Armed Forces in the Gulf of Guinea to check r ebel movements, drug trafficking and gun running. The U.S will provide support to Nigeria for the 2011 elections, she promised, sa ying that the U.S. supported efforts by the Yar. (Panapress.com)
So Tom and Prncipe: Malaria Declines But Struggle Continues Aug 12, 2009
Malaria is endemic in the Gulf of Guinea, where the islands of S;o Tom; and Pr;ncipe lie. Yet the impoverished country has led since 2004 an anti-malarial campaign that has won praise from the World Health Organisation. (allAfrica.com)
Guinea: Flood-Hit Residents of Conakry Cry 'SOS' Aug 12, 2009
Higher-than-average rainfall is expected this season in Guinea and other countries in the southern Gulf of Guinea zone, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). "Each year we are victims of flooding here, but this year is exceptional," resident L;no told IRIN. "The water level has never been this high.". (allAfrica.com)
Ayittey Helps Prepare Clinton for Africa Trip Aug 6, 2009
I autographed it as: "This wont' get me a BEER at the White House but we are proud of you as a son of Africa. Don't mind what the Americans say." I hope Obama has a sense of humor but dont try this with President Musugu Babazonga, President-For-Life of the Coconut Republic of Tonga somewhere in the Gulf of Guinea. He is the author of the Green Book, which everybody must read. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Chinese reaching out to Angola Aug 5, 2009
Thanks to its huge oil deposits in the Gulf of Guinea, the former Portuguese colony has become China's biggest African trading partner. I don't speak Portuguese so its hard to communicate. (BBC News -- Africa)
What will oil mean for Ghana? Aug 1, 2009
Discovered in 2007, the Jubilee is located in the Gulf of Guinea and is considered a world-class prospect. The first crude is expected in the second half of next year. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
A Look At Nigeria Jul 29, 2009
It is set on the Gulf of Guinea on the West African coast and borders Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin. Terrain ranges from coastal swamps and tropical forests to grasslands and semi-deserts. (CBS News -- World)
Republic of Congo holds presidential election Jul 13, 2009
It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda and the Gulf of Guinea. The country is rich in petroleum and forestry resources and these two sectors are key contributors to its economy. (Xinhuanet, China)
Sassou poised to win re-election in Republic of Congo poll Jul 12, 2009
It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea. The country is rich in petroleum and forestry resources and these two sectors are key contributors to its economy. (Xinhuanet, China)
US Military Base In Ghana Jul 11, 2009
With significant discoveries being made in the Gulf of Guinea oil basin, off the coast of Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Congo and Cote dIvoire, according to the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States will be importing in the year 2020 over 770 million barrels of African oil a year ... West Africa is its natural home, given the need to protect energy interests in the Gulf of Guinea ... "The United States, in typical Dick Cheneyic oilthink, sees the... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Africa: The 'Change We Need'? - Obama in Ghana Jul 11, 2009
If Obama is serious about democratic and accountable governance taking root in Africa, he will be minded to dispel the fear (and the rumour) that the United States is actively militarising the Gulf of Guinea through increased in the activities of US naval forces. He should signal loud and clear that he respects the African Union's reluctance to extend the US military footprint in Africa, whether by providing landing facilities or hosting an AFRICOM (United States African Command) facility. (allAfrica.com)
Barack O'Ghana! Jul 9, 2009
" Mr. Obama's choice of Ghana for his first official trip to Sub-Saharan Africa has triggered a bout of self-questioning in Nigeria and Kenya, where many see his itinerary as a deliberate snub, Reuters news agency reported. Kenya is the home of Mr. Obama's father, and the president's grandmother and a half-brother still lives there. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and has considerable oil reserves. The first black U.S. president's choice of Ghana as his first stop on the continent has... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Obama Brings International State Terrorism to Ghana Jul 8, 2009
7) Gulf of Guinea Initiative U.S. Navy Partnership Program Security This program trains African militaries in port and offshore oil platform security. 8) Exercise Reception Facility (ERF) Established to facilitate troop deployments throughout the region. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Benin declares state of emergency over floods Jul 8, 2009
Experts say countries on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea including Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo are becoming more prone to floods. Forecasts by the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development for July to September 2009, suggest a high probability of rainfall higher than normal in these countries. (AlertNet)
I Went to Accra Today Jul 5, 2009
Hence, the rainwaters are finding their way out and as the floodwaters struggle to get their way into the Gulf of Guinea it only makes sense that they carry a few human bodies that stand on their way into the sea. Sorry, I dont mean to be callous may the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Ghana readies for the Obamas Jul 5, 2009
ACCRA, Ghana -- The people of this country seated in the nook where West Africa curves into the Gulf of Guinea along the Atlantic Ocean have long felt they are trendsetters for Africa. It is in Ghana, after all, where the march for independence in all of Africa started and where the Pan African movement -- the notion of liberation for the black man everywhere -- blossomed. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Ghana to Sell Water to Togo Why Africa is Hell! Jun 25, 2009
One can also not gloss over the vast seawater that is going waste in the Gulf of Guinea. Forgive me, readers, if one did not mention that naturally healthy stream in your village or that beautiful resource at Nzulezu in the West. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Niger Delta militants vow more attacks Jun 22, 2009
A recent attack on the presidential palace in neighboring Equatorial Guinea another major oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea region has been blamed on Niger Delta rebels. Oil prices have a tendency to spike upward whenever political instability threatens an area where oil is produced or transported, whether it's in Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and even the pirate-ridden coastline of Somalia. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Nigeria: Officials Discuss Bakassi Region Jun 17, 2009
The Peninsula, located on the Gulf of Guinea, had been the subject of intense and sometimes violent disputes between the African neighbours for decades until they agreed to a UN-backed process to settle the matter. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolved the issue with a ruling in 2002. (allAfrica.com)
New species of phallus-shaped mushroom named after California Academy of Sciences scientist Jun 16, 2009
Recently, he has turned his attention to Sao Tome and Principe, located in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast. Although it is a tiny nation - at 370 square miles, only about eight times the size of San Francisco - it hosts a number of plants, fungi, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians found nowhere else on Earth. (EurekAlert!)
Mushroom a sexy find - with a racy name Jun 16, 2009
Drewes has led three major expeditions to the island nation of So Tm and Prncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa ... " In more recent history, So Tm and Prncipe were major centers of the slave trade, with Portuguese traders carrying slaves westward to their colonies in Brazil. Later the islands were noted for their cocoa plantations, but that industry has largely died away. And now comes oil: Major American and international companies are drilling into known... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Navy Ship Returning To Va From Final Deployment (3:35 p.m.) Jun 6, 2009
During its final mission, the Nashville served as the Africa Partnership Station in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa. It provided security cooperation and training to several African nations. (WTVR.com, VA)
Oil earnings Jun 4, 2009
Deep below the Gulf of Guinea lies the key to Ghana's economic future. After decades of casting jealous looks at its oil rich-neighbours, the taps of Ghana's very own oil boom are about to open. (BBC News -- Business)
Atlantic searched for lost plane Jun 2, 2009
It was to be followed by two other French planes based in Dakar, and a naval vessel currently cruising in the Gulf of Guinea, several days' sailing away. Spain and Senegal have also sent planes to help in the search. (BBC News -- Europe)
How Nigeria, France co-operation can lift world peace, by envoy May 29, 2009
"We encourage an early implementation of the electoral reform with the willingness of the President. We are also concerned with the security in the Niger Delta region. France is determined to give favourable consideration to Nigeria's requests, particularly in the field of training for improvement of security in the Gulf of Guinea.". Dumond added: "We want to contribute more actively to the fight against poverty in Africa, through the new initiative by President Sarkozy, which would be operated... (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Africa: Continent Should Seize Control of its Development May 29, 2009
" Africa is perceived as irrelevant in globalisation because its contribution to manufacturing is less than three percent. And 70 percent of global trade takes place in this sector. For the dynamic Sierra Leonean, Africans want to talk about transformation and not only about the wars in Darfur and the Congo. "But they (the North) don't want to," he says. "The Gulf of Guinea is one of the richest regions in the world but it has the poorest countries. Fishers are coming in from outside and... (allAfrica.com)
Obamas Visit Whats In It For Us And U.S.? May 25, 2009
This shift in global energy patterns to the Gulf of Guinea has led to a significant re-evaluation of foreign policy focus and global alliances, resulting in a multi-layered engagement with countries such as Ghana, that encompasses military and energy security, and development aid ... The United States, in typical Dick Cheneyic oilthink, sees the Gulf of Guinea as offering the opportunity to break with the old politics which saw the U.S. at the mercy of the geostrategic pressure of unstable or... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
US reaches out in western Africa May 24, 2009
Coast Guard members aboard the Nashville instructed African naval officers in security techniques as part of a mission aimed at promoting maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea ... The USS Nashville had stopped at this coastal oil town during a five-month mission to train navies on Africa's western edge to police the Gulf of Guinea, which military officials and analysts warn could become as anarchic as the pirate-infested seas off Somalia ... In the Gulf of Guinea, officials said, helping... (Boston Globe)
Amnesty Still Open For Militants, Says Yar'Adua May 23, 2009
Yar'Adua also affirmed Nigeria's readiness to continue to play peacekeeping roles in Darfur, the Gulf of Guinea and elsewhere on the African continent under the auspices of the African Union Peacekeeping Force "to prevent the breakdown of law and order.". On bilateral relations, the Nigerian leader commended the signing of four agreements between both countries during Mr. Fillon's visit, that would deepen the strategic partnership between Nigeria and France. (Guardian News, Nigeria)
French PM backs Nigeria's bid for UN Security Council seat May 22, 2009
On the security in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria's extant territorial waters as a frontline state in this regard, he said by the working agreement between France and Nigeria issued after the meeting between Sarkozy and Yar'Adua, France took note of a number of Nigerian requests, "particularly in the field of training, in order to assist the Nigerian Navy build its capacity in maritime and river control.". "We have taken the opportunity of this visit to Nigeria to sign a Memorandum of... (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Govt defends military operation in Delta, says Nigeria is safe May 20, 2009
Apparently to avoid any surprise attack by the militants on oil facilities, the Nigerian Navy yesterday stepped up surveillance around the Bonga oil field located in the Gulf of Guinea, described as the heart of the Nigerian oil industry. Military sources said the security beef was prompted by the ongoing skirmishes in Delta State. (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Eutelsat Selects Astrium to Deliver ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 7 Satellite for 7 Degrees West Video Neighbourhood May 14, 2009
- A second footprint for North-West Africa, across the Maghreb countries and extending down to the Gulf of Guinea, will be connected to a payload of up to 12 Ku-band transponders designed for consumer broadcasting services and equipped to meet high demand for Internet access services. Eutelsat Communications first announced the commissioning of a new satellite for the 7 degrees West neighbourhood in February on the occasion of its first-half results for the 2008-2009 financial year. (PR Newswire)
Think Tank Calls for Action in Niger Delta May 2, 2009
Abuja The Niger Delta risks sliding deeper into conflict and criminality and spreading instability across the Gulf of Guinea, unless Nigeria s President Umaru Yar Adua responds constructively to recommendations of a key committee ... Insecurity could spread further across the Gulf of Guinea, and Nigeria s oil production and drive for socio-economic advancement will be even more severely disrupted. (allAfrica.com)
IMANI Alert: Energy (Government Charges in) Apr 28, 2009
The smart thing to do will be to start exploring in the Gulf of Guinea neighbourhood. Equatorial Guinea and San Tome and Principe seem like good prospects. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The (smaller, faster, cheaper) future of sea power Apr 19, 2009
Rear Admiral Greene emphasizes efforts to reach out to local governments and navies in areas of concern like the Gulf of Guinea, to take advantage of local knowledge and to try to help address the political roots of regional instability. To further facilitate these collaborations, the Navy has greatly expanded its Foreign Area Officers program, which gives young officers an intensive education in the language, politics, and cultures of countries to which they will be posted. (Boston Globe)
* A Gulf between oil and power Apr 18, 2009
Africas Gulf of Guinea nations lack the ability to tackle mounting threats from piracy and kidnapping while the US, a major buyer of their oil, is restricted in its efforts to help them ... There is pretty serious concern in Washington and capitals elsewhere about the Gulf of Guinea, he said ... Sub-Saharan Africa produced more than 9 million barrels of oil per day last year, with the Gulf of Guinea nations accounting for nearly 5 million of the total. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Obamas Call Was Not Congratulatory but a Diplomatic Warning Apr 16, 2009
Still, it is quite logical, as well as natural, to presume that Mr. Obama, upon his grueling and landmark election victory, had not almost immediately lost his memory, regarding both the location of his new Oval Office and his official telephone, as to tarry until nearly four months after the Ghanaian presidential election to personally congratulate his opposite number on the Gulf of Guinea, as unprecedently hectic as his schedule may be. Besides, for a relatively politically and economically... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Ghana .@50.com Apr 12, 2009
Ghana is bounded by Burkina Faso to the north; to the south by the Gulf of Guinea (that is the coast), to the east by the Republic of Togo, and to the west by La Cote dIvoire. It has a geographical land-mass of 93,000 sq. miles that easily resembles a rectangular door turned upwards. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
FASTER RESPONSE Mar 25, 2009
The Sahel belt south of the Sahara -- Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal -- is growing more arid as desert advances, while countries on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea including Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo are becoming more prone to floods, they say. A rise in global temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius (3. (AlertNet)
Nigeria: 15,000 Jobs Threatened in Oil Industry Mar 17, 2009
Lagos Insecurity and the cost of doing business are driving more oil firms out of Nigeria, along with 15,000 jobs being relocated to Angola and other countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The firms "are reluctantly leaving Nigeria, a country with vast resources and business potential where they already have facilities and installations worth billions of Dollars for a relatively new ground," an official of one of the companies confided on Monday. (allAfrica.com)
Oil, Gas To Yield Ghana $20 Billion Mar 17, 2009
"We are also ready to support government in the protection of the livelihoods of fisher folk and other communities around the Jubilee Oilfield as well as the larger marine ecological zone of the Gulf of Guinea," it pledged. The statement said the World Bank has committed 215 million US dollars in financing Kosmos Energy and Tullow Oil in support of the development of the Jubilee field. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
More Oil Discovered Mar 10, 2009
Tullow is targeting about 4 billion barrels of oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Guinea off Ghana and Ivory Coast. Tullow now has ample funds at its disposal to bring Jubilee, its offshore Ghana discovery, through the development phase and into production, Gerry Hennigan, an analyst with Goodbody Stockbrokers in Dublin, said today in a report. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Ghana Oil & Gas Update Feb 27, 2009
And that is not very good for companies like Kosmos and Tullow who are gearing up for aggresive drilling across the Gulf of Guinea coast and farther afield ... In the coming years oil prospects across the Gulf of Guinea is likely to become highly intertwined advising close attention from our security strategists. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Stakeholders discuss ways to combat unregulated fishing Feb 27, 2009
The U.S. Government's commitment to combating IUU fishing is embodied in the visit to Ghana of a US Navy ship, USS Nashville, part of the Africa Partnership Station Initiative, which provided extensive, sustained training and multi-national collaboration on a regional level to help coastal nations achieve security in the Gulf of Guinea. Dr. Francis K.E. Nunoo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, said currently, nobody knew exactly how much IUU fishing was taking place but... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Reps ask oil firms to pay N222.45 trillion Feb 24, 2009
Some payments claimed by some awardees could not be traced to the bank statements," the report of the panel headed by Igo Aguma read in part. The report gave the names of some alleged defaulters in the payment of the signature bonuses. According to the report, OPL 214 was awarded to Esso Expl/Chevron on June 13, 2001 with a total signature bonus of $55 million, of which only $22 million has been paid to date, leaving a balance of $33 million. OPL 324 was awarded to Petroleo Brasiliero/Statoil on... (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Equatorial Guinea: Demons in Paradise Feb 22, 2009
In those times Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish province found in Africa's Gulf of Guinea; 'the Pearl of Africa', it was known as. Today, four decades after its independence, under the dictatorial yoke of Obiang Nguema's family and operating at the pleasure of great powers whose companies freely exploit its oil and timber resources, Equatorial Guinea has emerged as one of the most underdeveloped and corrupt countries in the world, with the Equatoguinean people one of the most terrorised at the... (allAfrica.com)
Equatorial Guinea: Palace Attack 'Not Coup Plot' Feb 21, 2009
Two of the assailants were also reportedly killed, one of the high speed boats destroyed and a score of its crew members suspected to be pirates that have been causing havoc in the Gulf of Guinea, drowned in the Atlantic Ocean. Relevant Links. (allAfrica.com)
West Africa pirate threat on rise Feb 21, 2009
While piracy off Somalia has been grabbing world attention and attracting regular patrols by major navies, attacks on the other side of the continent - in the Gulf of Guinea - risk being overlooked, officials say. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Africa)
16 held in coup effort in Equatorial Guinea Feb 20, 2009
Men in speedboats attacked the capital, Malabo, which sits on an island off the West African coastline in the Gulf of Guinea. They struck before dawn on Tuesday and were heavily armed, the government said in a statement, but the army, using boats and a helicopter, quickly repelled the attack. (International Herald Tribune)
Nigeria condemns attack on Equitorial Guinea Feb 19, 2009
But MEND, in its response, said it suspects Western powers such as the United States of America (USA) of being behind the attack to create fear in the Gulf of Guinea to justify African Command (AFRICOM), a military project of American government ... " The Spanish State news agency EFE, quoted Equatorial Guinean government spokesman, Jeronimo Osa, as blaming the attack on an armed group operating in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea in the Niger Delta. Gunmen from the region have previously launched... (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Equatorial Guinea: Nigerian Govt Denies Links to Palace Attack Feb 19, 2009
Asked to clarify if Nigerian militants were actually involved, the minister said: "So far, the investigation we have been able to carry out shows that authorities in Equatorial Guinea themselves are not certain about the identities of those people. But whoever they are, whether they are militants from the Niger Delta or they are mercenaries outside Africa, because we have also had speculations. "This kind of act should be condemned and it is the latest wake-up call for countries all over Africa,... (allAfrica.com)
Equatorial Guinea: Govt Accuses Delta Militants of Palace Attack Feb 18, 2009
Equatorial Guinea is the third oil-producing state in the Gulf of Guinea with a long history of bad governance and authoritarian rule under President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the past three decades. Reuters, a news agency quoted the government as alleging that the attackers came from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, an area that had suffered a high incidence of seaborne insurgent attacks, kidnapping and attempts to wreck off-shore oil installation in the last two years. (allAfrica.com)
Cosmos Energy Seeks Buyers For Ghana Oil Assets Feb 10, 2009
The Jubilee field straddles both blocks in the Gulf of Guinea. The person said partners in the blocks, including Tullow Oil PLC and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC), have the right to pre-empt any stake sale agreed by Kosmos. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Nigeria scraps S Korea oil deal Feb 7, 2009
It paid $9m in cash and offered a letter of credit to pay another $231m, in order to cover their 60% interest in oil blocks OPL321 and OPL323, which are based in deep water in the Gulf of Guinea. The deal was signed with Africa's top oil producer in March 2006 when South Korea's then president Roh Moo-hyun visited Nigeria. (BBC News -- Business)
