Scottish Business Group Expands Africa Links After Successful Subsea Expo Showing
ABERDEEN, Scotland— The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) says it has strengthened international partnerships and opened new commercial opportunities for Scottish firms following a strong showing at Subsea Expo in Aberdeen, one of the world’s largest subsea industry events, writes Winston Mwale. During his visit, Abdelraheem attended the Subsea Expo evening reception and held a series of meetings with SABA member companies and other businesses from across northeast Scotland. Talks focused on potential collaboration in subsea engineering, offshore services, inspection and maintenance, digital technologies, and supply-chain partnerships. “Subsea Expo provided an outstanding platform to showcase Scottish capability and connect businesses with real opportunities across African markets,” said Seona Shand, chief operating officer of SABA. The mission will focus on the energy sector and provide Scottish companies with direct access to key government stakeholders, operators and local partners.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 17:12 UTC
Daily Memo: Russian Pessimism, Israeli Warnings About Iran’s Missiles
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Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 16:26 UTC
NTT DATA acquires Zero&One to accelerate cloud growth across the region
The acquisition significantly strengthens NTT DATA’s cloud capabilities and positions it to tap into the rapidly expanding Middle East cloud services market. The acquisition supports NTT DATA’s regional growth ambitions as the Middle East cloud market enters a period of significant growth. “Joining NTT DATA is the natural next step in our growth journey”, said Ali El Kontar, CEO of Zero&One. The acquisition enables NTT DATA to offer comprehensive cloud services to Middle East and African clients, including cloud migration, application modernisation, cloud-native development, data analytics and AI solutions. Image Credit: NTT DATA & Zero&One
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 16:25 UTC
Ethiopian Electric Utility partners with Wingu Africa to strengthen digital infrastructure – Intelligent CIO Africa
Wingu Africa partners with Ethiopian Electric Utility to deliver secure, Tier III-certified colocation services in Addis Ababa, strengthening EEU’s Digital Transformation, enhancing infrastructure resilience and supporting reliable, modern energy services across Ethiopia through advanced data centre technology and high-availability operations. Wingu Africa has announced a strategic colocation partnership with Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU). Under this collaboration, EEU has deployed critical infrastructure within Wingu Africa’s Tier III-certified facility in Addis Ababa, ensuring greater reliability, security and efficiency for its digital operations. By hosting its infrastructure within Wingu Africa’s state-of-the-art colocation environment, EEU is enhancing the resilience of its digital services and positioning itself to better serve millions of customers across Ethiopia. Michael Debela, CIO at the Ethiopian Electric Utility, said: “This partnership with Wingu reflects our vision to modernise the way we deliver electricity services in Ethiopia.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 14:41 UTC
53 migrants dead or missing in shipwreck off Libya coast, U.N. agency says, with 2 babies among those missing
Geneva - The United Nations migration agency said Monday that 53 people were dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. "According to survivor accounts, the boat — carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 p.m. on February 5. "IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route." It called for stronger international cooperation to tackle the networks, alongside safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives. According to the IOM, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing following shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean in January alone, with hundreds more deaths believed to have gone unrecorded.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 14:11 UTC
Massive Morocco Rainstorms, Flooding: “Passing from a stable Climate System”
Informed Comment (Ann Arbor) – Massive and unusual floods have inundated Morocco since late January. Morocco had seven years of drought, and rainfall has declined 20% on average since 1980, so in theory the rains were welcome. But in several areas, they were so torrential that they caused heavy flooding, crop damage and some loss of life. He added that we are passing from a relatively stable climate system to an unstable one, where extreme weather events will multiply. Moreover, Europe and the Mediterranean will see some areas become depopulated because of climate change while others will be more desirable.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 13:17 UTC
Morocco’s pro-active flood management draws international praise – The North Africa Post
These orderly evacuations were widely described as one of the largest and most effective evacuations in the region, carried out with discipline and organizational clarity. International outlets also pointed to Morocco’s effective use of early-warning systems, which enabled authorities to activate emergency plans days before the arrival of the storm. In their analysis, these international outlets also drew comparisons with responses in neighboring countries experiencing similar storms at the same time. Media coverage described Morocco’s approach as a point of contrast that spotlighted the weaknesses of the Portuguese response and the strengths of Morocco’s emergency governance. International outlets noted that such decisions required precise timing and coordination, and they praised Morocco’s authorities for managing them effectively.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 12:42 UTC
International Energy Transition Expo highlights Africa’s role in global clean energy markets
The event, organised by Italian Exhibition Group, reflects the growing internationalisation of energy transition markets and the extent to which Africa has become central to European energy, industrial and foreign policy calculations. Many African countries face rising electricity demand, constrained public finances and mounting pressure to decarbonise while expanding access. Such engagement reflects a broader trend in which African energy projects are increasingly shaped through external capital markets, export credit agencies and blended finance structures rather than domestic balance sheets alone. Several countries, including Namibia, Morocco and Egypt, have announced ambitions to become green hydrogen exporters, betting on renewable resource endowments and proximity to European markets. Read also: Ecomondo 2025 highlights Africa’s role in global circular economy driveBeyond large-scale infrastructure, the exhibition also highlights decentralised energy and circular economy solutions, areas with more immediate relevance for African communities.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 11:54 UTC
More than 150,000 people evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and floods
Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and flooding. Selami is among more than 150,000 people to have been evacuated over the past week as heavy rainfall battered provinces in Morocco's north. The floods have killed four people so far, including a two-year-old child, with one person still missing as of Sunday, Moroccan authorities said. Some residents, including children and elderly people, were seen stranded on rooftops before being rescued, at times with small boats. Last December 37 people were killed in sudden floods in Safi, in Morocco's deadliest weather-related disaster in the past decade.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 08:48 UTC
Dean's List: University of Northern Iowa
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Source:The North Africa Journal
February 09, 2026 02:41 UTC
More cash for the Trump influence brokers Washington DC
As before, the FARA filing states that SPB will sub-contract work on the case to the little-known Erme Capital, which is based in Malta. Over $4m was redirected by SPB to ERME Capital during the previous contract. ERME Capital is managed by Pedro Pinto Ferreira and Maria Mergner, both friends of Angola’s former vice-president Manuel Vicente. The Trump administration sent a high-ranking delegation to the inauguration of President Mamady Doumbouya in January. Its main competitor in Guinea, the world’s biggest iron ore mine at Simandou, started production late last year.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 08, 2026 23:09 UTC
Australian red meat sector builds Middle East ties
Image: ahirao/stock.adobe.comThe Australian red meat sector has strengthened ties with the Middle East following Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) presence at Gulfood 2026, with 37 Australian red meat exporters exhibiting at the Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City Dubai. The event followed a year in which Australian red meat and livestock exports to the Middle East and North Africa region reached $2.2 billion in 2025, reflecting continued demand for Australian Halal certified beef and lamb. According to MLA, the Middle East and North Africa region remains an important destination for Australian beef and lamb. Chilled beef accounted for 84 per cent of Australian beef exports to the UAE, with total beef exports valued at $316 million. MLA regional manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa Darren Watson said Gulfood remains an important platform for the Australian red meat industry.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 08, 2026 22:56 UTC
North Africa Countries Lead MEA Gains in Speedtest Global Index in 2025
The position of most countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) on Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™ had changed little in 2025. In Bahrain, raising the minimum speed resulted in an increase in fixed median download speed. While this is lower than other countries such as Senegal, South Africa, and Kenya, it outperformed them in median download speed. The chart below shows the median download speed among the top MEA countries in the Speedtest Global Index in Q4 2025 by share of urban population. In conclusion, Ookla Speedtest Global Index data for 2025 reveals a dynamic landscape in MEA’s mobile and fixed network performance.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 08, 2026 21:20 UTC
South Africa to end 27-year DR Congo UN peacekeeping mission by 2026
South Africa will conclude its long-running military contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a full withdrawal planned by the end of 2026. The presidency announced the decision on Sunday, marking an end to a 27-year deployment under the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). Rationale and Planned CoordinationPresident Cyril Ramaphosa informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the move during a call on January 12, citing the "need to consolidate and realign the resources" of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). South Africa, one of MONUSCO's top ten troop-contributing countries, currently has more than 700 soldiers deployed. MONUSCO's Response and Regional ContextMONUSCO issued a statement thanking South Africa for its "steadfast commitment" over decades and honoring the sacrifice of its fallen peacekeepers.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 08, 2026 21:06 UTC