Africa news in brief

US to end trade benefits for Mauritania US President Donald Trump intends to end trade benefits for Mauritania on Jan. 1 for not making sufficient progress on ending forced labor practices, the US Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) said on Friday.In a statement, USTR said Trump has determined after an annual eligibility review that Mauritania is not in compliance with requirements of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free treatment for certain goods.“Forced or compulsory labor practices like hereditary slavery have no place in the 21st century,” deputy US trade representative C.J. Mahoney said.“We hope Mauritania will work with us to eradicate forced labor and hereditary slavery so that its AGOA eligibility may be restored in the future,” Mahoney said.-Nampa/ReutersPhase two of Libya gas field to finish by end 2018 Seven remaining wells are expected to be online at Libya’s Bahr Essalam offshore gas field by the end of the year, the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement on Sunday.The statement came after a meeting between NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla and Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi. The field is operated by Mellitah Oil and Gas, a joint venture between the NOC and Eni.The first wells in phase two of the development of Bahr Essalam came online in July.At a meeting in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Sanalla and Descalzi discussed plans for seven remaining wells, which the statement said were “expected to complete by the end of 2018”.“The parties discussed opportunities to increase production, investment and exploration, and the importance of sustainability in all activities,” the statement added.“The compression capacity upgrade project at the Wafa plant was also reviewed, with the first gas expected to come on stream in the next few days; a successful joint project in challenging conditions in Libya’s remote interior.”-Nampa/ReutersSudan hikes flour subsidies by 40%Sudan increased flour subsidies by 40%, the finance ministry said on Saturday, after the reduction of subsidies this year sent bread prices higher and triggered protests.The government would spend 35 million Sudanese pounds (US$737 000) daily instead of 25 million, the statement added.A decision to reduce bread subsidies this year sparked rare nationwide protests after bread prices doubled. Inflation climbed to a record 66% in August, one of the highest rates globally.Sudan’s economy has been struggling since the south seceded in 2011, taking with it three quarters of oil output and depriving Khartoum of a crucial source of foreign currency.Sudan sharply devalued its currency in October after a group of banks and money changers was tasked with setting the country’s exchange rate under a new system established by the government to tackle an acute shortage of foreign exchange.-Nampa/ReutersZambia cuts electricity supply to minesPower supply to some mines in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer was cut due to a technical fault, Zambian state power firm Zesco said on Friday.“We had a system disturbance which led to loss of power on the Copperbelt, including the mines,” the utility’s spokesman Henry Kapata said.“We are investigating the cause of the disturbance. Power restoration has started but it will be gradual.”A spokesman for Luanshya Copper Mine owned by China Nonferrous Metals Mining Corporation (CNMC) said the company expected to lose about four hours of production.“Even though the power restoration has started we have to launch the equipment gradually to avoid damage,” Luanshya Copper Mine spokesman Sydney Chileya said.Industry sources said Konkola Copper Mines(KCM) owned by Vedanta Resources shut down all its operations except its smelter and the Konkola Deep Mine during the blackout. KCM could not immediately be reached for comment.-Nampa/Reuters

Africa news in brief

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-13

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Africa news in brief

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-13

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