An industrial smokestack emits haze beside stacks of mineral ore under cloudy skies in Africa.

Propre ou compromis ? Le dilemme du raffinage des minéraux critiques d'Afrique

L'Afrique abrite plus de 301 millions de tonnes de minéraux critiques mondiaux : cobalt, lithium, manganèse, graphite, tous essentiels à la transition énergétique mondiale. Mais alors que les économies les plus riches du monde…
Railway workers in safety gear laying tracks through a rural African corridor under a cloudy sky.

Le corridor de la promesse : Lobito peut-il ouvrir une nouvelle voie aux minéraux de l’Afrique ?

From Angola’s Atlantic coastline to the copper belts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, a rail corridor is being carved through the heart of Africa’s mineral wealth. The…
Photo of natural gas flaring at a refinery, showing rusted pipes and bright orange flames against a dusky horizon.

Natural Gas: Africa’s False Dawn or Stepping Stone to a Just Energy Future?

In Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region, natural gas rigs cast long shadows over once-quiet fishing villages. Thousands of kilometres away, South Africa hurries to finalise liquefied natural gas (LNG) import deals…
A high-resolution digital image of a South African open-pit mine, showing layers of excavation and industrial equipment, representing the country’s Critical Minerals Strategy.

Des accords bruts au pouvoir réel : la stratégie sud-africaine en matière de minéraux critiques peut-elle être efficace ?

South Africa has just made a bold move. Its newly unveiled Critical Minerals Strategy signals a shift from being a raw material supplier to a regional powerhouse in mineral beneficiation…
A middle-aged African miner stands in a muddy open-pit mine, highlighting the environmental and social costs of mining for critical minerals.

Beneath the Surface: How Zambia’s Mining Disaster Exposes the Human Cost of the Energy Transition

On a quiet morning last month, disaster struck in Zambia’s Copperbelt. A tailings dam at a Chinese-owned copper mine burst, releasing toxic sludge into the Kafue River. Communities downstream woke…
A group of African villagers, including children, sit and stand near a solar panel at sunset, symbolizing Africa’s aspiration for energy access through renewables.

Mission 300 : une montée en puissance de l’Afrique ou un simple mirage ?

Africa stands on the edge of an electrification revolution. The Mission 300 project, launched at the 2025 Sustainable Energy Dialogue, aims to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by…
African miners excavating lithium and cobalt in an open-pit mine, highlighting the scramble for critical minerals in the energy transition.

La nouvelle ruée vers l'Afrique : le coût élevé des minéraux critiques sans justice

I once stood at a dusty roadside in Kolwezi, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s copper and cobalt belt, watching young boys haul sacks of ore barely…
Green Goals, Grey Areas: The Politics of China-Africa Energy Relations

Objectifs verts, zones grises : la politique des relations énergétiques sino-africaines

A few years ago, during a civil society exchange in Nairobi, a Kenyan energy advocate told me something that has stayed with me: “We’ve got panels. We’ve got Chinese engineers.…