Africa Infrastructure Upgrades

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is offering to buy South African retailer Massmart Holdings Ltd. for approximately $4.25 billion.
A deal would give the world's largest retailer an opening to expand in Africa, a fast-growing region.

"South Africa possesses attractive market dynamics, favorable demographic trends and a growing economy," Executive Vice President Andy Bond said in a statement.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand hit a 2-1/2 year high and local stocks rose on Monday after U.S. firm Wal-Mart said it would bid $4 billion for local retailer Massmart, boosting confidence that local assets will benefit from more cross-border deals.

LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Oct 30 - A consortium of South Korean companies will seek a minerals-for-infrastructure deal in Democratic Republic of Congo that could be worth $1 billion, Congolese and South Korean officials told Reuters late on Friday.

The proposed deal -- involving refurbishment of a copper mine and construction of an Atlantic deepwater port -- would bolster South Korea's bid to secure long-term access to metals while speeding Congo's development, South Korean ambassador to Congo Kim Sung-chul said.

"We were more poor than Congo in the 1960s, now we are chairing the G20. This change was possible only thanks to support from outside and we think it's high time we repay that," he said.

Kim is leading a delegation of executives from South Korean firms Samsung <005930.KS>, Hyundai <005380.KS>, Bosco, Daewoo, and Taejoo Synthesis Steel to Congo mining sites.

He said a consortium of South Korean companies, including Taejoo, was seeking to form a joint-venture with Congo's state-owned miner Sodimco to refurbish the disused Musoshi copper mine at a cost of $300 million.

He said the deal would also involve South Korea's Eximbank loaning $150-$200 million to South Korean firms to fund a wastewater treatment plant in Kinshasa to serve 2 million people -- the cost of which would be recouped from future revenues from the mine.

DEEP-SEA PORT

He added that South Korea had also selected Hyundai, Bosco and STX to build a deep-sea port at Banana on Congo's Atlantic coast, which would cost $500 million and take four years to complete once work starts.

A team from the newly formed US Civilian Response Corps is building a significant presence across the southern half of the African country.
There is a possibility civil war could break out between the Christian south and Muslim north after the referendum in January which will decide by a simple majority whether southern Sudan becomes the world's newest sovereign state.

Southern Sudan produces 480,000 barrels-a-day of oil and if an agreement on sharing the wealth is not amicably resolved with the north the country could return to the civil war that ended in 2005 after 21 years and the loss of almost two million lives.

When you look at the foreign embassy certain days in Madagascar, you will see files of people of several kilometers. They wait and hope that their requests for visas are accepted. The majority are students and young who want leave Madagascar to try their chance elsewhere. It is systematic, talking about the future of the young in Madagascar is an infamy because of the alarming situation. Corruption is present in the all fields of the Malagasy society either you want to succeed in your studies or want to find a job. And even if you find a job, you will be paid by so poor wages that you will not be able to even consider the future or having a better life. Average wages in Madagascar is 100 dollars, and inflation is one of highest of African continent. The smaller rumor of shortage increases the prices by 100% in a few hours.

April 26, 2012 (The Global Minute)- Former president of Liberia Charles Taylor was convicted in the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone on all eleven counts he had faced for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The SCSL was made in a unanimous ruling.

Originally, the SCSL had indicted the 22nd president of Liberia on 17 counts in 2003, when in 2006 the indictment was amended to 11 counts which include murder, sexual slavery, and use of child soldiers.