Ghaleb Faouaze’s Post

Intia haluaa investoida kriittisiin mineraaleihin Afrikassa ja Etelä-Afrikassa: "As an emerging economic power in the Indo-Pacific and now the most populous country in the world, India is increasingly positioning itself in the extractive sector. In addition to the extraction of its own mineral resources in order to reduce dependence on imports, foreign deposits have also long since come into focus. Talks are currently underway with countries in Africa and Latin America, reports the Economic Times, among others. India is also negotiating with Australia about increased cooperation on raw materials. An agreement was recently concluded with the USA, which, among other things, provides for joint investments in lithium and rare earth projects." #kriittisetmateriaalit #kriittisetmineraalit #intia #afrikka #eteläamerikka #australia https://lnkd.in/diBB3a_F

#COTEDIVOIREMININGNEWS  The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), formed by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, aims to strengthen mutual defence and economic cooperation. Côte d'Ivoire is taking inspiration from these initiatives by considering a revision of its mining code to boost state revenues. Mines Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly has announced this reform to better exploit resources such as gold, coltan and lithium. Although these legislative revisions may create tensions with foreign investors, they are aimed at maximising state profits. #AES #CôtedIvoire #CodeMinier #RessourcesNaturelles #Investissements To read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dt2xc55R

China's stranglehold on critical minerals has much the Bayan Obo mine in Inner Mongolia, northern China, to thank for. It is said to contain 40 million tonnes of rare earth reserves – the world's largest deposit. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, Outer Mongolia declared and achieved independence from the Republic of China in 1921, led by the Kuomintang. Then, the country became a Soviet satellite state. In 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic was founded as a socialist state. Following the end of World War II, the Kuomintang was forced to formally accept Outer Mongolian independence under Soviet pressure. In 1953 the recognition was revoked. In 1949, the Communists under Mao won the Chinese Civil War and re-recognised Mongolia's independent status. the Chinese Communists gained control of Manchuria as well as the Inner Mongolia with decisive Soviet support and established the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947. Sandwiched between China and Russia, Outer Mongolia has extensive deposits of rare earths second only to China, reaching 31 million tons. It will deepen cooperation with the US to mine rare earths. Fearing threats from its powerful neighbours, building ties with the US has long been key to Mongolia’s policy.

A path towards cleaner energy transition

The West looks down on Latin America. The Eurasian powers, i.e. Russia, China, India, Iran and the petro-Arab states, are much more cautious and know the value of the region. If the West does not want to be surrounded, it must become more involved in Latin America (EU-Mercosur agreements or more aggressive initiatives from Washington could be a key measure to counter the Chinese advance, which is the most aggressive). Otherwise, it will have its best source of food, minerals and hydrocarbons as a threat that is difficult to manage. https://lnkd.in/dJCk7mmz

Mali-Russia agreement for the construction of a gold refinery 🚀 Strategic development: Mali, ranked the second largest gold producer in West Africa, has taken a major step by signing a memorandum of understanding with Russia to build the largest gold refinery in the sub-region. This facility, planned to process 200 tons per year, marks a crucial turning point in the valorization of national mining resources. 📜 Details of the agreement: A four-year memorandum of understanding signed to initiate the construction of the refinery. Reuters reports that the Minister of Economy and Finance of Mali announced this agreement, without specifying a construction schedule. 📈 Economic impact: Mali produced 66.2 tons of gold via industrial methods in 2022, for a total of 72.2 tons including artisanal production. Public revenues from gold reached a record FCFA 763.7 billion last year. This project is in line with the new mining legislation promoting greater national participation in mining projects. 🌍 Continental context: African gold is mostly refined outside the continent. Similar initiatives are underway in Ghana and the DRC. 🎯 Objective: Mali aims to strengthen the contribution of the mining sector to its economy and maximize revenues from gold mining, by aligning with international trends in local processing of natural resources.

Here is my latest Op-Ed on Mexico's Pemex and the oil issue from a historical and conceptual perspective. It has the aim to identify the essence of both candidates to the Presidency views. Hope you like it! https://lnkd.in/gDiMmECp

Rio Tinto Rio Tinto: A Shameful History #Spain A Record of Consorting with Repressive Regimes In 1930s Spain, under the rule of fascist General Francisco Franco, left-wing miners who had expressed discontent with Rio Tinto’s mines by striking were called to order by Franco’s troops. At the company’s 1937 annual general meeting, Sir Auckland Geddes reported “since the mining region was occupied by General Franco’s forces, there have been no further labour problems… Miners found guilty of troublemaking are court-martialed and shot.”Under Franco’s influence, Rio Tinto also provided ore for Nazi Germany’s re-armament programme. In Apartheid-era South Africa, Rio Tinto’s Palabora copper mine underpaid its migrant black labour force, failing to reach even the minimum wage set by the South African Institute of Race Relations. In neighbouring Namibia, black workers constructing the Rossing uranium mine lived in appalling conditions in temporary camps, which researchers found “akin to slavery.”  While Rio Tinto continues to this day to profess its code of ethics and principles it seems the company’s drive for corporate profit is its top priority.

https://lnkd.in/dUtnVHjs) Read this excellent article on why Putin is welcome in The Netherlands. At least his old, rotten oil tankers sailing under shady flags and even more shady, UK embargoed ownership, can bunker fuel off the coast of Zeeland without any problem. A nice stop for part of Russia's 'dark fleet' on the cargo route from Primorsk (Russia) to Turkey and India and back. This dark fleet is an important reason why the oil sanctions against Russia are not working and Putin can continue to finance his infamous war against Ukraine. List of violations: circumventing EU Russian oil export embargo (https://lnkd.in/dDtvaDPK), facilitating export trade with sanctioned companies (https://lnkd.in/djpqYQFu 6570414f9462260721c56992/Notice_Russia_061223.pdf), underinsured and uninsured oil tankers, unsafe, uncontrolled oil tankers in dangerous condition, enormous potential environmental damage .... etc etc. One more issue: the site where the tankers bunker is just in front the only nuclear reactor for energy in the Netherlands. What a shameful farce. Put them on a chain asap...