207th. issue - May 20, 2008

Libya’s Seif El-Islam:
Steady and Secured March to Succession

Libya could see a repeat of what happened in Damascus, Syria - the end of one Assad era, and the beginning of another Assad era. In Tripoli, the likely successor of Muamar Kaddafi is one of his sons, most likely the charismatic Seif El-Islam.

---

Algerian Importers turn their Back to the Euro zone

A weak dollar has its advantages for exporters who don’t mind accepting it these days. It makes those selling in euro and other currencies less competitive. In Algeria, importers have been seeing their bills increase along with the decrease in the value of the dollar. But they would like to put a stop to this trend that has sustained for several years.

---

Société Générale Enters Information Technology (IT) Equipment Leasing Sector in Morocco

French bank Société Générale is now involved in IT equipment leasing in Morocco, further strengthening its position in the country as a source of financing.

---

Algeria Resists Pressure from WTO on Domestic Gas Prices

Algeria is resisting pressure from the World Trade Organization, and rightly so. For a long time, the WTO and many of its key members have been insisting that Algeria must line up its domestic gas prices to those applied in the international market as a condition for its entry into the global trade organization. But in a recent statement, energy minister Chakib Khelil reiterated that his country’s position has not changed, rejecting the WTO condition.

---

The Recognition of the Amazigh Culture: Three Decades of Struggle with Little Results to Show

Algeria’s Amazigh (Berber) ethnic group has endured three decades of struggle for cultural and civil right recognition. The struggle was not an easy one and came at a major cost. Death, destruction, despair, and economic chaos are the outcome of that struggle in many Berber regions, and despite the perceived improvements recorded because of basic economic investments; the demands of the Amazighs remain largely unfulfilled. And so their struggle goes on.

---

INVESTING: FOUR STOCKS TO WATCH

As an emerging region, North Africa provides opportunities for savvy investors seeking to grow their wealth. Morocco, in particular, has an increasingly vibrant equity market, with companies listed in the Casablanca Stock Exchange showing good momentum, and of course, some risk. In this issue we look at four companies and how they have performed last year and how analysts expect them to perform in 2008. These stocks are AttijariWafa Bank, Eqdom, Lafarge Ciments and Wafa Assurance

Wafa Assurance
Lafarge Ciments
Eqdom’s Profit Up 14.6% in 2007
Attijariwafa Bank Ends 2007 with Net Income up 8.2%

---

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Daewoo to Handle $2.4 billion Industrial Project in Algeria

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. have won an order for a large-scale fertilizer complex to be constructed in Algeria. The order was placed by Algeria Oman Fertilizer Company (El-Djazairia El Omania Lil Asmida SPA), a joint venture between the Suhail Bahwan Group Holding LLC of Oman and Algerian oil company Sonatrach.

---

Telephone 1-508-981-6937

Copyright | Disclaimer | Images from the past

 

CONTINUOUS ANALYSIS

IN THIS ISSUE

The Recognition of the Amazigh Culture: Three Decades of Struggle with Little Results to Show

Legislators in Tunisia Seek to Abolish Death Penalty, Government Disagrees

Food Crisis Hits Mauritania

The Basics of the Touareg Conflict

The Sahel Region Troubled by a Touareg War

Libya’s Seif El-Islam: Steady and Secured March to Succession

Tripoli and Taipei to Strengthen Economic Ties

Algerian Importers turn their Back to the Euro zone

Algeria Resists Pressure from WTO on Domestic Gas Prices

Société Générale Enters Information Technology (IT) Equipment Leasing Sector in Morocco

Brothers Bring RadioShack to Morocco

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Daewoo to Handle $2.4 billion Industrial Project in Algeria

ENERGY/MINING

Eurogas and Atlas Farm Out Stake in Sfax

Irish Oil Company Gets Algerian Exploration Permit

German Oil Company Makes Oil Discovery in Libya

INVESTING:
FOUR STOCKS TO WATCH

Wafa Assurance

Lafarge Ciments

Eqdom’s Profit Up 14.6% in 2007

Attijariwafa Bank Ends 2007 with Net Income up 8.2%