The relations between First Quantum and the Democratic Republic of Congo have gone from bad to worse in recent months, after the country expropriated the miner’s $765 million Kolwezi copper tailings project in September.
When some of the most influential figures in emerging markets finance spoke to a group of Reuters editors, they were asked about top picks for growth beyond the so-called BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
The giggles started when the seventh journalist in a row said that his question was for Egypt’s water and irrigation minister, Mohamed Nasreddin Allam.
It has debt levels to die for and huge amounts of oil, but economically it’s lagging and political concerns remain. Speakers at a Libyan trade and investment forum this week saw the North African country as a mixed bag.
If Guinea can pull off free and fair elections this weekend, it will lay the foundations for what could be one of Africa’s most unexpected and significant good news stories.
Africa is providing a lot of fine material for the London theatre these days.
Laurent Gbagbo has reportedly been detained by French elite forces. 
Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president of Ivory Coast, is being taken to a hotel in the capital Abidjan to meet with internationally recognised leader Alassane Ouattara after the beseiged ruler was detained by forces loyal to the opposition.

The permanent representative of Ivory Coast to the United Nations in New York, , said Gbagbo, who he described as "alive and well", had been captured by opposition forces in a raid on his presidential palace in Abidjan and will stand trial. The prime minister in Ouattara's prospective government has called on Gbagbo loyalists to join the opposition this afternoon, reports indicate.

Bamba confirmed forces loyal to Ouattara had captured Gbagbo, rather than French or U.N. forces as had initially been reported. "The nightmare is over for the people of Ivory Coast, there is much celebration," Bamba said. "He is now being held in a safe place for the next steps to put him on trial." New video footage of Gbagbo has emerged, purportedly showing him detained in a hotel in Abidjan where Ouattara is staying. 

Fighting  in the African state since a disputed election in November last year. Supporters of Ouattara claim he won the poll and is the rightful president, but Gbagbo has refused to stand down.