| Welcome to Next Africa, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. The oil stacks that loom large on the horizon should have bought riches to South Sudan’s Unity state. Instead, local officials and scientists working for NGOs say Sudd Petroleum Operating Co. — a consortium that until recently was led by the Malaysian crude giant Petronas — has polluted drinking water in villages within at least 20 miles of its plants. It’s a similar story to ecological disasters linked to the extractive industries across Africa — from Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger delta to copper mines in Zambia.  A woman tends to her cattle near Rier in Unity state. Photographer: Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi/Bloomberg The water, used by some of the poorest people on Earth, has levels of heavy metals and other chemical compounds that far exceed international norms, they say. While there’s no proven link to oil pollution in the area, health officials and researchers who’ve examined the matter have little doubt about a connection. Birth defects in Koch County are far higher than before crude production began in 2006, they say. Congenital disease has devastated families living near the wells, Bloomberg News found during a months-long investigation based on meeting minutes, interviews with health officials, hydrologists, residents and humanitarian workers, as well as medical records and certified water sampling. Back in 2008, the German NGO Sign of Hope started hearing complaints about contaminated water affecting livestock and people in the area. It sought help from Mercedes-Benz, which pressed its main Formula 1 team sponsor, Petronas, to take action.  Nyachianya Duoth holds her son, Kai, in Mirmir village, Koch County. Kai, 5, was born without eyes. Photographer: Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi/Bloomberg The issue came to a head on a crisp November day in 2015, when the NGO’s founder, Klaus Stieglitz, presented his case to officials from South Sudan’s Petroleum Ministry and the companies. Petronas says that during its time in South Sudan, “all operations were conducted in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and operating standards” and that it had “consistently cooperated with regulatory audits and addressed matters through proper and legally mandated channels.” A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said the company “repeatedly worked to facilitate a direct exchange and dialogue” in order to bring about an amicable solution. A decade later, locals say little has changed, and children continue to be born with debilitating birth defects. Last year, Petronas divested from South Sudan, but the oil continues to flow. — Simon Marks  Watch our mini-documentary on the plight of villagers near the oil well. Key stories and opinion:
Severe Birth Defects Plague South Sudan’s Oil Fields
A Broken Oil Pipeline Sees South Sudan Capital Plunge Into Chaos
Oil-Rich South Sudan Slams Operators for Harming Environment
Climate Change-Linked Health Hazards Hits 2.4 Billion Workers
Chinese Firm Faces $420 Million Zambia Mine-Spill Damages Claims The Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, an official sideline event of B20 South Africa 2025, convenes global leaders on Nov. 17 and 18 to address the critical issues shaping Africa’s future. Register your interest to attend. Army Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as Madagascar’s new president today, cementing his hold on power after a military takeover. At the inauguration attended by the US ambassador and several other country representatives, the 51-year-old pledged to strengthen national unity and human rights. He replaces Andry Rajoelina, who went into hiding after weeks of so-called Gen Z protests over corruption and a lack of basic services.  Randrianirina, center, in front of the presidential palace in Antananarivo on Oct. 14. Photographer: Luis Tato/Getty Images South Africa’s suspended police minister, once touted as a potential presidential contender, is fighting for political survival. Senzo Mchunu was suspended in July after a senior police officer claimed he sabotaged a probe into political assassinations, an allegation now being investigated by a judicial panel and a parliamentary committee. Mchunu appeared before lawmakers in Cape Town this week to tell his side of the story in person for the first time since being sidelined by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Somalia’s livestock exports are receiving a boost from fading Australian and Sudanese competition, which could help drive its shipments above $1 billion this year. The Horn of Africa nation has seen its earnings from these shipments climb from $523 million four years ago and that trend is expected to continue. The animals have become Somalia’s most important export, despite an ongoing conflict against Islamist groups and periodic droughts. DHL plans to invest more than €300 million in warehouses and other infrastructure in Africa to capitalize on demand from sectors such as e-commerce and renewable energy. The value of trade on the continent rose 10% despite US President Donald Trump’s tariffs war, and Africa could be the second-fastest growing region in terms of trade value in four years, DHL Express CEO John Pearson said in an interview. The death of Raila Odinga, a towering figure in Kenya for more than three decades, looks set to fundamentally alter the country’s political landscape and test the cohesion of the fragile ruling alliance. Odinga, who died at the age of 80 during a visit to India on Wednesday, made five unsuccessful runs at the presidency and served as prime minister in a coalition government that was formed in 2008 after a disputed election. Click here to read our obituary.  Odinga, wearing a traditional Luo hat, at a campaign rally in 2022. Photographer: Ed Ram/Getty Images Symbion Power unit Hydro-Link signed a pact with the Democratic Republic of Congo to build a $1.5 billion transmission line to key copper and cobalt mines from hydropower sites in neighboring Angola. The 720-mile (1,160-kilometer) project will deliver 1,200 megawatts of electricity to Congo’s main mining region, where projects often run diesel generators because the central African nation can’t guarantee sufficient power. Separately, the Congo is pitching Inga, the world’s biggest hydroelectric site, as a source of cheap, green power for energy-hungry data centers. Next Africa Quiz — Which country is expanding its first oil-export terminal to be built in half a century? Send your answers to gbell16@bloomberg.net. Data Watch - Kenya plans to buy gold to diversify its reserves and has held talks with the Bank of England to store the bullion, the East African nation’s central bank governor said. Meanwhile, a local court blocked the construction of a proposed $2 billion coal-power plant near the coastal town of Lamu.
- Senegal’s dollar bonds fell after the International Monetary Fund calculated the country’s debt at above previous estimates, stoking concerns about its fiscal outlook just as formal talks with the lender on a new loan get underway.
- Botswana lawmakers began debating a $27 billion plan to diversify the economy and reduce its dependence on diamond mining.
- Nigeria’s inflation rate dropped below 20% for the first time in three years, supporting the case for another interest-rate cut when policymakers meet next month. Coming Up
- Oct. 20 Lesotho inflation for September
- Oct. 21 South Africa central bank’s leading economic indicator
- Oct. 22 South Africa inflation, Ghana producer inflation for September
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