CEMAC Banking Watch: The share of troubled loans on CEMAC banks’ books fell to 15.4% by end-June 2026 (down from 17.4% a year earlier), as BEAC reported improving credit quality across Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and the CAR—though the ratio can drop even if problem loan values don’t. Digital Payments Oversight: In Malabo, COBAC discussed tighter scrutiny of how customer funds move through payment providers and aggregators, focusing on accounting treatment and risks in the digital payments chain, with no new rules announced yet. Construction Equipment Deal Flow: Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe is reshuffling its dealer network across Northwest and Central West Africa, appointing MDA as authorised dealer for construction equipment including Equatorial Guinea, while Movicortes expands coverage. Oil & Tax Ripple Effects: Tullow Oil shares reportedly plunged about 50% after Ghana won a $196.5m tax dispute at the ICC, a reminder of how arbitration outcomes can quickly hit investor sentiment. Regional Trade & Infrastructure Context: A new analysis warns CEMAC’s intra-regional trade remains weak—no member state exceeds 10% of exports to Africa and intra-regional trade is only 3%—citing limited movement of people, logistics gaps and low manufacturing capacity. Energy Deal Pipeline: AEW 2026 in Cape Town (Oct 12–16) is positioned as Africa’s energy marketplace, with deal signings and matchmaking expected to pull governments, NOCs, financiers and operators into one commercial forum. Diplomatic Business Calendar: The Alamein Africa Forum and linked AUDA-NEPAD and AU coordination meetings are set to bring multiple heads of state and business leaders to Egypt starting Oct 2, with Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo listed among expected participants.