Forest Governance Clash: Liberia’s Krahn-Grebo National Park enforcement hit resistance as forestry officials were detained during operations against alleged illegal mining, highlighting how community pushback and rural power struggles can weaken environmental law enforcement. Mining & Finance: Fortuna Mining advanced Senegal’s Diamba Sud Gold Project with a feasibility study showing an after-tax NPV5% of $1bn and IRR of 60%, moving toward a final investment decision after mining permits. Gold Dealmaking: Toubani Resources will buy 19.9% of Avanti Gold via a share swap, gaining exposure to the Misisi gold project in the DRC while keeping focus on Mali’s Kobada. Water Safety Gap: A World Bank review found “lead” testing is largely missing across $3bn of active drinking-water projects, raising concerns that lead contamination risks aren’t being tracked in real supplies. Energy R&D: Vema Hydrogen begins natural hydrogen drilling in Quebec, aiming to test geological hydrogen reservoirs and potentially open a new low-carbon supply pathway. Regional Industry Push: Guinea plans to build out a large regional gold refining hub, aiming to process more bullion domestically as West Africa moves to capture more value at home. Mali Business Watch: Mali has regained control of SOTELMA in a $277m deal, reversing a 17-year privatization and signaling renewed state leverage in telecom infrastructure.