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The United Arab Emirates has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with the Republic of South Africa over the victims of floods and heavy rainfall in the north of the country, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries and caused significant damage.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of South Africa over this tragedy, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Commission) expresses its deep concern about the calamitous situation that the Republic of Mozambique is facing following the significant increase in rainfall, which has severely affected the central and southern regions of the country, more precisely in the provinces of Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane and Sofala.

The African Commission is particularly alarmed by the scale of the impact, as official figures indicate that more than 513,000 people have been affected, over half of whom are children, with more than 50,000 people forced to flee their homes and currently sheltered in temporary centres.

The Commission also takes note of information indicating that the number of deaths across the region exceeds one hundred, including approximately 30 recorded in South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

The floods have also caused extensive damage to essential infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, farmland and other critical infrastructure, severely disrupting supplies and access to humanitarian assistance.

The African Commission is also concerned about the increased risks of waterborne diseases, nutritional problems and disruptions in access to education and health care. 

The Commission notes that the situation continues to evolve and is likely to worsen, due to continued rainfall, flooding and discharges, as well as the country's entry into its annual cyclone season, further exposing populations to forced displacement and loss of their livelihoods. 

In this context, the African Commission acknowledges and closely monitors the efforts undertaken by the Government of Mozambique, with the support of national and international partners, to provide assistance to directly affected communities, as well as the measures adopted to evacuate and protect populations at risk. 

The Commission recalls that, in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, States Parties have the obligation to take appropriate measures to ensure the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to life, the right to dignity, the right to health, the right to education, and the right of peoples to a satisfactory environment conducive to their development. 

The African Commission believes that Mozambique will spare no effort in taking appropriate measures to the situation. It therefore invites the Mozambican authorities to continue and strengthen, as necessary, measures aimed at, inter alia:

• Ensure effective, safe, and continuous access to drinking water, sanitation services, healthcare, adequate nutrition, and education, including within reception centres;
• Ensure greater protection of the most vulnerable people, in particular children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, including against the risks of abuse and exploitation in situations of displacement; 
• Intensify alert, evacuation and risk prevention mechanisms, as well as coordination with humanitarian actors, so that assistance reaches affected communities quickly and unhindered. 

The African Commission stands in solidarity with the Mozambican people at this time of pain and distress, deeply regretting the loss of human life and involuntary displacement, and calls on the regional and international community to mobilize in support of humanitarian response efforts, in order to enable the Government to address this emergency, whose impacts go beyond national borders and affect the continent as a whole.

In this regard, the Commission reiterates the importance of implementing human rights-based responses to climate disasters, in line with its resolution 417 (LXIV) 2019 on the human rights impacts of extreme weather in Eastern and Southern Africa due to climate change. 

Banjul, 22 January 2026

Honorable Commissioner Maria Teresa MANUELA
Commissioner responsible for the situation of human rights in the Republic of Mozambique

 Honorable Commissioner Selma SASSI-SAFER
Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR).

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Africa's natural gas potential is undeniably significant, with the continent ranking second globally in terms of discovered but undeveloped gas resources. According to the African Energy Chamber's (AEC) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook (https://EnergyChamber.org), more than 550 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable gas remain undeveloped, highlighting a strategic opportunity for investors. Major basins such as Mozambique's Rovuma Basin (129 tcf) and Nigeria's Niger Delta (113 tcf) underscore the scale of opportunity. However, opportunities in the sector lie not only in finding supply, but creating viable routes to monetization, industrialization and domestic demand.

LNG Exports Anchor Monetization

With significant export capacity already online, LNG remains the most established monetization route for African gas. In 2024, Africa supplied 34.7 million tons of LNG – with sub-Saharan Africa alone contributing 26.9 million tons. Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon were already exporters, while Mozambique's Coral Sul FLNG and Senegal-Mauritania's Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project have added new capacity since 2022. Africa's geographical proximity to both European and Asian markets give the continent a strategic advantage as west and southwest African LNG producers can serve as swing suppliers based on price spreads between Europe and Asia.

Meanwhile, several African export projects include domestic market obligations (DMOs), providing a portion of supply for local power and industrial use. Senegal, for example, plans to draw much of its gas-to-power feed from DMOs tied to GTA and the proposed Yakaar-Teranga LNG project. While DMOs can stimulate early domestic demand, they introduce counterparty and pricing risks. Furthermore, domestic gas prices are often far below international netback levels, creating a challenge for developers.

Global LNG supply is forecast to increase sharply through 2030, driven by the U.S. and Qatar. According to the AEC's report, this has the potential to push Asian and European benchmark prices down from the $10-$13 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) range seen in 2024-2025, potentially falling below $6 per MMBtu by the late 2020s. In this context, Africa must compete with increasingly competitive exporters while continuing to develop new projects and supply sources.

Domestic Gas: Power and Industrialization

Gas is expected to grow its share of primary energy demand globally, and African gas demand is forecast to grow by 60% by 2050. North Africa accounts for around two-thirds of Africa's gas output, and gas dominates the power mix in Algeria and Egypt. Sub-Saharan Africa has a smaller gas-to-power footprint, but it is expanding, with Nigeria boasting 12.6 GW of installed gas-fired capacity. Ghana and Mozambique follow with 2.9 GW and 1.1 GW, respectively, while smaller plants operate in Senegal, Angola, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and South Africa.

Industrial use of gas remains limited but is growing, with South Africa currently serving as the region's most advanced market for gas derivatives, including ammonia and gas-to-liquids. With the goal of reducing reliance on imports, Angola's National Gas Plan prioritizes gas for industrial sectors such as petrochemicals, fertilizers and metals. According to the AEC report, gas also has potential in mining and metals processing in countries such as Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Infrastructure and Pricing Constraints

Lacking regional gas transportation networks capable of linking supply basins with demand centers, processing facilities and export terminals, infrastructure remains one of the most significant barriers to gas monetization in Africa. This lack of connectivity constrains both domestic market growth and the ability to move gas efficiently to export hubs.

Pricing is another major challenge throughout the continent, with domestic prices typically regulated and often well below export netbacks. Nigeria's domestic benchmark price was set at $2.13 per MMBtu in April 2025, while international LNG prices were around $11-$13 per MMBtu in mid-2025. Therefore, the AEC's report concludes that low domestic prices can stimulate demand but may discourage investment in supply projects, especially non-associated gas developments.

“Africa's gas sector faces a complex set of constraints, but the opportunities are substantial,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. “Government's must balance affordability and energy access with the need to provide returns that support investment in pipelines, processing facilities and power plants. With the right balance of infrastructure investment, policy reform and strategic partnerships, gas can become a cornerstone of Africa's energy transition and industrialization drive.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.