Afreximbank Leadership: Afreximbank has appointed Peter Adeshola Olowononi as Director of Regional Operations for Southern Africa, effective May 1, taking over from Humphrey Nwugo; Olowononi previously led client relations across Anglophone West Africa, including São Tomé and Príncipe, and helped expand risk assets and revenue while backing major industrial and infrastructure financing. EU Election Support: The EU will deploy an Electoral Observation Mission to São Tomé and Príncipe for the 2026 elections, with a mission head appointed and teams arriving ahead of the July 19 presidential vote and later legislative and local/regional elections. IMF Africa Financing: IMF Africa chief Zeine Zeidane says Middle East conflict fallout is still hitting sub-Saharan Africa, with Gulf energy disruptions expected to take months to fully normalize; the IMF has already moved to augment financing for countries including São Tomé and Príncipe. Energy Deal Watch: Petrobras signed an MoU with Mexico’s Pemex to cooperate on Gulf of Mexico exploration, including deepwater and ultra-deepwater work, as both state firms look to revive and expand production. Agro-Exports Lens: A trade-focused roundup highlights Africa’s most valuable agricultural exports—cocoa, coffee, cashews and others—showing where profitability and value addition are driving export growth. Fisheries Policy: Cyprus’ EU presidency reports progress on the future of EU fisheries policy, including sustainable partnership agreements that cover São Tomé and Príncipe.