which is at its lowest point in decades, that is an expression of how people feel. and that, that's to cherry or ation has its interest doesn't help anybody. and in fact is, if you go back 20 years and you know, whether you're in china or the u. s, there was hopefulness. there was a sense that many things are possible. yeah, yeah, i will send a month in quarantine before being relocated to aging. want to symbol of friendship . now a symbol of an increasingly antagonistic relationship. jessica washington out of iraq aging. ah, this is i was 0. these are the top stories, sedans, army and power ministry. rapid support forces continue to fight for the 14th day despite agreeing to extend the si, fi by 72 hours. heavy gun fire strikes and tank glass have been reported in

khartoum and nearby areas. the turkish ministry planes, you to fly people out of cartoon was shot out. no one with injured here. but morgan has the latest from sudan. there's been incense artillery strikes and as strikes launched by both sides, the rapids support forces and the air strikes by the denise army against various recess positions in the northern parts of the capitol in the city of cafferty. and in the city of on demand that the twin city of the capital tomb and iran, the vicinity of the presidential palace and the general command of the army. the scenes of the most intense and heavy fighting between the 2 sites. they were heavy artillery strikes around 5 p m local time, which is around 15 gmc, so fighting is still ongoing in many parts of the capital hudson. despite the latest the fire, brazil's president, as those the formal recognition of 6 indigenous reservations, totally more than 2000 square kilometers lewis. and i say lou, the silver has been attending an annual camp of indigenous groups in the capital, brazilian. it promised to reverse the policies of his far right predecessor giant

bulls laura with faded favorite mining and agricultural operations on ancestral indigenous lands. least 23 people including 4 children, have been killed. a missile strikes across ukraine. a residential building was partially reduced to rubble in the central city of amman. kia was also helps the 1st attack by russia on the capital in nearly 2 months. ukraine says its air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles over keith. after days of being stranded at the peru, chilly border, hundreds of migrants have been given hope. with officials, letting people to cross the border into peru to continue their journey to their home. countries on wednesday, perused government to declare a state of emergency along all its borders. to restrict entry, those are the headline says always out, is there a dot com has the latest on all of our top story. stay with us though. counting the cost is next. ascii africa can fill europe's energy gap. stay with us. with us,

al jazeera sets the stage 3 a 5 or either been deployed with just one enemy, global experts in discussing idea with any stamps in democracy. it was bound to explore in abundance of world class programming. with relief. impacts designed to inform, motivate, and inspiring. on now to sierra ah, [000:00:00;00] i hello, i'm adrian said again and this is counting the coastal al jazeera, you'll, we can look at the world of business and economics this week. europe has ton to

africa to replace russian gas. it's now looking at the continents green hydrogen potential to make the shift to renewables, but can african countries fill the energy gaps? also this week, the us, china and russia, racing for political and economic influence on the continent, but at what cost? plus, playing catch up, washington and beijing, also competing for africa's rare earth elements, which are critical to the production of renewable technologies. ah, as europe shown as washing energy supplies, it's increasingly turning to africa to find alternatives. the continent has vast natural gas reserves, but supplies only 6 percent of fossil fuel globally. african governments and businesses want to capitalize on the opportunity created by the war in ukraine. but critics warned that millions of africans lack electricity and supplies a much needed at home overcoat,

some sharif reports since russia invaded ukraine last year, several european leaders have listed african countries. you're looking for alternative energy suppliers. and the continent has some of the world's deepest natural gas reserves. analysts say, a lack of investment in energy infrastructure and security threats from arm troops have hamper development. but the warning ukraine has presented an opportunity one, algeria and italy already exploring ca, my gena, allow procurement. there will be a me as to increase energy exports from algeria to easily and potentially on to europe, including finding solutions to increase the volume of gas transported a new pipeline that would also transport hydrogen and new electrical undersea cable and increased production of liquefied natural gas and sending it to its capping increasing expose of energy. next, 5 natural gas to germany,

from 2500000 tons this year to up to 10000000 by 2030, which it's hoped will create much needed employment. we want to want to have whenever it comes to decision making, this is project for sending on for the development of the country and is important that we have our senegalese national, sitting at the table. some believe europe, speed to us, africa could solve the continents on supply problem. the international energy agency estimates about 600000000 africans don't have power. while 900000000 have no access to plain fuels for cooking. union the new for the i'm a different we often have trouble getting electricity, but we think that with this plan, this will change little by little. i'm currently african countries provider on 20 percent of here. it's gas. i'm the energy crisis is fueling hope that the continent can increase the chair and consume. sure if i'll just 0 for counting the cost.

joining us now from johannesburg, his n j, i oak is the executive chairman at the african energy chamber. good to have you with us and j, how much of an opportunity for african countries has the war in ukraine provided in terms of energy supplies in war in ukraine have actually drain african energy supplies because they've been massive demand for a lot of natural gas going to euro is saying that natural gas could have been use the venus or it, or use we're getting, getting g across africa to really power africa. big europe has been the biggest consumer of africa. natural gas, you seen gas sales increase from equity around getting to nigeria. you will mozambie, i pretty shipping some respect shipments on his book and yelling. he's euro on our jury as well as the year has become africa. biggest going to seem of natural gas themes. the oil ukraine started africa, has massive reserves,

but does it have the capacity to ramp up supply? he doesn't have the capacity to ramp up supply because it has been in massive on the investment in africa, natural gas for a long time. african natural gas has been good on it back on it, back food because the around climate concerns you having lack of investment on that . he best been around exploration for natural gas and given infrastructure development like nigeria, pipeline and going through a mortgage area has not been developing your pipeline from nigeria. true with african america has not been a lot of the gas fields that are being stranded. and i have not seen that investment, that has been a problem for africa right now. and i think right now we need to start thinking about having a game changer, henri iraq, and financing for infrastructure and gas people and floating jeez,

i've seen that pass track solution for right now for africa with that investment going to come from given that the massive potential for profit here, you'd think that the people would be, would be locking the door down to, to invest in africa right now. well, i think the biggest issue around when people look at invest in africa around natural gas, you seen massive gas is being found. now maybe maybe more than b, nigeria still has great potential with that being passed right now in need to really see the financing that we also have to take into consideration some of the struggles of financing. but it does have to wasn't with car. they have to cut red tape, create an environment. i'm re do deals faster, sign be sign sign you deals. but also in a sense, way you shouldn't take too long to approve your project any time you needed to drive to, to build

a project. and we need to look us african me thinking about how we address issues around resource nationalities and it doesn't walk on when we do do investment flowing even greatest. come on, critics, though, as i say that africa needs to fix its internal supply problems 1st before it exports. it's resources to other countries. i mean how, how to africa, governments strike a balance, a balance that, that can be done here. 600000000 africans don't have access to electricity. 900 me . you don't have no access to clean cooking technologies. most of them women in continent is still seeing massive on and it will. it may not industrialization so that natural gas needed. we could strike a healthy balance to ready to go about gas while european partners and also seem to be able to drive not just gas power projects,

but also petro chemicals and all of that. it gets lead, talk to investment, but also the climate polarization scene around the world. when it comes to gas, it's really a hurry. i forgot the most because it got to be in color right. at the same time in european countries, have declared gas green. i'm gas is green for europe. been praying for africa and we need to be very careful about getting cold data, telling us a balance, court d i using court power. your right now was in south africa today did when 8 or 10 i was we new electricity on black house be so we need to find out balance. and when you come down on to put our station that we see if the some of the partitions need to watch the language in the scramble for natural gas is europe ignoring africa's potential for renewable energy sources. absolutely. as best potential for real sausage, we just started going to be talking about bring hydrogen is amazing amounts of

potential to review, re hydrogen on media, green ammonia in europe. and we africa really drive that no carbon economy that can really deal with heavy industries. look at morocco, some other projects happened in egypt are area that come right down to south africa . south african, the media is seen amazing amounts on the biggest green hygiene deals that being signing, martina. i'm synagogue and that great potential that has had to come, but we also have to pay attention to the fact that if we going to move the green economy, a low carbon economy, africa has less than 2 percent globally vesman in renewables. that is not right, that needs to be increased and that needs to be wrapped up. if you are going to react, achieving just in transition, you can tell africa to the cabin as we get nothing to colonize that the same time, you're not matching those words with financing with connie, and we're not talking a,

we talking real credit lines. we talking financing and investments that will really go on and give africa if i can chance to re industrialize why. so they're one of the nation's come to colonize. and jay, it's been great to talk to your account to the cost many thanks for being with us. and he, so what is an honor to be with you? ah, china has spent 2 decades expanding its political and economic relations with africa to day one in 3 major infrastructure projects on the continent is built by chinese state owned enterprises. that's according to the u. s, but beijing isn't alone. russia is widening its involvement. that 2 mainly through arms sales and mining projects. now after 4 years of neglect, under the trump administration, president joe biden wants to win africa back. his administration's officials of toward the continent over the past few months in

a bid to unlock american investments that among them is vice president comalla harris, who's announced billions of dollars and investments to gonna tanzania and zambia biden has committed $55000000000.00 in financial assistance to africa over the next 3 years, he's also increased humanitarian aid to african countries. mainly those battling food insecurity. or has a look at how american investments in africa compared to chinese ones. china was the continents largest to weigh trading partner in 2021 with more than $254000000000.00 worth of business. the united states institute of peace says that's 4 times the amount of trade between the u. s. and africa. a new study by the center for global development says the chinese banks provided $23000000000.00 to infrastructure projects in sub saharan africa, between 272020. that's more than double. the amount lent by such banks in the u. s . germany,

japan and france combined. beijing is the largest provider of foreign direct investment, supporting hundreds of thousands of african jobs. that's nearly double the level of u. s. foreign direct investment. chinese landing to african countries has dropped lately up. the nation remains by far, the largest linda to african countries. china's critics accused of deliberately lending the african countries that it knows can't repay the money to increase its political influence. beijing denies practicing so cold debt trap diplomacy and says partnerships a built in good faith. the u. s also accuses washers varden, a group which a secured medi mining projects in africa of committing human rights abuses and of extorting natural resources in african countries. joining us now from london is alex my and he's the director of the africa program, the managing director of ethics risks and resilience at a chat of the house. alex, good to have you with us. why are russia, china,

and the u. s. racing to build economic ties with africa right now, where an error of multi polarity and africa has plenty of natural resources. it has strategic and critical minerals. and it has a very large agricultural base. and so it's, it's a market the many countries want to be engaged in. all of the reality is that we are in a bit of a retreat. and just at the moment because of the state of the global economy and, and hot hyde lending. right? so the, the con, the cost of, of, of providing funding has, has gone significantly up. and so there's still plenty of activity on the african continent, but it is much dampened compared with what it was say in 20192020. so putting aside the that, that the town term for the moment, how does africa approach this dealing doing business with 3 competing powers?

yeah, i mean, not just 3 competing pas. i mean, add in the gulf states, turkey. i'm, you know, the members of the european union. so is a really crowded, frenetic market place. and i think that the word non alignment, i think, is the, the most apparent that comes to mind. many african countries, not all of them. many of them want to be on the line, they do not want to be pigeonholed. and so they prefer choosing an ala carte approach. they want to come to pick and choose what's good for them. and i think that that is that the, the new reality that we're dealing with. so that's not bad if you got lots of suitors, as long as you negotiate a good deal in flight praying off russia and china and some gulf states of maybe some europeans. you might get a better deal, i if, if you're able to manage and negotiate that well, the by the administration has stepping up its campaign to, to win africa back. what areas is it looking to invest in and how does that

differ differ rather from the areas that the china and russia are investigate early . the americans are definitely very concerned about access of strategic and critical minerals for the industrial complex back in the united states. have had a number of high level meetings about this, see including on the fringes of the u. n. so countries like the democratic republic of the congo come to mind the u. s. has looked at how to support in the structure, but they infrastructure companies are not doing too well and some are actually retreating at the moment. so that, that, that the headline as from from the biden administration, a very positive you've just mentioned the figures, the reality of corporate america falling behind. i'm at the moment, it is very sluggish. if you look at the camella harris trip that you mentioned, the vice president of the united states to gonna and zambia. i am,

i forget really the one of the country turns near. i think it might have been i'm, i, there wasn't so the so much corporate america tied to that trip despite what she was saying. and there, i think there is a problem for the united states. they really do need to get a lot more corporate american companies focused on the african market than they have at the moment. china is accused, once again of setting dep traps across the continent. is it good question? this is a piece of work that we ourselves did at chatham house, published in that last december. and we looked at where china was really investing so that the reality is it shut china's of f d i and investments are, are deep. but in a smaller number of countries, particularly 7 or 8 countries, which we focused on. when we looked at those in death, we didn't find evidence of debt trap except potentially and one. and that's g booty . and that's because if it's g, a strategic position on the gulf of aidan,

i'm many countries have strategic interests that because of its location by consensus, the that the gulf of aidan itself. but also because of access to the hinterland, ethiopia. so i don't think that the evidence stacks up on, on rhetoric, on deck trap, which tends to be not only out of washington, although less so just recently. but japan and india tend to kind of use that rhetoric. but there's the, the research that we've done doesn't, doesn't support that. what about what russia is, is doing in africa and 2019 president putin said that he was going to double investment to on the continent. it has that materialized given the sanctions that are in place against russia given the war in ukraine a. so the russia is have another the 2nd russia, africa summit planned for july this year in st. petersburg. so it'll be interesting to see who shows up and what the headlines are there, and particularly from the commercial side, the reality when i talked to, to russians as it's been very difficult for them in terms of investment,

there are some nice areas still where, where, where russia is investing as longstanding investments in the republic, a guinea, i'm book side, and i've just seen figures through, in terms of exports, of, of kind of a fuel products, kerosene and other things have significantly increased in a couple of african countries, particularly north african ones. but also nigeria, which i think is a reconfigure ration of trade with the african continent given you and western sanctions. and so those exports are going elsewhere. but russia is struggling except in a, in a few countries. as you've mentioned that private military company, bucklin has been active and has struck dales to extract minerals in exchange for security services. got to talking about x money. thanks for being with us on counting the cost. you're very welcome. thank you for inviting me. africa is also at the heart of a geo political scramble,

so read us minerals demand for those elements is increasing globally as governments around the world, plenty to reduce their emissions and make the transition to green energy. the metals are used in the production of electric vehicles and wind turbines and other renewable technologies. and many african nations have large deposits of them. but chinese miners control most commercial exports of minerals in places like the democratic republic of congo, zambia and tens, for example. and beijing refines as much as 60 percent of the world's lithium bolden, 60 percent of its cobalt, according to a report by the brookings institution and results for development. the u. s. wants to decrease its reliance on china and is trying to africa for the minerals. joining us now from idaho in the united states, peter major, the director of mining at modern corporate solutions. good to have you with us pizza. how significant are african deposits of red of minerals?

well, i'd really like a lot of things. we don't really know. how can they are? we just know africa is the largest continent in the world. and other than asia. and it's probably the least explored, even though man has been here for a few 100 years. western man, it's huge. and it's rich. and just the congo alone is bigger than europe. and congo has gone from mobiles. bursley 50000 tons of copper production a year to almost 2000000 tons just in the last 20 years. and that's just one country out of a huge continent. and it's because there hasn't been a demand large enough that could be met with the rest world. if, if we see a chill in south america, produces almost a 3rd of the world's copper, but it's now peaked for the last 10 years. it can't produce much more copper is

slowly going down, but the will population keeps growing. and the demand for copper keeps going. and so now, more more countries are turning to africa even though it's, it's still quite disorganized, even though it's quite still 3rd world. it is hugely, hugely rich and still relatively unexplored. and that includes all minerals, not just copper. in rarer st, without a doubt, are going to be probably more abundant in china, in africa than even are in china with more money put into expiration. so peter, what are the, the challenges for africa than in a realizing its full potential? we hear a word in south africa use quite, quite frequently by the west. and now it's use myself africans themself. although they don't like the word, it's called policy. and even if you were very disorganized,

even if you were very poor, even if you are very corrupt to crime ridden, if you have the correct policies it on board, you will attract money. real money. and we don't mean hot money that comes in the day leads to morrow. we lead bricks and mortar money. and that's unfortunately, been a lot of ask as problem. is there policies change too often? probably your 2nd problem in africa is they can't enforce the policy when they get a good one. and so if you have a bad policy, you attract the wrong money, alfred kidneys, money invested there. that you want the right money and you need the right policy yet. right. and also, i suppose on the policy comes, security has a lot of unrest in many countries in africa, and people who invest what a low that the assets while they're investing into is, is secure. they certainly do adrian. and amazingly enough, even though governments can't always provide that security,

if they have the correct policy, the western cut countries, the western investors and, and let me not prejudice anyone, yell china asia, either russia. if there is the correct policy, they will bring the money and they will bring in security because the metal prices are so high now that the margin that they can make is large enough to allow for the security. peter, how much control does china have over a africa's rare earth market at an on pricing? to what extent is china is stolen? a march on on the u. s. is, is it trying to get a look in now at increasing its investment? it is. and right now i don't think china has very much control over africa's reverse, has oddly enough, and let's,

let's get specific here. the rare earth elements. they're not copper, lithium, z, cobalt rearing elements. there's 17 funny sounding names. and the reason china got such great control over them is through most of humanity. there were more rare earth than man knew what to do with. the u. s. was a much larger producer. up until the 1990s, the late ninety's than was china. but china needed rares, a boy put focus and money into it. and it was producing rivers much cheaper than anybody else in the world could. so all the other production closed down and only china was producing then by the end of the 90s, the early millennium. now there's all a sudden with technology advanced like it is now the use for rare earth elements all sip. 17 of em. there's only a few 1000 guns a year that get produced. now the demand is large enough that china can start

raising prices, and they keep raising prices, raising prices in the world's happy to buy from china. china doesn't control africa's reverse. we've hardy found reverse in africa, and yet it's got some good deposits, especially south africa. and especially lawanda and they're not chinese controlled yet, but as we saw it, bob, we cimbawe is a rising star lithium. and it wasn't a chinese that found a lithium in zimbabwe. it, we saw a stroll. yes. and the chinese have now bought the 2 largest lithium deposits in zimbabwe, pita. it's been great to talk to you or carry the cost, but he, thanks for being with us. thank you, adrian. i really appreciate your time and that's our show for this week. get in touch with us if you want to comment on anything that you've seen, you can tweet me. i'm at a finnegan on twitter. try to remember to use the hash tag a j, c t c. when you to or you can drop us a line counter, the cost of al jazeera dot net is our

e mail address. there's plenty more for you online at al jazeera dot com slash ctc . that takes you straight to a page there. you'll find individual reports, links, an entire episodes to catch up for that is it for this edition of counting, the cost on adrian said again from the team here. and so how, thanks for being with us. but he is on al jazeera, this next ah and a no place in saigon which say, oppress, retreated to the car, about a media hub and vital vantage point during the 1st truly televised war from the

roof, we could see the evacuation at the american embassy, where the most iconic images of the conflict of vietnam were transmitted to the world. this was the front row sheet to the final stages of the war, saigon, caravel, war hotels. on all g 0. ah . more heavy fighting ensue dawned. a spy to renew cease 5. thousands are still trying to leave. ah, hello, i'm molly inside the salad. is there a lie from doha also coming up. sh. indigenous