The war in the Middle East is forcing many African countries, from Kenya to South Africa or Egypt, to take action in the face of fuel shortages and drivers to spend hours in queues to fill up their vehicles.
Kenya is an example of the impact that the attacks launched by Israel and the United States of America against Iran are having on Africa, especially after the interruption – a retaliation by Tehran – of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the flow route for oil from the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of world production passes and 70% of the diesel that fuels, for example, aviation in Africa.
“Since last week, we have been without gasoline and diesel for several days, which has never happened to us before,” the manager of a gas station in Nairobi’s industrial area told Spanish news agency Efe.
Despite having large oil-producing countries, such as Nigeria or Angola, the continent purchases around 70% of its needs from the Persian Gulf countries, which have deepened commercial ties with the continent in recent years, investing in sectors such as logistics or energy, often with agreements that imply the purchase of oil from these countries.
In addition to the traditional vulnerability to fluctuations in oil prices, with impacts on public finances, African countries also face a strong dependence on diesel imports, due to low refining capacity, well below energy needs.
“The first major impact on African consumers is the increase in gasoline prices in countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe or Cameroon,” explained the executive president of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), NJ Ayuk.
The leader of this entity dedicated to promoting energy investment in Africa will have in mind examples such as those in South Africa, where losses for companies selling fuel rose from 17 cents to 30 cents per liter, or in Nigeria, where prices rose to 80 cents, compared to 50 cents charged before the war, according to the French news agency, France-Presse (AFP).
Even with rising prices, consumers cannot find alternatives, which has forced some governments to take measures such as limiting the opening hours of shopping malls, bars, cafes and restaurants.
In Egypt, the government today ordered the closure of these establishments from 9 pm and is considering imposing teleworking days for public employees in order to avoid fuel consumption, in addition to taking more measures to control energy costs.
The objective is to be able to limit the use of oil while there are still reserves, something that also worries the vice-president of the Oil Tankers Association of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who said he fears “depleting reserves without being able to renew them”.
South Sudan has started to ration electricity in the capital Juba, Zimbabwe is increasing the ethanol content in its gasoline and in Mauritius the government has imposed restrictions to reduce waste, especially in high energy consumption areas.
Ereneo Mogga, an electrical engineer who lives in one of the worst-affected areas of Juba, told the BBC that power often goes out at 4pm and doesn’t come back on until 4am the next day.
“This brings most businesses to a standstill,” he said, adding that some of those who can afford it are switching to solar energy.
South Sudan has some of the largest oil reserves in East Africa, but most of it is exported, and it imports the refined product needed for fuel. According to the International Energy Agency, South Sudan generates 96% of its electricity from oil.
Lusa
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