Strike action in Spain over rising fuel prices has led to significant protests nationwide disrupting logistics routes, industrial areas, ports, and facilities. In some instances, protests have turned violent with trucks damaged and drivers threatened. The authorities have mobilised the National Police and Civil Guard to provide security escorts for convoys of trucks.

An indefinite nationwide strike by transport workers began in Spain on 14 March 2022 in response to rising fuel prices. Strike action included protests and picket lines on main logistics routes, industrial areas, ports, and other logistics facilities.

The strike was called for by the truck owners association called the Platform for the Defence of Transport but did not represent the majority of Spanish truck drivers. The strike action was not supported by Spain’s main transport trade unions nor its road haulage federations.

The ongoing Ukraine conflict has compounded the recent phenomenon of climate activism protests and led to strike action by the transport sector over rising fuel costs. There have also been protests at some state border crossing points by Ukraine anti-war protesters. It has also led to a spike in the ever present threat of fuel siphoning from parked trucks and logistics facility fuel storage tanks.

These issues are having a direct impact on the supply chain. They hit logistics operators particularly hard and also the manufacturers they support in the form of rising costs and direct or indirect disruption through strike action by transport sector workers, climate change activists and anti-war protesters.

While there have been some improvements related to piracy in 2021, illicit activities at sea are still widespread across the Gulf of Guinea. The presence of international navies has been widely mentioned as one of the main reasons, yet outside actors have been present in the region for a long time and continue to focus almost exclusively on counter-piracy operations. At the same time, the situation on land has become even more complex during the Covid-19 pandemic, not only in Nigeria

Sudan is poised to return to the global markets it had been left out of since the 1990’s. Following the 2019 revolution that ousted former President Omar al Bashir, Sudan has accelerated its return to the international scene. This means that new opportunities for investment and trade are likely to follow.

While Sudan may suffer from an underdeveloped economy and infrastructure, understandably limiting its attractiveness to foreign trade, change is underway. Investment programs from the Gulf, China and other economies are expected to boost production of export goods from Sudan’s coasts. The end of the Bashir regime also portends new economic opportunities.