Bahlil Says Indonesia Receives Fuel Supplies from Africa
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia shared his experience when the government sought alternative fuel supplies when the conflict in the Middle East disrupted energy distribution routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
In his remarks at the inauguration of the Golkar Party Aceh Regional Leadership Council (DPD) in Banda Aceh on Saturday (July 11, 2026), Bahlil revealed that Indonesia had approached several countries in Africa and Latin America to ensure that national energy needs were met.
During his explanation, Bahlil joked about the negotiation process he had conducted with officials in Africa.
“Luckily, in Africa, the officials are Papuan, Black, like me. So when I had a Zoom call with them, they thought we were part of the same family. So they gave me a call,” Bahlil said.
He mentioned Angola as one of the countries he had successfully collaborated with. According to him, the communication was good, allowing Indonesia to continue to receive oil supplies amidst the uncertain situation.
Bahlil then joked again, saying that his skin color actually brought him advantages in the diplomatic process.
“Imagine if I were white, I wouldn’t trust them, right? So there’s an advantage to being a sticky rice cake. There’s an advantage too. So, thank God, we were able to secure oil negotiations from Africa and several Latin American countries,” he said.
Bahlil made this statement while explaining the government’s steps to maintain national energy security when oil supplies from the Middle East were disrupted due to escalating conflicts that impacted shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Although delivered jokingly, Bahlil emphasized that the government had succeeded in securing oil supplies from several alternative countries, thereby ensuring domestic energy needs were met.
