First Independent Mena Newspaper
The European Union issued more than 606,000 visas to Moroccan citizens in 2024, marking a significant increase and reflecting a notable improvement in diplomatic relations between Morocco and its European partners, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said. In a written response to a parliamentary question regarding visa reciprocity, Bourita emphasized that Morocco’s approach to visa […]
Morocco’s eastern grape-growing region has extended its harvest season from two to six months through agricultural innovation, but severe water shortages threaten to undermine gains that have positioned Nador province as a key supplier to domestic and international markets. The expansion from a traditional summer-only harvest to a June-through-December season resulted from introducing new grape […]
Northern Togo is facing a mounting threat from jihadist militants infiltrating from neighboring Burkina Faso, with the Togolese government maintaining strict silence as the situation deteriorates. Foreign Minister Robert Dussey recently acknowledged that over 62 people have been killed by militants since January — more than double last year’s toll — in one of the […]
South Africa is fast becoming the new battleground for global automakers, with Chinese and Indian car manufacturers racing to establish a stronghold in Africa’s most developed economy. Amid strained U.S. trade relations and shifting global dynamics, brands like Leapmotor, LDV, and Tata Motors are investing heavily in South Africa to access the broader African market. […]
Renewed violence in South Sudan is threatening to plunge the country — and its neighbors — into deeper instability, UN officials warned this week. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, told the UN Security Council that South Sudan’s fragile peace process is unraveling, with escalating clashes between government forces and rival militias eroding the 2018 […]
King Mohammed VI has pardoned 881 convicts on the occasion of The Revolution of the King and the People, celebrated on August 20 in Morocco, the ministry of Justice announced Tuesday in a press release. The list of the beneficiaries of the royal pardon includes inmates who were granted a pardon over their remaining jail […]
Bechtel, a leading U.S. construction and engineering firm, is interested in the investment opportunities offered in Morocco’s airports modernization projects as the country braces for co-hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 along with Spain and Portugal. According to Africa intelligence news platform, the American company hopes to secure a contract for the modernization of the […]
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met with French President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy to Libya, Paul Soler, on Sunday to review the ongoing security operation in Tripoli and set priorities for the next stage of stabilization efforts. The talks disclosed on August 18 by the Prime Minister’s office, addressed bilateral relations, Libya’s political trajectory, […]
The Russian naval training vessel Smolny has docked in Tanzania’s port city of Dar es Salaam, marking a significant moment in the deepening relationship between Moscow and Dodoma. The stopover — Smolny’s fifth during its current long-range voyage — brought over 300 naval cadets to Tanzanian shores. Welcomed by senior Tanzanian officials and Russia’s ambassador, […]
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya once again clarified Japan’s official position on the Polisario separatist entity at the opening of the ministerial meeting of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama on Tuesday. “I would like to make it clear that the presence at this meeting of any entity that […]