First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s unemployment rate declined marginally to 12.8% in the second quarter of 2025, down 0.3 percentage points from 13.1% in the same period last year, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP). While the improvement breaks recent upward trends, it masks deepening structural vulnerabilities in the labor market, particularly affecting youth, women, and rural […]
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raised the red flag following revelations of $2.1 billion in suspicious cryptocurrency transactions across West Africa in 2024, according to a study by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, speaking at the recent West Africa Compliance Summit in Cape […]
A fresh wave of brutal attacks by armed groups in northern Mozambique has displaced at least 46,667 people in late July, compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province, UN agencies reported. The violence, concentrated between 20 and 28 July across Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe districts, has driven total displacement this year […]
The recent letter sent by U.S. President Donald Trump to King Mohammed VI, reaffirming America’s recognition of Morocco’s full sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory has knocked down the Algerian regime which has squandered billions of US dollars for nearly five decades on a lost cause. According to intelligence reports, Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune has […]
Morocco’s budget deficit remained within manageable limits during the first half of 2025, despite an increase in public spending, according to new figures released by the General Treasury of the Kingdom (TGR). As of the end of June, the deficit stood at 24.8 billion dirhams, a level consistent with the targets set in the 2025 […]
The International Monetary Fund’s 2024–2025 Executive Board report offers a nuanced view of Mauritania’s economic outlook, acknowledging strides in macroeconomic stability and reform while underlining persistent vulnerabilities. Security instability in the broader Sahel region remains a critical constraint, diverting public resources toward defense and deterring foreign investment. The fragile regional context, coupled with Mauritania’s reliance […]
US president Donald Trump reiterated his country’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and described autonomy as the only solution to the dispute. “I also reiterate that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting […]
Since ascending the throne in 1999, King Mohammed VI has consistently extended an olive branch to Algeria, urging the normalization of ties, the reopening of borders, and the revival of Maghreb integration. Yet, every sincere Moroccan initiative has been met with silence or hostility from Algiers. In his historic Throne Day speech on July 30, […]
Morocco’s foreign trade landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, with Asian economies- led by China, Turkey, and India- emerging as key suppliers, gradually reshaping the Kingdom’s traditional reliance on European partners. According to data from the Moroccan Exchange Office, between 2015 and 2024, China’s exports to Morocco surged by 194%, rising […]
The ambitious Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline project has reached critical milestones following high-level meetings in Rabat, positioning the 6,000-kilometer infrastructure initiative for imminent implementation. In December 2024, West African leaders approved the Intergovernmental Agreement during the 66th CEDEAO Summit, spelling out each country’s rights and responsibilities for the project. Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition Leïla […]