First Independent Mena Newspaper
The Trump administration has completed the controversial deportation of eight men to South Sudan, a nation the U.S. government warns its own citizens not to enter due to ongoing violence, armed conflict, and human rights abuses. The deportees, nationals of Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan, were convicted of serious crimes, including murder […]
Mali’s military government has formally granted junta leader General Assimi Goïta a five-year presidential term, renewable indefinitely and without elections, marking a sharp turn away from democratic governance in the Sahel nation. The new law, adopted unanimously by 131 members of the National Transitional Council last week, states Goïta’s power may be extended “as many […]
From July 9 to 11, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting a high-level Africa summit in Washington, with just five invited countries: Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal. The decision to limit participation reflects a strategic realignment in U.S. foreign policy toward Africa, emphasizing commercial diplomacy and targeted partnerships. According to U.S. officials, the […]
Algeria’s economic foundations are showing serious cracks, including an unsustainable fiscal system, rigid economic structure, dependence on oil and mounting external vulnerabilities, the IMF warned in a new report. The budget deficit expanded to 13.9% of GDP in 2024, one of the highest in the region, the IMF said, noting that this sharp deterioration stems […]
Morocco’s tourism sector is experiencing unprecedented growth and is expected to surpass the milestone of 20 million tourist arrivals this year, tourism minister Fatima Zahra Ammor said. With 7.2 million visitors recorded during the first five months of 2025, a 22% increase compared to the same period last year, the performance of the tourism sector […]
A detachment the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) took part in the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the Union of the Comoros, following an invitation extended to Morocco. The FAR detachment participated in the celebration at the instructions of the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the FAR. A […]
The Senegalese government has officially ditched a land deal with American-Senegalese singer Akon, effectively halting his ambitious plan to build a futuristic, cryptocurrency-powered city dubbed “Akon City.” The project, first announced in 2018, promised a $6 billion “real-life Wakanda”, a high-tech utopia powered by renewable energy and using Akon’s own digital currency, AKoin. The city […]
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) said it is working with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Nigeria’s EbonyLife Media to study the feasibility of launching a pan-African investment vehicle targeting the continent’s film sector. The initiative aims to unlock fresh private and institutional capital to help African producers create and distribute stories for global audiences, […]
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, emphasized that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), being held in Morocco from July 5 to 26, will be the most memorable of all editions of this continental competition. “This edition will undoubtedly be the most successful and memorable of all. My deep […]
Morocco has signed a major defense agreement with U.S. aerospace company L3Harris to modernize its fleet of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The deal, signed on July 3, marks a significant step in the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s (FRA) strategy to extend the operational life of its C-130H aircraft while preparing for the eventual acquisition of […]