First Independent Mena Newspaper
By shifting its Africa policy from humanitarian aid to commercial diplomacy, the Trump administration has signaled a dramatic reorientation of US engagement in the Sahel. Centered on trade, security cooperation, and access to strategic minerals, this pivot marks a departure from decades of aid-focused partnerships and reflects broader geopolitical recalibrations in a region increasingly courted […]
The World Trade Organization has highlighted Morocco’s significant contributions to the multilateral trading system in two major reports published this month, recognizing the kingdom’s active participation and positive influence since the historic 1994 Marrakech Agreement that established the organization. Morocco’s 2024 trade policy review earned praise from the WTO for the country’s dynamic engagement in […]
Africa’s digital content creation market has reached $5.1 billion in valuation as of March 2025, with projections indicating expansion to nearly $30 billion by 2032, representing a 28.7% annual growth rate that positions the continent as a major player in the global creator economy. The continent now represents over 17% of global internet users, with […]
Moscow has accused the Algerian junta of facilitating the transfer of Ukrainian drones and military equipment to terrorist groups operating in the Sahel countries. The Russian accusation was made by Alexander Ivanov, director of the Officers Union for International Security and reported by Russian news agency TASS. Ukrainian special services are using the diplomatic cover […]
British financial technology powerhouse Revolut is positioning itself to disrupt Morocco’s traditional banking sector, with regulatory approval applications submitted to Bank Al-Maghrib signaling imminent market entry into North Africa’s growing digital economy. The London-based neobank, valued at approximately 41 billion euros with nearly 60 million global customers, has appointed its first Morocco country director and […]
Morocco faces mounting pressure on its grain import bill as global wheat stocks are projected to fall to their lowest levels in nearly a decade, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts released this August 2025. The USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report reveals that global wheat reserves could drop to […]
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has initiated consultations with Morocco to study the North African Kingdom’s pioneering regulatory framework for medical and industrial cannabis, signaling Ghana’s commitment to developing a robust legal infrastructure for its emerging sector. During recent discussions in Accra, a delegation led by Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey met with Moroccan Ambassador […]
Luxury tourism in Africa is often promoted as a high-value, low-impact development model, while its actual benefits to local communities are minimal, a new study from the University of Manchester found. The study, published in the African Studies Review, raises serious concerns about the long-term sustainability and equity of luxury tourism strategies across Africa. In […]
Africa is hemorrhaging over $580 billion every year through corruption and illicit financial outflows, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB), jeopardizing economic growth and worsening the continent’s nearly $2 trillion debt crisis. AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, speaking in a recent Bloomberg interview, likened the situation to pouring water into a leaking bucket — “It […]
African and Japanese heads of state and government commended several initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI, and emphasized his pioneering role in promoting important continental initiatives on climate, migration, and sustainable development in Africa. In the final declaration issued by the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama, heads of […]