First Independent Mena Newspaper
Women and girls across the Sahel region are facing unprecedented and systemic threats as political instability, environmental degradation, and dwindling international support converge to erode their rights and safety, senior UN officials told the Security Council. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, painted a grim picture of life for women in countries such as […]
Morocco’s centuries-old rotating savings system, known locally as “daret” or tontine, is undergoing a digital transformation aimed at addressing the financial exclusion affecting 53 percent of the country’s adult population. The new mobile application, developed by former French banking executives Nabil Chakir and Mourad Chokeir, seeks to modernize this informal financial practice while preserving its […]
Interpol has announced the arrest of over 1,200 suspected cybercriminals across 18 African nations and the United Kingdom as part of a sweeping three-month operation targeting cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and transnational crime. Dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, the crackdown ran from June to August 2025 and resulted in the dismantling of more than 11,000 cybercrime […]
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 […]
The annual pilgrimage to Cheikh Ahmad al-Tijani’s Mausoleum in Morocco’s spiritual capital Fez has evolved from an elite religious practice into a mass spiritual movement drawing thousands of Senegalese faithful, transcending traditional Sufi boundaries and strengthening centuries-old diplomatic ties between the two nations. The Ziarra, formalized after World War II but rooted in traditions dating […]
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 […]
The Atlantic Initiative, launched by King Mohammed VI, will reshape the economic and geostrategic landscape of Africa. By providing maritime access to Sahel countries, Morocco is offering a regional and continental model for stability and shared prosperity, said the New African Magazine. The royal Atlantic Sahel project will enhance African economic integration by strengthening cooperation […]
The United Nations has lauded the “generosity” of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, following the dispatch of “significant” additional humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. “We commend the generosity and decision of HM King Mohammed VI to send significant humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the […]
Morocco is observing Youth Day this August 21, marking both a national celebration and King Mohammed VI’s birthday, in a tradition that traces its roots to the nation’s independence era and continues to symbolize the enduring bond between monarchy and younger generations. The celebration originated in 1956 when newly independent Morocco’s youth requested that then […]
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 […]