First Independent Mena Newspaper
At least 60 people were killed in a brutal machete attack at a funeral in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday (8 September) night, in one of the deadliest recent assaults linked to the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The victims were attending a mourning ceremony in the village of Ntoyo, […]
Côte d’Ivoire’s upcoming presidential election has taken a dramatic turn, as the Constitutional Council barred two major opposition figures — former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam — from contesting the 25 October vote. The council cited both men’s removal from the electoral roll: Gbagbo, due to a past criminal conviction, and […]
In a landmark moment for international justice, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday (9 September) began its first-ever in absentia hearing, presenting evidence against fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, who remains at large nearly two decades after his indictment. Kony, founder of the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), faces 39 counts of war […]
In a controversial shift, the Trump administration has designated Eswatini as the new deportation destination for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant whose legal battle has spotlighted the administration’s aggressive immigration policies. Abrego, who arrived in the U.S. as a teenager and has a U.S. citizen wife and child, was previously ordered deported to Uganda. […]
Africa is losing an estimated $88 billion annually through illicit financial flows (IFFs), depriving nations of vital resources for healthcare, education, and infrastructure, according to the African Union (AU). The AU and experts warn that tax evasion, money laundering, and profit-shifting by multinational corporations, often aided by weak regulations and corrupt elites, are draining the […]
In a renewed show of diplomatic and strategic alignment, Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the Republic of Congo a “reliable and time-tested friend,” highlighting the Central African nation as a key entry point for Moscow’s growing influence across the continent. The statement came during Putin’s recent meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in […]
Morocco’s 2004 Labor Code, once groundbreaking legislation, now constrains the nation’s economic potential in an era of digital transformation and evolving work patterns. Business leaders and policy advocates increasingly call for comprehensive reform rather than incremental amendments, positioning labor law modernization as critical for Morocco’s 2030 World Cup preparations and broader development goals. The current […]
A damning new report by the United Nations accuses both the M23 rebel group and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government forces of committing grave abuses that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN Human Rights Office’s Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), investigating the violence in North and South Kivu since late 2024, […]
Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has broken his silence over the explosive treason trial against him, dismissing the proceedings as a “politically motivated” attempt to silence opposition voices and distract from President Félix Tshisekedi’s governance failures. Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, is being tried in absentia before […]
West Africa faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the fallout from armed conflict in the Central Sahel region continues to spill into neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries, according to a new UNICEF report. In the first half of 2025, escalating violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has displaced more than 515,000 people into coastal […]