First Independent Mena Newspaper
Burkina Faso’s military-led government has suspended the controversial Target Malaria initiative, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation–funded project aimed at combating malaria through the release of genetically modified mosquitoes. Announced Friday (22 August) by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the decision halts all activities and orders the destruction of remaining mosquito samples. Project […]
Africa’s digital sovereignty hangs in the balance as AfriNIC, the continent’s sole internet registry, faces potential collapse under mounting legal pressure and governance failure, raising fears of cybercrime and loss of digital sovereignty. The crisis — escalating since 2022 — has reached a critical stage with Cloud Innovation Ltd. filing for judicial liquidation on 9 […]
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 […]
At the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), Japan unveiled a sweeping initiative to deepen economic ties with Africa, committing $5.5 billion in development loans and announcing the training of 30,000 AI specialists across the continent over the next three years. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposed the creation of an “Indian […]
Uganda has firmly denied reports that it has entered into an agreement with the United States to accept migrants deported under a Trump-era immigration policy. The denial follows a CBS News report citing confidential U.S. government documents, which claimed that both Uganda and Honduras had agreed to take in asylum seekers and deportees from third […]
Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, faces a high-stakes legal challenge as opposition candidate and veteran lawyer Akere Muna petitions the Constitutional Council to block his bid for an eighth term ahead of the 12 October election. At 92, Biya has held power since 1982, making him one of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders. Muna’s […]
Northern Togo is facing a mounting threat from jihadist militants infiltrating from neighboring Burkina Faso, with the Togolese government maintaining strict silence as the situation deteriorates. Foreign Minister Robert Dussey recently acknowledged that over 62 people have been killed by militants since January — more than double last year’s toll — in one of the […]
South Africa is fast becoming the new battleground for global automakers, with Chinese and Indian car manufacturers racing to establish a stronghold in Africa’s most developed economy. Amid strained U.S. trade relations and shifting global dynamics, brands like Leapmotor, LDV, and Tata Motors are investing heavily in South Africa to access the broader African market. […]
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 […]
The Russian naval training vessel Smolny has docked in Tanzania’s port city of Dar es Salaam, marking a significant moment in the deepening relationship between Moscow and Dodoma. The stopover — Smolny’s fifth during its current long-range voyage — brought over 300 naval cadets to Tanzanian shores. Welcomed by senior Tanzanian officials and Russia’s ambassador, […]