First Independent Mena Newspaper
Lower-income countries are paying private creditors nearly three times more than they repay China, according to new research by UK-based advocacy group Debt Justice, challenging dominant narratives around global debt. Between 2020 and 2025, 39% of the $354 billion in external debt repayments from 88 low-income countries and small island states will go to private […]
Mali’s military regime has reportedly arrested over 40 soldiers, including two high-ranking generals, for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. The mass arrests, described by a source within the army as a response to an “attempt at destabilization,” signal deepening tensions within the ruling military leadership led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. Among the detained are […]
Niger’s military-led government has nationalized the country’s only industrial gold mine, Société des Mines du Liptako (SML), accusing its Australian operator, McKinel Resources, of “serious breaches,” including failure to fulfill a $10 million investment pledge. The junta, in power since a 2023 coup, framed the move as a strategic step toward national resource control. “In […]
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has appointed two serving ministers to take on additional roles following the deaths of Defense Minister Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in a helicopter crash, in the Ashanti Region last Wednesday. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson will serve concurrently as acting Minister of Defense, while […]
South African Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has sharply criticized the 30% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on South African exports, calling them a symptom of a “declining empire” lashing out in desperation. “The danger with the US imposing the 30% tariffs is that it is the kicking of a declining empire,” Mantashe told industry […]
The United States has launched a sweeping reassessment of Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status, raising alarm over President William Ruto’s growing ties with China, Russia, Iran, and links to extremist groups. Granted in June 2024, Kenya’s MNNA designation made it the first sub-Saharan African country to join an exclusive list of U.S. defense partners. […]
The United Nations has confirmed that at least 319 civilians — including 48 women and 19 children — were brutally killed by M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 9 and 21 July, marking one of the deadliest episodes since the group’s resurgence in 2022. According to UN Human Rights Chief Volker […]
The Central African Republic (CAR) is resisting Russian pressure to replace the Wagner Group with the Kremlin’s newly formed Africa Corps, amid demands for cash payments rather than the mineral-for-security model that has long defined the partnership. According to senior officials in Bangui, Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister made several visits this year urging CAR to […]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned Sudanese aircraft from landing at its airports, a move Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority described as “surprising” and deeply disruptive to travel plans for its citizens. The UAE also blocked a Sudanese flight from departing Abu Dhabi, escalating already fraught relations between the two nations. The flight ban marks […]
Misjudged risk assessments and persistent financial bias are costing African countries a staggering $75 billion annually in inflated borrowing costs and lost revenues, according to the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). AFC President Samaila Zubairu described the misperception as a “prejudice premium,” arguing that Africa’s default rates are “really, really exaggerated.” Research by Moody’s Ratings supports […]