First Independent Mena Newspaper
South African car exports to the United States have plummeted dramatically, falling over 70% in the first quarter of 2025, and tumbling further to 80% in April and 85% in May, 2025, following the imposition of steep tariffs by US President Donald J. Trump. The automotive industry, which relies heavily on the US market under […]
President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest serving leader and the world’s oldest head of state at 92, has confirmed his candidacy for Cameroon’s 12 October presidential election. The announcement, made via social media, ends months of speculation about his political future and reignites debate over the country’s democratic stagnation. “I am a candidate in the presidential […]
The Libyan government in Tripoli has formally protested to the United Nations over Greece’s delineation of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) south of Crete, arguing that the map infringes on Libyan maritime boundaries. The EEZ map, published in the EU’s Official Journal over the weekend, is said by Libya to be a breach of its […]
Nigerian troops have killed more than 50 armed men in separate operations in the country’s conflict-ridden northeast and northwest, according to official statements released Thursday. In Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, security forces repelled coordinated attacks by hundreds of armed bandits raiding multiple villages on Tuesday (8 July). Katsina’s Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said […]
West African leaders are rejecting U.S. efforts to offload third-country deportees, following a White House summit where President Donald Trump reportedly floated the idea of African nations accepting migrants refused by their own governments. Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló confirmed Thursday (10 July) that while Trump raised the issue during a Wednesday meeting with five […]
Mali’s junta leader General Assimi Goïta has officially secured an indefinite grip on power after signing a law granting himself a renewable five-year presidential mandate without the need for elections. The law, made public Thursday (10 July), follows recommendations from a junta-led national dialogue widely boycotted by political groups. Initially celebrated as a reformist after […]
Rising costs of road freight across West Africa are threatening to derail the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), exporters and trade experts warn, as unofficial fees and bureaucratic bottlenecks mount along key trade corridors. A recent case study by the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade (WACTAF) reveals that transporting a truckload of goods […]
East Africa is experiencing a profound geopolitical shift as Gulf states and Turkey expand their influence through infrastructure, energy, and security investments totaling an estimated $75 billion, according to a new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies. This influx is transforming the region’s political and economic landscape, particularly in fragile states like […]
In a rare diplomatic move, President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of five West African nations — Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau — at the White House on Wednesday (9 July), declaring a shift in U.S. policy from aid to trade. The meeting comes amid deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid following the dissolution […]
South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has signed a landmark $637 million deal to build a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility for a European client operating in Mozambique, reinforcing Africa’s rising profile in global energy markets. The state-of-the-art Coral Norte FLNG platform, to be constructed offshore, will liquefy, store, and export natural gas directly […]