First Independent Mena Newspaper
Africa’s trade is poised to hit a record $1.5 trillion in 2025, driven by accelerating regional integration and improved infrastructure, according to projections from the IMF and Afreximbank — yet economists warn of persistent structural hurdles. With trade growth expected to average 5.1% annually through 2026 and intra-African trade expanding at 6.6% per year, the […]
The African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), an ambitious initiative to unify the continent’s electricity grids, is making substantial strides, according to African Union (AU) officials at a high-level technical meeting in Addis Ababa. AfSEM aims to create a seamless, affordable, and reliable continental electricity market, interconnecting all 55 AU member states. Kamugisha Kazaura, AU Commission’s […]
In a landmark shift in U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officially closed its doors on Tuesday (1 July), with all operations absorbed by the State Department. The decision, driven by President Trump’s executive order and enacted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks the end of a 63-year institution central […]
As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, security analysts warn of potential destabilization in already volatile regions of Africa, particularly the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. Though both countries have limited economic and diplomatic presence in Africa, their regional entanglements and alliances could produce indirect but serious consequences. Hendrik Maihack of Germany’s Friedrich […]
President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will run for a seventh term in Uganda’s 2026 presidential election, potentially extending his rule to over 40 years. The 80-year-old leader made the announcement via social media, stating he had expressed interest in becoming the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s presidential flag-bearer. Museveni, who seized power in 1986 […]
The 2025 Antiquity Prize, established by the prestigious archaeological journal Antiquity, has been awarded to the study of the Oued Beht site in Morocco. The archaeological fieldwork carried out in Morocco has uncovered a hitherto unknown early farming society from a poorly understood period of north-west African prehistory, revealing for the first time the importance […]
Africa has taken a major step toward financial self-determination with the launch of PAPSSCARD, the continent’s first Pan-African card scheme. Announced during the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria, the card aims to keep value, data, and economic benefits within Africa by processing payments entirely on the continent. The PAPSSCARD is a joint initiative […]
China’s long-held strategy of “regime-agnostic” engagement in Africa is under strain as mounting instability in Niger threatens billions in Chinese investments, says a new study. A new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies warns that China’s transactional diplomacy — prioritizing control over constitutional legitimacy — has left its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) vulnerable […]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reviewing a confidential legal brief accusing the Russia-linked Wagner Group of committing war crimes in West Africa — not only through acts of extreme violence but by promoting them online. The brief, submitted by legal experts from UC Berkeley, contends that Wagner’s dissemination of graphic content — showing beheadings, […]
Ukraine is reportedly deepening its presence in Africa, offering military training, humanitarian aid, and diplomatic support to counter Russia’s growing influence, particularly in the Sahel region. As Moscow-backed mercenaries spread across conflict zones like Mali, Ukraine has launched a strategic push to win allies on the continent and undermine Kremlin-backed operations. Kyiv’s latest initiative includes […]