First Independent Mena Newspaper
At least 120 children have been abducted in recent days by Islamist insurgents in Mozambique’s northern oil-rich Cabo Delgado province, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported, adding that they were reportedly being forced into labor, used to transport looted goods, and in some cases turned into child soldiers or forced into marriage. The kidnappings mark […]
The United Nations has warned that Sudan faces a “very high” risk of genocide, as the civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to devastate the country. Senior UN official Virginia Gamba highlighted ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF and allied militias against groups like the Zaghawa, Masalit, […]
At least 17 Nigerian soldiers were killed in coordinated attacks by armed gangs on three army bases in Niger and Kaduna states on Tuesday (24 June), highlighting a worsening security crisis in the country’s north. The attackers, described by officials as heavily armed “bandits,” overwhelmed remote military outposts in fierce battles lasting hours. “These were […]
Italy and the European Union have announced €1.2 billion in new investments across Africa, aimed at boosting infrastructure, digital connectivity, and climate-resilient agriculture, though many question the true motives behind the ambitious investment plan. The deals, co-led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, form part of Meloni’s […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s top cobalt producer, has extended its export ban on the metal for an additional three months, intensifying its grip on a turbulent global market. The extension, announced Saturday (21 June) by the strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS, comes as prices remain depressed and cobalt stockpiles high. Originally imposed […]
A document circulated by media outlets close to the Algerian military regime claims that two Moroccan officers were killed and a third injured during Iranian strikes on Israeli military installations, while they were allegedly undergoing training at the Meron base in northern Israel. This assertion, as it stands, is based on no verifiable source or […]
In a strategic move to reduce global reliance on the U.S. dollar, China has welcomed six new financial institutions from Africa, the Gulf, and Central Asia into its Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The expansion, announced during a ceremony in Shanghai, brings direct participation in the yuan-based payment network to 174 institutions, as China steps […]
After more than a century abroad, 119 Benin Bronzes have returned to Nigeria, marking the largest single repatriation of looted artifacts to date. Originally stolen during a brutal British raid on the Benin Kingdom in 1897, the sculptures — including royal regalia, plaques, and ceremonial figures — were officially handed over by the Netherlands in […]
Qatar National Bank (QNB) has petitioned a U.S. federal court to enforce a $1.02 billion arbitration award against South Sudan, stemming from an unpaid wartime loan originally intended to stabilize the fledgling nation’s economy. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, QNB’s request asks the court to treat the International Centre […]
The first Global South Economic Forum (GSEF) convened this week in Abu Dhabi, gathering over 100 delegates from more than 20 developing nations to chart a path toward a more equitable global economic system. Held alongside the G7 Summit, the forum aimed to amplify the voice of the Global South amid shifting geopolitical and economic […]