First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a dramatic pivot away from traditional regional alliances, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have deepened their collaboration under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), aiming to reclaim sovereignty and reshape their economic future, including through the planned launch of common currency. Born out of frustration with ECOWAS and external pressures, the AES is fast-tracking […]
Africa, home to one-third of the world’s critical mineral reserves, stands at a crossroads: remain a source of raw exports or become a central player in the global energy transition. Despite abundant resources — including cobalt, lithium, copper, and rare earth elements — Africa received just 10.4% of global mineral exploration investment in 2024, down […]
With just months to go before Ivory Coast’s October 2025 presidential election, the newly formed Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation (CAP-CI) is intensifying pressure on the ruling party to ensure credible and inclusive polls. At the heart of its demands: judicial impartiality, revised electoral lists, and the reinstatement of disqualified candidates, including opposition figure Tidjane […]
A new report from Amnesty International has revealed a grim death toll of at least 10,217 people killed in violent attacks across northern and central Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu assumed office two years ago, highlighting a deepening security and humanitarian crisis. The report, released on the second anniversary of Tinubu’s administration, accuses the Nigerian […]
Namibia has officially commemorated its first Genocide Remembrance Day, honoring more than 70,000 Ovaherero and Nama people killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. The solemn national holiday was marked by a candle-lighting ceremony and war cries, as calls for reparations and justice intensified. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at the ceremony, described the […]
A new report from the African Development Bank (AfDB) warns that 21 out of 54 African currencies are projected to depreciate against the U.S. dollar in 2025, highlighting continued economic vulnerability across the continent. Major economies like Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana are expected to see currency losses of 6% or more, driven by declining […]
As Africa moves to the center of global economic and strategic importance, a new Brookings Institution policy brief urges the Trump administration to craft a bold, forward-looking U.S.-Africa strategy that aligns American interests with Africa’s rapid transformation. The report highlights four key pillars — power, prosperity, peace, and principles with soft power — through which […]
Nigeria’s seaports have come under renewed international scrutiny as the European Union released a report identifying the country as a major gateway for counterfeit goods entering West Africa and beyond. In its 2025 Report on the Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Third Countries, the EU classified Nigeria among eight “Priority 3” countries […]
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) chief, General Michael Langley, has stood by his controversial remarks criticizing Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for insufficient counter-terrorism efforts — clarifying that his comments were rooted in military concerns, not political interference. Speaking in Nairobi ahead of a regional defense conference, Langley explained that his earlier statements — […]
Amid a surge in insurgent activity across Africa, the U.S. military is recalibrating its strategy, stepping back from its traditional focus on governance and development to emphasize burden-sharing and self-reliance among African partners. At the recent African Lion 2025 military exercise — the continent’s largest — Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), […]