First Independent Mena Newspaper
Three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, African economies continue to grapple with the long-term effects of the conflict, with many nations still feeling the sting of rising inflation, disrupted supply chains, and escalating debt risks. A new report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) highlights that while some regions, such as East Africa, have […]
Arab leaders have firmly rejected US president Donald Trump’s controversial plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza and redevelop the region, endorsing an Egyptian-proposed reconstruction plan instead. The $53 billion plan, approved at an emergency summit in Cairo on Tuesday (4 February), aims to rebuild Gaza while keeping Palestinians in the enclave and excluding Hamas from […]
General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a military coup in 2023 that ended over five decades of Bongo family rule, has announced he will run in Gabon’s presidential election due on 12 April. Despite initially promising to return power to civilians, Nguema stated that his decision was prompted by public demand for his leadership. In […]
Trials of Congolese soldiers accused of desertion, murder, and looting shed light on a military grappling with poor morale and dysfunction, amid ongoing rebel advances in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In recent court proceedings, over 300 soldiers have stood trial, with some facing death sentences for fleeing the frontlines as M23 rebels, […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is standing firm against mounting international pressure to hold direct talks with the M23 rebel group, despite the group’s significant territorial gains in the eastern part of the country. Since January, the M23, which is accused of receiving support from neighboring Rwanda, has captured key cities like Goma and […]
As South Africa and possibly also other continental states face the real possibility of being expelled from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a United States Trade Act, experts are urging them to diversify their export markets. Wamkele Mene, secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, addressed concerns at a recent […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) have ended their mission to Guinea-Bissau after the country’s president threatened to expel the delegation. The mission, which arrived in the country on 21 February, aimed to help political stakeholders reach an agreement on a […]
Uganda is grappling with a new Ebola outbreak, marking its sixth detection of the virus, which comes just as a mystery disease is causing growing concern in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A four-year-old child has become the second fatality linked to the Sudan Ebola strain following confirmation of the virus at Mulago […]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor has called for the establishment of a special tribunal to address the persistent violence and atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite the ICC’s efforts, including recent convictions, Karim Khan acknowledged that international courts have failed to halt the decades-long cycles of violence in the DRC, […]
The European Union has provided a 50 million-euro military aid package to Ghana to bolster its security forces amid a surge in violent extremist activities by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The donation, made during a handover ceremony in Accra on Wednesday (26 February), includes advanced communication systems, riverine assets, and […]