First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a blow to Namibia’s efforts to become a crude producer, the British energy giant Shell has announced a $400 million write-down related to an offshore oil discovery in the southern African nation, citing concerns about the project’s commercial viability, There have been several oil explorations by major oil conglomerates in Namibia in recent years, […]
The South Sudanese government and key oil companies have jointly announced the resumption of oil production and export at its Blocks 3 and 7 in the Upper Nile State with an initial output target of 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day. In a joint statement Tuesday (7 January), they said that normal operations have […]
Nigerian naira, Malawian kwacha and Rwandan franc have been named the worst-performing African currencies against the US dollar in 2024, according to a latest report, having faced an array of challenges, from persistent trade imbalances, dwindling foreign reserves, to political instability. Some African nations strengthened their currencies, while others faced worsening exchange rates in 2024. […]
The Republic of Ghana has decided to suspend its diplomatic relations with the Polisario Front, according to an official document sent Tuesday from Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ghana also confirmed it would promptly notify, via diplomatic channels, the Government of Morocco, the African Union, and […]
Start-ups in Africa cumulatively raised $2.2 billion in equity, debt, and grants (excluding exits) in 2024, and though it is a significant figure in absolute terms, it represents a 25% drop compared to the $2.9 billion that were raised on the continent in 2023, ‘Africa: The Big Deal’ has revealed. According to the funding report […]
China’s top diplomat has embarked on his traditional New Year tour of Africa that will take him to Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad, and Nigeria, aiming to further advance Beijing’s already sizable influence across the resource-rich continent amid dwindling Western influence. The week-long tour by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi marks 35 consecutive years […]
France faces a significant challenge to its influence in West and Central Africa as Chad, Senegal and most recently also Ivory Coast have announced the end to traditional military cooperation with their former colonial master, experts say, adding that this would unravel France’s remaining logistics and military footprint in the region. In recent months, six […]
Spain has announced it set a new record for migrant arrivals in 2024, having received 63,970 people who entered Spanish territory irregularly by land or sea, an increase of 12.5% from a year earlier. Spain received 63,970 migrants and refugees in 2024, according to Interior Ministry data released on Thursday (2 January), of which the […]
Any return to the pre-conflict status with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is off the table, Sudan’s Sovereign Council leader said during the country’s 69th independence anniversary, ruling out the paramilitary group’s reintegration into Sudanese society. Calling the RSF “murderers and criminals”, Al-Burhan blamed the militia for the widespread violence, starvation, and displacement faced […]
As the world prepares to welcome 2025, a sense of sorrow and unease hangs over the resources-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that has seen at least 21 people killed by Islamic State group-linked ADF rebels during the Christmas week. In a series of brutal attacks over the past week, […]