First Independent Mena Newspaper
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is “at a crossroads”, faced with an uncertain future under the incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States, says a new analysis by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), though Kenya’s president has exuded confidence that the US government will extend the hallmark trade program […]
Somaliland, Somalia’s self-declared independent region, has inaugurated its new president after last month’s election, which strengthened its push for international recognition. Somaliland sworn in its sixth president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, on Thursday (12 December), only a day after Somalia and Ethiopia agreed in Turkey to hold “technical talks” over a dispute sparked by Addis Ababa’s […]
The 21st annual Marrakech International Film Festival concluded on Saturday with the awarding of the festival’s various prizes. The prize, the Golden Star, was awarded to“Happy Holidays” movie by Palestinian director Scandar Copti. The 123-minute feature film delicately examines the tension between emancipation and conservatism within the 1948 Palestinian society, reflecting a profound belief that […]
The fall of Syrian long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime could lead to Russia losing its military bases located in the country and, if this happens, it could have serious consequences for the Kremlin’s operations and power projection in Libya and sub-Saharan African countries, says a latest report by the American Institute for the Study of […]
Ghana’s vice president and ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, has conceded defeat in the country’s highly contested presidential election and congratulated his main opponent, former president John Dramani Mahama, for winning another term as the west African country’s leader. “The people of Ghana have spoken, the people have voted for change at […]
An alleged US spy plane has been accused of breaching the airspaces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, raising concerns that it may have been involved in possible espionage in sensitive areas with oil facilities and military bases. Fresh details have now emerged in Ugandan media, showing the aircraft could have photographed […]
The number of African countries offering e-visas has risen from 9 in 2016 to 26 in 2024, the latest addition of the Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) has revealed, with Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda and the Seychelles ranked the highest in visa openness, with Africans requiring no visas to enter these countries. The 2024 Africa […]
In the nearly 19-month conflict between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular Army, the RSF has escalated its attacks using newly deployed drones. Sudanese officials claim these “strategic drones” signify “direct and clear” interference by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and neighboring Chad, marking an unprecedented escalation in the war that began […]
As many as 18 million Ghanaians are expected to cast their vote on 7 December to elect the country’s new president with concerns about inflation, unemployment and debt high on their priority list. Despite a tight race for the presidency, which will be contested between vice president Mahamudu Bawumia and former president John Mahama, analysts […]
On December 3, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that Kuwait has agreed to extend a $2 billion deposit for an additional year. Originally set to mature in April 2024, the deposit will now mature in April 2025, according to the CBE’s latest external position report. This decision provides Egypt with crucial financial breathing […]