First Independent Mena Newspaper
Beijing’s recent decision to eliminate tariffs for goods from least developed countries (LDCs) with diplomatic relations with China, including 33 in Africa, has been met with a great deal of skepticism among experts. The decision, announced by President Xi Jinping at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that was held in Beijing in early […]
The National Commission for the Counting of Votes has officially announced on November 21 the results, confirming a landslide victory for Ousmane Sonko’s Pastef party. Pastef secured 130 out of 165 parliamentary seats, far exceeding the 3/5 qualified majority it aimed for, now controlling 78% of the legislature. This historic win includes victories in 40 […]
Russia has offered to construct spaceports on the territory of friendly African nations, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, and others, just as the competition among the great powers heats up as they jostle over who will control rocket launch sites projects across the continent. Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, which is one of the foreign investors […]
The European Union has recalled its ambassador in Niger for consultations in Brussels after the junta-led authorities had on Friday (22 November) questioned the EU’s management of humanitarian aid provided to those impacted by severe flooding in the Sahel country. The EU recalled its ambassador, Salvador Pinto da Franca, from Niamey after Niger’s junta had […]
In line with the international law, Panama has cut all ties with the self-proclaimed Polisario entity, SADR, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The Republic of Panama, prioritizing national interests and adhering to the core principles of its foreign policy, reaffirms its commitment to the objectives and values that underpin multilateralism. The Republic […]
The whereabouts of the renowned Algerian novelist and intellectual Boualem Sansal have been unknown since he landed in Algeria on November 16. His wife and friends fear he has been persecuted because of his ideas, as part of a larger crackdown on dissidents. Sansal, who was traveling from France, is an outspoken critic of the […]
In a sharp departure from the general migration policy across the European Union, Spain has announced its plan to legalize about 300,000 undocumented migrants per year, starting next May and through 2027, the country’s migration minister said Wednesday (20 November). With about 600,000 undocumented migrants, one of the highest rates in the bloc, Spain aims […]
The Nigerian Government has secured a $134 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to strengthen its agricultural sector amid growing food insecurity concerns. This funding aims to increase seed and grain production and improve food security, according to a statement of the Agriculture ministry on November 14. A recent “Harmonized Framework” report, prepared […]
Across Africa and particularly the Sahel region, Russia-backed disinformation operations, a key part of the hybrid warfare, seek to “prop up repressive regimes and harm civilians”, reveals a new analysis published in the latest edition of the Africa Defense Forum (ADF) magazine. Russia is linked to 40% of all disinformation campaigns across the African continent, […]
Niger’s military junta has invited Russian firms to invest in the country’s uranium and other natural resource production after French nuclear group Orano halted uranium output there last month, part of an ongoing dispute between Niamey and its former colonial master, France. “We have already met with Russian companies that are interested in coming to […]