First Independent Mena Newspaper
A major diplomatic shift unfolded during the weekend in the long-stalled Sahara dispute, as Algeria takes part in multilateral negotiations in Madrid after years of refusing to sit at the same table as Morocco. The move marks a watershed moment for a country that has long claimed an observer status, while keeping generous support to […]
The Israeli Knesset this week held an unprecedented parliamentary debate on whether to recognize the independence of Kabylie, marking the first time a foreign parliament formally examines the self-determination claim of the restive region in northern Algeria. The initiative comes one month after the Kabyle Provisional Government proclaimed the “Federal Republic of Kabylie” during a […]
The Algerian regime risks American sanctions for purchasing Russian military jets (SU35 and SU 57) under CAATSA law passed by the US Congress in 2017. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act imposes sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The Algerian acquisition of Russian military jets “could trigger CAATSA sanctions”, said on Tuesday Mr. […]
Spain’s highest criminal court has refused an Algerian request to extradite former senator Abdelkader Djedia, ruling that the politician faces political persecution and insufficient guarantees for his safety if returned, according to court documents and rights-focused organizations. The Audiencia Nacional, which has examined the case since November 2025, issued its decision on January 27 after […]
In a ceremony that could best be described as “Hollywood meets heavy industry,” Algeria this week unveiled its brand-new Ghar Djebilet–Béchar railway line, the first infrastructure project in the world designed to transport a mine that, so far, exists mainly as a PowerPoint slide and a dream. The ribbon-cutting took place somewhere in the vast […]
Algeria’s state-run news agency APS, along with other public media outlets, has come under renewed criticism after publishing claims that leading US and international media had praised the Gara Djebilet iron ore megaproject. A closer review shows that no such articles exist, and the supposed quotations appear only in Algerian state-controlled outlets. The APS report, […]
Morocco’s integration into the EU’s new mechanism for monitoring humanitarian assistance to the Tindouf camps marks a major policy shift, giving Rabat a formal role in scrutinizing the use of European funds and food aid. The EU–Morocco arrangement, published on January 28, establishes a regular control mechanism jointly managed with Rabat to ensure that aid reaches […]
Since taking the helm of the French-Algerian association in December 2025, Ségolène Royal has multiplied public gestures meant to relaunch dialogue between Paris and Algiers. But her recent visit to the Algerian capital, marked by warm praise for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and pointed critiques of France, has triggered a wave of controversy, with several observers […]
Reports suggested that Algerian economist and financial-engineering expert Djelloul Slama has been detained after commenting on the country’s iron-ore megaproject project, marketed as an economic milestone by the regime of Tebboune. Slama is a well-known media commentator whose analyses on Algerian economic policy, fiscal imbalances and structural challenges are widely disseminated in Algeria. He is […]
The Polisario Front has been forced back into diplomacy after the United States firmly reaffirmed that any political settlement of the regional Sahara dispute must take place exclusively within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty, diplomatic sources said. A discreet Polisario delegation traveled to Washington between January 19 and 23 to participate in US-facilitated exploratory talks […]