First Independent Mena Newspaper
While Spanish political debate remains dominated by the July migrant surge into Ceuta and unfounded accusations directed at Morocco, a more structural shift has taken hold on the Western Mediterranean route shaped by Algeria. Algeria has in fact become the principal departure point for irregular migrants heading to Europe. According to converging assessments from Frontex, […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts a decline in Algeria ‘s foreign exchange reserves from $51 billion in 2025 to $46.5 billion this year, before plummeting to 19.8 billion in 2031, a 61.2% contraction that would reduce the country’s import coverage from 8.6 months to 3.3 months. In a statement issued after concluding Article IV […]
Amnesty International has called on Algeria’s authorities to immediately establish an official moratorium as a first step towards fully abolishing the death penalty. The Organization call comes after Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered last month the Minister of Justice to amend the Penal Code to “reintroduce” the death penalty for intentionally starting or instigating fires. […]
Moroccan police arrested a 37-year-old Algerian national who also holds French citizenship in Mohammedia on Thursday, acting on an international arrest warrant issued by French authorities, Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security said. Preliminary information from the investigation indicates that the man was listed as internationally wanted at the request of French judicial authorities in […]
The Spanish parliament’s recent approval of a law granting citizenship to Sahrawis born under Spanish colonial rule before September 1977 and to their direct descendants has been welcomed by many within the Algeria-sponsored Polisario front’s orbit. This reaction alone should end any remaining illusion that Polisario constitutes a national liberation movement as they wish to […]
Algerian authorities have sentenced rapper Zakaria Kara Slimane, known professionally as ZD4, to one year in prison over a song that called for closer ties between the Algerian and Moroccan peoples and highlighted their shared social hardships. Police in Tlemcen arrested him on 28 August 2026. The following day the Tlemcen Court tried him under […]
Algeria’s ministry of Defense, which spends billions of U.S. dollars on the purchase of military equipment, has failed to protect sensitive data of its army, including the personnel information of Algerian senior officers, soldiers, their assignments, military bases and installations In 2025, Algeria spent over $25.4 Billion on its military, the highest in Africa and […]
Algeria’s decision this week to cut diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates has once again highlighted Algiers’ deepening tilt toward Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah, at the expense of broader Arab consensus. Algeria cut ties with Abu Dhabi over vaguely defined “provocative or hostile” actions in a move that fits a familiar […]
Morocco, a country with a diversified economy, has outpaced hydrocarbon-rich Algeria in foreign exchange reserves, reaching approximately $50 billion in September, according to central bank data. This milestone underscores the success of Morocco’s diversified and productive economy, while exposing the costs of Algeria’s rentier economy which led to restrictive import policies and heavy reliance on […]
The United States and the United Nations are coordinating their efforts in support of the UN-led political process engaged to reach a lasting solution to the Sahara conflict in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2797. This resolution, adopted in October 2025, has endorsed the Autonomy plan for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty. It calls […]