First Independent Mena Newspaper
Eight months after the landmark speech of King Mohammed VI at the African Union Summit in which he deplored that the “flame of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) has faded because faith in a common interest has vanished,” the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) came to the same conclusion ringing the alarm bell as […]
Mauritanian activist Biram Dah Abeid Wednesday was forced to abort conference on human rights abuses and racism in his country after receiving instructions from Senegalese authorities. The leader of the anti-slavery movement (IRA) Wednesday called off Thursday-planed conference on the situation of human rights and racism in the North African country where he has been […]
The new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Horst Köhler, who took up his functions on September 8 in New York, is planning to travel to the region, and the Secretary-General welcomed the plan. Köhler looks forward to travelling to the region and engaging with the parties in a spirit of trust […]
A team of lawyers has embarked on legal proceedings to drop cases against 13 Mauritanian senators accused of taking money from the President’s cousin Mohamed Bouatmatou, known as an opponent of the Mauritanian ruler. The lawyers have requested the drop of the charges against the 13 senators in a request to the country’s court of […]
Mauritanian authorities persist on maintaining a blackout on the practice of slavery in the country by denying access to international civil rights organizations, the latest of which is a US anti-slavery delegation that planned meetings with Mauritanian government officials and activists. The group, which includes leading US abolitionists, was rejected entry visas after landing at […]
The US State Department denied Egypt $96 million in aid and delayed $195 million in military funding because of concerns over Egypt’s human rights record and its cozy relationship with North Korea. Sources from the State Department confirm that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson authorized the $195 million to be held in reserve until Egypt […]
The EU, France, Spain and Germany have welcomed the appointment of Germany’s former President Horst Köhler as new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara. “The EU is looking forward to working with Kohler,” said an EU Spokesperson in a statement to Morocco’s news agency. “The EU continues to encourage all parties […]
Canadian company Algold Resources has been awarded a 30-year mining license to drill for gold in Tijirit project, in Mauritania. Under the terms of the mining license, Algold will deliver a feasibility study by December 2018. Algold acquired the Tijirit project in April 2016 and immediately commenced a major exploration program, under which it completed […]
Mauritanians have voted in favor of changing the green and yellow flag by adding two red stripes in a referendum that has also seen the Senate abolished. A proposal to add two red stripes to the West African country’s national emblem was approved by 86% of voters who turned up in a crucial Aug 5 […]
Illicit cigarettes accounted for over 20% of consumption across the Maghreb region in 2016. However successful prevention strategies have resulted in a 24% decline since 2015, said the Amsterdam based professional service and auditing company KPMG in a recent study. The study, dubbed “Illicit Cigarette Trade in the Maghreb Region,” shows the 13 billion smuggled […]