First Independent Mena Newspaper
Africa’s Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, with extremist groups now responsible for over half of all terror-related deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI). This marks a significant shift from previous years, as the region’s death toll rose to 3,885, accounting for 51% of the global […]
Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and the M23 rebel group are scheduled to begin in Angola’s capital city Luanda on 18 March, as announced by Angola’s presidency. This marks a significant development after months of escalating conflict in the volatile eastern DRC, where the M23 rebels, widely believed to […]
The European Union has unveiled a controversial proposal, including a continent-wide deportation order, aimed at accelerating deportations of rejected asylum seekers and other undocumented migrants. The plan, formally announced by the European Commission on Wednesday (11 March), seeks to standardize deportation processes across all EU member states, enabling cross-border enforcement of deportation orders. A key […]
Chinese state-owned firms are playing a dominant role in port development across Africa, with a presence in 78 ports across 32 countries as builders, financiers, or operators, sparking concerns about China’s long-term geo-strategic aims. According to a new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, these Chinese firms are not only builders and […]
Somali security forces have successfully ended a 24-hour siege at a hotel in Beledweyne, central Somalia, killing all attackers from the U.S.-designated terrorist group, al-Shabab. The siege, which began with a car bomb and was followed by a gun battle, left at least 10 dead, including military officers and clan elders. The attackers, from the […]
Four months after the detention of French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, his lawyer said he will file a complaint with the UN to seek his release from an Algerian jail. Sansal was arrested on November 16 upon his return from France where he gave an interview explaining the colonial nature of Algeria’s borders, notably citing the […]
Morocco won the presidency of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in an event that highlights the Kingdom’s clout and leadership within the continent. The one-year-term presidency will feature the chairmanship by Morocco’s industrial minister Ryad Mezzour of the Confederation of African Ministers for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. Algeria, as was expected, attempted […]
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa was re-elected to the FIFA council as Africa representative, underscoring the status of Moroccan football in the continent. Lekjaa beat his rival Hani Abou Rida with 49 votes to 35, in a vote held during the 14th African Football Federation (CAF) assembly. Lekjaa is also head of the 2030 World Cup organizing […]
Libya’s Supreme Judicial Council has announced on March 11 a decision to grant pardon to individuals convicted of certain crimes, on the condition that they have served at least half of their sentence. However, this pardon does not extend to those convicted of terrorism, murder, drug-related offences, or armed robbery. The decision is aimed at […]
Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio has fired Alusine Kanneh, the country’s head of immigration, following the publication of a video showing Kanneh with Johannes Leijdekkers, a notorious Dutch drug kingpin. The footage, which emerged on 7 March, shows Kanneh receiving a birthday gift from Leijdekkers, who is wanted across Europe for drug trafficking and […]