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 […]
Morocco has attached particular importance to health cooperation in Africa, as part of a larger south-south cooperation approach, that aims at addressing the continent’s pressing human development needs. The launch of the African Academy of Health Sciences, to promote research and training and enhance the continent’s health sovereignty is another brick in the edifice of […]
Zimbabwe has initiated ambitious plans to address its $12.7 billion external debt through a high-level conference bringing together creditors and finance executives. The meeting, featuring President Emmerson Mnangagwa and African Development Bank leadership, aims to chart a path toward clearing arrears and accessing international capital markets. The nation’s debt burden, representing 81 percent of GDP, […]
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 […]
Morocco has launched the African Academy for Health Sciences in Dakhla in its southern provinces to promote research and training in the continent. The announcement was made at the Mohammed VI University for science and health in Dakhla, a city that is poised to become not only a gateway to the African market, but also […]
Devastating landslides triggered by heavy rains killed at least ten people in the South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Seven children were deplored among the dead as research for missing people is still ongoing, local media reported. The landslides destroyed seven homes completely and damaged 31 others, as poor urban planning and […]
Conflicts in Ukraine, in the Middle East, but particularly across Africa, have expanded the conflict-affected areas across the world by 65% since 2021 to encompass 4.6% of the entire global landmass, up from 2.8% three years ago, according to the latest Conflict Intensity Index (CII), published by risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft. Myanmar, flashpoints in the […]
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 […]
Senegal’s ruling PASTEF party has achieved a decisive parliamentary victory, securing 130 of 165 seats according to provisional election results. This overwhelming majority empowers newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to implement his comprehensive reform agenda targeting corruption, fishing industry revitalization, and natural resource management. The opposition coalition, led by former President Macky Sall, captured […]