First Independent Mena Newspaper
Africa’s largest telecom operator, MTN Group, is in advanced negotiations with U.S. and European firms to build a network of AI-powered data centers across the continent — a strategic move to close the continent’s infrastructure gap and position it as a key player in the global digital economy. The initiative, led by MTN’s newly formed […]
A recent United Nations report has revealed that nearly 15,000 schools have been shut down across West and Central Africa, affecting the education of over 3 million children — a crisis driven by growing insecurity, conflict, and displacement. The situation is particularly dire in Nigeria and Cameroon, where violent insurgencies and protracted conflicts have forced […]
African countries are becoming key producers of critical minerals like cobalt and platinum, but the rush to extract these resources has also fueled instability, causing displacement and escalating armed conflicts across the continent. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected in its Regional Economic Outlook report published in April last year that critical minerals could boost […]
Despite growing calls for regional integration, most African air traffic continues to detour through Europe and the Middle East, exposing the continent’s stalled aviation reforms. A glaring example came during the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Algiers, where Kenyan and other countries’ delegates flew via Paris, turning a six-hour journey into a 15-hour ordeal […]
Morocco has joined efforts with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (Africa CDC) for the establishment of an Emergency Network for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean to ensure swift regional response to health crises. The announcement was made in Rabat following a three-day summit held lately with the […]
President of Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra has thanked King Mohammed VI for hosting a meeting highlighting the investment opportunities offered in this landlocked African country. The investment meeting, organized in Casablanca from 14 to 15 September, was marked by the presence of several Moroccan, Central African, Arab and foreign officials as well as diplomats […]
The Central African Republic chose Casablanca as the strategic venue to unveil its ambitious National Development Plan 2024-2028, valued at approximately 7,000 billion CFA francs ($10.7 billion). This came during an Investment Round Table dedicated to financing the Central African Republic’s National Development Plan 2024-2028. The round table, held September 14-15, 2025, transformed Morocco’s economic […]
Africa is losing billions each year to twin economic threats: climate-induced natural disasters and illicit financial flows, a new series of reports reveal. According to a new report by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), natural disasters inflict $12.7 billion in annual damage to infrastructure across the continent. Floods alone account for nearly 69% […]
The number of aid workers kidnapped in South Sudan has more than doubled in 2025, raising fears that abductions for ransom are becoming a new tactic in the conflict-torn nation. Over 30 aid workers have been abducted so far this year, compared with fewer than half that figure in 2024, according to humanitarian officials. Some […]
Morocco has pledged to share its expertise in nuclear applications with African member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nuclear technology has numerous applications in medicine, agriculture, industry, and consumer products. It uses radioisotopes and radiation in cancer treatment, food irradiation, sterilization, material modification, and environmental monitoring. In full cooperation with IAEA, Morocco […]