First Independent Mena Newspaper
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is seeking $2.61 billion annually to launch a 5,000-strong regional Standby Force aimed at combating terrorism, political instability, and transnational crime across the region. At a high-level meeting in Abuja, ECOWAS Ministers of Defense and Finance convened to finalize funding strategies for the ambitious counterterrorism initiative. A […]
Mali has filed a case against Algeria at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its northern neighbor of violating international law by shooting down a Malian military drone near the border town of Tinzaouaten. According to Mali, the incident occurred earlier this year, between 31 March and 1 April, when Algerian forces deliberately downed […]
Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0 has exposed Africa’s vulnerability to cybercrime, resulting in 1,209 arrests across 18 African nations and the United Kingdom, recovering $97.4 million from schemes affecting nearly 88,000 victims. The August 22 announcement highlights escalating digital threats including inheritance scams, ransomware, and business email compromise across the continent. The operation’s success underscores cybercrime’s […]
Morocco’s national football team outclassed Niger on Friday, September 5, with a resounding 5-0 victory at the reconstructed Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, during the 7th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This day will remain engraved in the annals of Moroccan football. With this emphatic win, the Atlas Lions booked their ticket […]
A delegation from the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee in the Kenyan Senate paid a working visit to Dakhla this week to strengthen cooperation ties between Morocco and Kenya. Led by the Committee’s chairman Godfrey Osotsi, the visit provided an opportunity for the Kenyan parliamentary delegation to learn about the region’s development dynamics […]
Egypt and Sudan have reiterated their opposition to unilateral actions on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), declaring their water security “one and indivisible”. The position was made clear in Cairo during a “2+2” consultation meeting on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, that brought together the foreign and irrigation ministers from both countries. In a joint […]
Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has assumed leadership of the African Development Bank with a comprehensive ten-year strategy focusing on financial architecture reform, demographic dividend transformation, and natural resource industrialization, reports L’Economiste. These strategic pillars address Africa’s critical challenges including declining development aid, mounting sovereign debt, and intensifying climate impacts. “Revisiting our investment plan and changing […]
As Cameroon approaches its presidential election due to be held on 12 October, fears are mounting over growing political repression, widespread insecurity, and a fractured opposition — all of which threaten the credibility of the vote. The 92-year-old President Paul Biya, Africa’s longest-ruling leader, is seeking an unprecedented eighth term in office. Despite mounting calls […]
The Algeria-backed Polisario Front has suffered a fresh diplomatic setback at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, where its efforts to gain support for its separatist agenda were quietly rebuffed. The summit’s final communiqué made no mention of the Polisario or its self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), signaling a shift in regional […]
A new report by war crimes watchdog The Sentry exposes the Wagner Group’s deeply destabilizing three-year presence in Mali, revealing a record of military failure, civilian massacres, and political fractures rather than security gains. Deployed in 2022 under a $10 million/month deal with Mali’s junta, the Russian paramilitary force claimed its “mission was accomplished” upon […]