First Independent Mena Newspaper
A surge in cocoa smuggling across West Africa is undermining the economies of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s top cocoa producers, amid record global prices exceeding $10,000 per ton. The illicit trade, driven by price disparities and weak enforcement, is costing both countries hundreds of millions in lost revenue and threatening the stability of […]
African nations are racing against time to renegotiate trade terms with the United States, as sweeping tariffs — initially set to begin 1 August — now loom for 7 August following a last-minute executive order by President Donald Trump. Trump’s latest executive order slaps a uniform 15% tariff on most African exports — threatening industries […]
A fresh wave of brutal attacks by armed groups in northern Mozambique has displaced at least 46,667 people in late July, compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province, UN agencies reported. The violence, concentrated between 20 and 28 July across Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe districts, has driven total displacement this year […]
The Trump administration’s sweeping new tariffs on African exports have triggered a wave of mixed reactions across the continent, as governments, businesses, and civil society grapple with the implications of the United States’ evolving trade posture. Under an executive order signed on July 31, tariffs ranging from 15% to 30% were imposed on 20 African […]
Somaliland’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, is offering the United States access to a strategic military base near the Red Sea and critical mineral resources, including lithium, in exchange for formal diplomatic recognition. The breakaway region, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has yet to receive international recognition despite decades of stability and democratic […]
Libya’s Emergency and Ambulance Service in Al-Kufra has rescued approximately 50 Sudanese refugees, including women and children, who were stranded in the remote Siouf Boufatma desert region, some 450 kilometres south of the city. The group was discovered on Thursday, July 31, morning by the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency, highlighting the perilous conditions faced by thousands […]
The African Union (AU) has strongly rejected the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attempt to establish a rival government in Sudan, calling it a dangerous escalation that threatens to dismantle what remains of the country’s unity and derail peace efforts. The AU Peace and Security Council issued a firm statement, using an unusually direct language, following […]
Global hunger levels declined for the third consecutive year in 2024, but the United Nations has warned that food insecurity is worsening in Africa and the Middle East due to conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability. Approximately 673 million people- 8.2% of the global population- experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023, according […]
Africa has surpassed a staggering 155,000 deaths linked to militant Islamist groups over the past decade, according to a new report from the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The report highlights an alarming 60% surge in fatalities since 2023, driven primarily by intensifying insurgencies in the Sahel and Somalia. In the past year alone, […]
Three months ahead of Ivory Coast’s presidential election, President Alassane Ouattara has confirmed he will seek a controversial fourth term, a move reigniting political unrest and drawing criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups. In a televised address, the 83-year-old leader said his decision was driven by a desire to safeguard the country’s stability […]