First Independent Mena Newspaper
Hailed as a step toward peace, the 19 July ceasefire signed in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group has been met with deep skepticism — and renewed bloodshed. While the Doha Declaration was hailed by the United States, United Nations, and the African Union as a diplomatic breakthrough, on the ground, […]
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a grave warning that it may be compelled to reduce food rations in South Sudan as early as September due to critical funding shortfalls. Currently, WFP can only assist 2.5 million individuals—just 30 percent of those experiencing severe hunger—across the country. […]
Morocco secured on Tuesday, July 22, a historic place in the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final after a tense 1-1 draw against Ghana ended in a 4-2 penalty shootout triumph. The breakthrough came when Stella Nyamekye scored for Ghana in the 26th minute, capitalising on a rebound from Josephine Bonsu’s header. Morocco […]
Portugal, an Atlantic nation with centuries-old ties to many countries in Africa, has backed in clear-cut terms Morocco’s initiative to facilitate access to global trade for landlocked Sahel states. This came in a joint statement following talks in Lisbon Tuesday between Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, and his Portuguese peer, Paulo Rangel. Portugal backs the […]
Gold traders in Sudan’s city of Omdurman have commenced an indefinite strike on Monday, July 21, following the violent robbery of a colleague, Omar Mohamed, who was ambushed by armed assailants dressed in military uniforms. According to Khalid Al-Khanjar, head of the Chamber of Gold Traders, the attackers used a vehicle equipped with an RPG, […]
Somalia has intensified its campaign against terrorism financing, taking decisive action to dismantle the financial infrastructure sustaining extremist group Al-Shabaab. The National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), led by Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh, reported the deactivation of 575 mobile lines and the freezing of 21 bank accounts […]
France has officially ended its 65-year military presence in Senegal, handing over its last two bases in a ceremony Thursday (17 July) attended by high-ranking French and Senegalese officials. The withdrawal marks a symbolic conclusion to decades of military cooperation rooted in colonial legacy. Camp Geille in Dakar and its adjacent airfield were transferred to […]
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has appealed for the immediate lifting of international sanctions and a United Nations arms embargo, citing their detrimental impact on the country’s progress and security sector reform. Addressing lawmakers at the opening of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly in Juba on Wednesday, July 16, Kiir emphasised that South Sudan’s […]
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting challenges in his bid to rebuild relations with the United States, as the Trump Administration intensifies a hardline stance against Pretoria. Despite Ramaphosa’s efforts, including the appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to Washington, the US has refused to grant Jonas a diplomatic visa and […]
Four individuals who were abducted and forcibly conscripted by the Burkinabè military junta to fight jihadists have been released, according to their families and a security source speaking to AFP. Their abductions occurred after they publicly criticised the junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, which seized power in a coup in September 2022. Authorities have […]