First Independent Mena Newspaper
Amid a surge in insurgent activity across Africa, the U.S. military is recalibrating its strategy, stepping back from its traditional focus on governance and development to emphasize burden-sharing and self-reliance among African partners. At the recent African Lion 2025 military exercise — the continent’s largest — Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), […]
Ecuador announced plans to open an embassy in Morocco, which will be Ecuador’s first diplomatic representation in the Maghreb. The announcement was made at a press briefing by Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabriela Sommerfeld following a meeting Saturday in Quito with his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita, who represented King Mohammed VI at the official […]
A US Congressional delegation led by Representative Ronny Jackson met with Rachid Talbi Alami, Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, to discuss regional security and bilateral cooperation. Jackson, a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, led the delegation in a working lunch focused on shared strategic priorities, including security in the […]
Nearly 17,000 Brazilian tourists visited Morocco during the first four months of this year, said Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT), noting that this number represents a 48 % increase compared to same period of last year. In April, Brazilian tourist arrival spiked by 41% to reach 4,870 tourists against 3,465 in April 2024. Yet, inbound […]
U.S. strategic bomber B-52 has integrated Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16s fighter jets in support of African Lion military exercise 2025, said The B-52 bomber is a long-range subsonic jet. It can carry up to 32,000 kg of weapons and has a typical combat range of around 14,200 km without aerial refueling. More than 10,000 […]
After the Algeria-backed Polisario becomes a terrorist organization and magnet of extremists threatening regional peace & stability, two major U.S. National security Institutes have joined several think-tanks urging the Trump administration to take immediate action and add the Polisario armed militia to the U.S. black list, which includes Iranian proxies such as the Houthis, Hamas, […]
The U.S. State Department’s top official for Africa indicated Tuesday that any renewal of a major U.S.-Africa trade deal would likely require greater “reciprocity” from African nations. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows many African products duty-free access to the American market, expires in September 2025. Its future remains uncertain amid protectionist […]
The US has scaled down its aid to Africa but kept supporting and funding for the Lobito corridor which will give its industry access to rare minerals, key to the energy transition. The Lobito Corridor is a major trans-African infrastructure project designed to connect the mineral-rich regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and […]
Moroccan scientist Rachid Yazami, renowned for inventing the graphite anode used in lithium-ion batteries, has received lately a U.S. patent for his battery safety innovation. This patent focuses on a method for early detection of internal short circuits in batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs), to prevent thermal runaway, fires, and explosions. […]
U.S. and Royal Moroccan Armed forces started this Monday the Morocco portion of African Lion 25, the largest annual joint military exercise on the African continent, with training events beginning this week across multiple regions of the Kingdom of Morocco. African Lion 25 (AL25) demonstrates the enduring strategic military partnership between Morocco and the United […]