First Independent Mena Newspaper
Libyan writer and politician Samir Shegwara has been arrested on national security charges after he published documents that allegedly link his country’s intelligence services to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Shegwara, who has been openly discussing these files since 2018, was detained on 20 March 2025 after the BBC reported that the documents could serve as […]
Russia is intensifying its involvement in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, as military governments in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso seek to distance themselves from Western influence. Following talks with three of his counterparts from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Moscow on Thursday (3 April), Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused […]
French foreign minister Jean Noël Barrot reaffirmed his country’s position in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara territory, a few days before he heads to Algiers, in a visit announced in a joint French-Algerian statement signaling the end of a row over the fate of the former Spanish colony. “Just a few months ago, […]
French Minister of Industry and Energy Marc Ferracci and the Special Envoy of President Emmanuel Macron for energy partnership Gérard Mestrallet will travel to Ouarzazate to take part in a major energy event scheduled for April 23 with the participation of Moroccan ministers of energy transition and Equipment, Ms. Leila Benali and Nizar Baraka. As […]
The Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and France’s National Academy of Medicine have agreed to enhance partnership between the two institutions and foster cooperation ties between the two countries’ hospitals, medical schools and research institutes. The agreement was inked Wednesday in Paris by Permanent Secretary of Morocco’s Academy Abdeljalil Lahjomri and President of the […]
Algeria has finally conceded defeat following a row it has started with France since July last year, when President Macron recognized the Sahara territory as part of Morocco’s sovereignty. Ahead of the deadline set by the French government for Algeria to cooperate on migration or else risk retaliatory measures, the Algerian President had a phone […]
In Algeria, the president speaking before MPs called French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal “a thief sent by France”, an “imposter”, and a “bastard,” in prejudicial comments that say much about the use of the judiciary to silence dissidents in the country where terrorism charges have often been used to crackdown on peaceful opposition figures. Few days […]
Boluda Towage France, a subsidiary of the global leader in maritime towing “Boluda Corporación Marítima”, and Marsa Maroc, won a tender to ensure towing and assistance activities at Nador West Med port for 20 years, starting from the fourth quarter of 2026. The consortium will establish a joint venture to manage this operating license and […]
In recent years, the Gulf monarchies have pivoted towards a more geo-economic strategy in Africa, diversifying their engagements from security and political interests to economic development, says a new report by the European Council on Foreign Relation (ECFR), noting that the Gulf expansion could also exacerbate the ongoing decline in European involvement in the continent. […]
A group of Tigrayan survivors has filed a groundbreaking criminal complaint in Germany, accusing senior Ethiopian and Eritrean officials of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2020-2022 conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The complaint, lodged with the German Federal Public Prosecutor, targets 12 individuals, including high-ranking military officers and government officials, and is […]