First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco is reportedly seeking a re-negotiation of its free trade agreement with Turkey as it seeks more Turkish investments to compensate for an expanding trade deficit, minister delegate in charge of foreign trade Omar Hjira said. The trade deficit with Turkey soared to 3 billion dollars, driven by fabric imports by Morocco’s textile sector. The […]
The 19 nations and institutions co-chairing the UN-led two-state solution Conference have voiced deep alarm over surging regional hostilities, which have compelled the suspension of the Conference’s proceedings. In a statement released on Tuesday, June 17, the group — which includes the European Union and the Arab League — cited growing insecurity, particularly the intensifying […]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that six migrants died and 60 others went missing in early June 2025, while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. According to the Agency’s weekly update, 635 migrants—including 19 children, 557 men, and 32 women—were intercepted and forcibly returned to Libya after departing from […]
Sudan’s Central Bureau of Statistics has reported a modest easing in the country’s annual inflation rate, which stood at 142.82% in May, down slightly from the previous month. Urban inflation dipped marginally to 146.30%, while rural areas experienced a more pronounced drop to 141.84% from 163.73%. Although the national rate remains alarmingly high, the overall […]
Morocco and Rwanda have agreed, under an agreement signed Wednesday in Rabat, to enhance military cooperation in training, exercises, logistical support, military health and exchange of expertise in areas of common interest. The agreement, sealed during the visit paid by Rwanda’s Defense Minister Juvenal Marizamunda to the North African Kingdom, also provides for the creation […]
American Oracle Company, a global leader in computer technology, inaugurated on Tuesday a state-of-the-art Research and Development (R&D) center in Casablanca, Morocco, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, and graph processing. The inauguration ceremony, chaired by Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, was attended by Minister of Digital Transition Ghita Mezzour, Oracle’s Vice Pdt. […]
Kenya’s President William Ruto has defended his leadership in the face of growing public protests and international condemnation, asserting that his presidency is focused on long-term transformation rather than constrained by term limits or political pressure. Speaking at the Kenya Urban Forum in Naivasha, Ruto declared, “I cannot be distracted; I am a man on […]
The Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation (NCCT) unveiled groundbreaking research on terrorism and transitional justice at a high-profile event in Rabat on June 17, calling for a fundamental shift from perpetrator-focused to victim-centered justice approaches. The report, titled “Terrorism Affiliated Adults: from Allegation to Accountability,” examines universal jurisdiction for core international crimes and transitional justice […]
Belgian prosecutors have announced on Tuesday, June 17 their intention to prosecute 92-year-old former diplomat Etienne Davignon for alleged involvement in the 1961 assassination of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. Davignon is the sole surviving member of a group of ten Belgians named in a 2011 lawsuit by Lumumba’s children, who accused them of complicity […]
The European Union has strongly condemned the recent escalation of armed clashes in South Sudan, describing the situation as the worst since 2018. Speaking at the opening of the Annual Gender Equality Forum in Juba on Tuesday, June 17, the EU Deputy Head of Delegation, Lothar Jaschke, criticized the use of aerial bombings, ground offensives, […]