First Independent Mena Newspaper
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a 5,000-member counterterrorism force in response to the escalating security crisis in the Sahel and wider West Africa. Announced during the 43rd meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja, this force is designed to confront the growing influence of jihadist […]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is reportedly seeking its own version of the minerals-for-security deal that has been offered by the Trump administration to Ukraine. Reuters reported that a Congolese Senator had written to the US State Department offering a similar deal that would help the war-torn country address its security challenges, notably in […]
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced a phased withdrawal of its peacekeeping troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following a year of escalating conflict with M23 rebels. This decision, made during an extraordinary summit held on Thursday (13 March), reflects the regional bloc’s shift towards pursuing a political solution after […]
Commander of Libya’s Counter Terrorism Force (CTF), Major General Mohammed Al-Zein, held in Tripoli earlier this week a meeting with a visiting high-level British delegation that focused on means of bolstering security collaboration between the two countries. The CTF highlighted, in a statement, that the purpose of the visit was to enhance bilateral security cooperation […]
Algerian authorities suspended consular cooperation with France in its consulates of Nice, Marseille, and Montpellier, amid a worsening diplomatic crisis that led the French interior minister to call for banning entry to the Algerian nomenklatura. The Algerian escalatory move came in a series of provocations including the refusal to admit Algerian nationals who have been […]
Emirates NBD, the largest bank in Dubai by assets, has commenced due diligence on a potential acquisition of a stake in Banque du Caire, Egypt’s sixth-largest commercial bank. This acquisition is part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to privatize state-owned businesses as the country seeks to raise up to $2.5 billion in its 2024-2025 fiscal year. […]
Ethiopia and Eritrea could be headed toward renewed warfare, regional officials warn, threatening another humanitarian disaster in the Horn of Africa. Such a conflict would involve two of the continent’s largest military forces and potentially draw in additional regional powers. The alarming developments would effectively destroy the historic peace agreement that marked a significant diplomatic […]
Prices of cobalt, a key mineral for energy transition, began to rise following an export ban by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to balance the market. On China’s Wuxi Stainless Steel Exchange on Monday, cobalt trading was paused after prices jumped nearly 12%, the highest since October. Last month, DRC said it will stop […]
Chocolate manufacturers are preparing for yet another challenge in cocoa supply after Cote D’Ivoire reported significant damage to its crop following heavy rainfall. Cote D’Ivoire, which supplies 40% of the World’s Cocoa, said warehouses are still empty with expectations of a harvest 3 to 4 times due to bad weather. Cocoa represents 50% of Cote […]
The Dakhla-based International Center for Research on the Prevention of Child Recruitment (IRCPCS) issued an urgent call in Geneva on Thursday for global mobilization to ensure the immediate and safe return of children forcibly recruited by armed groups, including the polisario. This appeal was made during a conference on “Children of North Africa: Access to […]