First Independent Mena Newspaper
In the wake of the July 2026 migrant crossings into occupied Ceuta, Spanish political forces, particularly the Partido Popular and Vox, have intensified efforts to drag a purely bilateral issue with Morocco, into the European Parliament and frame it as an EU-wide “hybrid attack.” This calculated move aims less at solving migration pressures than at […]
A large majority of Spaniards consider strong relations with Morocco a strategic priority and back tighter border controls, according to the latest barometer published by Spain’s Centre for Sociological Research (CIS). The survey, conducted in early September among 4,042 respondents, found that 86.3 percent of those polled attach “a lot or quite a lot” of […]
The Spanish parliament’s recent approval of a law granting citizenship to Sahrawis born under Spanish colonial rule before September 1977 and to their direct descendants has been welcomed by many within the Algeria-sponsored Polisario front’s orbit. This reaction alone should end any remaining illusion that Polisario constitutes a national liberation movement as they wish to […]
Algeria’s decision this week to cut diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates has once again highlighted Algiers’ deepening tilt toward Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah, at the expense of broader Arab consensus. Algeria cut ties with Abu Dhabi over vaguely defined “provocative or hostile” actions in a move that fits a familiar […]
The United States and the United Nations are coordinating their efforts in support of the UN-led political process engaged to reach a lasting solution to the Sahara conflict in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2797. This resolution, adopted in October 2025, has endorsed the Autonomy plan for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty. It calls […]
Recent migration crisis in Ceuta and the ensuing sovereignty debate has laid bare Algeria’s hypocrisy in claiming to be the heirs of global anti-colonialism, while defending Spanish centuries-old occupation of Moroccan lands. Algeria has long marketed itself as the uncompromising champion of anti-colonialism and African liberation, while its leaders invoke the memory of the war […]
With less than three weeks to go before Morocco’s legislative elections on 23 September 2026, the country’s main political parties have unveiled programs that converge heavily on social and economic concerns. Purchasing power, youth employment, healthcare, education and social protection dominate the offers, as parties seek to respond to household pressures and lingering public expectations […]
Spanish political and football circles have once again demonstrated their willingness to weaponize sport for short-term political gain, this time by dragging the July migrant crisis in Ceuta into the debate over the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. Last Friday, Rafael Louzán, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), travelled to Ceuta accompanied by national […]
The mass irregular crossings into Ceuta at the end of July 2026 have been transformed into a domestic political football in Spain. Opposition parties are competing in increasingly confrontational language that critics describe as warmongering, while indulging anti-Moroccan sentiment and reopening centuries-old territorial and historical wounds, often without presenting whatsoever evidence of high-level Moroccan state […]
Tunisia’s human rights situation has deteriorated dramatically five years after President Kais Saied seized extraordinary executive powers on 25 July 2021, Human Rights Watch said. What began as a slide toward authoritarianism has hardened into systematic repression targeting civil society organizations, journalists, political opponents, independent lawyers, and migrants, the organization said in an updated briefing […]