First Independent Mena Newspaper
Long ruling Bouteflika has stepped down after popular protests leaving behind him an embattled economy vulnerable to international oil prices. After years of unsustainable spending, Algeria’s foreign exchange reserve shrunk to cover only four years of imports making it difficult to sustain a generous subsidy system that has bought peace at the expense of financial […]
King Mohammed VI has urged the Islamic Development Bank to help its member countries to diversify their economies and stimulate the private sector, a growth engine and a source for the creation of wealth. In a message to the 44th annual meeting of IDB Group, convening in Marrakech (April 5-6), the Moroccan Sovereign said most […]
The abdication of ailing President Bouteflika has been met with celebrations on the streets of Algiers but his downfall only confirms the power-grab of the military over the Algerian political scene. The six weeks of protests that have rocked Algeria demanding the stepping down of the ailing President and the oligarchs in power were conducive […]
“Radicalism – whether it is motivated by religion or not – is due to failure to know one another, to ignorance of the other, and to ignorance pure and simple,” said King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, pointed out Saturday in Rabat. In a speech delivered at the Esplanade of the Hassan Mosque in […]
The visit that Pope Francis is paying to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI stands as a milestone in inter-religious dialogue and coexistence. “Starting from the religious status and spiritual responsibility assumed by the Commander of the Faithful and His Holiness the Pope, this historic meeting will contribute to promoting the values of […]
Online marketplaces such as Jumia, Souq, Uber, and Travelstart could create around 3 million new jobs by 2025 across Africa. These digital platforms, which match buyers and providers of goods and services, could also raise incomes and boost inclusive economic growth with minimal disruption to existing businesses and workforce norms. These are among the findings […]
Thirty-seven countries from across Africa, two-third of the African Union members, expressed support for the UN process to settle the regional dispute over the Sahara. At a meeting in Marrakech, the participating countries stressed the need for backing the UN process and refraining from pushing the African Union into stands that block efforts towards a […]
Recent constitution change maneuvers to expand President Fattah al-Sisi’s stay in power beyond 2022 and the unprecedented crackdown on criticism must wake up US policymakers, the Carnegie Endowment Center notes warning that the totalitarian regime in the most populated Arab country may not last long in front of growing discontent and anger. In a paper […]
The UN Secretary-General has announced in a recent report that the budget of the UN mission in the Sahara, MINURSO, will be increased by 7.6 percent to improve ground and air surveillance operations conducted by the mission. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres who also called on MINURSO observers to be more vigilant, has closed the […]
As the boat of the Algerian regime sinks against the backdrop of unrelenting protests demanding a step down of infirm Bouteflika and a departure of the opaque regime, the ruling elites seek diversion by sending their foreign facade figure Ramtane Lamamra to the UN talks on the Sahara in Geneva, a move that shows that […]