First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s Renault factories hit a record production at 413,614 vehicles in 2024, becoming the group’s second largest production site. Most of the production was reported in the Tangier factory with 312,381, followed by Somaca in Casablanca with 101,203 cars, Renault Morocco director General Mohamed Bachiri told a press conference. Morocco-made cars represented 18% of all […]
Stellio Gilles Robert Capo-Chichi, more widely known as Kémi Séba, has announced his intention to run in Benin’s presidential election set for April 2026. The well-known Pan-African activist issued a pointed critique of President Patrice Talon’s administration in a recent video message, accusing the incumbent President of disadvantaging domestic businesses while granting considerable benefits to […]
Ivorian president has announced the withdrawal of French troops from the country’s territory in January, becoming the latest African nation to weaken military ties with its former colonial master. President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire said in his end-of-year speech on Tuesday (31 December) that the French military would hand over control of its Port […]
Morocco produced 4082 tons of legal cannabis in 2024, from some 300 kilograms last year, as the number of permits to farmers grows, the cannabis regulator ANRAC said. Moroccan local strain or the Beldia dominated production with 2,786 tons, while the rest of the cannabis originated from imported seeds. The Beldia strain ANRAC has a […]
“Barbaric” attacks in two locations along Niger’s border with Burkina Faso have killed 39 people, including children, Niamey’s defense ministry has said, blaming “criminals” for massacring defenseless civilian populations. The two latest attacks occurred in the borderlands between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali that have long been home to armed insurgents linked to the Al-Qaeda […]
Shanghai Auto Parts said it plans to set up a production plant in Morocco, which boasts an expanding automotive sector that is adapting to the needs of the electric vehicle industry. The plant would cost some 130 million dollars or 1.3 billion dirhams, the company said in a statement. The plant, to be called Shanghai […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled its electronic Certificate of Origin, a digital system with the aim of enhancing trade facilitation and curbing fraudulent practices across the region. In broader terms, the E-Certificate of Origin (e-CO) is also a part of the ECOWAS’ deliberate and sustained efforts to boost intra-regional trade […]
A seismic political change has transformed Botswana’s political landscape as opposition parties secured a parliamentary majority, ending the Botswana Democratic Party’s 58-year dominance. Early election results indicate opposition groups have captured at least 35 of 61 parliamentary seats, while the ruling party secured just one position. The Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Harvard-trained lawyer […]
Presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel was released on Thursday September 5 by the Correctional Chamber of the Manouba Court of First Instance, after his defense team requested a postponement of the case until September 19 to prepare their defense. However, shortly after his release, Tunisian police re-arrested him late Thursday, just minutes following the judge’s order, […]
Division of state institutions, bureaucracy, and corruption were key obstacles to promoting foreign direct investments in war-torn Libya, despite the country’s colossal need in terms of infrastructure and economic diversification, the US State department said. “Despite the high potential for domestic and foreign investment in Libya due to its reconstruction needs, unmet consumer demand, and […]