First Independent Mena Newspaper
The United Nations is urging governments of Benin and Zimbabwe to address alleged discrimination against minority and marginalized groups in their respective countries. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released last week its findings on progress in seven countries whose records were under review. The monitoring committee specifically expressed regret that Benin’s […]
The ozone gas can cause substantial losses by quickly aging crops before they reach full production potential and scientists are particularly worried about Africa, which will see more vehicle traffic and waste burning as the population is set to double by mid-century. More vehicle traffic and waste burning means more ozone pollution, a major challenge […]
China has announced plans to waive 23 interest-free loans to 17 African countries that were due in 2021 amid a growing rivalry with the West and accusations that it is creating “debt traps” on the continent. The relief was announced on 18 August in an address to Chinese and African diplomats at a follow-up meeting […]
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have been pushing many electric grid utilities in Africa — which have long been strapped for cash — close to financial collapse, whereby this situation is in turn also slowing down the continent’s clean energy transition. Ghana’s electric grid is in dire straits. In the mid-2010s, […]
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will miss the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit planned to take place late this month in Tunis, after the Japanese state-run news Kyodo News announced he contracted COVID-19. Kishida tested positive to the virus on Sunday at the end of his summer break. He, commenced working […]
King Mohammed VI on Saturday delivered a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People. Here follows the full text of the royal speech: “Praise be to God, May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin Dear Citizens, Today, […]
Japan, which lags behind other major economies when it comes to investment in Africa, has been increasingly concerned that the pandemic has weakened African economies and worsened their dependence on Chinese investment and aid. US investment in Africa is seven times larger than that of Japan, that of the UK and France is more than […]
A Japan-supported international conference on African development — the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD 8 — will be held in Tunisia, August 27 to 28. TICAD 8 is expected to focus chiefly on cooperation in the health care field, including the fight against such infectious diseases as the novel coronavirus. “The […]
Many, if not most, African economies have endured a torrid time over recent years, as their finances have been hard hit by two global crises – Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. As a result, numerous states across Africa have turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance. Ghana is expecting to receive $3 billion […]
Morocco is working, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to prevent conflicts in Africa, focusing on sustaining peace in all its diplomatic activities, said Morocco’s deputy permanent representative to UN Omar Kadiri. During the Security Council debates on peace & security held lately in New York, the diplomat said his country has been active […]