First Independent Mena Newspaper
Algeria, Africa’s largest country, shares borders with 6 countries, all of them are closed with the exception of its land frontiers with Tunisia. This closed-border attitude is reflective of a lack of a neighborhood policy in an increasingly integrated continent where collective efforts are the best means to countering trans-border challenges. With Morocco, the borders […]
Algerians wishing to study in France have seen conditions to get a visa toughened as the French general consulate in Algiers imposes payment of at least 30 per cent of hotel bookings in advance. Student associations in the North African country have slammed the decision, which they deem discriminatory as the same decision has not […]
After the scandalous racist remarks of Algerian leaders against sub-Saharan migrants, and in a blatant violation of commitment under the 1951 Geneva Convention, Algerian authorities resumed earlier this week arbitrary expulsions of Sub-Saharan migrants and asylum seekers who were abandoned in harsh conditions on the border with Niger, media reports said quoting international humanitarian NGOs. […]
Algeria’s ailing president whose public appearances are a thing of the past is said to be bracing for a fifth term at the Presidency of North Africa’s largest country, beset by the fall in oil prices threatening its fragile social peace. A report by the French Senate members said that 80-year old Bouteflika may surprise […]
To boost their economic competitiveness in an increasingly globalised world, the normal solution for countries is to take steps towards economic integration, facilitating the flow of goods and investments, only two regions show anomalies from this trend persisting on closing borders and hindering the achievement of their region’s full trade potential: the Korean peninsula and […]
In a bid to revamp rail transport in the Maghreb region, the Secretariat of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) is supervising a feasibility study worth $1.7 billion, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The train aims to link the three countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The feasibility studies are launched at a time […]
Algerian authorities have busted a cell loyal to the Islamic State, led by former Al Qaeda commander, Mohamed Yacine Aknouche, who was once based in France operating with Algeria’s Islamic Armed Group (GIA) Aknouche, 43, was convicted in France in 2004 for planning an attempted bombing in Strasbourg and was sentenced in absentia to eight […]
Spanish rescue service said Monday it has saved 19 migrants from Algeria as they were attempting to cross the Mediterranean onboard a small boat. Two days earlier, Spain rescued 57 migrants at sea on Saturday as they attempted to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe from Morocco. Spain has become the new backdoor to Europe following […]
The decision by Mauritanian authorities to seal off borders with Algeria as a military zone forbidden to civilians is the tree that hides the forest. The closing of the borders signals cracks in the Algerian-Mauritanian short-lived alliance. As Mauritania tilts towards its Sahel neighbors in their efforts to counter the terrorism scourge, it takes steps […]
A court in Blida, 45 km South-west of capital Algiers, has put on trial a 30-year old blogger over posting on Facebook classified documents revealing the country’s procurement of 200,000 canisters of tear gas in 2016. The blogger, Abbelhakim Mohandi, was arrested on July 16 in the city of Blida after security authorities accused him […]