First Independent Mena Newspaper
An Italian judge ordered Italian oil major Eni, oil services group Saipem and former Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni to stand trial in a long-running case of alleged bribery in Algeria “In relation to court proceeding for the alleged bribery case relating to Saipem’s activities in Algeria, Eni acknowledges that the new GUP (judge for the […]
Morocco will ship military equipment to Niger to help the sub-Saharan country thwart the incursions of the terrorist group Boko Haram from neighboring Nigeria, a Moroccan source requesting anonymity told French daily, Le Monde. “King Mohammed VI allowed, out of solidarity with Niger, the supply of military equipment-with the exception of lethal ammunition- to support […]
Rabat is dispatching a new ambassador to Pretoria, South Africa as King Mohamed VI announced the North Africa country’s return to the Africa Union (AU). Morocco recalled its envoy in 2004 after Pretoria officially recognized Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The South African government led by the African National Congress (ANC) is a staunch ally […]
In its latest travel advice update, France warned its citizens from visiting Algeria due to security threats, while listing Morocco as the sole safe country for French tourists in north Africa. The French Foreign Ministry published a map on its website showing Algeria in red color that indicates strong warning to French tourists against visiting […]
The head of In Salah Gas announced Saturday a cut by 40 per cent in the number of foreign workers by the end of the year as a measure to shore up collapse of oil price and to reduce costs, reports say. In Salah Gas is a joint venture between national Sonatrach, British Petrolium (BP) […]
The United States expressed support to Morocco’s decision to reintegrate the African Union (AU) saying this “reintegration will benefit the whole of Africa.” “We welcome Morocco’s request to reintegrate the African Union,” said Assistant Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, who was last week in Morocco, part of a Maghreb tour that also included Tunisia and […]
French utility company, Engie SA, wants to sell its gas exploration units in Algeria as part of a larger plan to offer its assets in Africa and Europe in a bid to reduce its exposure to volatile oil and gas prices, Bloomberg reported. “The company is planning to sell its upstream operations globally including businesses […]
More countries have joined the group of 28 member states of the African union, which addressed last Monday a motion to the AU chair expressing support to Morocco’s return to its African family and demanding the suspension of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Republic from the pan-African organization. In this vein, Egypt’s Ambassador in Rabat, Ihab Jamaleddine […]
When the first press reports emerged saying Morocco is considering to retake its seat at the African Union after 32 years of absence, most readers and particularly Morocco’s foes thought it was just hot air or a far-fetched story. They forgot that in the world of politics nothing is impossible. They misread the North African […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its 2016 growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa on the backdrop of a slight increase in oil prices, but maintained its cautious outlook for Saudi Arabia. The Washington-based Fund said in its July 2016 World Economic Update report that the Middle East, along with Pakistan and […]