First Independent Mena Newspaper
The worsening ties between Algiers and Bamako unveiled a silently brewing crisis between Algeria and its main arms supplier Russia, which seeks to undermine the west in Africa using a panoply of soft and hard power measures. Algeria has for long claimed to be Russia’s “best friend” in Africa with President Tebboune calling Putin a […]
After a diplomatic spat between Algeria and Spain over the Sahara, which lasted nearly 15 months, the Algerian ruling junta realized that their blackmail strategy and gas weaponization have failed and changed course. After swallowing their bitter defeat, they sent back their ambassador to Madrid in a humiliating diplomatic and economic debacle without succeeding to […]
Frequent crashes have become a dilemma for the Algerian military with three killed in a military helicopter on Feb 7, in an accident that raises questions over the efficiency of maintenance and acquisition choices. The Russian-made MI-171 aircraft crashed on Wednesday night around 9:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) near the airport in the oasis […]
In a self-defeating decision Algerian bank association (ABEF) ordered in December a ban of all transactions involving transshipment through Moroccan ports. Few days later, in January, ABEF partly backpedaled on the decision excluding fresh produce and meat, while maintaining the ban of all transactions involving other non-perishable goods. The boycott generated “immediate and severe consequences,” […]
Morocco has sent a strong rebuking message to South Africa for its malicious and disruptive meddling in the Sahara issue and the UN-led political process. “South Africa was and will remain a marginal actor in the Moroccan Sahara issue and a dissonant voice, without any influence or weight,” said Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita at […]
After rolling the red carpet for the leader of Polisario separatists in 2022, Tunisia has doubled down on its anti-Moroccan policy by inviting the Polisario to take part at an international handicrafts fair in Sfax. The handicrafts department at Tunisia’s industry ministry has invited the Algerian-sponsored separatist militia to take part in the fair held […]
UN Sahara envoy Staffan De Mistura’s talks held lately in Pretoria with South African foreign minister and Morocco’s enemies have left many scratching their heads trying to understand the rationale behind such a strange move. What’s intriguing is that Mr. De Mistura knows that South Africa is taking a hostile stand against Morocco’s territorial integrity […]
Algeria’s boycott of all Moroccan ports has backfired as the country backpedals by excluding fresh produce and meat from the decision. Last month, Algeria asked its banks to stop financing any import operation of goods transiting through Moroccan ports. The decision to exclude perishable products and meat came as the Algerian market felt the detrimental […]
The United Kingdom should support Morocco’s Autonomy Plan offering a workable solution to the Sahara issue, says a leading UK defense and security think-tank. The Moroccan Autonomy Plan “remains the only credible, lasting, realistic and constructive solution” to the Sahara conflict, says a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Following a paralyzing impasse […]
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), dealing a hard blow to France and the Algerian regime which is serving the agenda of the former French colonial power in the region. In a joint statement released Sunday, the three Sahel countries said they took […]