First Independent Mena Newspaper
The European Union’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on steel imports beyond a reduced quota has sent ripples through global markets — and Africa is bracing for the fallout. While most African countries are technically exempt from the EU’s new tariff regime under WTO rules, the continent may still face serious indirect consequences. With major […]
In the quiet tug-of-war between European institutions, the European Commission has made a decisive move: it chose diplomacy over legal bias. By signing an amendment to the agricultural agreement with Morocco on October 3-explicitly including products from the Sahara- the EU sent a clear message: the strategic partnership with Rabat is not up for negotiation. […]
Tunisia’s latest defense agreement with Algeria, signed on October 7 in Algiers, has sparked renewed debate over whether the country is still a sovereign state, or simply a well-behaved vassal of the Algerian military regime. The pact, signed by Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chengriha and Tunisian Defense Minister Khaled Sehili, is said […]
Algeria’s Council of Ministers has approved the draft Finance Bill for 2026, allocating $25 billion to the army at the expense of economy diversification, infrastructure, and social services. The country has prepared a budget bill worth a record $135 billion, up from $128 billion in 2025 and $113 billion in 2024. Military spending represents 20.6% […]
Morocco has urged again the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to end the five-decade humanitarian crisis suffered by the sequestered populations in the Polisario-controled Tindouf camps, southern Algeria. Addressing the UNHCR’s 76th Executive Committee session, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Omar Zniber urged the UN agency to conduct an “independent and […]
While the Moroccan youth are peacefully rallying in sit in demanding better health and education, Algerian mouthpiece media and officials are inciting for violence, hoping the unrest that rattled many Moroccan towns last week would grow bigger. The Algerian regime’s wishful thinking has no limits. State propagandists attempted to portray the demands for better public […]
Nearly half of the Algerian population are under 30. They are unemployed, oppressed, and frustrated. And despite massive security clampdown, youth-led demonstrations continue to spread this weekend to several cities amid reports of thousands participating in marches and violent clashes between the demonstrators and the police. The demonstrations are organized by “Gen-Z 213” movement through […]
A cultural conference meant to celebrate Algerian-Lebanese ties took a dramatic turn on September 23 when Algeria’s ambassador to Lebanon, Kamel Bouchama, launched into a controversial and inflammatory speech that included personal insults directed at US President Donald Trump. The remarks, widely condemned as undiplomatic and inappropriate, have triggered embarrassment in Beirut, concern in Washington, […]
In a measured yet firm response, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, debunked the narrative of the Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf regarding the Sahara issue, during the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Hilale began by recalling that the inclusion of the Sahara issue on the UN […]
Internet shutdowns across Africa have surged in scale and frequency over the past decade, with nearly 200 incidents recorded between 2016 and 2024, according to a new study by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN). The tactic, often used to suppress dissent and manipulate political outcomes, is being normalized by governments across the continent, researchers […]