First Independent Mena Newspaper
Algeria’s state-led economic model faces growing vulnerabilities as global oil prices weaken and fiscal imbalances deepen, while diversification stalls. Latest IMF and World Bank assessments reveal a troubling mix of widening deficits, persistent unemployment, and distorted macro indicators that mask underlying fragility. The IMF projects average oil prices at $65.8 per barrel in 2026, down […]
Algeria’s frantic diplomatic activity ahead of the UN Security Council vote on the Sahara issue underscores a growing sense of vulnerability as international consensus builds up around Morocco’s autonomy plan. Belgium and Poland have become the latest EU nations to back Morocco’s autonomy plan ahead of the UN vote, amid signals from Washington of an […]
Algerian Foreign minister Ahmed Attaf spoke on the phone with Russian peer Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday in a desperate move to have Russia veto against the American draft resolution supporting Morocco’s Autonomy plan offered by the Kingdom for the Sahara under its sovereignty. However, Moscow is signaling a shift in its position in favor of […]
The Algerian regime, which is reeling under growing international isolation, has agreed to take back thousands of illegal migrants from Spain to break the ice and mend relationship with Madrid. According to Spanish press reports, the Algerian authorities have received lately the first group of illegal migrants including minors following months of diplomatic brawl over […]
Trump’s advisor for the Middle-east Steve Witkoff said on Monday that the U.S. administration is working on a peace agreement between Morocco and Algeria. “There will be a peace agreement, in my opinion, within 60 days”, announced Mr. Witkoff on CBS’s “60 Minutes Overtime” TV program in presence of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. During the […]
The Rabat-Moscow rapprochement over the Sahara issue has infuriated the Algerian rulers who responded with a boycott of the Russian Energy week 2025, a major international event organized in Moscow October 15 to 17 to discuss key challenges and innovations shaping the global energy sector. According to intelligence sources, a senior Algerian delegation, composed of […]
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% […]