First Independent Mena Newspaper
A high-level delegation from Burundi’s National Independent Human Rights Commission is conducting a week-long study visit to Morocco to examine the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) operational framework and best practices. The visit, running from October 8 to 14, focuses on monitoring mechanisms, complaints processing, and capacity building strategies employed by Morocco’s human rights […]
The African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), an ambitious initiative to unify the continent’s electricity grids, is making substantial strides, according to African Union (AU) officials at a high-level technical meeting in Addis Ababa. AfSEM aims to create a seamless, affordable, and reliable continental electricity market, interconnecting all 55 AU member states. Kamugisha Kazaura, AU Commission’s […]
Burundi’s ruling party, CNDD-FDD, has claimed all 100 contested seats in the 5 June parliamentary election, prompting outcry from opposition groups and rights organizations who allege systematic electoral fraud and political repression. According to official results, CNDD-FDD secured 96.5% of the vote, with no other party surpassing the 2% threshold required for parliamentary representation. Opposition […]
Burundi has renewed its firm support for Morocco’s full sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory, describing the Autonomy plan offered by Morocco for the Sahara as the “ONLY credible and realistic” solution to the regional dispute. The supportive stand was expressed by Foreign minister of this African country Albert Shingiro, in a joint statement released […]
African Union (AU) mediators have arrived in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to try to urgently address rising tensions in the country and prevent a return to civil war. The arrival of the so-called “Council of the Wise” follows the recent house arrest of first vice president Riek Machar, a move that has deepened the political […]
The East African Community (EAC) is grappling with a severe financial crisis, with member states failing to remit over $62 million in contributions for the 2024/25 financial year. The bloc, which comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, has seen its programs delayed, while salaries for staff […]
At least 67 journalists have been jailed across Africa for their work, reflecting the continent’s ongoing struggle for a free press, according to a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to the CPJ’s report on jailed journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa, this record number of journalists languishing in jail highlights the growing […]
Nigerian naira, Malawian kwacha and Rwandan franc have been named the worst-performing African currencies against the US dollar in 2024, according to a latest report, having faced an array of challenges, from persistent trade imbalances, dwindling foreign reserves, to political instability. Some African nations strengthened their currencies, while others faced worsening exchange rates in 2024. […]
The Court of Appeals in Brussels has ruled that Belgium must pay reparations to five women who were forcibly taken from their mothers and put in orphanages in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when it was still a Belgian colony because they were victims of “systematic kidnapping” by state. The appellate judges thus overturned […]
Burundi’s Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro has reiterated his country’s consistent position in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity and unconditional support to the Kingdom’s sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Sahara region. This came during a meeting the Burundian official held in Rabat on Thursday with his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita. Albert Shingiro also reiterated […]