First Independent Mena Newspaper
Filling the void left by French troops who withdrew from Niger just a couple of weeks ago, the Sahel country and Russia have announced an agreement to develop military cooperation as part of the efforts to stabilize the situation in the region. Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger’s junta-appointed Defense […]
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has kicked off his inaugural trip of 2024 that takes him to four countries around Africa, focusing on diplomacy, economics, and security issues on the continent. During his first stop in Cairo, the top Chinese diplomat called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the start of the implementation of the […]
China’s recent announcement that it was expanding its tariff-free policy to additional African countries, namely Angola, Gambia, Congo, Madagascar, Mali and Mauritania, may be a catalyst for new opportunities amid criticisms about the trade imbalance, according to experts. The Chinese government announced on 25 December 2023 that it was granting the additional six African states […]
The United States is reportedly seeking to set up military drones bases along the West African coast in an urgent effort to stop the spread of Islamist militants, counter the Chinese influence in the region, and to support the development and democracy of its African allies. Washington is holding preliminary talks with Ghana, Ivory Coast […]
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is poised to commence a “world’s biggest” $20 billion mining project in the Republic of Guinea this year, following a 27-year wait marked by several legal and political setbacks, scandals and several false dawns. The $20 billion iron ore, rail, and port development in a remote corner of West Africa […]
Fresh allegation has resurfaced in Nigeria that Chinese firms operating in the West African country employ prisoners from China, but although the validity of the rumor is questionable, the presence of large numbers of Chinese workers laboring on infrastructure projects built by Chinese companies is one of the most controversial aspects of China’s economic engagement […]
As Kenya is moving closer to sealing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, the East African economic powerhouse has also announced the possibility of a $1bn loan from China that could be used to help pay off a $2bn Eurobond repayment that is due in June next year. Kenya’s economic partnership deal […]
South Africa’s government announced on Tuesday (12 December) plans to increase the country’s nuclear power production, with bids sought from the United States, Russia, France, China and South Korea, just as Korean nuclear energy companies are lining up to win business from different African countries in the face of stiff competition from its rivals. To […]
While China has announced plans to boost the use of the Chinese currency renminbi in Southern Africa, part of Beijing’s efforts to diminish use of the dollar, a new study by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) highlights a number of major obstacles that stand in the way of BRICS’ de-dollarization efforts. In a visit […]
China’ Customs Tariff Commission announced earlier this week the removal of tariffs for taxable products from six African countries, State-run Xinhua news agency reports. The move aims to embody the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and facilitate a high-quality China-Africa community with a shared future, the commission reportedly said. Under the measure to be […]