First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a strategic move to reduce dependence on China, India is rapidly expanding rare earth element (REE) partnerships with five African nations — Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Côte d’Ivoire — amid escalating global concerns over China’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains. China currently controls over 90% of the global REE market and has […]
Morocco maintained a trade surplus with Africa in 2024, though it declined significantly to 7.2 billion dirhams from 12.6 billion dirhams the previous year, according to the Foreign Exchange Office’s annual report on Morocco’s foreign trade. The deterioration stems primarily from an increased trade deficit with Egypt, which widened by 3 billion dirhams, combined with […]
A sweeping shift in the European Union’s migration policy is drawing fierce criticism across Africa, as the EU proposes linking development aid to countries’ cooperation on border control and deportations. Under the revised Global Europe instrument, nations that fail to prevent irregular migration or refuse to accept deportees could see vital funds slashed. Critics say […]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Namibia on Wednesday (9 July), marking the final leg of his five-nation tour with a visit focused on securing critical minerals and deepening digital and defense cooperation. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister since Namibia’s independence in 1990. Namibia, Africa’s top uranium producer and […]
China has officially launched its first rail-sea logistics corridor to Morocco, marking a significant milestone in Sino-African trade connectivity. The new route begins in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, and travels by rail through Poland, Germany, and Spain, before containers are transferred to ships in Barcelona and shipped to Tanger Med, Morocco’s largest port, […]
China’s long-held strategy of “regime-agnostic” engagement in Africa is under strain as mounting instability in Niger threatens billions in Chinese investments, says a new study. A new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies warns that China’s transactional diplomacy — prioritizing control over constitutional legitimacy — has left its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) vulnerable […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s top cobalt producer, has extended its export ban on the metal for an additional three months, intensifying its grip on a turbulent global market. The extension, announced Saturday (21 June) by the strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS, comes as prices remain depressed and cobalt stockpiles high. Originally imposed […]
In a strategic move to reduce global reliance on the U.S. dollar, China has welcomed six new financial institutions from Africa, the Gulf, and Central Asia into its Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The expansion, announced during a ceremony in Shanghai, brings direct participation in the yuan-based payment network to 174 institutions, as China steps […]
China has announced plans to eliminate tariffs on nearly all imports from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties, extending a previous policy that offered zero-tariff treatment to only 33 least-developed African nations. The announcement was made during a ministerial meeting in China’s city of Changsha, as African leaders gathered to review the […]
The United States is urging African nations to take greater responsibility for their own security as it scales back its military footprint on the continent — a move that analysts warn could shift the regional power balance and fuel militant resurgence. General Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), emphasized “burden-sharing” as Washington pivots […]