First Independent Mena Newspaper
Côte d’Ivoire’s upcoming presidential election has taken a dramatic turn, as the Constitutional Council barred two major opposition figures — former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam — from contesting the 25 October vote. The council cited both men’s removal from the electoral roll: Gbagbo, due to a past criminal conviction, and […]
West Africa faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the fallout from armed conflict in the Central Sahel region continues to spill into neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries, according to a new UNICEF report. In the first half of 2025, escalating violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has displaced more than 515,000 people into coastal […]
King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, on his country’s National Day, wherein he hailed bilateral relations as exceptional. In this message, the Monarch welcomed the deep bonds of brotherhood and solidarity that unite the Moroccan and Ivorian peoples, as well as the close […]
In a landmark move, the French government has unveiled a new bill aimed at simplifying the return of cultural artifacts taken during the colonial period. Introduced by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the legislation would allow items looted between 1815 and 1972 to be returned by government decree, bypassing the need for time-consuming parliamentary votes. The […]
The ambitious Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline project has reached critical milestones following high-level meetings in Rabat, positioning the 6,000-kilometer infrastructure initiative for imminent implementation. In December 2024, West African leaders approved the Intergovernmental Agreement during the 66th CEDEAO Summit, spelling out each country’s rights and responsibilities for the project. Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition Leïla […]
Three months ahead of Ivory Coast’s presidential election, President Alassane Ouattara has confirmed he will seek a controversial fourth term, a move reigniting political unrest and drawing criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups. In a televised address, the 83-year-old leader said his decision was driven by a desire to safeguard the country’s stability […]
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 […]
Preparations are well underway for the African Heads of State Energy Summit that will take place in Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam on 27-28 January. The event aims to advance an ambitious plan to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. The so-called Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit is a landmark event that will […]
Ivorian president has announced the withdrawal of French troops from the country’s territory in January, becoming the latest African nation to weaken military ties with its former colonial master. President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire said in his end-of-year speech on Tuesday (31 December) that the French military would hand over control of its Port […]