First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a ruling that has stirred political controversy across Ivory Coast, a national court on Tuesday (22 April) disqualified opposition leader Tidjane Thiam from running in the country’s October presidential election, citing the loss of his Ivorian nationality. Thiam, former CEO of Credit Suisse and newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast […]
The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has announced plans to invite foreign investment into the country’s oil and gas sector, offering 22 onshore and offshore exploration areas in 2025. This move, the first public bidding round in over 18 years, has raised debates regarding whether it is a genuine attempt to develop the sector or […]
Three opposition parties called for the creation of a fact-finding mission to look into imports of Russian diesel in Morocco with a focus on prices in fuel stations. Due to Western sanctions, Russian diesel is the cheapest on the market. But, some Moroccan consumers deplore that prices in fuel stations remain high. Opposition parties, PPS, […]
The Moroccan government has given a short three-day notice before it started imposing the coronavirus vaccine pass for access to public places, administrations and inter-city travel triggering a backlash from unvaccinated people. Supermarkets, malls and some public administrations as well as the tramway have started on Oct 21 asking citizens to show their vaccine pass […]
The purchase of a new presidential plane, an Airbus “A320 Neo”, which should be delivered on July 16, is not going unnoticed. The opposition and civil society stepped up to decry an unnecessary and irrelevant expense and demand accountability, while the government is trying to explain itself, saying “it was time to replace the A319 […]
The recent announcement by an association militating for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Tunisia claiming that the North African country has validated a same sex marriage has triggered controversy. According to Shams, a Tunisian LGBT rights association, a marriage settlement between a French and a Tunisian, signed in France, has been recognized in Tunisia, making […]
In Mauritania, the concession of F’Derick iron deposits to an Australian operator in unclear conditions continues to elicit Mauritanians’ disapproval. The controversy is gaining ground amidst the presidential campaign in the West African nation. Fdérik, also spelled F’derick, formerly Fort-Gouraud mining village, north-central Mauritania, is an important base for the exploitation of extensive iron-ore deposits. […]