First Independent Mena Newspaper
A new immigration policy under the Trump administration is prompting alarm among African students in the United States, as tighter visa restrictions limit travel flexibility and raise emotional and academic concerns. Effective 8 July, the U.S. State Department has implemented a revised visa policy that grants F-1 student visas — especially for African nationals like […]
African exports to the United States are projected to drop by as much as 21.5% as new U.S. tariffs take effect, according to joint research by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African Union Commission (AUC), and African Development Bank (AfDB). The protectionist move, part of a broader trade policy under President Donald Trump, has […]
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting challenges in his bid to rebuild relations with the United States, as the Trump Administration intensifies a hardline stance against Pretoria. Despite Ramaphosa’s efforts, including the appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to Washington, the US has refused to grant Jonas a diplomatic visa and […]
A recent U.S. deportation of five convicted foreign nationals to the African kingdom of Eswatini has ignited outrage among human rights groups and African leaders. The individuals — originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos — were expelled after their home countries refused to accept them. All five have serious criminal convictions, including murder […]
West African leaders are rejecting U.S. efforts to offload third-country deportees, following a White House summit where President Donald Trump reportedly floated the idea of African nations accepting migrants refused by their own governments. Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló confirmed Thursday (10 July) that while Trump raised the issue during a Wednesday meeting with five […]
In a rare diplomatic move, President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of five West African nations — Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau — at the White House on Wednesday (9 July), declaring a shift in U.S. policy from aid to trade. The meeting comes amid deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid following the dissolution […]
In a surprise diplomatic move, former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal July 9-11, signaling a shift in U.S.-Africa relations rooted less in aid and more in deals, minerals, and migration control. Though these five nations are small in global trade terms, they sit atop […]
The Trump administration has completed the controversial deportation of eight men to South Sudan, a nation the U.S. government warns its own citizens not to enter due to ongoing violence, armed conflict, and human rights abuses. The deportees, nationals of Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan, were convicted of serious crimes, including murder […]
In a landmark shift in U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officially closed its doors on Tuesday (1 July), with all operations absorbed by the State Department. The decision, driven by President Trump’s executive order and enacted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks the end of a 63-year institution central […]
At least 120 children have been abducted in recent days by Islamist insurgents in Mozambique’s northern oil-rich Cabo Delgado province, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported, adding that they were reportedly being forced into labor, used to transport looted goods, and in some cases turned into child soldiers or forced into marriage. The kidnappings mark […]