First Independent Mena Newspaper
A significant shift in West African regional dynamics is unfolding as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) coordinates its collective withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The foreign ministers of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali convened in Ouagadougou to establish a unified approach to their impending departure from the regional organization. […]
West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS has thrown its weight and support behind Nigeria after Niger’s accusations that Abuja was plotting to destabilize its northern neighbor, notably by harboring members of the former Bazoum administration and collaborating with foreign powers. The Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) has come to Nigeria’s defense as its diplomatic […]
Guinea’s opposition and civil society groups, united under the Forces Vives platform, have announced that they will no longer recognize the authority of the country’s military junta after 31 December, when a promised return to constitutional rule was meant to take place. While this deadline as the transition period was initially agreed with the West […]
With the two-term tenure of African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina coming to an end by May 2025, a total of eight candidates, including from South Africa, Algeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Mauritania, are in race to succeed him. The race is beginning to heat up with candidates across Africa declaring their intention to replace […]
The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have pledged to renew efforts to launch the region’s single currency, the ECO, with the revised date set for 2027. This decision was reaffirmed during the recent 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, where leaders […]
A regional coalition of West African states has approved the creation of a special court to address egregious abuses committed in Ghana, a small coastal nation, during two decades of authoritarian rule. Between 1996 and 2017, countless citizens suffered arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings. The former ruler, Yahya Jammeh, who initially refused to […]
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are set to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This decision was acknowledged by ECOWAS Heads of State during a Summit held in Abuja on Sunday, December 15. A six-month Transition period will commence on January 29, 2025, after which the exit of the three Sahelian […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled its electronic Certificate of Origin, a digital system with the aim of enhancing trade facilitation and curbing fraudulent practices across the region. In broader terms, the E-Certificate of Origin (e-CO) is also a part of the ECOWAS’ deliberate and sustained efforts to boost intra-regional trade […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is hosting a regional workshop in Lagos Oct. 8 through 11 to review and validate the Host Government Agreement (HGA) for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project. The workshop is a key step in the development of the gas pipeline, a strategic project spearheaded by King Mohammed VI […]
Nigeria’s military and the junta in neighboring Niger have signed a new security agreement that aims to bolster regional stability and security a year after their normally positive bilateral ties soured after Niger’s coup in July 2023. Despite strained relations and their shared border being closed as part of the sanctions imposed by the Economic […]