First Independent Mena Newspaper
The sudden halt in USAID funding by US president Donald Trump has sparked a growing crisis for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare workers across Africa, who are now scrambling to cope with the financial and logistical fallout. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) last week announced the suspension of its programs in several African […]
The Kremlin has announced the expansion of the list of “friendly and neutral” African countries whose banks may now trade currencies and derivatives in Russia. By adding Nigeria, Tunisia and Ethiopia to the list, “the number of friendly and neutral countries whose credit institutions and brokers will be allowed to trade on the Russian foreign […]
An ambitious reforms plan for the African Union (AU) was laid out during a high-level meeting of African heads of state and governments on Monday (27 January), focusing on boosting peace, security, and financial independence to transform the continent into a powerhouse of development and stability. The landmark retreat of the extended bureau of the […]
At least 67 journalists have been jailed across Africa for their work, reflecting the continent’s ongoing struggle for a free press, according to a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to the CPJ’s report on jailed journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa, this record number of journalists languishing in jail highlights the growing […]
The African Union (AU) mission in Somalia has welcomed a recent agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia to restore and enhance bilateral ties, marking a significant step in easing recent diplomatic tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations. Somalia severed relations with neighboring Ethiopia in protest over a sea access agreement the latter signed with […]
Ethiopia has become the latest African country to launch its own stock exchange on January 10 to open-up its growing economy to private investors. The launch is part of economic reforms to end the state control of the economy of the near 100-million-nation. Dubbed, the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), the bourse is expected to provide […]
The Horn of Africa countries should turn to trade as a solution to persistent conflict and political instability, says a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), that suggests that the lack of intra-regional trade, as well as poor infrastructure, has fueled conflict and violence by perpetuating poverty and a sense of marginalization. […]
Somaliland, Somalia’s self-declared independent region, has inaugurated its new president after last month’s election, which strengthened its push for international recognition. Somaliland sworn in its sixth president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, on Thursday (12 December), only a day after Somalia and Ethiopia agreed in Turkey to hold “technical talks” over a dispute sparked by Addis Ababa’s […]
The latest East African Community (EAC) summit at the weekend focused, among other issues, on the resolution of two conflicts that are threatening the stability of the region — the dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia and the unabated violence by rebel groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Kenya’s President William Ruto has said […]
As the Horn of Africa is facing multiple and complex challenges, two important forums have recently brought together experts, politicians, diplomats and traditional leaders to discuss ways to strengthen regional stability and security. The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing high levels of instability and political violence, from the civil wars in Ethiopia and Sudan, […]