First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco has emerged as the major winner from the competition engaged between the United States and China for control of the supply chain of critical minerals, used in clean energy transition and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, says the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies. In August 2022, the U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction Act […]
Many African smallholder coffee farmers are now finding their main source of income in jeopardy after the European Union announced its plan to outlaw products sourced from deforested areas, which, as critics point out, could penalize so-called smallholder coffee farmers in Africa. In 2023, the EU established mandatory rules, known as EUDR, for companies dealing […]
The European Union has announced its plans to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea by mid-February aiming to protect commercial vessels against Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks which are hampering international trade and driving prices up. It’s a purely defensive operation to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the bloc’s top diplomat […]
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has signed a law that “nullifies” the contentious memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and a breakaway Somaliland region in a largely symbolic move expressing his government’s displeasure over the deal to grant port access. As part of the deal that was announced on 1 January, the landlocked Ethiopia will gain […]
As Kenya is moving closer to sealing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, the East African economic powerhouse has also announced the possibility of a $1bn loan from China that could be used to help pay off a $2bn Eurobond repayment that is due in June next year. Kenya’s economic partnership deal […]
Germany’s Defense minister Boris Pistorius announced Tuesday December 19 Berlin’s keenness to continue and bolster military cooperation with Niger now ruled by a junta that ousted West-backed leader Mohamed Bazoum. The German State official had talks Tuesday in capital Niamey with Niger’s top Army commanders including Salifou Mody, the Chief of Staff of the Army. […]
As millions of Congolese citizens Wednesday (20 December) head to polling stations to cast their vote one of the most anticipated elections of 2023, the European Union has, among others, expressed concerns about transparency, especially after its observer mission pulled out, and also about “the hate speech, violence and incidents that have marked the last […]
The European Union should work together with African countries to reform the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) subsidy rules as a way to tackle the global distortions of China’s state capitalism, the German Economic Institute (IW) argues in a new report. The research report entitled ‘Reforming WTO’s Subsidy Rules: a New Opportunity to Tackle the Global […]
Despite fighting two jihadist insurgencies, Niger’s military leaders have announced they were scrapping two key security and defense agreements that the West African nations signed with the European Union to help fight the escalating violence in Africa’s Sahel region. Niger’s junta revoked the important military accords inked with the EU on Monday (4 December), which […]
The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their countries would follow Mali in quitting the G5 international anti-jihadist force in Africa’s Sahel region, the latest blow to the fight against insurgents in one of the world’s most troubled, conflict-torn areas. Leaders of the five countries involved in G5 Sahel agreed to deploy […]