First Independent Mena Newspaper
South Africa has dispatched a five-member elite investigative team to Paris following the sudden and controversial death of its ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa. The 58-year-old former cabinet minister was found dead last Tuesday (30 Sept) morning after falling from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. Led by Major General Bongani Maqashalala, […]
The French Navy has intercepted nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine aboard a stateless fishing vessel off the coast of West Africa, marking one of the year’s largest drug busts and highlighting the region’s growing role as a key transshipment route in the global cocaine trade. The 9.6-tonne haul — valued at roughly $600 million — […]
Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine delivered a scathing address at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing France of actively undermining his country’s sovereignty through what he called a “sneaky and subversive destabilization plan.” Zeine alleged that since French troops were expelled from Niger in 2023, Paris has been “training, financing, and equipping terrorists” […]
Preparations are underway for the Morocco-France Economic Forum, scheduled to take place on October 9 in Dakhla, under the theme “Towards New Perspectives for the Development of the Morocco-France Economic Partnership.” The event aims to inject fresh momentum into bilateral economic cooperation and spotlight the strategic potential of Morocco’s southern regions, L’Economiste reported. France has […]
partnership between Morocco and France to address security challenges at international and regional levels was revewed at a meeting in Rabat Thursday between Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, and his French counterpart Céline Berthon. During their meeting, marking a new stage in Moroccan-French security cooperation, Hammouchi and Berthon discussed counterterrorism, […]
Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces, Lt. General Mohamed Berrid conferred over the weekend in Paris with France’s new Army Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon. Talks focused on military cooperation prospects and on ways of strengthening further strategic partnership to counter shared challenges. Prior to this meeting, Lt. General Mohamed Berrid and his […]
Tensions within Mali’s military have intensified following revelations that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group — and their successor, the Africa Corps — have disrupted military cohesion, undermined counterterrorism efforts, and fostered deep resentment among Malian forces. A new investigative report by The Sentry, an investigative research group, reveals that Wagner, which arrived after Mali’s […]
Russia has offered to build a nuclear power plant in Niger, signaling a bold move to displace France’s decades-long dominance in the uranium-rich West African nation. The proposal, announced in July, comes amid escalating tensions between Niger’s military government and Paris, and as Niamey seeks greater control over its natural resources. Despite producing 4% of […]
France has formally suspended a bilateral agreement with Algeria that had allowed holders of diplomatic and service passports to enter French territory without a visa. The decision was published in the official bulletin on August 19, marking the definitive end of a 12-year-old diplomatic privilege and signals a new phase of hardened relations between Paris […]
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met with French President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy to Libya, Paul Soler, on Sunday to review the ongoing security operation in Tripoli and set priorities for the next stage of stabilization efforts. The talks disclosed on August 18 by the Prime Minister’s office, addressed bilateral relations, Libya’s political trajectory, […]