First Independent Mena Newspaper
As Volkswagen accelerates toward a greener, electric future, a growing body of evidence reveals a darker reality behind the company’s clean-energy ambitions. A new investigation by DW and De Groene Amsterdammer has found that several smelters connected to the conflict minerals trade in Africa are part of Volkswagen’s sprawling global supply chain. The minerals in […]
Gold traders in Sudan’s city of Omdurman have commenced an indefinite strike on Monday, July 21, following the violent robbery of a colleague, Omar Mohamed, who was ambushed by armed assailants dressed in military uniforms. According to Khalid Al-Khanjar, head of the Chamber of Gold Traders, the attackers used a vehicle equipped with an RPG, […]
The United States has outlined strict conditions for brokering a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), centering on the full withdrawal of Rwandan forces from eastern Congo. A draft agreement, verified by multiple diplomatic sources, requires Rwanda to remove its troops, weapons, and equipment before any deal can be finalized. […]
Kenya has become a major transit hub for smuggled gold from conflict-ridden African countries, with illicit exports far exceeding official figures, according to a new SwissAid report. While the government declared only 672 kilograms of gold exports in 2023, the report estimates that over two tons — possibly far more — are illegally trafficked through […]
Mali, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, has suspended the issuance of new artisanal mining permits to foreign nationals after a series of fatal accidents in the country’s artisanal mining sector. The move follows a devastating mine collapse on 15 February in the western Kayes region, which claimed the lives of at least 43 people, mostly women. […]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has solidified its position as Zimbabwe’s most important partner, surpassing China with a strategic $1.4 billion investment in real estate, gold trading, and other sectors. This partnership, which began gaining momentum in 2022, marks a shift in global economic alliances as Zimbabwe continues to struggle with Western sanctions and a […]
Australian gold miner, Resolute Mining’s shares dropped as much as 32% on Monday (11 November) following the arrest of its CEO and two executives while in Mali to discuss “claims made against” the company with the country’s authorities. CEO Terence Holohan and his two colleagues “were in Bamako to discuss with mining and tax authorities […]
Africa will play a “huge role” in America’s critical mineral strategy, says US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo who used his five-day trip to South Africa to express his country’s ambitions of securing metals needed for the global energy transition. Africa’s natural richness, which includes many so-called critical minerals, such as chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, […]
Desert Metals, a mining company listed in Australia, has acquired Côte d’Ivoire-based CDI Resources Limited (CDI) that controls seven gold and lithium projects in the West African country. CDI, through its subsidiaries CDI Minerals and CDI Lithium, holds interests in seven gold and lithium projects. The projects, 2,769km² in landmass coverage, comprise granted mineral permits […]
Mercenaries from the Wagner Group are reportedly making $10 million per month through their involvement in the ongoing conflict in Mali as it exchanges African gold to help fund Vladimir Putin’s war machine, experts have said. US intelligence experts believe the Russian-backed private military company, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin until his violent death in August, […]