First Independent Mena Newspaper
East Africa is experiencing a profound geopolitical shift as Gulf states and Turkey expand their influence through infrastructure, energy, and security investments totaling an estimated $75 billion, according to a new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies. This influx is transforming the region’s political and economic landscape, particularly in fragile states like […]
In recent years, the Gulf monarchies have pivoted towards a more geo-economic strategy in Africa, diversifying their engagements from security and political interests to economic development, says a new report by the European Council on Foreign Relation (ECFR), noting that the Gulf expansion could also exacerbate the ongoing decline in European involvement in the continent. […]
Morocco has reaffirmed its position in favor of neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs of other states and called for sparing the Arab region another war. The remarks were made by State Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Mounia Bouceta, who is attending the Arab League’s foreign ministers’ emergency meeting in Cairo. Bouceta told the press […]
The latest historic visit made by King Mohammed VI to the Gulf region has yielded positive results at the strategic and security levels, and also at the financial scale. The royal tour has prompted Kuwait to speed up its due financial contribution to Morocco within the frame of the GCC pledges made to the North […]
King Salman’ maiden visit to Egypt since his enthronement was highlighted by the establishment of a multi-billion investment fund alongside other investment agreements including an economic free-zone in the Sinai. Egypt has often turned towards Gulf States for support but it seems that the oil-rich kingdom is changing its strategy by adopting an investment approach […]
Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon with a military wing, has been declared by the Arab League as a “terrorist group” although two of the organization’s 22members, Lebanon and Iraq, voiced reservations. The resolution was adopted by Arab Foreign Ministers following a similar move by the Gulf Cooperation Council on March 2. Explaining Lebanon’s reservations, […]
Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) including Jordan on Wednesday in Saudi capital Riyadh threw their support behind Morocco’s laudable and ambitious autonomy plan for the Moroccan Sahara, few days after UN Secretary General angered Morocco calling the territory under Morocco “occupied territory”. The Foreign Ministers of the six Sunni Gulf States at […]
President Sisi said during his third monthly speech focused on corruption and national security that the country’s security should not be taken for granted. His speech coincided with the report on the findings of independent forensic acoustic experts of a tape recording where Sisi is allegedly heard planning to divert funds donated by the Gulf […]
Moroccan King Mohammed VI wrapped his eight-day tour of the Gulf Arab countries that took the sovereign to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan. Overall, it is a combination of economic interests and broader geo-political considerations that accounts for much of the Moroccan diplomatic offensive. In the economic sphere, the Moroccan […]