First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s diplomatic success on the Western Sahara issue stems from the coordinated efforts of two key figures operating under King Mohammed VI’s strategic vision: Omar Hilale, Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations, and Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Their collaborative work reached a milestone with UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted October 31, […]
The government of Japan has reportedly signed again on the participation of the Algeria-backed Polisario militia’s in its summit with African countries due in Yokoham from 20 to 22 August 2025. This is not the first time that Japan takes such a risky move with serious political implications. It is very likely to strain relations […]
Japan is intensifying its African engagement ahead of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), with ambitious plans centered on youth employment, digital transformation, and climate resilience. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has already deployed $2.9 billion of a pledged $5 billion private sector investment package, signaling sustained commitment despite global economic […]
Kenyan president William Ruto has received the most votes and has thus become — together with Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu — one of the top five 2024 finalists for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) ‘Person of the Year’ award. Ruto received an unprecedented number of 40,000 nominations for ‘Person of the […]
A Moroccan delegation, led by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, is participating in the 10th World Water Forum, held May 18-25 in Bali, Indonesia, under the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity.” The Moroccan delegation participating in this Forum includes high-ranking officials from the relevant ministerial sectors, as well as institutional partners and stakeholders and experts […]
Morocco and Indonesia signed, Friday, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries. The MoU was signed following talks in Rabat between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and his Indonesian peer, Retno Marsudi. The MoU aims to diversify and expand cooperation areas, notably in matters of security […]
Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized on Saturday (1 June) — the day to remember the 160th anniversary of abolition of slavery in the Netherlands — for his country’s role in slavery, acknowledged that racism is still a problem and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech. The Netherlands formally abolished slavery in its colonies in 1863, […]
Although palm oil production has been linked to environmental damage and human rights abuses, it remains an important industry providing jobs and contributing to economic growth in several countries in Africa. The global palm oil market size reached US$53.1bn in 2022 and looking forward, the market is expected to reach US$67.6bn by 2028, exhibiting a […]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the African Union (AU) to be made a permanent member of the G20, a group of 20 countries with leading economies which come together to discuss policy on health, trade and other issues. Speaking during the Working Session on Food and Energy Security at the G20 Leaders’ […]
A sustainable project in Nigeria’s southern Edo state is helping to get the country’s palm oil industry back on its feet decades after it was eclipsed by now leading producers Indonesia and Malaysia. Since the 1960s, when Nigeria was still the world’s top producer of palm oil, the substance that is extracted from oil palm […]