First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco and Indonesia have reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with a particular focus on expanding cooperation in the field of defense. The two countries expressed this common will during a meeting held on Tuesday in Jakarta between Morocco’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Redouane Houssaini, and Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. The meeting reviewed […]
Morocco has extradited Michael Steven, the chief executive of Indonesian insurance company Kresna Life, to Jakarta following his arrest on Moroccan territory in March 2026 pursuant to an Interpol arrest warrant. The handover to Indonesian police took place on 20 June, two days after Morocco formally approved the extradition on 12 June. Steven was named […]
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 […]