First Independent Mena Newspaper
Niamey revoked its military cooperation with the United States and ordered US troops to leave the country after senior US diplomatic and military officials recently warned about Niger’s growing ties to Russia and Iran, the Pentagon said Monday (18 March). Niger’s military government on Saturday (16 March) revoked a major accord known as the status […]
Sudan has dismissed all reports of Iran’s intention to establish a naval base on the country’s Red Sea coast, which comes at a time when the creation of the Russian Navy in the country has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing fighting. Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Al-Sadiq Ali was quoted by Sputnik […]
Nigeria will apply for membership of the BRICS in the next two years and it intends to join the group with or without pressure from the West, the country’s foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar has said. During a recent three-day working visit to Russia, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Tuggar re-iterated […]
The European Union has announced its plans to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea by mid-February aiming to protect commercial vessels against Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks which are hampering international trade and driving prices up. It’s a purely defensive operation to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the bloc’s top diplomat […]
The United Kingdom should support Morocco’s Autonomy Plan offering a workable solution to the Sahara issue, says a leading UK defense and security think-tank. The Moroccan Autonomy Plan “remains the only credible, lasting, realistic and constructive solution” to the Sahara conflict, says a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Following a paralyzing impasse […]
Iran has proposed to help Niger surmount economic sanctions it has been under since July 26 after incumbent leader General Abdourahamane Tiani removed Mohamed Bazoum in a military coup. The offer was made Wednesday January 24 by Iran’s first Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber during a meeting with Niger’s visiting Premier Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, reports say. […]
Niger’s Prime Minister Lamine Zeine landed in Russia on Monday January 15, the first leg of an international tour to take him also to Iran, Turkey and Serbia as the West African country seeks to diversify partners after severing ties with former colonial power France. Zeine is heading a high-key delegation including the ministers of […]
The U.S. State Department recently reiterated that the United States’ stance on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara remains “clear and consistent.” This confirmation follows former President Donald Trump’s declaration in December 2020, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. The United States reaffirms unwavering support for the position on the Moroccan Sahara and warns against […]
The United States and a host of other nations are creating a new global security force ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ to help protect and defend ships transiting the Red Sea that have come under attack by drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday (19 December) […]
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is seeking the exclusive BRICS membership to enhance its global economic influence that would also allow it to loosen its ties with the West, according to experts. According to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, the West African country hopes to join the influential economic alliance within two years, stressing […]