First Independent Mena Newspaper
Interpol has announced the arrest of over 1,200 suspected cybercriminals across 18 African nations and the United Kingdom as part of a sweeping three-month operation targeting cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and transnational crime. Dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, the crackdown ran from June to August 2025 and resulted in the dismantling of more than 11,000 cybercrime […]
Three months ahead of Ivory Coast’s presidential election, President Alassane Ouattara has confirmed he will seek a controversial fourth term, a move reigniting political unrest and drawing criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups. In a televised address, the 83-year-old leader said his decision was driven by a desire to safeguard the country’s stability […]
With just months to go before Ivory Coast’s October 2025 presidential election, the newly formed Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation (CAP-CI) is intensifying pressure on the ruling party to ensure credible and inclusive polls. At the heart of its demands: judicial impartiality, revised electoral lists, and the reinstatement of disqualified candidates, including opposition figure Tidjane […]
In a ruling that has stirred political controversy across Ivory Coast, a national court on Tuesday (22 April) disqualified opposition leader Tidjane Thiam from running in the country’s October presidential election, citing the loss of his Ivorian nationality. Thiam, former CEO of Credit Suisse and newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast […]
Burkina Faso’s military government claims it has thwarted a coup plot aimed at toppling junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, alleging foreign involvement and links to terrorism. Security minister Mahamadou Sana said the plan, uncovered by intelligence services, involved current and former soldiers collaborating with terrorist groups. The coup attempt was scheduled for 16 April and […]
French billionaire Vincent Bolloré is facing fresh fraud allegations from a coalition of African groups, accusing him and his family of benefiting from illegal port concessions across several African nations. The complaint, filed with the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) on Wednesday (19 March), targets Bolloré SE and its former logistics arm, Bolloré Africa […]
Recent expulsions of French military forces from several African nations, including Ivory Coast, Chad, and Niger, underscore a growing shift in the region’s geopolitical dynamics, fueled by Russian disinformation campaigns, according to analysts. Analysts believe that the Kremlin has been a key driver of the anti-French sentiment, using digital platforms to manipulate public opinion across […]
France faces a significant challenge to its influence in West and Central Africa as Chad, Senegal and most recently also Ivory Coast have announced the end to traditional military cooperation with their former colonial master, experts say, adding that this would unravel France’s remaining logistics and military footprint in the region. In recent months, six […]
By arming civilians who are poorly trained and have little to no respect for human rights, Burkina Faso’s junta-led government has brought the West African nation that once prided itself on tolerance and peaceful interethnic relations to the brink of civil war, says a latest report by The New York Times (NYT). A West Africa […]
The upcoming 2nd edition of China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) will see higher participation from the least-developed countries, especially from Africa, in part in an attempt to showcase China’s resilience against trade barriers from the United States and other trade partners. The organizers of the CISCE that kicks off in Beijing on 26 November […]