First Independent Mena Newspaper
Kenya’s lucrative rose export industry faces mounting challenges as the European Union tightens regulations against the false codling moth, a devastating pest threatening flower shipments. The industry, worth over $800 million and employing half a million people, sees roses accounting for 66% of cut flower exports at approximately $300 million. The EU’s intensifying measures have […]
Leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) have called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the ongoing violence fueled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. In a joint summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 8 February, leaders from both EAC […]
The sudden halt in USAID funding by US president Donald Trump has sparked a growing crisis for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare workers across Africa, who are now scrambling to cope with the financial and logistical fallout. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) last week announced the suspension of its programs in several African […]
A sharp restriction in off-continental irregular migration combined with escalating push factors will continue to shape governance and security priorities in Africa in 2025, according to a new report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which also highlights the urgent need for more regional cooperation to accommodate intra-continental population movements. The new analysis […]
An ambitious reforms plan for the African Union (AU) was laid out during a high-level meeting of African heads of state and governments on Monday (27 January), focusing on boosting peace, security, and financial independence to transform the continent into a powerhouse of development and stability. The landmark retreat of the extended bureau of the […]
37 suspected members linked to major terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al-Shabaab, were arrested in a joint counter-terrorism operation with Afripol, international police agency Interpol announced on Monday (27 January). ISIS, Al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations, which have strongholds in some countries on the continent, have suffered significant setbacks following a large-scale Interpol raid that […]
Kenya has deployed an additional 217 police officers to the Caribbean island nation of Haiti as part of a UN-backed multinational force to control gang violence and restore stability there. They arrived in capital Port-au-Prince on Saturday (18 January) to join the first batch of 400 officers deployed to Haiti last year, tasked with restoring […]
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 […]
The Horn of Africa countries should turn to trade as a solution to persistent conflict and political instability, says a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), that suggests that the lack of intra-regional trade, as well as poor infrastructure, has fueled conflict and violence by perpetuating poverty and a sense of marginalization. […]
Kenya is grappling with a surge in gender-based violence, logging more than 7,100 reported cases since September 2023, according to official data. Among these are 100 documented murders of women just since August. The new figures include the story of Sarah Wambui, who was brutally attacked by her husband of 20 years. She suffered 38 […]