First Independent Mena Newspaper
France has emerged as Cameroon’s leading wheat supplier, ahead of Russia which has seen its supplies shrink by 65 per cent, per data published by the country’s statistics agency. Russia as late as 2020 was Cameroon’s largest supplier with 396,000 tons but the figure slumped to 138,000 last year. Cameroonian wheat buyers according to the […]
The Russian warlord at the head of the Wagner mercenary group that had been operating in several African countries has been reportedly killed in a business jet crash northwest of Moscow on Wednesday (23 August). Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport reported to have initiated an investigation of the crash of a plane en route […]
The leaders of the BRICS countries meeting at its three-day summit in Johannesburg have reportedly agreed on a roadmap for how to allow new states to join their group of emerging economies. “We have agreed on the matter of expansion,” South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said and added that further details would be provided […]
Ukraine is ready for a “long-term” fight to “revive” Kiev’s relations with Africa and reduce Moscow’s “grip” on this continent, which is based on “coercion, corruption and fear,” Ukraine’s top diplomat Dmytro Kouleba declared in an interview last week. After decades of oblivion, Ukrainian officials have now vowed to invest significant political capital to deepen […]
Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has argued that Françafrique is over after France lost Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger where leaders have turned to Russia, China and Turkey. Kneissl, who had been in office from 2017 to 2019, said African countries have more opportunities on the continent and can choose whom to cooperate with. […]
Mali’s military leader and interim president, Assimi Goita, had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about the escalating situation in Niger, amid growing concerns in the West that Africa’s latest coup undermines its influence while presenting an opportunity to expand Russia’s presence in the West African region. The Kremlin said Mali’s […]
Defense Minister of the Central African Republic (CAR) Claude Rameaux Bireau is set to visit Russia next week amid talks between the two countries for Moscow to set up a military base in the African country now very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. CAR ambassador to Russia Leon Dodonu-Punagaza told the media about the […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his government is actively working on preparing trade agreements with four Arab countries, with Morocco being one of the key partners. The announcement was made during a Cabinet meeting, reported the Russian news agency, TASS. In his address, Putin said his nation is focused on establishing free trade zones […]
Elected Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has called on “the US government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order,” as the newly installed junta announced they were scrapping military pacts with France and warned to respond ‘immediately’ to any ‘aggression’ by the West Africa bloc. In a column entitled ‘My Country […]
Russian president Vladimir Putin expressed, on Friday, at the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit, the wish to see Russian-Moroccan relations further strengthen and continue the momentum launched during the visit of King Mohammed VI to Russia in 2016. The Russian president commended, in a speech, King Mohammed VI, expressing the wish to see bilateral relations evolve and […]