First Independent Mena Newspaper
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have been pushing many electric grid utilities in Africa — which have long been strapped for cash — close to financial collapse, whereby this situation is in turn also slowing down the continent’s clean energy transition. Ghana’s electric grid is in dire straits. In the mid-2010s, […]
Mali has accused France of violating its airspace and supporting “terrorist groups” by delivering weapons to armed groups, the latest in a barrage of accusations that have strained the relationship between the West African country and the former colonial power. In a recent letter to the UN Security Council’s president, Mali’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdoulaye […]
The European Union is planning a five-fold increase in financial support to 2024 for the mission of the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) in Mozambique, according to an internal EU document, as Islamist attacks threaten gas projects meant to reduce the EU’s reliance on Russian energy. The SADC mission — a bloc of 16 African […]
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied is expected in December to attend the U.S. and Africa summit organized by the American President Joe Biden, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. mission in Tunis has revealed. Natasha Franceschi told Tunisia’s top diplomat Othmane Jerandi Monday that President Biden will extend an invitation to the Tunisian leader. The summit […]
The United Nations-chartered ship Brave Commander will shortly set sail from Ukraine bound for Africa after it finishes loading more than 23,000 metric tonnes of wheat in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi, a UN official said. The ship, which arrived in the port near Odessa, will sail to Ethiopia via a grain corridor through the […]
South Africa’s coal sales to Europe rose eight-fold during the first six months of 2022 compared with last year as demand for the fossil fuel surged ahead of a ban on Russian coal, according to Thungela Resources, a South Africa-based thermal coal exporter. The European Union banned Russian coal imports in response to the invasion […]
Al-Qaida’s affiliate in Mali claimed Monday (15 August) it had killed four mercenaries from Russia’s private military firm, Wagner Group, as France announced its forces have completed their withdrawal from the conflict-torn country. The media unit for Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), said in a statement its fighters clashed with the Russian mercenaries Saturday […]
Mali’s military government has been handed over several fighter jets and helicopters by Russia that is positioning itself to fill a political vacuum, as French and European forces are in the process of withdrawing from the country. The aircraft were formally received during a ceremony at Bamako’s airport, with Malian President Assimi Goita and Russian […]
The head of US diplomacy will travel in August to South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the State Department announced, as the US seeks to counter Russian diplomatic influence. Antony Blinken will aim to show “African countries that they have a critical geostrategic role and are crucial allies on the most pressing […]
As Kenyans head to the polls on August 9, East Africa’s largest economy could be headed for tough times. With the country’s currency having depreciated sharply, Kenya’s Treasury will face difficulty paying back its huge dollar-denominated debt. Kenya is among developing countries facing an economic crisis, according to a recent report released by Moody’s Investors […]