First Independent Mena Newspaper
A brutal ambush by suspected jihadists in northeastern Mali on Friday (7 February) left more than 50 people dead, amid worsening insecurity in a region long plagued by violence from jihadist groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda. The attack occurred near the village of Kobe, about 30 kilometers from the city of Gao, when a […]
A political storm is brewing in the Central African Republic over 30,000 tons of Russian diesel that seems to have vanished into thin air. The Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution has thrown down the gauntlet, demanding answers about a fuel donation that exists more in whispers than in official ledgers. Martin Ziguélé, […]
The Kremlin has announced the expansion of the list of “friendly and neutral” African countries whose banks may now trade currencies and derivatives in Russia. By adding Nigeria, Tunisia and Ethiopia to the list, “the number of friendly and neutral countries whose credit institutions and brokers will be allowed to trade on the Russian foreign […]
Russia has reportedly delivered military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery systems to Mali, which observers suspect may have been moved there from Syria following the departure of Russian troops after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. According to reports from Defense Web, Africa’s leading defense news portal, Mali could be another recipient of […]
Libya’s renegade general Khalifa Haftar reportedly offered Russia a military base near the border with Chad and Sudan, confirming Moscow’s ambitions to make Libya its new African hub, replacing Syria, Italian news agency Nova said. Citing Libyan sources, Nova said Russia was transferring equipment and soldiers to the Maaten Al Sarra base in southern Libya […]
The Washington Institute for Near east Policy warned that the EU’s decision to annul fisheries and agriculture deals, will push Rabat to foster commercial ties with the US, Russia, and China. The EU issued a politically-motivated verdict annulling fisheries and agricultural trade deals with Morocco because they included products originating from the Sahara territory. The […]
Since the ousting of Syrian president Bashar Assad, there has been a surge in Russian air and maritime traffic to Libya, where Moscow seeks a new Mediterranean hub. Flights increased from the Syrian Hmeimim base to Al Khadim’s airbase in the Libyan desert, where Russia was transferring its military equipment, according to data analyzed by […]
The Libyan Government of National Unity has called on Moscow to provide an urgent explanation regarding the Russian Embassy’s recent travel warning for Libya. Issued on Thursday, December 12, the advisory discourages Russian citizens from traveling to Libya, citing risks to safety, and comes in the wake of the arrest of a Russian citizen in […]
The fall of Syrian long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime could lead to Russia losing its military bases located in the country and, if this happens, it could have serious consequences for the Kremlin’s operations and power projection in Libya and sub-Saharan African countries, says a latest report by the American Institute for the Study of […]
Leaders across Africa and the Middle East are watching carefully the successful rebel offensive on Aleppo in Syria, experts and observers say, as this could create big problems for Russians and its so-called Africa Corps on the African continent. Experts and observers say that if the rebel offensive launched in the Syrian province of Aleppo […]