First Independent Mena Newspaper
The Sahel region under the Alliance of Sahel States (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) is undergoing a profound shift toward multi-alignment, challenging traditional European influence, the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) said, recommending Europeans to adapt to this new reality or risk losing influence. The Sahel now averages around 10,500 terrorist-related deaths per year, […]
“Praise be to God. May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin. Almighty God said : «Verily, We have granted you a manifest Victory». True is the Word of God Dear Citizens, After fifty years of sacrifices, and with the help and guidance of the Almighty, we are starting a new […]
The Republic of Paraguay, which recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, has decided to open soon a Consulate in the Moroccan Saharan territory. The decision was announced by FM of this South America country Rubén Ramírez Lezcano during a meeting held Wednesday in Rabat with Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita. Paraguay’s top diplomat has also reaffirmed […]
Intelligence agencies from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are reportedly set to release names of senior Nigerian political figures allegedly financing terrorism and aiding arms trafficking in West Africa, according to multiple regional sources. The unprecedented move follows coordinated security operations under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc formed by the three countries […]
Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine delivered a scathing address at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing France of actively undermining his country’s sovereignty through what he called a “sneaky and subversive destabilization plan.” Zeine alleged that since French troops were expelled from Niger in 2023, Paris has been “training, financing, and equipping terrorists” […]
A recent surge in attacks by the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) has left more than 127 civilians dead in Niger’s Tillabéri region, according to a latest report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The watchdog group described the killings — carried out in at least five separate incidents since March — as […]
West Africa faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the fallout from armed conflict in the Central Sahel region continues to spill into neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries, according to a new UNICEF report. In the first half of 2025, escalating violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has displaced more than 515,000 people into coastal […]
A new report by war crimes watchdog The Sentry exposes the Wagner Group’s deeply destabilizing three-year presence in Mali, revealing a record of military failure, civilian massacres, and political fractures rather than security gains. Deployed in 2022 under a $10 million/month deal with Mali’s junta, the Russian paramilitary force claimed its “mission was accomplished” upon […]
Russia has offered to build a nuclear power plant in Niger, signaling a bold move to displace France’s decades-long dominance in the uranium-rich West African nation. The proposal, announced in July, comes amid escalating tensions between Niger’s military government and Paris, and as Niamey seeks greater control over its natural resources. Despite producing 4% of […]
By shifting its Africa policy from humanitarian aid to commercial diplomacy, the Trump administration has signaled a dramatic reorientation of US engagement in the Sahel. Centered on trade, security cooperation, and access to strategic minerals, this pivot marks a departure from decades of aid-focused partnerships and reflects broader geopolitical recalibrations in a region increasingly courted […]