First Independent Mena Newspaper
As the US top diplomat wrapped up his visit to Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Angola (21-26 January), experts have hailed what they call the United States finally “making serious efforts to strengthen its relations with Africa”. The four-nation tour of the continent by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was also officially […]
The US top diplomat’s tour of four African countries began on Monday (22 January) with a visit to Cape Verde, as the Biden administration seeks to prove the United States is a key partner on a continent where China and Russia have sought to expand their influence. In Cape Verde, US Secretary of State Antony […]
Filling the void left by French troops who withdrew from Niger just a couple of weeks ago, the Sahel country and Russia have announced an agreement to develop military cooperation as part of the efforts to stabilize the situation in the region. Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger’s junta-appointed Defense […]
The United States is reportedly seeking to set up military drones bases along the West African coast in an urgent effort to stop the spread of Islamist militants, counter the Chinese influence in the region, and to support the development and democracy of its African allies. Washington is holding preliminary talks with Ghana, Ivory Coast […]
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has signed a law that “nullifies” the contentious memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and a breakaway Somaliland region in a largely symbolic move expressing his government’s displeasure over the deal to grant port access. As part of the deal that was announced on 1 January, the landlocked Ethiopia will gain […]
Emerging and frontier markets in Africa now have a reason for cautious optimism in 2024 following a recent announcement by The Federal Reserve (Fed) signaling possible cuts of up to 75 basis points in the coming year. New forecasts from central bank officials showed a turn from the hawkish rate environment Fed Chairman Jerome Powell […]
The U.S. State Department recently reiterated that the United States’ stance on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara remains “clear and consistent.” This confirmation follows former President Donald Trump’s declaration in December 2020, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. The United States reaffirms unwavering support for the position on the Moroccan Sahara and warns against […]
The US private military company Bancroft Global Development is reportedly in talks with the government of Central African Republic (CAR) over “future activities,” as the Russian mercenary group Wagner is in the process of reorganization following the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The death of Wagner’s leader has created a window of opportunity in […]
The United States and a host of other nations are creating a new global security force ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ to help protect and defend ships transiting the Red Sea that have come under attack by drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday (19 December) […]
The United States had delivered more than 40% of commitments made at the United States-Africa Leaders Summit (USALS) one year ago, which hosted about 50 African heads of government in Washington DC, senior US government officers have said. Speaking during a digital press briefing on the one year anniversary (14 December), they pointed out that […]