First Independent Mena Newspaper
G20 member States, under the leadership of South Africa’s 2025 presidency, are convening in Durban with the hope of reaching a consensus on urgent global financial reforms. The finance and Central bank deputies gathered on Monday and Tuesday to address pressing issues such as debt relief, development financing, and the restructuring of multilateral financial institutions. […]
Princess Lalla Asmaa, President of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, on Friday visited Washington’s Gallaudet University, the only institution worldwide solely dedicated to the education of the deaf and hard of hearing from early childhood up to PhD level. The visit highlighted by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Gallaudet University and the Lalla […]
In a bid to ease escalating tensions with the United States, South Sudan is dispatching a high-level delegation to Washington to address a growing diplomatic rift linked to the deportation of its nationals. The move follows the US government’s recent decision to cancel all visa services for South Sudanese citizens, citing the country’s refusal to […]
Talks over the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) are set to begin by July, but African nations face growing uncertainty as U.S. tariffs threaten to undermine the landmark trade pact. AGOA, which since 2000 has granted duty-free access to the United States for eligible sub-Saharan African exports, is scheduled to expire […]
As tensions surge between the world’s two largest economies, China is ramping up its global diplomacy, holding strategic talks with Saudi Arabia and South Africa to counterbalance the United States’ sweeping new tariffs. China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao recently held virtual meetings with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and South Africa, focusing on responses to […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has decided to terminate its six-month $5 million lobbying contract with the U.S. public relations firm Earhart Turner, instead preferring to pursue direct negotiations with the Trump administration. The lobbying contract, signed in March 2025, aimed to enhance Congo’s image in Washington, particularly in the context of a mineral […]
Chinese state-owned firms are playing a dominant role in port development across Africa, with a presence in 78 ports across 32 countries as builders, financiers, or operators, sparking concerns about China’s long-term geo-strategic aims. According to a new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, these Chinese firms are not only builders and […]
A sharp restriction in off-continental irregular migration combined with escalating push factors will continue to shape governance and security priorities in Africa in 2025, according to a new report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which also highlights the urgent need for more regional cooperation to accommodate intra-continental population movements. The new analysis […]
The United Nations and the US have called for an “urgent” meeting of Libyan political leaders to address the crisis of the Central Bank of Libya (BCL) and the blockade of oil production and exports. The UN Support Mission in Libya expressed “deep concern” over the worsening situation and convened a meeting to seek a […]
The United States has congratulated Morocco on its election to the Presidency of the UN Human Rights Council for 2024, while committing to strengthening bilateral cooperation for the sake of the promotion of human rights in the world. “My heartfelt congratulations to Morocco and Ambassador Omar Zniber after being elected President of the UNHRC in […]