First Independent Mena Newspaper
With the United States facing growing vulnerabilities in its critical minerals supply chain, a new Brookings Institution study urges Washington to forge stronger partnerships with Africa — home to an estimated 30% of the world’s proven reserves. Critical minerals, essential for sectors from defense to clean energy, are heavily concentrated in a few global regions. […]
Kenya has become the latest African country that has hired lawyers or lobbying firms with ties to President Donald Trump’s associates to advocate for their interests in Washington, D.C. Kenya has signed a $175,000-a-month lobbying contract with Continental Strategy LLC, a U.S. firm led by ex-Trump official Carlos Trujillo, aiming to boost its influence in […]
In a strategic move to reduce dependence on China, India is rapidly expanding rare earth element (REE) partnerships with five African nations — Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Côte d’Ivoire — amid escalating global concerns over China’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains. China currently controls over 90% of the global REE market and has […]
Africa, home to one-third of the world’s critical mineral reserves, stands at a crossroads: remain a source of raw exports or become a central player in the global energy transition. Despite abundant resources — including cobalt, lithium, copper, and rare earth elements — Africa received just 10.4% of global mineral exploration investment in 2024, down […]
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 […]
Amid a deepening U.S.-China trade war, Beijing has issued a stern warning to nations — particularly in Africa — not to strike trade deals with the United States “at the expense of China’s interests,” raising the stakes for countries already grappling with economic strain. China’s Ministry of Commerce declared it “will never accept it and […]
Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa has dismissed Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe, the country’s army chief, in a significant political move that has intensified a brewing power struggle within the ruling Zanu-PF party. Sanyatwe, a close ally of vice president Constantino Chiwenga, was reassigned to the role of sports minister, replacing Kirsty Coventry following her election as […]
African countries experiencing conflict and with highly restricted freedoms and weak democratic institutions, such as South Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe or Libya, occupy the bottom of Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). This ranking places Zimbabwe among Africa’s top 10 most corrupt countries, joining war-torn states like Sudan, Somalia, and Libya. With a score of […]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has solidified its position as Zimbabwe’s most important partner, surpassing China with a strategic $1.4 billion investment in real estate, gold trading, and other sectors. This partnership, which began gaining momentum in 2022, marks a shift in global economic alliances as Zimbabwe continues to struggle with Western sanctions and a […]
The sudden halt in USAID funding by US president Donald Trump has sparked a growing crisis for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare workers across Africa, who are now scrambling to cope with the financial and logistical fallout. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) last week announced the suspension of its programs in several African […]