Press Releases

Belgium Considers Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal for Western Sahara

(MENAFN) Belgium has formally recognized Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as the “most appropriate” path toward resolving one of North Africa’s longest-standing territorial disputes. The announcement came Thursday in Brussels after...

U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Label Polisario Front as Terrorist Group

(MENAFN) On Thursday, two members of the US House of Representatives formally introduced legislation in Congress seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. The proposed bill reflects escalating concerns over the group's...

Managing Threats to Food Security: Water and Agricultural Resilience in North Africa

Introduction Sustaining food security in North Africa,1 is a complex and evolving challenge, influenced by the region’s arid climate, limited water resources, and sparse arable land. In response, efforts to enhance food security by governments,...

US lack of funding results in cutting UN peacekeeping forces

(MENAFN) The United Nations is preparing to reduce its global peacekeeping presence by roughly a quarter in the coming months due to severe funding shortfalls, largely stemming from a lack of U.S. financial contributions, news agencies reported on...

UN faces funding shortages, to cut peacekeeper force

(MENAFN) The United Nations is set to reduce its peacekeeping forces by roughly a quarter in the near future due to budget shortfalls, particularly stemming from insufficient financing from the United States, according to reports. A senior UN...

Mapping MENA’s Renewable Energy Supply Chains: The Emergence of Green Energy Ecosystems in the Middle East and North Africa

Introduction The Middle East and North Africa has the potential to become the world’s largest renewable energy-producing region. Solar energy is MENA’s most abundant renewable energy resource. The Sahara Desert, which covers the majority of North...

Deputy Minister Alvin Botes: Opening ceremony of Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments

President of the Pan-African Parliament, His Excellency, The Right Honourable Chief Fortune Charumbira, Members of the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, The Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly of Gabon, HE Jean-François NDONGOU,...

Deputy Minister Alvin Botes: Opening ceremony of the Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments

President of the Pan-African Parliament, His Excellency, The Right Honourable Chief Fortune Charumbira Members of the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament The Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly of Gabon, His Excellency Jean-François...

North Africa’s experiment in tactical diplomacy

North African states are turning long-standing diplomatic relationships into new opportunities for leverage, using migration flows, energy supplies, and security partnerships as bargaining chips. These new tactics and strategies are reshaping...

Kenya Inaugurates First Embassy in Morocco

(MENAFN) Kenya officially inaugurated its first embassy in Morocco on Monday, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations and signaling a significant strengthening of bilateral ties alongside a major policy shift on the Western Sahara issue. The...

Algeria Revokes Visa-Free Agreement with France

(MENAFN) Algeria has formally annulled a long-standing agreement that allowed French diplomatic and service passport holders to enter the country without visas, escalating a worsening dispute with Paris. The move follows what Algiers described as...

Algeria Cancels Visa Deal for French Diplomats

(MENAFN) Algeria has annulled a ten-year-old pact that allowed French diplomatic and service passport holders to travel without visas. This move is a response to what Algeria described as France’s “provocation, intimidation, and bargaining” amid...

Algeria fires back at France ending visa-free travel for French diplomats

(MENAFN) Algeria has canceled a longstanding visa exemption agreement for French diplomats and service passport holders, responding to what it described as France’s “provocation, intimidation, and bargaining” in an escalating diplomatic dispute....

Algeria ends visa-free agreement for French diplomats

(MENAFN) Algeria has canceled a decade-old visa-free travel agreement for French diplomatic and service passport holders, responding to what it described as France’s “provocation, intimidation, and bargaining” amid worsening bilateral relations....

A foreign policy that always faces forward

Dear Fellow South African, Last week our country participated in the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Japan. This is an important forum for strengthening bilateral trade and investment between Japan and...

UK supports controversial autonomy bid for African zone

(MENAFN) The UK has shifted its longstanding neutral stance by supporting Morocco’s proposal to grant limited autonomy to Western Sahara, a territory embroiled in a decades-long dispute in North Africa. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy...

UK Backs Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal

(MENAFN) The United Kingdom has officially supported Morocco’s initiative to grant limited self-governance to Western Sahara, concluding decades of its neutral stance on one of North Africa’s longest-running territorial conflicts. During a visit...

Algeria Cancels French Embassy Access

(MENAFN) Algeria has officially rescinded all special access permissions previously granted to the French Embassy for entry to Algerian harbors and airports. This decision, announced on Saturday, is a retaliatory step in response to what Algiers...

Algeria Rebukes France’s Airport Ban on Diplomats, Vows Swift Response

(MENAFN) Algeria voiced sharp criticism on Thursday against a “deeply concerning” move by French authorities to prevent its diplomats from accessing restricted zones at Paris airports for handling diplomatic shipments. The North African nation...

Mbalula Condemns Jacob Zuma Over Support for Morocco

(MENAFN) Fikile Mbalula, the secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC), has sharply criticized Jacob Zuma, leader of the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, calling him a “sellout” for backing Morocco. According to Mbalula, the ANC is not...