Global Pulse

标签： Africa

非洲

  • Migrant rights will be safeguarded at third-country return hubs, EU migration commissioner says

    Migrant rights will be safeguarded at third-country return hubs, EU migration commissioner says

    Amid ongoing implementation of the European Union’s landmark new migration and asylum pact, the bloc’s top migration official has reaffirmed that non-negotiable international human rights standards will govern any proposed asylum return hubs planned in non-EU countries, pushing back against widespread criticism from rights advocacy groups.

    Speaking at a press conference hosted during a gathering of EU migration ministers in Nicosia, Cyprus on Friday, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner emphasized that every agreement establishing these processing centers for rejected asylum seekers will undergo independent review to guarantee full compliance with legal protections. Brunner confirmed that both the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Refugee Agency will participate in the vetting process to audit the terms of any finalized deal, stressing that “Human rights standards and international law is non-negotiable.”

    The return hub framework, a central provision of the EU’s updated migration policy, has drawn significant skepticism from human rights organizations, which have raised urgent alarms that the facilities could devolve into overcrowded long-term detention centers, leaving failed asylum seekers trapped in prolonged legal limbo with no clear path forward. Critics have also warned that the pact’s streamlined assessment processes could cut off access to protection for legitimate asylum claimants.

    On the same day, Greece’s migration ministry confirmed that a coalition of five EU member states — Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands — are currently in active negotiations with several African nations to host the hubs on their territory. Under the coalition’s current timeline, agreements with the unnamed third countries are expected to be finalized this year, with the facilities scheduled to become operational by 2027. When pressed to name the countries under consideration, Brunner deferred to the negotiating member states, noting that “We created the rules, we create the basis, but it’s up to the member state to negotiate agreements if they want to.”

    Cyprus, which currently holds the bloc’s rotating six-month presidency, will join the return hub negotiations once its term ends on July 1, according to Cypriot Deputy Minister for Migration Nicholas Ioannides. Ioannides pushed back against rights groups’ criticism of the new pact, arguing that the framework’s core goal is to prepare the bloc for future large-scale migration flows, similar to the 2015 refugee crisis that caught EU institutions off guard. “These groups disagree with the gist of this project, with the whole architecture,” Ioannides said, adding that implementing clear new rules is the EU’s top priority to avoid repeating past unpreparedness.

    Brunner defended the new migration pact, arguing that it delivers more effective, streamlined rules that target criminal people smuggling networks and irregular migration routes, while concentrating protection resources on claimants with legitimate humanitarian needs. He pointed to early data showing the bloc’s migration reforms are already delivering results: irregular arrivals along the Western Balkan route have plummeted 90% over the past three years, and crossings from Turkey to Greece’s Aegean islands dropped 67% in the first four months of this year compared to previous periods.

    In a separate development announced Friday, Cyprus has finalized a bilateral agreement with Lithuania to relocate migrants already granted international protection to the Baltic EU member state, a small but significant step to share migration responsibility across the bloc.

  • ‘Surrender or face full force’ of state, Nigerian president warns armed groups

    ‘Surrender or face full force’ of state, Nigerian president warns armed groups

    On Nigeria’s annual Democracy Day, a national holiday commemorating the 1999 transition back to civilian rule after decades of military dictatorship, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered a stern national address that paired a tough ultimatum to domestic armed groups with major new announcements to boost the country’s struggling security apparatus.

    Tinubu opened his remarks by acknowledging that this year’s celebrations were overshadowed by a fresh wave of mass school abductions that have reignited public anxiety across the country. The West African nation has grappled with persistent insecurity for decades, with insurgent attacks, village raids, and ransom-fueled mass kidnappings concentrated largely in northern and central states – a crisis that has grown more acute in recent months. The president specifically referenced recent abductions of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states, noting that security forces remain optimistic about securing the safe release of all captives.

    “Democracy without security is not solid enough,” Tinubu told the nation, as he outlined a sweeping package of security investments. His administration is rolling out a recruitment drive for more than 50,000 new police officers, has approved thousands of additional military personnel, and has earmarked a record 5.41 trillion naira (equivalent to roughly $4 billion) for defense and security in the 2026 national budget.

    Defending his administration’s performance since he took office in May 2023, Tinubu claimed that Nigerian military forces have killed 13,000 people classified as terrorists over the past 12 months. He added that civilian fatalities linked to insurgent activity have dropped 81% compared to 2015 levels, and that more than 124,000 armed fighters and their family members have surrendered and disarmed under the government’s Operation Safe Corridor, a national reintegration program for former insurgents.

    These claims have been challenged by independent security analysts, who note that violent attacks continue to disrupt communities across multiple Nigerian states, and that insurgent activity is now spreading into previously stable southern regions of the country. The rising insecurity has coincided with a prolonged economic crisis that has left millions of ordinary Nigerians struggling to afford basic goods. Civil society organizations and labor unions have organized peaceful mass protests across major state capitals, calling for urgent government action to address both widespread insecurity and skyrocketing costs for food and transportation, driven by persistent high inflation. The groups have repeatedly raised alarms about the heavy toll of rising prices on low- and middle-income households.

    Tinubu defended the controversial economic reforms his administration has implemented since taking office, including the elimination of a long-standing national fuel subsidy and the deregulation of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market. He argued that these unpopular measures were necessary to stabilize the country’s public finances and rebuild confidence among international and domestic investors, steps he says will lay the groundwork for long-term economic growth.

    Beyond security and economic policy, the president used the 27th anniversary of civilian rule to pay tribute to the activists and national heroes who led the country’s pro-democracy movement. He gave special recognition to figures linked to the annulled June 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, whose victory was overturned by the military junta in power at the time, a turning point in Nigeria’s struggle for democratic governance.

  • ‘Nightmare from start to finish’ for South Africa in opener

    ‘Nightmare from start to finish’ for South Africa in opener

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup’s Group A opening match delivered far more than a three points for co-hosts Mexico, who wrapped up a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca in a game marred by two red cards for Bafana Bafana, tactical criticism, and rising continental tension over South Africa’s recent anti-migrant violence.

    South Africa’s match unraveled within the opening 10 minutes, when midfielder Sphephelo Sithole lost possession on the edge of his own penalty area, allowing Mexico to convert the early chance and take a 1-0 lead. The second half delivered more setbacks: Sithole was shown a red card, followed by a second dismissal for forward Themba Zwane in the 84th minute after a VAR review upgraded a potential foul to a straight red for violent conduct. The sending-off marked only the second time in World Cup history that an African side has had two players dismissed in their opening finals match, a statistic last recorded by Cameroon against defending champions Argentina in 1990 – a match the Indomitable Lions famously won 1-0, a result South Africa never came close to matching.

    Former South African captain Dean Furman, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, described the performance as “a nightmare from start to finish.” He argued that no Bafana Bafana player could claim to have performed to their potential, saying “Mexico were in total control from minute one. They looked more assured, they were calm in possession. It was just turnover after turnover after turnover, and when you’re playing against quality opposition you get punished.”

    On the contentious second red card, South Africa head coach Hugo Broos – the oldest coach at this year’s tournament at 74 – disputed the call, claiming Mexican winger Roberto Alvarado blocked Zwane and went down unnecessarily. However, Furman, who played alongside Zwane for several years, said the call was justified under modern rules: “I know it’s incredibly soft but it’s the modern game, you can’t lash out. It’s going to be an interesting World Cup if that’s what we’re giving red cards for but that is the game today. You can’t do that.”

    South African captain Ronwen Williams acknowledged the disappointing result but sought to highlight his side’s resilience, even with two players down. “Obviously the opening game of the World Cup comes with so much emotion,” the 34-year-old said. “We knew they were going to have the atmosphere, the energy behind them and we didn’t want to concede in the opening few stages. And then that’s exactly what happened. As difficult as it was with two guys sent off, we didn’t give up. It shows the mentality that we have and the character that we kept fighting.”

    Domestic fans in Johannesburg were far less forgiving. Relebogile Lairi called the performance a “very disappointing start,” saying supporters “expected a lot more from the boys” and blamed widespread “stage fright.” Nicholas Makomene criticized Broos’ defensive 5-3-2 setup, saying there was “no need to park the bus” against the co-hosts.

    Beyond the pitch, the result exposed deep divides across the African continent, 16 years after South Africa made history as the first African nation to host the World Cup, a moment that unified the continent behind African teams. This year, many fans across Africa backed Mexico over South Africa, in response to recent anti-migrant protests and violence in South Africa that has led multiple African nations to repatriate their citizens. South African officials have condemned the violence and rejected accusations of xenophobia, but that has done little to ease tensions.

    In Nairobi, Kenyan organizer Elisha Kamau held a “hate-watch” party that drew nearly 200 attendees, almost all of whom supported Mexico. “The second reason I think is just the timing of the xenophobic attacks. It depends who is playing South Africa, but I think most people would support the other team,” Kamau explained. Congolese fan Daniel Kaniki, watching from a fan park in Atlanta, echoed that sentiment: “Africa is like one country and if one is chasing others, we are not a family any more. That’s why I’m supporting Mexico.” Not all fans across the continent aligned with this view, however: Ghanaian fan Vanlare Quist said he rooted for South Africa, arguing that anti-immigrant sentiment was driven by a small minority of bad actors, not the entire nation.

    Looking ahead, South Africa faces a must-win second Group A match against the Czech Republic on June 18. Both teams enter the fixture winless, after the Czechs dropped a 2-1 opening match result to South Korea. Furman is pushing for a major tactical shift, urging Broos to abandon the defensive 5-3-2 setup he used against Mexico in favor of the more attacking 4-3-3 formation that fits South Africa’s traditional style of play.

    “They have to put this to bed very, very quickly,” Furman said. “I know you’re playing against better opposition in a big match and you’re probably looking to soak up the pressure and go a little bit more defensive, but that’s just not our style at all. For me, going forward, you’ve got two games left to save yourself, to try and get a victory to get yourself into the next round. Go with our 4-3-3. Put your attacking players on, put your number 10s on, your more imaginative players. Let’s see what South African football is all about.”

  • Ethiopia’s Tsegay handed four-month doping ban

    Ethiopia’s Tsegay handed four-month doping ban

    One of Ethiopian long-distance running’s most decorated champions, Gudaf Tsegay, has been issued a four-month competition ban following a positive doping test that detected a banned aromatase inhibitor in her system. The 29-year-old, a two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, has not competed since last October, months before the case became public.

    Tsegay’s athletic resume includes a 5,000m world title in 2022, a 10,000m world championship crown in 2023, and a bronze medal in the women’s 5,000m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She also claimed bronze in the 10,000m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo, her last major competitive appearance before stepping off the track.

    The positive result emerged from an out-of-competition doping test conducted last December, where analysts found a metabolite of Letrozole, a substance classified as a prohibited aromatase inhibitor on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned list. Clinically, Letrozole is primarily used to treat breast cancer by reducing estrogen levels in the body.

    When the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) notified Tsegay of the positive finding in late January, the runner responded within 24 hours to confirm she had been prescribed the drug to treat a officially diagnosed medical condition, and submitted full supporting medical documentation to back up her claim. In February, Tsegay filed an application for a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE) with World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field. World Athletics confirmed that her ongoing treatment aligned with WADA’s international standards for approved TUEs, but WADA ultimately rejected her request for a retroactive exemption granted under exceptional circumstances.

    Following the rejection, Tsegay entered a formal case resolution agreement with both WADA and the AIU to settle the violation without extended litigation. In an official statement announcing the ban, the AIU noted that the four-month sanction was deemed appropriate under anti-doping rules governing cases where the athlete bears minimal to no fault or negligence.

    The length of the ban was determined based on multiple mitigating factors: Tsegay’s limited degree of fault, her immediate and honest admission of the violation, the confirmation that her use of Letrozole met WADA’s TUE standards for medical need, and the formal finding that she would have been approved for a TUE if she had submitted the application before taking the medication. The ban has been backdated to 1 June 2024, and will remain in effect through 30 September 2024.

  • London council takes possession of property linked to Sierra Leone’s First Lady

    London council takes possession of property linked to Sierra Leone’s First Lady

    After a year-long probe into tenancy eligibility, Southwark Council in south London has formally taken control of a subsidized council property connected to Fatima Bio, the First Lady of Sierra Leone. This development comes just weeks after Bio publicly addressed the housing arrangement in an interview with BBC Global Women, sparking widespread public debate on both sides of the Atlantic.

    During that interview, Bio opened up about her life journey: from fleeing a forced child marriage as a young person to seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, and eventually rising to become one of the most influential female figures in Sierra Leone. When questioned about her continued hold on the Walworth-area council flat, she defended her right to keep the property, noting that all her children hold British citizenship, and stating firmly, “I’m paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime.”

    The case has thrown a spotlight on the deep affordable housing crisis facing Southwark, where more than 18,000 qualified applicants are currently stuck on the waiting list for social housing. Council policy openly acknowledges that even vulnerable applicants with the most urgent needs can wait multiple years to secure a subsidized home, making the allocation of every available property a high-stakes issue for local authorities and residents alike.

    In an official statement shared with the BBC, Reginald Popoola, Southwark Council’s executive member for council housing, outlined the authority’s next steps for the recovered property. “We can confirm we have taken possession of a property in Walworth following a 12-month investigation by our Housing Investigations Team,” he said. “I look forward to bringing this council property back to its original purpose which is to provide a safe and secure home for people with legitimate housing need on the council’s waiting list. This property will be swiftly allocated to a local family in genuine housing need.”

    Crucially, the council has pushed back against inaccurate circulating reports: it has not formally evicted Fatima Bio, nor has it levelled any accusations of criminal wrongdoing against her, aligning with the council’s ongoing crackdown on improper tenancy arrangements across the borough. Over the past two years, Southwark has recovered 107 council properties through similar eligibility investigations as part of its campaign against tenancy fraud and unauthorized occupation.

    The wider context of this case underscores the chronic pressure on social housing across London. Almost every borough in the capital reports growing waiting lists for affordable units, as demand for low-cost, secure housing continues to outstrip supply amid the city’s ongoing cost-of-living and housing crises.

    After the council’s public announcement, BBC Global Women reached out to Fatima Bio’s office to request her response to the development. A spokesperson for the First Lady told the outlet that she had no knowledge of the report and was unable to offer a comment at this time. Bio, a prominent advocate for gender equality who has attended high-profile global events including a 2022 Buckingham Palace reception on ending violence against women hosted by Queen Camilla, has not yet addressed the council’s action publicly.

  • Niger military junta introduces new penal code criminalizing homosexuality with 5-10 years in prison

    Niger military junta introduces new penal code criminalizing homosexuality with 5-10 years in prison

    NIAMEY, NIGER – In a policy shift that deepens legal restrictions on LGBTQIA+ people across West Africa, Niger’s ruling military junta has enacted a sweeping new penal code that formally criminalizes same-sex relations and LGBTQIA+ identity, a senior adviser to the country’s justice ministry confirmed Friday to the Associated Press.

    The new legislation, which went into full effect Thursday, marks a major change from Niger’s prior legal framework, where same-sex relations were never explicitly outlawed, even as widespread social stigma marginalized LGBTQIA+ communities for decades. Niger is the second West African nation to implement such a ban this year, following similar restrictive legislation passed in Senegal earlier in 2024.

    According to the full text of the penal code, any individual found to have “committed or attempted to commit an immodest or unnatural act or practices lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) acts” faces a mandatory prison sentence ranging from five to 10 years, in addition to substantial financial fines. The harsh penalties extend far beyond the individuals engaged in same-sex relationships: anyone who officiates a same-sex marriage, acts as a witness for the union, consents to the ceremony, or organizes the event is subject to the same five-to-10-year prison term and fines.

    Hamidou Julien, the justice ministry adviser who confirmed the law’s implementation, did not comment on whether the junta plans to prioritize enforcement of the new provisions in the coming months. Human rights observers have already raised alarms over the policy, noting that it will exacerbate systemic discrimination and push already marginalized LGBTQIA+ Nigeriens further underground.

    The legal change places Niger among a large bloc of African nations with anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. Across the continent’s 54 recognized countries, more than 30 currently classify same-sex sexual conduct as a criminal offense. Many of these nations, including Kenya, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, impose maximum prison sentences of 10 years or longer for conviction. In three African countries – Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania – people convicted of same-sex relations can legally be sentenced to death.

  • Pope tells traffickers of migrants in the Canary Islands: Stop, repent or face God’s wrath

    Pope tells traffickers of migrants in the Canary Islands: Stop, repent or face God’s wrath

    On the final day of his weeklong trip to Spain, Pope Leo XIV delivered a stark rebuke to human traffickers operating one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, issuing a call for repentance and warning that they will face divine justice for exploiting vulnerable people seeking a new life in Europe. The pontiff made the remarks Friday during a gathering with humanitarian aid groups in San Cristobal de la Laguna, on the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago that has long served as a primary entry point for migrants crossing the perilous Atlantic from West Africa.

    Positioned just off the coast of Northwest Africa, hundreds of kilometers closer to the African continent than to mainland Europe, the Canary Islands have become the epicenter of one of the most dangerous migration pathways on Earth. Unlike the more heavily discussed central Mediterranean route, the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean and limited search-and-rescue infrastructure make this crossing far deadlier for migrants. Experts have documented entire boats drifting across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Latin America, only to be found with all passengers dead after being pushed off course by trade winds and currents. Migrant arrivals to the islands peaked at nearly 47,000 in 2024, before dropping sharply to just over 3,000 in the first five months of 2026, a shift that has not eliminated the risk of deadly voyages.

    Addressing the criminal networks that profit from this crisis directly, Pope Leo issued an unflinching appeal. “Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” he said, adding, “Stop. Repent. For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice. Repent while there is still time, for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice and conversion.” Smugglers operating the route typically charge thousands of euros per passenger, often trapping migrants in debt bondage by withholding identity documents and forcing them into exploitation such as sex work or illicit labor after arrival. Many migrants also travel on self-organized boats: a large share are former Senegalese fishermen left without livelihoods due to widespread overfishing off West Africa’s coast.

    Leo’s visit to the Canary Islands fulfills a long-held wish of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who made migration advocacy a core priority of his 12-year pontificate, often clashing with right-leaning governments in the U.S. and Europe over restrictive border policies. As the first U.S.-born pope in history, Leo has positioned himself as a clear heir to Francis’ legacy, while adding his own public-facing style to the advocacy. The pontiff’s Canary Islands trip was designed to honor the thousands of migrants who have lost their lives attempting the crossing, a mission that comes amid rising anti-migrant sentiment across Europe and the Trump administration’s aggressive mass deportation campaign in the United States.

    Shortly after arriving on the islands Thursday, Leo carried forward a symbolic tradition established by Francis: he tossed a bouquet of flowers into the ocean from Tenerife’s “Dock of Shame,” the port site where thousands of migrants were forced to live in squalid, overcrowded conditions during a 2020 arrival spike. The gesture mirrored a 2013 trip Francis made to Lampedusa, Sicily, another key migration flashpoint, where he first denounced what he called the “globalization of indifference” toward people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate disaster. In a moment that revealed Leo’s more casual, youth-connected style, he embraced a viral social media hand gesture popular with young people after hearing testimony from a former migrant, drawing loud cheers from the gathered crowd.

    During his meeting with aid groups Friday, the pope also appealed to European host communities to welcome and integrate migrants, calling out the “silent shipwreck of abandonment” that leaves many survivors homeless and destitute on the streets after surviving their dangerous crossing. “A human conscience, and even more so a Christian conscience, cannot remain indifferent in the face of these graveyards of the sea, to the victims of shipwrecks and the lack of aid,” he said. “Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family.”

    Leo reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s core teaching of “welcome the stranger,” noting that integration of migrants into local communities offers an opportunity to share faith without imposing it on people with different religious backgrounds. He also emphasized that while migrants have a right to flee dangerous conditions, their home countries bear a responsibility to create the economic and security conditions that would allow people to choose to stay rather than risk their lives at sea. During a visit to the Las Raíces migrant reception center, the pope met directly with migrants, hearing firsthand accounts of their journeys, and went off-script to address the crowd in French and English, drawing applause from attendees. One Senegalese migrant, Bousso Diouf, shared her story of desperation and trauma, asking that all migrants be treated with dignity and respect.

    Leo’s trip to Spain wrapped up Friday, but his advocacy on migration will continue next month, when he plans to spend U.S. Independence Day on July 4 at Lampedusa, the site of Francis’ landmark 2013 address on the global migration crisis, to further amplify the call for greater global compassion toward displaced people.

  • South Africa trolled by African fans in wake of World Cup loss

    South Africa trolled by African fans in wake of World Cup loss

    As the final whistle blew on the opening match of the 2026 expanded FIFA World Cup between South Africa and co-host Mexico, the 2-0 defeat for Bafana Bafana left South African supporters heartbroken — but what unfolded across social media revealed a far deeper rift than a disappointing on-pitch result. In a break from the long-held tradition of pan-African unity that defines continental participation in major global tournaments, fans across the continent threw their support behind Mexico, linking their choice to ongoing deadly xenophobic violence targeting African migrants in South Africa.

    The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, features 10 African teams in its expanded 48-team format, marking a historic high for continental representation. Ahead of Thursday’s Group stage opener, many African football fans already made clear their decision to back Mexico, directly tying the choice to simmering anti-migrant tensions that have roiled South Africa in recent weeks.

    Social media was flooded with playful but pointed content after the match: users changed their profile pictures to Mexican flags, adopted Spanish pseudonyms, and shared memes featuring sombreros under the trending tagline “Mexico versus xenophobia.” One user on platform X, referencing widespread reports of migrant mistreatment, asked bluntly: “You want people to cheer for you when you play soccer just because we’re African?” Another echoed the sentiment, leaning into the baseless narrative that foreign workers drive South Africa’s unemployment crisis to joke: “We’re supporting Mexico so that South Africa can go back home early to protect their jobs.” Prominent Kenyan lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi added a sharp, satirical take: “I hope South Africa is not blaming African migrants for the 2–0 defeat and two red cards in the match against Mexico.”

    In-person fan sentiment reflected the same divide. Daniel Kaniki, a Congolese supporter who attended a public fan viewing event in Atlanta, Georgia, told reporters the split came down to basic solidarity. “Africa is like one country and if one is chasing others, we are not a family any more. That’s why I’m supporting Mexico today,” he explained.

    Not all fans from across the continent sided against South Africa, however. Vanlare Quist, a Ghanaian fan also at the Atlanta viewing park, said he remained firmly in Bafana Bafana’s corner. As a proud African, he argued that anti-immigrant sentiment is driven by only a small minority of South Africans, not the nation as a whole. In Juba, the capital of South Sudan, public viewing center attendees uniformly backed South Africa, rooted in shared historical struggle: South Sudan’s fight for independence from Sudan has long drawn ideological connection to South Africa’s fight against apartheid white-minority rule.

    “It was unfortunate that on social media we saw some African countries supporting Mexico and even wearing Mexico jerseys. As South Sudanese, we are behind South Africa and will continue to support South Africa – because they are representing Africa. So, all African countries must support South Africa during this World Cup,” 23-year-old student George Kenyi Charles Rehan told reporters from Juba.

    Back in South Africa, supporters pushed back against the wave of online trolling after the defeat, doubling down on their pride in the national team. The South African government also released a statement commending Bafana Bafana for their “spirited performance,” noting that “while the final score was not what the nation had hoped for, the team represented South Africa with unity, determination, and a sense of pride on the world’s biggest stage.”

    Many South African social media users rejected criticism of the country’s immigration policies, with one writing: “We qualified for the World Cup alone without your support and whether we win or lose we will remain South Africans who love their country. And illegal immigrants will still leave our country whether you hate us or not.”

    The continental rift exposed by the World Cup opener is rooted in a years-long surge of anti-migrant sentiment that has escalated dramatically in recent weeks. Migrants from other African nations have faced targeted violence and intimidation, with extremist anti-migrant groups issuing a 30 June deadline for all undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly condemned vigilantism, stressing that “only authorised government officials can act against violations of our law.” But he has also acknowledged that public frustrations over immigration “deserve to be heard, and they deserve to be addressed.”

    In response to the escalating threats, multiple African nations have begun repatriating their citizens from South Africa. Nigeria became the latest country to announce evacuations this week, joining Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi, all of which have already moved to bring their citizens home amid safety concerns.

    The roots of the current crisis stretch back to the end of apartheid in 1994, when thousands of people from across the continent moved to South Africa seeking greater economic opportunity. Today, however, South Africa struggles with an official unemployment rate exceeding 30%, a crisis that has fueled scapegoating of foreign workers and sparked regular anti-migrant protests and deadly xenophobic attacks in major urban centers.

    Despite the opening defeat, South Africa still has two remaining Group stage matches to climb out of the bottom of the table and qualify for the knockout round of the expanded tournament, leaving the nation with an opportunity to prove its quality on the pitch even as tensions off the field continue to simmer.

  • Kenya holds a memorial service for 16 victims of last month’s girls school fire

    Kenya holds a memorial service for 16 victims of last month’s girls school fire

    NAIROBI, Kenya – Hundreds of grieving mourners packed a memorial service Friday in Gilgil, a central Kenyan town, to pay final respects to 16 female students who lost their lives in a devastating dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy last month. Authorities have confirmed the blaze was an intentional arson attack, and nine current students of the academy remain in police custody as the investigation continues.

    The ceremony unfolded against a backdrop of growing national anxiety over a worsening crisis of school unrest: dozens of learning institutions across Kenya have shut their doors in recent weeks amid a surge in student-led violence and fire incidents. The remains of the deceased students were laid to rest in white coffins, each decorated with fresh blooms and a portrait of the young life cut short. Rows of the caskets were displayed before an audience of grieving family members, shaken classmates, local community leaders and elected officials, nearly all of whom united in urgent calls for accountability and systemic change.

    Investigative updates from police indicate the nine accused students intentionally set fire to a mattress placed at the dormitory exit on May 28, using a matchstick and paraffin to ignite the blaze. No clear motive for the attack has been made public as interrogations continue. At the service, hundreds of surviving Utumishi Girls Academy students joined together to sing a quiet, somber hymn that expressed hope amid overwhelming grief. One senior presiding official opened up about his own experience as a survivor of Kenya’s deadliest ever school fire, the 2001 Machakos County blaze that claimed 67 boys’ lives, drawing a direct line between past failures and the current tragedy.

    The service was also attended by Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto, and the presiding bishop used his address to challenge national leaders, asking how many more young lives must be lost before urgent safety reforms are enacted. School captain Abigael Wanjiku delivered a heartfelt eulogy for her fallen schoolmates, remembering them as beloved friends, dedicated study partners, supportive teammates and constant companions. “The pain of losing them is one that we will carry for a long time,” Wanjiku told the gathered crowd.

    A mother speaking on behalf of all bereaved families broke down in tears mid-speech, repeating calls for full accountability and justice for the 16 victims while reassuring surviving students that securing their safety remains the community’s top priority.

    This latest tragedy is far from an isolated incident in Kenya. Data from the Kenya Red Cross shows the organization has responded to 37 separate school fires across the country since the start of 2024. Fires in Kenyan schools have become a disturbingly common occurrence: some are linked to student arson, often carried out as protest against strict disciplinary measures or upcoming high-stakes examinations, while others are accidental blazes sparked by faulty electrical wiring. Systemic failures have repeatedly amplified the death toll from these incidents: overcrowded dormitories, a lack of functioning emergency exits, and insufficient on-site firefighting equipment all contribute to higher loss of life and broader property damage when fires break out.

    In the wake of the Utumishi Girls Academy fire, Kenya’s Education Ministry has already suspended the school’s principal for failing to meet mandatory fire safety regulations. The ministry also took broader action earlier this year, shutting down more than 300 schools after a separate 2024 fire tragedy in central Kenya killed 21 boys, highlighting the scale of the ongoing national safety crisis.

  • Iranian woman among migrants deported from the US to the Central African Republic

    Iranian woman among migrants deported from the US to the Central African Republic

    A deportation flight organized by the former Trump administration is set to land in the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui on Friday, carrying roughly two dozen migrants from third countries, including one Iranian woman who had previously been granted protection from deportation to her home nation, legal representatives confirmed.

    This transfer marks the latest high-profile example of the controversial, largely secretive agreements Washington struck with multiple African and Latin American nations to accept deportees who are not citizens of their receiving countries, a policy that has drawn widespread condemnation from immigration advocates and legal experts.

    According to immigration rights advocates, the Central African Republic — a chronically impoverished, conflict-battered nation — is one of at least 10 African countries that have signed onto these third-country deportation arrangements. As part of a broader hardline U.S. immigration crackdown during the Trump administration, officials struck these often-unpublic deals to expel thousands of non-citizen migrants to countries that are not their country of origin, across roughly 24 nations total.

    Immigration lawyers argue the policy is a deliberate legal loophole, designed to indirectly force asylum seekers who would otherwise be protected from return to their home countries into dangerous third-party states, effectively circumventing court-ordered deportation protections.

    The flight departed Louisiana late Thursday bound for Bangui, though exact passenger numbers have not been officially confirmed. Ali Rahnama, president of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, who has been in direct contact with several of the detained migrants, confirmed the group includes nationals from Iran, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Afghanistan.

    Sahar Jalili Pawelski, an immigration lawyer representing three Iranian women initially slated for deportation on this flight, explained that two of her three clients secured emergency court orders that temporarily paused their removal, while judges review whether the U.S. government’s deportation action is legally valid. All three Iranian women had previously received court-ordered protection from deportation to Iran, after judges ruled they faced credible threats of persecution based on their political beliefs or religious identity, both Pawelski and Rahnama confirmed. Only one Iranian woman remains on the flight scheduled to land Friday.

    An elderly Syrian migrant also scheduled for deportation to the Central African Republic similarly obtained an emergency temporary order halting his removal, according to his attorney Margaret Stock.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials declined to comment on the specific case Thursday, citing security policies that prevent confirmation of upcoming removal operations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deportation flight.

    The receiving country, the Central African Republic, has been ravaged by years of armed conflict between government forces and rebel factions, and ranks among the poorest countries on Earth. Despite holding extensive gold reserves, one in three Central African citizens survives on less than $2 USD per day. The nation is also a historic hub of activity for the Russian private mercenary group Wagner, which for years provided security to President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and led combat operations against rebel groups.

    While the Central African Republic remains one of Russia’s closest African allies, recent tensions have emerged between Touadéra and Moscow, after Russia demanded Wagner be replaced by the state-run Africa Corps. Rahnama has raised particular alarm over the deportation of the Iranian asylum seeker to the Central African Republic, pointing to Russia’s widespread influence in the country and the close security partnership between Moscow and Tehran, which puts the migrant at heightened risk of harm.

    This report was compiled by correspondent Banchereau in Dakar, Senegal, with additional contribution from Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana based in Washington.