Senegal MPs Back Sweeping Constitutional Reform

Senegal

Police fired tear gas as protesters clashed with security outside Senegal's National Assembly, where lawmakers approved a major constitutional reform that would significantly reduce presidential powers.

The bill, backed by the ruling Pastef party, shifts more authority to parliament and the prime minister in what supporters describe as a move to rebalance power between the executive and the legislature.

Opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote after one MP was forcibly removed from the chamber, while demonstrators outside tried to breach the Assembly before being dispersed by police.

Opponents argue the reforms weaken the presidency and were pushed through without broad political consultation.

Following the vote, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced the proposed constitutional changes will now be put to a national referendum, giving Senegalese voters the final say on the country's political future.

Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal Faces Human Rights Court Challenge

30 JUN 2026   

Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal has triggered a major legal and political debate after advocacy groups filed a complaint at the ECOWAS Court in Abuja. The case challenges Ghana’s role in accepting people deported from the United States under Donald Trump’s third-country removal policy, then allegedly allowing them to be sent onward to their home countries despite earlier rulings that direct return was unsafe. This has turned the issue into a serious Human Rights and State Policy dispute with regional implications.

The complaint argues that the arrangement may have violated domestic law, regional obligations, and the principle against sending people back to danger. It also raises questions about whether migration enforcement can be outsourced through secret agreements without public scrutiny or parliamentary approval. As a result, the story now sits at the intersection of deportation policy, sovereignty, and human-rights accountability.

Why the Ghana deportation deal is controversial

The controversy centers on whether Ghana acted as a neutral transit point or as an active partner in a removals chain that exposed deportees to further risk. Reporting indicates that at least 60 people were sent to Ghana since September, while the complaint was filed on behalf of 27 deportees. The key concern is that the deportees were first sent to Ghana and then onward to their home countries, even after US judges had said such direct returns were unsafe.

This is why the issue is being framed through Human Rights law rather than only immigration enforcement. If a state helps move people into a chain that ends in persecution or harm, it may be responsible for violating the prohibition on refoulement. That legal concern is now at the center of the ECOWAS challenge.

Human Rights concerns in the deportation case

The most serious issue in Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal is the risk of refoulement, meaning the return of people to places where they may face persecution, torture, or other harm. The deportees had already received protections from US courts against direct return, so using Ghana as an intermediary appears to weaken those safeguards. This is why human-rights groups argue that the arrangement may have produced the same dangerous outcome through a different route.

Related reporting also suggests that some deportees faced coercive treatment during transfer and further removal after arrival. That adds another layer to the case, showing that the problem is not only about policy design but also about the treatment of individuals inside the deportation process. In this context, Human Rights is not a secondary theme; it is the core legal and ethical issue.

State Policy and sovereignty concerns

The case also raises difficult questions about State Policy and national sovereignty. Critics have argued that Ghana’s deportation arrangement may have lacked parliamentary approval and therefore failed constitutional requirements. If true, that would mean the government made a far-reaching migration decision without the transparency and oversight normally expected in a democratic system.

This matters because migration deals are not just technical agreements. They can shape foreign relations, border control, detention, and the country’s international reputation. When such deals are made quietly, they can create the impression that State Policy is being driven more by external pressure than by domestic public interest.

ECOWAS Court challenge and legal stakes

By taking the case to the ECOWAS Court, the advocacy groups have transformed a bilateral migration issue into a regional legal test. The complaint reportedly argues that Ghana was facilitating removals to unsafe countries, which could violate both regional legal standards and domestic obligations. The case may become an important precedent for how West African states handle third-country deportation arrangements in the future.

The legal stakes are high because the court could force greater transparency around deportation agreements and limit government discretion in migration enforcement. If the complaint succeeds, it may encourage other countries to rethink similar deals and strengthen protections for people facing removal. If it fails, governments may see more room to use similar arrangements with less oversight.

What the Trump deportation policy means here

The broader context is the Trump administration’s third-country removals strategy, which appears to have been used to bypass direct return to countries where deportees had already won legal protection. Instead of sending people straight back, the policy relied on willing partner states to receive them first. Critics say this approach can undermine judicial rulings and weaken the practical value of legal safeguards.

That is what makes Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal so important. It is not only about one country receiving deportees; it is about whether immigration enforcement can be stretched across borders in a way that avoids legal limits. The result is a policy model that may be efficient for governments but deeply troubling for Human Rights advocates.

Regional impact and future implications

The ECOWAS case could influence how other African governments approach deportation agreements with the United States or other external powers. If Ghana is found to have acted unlawfully, states across the region may become more cautious about accepting third-country deportees. That would make the case a turning point in regional migration governance.

It could also strengthen the role of regional courts in checking executive actions that affect vulnerable people. More broadly, the case shows how hidden migration deals can later become public legal crises once they are challenged in court. For policymakers, the lesson is that State Policy on deportation cannot be separated from transparency, accountability, and legal compliance.

Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal has become a major test of how far states can go in cooperating with foreign deportation policies without violating legal and moral obligations. The ECOWAS challenge places Human Rights and State Policy at the center of the debate, especially around refoulement, secrecy, and constitutional oversight. As the case develops, it will likely remain a reference point for regional migration policy and the limits of executive power.

She Fled Genital Mutilation in Togo and the U.S. Deported Her

A judge ruled that the woman should not be deported there, so the Trump administration sent her to Ghana — which returned her to Togo.

By Tobi Raji

The 28-year-old began to panic when she learned where the military cargo plane, newly departed from a tarmac in Louisiana, was taking her.

The United States was deporting her and 13 other West Africans to Ghana, a country none of them called their own. From there, she feared, she would be sent on to neighboring Togo, the home she had fled to avoid genital mutilation.

A U.S. judge had ruled that the Trump administration could not send her back there. But Ghana was under no such obligation.

After two weeks last September in detention near Accra, the West Africa nation’s capital, armed guards dropped her and five others off at the Togo border, she said.

She has been in hiding in Togo ever since.

“I know God is with me but I’m tired,” she said in a tearful conversation. “I’m a human being. I have to live, like everybody.”

Over the past year, the Trump administration has sent hundreds of people to countries they are not from, in what are known as third-country deportations. Some of those people, like the woman who wound up back in Togo, had been granted protection against being sent back to the country they had fled by a U.S. immigration judge, only to be sent there by a third-country intermediary.

The woman, along with a man from Gambia deported on the same flight, spoke with The Washington Post by phone, on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The Post also spoke with lawyers working with some of the deportees and reviewed court documents, including from their asylum proceeding and lawsuits filed in the United States and Ghana.

The story of the woman’s escape from Togo is recounted in her asylum declaration. An asylum officer had determined that she faced a credible fear of persecution or torture if deported to her country of birth, and an immigration judge ruled she could not be sent there. But under the Biden-era “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule, the woman could not receive asylum, having crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without having sought protection in a country through which she passed en route. Had the restrictions not been in place, the judge would have granted her asylum, according to court documents.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment on the deportations to Ghana. In a statement to The Post, the White House defended its use of third-country deportations, adding that it doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon: “The Trump Administration will continue using all lawful methods to carry out President Trump’s promise to deport criminal illegal aliens.”

Togo’s embassy in Washington did not provide information requested about genital mutilation in the country. The office of Ghana’s president, the country’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment about the terms of Ghana’s deportation agreement with the Trump administration.

The woman left Togo in 2024 to escape genital cutting, she said. She had learned in school about health complications related to the custom — widely condemned as a severe human rights violation — which her mother and cousins had undergone. Practiced in dozens of countries, it often involves removing part of the clitoris and labia minora, and in some cases, sewing the vaginal opening shut.

In January 2024, her cousin was forced to undergo genital mutilation and died as a result, she said in interviews and her U.S. asylum declaration.

“The whole family hid the reason for her death except for my mother and her brother, who told me the truth,” she wrote in her asylum declaration. “Fear once again became a part of my daily life, knowing that I was bound to be the next to be cut under the circumciser’s sharp knife.”

“I clearly told my great-uncle that I was not going to give them the chance to expose my life to this murderous practice ‘in the name of tradition’ that took my cousin’s life, and that if my cousin succumbed, it was their fault, and they were the murderers,” she wrote.

Togo outlawed female genital mutilation in 1998. The practice has become uncommon there, but is not eradicated, according to a 2020 report, and remains somewhat prevalent in the Centrale Region, where she is from. When the woman asked the police for help, she said they told her be “a good African woman” and “respect my tradition,” she wrote.

“In this country, nobody can help me,” she told The Post. “If they do that practice on me and I die, nobody will help. Nobody will say anything.”

After family members held her captive, beating and starving her, she managed to escape, she said, and fled to the United States by way of Brazil and the perilous Darién Gap that separates Colombia and Panama. ICE detained her at the United States’ southern border in January 2025 and held her at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona for eight months, she said.

A judge granted her a withholding of removal order on May 20, 2025, according to court documents, blocking deportation to Togo.

“Unfortunately for me, one day they just transferred me from Arizona to Louisiana and then from Louisiana to Ghana,” she said. Before long, she was back where she started.

Of the 14 people the U.S. deported to Ghana on the flight from Louisiana in September, at least 11 — including the woman from Togo and a man from Gambia — had been granted protections against removal by a U.S. immigration judge under the United Nations Convention Against Torture or other law, according to court documents.

Under CAT, to which the United States and Ghana are parties, the government cannot “expel or extradite” a person to a country where it is more likely than not that they will be tortured. The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits deporting a noncitizen to a country where their “life or freedom would be threatened” because of their “race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

In such cases, the administration has been deporting people to third countries. It sent a group of people from Latin America to the Democratic Republic of Congo last month, NPR reported. At least 25 countries have entered into deportation agreements, many of them opaque, with the U.S. government, or have received third-country nationals, according to a report released by Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February. A federal-court decision blocked some of the deportations in February, but a higher court ruled that they could resume as a legal challenge proceeds, and third-country deportations continued apace in April.

According to the report, the Trump administration incentivized five countries — El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Eswatini and Palau — to agree to the deal by providing direct financial payments totaling $32 million.

As a part of those agreements, U.S. authorities sent about 250 Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador last spring, while 29 migrants have been deported to Equatorial Guinea, 15 to Eswatini and seven to Rwanda, the report said.

Immigration advocates and attorneys have accused the Trump administration of using third-country deportations to circumvent CAT and INA protections through a process known as indirect or chain refoulement, which is prohibited under international refugee law. International law holds that states cannot avoid liability by merely outsourcing refugee protections, especially when exposing those individuals to foreseeable onward harm and removal, said Elora Mukherjee, a professor at Columbia Law School. But there is little recourse.

In March, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights agreed to hear a challenge to Eswatini’s third-country deportation agreement with the United States. The lawsuit, filed by the Global Strategic Litigation Council in December on behalf of three U.S. deportees originally from Cuba, Jamaica and Yemen, is the first of its kind outside of the Americas region.

At least 34 West Africans have been deported to Ghana since September as part of the third-country agreement between Washington and Accra, according to Meredyth Yoon, a lawyer working with some of them.

Ghana has defended its agreement with the United States. “We were approached by the U.S. to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the U.S., and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable,” Ghanaian President John Mahama said in September. “West Africa has a protocol of free movement. Any West African is welcome in Ghana.”

In February, Ghana’s Supreme Court ordered Mahama’s government to disclose the terms of the country’s deportation agreement to Ghanaian rights group Democracy Hub, which it has yet to do.

The 14 West African migrants sent to Ghana on the flight described in this story did not find out where they were headed until the plane stopped in the U.S. Virgin Islands to refuel, five of the deportees allege in a lawsuit filed in Washington by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a legal advocacy group.

One of the five, a man from Gambia who had a judicial order against deportation there, was sent on by Ghana to Gambia. He has been in hiding ever since, he said. In the lawsuit, he said an ICE agent told him he would wind up back in his home country. ICE did not respond to a request for comment on the accusation.

“I think if the government was doing things aboveboard, they wouldn’t be forcing people into planes in the middle of the night without letting them talk to their attorneys and not telling them where they’re going until they’re on the plane,” said Bria Yazic, a lawyer working with some of the migrants.

The Togolese woman described being held in Ghana in poor conditions, without access to lawyers or family members. Detainees had limited access to running water and no access to bedding or feminine hygiene products, according to the Democracy Hub lawsuit.

“Despite repeated requests, they were not transported to any medical facility outside the camp,” the lawsuit alleges.

The woman was held at the camp for nearly two weeks until armed soldiers drove six of the migrants to Aflao, a border town in eastern Ghana, in late September. They were separated into two groups of three, given less than $150 each and ordered to cross the border into Togo on foot, the deportees say in the lawsuit filed in Ghanaian courts. Of the six people sent to Togo, only two were from there, the woman said. For the others, the country of fewer than 10 million residents was simply another incongruous stop in their deportation odyssey.

They walked for miles before hailing a taxi to Lomé, Togo’s capital city along the Atlantic coastline, the woman said. She parted ways with the group at a hotel and called her mother.

“I traveled from here to the U.S. to save my life,” the woman said. “I had a chance … but all these foolish people took my dreams.”

Lawyers Drag Ghana To ECOWAS Court For Accepting US Deportees In Controversial Policy

June 30, 2026

The lawsuit was filed by Ghanaian law firm Merton & Everett LLP, the Cornell Law School Transnational Disputes Clinic in the United States, and the Global Strategic Litigation Council, a coalition of non-governmental organisations.

Some lawyers have instituted a suit against Ghana before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, accusing the West African country of violating regional and domestic laws by accepting deportees from the United States under Washington's third-country deportation policy and facilitating their return to countries where they allegedly face persecution.

The legal action, filed on Monday at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, represents 27 deportees who were among at least 60 people sent to Ghana by the United States since September under President Donald Trump's expanded immigration enforcement programme.

According to the legal team, many of those deported had previously secured asylum or other legal protections in the United States but were nevertheless transferred to Ghana after U.S. authorities argued they could not be returned directly to their countries of origin.

The lawsuit was filed by Ghanaian law firm Merton & Everett LLP, the Cornell Law School Transnational Disputes Clinic in the United States, and the Global Strategic Litigation Council, a coalition of non-governmental organisations.

Explaining the basis of the case, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, senior partner at Merton & Everett LLP, said: "No person should be returned to a place where they face persecution, torture, or serious threats to their dignity and safety."

The legal coalition alleges that Ghana is violating domestic and regional law by "facilitating removals to unsafe countries", arguing that the country's cooperation with the U.S. deportation arrangement has exposed vulnerable migrants to renewed danger.

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice serves as the highest judicial body of the Economic Community of West African States, the regional bloc comprising 12 member countries.

Under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, the United States has broadened the categories of people targeted for deportation, including individuals who previously enjoyed legal protections.

In situations where U.S. courts have ruled that deportees are likely to face torture or persecution if returned directly to their home countries, Washington has instead transferred them to third countries such as Ghana.

According to AFP, Ghana subsequently repatriated some deportees to their countries of origin, while others were reportedly taken into neighbouring Togo without travel documents.

The legal team said Ghana has disclosed little about the terms of its arrangement with Washington beyond indicating that it would only receive West African deportees.

However, shortly after the agreement took effect, the United States lifted visa restrictions it had earlier imposed on Ghana.

The lawsuit further states that the deportees represented in the case "had sought, and the majority had obtained asylum or other legal protections in the United States."

Under the Trump administration's interpretation of U.S. law, authorities maintain that legal protections only prevent deportees from being sent directly to countries where they face danger, allowing transfers to third countries instead.

The lawyers said none of the 27 applicants remains in Ghana.

Describing their current situation, the legal coalition said: "Many now remain in hiding in their home countries or have fled to third countries where they wait in limbo."

The case comes weeks after another legal challenge was filed before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights seeking to halt U.S. deportations to Equatorial Guinea, another country that has served as a transit destination for African deportees under the policy. 

Rights Groups Sue Ghana Over US Third-country Deportations

Ghana is facing a legal challenge at West Africa's highest court over its role in accepting migrants deported from the United States under President Donald Trump's third-country deportation policy.

Human rights lawyers have filed a case on behalf of 27 deportees, arguing Ghana violated regional and international law by helping return people to countries where they risk persecution, torture or other serious harm.

The lawsuit says many of those deported had previously been granted asylum or other legal protections in the United States but were instead flown to Ghana because US courts blocked their direct removal to their home countries.

Lawyers also allege that some deportees were later sent onward to neighbouring Togo without identity documents, leaving them stranded and vulnerable.

According to the legal team, at least 60 people have been deported to Ghana since September under the policy.

The case, filed before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Nigeria, seeks to hold Ghana accountable for facilitating what campaigners describe as unlawful deportations and could test the legality of third-country removal agreements across the region.

25,000 Foreigners Flee South Africa as Unofficial Deadline to Leave Expires

South Africans protest against illegal migration, in Johannesburg, South Africa, April 29, 2026.

South Africa

South African police deployed to head off unrest and protests on Tuesday, the unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave that has already pushed thousands to flee.

Officers were out in force to prevent violence and looting, while hundreds of foreign nationals took refuge in several cities, urgently seeking help to leave.

At least two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian and a Malawian have been killed in anti-immigrant violence over recent weeks and several African governments have organised planes or buses to repatriate their citizens.

"I decided to go to avoid being attacked," said Malawian Peter Madsoan, 45, among several thousand gathered in the port city of Durban on Monday waiting for a bus to take him home. "I am a breadwinner back at home in Malawi," said the builder. "It is better for me to go than to die in South Africa."

The Border Management Authority MA told AFP on Monday that about 25,000 people had been repatriated in recent weeks.

Around 15,000 Malawians had been processed for departure, South African officials said last week, while thousands more from Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other countries had already left. Uganda announced at the weekend an "evacuation plan" to start in the coming days for nearly 750 of its citizens.

As Tuesday's unauthorised deadline arrived, thousands of people, mostly Malawians and Zimbabweans, also gathered in Cape Town and Johannesburg, waiting for assistance to go home.

Some said their landlords had evicted them or their employers had fired them, fearing fines from officials or attacks by vigilante groups.

Zimbabwean Evelyn Chinooneka, 29, said she and her 10-month-old baby had camped outside the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town for days.

"It was raining, all the clothes are wet now. We need our buses to come," said Chinooneka, who had worked for four years on a farm outside Cape Town before being told to leave.

In Johannesburg, men in Zulu attire and holding shields and sticks paraded through the Soweto township, chanting "Abahambe", which means "Let them go".

Rolling mass action

June 30 would launch "a national march to freedom, a rolling mass action" until all undocumented foreign nationals were deported, the leader of the anti-illegal migrant March and March group, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, told reporters last week.

"We are not calling for violence... no one will be killed on the 30th of June, and no looting will take place in our name," she said.

Concerned about a repeat of the unrest that struck five years ago, when around 350 people were killed in days of looting and riots, the government has ordered a massive security deployment and warned against opportunistic crime.

The July 2021 unrest was sparked by the brief jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma for refusing to testify to a commission probing corruption. In the countdown to June 30, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced stepped-up government plans to combat illegal immigration and called on traditional leaders to use their "standing to calm tensions".

The premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Thami Ntuli, said: "Whatever our concerns about undocumented migration, however legitimate the frustrations beneath them, we will not allow this province to be set alight a second time, whether by criminality or by xenophobia."

Migration 'weaponised'

One of the continent's wealthiest countries, South Africa is a magnet for migrant labour while grappling with an unemployment rate above 30 percent, high crime and a breakdown in services in many areas.

Previous flare-ups of violence targeting undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa have been deadly, with 62 people killed in riots in 2008.

But this is the first time that governments have simultaneously organised the repatriation of thousands of their nationals. Groups campaigning against illegal immigration accuse foreign nationals of taking jobs, committing crimes and putting pressure on resources.

"The xenophobic groups have got it wrong," said labour analyst Dale McKinley. "This is a problem of governance, corruption, and mismanagement," he told AFP.

Coming ahead of local government elections in November, the anti-migrant push has been "politically weaponised", he said.

South Africa Deploys Police for Widespread Protests by Groups Opposing Illegal Immigration

Live from Johannesburg as anti-immigration protesters call for a June 30 deadline for people who are in the country illegally to leave.

5:57 AM EDT, June 30, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators gathered in parts of South Africa to rally against illegal immigration on Tuesday, which some protest groups set as a deadline for the departure of all illegal migrants from the country.

South African groups planning to demonstrate blame illegal immigrants for causing unemployment among South Africans by accepting low wages, as well as high levels of crime and other problems.

The Tuesday deadline set by the groups for migrants to leave was not recognized by South Africa’s government, which has maintained that only authorities can enforce immigration laws.

The most prominent groups opposing illegal immigration include March and March, Operation Dudula and Progressive Forces. President Cyril Ramaphosa met Monday night with leaders of some of the groups and asked them to conduct peaceful demonstrations.

The South African police have deployed hundreds of officers in cities including Johannesburg in Gauteng province and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province to prepare for potential violence.

Previous marches against illegal immigration have resulted in attacks on migrants and vandalism of foreign-owned businesses.

Officers and private security firms also have been deployed in the Eastern Cape province where previous demonstrations against illegal immigration have turned violent, with some public infrastructure destroyed and shops owned by foreign nationals forced to close.

The planned protests have sparked fear of violence among thousands of migrants, primarily from neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi, who have gathered at their embassies and consulates to request transport back to their countries.

There has been increased traffic over the past few days at the Beitbridge checkpoint along the Zimbabwe border as buses carrying migrants left South Africa. Thousands of Malawian nationals also have returned to their country from a temporary repatriation center in Durban.

Demonstrators were seen gathering early Tuesday in parts of Durban, while there were reports of more protesters in parts of the North West and Free State provinces.

In Johannesburg, some shops owned by foreign nationals were closed as protesters began arriving.

“Today is the last day,” said Nkele Thebe, a protester in Johannesburg. “After today, we’ll be dealing with our president and our nation. We don’t want an outsider to come interfere.”

Another protester, Bongani Cindi, said groups opposing illegal immigration were being unfairly labeled as xenophobic for raising legitimate issues.

“Our country has got a lot of problems. We have influx of illegal immigrants who are committing crimes that we can’t even take anymore. So we need them to leave us in peace, so we can sort our house. We are not fighting anyone,” he said.

WFP Warns Funding Shortfall Fueling Somalia's Nutrition Crisis

Source: Xinhua| 2026-06-28 19:11:30|Editor: huaxia

MOGADISHU, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's food and nutrition crisis is deteriorating faster than anticipated due to failed rains, funding cuts, and spillover effects from the conflict in the Middle East, the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Sunday.

In its latest update on the food security situation, the WFP warned that emergency-level hunger (IPC Phase 4) now affects two million people, a sharp twofold increase from last year's figure, indicating a significant deterioration in food insecurity.

It warned that current humanitarian food assistance reaches only 450,000 people, leaving a staggering 76 percent of those in IPC Phase 4 without support through August.

"This gap will have severe consequences for the most vulnerable populations. Urgent funding is needed to scale up assistance and prevent further deterioration," the UN agency said.

According to the WFP, Somalia remains trapped in one of the world's most severe malnutrition crises, with 1.9 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.

It said reduced humanitarian services are increasing life-threatening risks, and the latest IPC analysis warns of a risk of famine in Southwest State's Burhakaba district, where nearly 40 percent of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition or worse.

The organization said the onset of the Hagaa dry season, marked by poor rainfall across central Somalia and parts of Puntland, is threatening a population whose recovery from previous droughts remains extremely fragile.

According to the WFP, compounding these climate shocks are severe macroeconomic pressures linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

A recent WFP study highlights how regional instability has triggered spillover effects, including higher energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and trade constraints, driving up the cost of fuel, transport, and food.

For an import-dependent country like Somalia, the WFP said these inflated costs have severely undermined household purchasing power. Nearly 60 percent of households are now unable to meet their basic needs, up from 47 percent in 2025, leaving up to 2.5 million additional people at risk of being priced out of a basic food basket.

"Urgent, flexible funding is required to sustain assistance, stabilize at-risk populations, and prevent further deterioration in food security and malnutrition," it said.

Uganda to Evacuate 746 Nationals from South Africa Amid Xenophobic Violence

Source: Xinhua| 2026-06-29 00:23:30|Editor: huaxia

KAMPALA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Sunday announced plans to evacuate 746 of its nationals from South Africa after months of escalating xenophobic violence, with the operation expected to begin within the next few days.

Haruna Kasolo, Uganda's acting minister of foreign affairs, told reporters that the evacuees had registered to return home and that the ministry was working with relevant government agencies, the Ugandan community in South Africa, and the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria to finalize the evacuation plan.

The government will facilitate the registration of returnees, their transfer to safe assembly centers, the issuance of emergency travel documents where necessary, and their departure from South Africa, Kasolo said.

Uganda Airlines, the country's national carrier, will operate special charter flights for the evacuation, with costs to be covered by the Ugandan government, he said.

Kasolo urged Ugandans wishing to return home to register with the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria as soon as possible.

He said some Ugandans had already left South Africa on their own following a June 30 deadline reportedly issued by vigilante groups.

Kasolo also confirmed that one Ugandan was killed in an anti-migrant attack in KwaZulu-Natal Province, adding that arrangements were underway to repatriate the body.

According to the minister, the Ugandan government continues to engage South African authorities to ensure the safety of Ugandans who remain in the country.

South Africa's Western Cape Appeals for Calm Ahead of Nationwide Anti-immigrant Protests

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia2026-06-29 20:50:00

CAPE TOWN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Monday appealed for calm and urged adherence to the rule of law ahead of planned nationwide protests against undocumented foreign nationals.

As anti-immigrant groups have set an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country voluntarily, some demonstrations have turned violent, particularly in informal settlement communities, where door-to-door raids have reportedly targeted all foreign nationals regardless of their immigration status.

In a statement released on Monday, Winde said that anyone acting outside the law must be arrested and prosecuted.

"We fully respect every resident's constitutional right to protest. However, this right must always be exercised peacefully and within the bounds of the law. I call on all residents to reject violence in all its forms. There is no justification for violence under any circumstances," said Winde.

"We have already seen tensions escalate. The Western Cape Government has responded decisively by enhancing inter-agency coordination and implementing contingency plans to help prevent any further social unrest. We remain committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of all residents while upholding the rule of law," he added.

Winde also called on undocumented foreign nationals to regularize their immigration status in the country.

Thousands of African immigrants from Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana and Zimbabwe have left their residences to seek safety elsewhere and government-assisted repatriation to their home countries.

Most recently, the Ugandan government has announced it would repatriate its nationals from South Africa, after 746 citizens expressed their intention to return home due to security and safety concerns.

On Sunday morning, many Zimbabwean nationals, who had camped outside the Zimbabwean Consulate in Cape Town for several days, were transferred to a Department of Home Affairs Repatriation Center in Epping for processing.

Africa CDC, WHO Launch Unified Platform to Support Africa's Ebola Response

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia2026-06-29 20:04:15

Photo taken on Nov. 3, 2025, shows the main building of the Chinese-built Africa CDC headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Ugandan government have officially launched the Joint Continental Incident Management Support Team to support continental health emergency capabilities amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

ADDIS ABABA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Ugandan government have officially launched the Joint Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to support continental health emergency capabilities amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

The Africa CDC, in a statement issued late Saturday, said the newly launched IMST establishes a unified operational platform to strengthen Africa's capacity to prepare for, coordinate, and respond to public health emergencies, while supporting the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease response.

Launched at Makerere University in Uganda's capital Kampala on Saturday, the IMST will support Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and neighboring at-risk countries through integrated technical assistance, operational coordination and multidisciplinary expertise, it was noted.

"The launch marks a significant milestone in strengthening Africa's public health emergency architecture and reflects a shared commitment by Africa CDC, WHO, and African Union (AU) member states to build faster, more coordinated, and country-led responses to increasingly complex public health threats," the Africa CDC said.

The new platform reinforces regional preparedness and cross-border collaboration as essential pillars of Africa's health security, the AU's specialized continental public health agency added.

The agency highlighted that the IMST -- guided by the principles of one team, one plan, and one budget -- brings together specialists in surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, infection prevention and control, emergency logistics and operations, risk communication, information management, and partner coordination to strengthen outbreak response across the region. 

More 'DeepSeek Moments' Ahead: Will US Continue to Build Walls or Learn?

By Global Times

Jun 28, 2026 11:01 PM

Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

A Chinese AI model ranks second globally in coding ability - behind only the best American model, at a fraction of the cost. Many media outlets are already calling it "another DeepSeek moment" or "DeepSeek 2.0." 

The "Sputnik moment" describes America's sudden realization, after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, that it had fallen behind and needed to catch up quickly. The "DeepSeek moment" borrows from that same logic. It refers to a Chinese team building a high-performance model with limited resources, challenging the conventional wisdom about the China-US AI gap. This suggests that something significant has shifted. Chinese AI can now compete where it matters.

DeepSeek first shook the industry with a low-cost, high-performance reasoning model. Zhipu AI's GLM-5.2, released recently, follows the same playbook. It handles long-context coding tasks and supports full software development workflows - from development and testing to deployment - while costs roughly one-sixth as much as comparable US models. 

On Code Arena, a large-scale, user-driven coding benchmark based on blind comparisons, GLM-5.2 scored 1,595 points - ranking second globally and first among all publicly available models. It is also open-source, freely available for anyone to use or modify.

What makes this pattern significant is the logic behind it.

Chinese companies are no longer just stacking more chips to get more power. They are getting more out of what they have - through algorithmic efficiency, smarter architectures, and relentless engineering.

Resource constraints have forced a more pragmatic approach. The IndexShare architecture in GLM-5.2, for example, reduces per-token computation by about 2.9 times at a 1-million-token context. The gap with top US models on long-horizon coding benchmarks has narrowed to 1-4 percent.

The market is already responding. OpenRouter data shows that the share of token requests going to Google, OpenAI and Anthropic models has dropped from 72 percent a year ago to 30 percent. More users are turning to cheaper, faster Chinese open-source models for routine tasks. As one analyst put it: "You don't need a Nobel laureate to fill out a reimbursement form."

The obvious question is: What can stop this from happening again? The answer is: nothing.

US sanctions and export controls have not stopped Chinese AI progress. In fact, they may have accelerated it. When access to advanced chips is cut off, Chinese labs have to find alternative solutions. The AI chip self-sufficiency ratio in China has risen from about 10 percent in 2021 to 41 percent in 2026. 

Former Google chief Eric Schmidt recently admitted that US hardware controls "failed to stop China" and that the gap between Chinese AI models and US state-of-the-art has shrunk to about six months.

Each new Chinese model release resets expectations regarding cost and accessibility, forcing US incumbents to respond. Nvidia, a company whose advantage has long rested on closed hardware and software, released an open-weight model in March 2026 - a notable shift. The competitive dynamic has become a forcing function for both sides.

The next few years will likely bring more such moments, not just in coding, but in other domains as well. Each one will narrow the gap a little further. The sanctions and controls will not stop this; instead, they will produce more pragmatic, efficient solutions.

This brings us to the real question: How can both sides contribute to global AI development within this competition - rather than trying to defeat each other? The evidence increasingly suggests that containment is not working. The more you try to wall off Chinese AI, the more determined and resourceful it becomes.

The "DeepSeek moment" was never a one-time event. It was a preview. More are coming. The only question is whether Washington will continue trying to build walls, or start asking what it can learn from a competitor that has figured out how to do more with less.

China Expands Support For Venezuela And Announces 100 Million Yuan In Assistance

Photo: AFP

June 29, 2026 Hour: 10:11 am

Beijing provides satellite images and Chinese companies in Venezuela supply machinery and medical equipment.

On Monday, China announced a new round of emergency assistance to Venezuela after two earthquakes with magnitudes above 7 struck the country. The information was confirmed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun during a press conference, in response to a question from teleSUR.

According to the spokesperson, “the Chinese government has decided to provide Venezuela with an additional 100 million yuan worth of emergency supplies for earthquake relief and reconstruction,” as a complement to the financial assistance previously provided to the country.

The resources will be used for rescue operations and reconstruction efforts after the disaster, equivalent to around 70 million Brazilian reais. Guo Jiakun also stated that “these supplies will be delivered to Venezuela as soon as possible.”

In addition to sending material assistance, China said it has also provided satellite images of the affected areas, with the aim of supporting disaster response efforts and facilitating rescue operations.

The spokesperson added that Chinese-funded companies and Chinese communities in Venezuela “have voluntarily provided construction machinery and urgently needed medical supplies for rescue efforts,” as well as forming search and rescue teams.

 Xi Jinping’s message to Delcy Rodriguez

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that “China is closely following updates on the earthquake disaster in Venezuela. President Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolence to Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez.”

In the message, Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the earthquake victims and solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people. According to the text released, the Chinese president stated:

“Upon learning that the strong earthquakes caused heavy casualties and major material losses, I express, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, deep sorrow for the victims and sincere condolences to the bereaved families and the injured.”

He added that China “is willing to provide assistance to Venezuela for disaster relief and reconstruction,” and expressed confidence in the country’s ability to overcome the crisis:

“Under the leadership of the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan people will surely overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes.”

TeleSUR has been seeking daily responses from the Chinese government on assistance to Venezuela.

Since the first day after the earthquakes that struck Venezuela, China has expressed condolences to the Venezuelan government and people, while closely following the situation and reiterating its willingness to provide humanitarian support.

During a press conference on Thursday, in response to a question from teleSUR, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated: “The Chinese side has taken note of reports on the earthquake in Venezuela”

The spokesperson highlighted that China was monitoring the situation. He added:“and expresses its sincere condolences to the Venezuelan government and the affected people.”

According to him, China expressed condolences to the victims and those impacted by the disaster. Guo Jiakun also stated: “It is believed that, under the leadership of the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes as soon as possible.”

The spokesperson expressed confidence in the country’s recovery. He added: “The Chinese side is willing to provide assistance within its capabilities, in an appropriate manner, according to Venezuela’s needs.” He reiterated Beijing’s willingness to offer support based on the needs presented by Caracas.

On Friday, also in response to teleSUR, Guo Jiakun reinforced China’s position: “Following the earthquakes, which caused a large number of casualties and significant economic losses in Venezuela, the Chinese government expressed its condolences to the Venezuelan government and people.”

The spokesperson highlighted the condolences offered in response to the victims and the damage caused. He continued: “A gesture that was appreciated by the Venezuelan authorities.”

According to him, the Chinese gesture was recognized by the Venezuelan government. Guo Jiakun further stated: “The government of China and the Red Cross Society of China will each provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”

He confirmed the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance. And concluded: “In addition, it is willing to provide additional support according to the scale of the disaster.” The spokesperson emphasized that China can expand its support as the emergency response develops. China’s statements reinforce its commitment to humanitarian assistance and cooperation with Venezuela after the earthquakes.

CAF Launches $200 Million Multi‑Donor Fund for Venezuela’s Post‑Earthquake Recovery

June 29, 2026 Hour: 4:26 am

The Andean Development Corporation–Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced on Sunday the creation of a multi‑donor fund of up to 200 million dollars to support the recovery and reconstruction of Venezuela after the June 24 earthquakes, which left 1,450 dead, 3,150 injured, and 12,721 families affected according to the latest official toll.

The fund will operate through a flexible and transparent framework to channel contributions in dollars and euros from governments, multilateral organizations, private companies, and foundations, with CAF approving a non‑reimbursable seed contribution of one million dollars and committing to waive all administration and implementation fees to guarantee full support to the affected population.

CAF will assume fiduciary administration and donor due diligence under strict international anti‑money laundering protocols, issuing financial reports and coordinating external audits.

The fund’s intervention is structured in three phases: the first will finance search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, essential supplies, and first‑responder support; the second will rehabilitate critical infrastructure in water, sanitation, electricity, health, education, and connectivity; and the third will focus on reconstruction of devastated areas, reactivation of local livelihoods, and risk mitigation against future seismic events. 

The damaged infrastructure includes 38 hospitals, 44 shopping centers, and 1,645 other structures. Due to the severity of injuries, 527 people were transferred from La Guaira state—the hardest hit by the quakes—to public and private hospitals in Caracas.

Ground assistance efforts involve 2,624 international rescuers operating with 137 search dogs, 49 vehicles, and 84.8 tons of equipment, medicines, and surgical supplies. An additional 7,876 civilian volunteers have registered at the Poliedro de Caracas to participate in rescue and debris removal in the affected localities of La Guaira.

Venezuelan Acting President Rodriguez Inspects Rescue Operations in La Guaira

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez (R), June 28, 2026. Photo: Presidential Press.

June 29, 2026 Hour: 7:51 am

More than 1,000 specialists continue search and rescue efforts following June 24 earthquakes.

On Sunday, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez toured the facilities of Luis Garcia Carneiro Stadium in La Guaira state, which is currently serving as the operations base for international rescue teams.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez Coordinates Reconstruction Plans in Venezuela

The venue is hosting nearly 27 search, rescue and medical assistance teams made up of more than 1,000 specialists from countries including France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the United States and Colombia, among others. Politics

Rescue operations in La Guaira also include 164 search-and-rescue dogs that have traveled from various parts of the world and have become a symbol of hope after helping locate multiple survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

Earlier, Rodriguez announced the creation of a Presidential Commission to assess the habitability of homes and general infrastructure, as well as the establishment of a “High Command” to create temporary camps and assist those who have lost their homes.

“We have also begun planning projects that will allow us to build new homes in a very short period of time. We have managed to reconnect much of La Guaira state to the National Electric System,” she said.

“We are restoring most of the road network and gradually reestablishing water distribution. We continue our search efforts and will not rest until we have found everyone who can be rescued. Hope for all Venezuelans!” the Acting President emphasized.

During her visit to La Guaira state, Rodriguez met with Gianluca Rampolla, the United Nations resident coordinator in Venezuela, who briefed her on the deployment of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the operation of the cell responsible for monitoring the support units.

She also met with Colombia’s ambassador to Venezuela, Milton Rengifo, who reaffirmed the full commitment of his government and the Colombian people to the humanitarian assistance efforts.

The Venezuelan acting president reaffirmed that search and rescue operations will continue for as long as necessary and thanked the volunteers and specialists for their work. The two earthquakes that struck on June 24 have left 1,450 people dead, 3,150 injured and 12,721 families displaced, according to the latest official toll.

Venezuelan Man Was Rescued From the Rubble After Being Trapped for Days

Young man rescued alive in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 29, 2026. X/ @ReporteYa

June 29, 2026 Hour: 9:44 am

Search Efforts Continue in La Guaira as Aftershocks Persist Following the June 24 Earthquakes

Early Monday morning, after an intense operation that lasted for hours, search and rescue teams successfully pulled 21-year-old Venezuelan Aaron Levi Cantillo Vargas alive from the rubble. 

Venezuelan Acting President Rodriguez Inspects Rescue Operations in La Guaira

He had been trapped beneath the debris of the OPP 25 building in the Tanaguarena sector, Caraballeda parish, in La Guaira state since June 24.

“The rescue was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of emergency teams from Venezuela, Mexico and El Salvador, who joined forces and did not stop until they reached the young man,” ReporteYa reported.

Earlier, on Sunday, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez called for search and rescue operations to continue and announced plans to assist people who lost their homes because of the numerous building collapses. So far, 33 people have been rescued alive.

The work of Venezuelan and international rescue teams continued primarily among the ruins of buildings in the coastal state of La Guaira, the epicenter of the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24, where logistics centers for the international teams have been established.

The text reads, “Teams from El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela successfully rescued 21-year-old Aaron Levi Cantillo Vargas alive from the OPP 25 building in the Tanaguarena sector, Caraballeda parish, Vargas.”

Population Remains Alert for Aftershocks

On Monday, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck an area in northern Venezuela, the same region devastated by last Wednesday’s twin earthquakes that have already killed at least 1,450 people and injured 3,150 others, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). GeographicReference

The tremor, which forced many people to leave their homes once again, struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with its epicenter located 27 kilometers (16.8 miles) north of the town of Caraballeda in La Guaira.

In recent days, scientists have recorded more than 400 aftershocks, prompting preventive measures to remain in effect, including avoiding the use of elevators and suspending natural gas service in some areas, particularly Caracas, the country’s capital.

On Sunday, other countries updated the number of their citizens who died in the disaster, including 17 Spaniards, seven Portuguese, 46 people of Portuguese descent and three Chileans. Among those still missing are 150 Spaniards and 83 Portuguese citizens and people of Portuguese descent.

Venezuelan Massive Popular Solidarity Following Earthquakes, Over 30,000 Rescuers Deployed

While maintaining the work of collection centers throughout the national territory, Jorge Rodriguez asked citizens to avoid moving to La Guaira on their own so as not to congest the spaces and allow meticulous search work. Photo: EFE.

June 27, 2026 Hour: 5:45 pm

Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez calls for national unity, urging citizens to follow official channels and support structured humanitarian efforts.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez this Saturday commended the solidarity of the Venezuelan people following the devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck the nation on June 24.

The head of the Assembly offered a comprehensive balance of the situation, emphasizing the deep humanitarian aid and mutual support emerging among citizens during this crisis. He noted that the population has shown outstanding resilience, compassion and active cooperation.

However, Rodriguez lamented that minor, malicious sectors have tried to spread fake news to cause panic. Specifically, he debunked recent rumors regarding alleged structural damage to the critical Caracas-La Guaira viaduct. Technical specialists inspect this infrastructure every 12 hours, confirming it remains in perfect condition. News

Consequently, Rodriguez urged citizens to maintain calm and national unity, emphasizing the importance of consulting only official statements released by the Bolivarian Government. Rodriguez emphasized that disinformation hurts relief operations.

To prevent traffic and logistical congestion, he asked volunteers not to travel independently to La Guaira state. This measure ensures that professional search and rescue operations can continue working against the clock without external interference.

Unified Relief Logistics

Instead of independent travel, authorities established organized channels for those wishing to help. Volunteers must register systematically at the Poliedro of Caracas. Furthermore, citizens should deliver all donations of food and essential supplies to designated collection points. This centralized strategy prevents logistical bottlenecks and specifically protects the critical cold chain of perishable goods, ensuring resources reach survivors in optimal condition.

The state has deployed a robust humanitarian network to address the emergency. Currently, over 30,000 national specialized personnel are active on the ground. This domestic deployment is reinforced by international solidarity, with 21 international delegations providing 2,242 expert rescuers and technical assistance. These combined forces are working continuously in the most affected areas to locate survivors and clear debris.

IRGC Says it Struck US Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in Joint Operation

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Al Mayadeen net

Iran’s IRGC says it carried out joint missile and drone strikes on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, warning of a harsher response to any future attacks.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in the early hours of Sunday that its naval forces and Aerospace Force carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting eight major US military facilities.

In a statement, the IRGC said the operation took place between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. local time and involved coordinated strikes against multiple strategic sites across the region.

The IRGC said the strikes hit Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in the port of Salman, claiming the targets were destroyed.

The group said the operation was a direct response to recent US attacks, which it said targeted Iranian coastal facilities.

Escalation over Gulf security, Strait of Hormuz

The IRGC accused the United States of violating previous understandings and said Washington had carried out strikes on five Iranian coastal sites under the pretext of responding to maritime incidents involving the Strait of Hormuz.

It stressed that responsibility for organizing navigation in the strait falls under Iranian jurisdiction, according to what it described as the Islamabad memorandum.

The statement warned that any future attacks by the United States, regardless of justification or scale, would be met with a “much harsher” response.

It also said any breach of ceasefire arrangements would be considered a violation of the first clause of the Islamabad memorandum, adding that such violations would trigger a full halt of existing commitments.

Ebola Outbreak in DRC Surpasses 300 Deaths as Cases Surge

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: News websites

26 Jun 2026 20:34

Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo rise above 300 as infections surpass 1,100, with the Bundibugyo strain outbreak spreading across conflict-hit eastern provinces.

The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), health authorities said on Friday, little over one month after the outbreak was officially declared.

According to the National Public Health Institute (INSP), a total of 304 people in the DRC have now died from the virus, out of 1,155 confirmed infections recorded since the outbreak was first detected on May 15.

The current figures represent a significant jump from the previous tally released on June 18 by the African Union's health agency, which reported 202 deaths from 875 confirmed infections. That earlier count had placed the mortality rate at 23 percent, but the new data push that figure to 26.3 percent.

The steep rise in both cases and deaths over a single week has alarmed regional health officials, who warn that the epidemic is still accelerating.

The Red Cross issued a stark warning last week, stating that the haemorrhagic fever outbreak has yet to reach its peak and could take up to a year to bring under full control. This forecast underscores the prolonged and resource-intensive effort required to contain the virus, especially given the complex humanitarian and security environment in the affected regions.

In a rare piece of positive news, DRC authorities announced in early June that several Ebola patients had been treated and successfully cured, offering a glimmer of hope amid the grim statistics.

Strain-specific challenges and lack of approved treatments

Responders to the epidemic face towering challenges, not least because no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for this latest outbreak. This particular strain, while considered less lethal than the Zaire strain that plagued West Africa in 2014–2016, still presents a formidable public health threat due to the absence of licensed medical countermeasures.

The DRC, already one of the world's poorest countries, must now mobilise scarce resources to combat a virus for which even experimental therapies remain limited in supply and distribution.

The three affected provinces in eastern DRC, Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, have been plagued for three decades by conflict and mass displacement, further complicating the emergency response. Armed groups operate freely across large swathes of territory, making it dangerous for health workers to reach remote communities and track chains of transmission.

Population movements, driven by both violence and economic hardship, also favour the spread of the disease across porous borders and between densely populated displacement camps.

Healthcare facilities in the region, which often operate with limited resources, still lack basic equipment and supplies such as personal protective gear and chlorine for disinfection. Many clinics set up by the World Health Organization and other aid agencies are now close to full capacity, according to the country's public health agency.

At least 78 healthcare workers have been infected with the virus, and 18 have died, highlighting the grave occupational risks faced by frontline staff who continue to work under extreme duress.

Regional spread and international concerns

The outbreak has already spread beyond the DRC's borders into neighbouring Uganda, where containment measures have so far proven effective. Kampala has reported 20 confirmed cases nationwide, including two deaths since May 15, with most of those infected being Congolese nationals who travelled into Uganda for medical care, trade, or family visits.

Ugandan health officials have conducted aggressive contact tracing and ring vaccination campaigns where applicable, helping to limit secondary transmission within their territory.

On Wednesday, France reported the outbreak's first confirmed case of Ebola outside Africa – a Congolese doctor who had been working in the DRC for the international medical aid NGO ALIMA. The physician flew back to France while symptomatic, raising immediate concerns about international air travel and border screening protocols.

In response, Air France has suspended all flights to Kinshasa for several days, even though the World Health Organization has stated that there is minimal risk of the virus spreading widely in Europe and that no travel restrictions are currently warranted.

The WHO has reiterated that international borders do not need to be closed, emphasising that standard public health measures, including screening at airports, surveillance of incoming travellers, and rapid isolation of suspected cases, are sufficient to mitigate global spread.

However, the French case has reignited debate over the adequacy of health screening at departure points in outbreak zones, particularly given the DRC's limited infrastructure for detecting febrile travellers. Health ministers from neighbouring countries are scheduled to meet next week to coordinate cross-border surveillance strategies.

Epicentre in Ituri: conflict, displacement and under-reporting

The vast majority of cases in the DRC have been detected in Ituri province, a mineral-rich region that is plagued with unrest from a string of rival armed groups vying for control over gold and other resources.

Frequent population movements, both within the province and across its borders, favour the continued spread of the virus, making containment extraordinarily difficult. More than 91 percent of all infections have been registered in the provincial capital, Bunia, and more than 82 percent of all deaths have occurred there, according to INSP data.

Efforts to contain the virus have been ratcheted up in Ituri, with additional mobile testing units and isolation wards deployed to the area. Yet healthcare workers on the ground report that many communities remain deeply mistrustful of foreign aid teams and government officials, a legacy of decades of neglect and violent conflict.

Some families have demanded that hospitals hand over the bodies of their deceased relatives, not realising that touching an Ebola-stricken corpse puts them at severe risk of contamination, a practice that has historically fuelled secondary transmission chains.

The reluctance of some families to allow post-mortem examinations on victims is also leading to a significant underestimation of the number of cases, officials have acknowledged. Without proper testing of the deceased, many Ebola-related deaths go unrecorded, distorting the true scale of the epidemic and hampering resource allocation.

Court Orders TotalEnergies to Account for Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Products

A Paris court has ordered French oil giant TotalEnergies to report the environmental consequences of emissions from its oil and gas products and explain how it plans to address them.

The ruling stems from a civil case brought by NGOs and French cities demanding that the company align its business with global warming targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Total is facing a number of other lawsuits. A new case involves claims from NGOs and Ugandan residents over land and rights violations related to a drilling project in Tilenga.

Called a “carbon bomb” by critics, the project includes drilling more than 400 wells in Tilenga and around 30 in Kingfisher.

It’s also linked to the colossal East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to Tanzania’s port of Tanga, almost 1,500 kilometers away.

The Climate Accountability Institute says it will unleash 379 million tonnes of climate-heating pollution over its lifetime.

Due to start operating in 2027, it will be the world's longest heated oil pipeline. Uganda's oil is particularly viscous and must be kept at 50C to be transported through the pipeline, which will be able to transport up to 246,000 barrels per day, with a storage terminal and loading facility at Tanga.

Around 100 Tilenga wells are located in Uganda's largest and oldest national park, Murchison Falls, and there are fears of leaks from the pipeline that crosses fragile and highly biodiverse ecosystems and wildlife migration routes.

Earth Insight, an NGO, said it threatens freshwater systems, including 158 Ugandan wetlands, 11 rivers, 44 protected areas and seven key biodiversity areas.

Meanwhile, the Tanzanian storage and loading areas are located near marine protected areas.

TotalEnergies says "strict measures have been taken to avoid, mitigate and offset" the project's impact on local environments, with efforts to restore thousands of hectares of forest and wetlands and increase biodiversity in affected areas.

More than 100,000 people have reportedly been displaced, with NGOs claiming inadequate compensation and a lack of transparency. Total says most affected households have been compensated. It also claims to be bringing tens of thousands of jobs to the region.

Opponents of the project say locals have frequently gone to court over "unjust compensation" and face intimidation and arrest by Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities, known for violent repression of dissent.

The case is scheduled to be heard next year.

Burkina Faso Cuts Diplomatic Ties with France

Burkina Faso

Africa News

Burkina Faso's ruling junta on Friday severed diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France, accusing Paris of persistently acting against its interests. The military regime led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is pursuing a policy repressive toward critical voices and hostile to Westerners, particularly France.

"The government of Burkina Faso hereby informs the national and international community that it has decided to sever diplomatic relations with France with effect from today, June 26, 2026," it announced in a statement read out on the west African nation's national television.

The junta also accused France of harbouring "neo-colonial ambitions, made evident by its active support for subversive networks and the terrorists who are plunging our country and the Sahel into mourning".

France called it a "hostile and baseless decision" that "illustrated the troubling drift of the Burkinabe authorities", adding that "the necessary reciprocal measures are under review". Burkina Faso, like several of its neighbours, has for a decade been hit by deadly violence by jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

According to the statement, this decision "concerns exclusively the institutional framework of relations between the two states at the diplomatic level". It "in no way calls into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties that unite the Burkinabe and French peoples", the government said. Anti‑French sentiment runs high in some former African colonies as the continent becomes a renewed diplomatic battleground, with Russian and Chinese influence growing.

Once master of vast expanses of northern, central and western Africa, France has played a crucial role in the continent's post‑colonial history, repeatedly intervening militarily since the early 1960s.

France has vowed to abandon the so‑called "Francafrique" strategy, under which Paris sought to keep francophone Africa under its thumb through political collusion, exclusive access for French businesses and oblique financial deals including graft.

Top Somalian Official Deported from Kenya Over Suspected Passport Fraud

Kenya

Africa News

Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister was deported from Kenya on Thursday over allegations of passport fraud, according to numerous reports.

A police report on Friday showed that Jibril Abdi-rashid Haji, Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday with a Somali diplomatic passport and valid visa.

But immigration officials suspected him of also holding a Kenyan passport that he had acquired illicitly.

Haji reportedly refused to hand it over, saying it was a matter for the courts. He was then put on a flight back to Mogadishu, effectively denied entry into Kenya.

Neither government has commented on the reports.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was in Kenya on Sunday for talks with President William Ruto.

The two countries are key partners in regional security operations against Al-Shabaab militants. Kenya is also home to a large Somali business community.

Prominent Tunisian Rights Activist Sihem Bensedrine Sentenced to 25 Years

Rights activist Sihem Bensedrine faces 25 years in prison.

Tunisia

Africa News

Prominent Tunisian rights activist Sihem Bensedrine told AFP on Friday that she had been sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges including falsifying part of a transitional justice commission's final report.

Tunisia emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 as a beacon of democratic hope for the region after decades of authoritarianism, but rights groups have reported backsliding under President Kais Saied. "Of course, this is a decision that has nothing to do with justice.

It has to do with a totalitarian regime that wants to erase the legacy of the IVD," Bensedrine said, referring to the Truth and Dignity Commission of which she was president. Bensedrine, 75, said she would lodge an appeal. She had been placed in pre-trial detention for over six months following her arrest in August 2024.

The now-defunct IVD, set up after the 2011 revolution ousted longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, heard testimony from thousands of his victims and those of his predecessor Habib Bourguiba.

Prosecutors accused Bensedrine of falsifying the commission's final report, among other charges. Bensedrine said she had been targeted by "officials who are holding the state hostage" in order to "settle scores" and "discredit our work".

Human Rights Watch said in a statement Bensedrine's sentencing "reflects the cruelty of President Kais Saied's government, which has sought to strangle human rights and social justice in Tunisia".

"Bensedrine has for decades been harassed, jailed, and pushed into exile for her human rights work," the group added. "Her sentence would keep her in prison until she's 100 years old." The Paris-headquartered International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has said the charges against Bensedrine were "groundless".

"The message sent by Kais Saied's regime is clear: seeking the truth is forbidden, the Ben Ali dictatorship is now untouchable," said the FIDH along with the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in a statement.

The commission's final report, published in 2020, called for "dismantling a system of corruption, repression and dictatorship" within state institutions.

Cape Verde Makes History, Iran Left Waiting & Senegal Shatters Records

Saudi Arabia's Nawaf Bu Washl (13) battles for the ball with Cape Verde's Dailon Livramento (19) during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.

World Cup 2026

Africa News

History made. Cape Verde is through to the World Cup knockout stage in its tournament debut.

A 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia sealed an incredible run after holding Spain national football team and Uruguay national football team earlier in the group.

The tiny island nation becomes the smallest country ever to reach the World Cup knockout rounds.

A 1-1 draw with Egypt wasn't enough to secure automatic qualification, leaving Iran third in Group G with three straight draws.

Belgium topped the group, Egypt finished second, and now Iran must wait to see if it advances as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.

Pape Gueye's brace powered a stunning 5-0 win over Iraq, making Senegal the first African team ever to score five goals in a World Cup match and boosting their knockout hopes.