Latest news with #EastAfrican
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Sudan took 8 migrants from the US. It wants something in return.
South Sudan has told the Trump administration that it would consider accepting many more migrants deported from the U.S., but it has some requests of its own. The East African nation has urged the Trump administration to lift sanctions on one of its top officials, according to three people familiar with the matter and diplomatic correspondence viewed by POLITICO. The people, like others in this story, were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy and ongoing negotiations. South Sudanese officials have also asked the Trump administration to walk back sweeping visa revocations for its citizens that Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued in April, to reactivate a bank account at the New York Federal Reserve that allows the country to conduct transactions in dollars and to support its efforts to prosecute South Sudan's first vice president, Riek Machar, who is being held under house arrest. The Trump administration has not agreed to any of those requests — and Juba has a steep hill to climb to improve relations with the U.S. after years of tensions amid civil war, a slide into authoritarianism and systemic human rights violations. 'South Sudan will continue to be an ally of the United States, support the policies of the United States, and especially the policies of the current president, his excellency, President Donald Trump,' South Sudanese Ambassador to Washington Santino Dicken said in an interview. 'But mostly, we would love also that our partners in the administration understand that as for the government of South Sudan, to convince its citizens freely, … we are asking the U.S. administration to lift visa restrictions on South Sudanese passport holders.' After a six-week-long legal battle, the U.S. this month completed the deportations of eight men to South Sudan, only one of whom is from that country, part of an administration-wide effort to deport thousands of people to third-party countries when their home countries refuse to take them back. The eight men have been placed in a guarded complex in South Sudan while its government works to repatriate them to their home countries, according to two of the people. The State Department has not officially requested to move more people to South Sudan, but the ongoing talks with South Sudanese officials — a delegation including the foreign minister met with senior Africa adviser Massad Boulos and other top U.S. officials earlier this month — offer a glimpse into how various governments see Trump's aggressive immigration strategy as a chance to improve standing with the U.S. and leverage their own requests. And it helps explain why the Trump administration — in its quest to find stopover nations for various asylum seekers and convicted criminals — is turning to Africa, a continent where administration officials feel they can make deals. Trump or his aides have raised the prospect of sending such deportees at every meeting with African leaders, according to one of the three people familiar with the asks, and the Department of Homeland Security this month sent five men to Eswatini, a country of 1.2 million people bordering South Africa. The administration is also in talks with Rwanda to accept asylum-seekers and other migrants who cannot return home, according to the three people familiar with the matter and a fourth person with insight into the negotiations. 'These are countries that are keen to appease the administration … because they want something back,' said Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, an independent, nonpartisan think tank. 'So whether it is tariff concessions — or in the case of African countries, many of them are under the threat of being placed under a travel ban or their diplomats will be prevented from coming from the U.S. — these are the stakes that are all being used to get these agreements, to get these countries to accept the nationals. And they also get paid.' A White House official would not comment on the 'private discussions' with South Sudan but said administration officials meet with foreign governments regularly to 'discuss many matters.' The South Sudan deal is not a formal agreement, but the administration has transmitted written deals with Eswatini and El Salvador to Congress, according to a separate person familiar with the matter. The president and his team have made such requests of at least 15 African countries, according to media reports, including Eswatini and South Sudan, though not every leader has been as amenable as the South Sudanese. Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, told local outlet Channels Television this month that African countries are under 'considerable pressure' to accept deported Venezuelans, 'some straight out of prison.' 'It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners,' he said. 'We have enough problems of our own,' noting the pressures of his nation's ballooning population of 230 million people. Finding countries willing to accept a significant number of migrant deportees — some of whom have been convicted of violent crimes — is crucial to the Trump administration's agenda. While both Democrats and Republicans have deported people to countries where they have no previous connection, the scale of the Trump administration's effort is without precedent. That has sparked concerns from immigration lawyers and human-rights advocates who worry this administration is sending deportees to countries with a history of human rights violations, including South Sudan, a nation the State Department has warned Americans is too dangerous for all but essential personnel, and El Salvador, where migrants were sent to the country's notorious mega-prison. These places have been information black holes with lawyers, family members and lawmakers struggling to get specifics about migrants' conditions or details on the agreements between the Trump administration and foreign governments. According to an analysis by The Guardian, the U.S. has sent 8,100 people to countries not their own, mostly to Mexico, since Trump took office. While the U.S. has paid El Salvador and Eswatini to accept migrant deportees, South Sudan hopes its acceptance will pave the way for the Trump administration to consider some of its requests and to improve its standing with the United States. The U.S. is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to South Sudan, which depends on the U.S. for financial support and help mediating its internal conflicts. That's why the country is likely to accept more migrants regardless of whether the U.S. heeds its requests, according to two of the three people familiar with the matter. Negotiations between South Sudanese officials and the U.S. started soon after Rubio revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders in April and blocked new arrivals because the country would not accept nationals expelled from the U.S. Shortly after, South Sudan agreed to accept eight deportees from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar and Vietnam as a gesture of goodwill. The Trump administration in May extended Temporary Protected Status for South Sudanese immigrants for six months, a move that conflicts with the president's sweeping efforts to strip most nationalities of temporary deportation relief and work permits. But the U.S. also recently renewed sanctions against Benjamin Bol Mel, South Sudan's de facto No. 2 official and leading contender to succeed its ailing president, over his alleged corruption and mismanagement of public resources. That could give South Sudan an extra incentive to cooperate with U.S. demands. 'Most countries that the U.S. is talking to to take migrants, they don't have a sanctioned would-be-next president,' said one of the three people familiar with the negotiations. 'They have a particular incentive in getting along with us.' In a diplomatic note from South Sudan to the U.S. Embassy in Juba dated May 12, the country agreed to accept third-country nationals from the United States and raised several matters of concern it hoped the U.S. would consider. That included 'a request for the removal of individual targeted sanctions imposed on senior government officials of the Republic of South Sudan, specially His Excellency Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.' It also asked the U.S. to lift the April visa restrictions, invest in oil, gas, minerals and other areas in South Sudan, and the request to support the prosecution of Riek Machar, the country's first vice president and a rival of the current president, who is under house arrest. The State Department declined to comment on its request to send migrants to South Sudan but said in a statement, 'We remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass migration and bolster America's border security. In some cases, we might work with other countries to facilitate the removal from the United States of nationals of third countries who have no legal basis to remain here.' The State Department also called on South Sudan's President Salva Kiir to 'reverse the house arrest of First Vice President Machar and for all party leaders to return to direct dialogue,' a sign that the U.S. is holding firm. The ongoing negotiations with South Sudan come after a recent Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for eight men to be deported to Juba this month. The court's decision may have helped the Trump administration turbocharge these deals after blocking a lower-court ruling that required meaningful due process for those the administration wants to send to third countries. The aim of the Trump administration's strategy in Africa is two-fold, said Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute. Many African nations have long been reluctant to take migrant deportees, so in some cases, the administration's efforts are designed to target those countries. But the deportations also play into the Trump White House's larger strategy of deterring immigrants from illegally crossing into the United States. 'This is a small number of people, when you really think about it,' he said. 'But they get the attention, and part of it is to get the attention.' Solve the daily Crossword
CAF
8 hours ago
- Sport
- CAF
From 1987 to now: Kenya's young journalists embrace CHAN 2024 spotlight
When Kenya last hosted a major continental sporting event—the All-Africa Games in 1987—many of the country's current sports journalists hadn't even been born. Some were toddlers, others only dreams in their parents' minds. Now, nearly four decades later, a new generation of reporters will live their own moment of history as Kenya co-hosts the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, alongside neighbors Uganda and Tanzania. For young and seasoned journalists alike, the month-long tournament is more than just another assignment—it's a powerful symbol of pride, opportunity, and long-awaited fulfillment. 'This is a big opportunity. It's been a long time coming and is a great build-up to AFCON 2027,' says Jeff Kinyanjui, veteran journalist and Head of Communications at Football Kenya Federation (FKF). 'This tournament offers local media personnel a platform to learn CAF operations and tournament coverage. It's also a chance to interact with some of the continent's brightest football talents—many of whom could go on to become world-class stars.' From Missed Chances to a Defining Moment Kenya came close to hosting major football events twice before—AFCON 1996 and CHAN 2018—but both were lost due to unpreparedness. CHAN 2024 now marks a redemptive moment not only for Kenyan football but also for its growing media ecosystem. 'It's not just about journalism,' Kinyanjui adds. 'It's about capacity building for the whole East African region and fostering continental connections. It has been a tough learning curve for most of us, beginning with the accreditation processes like accessing the media channel and all. "For most of our colleagues, this is their first time experiencing this. We have learnt a lot even before the first ball is kicked on the field.' A Long Journey from Radio to the Press Box Veteran broadcaster Daniel Wahome, now a senior editor at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), recalls listening to the 1987 All-Africa Games on a radio at his grandfather's homestead. CHAN 2024 completes a full-circle moment for him. 'It's an incredible honor. Not just to witness this moment but to help shape it. This is also our chance to tell the East African story—our culture, our people—and share it with the world,' Wahome reflects. Covering Home Soil Feels Different Veteran editor Chris Mbaisi, former president of the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK), has reported from the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. But even with over 25 years in the profession, CHAN 2024 strikes a special chord. 'There's nothing quite like covering a tournament your own country is hosting. It's personal. It's a moment of pride—and a chance to tell Kenya's story our way,' Mbaisi says. A Generation's First Big Break For 25-year-old digital media reporter Tabitha Makumi, CHAN 2024 is more than just a tournament—it's a career milestone. 'It feels surreal to walk into a stadium and cover these games as a journalist,' she says. 'This is a chance to showcase young Kenyan talent and tell Africa's football story to the world. It also allows us to exchange ideas with colleagues from across the continent. For example, I get to learn how a journalist from Nigeria connects with their audience, and share how we do it here and so on. "It's a beautiful blend of storytelling cultures. Over and beyond, it will be a proud moment for me to put it in my CV that I was part of this CHAN.' A Celebration of Storytelling and Continental Culture CAF has accredited over 250 Kenyan journalists, with nearly 800 media professionals expected to cover the tournament across the three host nations. For Kenya's media, CHAN 2024 represents more than football—it's a generational leap, a cultural statement, and a shared moment of African unity.
The Star
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
East African climate experts meet to forge unified voice ahead of COP30
DAR ES SALAAM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for November in Belem, Brazil, the East African Community (EAC) has launched a regional initiative in a workshop to harmonize its climate position and present a unified voice on the global stage. Held in Entebbe, Uganda, from July 28 to 30, in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the three-day workshop brought together climate experts, government representatives, and development partners from EAC member states to build consensus on shared climate priorities and refine strategic messaging for COP30, the EAC said in a statement on Wednesday. Andrea Ariik Malueth, EAC deputy secretary general responsible for infrastructure, productive, social, and political sectors, opened the meeting with a call for solidarity and informed advocacy. "The East African region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, floods, and food insecurity," Malueth said. "A coordinated and well-articulated message will amplify our voice and ensure that the needs of our communities are heard and addressed at COP30." He emphasized that East Africa's engagement must be evidence-driven and forward-looking, adding that collaborative input across partner states will be vital for successful negotiations and regional representation. As climate challenges intensify across the continent, the EAC is positioning itself not just as a participant but as a united bloc striving to shape outcomes at COP30 through shared data, expertise, and policy, said Malueth.
Evening Standard
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Dekmantel: who's on the line-up as the festival kicks off?
The line-up gets even busier. On The Loop, Call Super and Honey Dijon will be playing from 7pm and 9pm respectively, while Shanti Celeste opens The Selectors stage at 1pm and Steevio and Priori both play live sets on the UFO II stage. That's already a lot, but do make time to see East African DJ Kampire take over The Nest: her bass-heavy sets are a great way to spend a Saturday.
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First Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
‘Phantom government': African Union rejects rival regime in Sudan
The African Union said on Wednesday it would not recognize a 'so-called parallel government' in Sudan, urging its members to follow suit. read more Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. REUTERS The African Union (AU) has firmly dismissed the legitimacy of a newly declared rival administration in Sudan, warning that recognising such a parallel government could derail fragile peace efforts and threaten the country's territorial integrity. In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the AU's Peace and Security Council urged its member states and the broader international community to reject what it described as the 'so-called parallel government.' The Council warned that any recognition of the breakaway authority—reportedly set up by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups—would have 'serious consequences on the peace efforts and the existential future of the country.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The declaration of a rival regime came last Saturday from RSF-aligned forces in western Sudan, particularly in the conflict-ridden Darfur region. The move has raised alarm among observers, as the RSF stands accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity amid Sudan's ongoing civil conflict. Sudan has been gripped by violence since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the national army and the RSF, leading to widespread displacement, a deepening humanitarian crisis, and the collapse of governance structures in many regions. The AU reiterated its commitment to Sudan's sovereignty and unity, calling on all stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue rather than deepen divisions through unilateral political manoeuvres. The RSF-led Tasis Alliance appointed Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the paramilitary group, as head of the sovereign council in the new administration. The 15-member council serves as head of the state. The RSF grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias, mobilized two decades ago by then-President Omar al-Bashir against populations that identify as Central or East African in Darfur. The Janjaweed were accused of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities. In the current war, the RSF has been accused of numerous atrocities. The Biden administration slapped Dagalo with sanctions, saying the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide. The RSF has denied committing genocide. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ongoing conflict has devastated Sudan, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the country, with half the population facing spreading hunger and famine, according to the United Nations. With inputs from agencies
