Rwanda Becomes The Latest African Country To Accept U.S. Deportees

Rwanda Becomes Latest African Country To Accept US Deportees Rwanda Rwanda confirmed this week that it will accept up to 250 deportees from the US under a new deal with the Trump administration, becoming the latest country to join Washington’s expanding third-country deportation program, the Associated Press reported. Rwanda government spokesperson Yolande Makolo confirmed the deal but didn’t provide a timeline for the deportations. According to the scheme, the migrants would receive “workforce training, health care, and accommodation to jump start their lives in Rwanda,” Makolo confirmed to the BBC. Rwanda, an East African nation of around 15 million people, will have the right to approve every person considered for resettlement. Rumors of a deal between Rwanda and the US first arose in May, when Rwanda’s foreign affairs minister said that, having endured a genocide in the mid-1990s, the country is guided by a spirit of offering “another chance” to migrants facing issues in countries across the world. Makolo said Rwanda proceeded with the deal with the US because many Rwandan families have experienced the challenges of displacement firsthand. She emphasized that the values of Rwandan society are deeply rooted in reintegration and rehabilitation. Human rights experts, however, warned that deporting migrants to a country that is not their place of origin – known as a third country – could be a violation of international law. In recent years, Rwanda has positioned itself as a destination for migrants that Western countries would like to remove, Reuters noted. However, the country has faced criticism over its human rights record, with concerns that migrants sent there might be deported again to countries where they could face harm and where they might have no ties and not even speak the language. The Rwandan government insists it can offer a safe place for these individuals. Rwanda reached a deal in 2022 with the United Kingdom to take migrants who had traveled to the UK to seek asylum. According to the plan, their asylum claims would be processed in Rwanda, and those approved would remain there instead of returning to the UK. This controversial agreement faced strong criticism from human rights organizations and was abandoned after the UK’s Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional in 2023. The US is seeking additional deals with African nations to take in migrants whose home countries have refused to allow them to return. This is part of US President Donald Trump’s plans to expel people he claims entered the country illegally and labeled as “the worst of the worst.” Eswatini and war-torn South Sudan have already accepted 13 people deported by the US, while Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama have taken in hundreds of Venezuelans and other deportees. Some analysts say the US has used aid and trade to pressure countries such as South Sudan and Eswatini into taking the deportees.

The Ceasefire Between Rwanda and The DRC-Peace Is An Afterthought

In The Ceasefire Between Rwanda And The DRC, Peace Is An Afterthought Democratic Republic of the Congo / Rwanda There was much fanfare after a peace agreement was signed in late June to end decades of warfare between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Officials such as US President Donald Trump hailed the US-brokered agreement as a big step in finally stopping a brutal conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions just this year. “Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity, harmony, prosperity and peace,” Trump told the foreign ministers of the two countries at the White House signing, calling the agreement the “Washington Accord.” But despite the ceremonies and the plaudits, many observers just shake their heads, saying the peace won’t hold because it wasn’t the main aim in the first place. “While Trump has all but proclaimed a historic peace, worthy in his mind of the Nobel Peace Prize he covets, the war has raged on, deepening a humanitarian catastrophe worsened by the impact of US funding cuts to international aid,” wrote World Politics Review. “These contradictions have fueled skepticism among observers about whether these diplomatic breakthroughs will deliver on the ambitious promises made to the people of the region, or whether they are simply politically expedient transactional exchanges based on narrow security and economic interests.” In this deal, the DRC and Rwanda have agreed to respect each other’s territorial integrity and cease hostilities, while the agreement also paves the way for greater US investment in the DRC’s critical minerals. Another agreement, negotiated by Qatar in July, was signed by the DRC and the M23 militia, the Rwanda-backed rebel group that invaded parts of eastern DRC earlier this year. It pledges to end the fighting in the eastern DRC but doesn’t address Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from that region or when Congolese authority over the captured territory will resume. It does, however, set a date for negotiations for a peace agreement – Aug. 8 – and a deadline 10 days later to finalize a deal. The problem is that both agreements do little to address the root causes of the conflict, omissions that some say will preclude a lasting peace. Others, however, are more optimistic, adding that they promote long-term stability in the region. The fighting between the two countries has its roots in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. After it ended, some of those responsible fled to the DRC to escape retribution from troops led by Paul Kagame, who led a rebel army in the 1990s and has been president of Rwanda since 2000. Since then, Rwanda has periodically invaded the DRC – either directly or through its proxies – it says to capture those former Rwandan soldiers, some of whom formed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Those attempts have led to two regional wars that killed millions of people in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The fighting, however, continues to this day, now involving more than 120 militias and armed groups active in the eastern provinces of the DRC – some are aligned with Rwanda or the Congolese army, while others fight Burundi or Uganda, or are affiliated with Islamic State. During the most recent flare-up that began in January, the M23 militia, backed by Rwanda, marched into the eastern region and captured territory that included the regional centers of Goma and Bukavu. M23’s brutal advance, which killed 7,000 people and displaced millions, threatened to blow up into another regional war, drawing in Burundi, Uganda, and South Africa. That’s part of the problem with the peace agreements now, say observers. They fail to involve other regional players in a conflict that is broader than just the DRC or Rwanda. Another issue is that it is based on narrow interests beyond peace, say analysts. For example, the US wants to displace China, which dominates the mineral-rich country’s mining sector and open the door for its investors. Qatar is looking out for its existing investments in Rwanda and the DRC. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, who as per the agreement has promised to disband the FDLR, wants to stay in power and keep his country together. Meanwhile, Rwanda and its M23 partners, which hold the cards, have no interest in leaving the eastern part of the Congo without the threat of harsh sanctions or a steep payoff, say observers, adding that such a carrot-and-stick approach may not be enough to offset the territorial ambitions of Rwanda and the riches they covet from the region. In the DRC, meanwhile, locals speak about the peace deals as if they have heard it all before. “People are tired,” one resident of Goma told the BBC. “They are not interested in talks. All they want is peace.”

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South African Airways Launches Direct Flights between Cape Town and Mauritius

New international route from Cape Town set to launch this December Capetonians can now anticipate a new non-stop international flight from the city directly to the island paradise of Mauritius. By Sundeeka Mungroo 29-07-25 18:04 in Featured international flight A new international flight from Cape Town kicks off this December. Image: Pexels South African Airways (SAA) will expand its regional network by launching its first direct flights between Cape Town and Mauritius. The airline will begin the service on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, giving Western Cape travellers a quicker and more convenient connection to the popular island destination. This new international route is expected to boost tourism in both South Africa and Mauritius. SAA to launch first-ever Cape Town–Mauritius direct route The airline will initially operate three weekly flights to the island on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, according to the following schedule: Outbound flight: Departs Cape Town at 09:25, arriving in Mauritius at 16:30 (approximately five hours). Return flight: Departs Mauritius at 17:20, landing in Cape Town at 21:30. Then, from mid-January to mid-March 2026, the route will shift to twice-weekly operations to align with seasonal travel demand. SAA described the launch as a key milestone in its network strategy as well as a win for leisure travellers. “Connecting Cape Town with Mauritius is a fascinating achievement that our team has been aspiring towards for quite some time,” the airline said, as per BusinessTech. “The introduction of this route demonstrates SAA’s role in promoting leisure travel across the region and supports the broader tourism objectives for both South Africa and Mauritius.” it added. Tags: Cape Town DMumani featured flight Important Mauritius South Africa

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Angola: Anti Government Protests Erupt

Demonstrations Against Government Erupt in Angola Angola Anti-government demonstrations involving thousands of people in Angola’s capital of Luanda turned violent this week, killing four, in one of the most disruptive waves of mass protests the country has seen in recent years, the BBC reported. The demonstrations, which continued Tuesday and closed major shops, banks, and businesses, arose from a three-day strike by taxi drivers over the weekend protesting rising petrol prices. It then morphed into anti-government demonstrations against the almost five decades of rule by the governing People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party. The protests were smaller than Monday’s demonstrations, where angry Angolans blocked roads, looted shops, torched cars, and clashed with police. “The fuel price issue is just the last straw that has reignited widespread public discontent…,” local activist Laura Macedo told the BBC. “People are fed up. Hunger is rife.” After Monday’s clashes, officials warned residents to stay home, describing the protests as “acts of vandalism” aiming to undermine the celebration of Angola’s 50th anniversary of independence. The protests erupted after taxi drivers called the strike in response to the government’s decision earlier this month to raise the price of diesel by more than 33 percent. The move is part of efforts to eliminate fuel subsidies in the oil-rich country. This price hike has not only led to higher taxi fares for Angolans, who rely on taxi services, but has also caused the prices of basic goods to increase. Angolan President João Lourenço belittled these concerns, arguing that protesters are using the price hikes as an excuse to undermine the government. He added that even after the increase, the price of diesel in Angola remains one of the lowest in the world. The average monthly salary in Angola is around $75, and the president’s promise to increase wages to around $120 has gone nowhere, critics say.

A Brave South African Woman Pilot From World War II

The Giant Killer · Follow July 27 at 1:38 PM · WWII Hero Spitfire Pilot Jackie Moggridge: Moggridge joined the Hatfield Ferry Pool on July 29th 1940, being the youngest of the female pilots, aged 18. The South African safely handed over 1,500 aircraft during the war, 83 different types and 200 more than any other ATA pilot. She had a very lucky escape on January 5, 1941 when ferrying an Oxford Mk I to RAF Kidlington, Oxfordshire, with no R/T to meet up with 1st O Amy Johnson who was bringing one in from Blackpool. Both went off course in adverse weather conditions, with Johnson following the rules, bailing out and drowning in the Thames Estuary. Sorour went down to a few hundred feet and found herself over the Bristol channel with 20 minutes fuel remaining. She claimed that she did not want to take to the chute because she had broken her leg during a parachute jump in 1938. Jackie also encountered a V-1 flying bomb in the air over Surrey while flying a Tempest. She altered course, fully intending to attempt to topple it with her wingtip, but failed to catch up to it. Jackie was also the first woman in South Africa to make a parachute jump. (4,000 feet).She was South Africa’s youngest pilot of her time age 17 years. November 1959 was awarded Jean Bird trophy as Woman of the year . She flew Lancaster, Spitfire and other planes as a RAF pilot during world was 2. She logged over 4,000 miles in flying over europe, North Africa and Middle East. To learn more about History's Bravest Women Warriors please the Book and Audiobook "Women in War"... A stirring, raw, and profoundly inspiring collection of over twenty true stories about the brave women who served and fought throughout history. Narrated by Julia Whelan, who provided the voice for NY Times best-selling book, The Women by Kristin Hannah. Buy it now! Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/ewuH7Yq #thewomen #kristinhannah #Armynurses #Nurses #Womenwarriors #biographies #Womeninhistory #inspirationalwomen #Thewomen #Womenincombat #Womenshistory #WW2 #Britishmilitary #Britishwomen #Booksonwomen #Audiobooksonwomen #kristinhannah