Zimbabwe Bans Second-Hand Clothes, Street and Night Vending
The Zimbabwean government announced a ban on the importation and sale of second-hand clothing and street and night vending. Harare City Councillors and officials said informal trading practices have disrupted formal businesses. Minister of Local Government Daniel Garwe raised concerns over drug and substance deals that take place under the cover of night vending, stating that such activities threaten public health and national security. The minister urged the law enforcement agencies to ensure that existing by-laws are implemented with sensitivity, particularly in light of previous incidents where civilians have been injured during street clean-up operations.
Somaliland Declares Drought Emergency in Four Coastal Regions
The government of Somaliland declared a state of humanitarian emergency in four coastal regions, Salal, Saahil, Sanaag, and Awdal, due to worsening drought conditions that endangered lives and livelihoods. President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro appealed for urgent assistance from the international community, local citizens, and the diaspora, warning that the drought had devastated grazing lands, dried up water sources, and killed large numbers of livestock, especially among pastoralist communities. Women, children, and the elderly were among the most vulnerable. The UN also cautioned that limited international funding for its 2025 Humanitarian Appeal, aggravated by past budget cuts, could constrain relief operations in the region.
Rwanda, U.S. Sign Deal to Resettle Deported Migrants
Rwanda and the United States reached an agreement that allowed Kigali to accept up to 250 migrants deported from the U.S. The deal, signed in June, was part of ongoing cooperation amid Washington’s increased immigration enforcement. The U.S. submitted an initial list of 10 people for Rwanda’s vetting and approval before resettlement. Rwanda’s government said that it is committed to inclusion, drawing on its history of displacement. Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said those who are approved will be supported with essential services such as workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation to help them rebuild their lives and contribute to Rwanda’s growing economy. This is not the first time Rwanda has played a leading role in humanitarian migration efforts. Between September 2019 and April 2025, Rwanda also hosted 2,760 refugees evacuated from Libya at an Emergency Transit Mechanism centre, most of whom were later relocated to third countries, mainly in Europe.
UN Warns of Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) raised alarm over the deepening crisis in Sudan as fighting between rival military factions continued to escalate. It has now been 842 days since the conflict between troops from the military government and their former allies-turned-rivals in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted in Sudan, turning the country into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Heavy fighting continues in North Darfur State, with multiple civilian casualties reported in recent days, most notably during clashes in the state capital, El Fasher, on 1 and 2 August, following earlier violence between armed groups near the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people, which currently hosts 25,000 residents. In the face of rising food prices and blocked aid deliveries, starvation becomes a threat. Cholera continues to spread across Darfur, with nearly 1,200 cases reported – around 300 of them children – in the locality of Tawila since late June. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that the lives of more than 640,000 under-fives are at heightened risk of violence, disease, and hunger in the region.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
South African Farm Worker Testifies He Was Forced to Feed Murder Victims to Pigs
A white South African farm worker, Adrian de Wet, testified that he was forced to feed the bodies of two black women to pigs after they were allegedly shot and killed by farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier near Polokwane, Limpopo, in 2024. De Wet, who turned state witness, said the victims, Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were searching for discarded dairy products when they were killed. The bodies were allegedly dumped in a pig enclosure to conceal evidence. De Wet said he acted under duress, and could have charges dropped if the court accepts his testimony. The third accused, William Musora, a Zimbabwean national, also faces charges of attempted murder, illegal firearm possession, and immigration violations.
