U.S. Weighs Relocating Afghan Evacuees to DR Congo Amid Backlash
The United States is reportedly in talks to relocate around 1,100 Afghan evacuees currently housed at a former US base in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to advocacy group AfghanEvac. The group, which includes interpreters, former Afghan commandos, and families of US-linked personnel, was evacuated after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. AfghanEvac has criticised the plan, saying that it suspects that Washington seeks to send the former US military allies back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. AfghanEvac said the plan to send them to Congo is an attempt to “manufacture a refusal.” Congo has some 6.9 million internally displaced people, according to UN figures, particularly in the east of the country, which has seen fierce fighting between the army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The State Department declined to confirm that Congo was being eyed as a destination but said the United States was looking at “voluntary resettlement” from the As Sayliyah camp in Qatar.
Leaked Messages Reveal Push to Flood Parliament Over Mnangagwa Bill
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ZANU PF is allegedly planning to flood Parliament with over 45,000 written submissions in favour of the highly contested Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3, leaked messages have revealed. ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Mary Mliswa has ordered members of her provincial coordination committee (PCC), district coordination committee (DCC), Members of Parliament under her jurisdiction, traditional leaders and councillors to submit over 45,000 copies. The bill, widely seen as benefiting Emmerson Mnangagwa, seeks to extend his presidency beyond the current two-term limit to 2030. Public hearings were dominated by pro-Mnangagwa voices that were all in favour of the term extension.
Fears of Renewed Conflict as Tigray Restores Suspended Assembly
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has announced the restoration of a regional parliament, the election of which was one of the triggers for the war in northern Ethiopia. The TPLF said that its central committee has decided to reinstate the Tigray Government Assembly, elected by some 2.8 million people and suspended in the name of peace. “This decision has been taken because the federal government is violating the Pretoria Agreement; we were not consulted,” said a senior official of the Front who wishes to remain anonymous. This has raised fears of a resumption of the bloody conflict between the Ethiopian government and regional forces, which has already claimed at least 600,000 lives between 2020 and 2022. Since then, the country has been governed under the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) of Pretoria, which stipulates a permanent cessation of hostilities between the government and the TPLF.
South Africa, Lesotho Agree on ID Travel and Amnesty for Overstayers
South Africa and Lesotho have agreed that citizens only need their national identity documents to cross the border. Basotho who have been barred from South Africa for overstaying will be granted amnesty. The reforms, led by a research team formed with officials, are part of a new migration model aimed at simplifying movement between the two countries. It is also seen as a solution to Lesotho’s passport crisis. Children under 16, who do not qualify for national IDs, will continue to use passports. They also addressed the issue of Basotho working in South Africa, particularly in low-skilled sectors. The meeting also discussed introducing an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.
Kenyan Court Clears 50 Youths Arrested in Finance Bill Protests
The Ngong Law Courts have released 50 young people arrested during Gen Z demonstrations in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado North Constituency, on June 24, 2024. They were charged with protesting the Finance Bill 2024, which sparked nationwide unrest caused largely by young Kenyans opposed to new tax measures. The case was dismissed after no witnesses were called by the prosecution. According to the court, all the charges against the accused could not stand without testimony or supporting evidence. The arrests were part of a broader crackdown during the June 2024 demonstrations, when thousands of young people protested the proposed Finance Bill across Kenya.
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Sudan Returnees Struggle as War Devastation Persists
Three years into the devastating conflict in Sudan, nearly four million displaced people have returned to their places of origin across the country, only to face “another struggle for survival”, said the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM). IOM Deputy Director General Sung Ah Lee said that returns were concentrated mainly in the capital Khartoum and neighbouring Al Jazirah state. Approximately 12 million people fled heavily affected areas, particularly Al Jazirah, Khartoum, Sennar and Kordofan, at the height of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to IOM, which erupted on 15 April 2023. It is estimated that over 4.5 million people have crossed into neighbouring countries, notably Egypt, South Sudan, and Chad. There are almost nine million internally displaced. And as the Sudan conflict enters its fourth year, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned that both the scale and complexity of the crisis are intensifying.
