U.S. to Place Visa Restrictions on Nigerians They Say Are Responsible for Attacks on Christians
The US government introduced a new policy that allows it to impose a visa ban on people allegedly responsible for attacks on Nigerian Christians. The US State Department said the policy allows it to deny visas to those who have directed, authorised, supported, participated in, or carried out abuses targeting people based on faith. The policy, announced amid discussions with the Nigerian government on violent attacks by terror groups, extended to Nigeria and any other country involved in violations of religious freedom. The statement referenced former President Donald Trump’s position that the US could not ignore such atrocities, following earlier false accusations by the US that the Nigerian government supported anti-Christian violence, which led Trump to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and threaten military intervention.
Kenya Accuses UK Troops of Decades of Abuse and Rights Violations
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Kenya’s parliament accused British soldiers of decades of sexual abuse, killings, human rights violations, and environmental destruction linked to their training operations in Laikipia and Samburu. In a 94-page report following a two-year inquiry, Kenya’s parliamentary Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations accused Batuk of continued ethical breaches, rights violations, and environmental negligence, as well as employment and labour concerns. It was alleged that the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) committed widespread misconduct, including rape, assault, maiming, fatal traffic accidents, and abandonment of children fathered by local women, while evading accountability by refusing to cooperate with investigators and claiming diplomatic immunity. There have been numerous unresolved cases, including Agnes Wanjiru’s 2012 murder and Tilam Leresh’s killing, as well as allegations of interference with investigations and a pattern of sexual violence against Samburu and Maasai women. The UK expressed regret and said it would investigate new evidence, but Batuk insisted high standards were maintained. The committee concluded that the existing defence agreement between Kenya and the UK was structurally flawed, failing to explicitly exclude murder from official duty, and recommended reforms, including a visiting forces code of conduct, zero-tolerance rules for gender-based violence, stronger environmental safeguards, and mechanisms to ensure accountability, including child-support obligations.
Amnesty Calls for War Crimes Investigation into RSF Attack on Zamzam
Amnesty International reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deliberately killed civilians, took hostages, and destroyed mosques, schools, and health clinics during a large-scale attack on Zamzam, North Darfur’s largest internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, between 11 and 13 April 2025. Around 400,000 people were forced to flee as a result of this assault, which included indiscriminate gunfire and shelling in populated areas, as well as pillaging and arson. Civilians have been killed, raped, and infrastructure has been destroyed. According to Amnesty International, international arms transfers, including support from the UAE, have fueled the conflict, and criminal accountability is urgently needed. The survivors described harrowing conditions, as well as the lack of food, water, and medical care. They also called for protection, compensation, and justice.
Trump Tells Somali Immigrants to ‘Go Back to Where They Came From’
US President Donald Trump said he did not want Somali immigrants in the United States, telling reporters they should “go back to where they came from.” He described Somalia as a country “with no structure.” These remarks coincided with reports of a planned immigration enforcement operation targeting Minnesota’s large Somali community. His comments intensified his ongoing attacks against Somali Americans, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, following his administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Somalis and broaden immigration enforcement measures. Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre downplayed the remarks, saying his government preferred not to elevate them, while Minnesota officials condemned the planned ICE operation as discriminatory and harmful, noting that most Somali residents in the state were US citizens. The developments came amid wider Trump administration actions to tighten immigration controls, including halting asylum decisions, reviewing green cards, and considering new travel bans.
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French Journalist Christophe Gleizes Sentenced to 10 Years in Algeria
A court in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, sentenced French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes to ten years in prison during his appeal trial for “glorifying terrorism” and related charges, increasing his original seven-year sentence. He was arrested in May 2024 while reporting on the football club JS Kabylie. Gleizes had entered Algeria on a tourist visa and admitted at his trial that he had made journalistic errors and unknowingly contacted someone linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), a group classified as terrorist by Algerian authorities. Gleizes and advocacy groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said that his work was purely journalistic and unrelated to politics. They argued that the detention reflected a misunderstanding of journalism and was exacerbated by diplomatic tensions between the French and Algerian governments.
