Journalists denied White House access after Trump banned some media outlets

By Our Correspondent, WASHINGTON United States 

Politico, CNN and MS NOW journalists have been denied access to the White House after US President Donald Trump announced he was banning the outlets.

Reporters raise their hands to ask questions as President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on health care in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2026.  

An MS NOW reporter and a photographer tried entering the White House grounds on Saturday morning, but their badges would not scan and an officer confiscated them, the outlet reported.

Both CNN and Politico also said Saturday morning that their reporters were denied access and had their badges seized.

Trump said on Friday he was barring all three major US media outlets from the White House, accusing them of writing "fiction or lies" about his administration.

Press freedom advocates called the move unconstitutional.

"The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said that it was disabled," MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said. "I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him."

Gardner added that while her and her colleague's badges were disabled, an MS NOW producer was still able to scan her badge to get in, though she was not given an explanation as to why the producer's badge still worked.

CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a Secret Service agent told her her badge had been deactivated.

Later on Saturday morning, Politico said its reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry and Secret Service revoked her pass.

All three outlets have spoken out against the decision, accusing Trump of violating their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of the press.

An MS NOW spokesperson said in a statement that the White House "belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars".

MS NOW said it "intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy".

Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said in an internal email, shared in the outlet's Playbook newsletter, that the company stands by its reporters and will "vigorously defend" their First Amendment rights.

And CNN said, "We have a right under the US Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right."

In his announcement, Trump did not mention specific stories or reporting from the three outlets that prompted the move, but later said "it's really just cumulative stories over the last few years".

Trump added that there "may be others to join them", but has not given a directive banning additional news outlets. When later asked by a reporter what he meant by others to come, Trump responded: "Others to come in terms of fake news? Well, you know, the New York Times is fake news, the Washington Post is fake news."

Several groups dedicated to the freedom of the press have called out Trump's White House ban as illegal and unconstitutional.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 19/9/2026

 

IGAD presses South Sudan parties to agree on election roadmap

By Our Correspondent, DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti 

The regional bloc IGAD has urged South Sudan’s government and other parties to the country’s peace agreement to engage in inclusive dialogue and agree on a pathway towards general elections scheduled for December.

In a communiqué issued on Tuesday after a meeting of its Council of Ministers in Djibouti, IGAD said dialogue is needed to restore confidence among the parties and establish a “consensual pathway” to the elections.

It reaffirmed the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) as the framework for the country’s peace process and said the elections should remain anchored in the agreement that established the current transitional government.

The call comes as parliament considers proposed changes to the country’s electoral law that could significantly alter the power-sharing arrangements ahead of the vote.

The National Elections Act Amendment Bill, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, proposes that the incumbent president remain in office with full constitutional powers during the election period, while the first vice-president and other vice-presidents would leave office three months before polling day.

The proposal would affect the power-sharing presidency established under the 2018 peace agreement, which created the positions of president, first vice-president and four other vice-presidents.

Dr. Riek Machar, who was suspended from his position as first vice-president, remains under house arrest and is on trial on treason charges. He is a principal signatory to the 2018 peace agreement.

The bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny and has not yet become law.

The proposed changes come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for 22 December 2026, after years of delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement.

IGAD’s Council of Ministers directed its Ministerial Sub-Committee on South Sudan to intensify engagement with the government and other stakeholders and report back to the council.

The regional bloc said it remains ready to support efforts towards the elections.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister James Pitia Morgan attended the 74th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers, held on 15 September in Djibouti.

IGAD also called for sustainable and predictable funding for the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM).

The two bodies monitor the implementation of key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, including the ceasefire and transitional security arrangements.

IGAD has played a central role in South Sudan’s peace process and is a principal guarantor of the 2018 peace agreement.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 18/9/2026

 

South Sudan president fires head of electoral body months before country’s first election

By Deng Machol, JUBA South Sudan 

South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Tuesday night announced the removal of the head of the East African country’s electoral body only three months before the country’s first election.

Abednego Akok Kacuol was fired from his position as chairperson of the National Elections Commission without a reason being given publicly by Kiir. He will be replaced by Gabriel Bol Deng Majok, who served as the electoral commission’s secretary general.

Akok, 71, was appointed as chairperson of the electoral body in August 2012 and reappointed in November 2023 after the commission was reconstituted under a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war. 

South Sudan has repeatedly postponed elections since gaining independence in 2011, citing delays in implementing the peace deal.

The transitional period and implementation of the 2018 peace agreement has been extended several times. Under the current road map, the transitional government is expected to be dissolved on Sept. 22 and elections are set for Dec. 22, ahead of the transitional period expiring in February.

Experts say the leadership change in the electoral body could impact the elections.

Political analyst Abraham Kuol Nyuon, dean of the University of Juba graduate college, said the leadership change could further complicate preparations, including voter registration.

“This is a delay tactic,” Kuol told The Associated Press, adding that “the people of South Sudan should forget about the Dec. 22 polls.”

The new chairperson will need time to become familiar with the position and make decisions needed to complete preparations, Kuol said.

The move also has raised questions over the legal process for the removal of an electoral body chairperson. The National Elections Act sets out a specific procedure and lists grounds for removal including proven partiality, inability to perform duties and gross misconduct.

South African President Ramaphosa taken ill after BRICS summit

PRETORIA, South Africa 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has withdrawn from public engagements after returning from the BRICS summit in India, his office said on Wednesday, citing ill health.

His absence comes as Deputy President Paul Mashatile continues to recover from a minor medical procedure, leaving both of the country's top leaders away from public duties.

Ramaphosa, 73, returned from the BRICS summit in India on Monday and had been advised by his doctors to rest and recover, the presidency said.

Leaders of the BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, concluded a two-day summit in New Delhi on Sunday, where discussions focused on inclusive global growth and the Middle East.

"Where possible, the president has asked the respective ministers to represent him at scheduled engagements," his office said in a statement.

Mashatile said on Tuesday that his "recovery is progressing well" and that he was "regaining strength each day".

"On the advice of my doctors, I will continue resting until advised otherwise while work and delegated responsibilities continue to be underway in the capable team in my office with other stakeholders in government, business and other sectors," Mashatile said.

The simultaneous absence of Ramaphosa and Mashatile comes as South Africa enters an increasingly busy political season ahead of local government elections on November 4.

At least 82 people killed in gold mine collapse in Sudan's West Kordofan

WEST KORDOFAN, Sudan 

At least 82 people have been killed in a gold mine collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, with dozens more injured and others feared trapped beneath the rubble.

Rescue teams and fellow miners worked through the night using basic tools, recovering 60 bodies by dawn, with another 22 found on Wednesday. 

A local administrator says around 50 people were injured, while the number still missing remains unknown.

The collapse highlights the dangers of Sudan’s largely unregulated gold industry, where millions depend on small-scale mining for income. Miners often work in unstable shafts with little safety equipment and rudimentary tools.

Gold has also become a crucial source of funding for both sides in Sudan’s war, now in its fourth year. Much of the country’s gold is reportedly smuggled abroad, including to the United Arab Emirates.

With heavy machinery needed to reach those still trapped, rescuers face a difficult race against time in a region already devastated by conflict.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 17/9/2026