UN conference backs two-state solution, calls on Israel to commit to a Palestinian state

NEW YORK,  United States 

High-level representatives at a UN conference on Tuesday urged Israel to commit to a Palestinian state and gave "unwavering support" to a two-state solution.

The "New York Declaration" sets out a phased plan to end the nearly eight-decade conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza. The plan would culminate with an independent, demilitarized Palestine living side by side peacefully with Israel, and their eventual integration into the wider Mideast region.

The meeting is taking place amid the latest reports that starvation and famine are taking place in Gaza, and growing global outrage at Palestinians not getting food due to Israeli policies and practices, which Israel denies. 

Planned for two days, the meeting was extended into Wednesday because representatives of about 50 countries have not spoken. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution and has rejected the meeting on both nationalistic and security grounds. 

U.S. President Donald Trump also said recognizing Palestinian statehood would be rewarding Hamas, a White House official told media.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon late Tuesday sharply criticized the some 125 countries participating in the conference, saying "There are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement."

The declaration's plan says conference co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia, the European Union and Arab League, and 15 countries that led the working groups agreed "to take collective action to end the war in Gaza."

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud urged the rest of the 193 UN member nations "to support this document" before the start of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in mid-September.

The declaration condemns "the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians" in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. It marks a first condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas, whose attacks killed about 1,200, mainly Israeli civilians, and whose militants took about 250 people hostage. Some 50 are still being held.

The declaration condemns Israel's attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and its "siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis."

Israel's military operation against Hamas has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The conference plan envisions the Palestinian Authority governing and controlling all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee immediately established under its umbrella after a ceasefire in Gaza.

It also supports deployment of "a temporary international stabilization mission" operating under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority and provide security guarantees for Palestine and Israel – "including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement."

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud chair the United Nations General Assembly, July 28, 2025. /VCG

US to deny visas to Palestinian officials

WASHINGTON,  United States 

The US says it is going to impose sanctions on the Palestinians' self-governance organisation as well as the body that represents it on the international stage.

The sanctions affect both the Palestinian Authority (PA) which was established by the Oslo peace accords, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) which was recognised after the same process as the official representative of the Palestinian people in return for it recognising Israel and renouncing violence.

The State Department said it would deny visas to PLO members and PA officials.

The timing and language of the statement suggest it is the Trump administration's response to this week's French-Saudi led conference at the United Nations held to rally support for a future two state solution.

The meeting came as France, the UK and Canada committed to recognising an independent, demilitarised Palestinian state later this year, in some cases subject to certain conditions.

The US castigated these moves, having privately warned of diplomatic consequences if those attending the UN conference made "anti-Israel" declarations.

In its sanctions announcement, the State Department accused the PA and PLO of taking actions to "internationalise its conflict with Israel such as through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)".

It also referred to a series of long-standing complaints by the US and Israel that the PLO and PA had continued "to support terrorism including incitement and glorification of violence (especially in textbooks), and providing payments and benefits in support of terrorism to Palestinian terrorists and their families".

The Trump administration earlier this year lifted sanctions on violent Israeli settlers who have killed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

One leading Palestinian politician described the sanctions move as "revenge" by the US for the commitments to recognise Palestinian statehood by a growing number of countries.

The PA appeared to echo that sentiment in a statement released on Thursday.

"These campaigns have been escalating in response to the significant and successive achievements of Palestinian diplomacy," it said.

"Particularly the recent recognitions of the State of Palestine by key countries, the successful United Nations conference in New York, and the historic declaration issued therein."

Mustafa Barghouti, founder of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) which is part of the PLO, said the US was targeting the wrong side.

He said: "Trump's administration, instead of punishing the criminals who are committing war crimes in Gaza and in the West Bank, which is Israel, is instead… punishing the victim, which is the Palestinian people."

Israel welcomed the sanctions and thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for imposing them.

"This important action by [President Trump] and his administration also exposes the moral distortion of certain countries that ran to recognise a virtual Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to its support for terror and incitement," said foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar.

African Union rejects RSF’s rival government in Sudan amid escalating conflict

ADDIS ABABA,  Ethiopia 

Just days after Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, announced the formation of a 15-member governing council, the African Union is pushing back.

The bloc is urging member states and the international community not to recognize the rival government, warning that the RSF’s move could further fragment Sudan and derail fragile peace efforts.

The RSF has named Mohamed Hassan al-Ta'ayshi as prime minister and its leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, as head of a newly declared presidential council.

The RSF has been locked in a brutal war with Sudan’s army since April 2023. 

The army maintains control over Khartoum and much of the north, east, and central regions. 

Meanwhile, the RSF holds sway over most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, where recent attacks have killed hundreds, according to local human rights groups.

The African Union says the creation of a parallel government only deepens the crisis and threatens to unravel any remaining hopes for a negotiated settlement.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 01/08/2025

 

Russia’s Rosatom launches pilot uranium processing plant in southern Tanzania

MTWARA, Tanzania 

A subsidiary of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has launched a pilot uranium processing plant at the Mkuju River project in southern Tanzania, Rosatom said on Wednesday.

Built by Mantra Tanzania Ltd at the Nyota deposit, the facility is designed to gather data for the construction of a main processing plant with a planned capacity of up to 3,000 tons of uranium per year.

Construction of the main facility is set to begin in early 2026, with commissioning expected in 2029.

Kenya mulls retaliation after Tanzania locks out foreign traders

By Stephen Letoo, NAIROBI Kenya 

Kenya and Tanzania are on a war path, as thousands of Kenyans residing and doing businesses in Tanzania are staring at a business shutdown.

This after Tanzania's Minister for Trade and Industry Selemani Saidi Jafo on Tuesday amended the Business Licensing Act, a decision that would see all foreigners cede small and medium-sized businesses to natives.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the actions from Tanzania are far-reaching and are already on President William Ruto's table.

“President Ruto has talked with President Samia on how to resolve this matter in diplomatic ways,” said Mudavadi.

But Kenya's Trade CS Lee Kinyanjui is breathing fire on the other end, calling for Tanzania to withdraw the new directives, warning that imposing similar sanctions for Tanzania were on the table.

“On whether Kenya will retaliate...Yes, that is one of the cards on the table but we first want to exhaust the diplomatic channels,” he said on Wednesday.

In the new order by Samia Suluhu's administration, businesses such as retail shops, mobile money transfers, mobile phone repairs and saloon businesses are to be left for Tanzanians alone.

Home managers, curio shops, real estate brokering, clearing and forwarding services, ownership of gambling machines are businesses now reserved for Tanzanians only.

“We have several Kenyans working in Tanzania and doing businesses and majority of them will be affected,” CS Kinyanjui retorted.

Tanzania is now facing accusations of going against the East African Community agreements that opens business to all.

Kenya affirms strong ties with Uganda as the countries sign 8 MOU's

NAIROBI,  Kenya 

Kenya's President William Ruto has affirmed that Kenya will continue to uphold its strong bilateral ties with Uganda after signing eight Memoranda of Understanding with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni.

Speaking at the State House, Nairobi on Wednesday, President Ruto maintained that Kenya and Uganda are focused on enhancing their partnership to bolster their socio-economic affairs.

The two presidents inked MOUs to strengthen partnerships on Mining, Transport, Quality Assurance, Agriculture, Fisheries, Urban development, Tourism and Trade.

President Ruto highlighted the need to address the persistent non-tariff barriers that hinder the flow of goods in the region which have affected livelihoods and the free flow of trading commodities.

President Ruto intimated on the plan to commence on the urban development of the greater Busia metro project that will be undertaken between this year and 2028. 

This will entail building infrastructure in Busia and expanding the markets since it is shared between Kenya and Uganda.

The two nations will also focus on having joint mineral exploitation avenues to address cross-border smuggling.

Kenya and Uganda will also work towards bolstering capacity building on the opportunities in the blue economy and enhance food security by cushioning the agriculture sector.

The two nations will also strengthen the tourism sector through the enhancement of cultural exchange and eco-tourism. 

Canada follows France and UK with plan to recognise Palestinian state

By Nadine Yousif,  TORONTO Canada

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September, becoming the third G7 nation to make such an announcement in recent days.

Carney said the move depends on democratic reforms, including the Palestinian Authority holding elections next year without Hamas.

His remarks come a day after the UK announced it would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire and other conditions and a week after France unveiled a similar plan.

Israel's foreign ministry rejected Canada's announcement, calling it "a reward for Hamas". Most countries - 147 of the UN's 193 member states - formally recognise a Palestinian state.

Carney said Canada would formally recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

He cited the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas as reasons behind Canada's dramatic shift in foreign policy.

"The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable and it is rapidly deteriorating," Carney told reporters on Wednesday.

He said a recognition of Palestinian statehood would hinge on commitments by the Palestinian Authority to fundamentally reform its governance and to demilitarise the territory.

Canada had long been committed to a two-state solution as part of a negotiated peace process, Carney said, but he added "this approach is no longer tenable".

"The prospect of a Palestinian state is being eroded before our eyes," he said.

Carney told the news conference he had spoken with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier on Wednesday about the announcement.

The Palestinian Authority controls parts of the West Bank through the Fatah party, led by Abbas, while Hamas runs Gaza. Neither territory has held an election since 2006.

Angola fuel protests turn deadly as fatalities rise to 22

LUANDA,  Angola 

At least 22 people have been killed in violent protests across Angola following a sharp fuel price hike, authorities said Wednesday, marking a dramatic escalation from the previous day’s death toll of four.

The unrest, triggered by the government’s decision to slash diesel subsidies, has led to widespread clashes, looting, and mass arrests, with tensions spreading from the capital, Luanda, to other provinces.

The protests began Monday after minibus taxi unions launched a three-day strike in response to the government’s move to raise diesel prices by one-third—a measure aimed at curbing costly subsidies and stabilizing public finances.

The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with reports of looting, vandalism, and deadly confrontations between protesters and police.

President João Lourenço’s cabinet held an emergency meeting Wednesday to assess the security crisis and coordinate law enforcement’s response.

A presidential statement confirmed 22 fatalities, 197 injuries, and 1,214 arrests, along with damage to 66 shops, 25 vehicles, and the looting of multiple supermarkets and warehouses.

This latest upheaval echoes unrest in 2023, when similar subsidy cuts—backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—sparked fatal protests.

Angola, a major oil producer, has been gradually phasing out fuel subsidies, which last year accounted for 4% of GDP, according to the finance minister.

Investors are closely tracking the reforms, viewing them as a test of Angola’s commitment to fiscal discipline.

"Subsidy removal signals the government’s willingness to make tough structural reforms," said Pieter Niesten, an emerging markets debt manager at Neuberger Berman, noting that fuel subsidies are expected to drop to 1.8% of GDP this year.

The crisis underscores the economic and social risks of austerity measures in a nation where many rely on subsidized fuel for livelihoods.

As anger simmers, the government faces mounting pressure to balance fiscal reforms with public stability.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 31/07/2025

 

Trump says he may skip G20 summit in South Africa, cites policy disapproval

LONDON, England 

US President, Donald Trump, said on Tuesday he might skip the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in South Africa in November and send someone else to represent the United States, citing his disapproval of South African policies.

“I think maybe I’ll send somebody else because I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies – ranging from its land policy to its case accusing Israel of genocide in the U.S. ally’s war in Gaza.

Trump signed an executive order in February to cut U.S. financial assistance to South Africa. In May, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a White House meeting.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa, which has the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025.

Washington, both under Trump and former President Joe Biden, has complained about the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, where it accused Israel of genocide over its military assault in Gaza.

Israel’s assault has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and also led to accusations of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. 

Israel denies the accusations and casts its Gaza offensive as self-defense after a deadly October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and in which over 250 were taken hostage.

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and South Africa have also been strained under Trump due to South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies to address the legacy of centuries of racial inequality.

Ramaphosa, who has urged Trump to attend the G20 summit, rejects Washington’s claims that South Africa will use its land policy to arbitrarily confiscate white-owned land.

UK to recognise Palestinian state unless Israel meets conditions

By Becky Morton,  LONDON England 

The United Kingdom will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza", Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The PM said Israel must also meet other conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire, committing to a long-term sustainable peace that delivers a two-state solution, and allowing the United Nations to restart the supply of aid, or the UK would take the step at September's UN General Assembly.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move "rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism".

The UK government has previously said recognition should come at a point when it can have maximum impact, as part of a peace process.

However, the PM has been under growing pressure - including from his own MPs - to act more quickly.

Last week France also announced it would officially recognise a Palestinian state in September - the first of the G7 group of the world's richest countries to do so.

Giving a news conference after holding an emergency cabinet meeting, Sir Keir said he was announcing the plan now because of the "intolerable situation" in Gaza and concern that "the very possibility of a two-state solution is reducing".

He told reporters that the UK's goal of "a safe secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state" was "under pressure like never before".

The PM added that his "primary aim" was to improve the situation on the ground in Gaza, including ensuring that aid gets in.

In outlining the steps UK wanted the Israeli government to take, Sir Keir also said it should make clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

The current Israeli government is opposed to progress towards a two-state solution so it is highly unlikely to agree to the conditions.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said Hamas must immediately release all hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.

In response to the announcement Netanyahu wrote on social media: "A jihadist state on Israel's border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW.

"Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen."

Asked if he knew the PM's statement was coming, Donald Trump said the pair "never discussed it" during their meeting on Monday, when the US president was in Scotland.

He told reporters: "You could make the case... that you are rewarding Hamas if you do that. And I don't think they should be rewarded."

The US - along with many European nations - has said it would only recognise a Palestinian state as part of moves towards a long-term resolution to the conflict.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed the government's announcement as "a crucial step" but urged the PM to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, and pursue "far greater action to stop the humanitarian disaster in Gaza".

He added: "Rather than use recognition, which should have taken place many months ago, as a bargaining chip, the prime minister should be applying pressure on Israel by fully ceasing arms sales, and implementing sanctions against the Israeli cabinet."

Some 255 MPs have signed a letter calling for the government to immediately recognise a Palestinian state - including more than half of Labour MPs.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, who coordinated the letter, said she was "delighted and relieved" at the announcement.

"This will put political pressure on Israel and make clear what's happening in Gaza and the West Bank is totally unacceptable," she said.

"However, I'm troubled our recognition appears conditional on Israel's actions.

"Israel is the occupier, and recognition is about the self-determination of the Palestinian people. The two should be separate."

Ivory Coast President Ouattara to stand for a fourth term in office

YAMOUSSOUKRO,  Côte d'Ivoire

Three months before Ivory Coast’s presidential election, long-standing leader Alassane Ouattara has announced he will be standing for a fourth term in office, ending months of speculation.

"I am a candidate because I want our beloved Côte d'Ivoire to continue to remain a prosperous country, in peace and security," he said in a televised address on Tuesday.

The 83-year-old president said both his health and the country’s Constitution allows him to serve another term.

Ouattara, who has been president since 2011, said the country was facing “unprecedented security, economic, and monetary challenges.

“Indeed, the terrorist threat is growing in the sub-region and economic uncertainties at the international level constitute a risk for our country,” he said.

He added that he believed the management of this situation required someone with experience.

For months, Ouattara’s presidential majority has been calling for his candidacy at large demonstrations across the country.

When nominating him as its candidate, his Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party praised his record in office and described him as the sole guarantor of stability in the sub-region.

But the announcement of his candidature is likely to spark anger among the Ivorian opposition, which boycotted the previous election in protest against his third term, which it deemed unconstitutional.

In 2016, Ouattara reset the presidential term limit by changing the Constitution to allow himself to stand in the 2020 polls.

The president will likely face several opposition figures in the polls, assuming they obtain the necessary approval to stand.

Both Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) leader, Tidjane Thiam, and former President Laurent Gbagbo who leads the African People's Party of Ivory Coast (PPACI), are currently contesting their exclusion from the electoral list.

The two main opposition parties have launched a joint campaign to demand the reinstatement of their barred leaders ahead of the presidential election.

The submission of candidacies closes at the end of August ahead of the first  round of the presidential poll on 25 October.