Trump praises leaders of Rwanda and DR Congo as they sign a peace deal

WASHINGTON, United States 

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday praised the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for “settling a war that has been going on for decades”.

The televised signing of an agreement to end the conflict in the eastern Congo offered Trump another chance to tout himself as a dealmaker extraordinaire on the global stage.

"These are two men that are doing a great job," Trump said. "They want to get onto other ways of living for their people and they are great leaders."

The ceremony in Washington took place even as there were reports of clashes between the Congolese army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in South Kivu province.

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and the Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi offered a hopeful tone as they signed onto the agreement.

“No one was asking President Trump to take up this task. Our region is far from the headlines,” Kagame said. “But when the president saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately took it.”

“I do believe this day is the beginning of a new path, a demanding path, yes. Indeed, quite difficult. But this is a path where peace will not just be a wish, an aspiration, but a turning point,” said Tshisekedi.

Indeed, analysts say Thursday's deal is not expected to quickly result in peace and may not change the humanitarian crisis on the ground.

The M23 did not attend the Washington meetings and it is not bound by the terms of the Congo-Rwanda agreement.

It has been participating in separate, Qatar-mediated talks with Congo.

Thursday's pact, lauded by the White House as an “historic” agreement brokered by Trump, follows months of peace efforts by the US and partners, including the African Union and Qatar and finalises an earlier deal signed in June.

It will also build on a Regional Economic Integration Framework previously agreed upon that officials have said will define the terms of economic partnerships involving the three countries.

Trump also announced that Washington was signing bilateral agreements with the Congo and Rwanda that will unlock new opportunities for the US to access critical minerals--deals that will benefit all three nations’ economies.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 05/12/2025

 

UN experts condemn Tanzania's post-election lethal crackdown and digital blackout

GENEVA, Switzerland 

United Nations human rights experts today condemned reported widespread and systematic human rights violations in Tanzania following the general elections on 29 October 2025, including allegations of hundreds of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and mass arbitrary detentions targeting protesters, opposition figures, and civil society across the country.

“The Government must provide information on the fate and whereabouts of all disappeared persons and ensure the identification and dignified return of the remains to their families,” the experts said. “All restrictions on media coverage must be lifted, as they are incompatible with Tanzania’s international obligations.”

The experts noted that elections proceeded amid long-standing concerns, including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances of opposition figures, and legislative changes that undermined the fairness of the electoral framework. 

Leaders from the two main opposition parties were barred or disqualified from contesting, and in some cases detained or forcibly disappeared prior to the poll.

Following the elections, protests erupted across the country, particularly led by youth, against the ruling political party.

The Government’s response was allegedly the immediate and lethal use of force against these protesters by security forces, including military and police personnel. 

The experts said that disturbing reports indicate officers were given orders to “shoot to kill” during an enforced curfew.

The experts noted that the number of people extrajudicially killed in the aftermath of the elections is estimated to be at least 700 individuals, with other estimates pointing to thousands of potential victims. 

They noted chilling reports on the disappearance of victims’ bodies from morgues, and allegations that human remains are being incinerated or buried in unidentified mass graves. 

Family members who identified remains were reportedly forced to sign false statements about the cause of death to receive the bodies.

Widespread arbitrary arrests and detentions of hundreds of protesters, human rights defenders and civil society activists followed the post-election protests, the experts noted. 

Many detained opposition leaders and protesters, that account for over 1,700 individuals, reportedly face serious offenses like treason, conspiracy to commit an offense, and armed robbery.

They expressed concern that the Directorate for Public Prosecutions applied the principle of nolle prosequi, which they considered will be an obstacle the due process.

The experts noted that a complete internet shutdown was imposed from 29 October to 3 November 2025, further compounding the crisis. 

“This blackout severely curtailed the ability of human rights defenders and journalists to carry out their work and document violations,” they said.

The experts also expressed alarm at reports of transnational repression, including extensive surveillance targeting human rights defenders and civil society organisations involved in monitoring the violations in neighboring countries.

They urged the Government of Tanzania to launch a prompt, impartial, independent, thorough, and effective investigation into all reported killings, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations.

The experts took note of the establishment of a commission of inquiry to inform the public and the international community about the causes of the protests and human rights violations.

“The new commission should be independent and make proposals to ensure accountability, justice and reparation, including guarantees of non-recurrence, and full participation of victims and civil society organisations,” they said.

Ahead of planned demonstrations on 9 December 2025, the experts called on Tanzanian authorities and security forces to prevent further violations and protect people’s right to peaceful assembly.

The experts are in contact with the Government on this issue and expressed their readiness to provide technical assistance to Tanzanian authorities.

United Nations decries crackdown on opposition ahead of Ugandan elections

NEW YORK, United States 

The United Nations has spoken out against what it said was an intensifying crackdown on the opposition and media in Uganda ahead of next month’s election.

Its rights agency said credible reports indicated that at least 550 people have been arrested and detained since the start of the year.

This included members and supporters of presidential candidate Bobi Wine’s main opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party.

“We deplore the intensifying crackdown on the opposition and media in Uganda ahead of next month’s general election,” said Ravina Shamdasan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

“It is deeply regrettable that election campaigns have once again been marked by widespread arbitrary arrests, detentions, and the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force against the opposition, as well as undue restriction of press freedom,” she said.

Reports of arrests and detentions, as well as enforced disappearance, torture and other ill treatment of opposition supporters and activists have been on a steady increase over the past year.

The OHCHR said security forces have been accused of using unmarked minibuses widely known as “drones” to transport people to unofficial places of detention known as “safe houses” where they are held incommunicado.

It added that heavily armed security forces have been deployed at locations where the NUP was due to hold rallies.

The OHCHR said it urged the authorities in Uganda to end the pattern of repression and cease the use of “such repressive tactics”.

It called on the authorities to impartially investigate allegations of enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture, and punish those responsible.

The agency said all detained individuals should be released and Ugandans must be allowed to “fully and peacefully exercise their right to participate” in their country’s public affairs.

Wednesday's statement also decried restrictions of press freedoms, highlighting recent cases where journalists had their accreditation withdrawn apparently due to critical reporting.

Eighty-one-year-old President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year-rule in the 15 January polls.

Russia to donate jet fighters to Sudan in exchange for naval base

PORT SUDAN, Sudan 

Sudan and Russia have resumed discussions over a deal under which Moscow would provide Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets in exchange for rights to a naval logistics facility on the Red Sea, Military Watch Magazine reported.

Russia’s plans for establishing a logistical hub in Port Sudan have been delayed indefinitely due to conflict, halting active construction efforts for now.

Under the original terms, the hub would support naval operations near the Suez Canal, an essential global trade route.

However, the outcome of the negotiation remains unclear due to Sudan’s internal conflicts and international calls for a ceasefire resolution.

The development comes as Russia pushes to establish a permanent naval base in Africa, while Sudan seeks additional weapons for its ongoing conflict, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire from Western powers, particularly the United States.

Plans to procure Su-35 fighter jets were first reported in late 2017, following a visit to Moscow by then-President Omar al-Bashir.

Those plans were disrupted after his government was overthrown in early 2019 amid riots and a Western-backed coup.

The current discussions are seen as a renegotiation of a long-delayed agreement originally reached in 2020, which had been postponed due to political instability and, later, by the outbreak of war in Sudan.

In November, Business Insider Africa reported that Russia’s long-planned naval base in Port Sudan, its first permanent foothold in Africa since the Soviet era, has been suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing civil war.

Russian Ambassador to Sudan Andrey Chernovol confirmed the pause, saying: “Given the current military conflict, movement on this issue has for now been halted.”

The report also noted that Russia had formally stepped back from active construction planning, prompting a reassessment of the deal rather than its cancellation.

Under the original agreement, Russia would have been allowed to establish a logistics hub at Port Sudan, capable of hosting up to four warships and about 300 personnel.

The deal also granted Moscow the right to bring in weapons, ammunition, air-defence systems, and electronic warfare equipment to support naval operations.

The location on the Red Sea would place the facility near the Suez Canal, a major global shipping route that carries about 10 percent of worldwide maritime trade.

The outcome of the renewed negotiations remains uncertain and will depend on security conditions and the final terms agreed by both sides, even as the Rapid Support Forces have reportedly expressed support for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which has not yet been accepted by the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Taifa Stars Preliminary Squad for AFCON 2025 unveiled

DAR-ES-SALAAM,  Tanzania 

Tanzania's Taifa Stars coach, Miguel Gamondi, announced yesterday, December 3, 2025, the preliminary squad of 53 players that will participate in the preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The national team squad, includes Tanzania's players who are active in local and international leagues, is scheduled to leave the country on December 8, 2025, for Egypt, for a pre-competition training camp.

Gamondi said that this initial step is important to identify players with the best form, unite the team and set strategies before AFCON. 

The squad will undergo intensive training, friendly matches, and a detailed assessment of each player, then be slashed to the official number of 23 players that will participate in the competition.

Taifa Stars expects to start the AFCON competition with positive objective of achieving a good history, while boasting players with international and local potential.

Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Chelsea beaten at Leeds

LONDON,  England 

Arsenal edged out Brentford 2-0 to restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday as Chelsea slumped to a 3-1 defeat at struggling Leeds.

Liverpool needed a late Nordi Mukiele own-goal to avoid another damaging defeat at home in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland, while Aston Villa climbed up to third after a 4-3 victory at Brighton.

Arsenal failed to hit top form at the Emirates Stadium but did enough to take another step towards a first league title in 22 years thanks to goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka.

Merino maintained his place up front despite Viktor Gyokeres' return to fitness and rewarded Arteta with another vital goal.

The Spaniard was picked out perfectly by Ben White's cross and powered in his 11th goal of the season for club and country.

"It's unbelievable what he has done again today. The goal is magnificent. The movement, the quality, the finish, how he times it... It's phenomenal," Arteta reacted on Merino's goal.

Saka was introduced on the hour mark and the England winger finally made the points safe in stoppage time as his strike had too much power for Caoimhin Kelleher.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke's job was reportedly on the line prior to Chelsea's visit to Elland Road after four consecutive defeats.

But Farke's players produced a huge performance for their boss to climb out of the relegation zone.

Jaka Bijol powered in Anton Stach's corner after just six minutes to give the hosts the perfect start.

Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Leeds were rewarded for a dominant first 45 minutes when Ao Tanaka blasted in from the edge of the box.

Pedro Neto pulled a goal back for the Blues early in the second half, but Chelsea gifted Leeds a third and a vital win when Tosin Adarabioyo was caught on the ball inside his own box and Dominic Calvert-Lewin slotted home.

"A very poor night," said Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. "They deserved to win the game. They were better than us in all the aspects."

Trump freezes all immigration applications from 19 countries

WASHINGTON, United States 

In his latest crackdown on immigration, United States President Donald Trump has paused all applications from 19 countries his administration describes as “high-risk”.

The move on Tuesday comes after last week's a shooting in Washington of two National Guard troops by a suspect who is an Afghan national.

Details were outlined in a policy memo posted on the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, the agency which processes and approves all requests for immigration benefits.

The pause includes for green card requests and US citizenship processing filed by people from nations already facing a partial or full travel ban since June.

All 19 of the countries are non-European and includes Afghanistan and Somalia.

Trump has stepped up rhetoric against Somalis in recent days, calling them “garbage” and saying “we don’t want them in our country.”

The new policy places a hold on pending applications. The USCIS said immigrants from countries on the list must "undergo a thorough re-review process” to determine “all national security and public safety threats".

This applies to “all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021,” the agency said.

It added that within 90 days it would create a prioritised list of people for review and if necessary, referral to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.

Immigration lawyers on Tuesday reported the cancellations of naturalisation ceremonies and interviews for immigration status, saying people were turned away with no explanation.

The other African countries included are Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Sudan, Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Other nations impacted by the ban are Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, Yemen, Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The changes have already choked off many of the US’ remaining legal immigration pathways.

But analysts suggest the application pause is an indication that Trump’s administration is far from done in its tightening of immigration rules.

Since the shooting, the administration has announced a flurry of decisions it was taking to scrutinise immigrants already in the country and those seeking to come to the US.

Last week, the director of USCIS said in a social media post that his agency would be re-examining green card applications for people from countries “of concern".

But the policy directive Tuesday goes further and lays out in more detail the scope of who will be affected.

USCIS also said last week that it was pausing all asylum decisions, and the State Department said it was halting visas for Afghans who assisted the US war effort.

Days before the shooting, USCIS said in a separate memo that the administration would review the cases of all refugees who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.

Critics have said that the Trump administration's actions have amounted to collective punishment for immigrants.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 04/12/2025

 

Haiti’s transitional government adopts key law to hold a general election for first time since 2016

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico  

Haiti’s transitional presidential council has backed an electoral law in the latest step toward holding a general election for the first time in nearly a decade.

The approval late Monday means that the government can finally publish an official and long-awaited electoral calendar, after fears that the council would try to push back the tentative dates to stay in power longer.

Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr called the move a “major decision” for Haiti.

“We must finally offer the Haitian people the opportunity to freely and responsibly choose those who will lead them,” he wrote on X. “By taking this decisive step, while remaining fully committed to restoring security, we reaffirm our dedication to putting Haiti back on the path to democratic legitimacy and stability.”

The adoption of the electoral law came as some council members have pushed for the ouster of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, including Fritz Alphonse Jean, who was recently sanctioned by the U.S. government.

Some believe that U.S. visa restrictions, like the one imposed on Jean, are being used as a threat to try and influence Haiti’s politics.

Three of seven council members with voting powers weren’t present for Monday’s meeting, where the electoral law was approved, including Jean, according to Le Nouvelliste newspaper.

Council member Frinel Joseph, who voted in favor of the law, said that it marked “a decisive turning point” in the transition of power and that it provided Haiti “with the necessary legal and political framework for holding elections.”

Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council has said it plans to hold the first round of voting in August and the final round in December next year, although ongoing gang violence could push back those dates.

Meanwhile, the transitional presidential council is supposed to step down by Feb. 7 to give way to democratic rule.

Haiti last held a general election in 2016 and hasn’t had a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021.

The transitional presidential council was appointed after the killing, and the prime ministers that have served since the killing have been nominated by the council.

Violence escalates in South Kivu as M23 attacks government forces

SOUTH KIVU,  DR Congo 

Clashes between the M23 rebel group and Congolese government forces, supported by coalition troops, broke out across South Kivu province on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, escalating tensions in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Reports from the ground indicate heavy fighting in Katogota-Luvungi, Kaziba-Haut Plateau, Tchivanga-Hombo, and Kasika-Mwenga, forcing many residents to flee amid fears for their safety.

Bertrand Bisimwa, the M23 leader, confirmed the confrontations, while the group’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, accused government forces of launching attacks on densely populated areas. 

He described the situation as rapidly worsening and devastating for local communities.

This outbreak comes shortly after a peace framework was agreed in Doha, Qatar, on November 8, 2025, aimed at advancing talks between M23 and the Congolese government toward a lasting settlement.

Despite this, both sides have previously blamed each other for breaking ceasefire commitments, raising doubts about the agreement’s effectiveness.

The M23 currently controls significant portions of North and South Kivu, including strategic cities Goma and Bukavu, as well as Goma and Kavumu airports.

Since rebounding in 2022 under the leadership of Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, the rebels have faced repeated accusations from the DRC government of receiving support from Rwanda, allegations both Kigali and M23 deny. 

The group maintains that its campaign targets government corruption, discrimination, and xenophobia within the Congolese political system.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 03/12/2025