Iran holds state funeral for military leaders killed in Israel conflict

TEHRAN,  Iran 

A state funeral has been held in Iran for about 60 people, including military commanders and nuclear scientists, killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel.

Coffins draped in the Iranian flag, bearing portraits of deceased commanders, were flanked by crowds near Tehran's Enghelab Square.

The conflict ended with a ceasefire earlier this week, after the US became directly involved by bombing key nuclear sites in Iran.

Huge crowds of mourners dressed in black chanted slogans, waved Iranian flags and held portraits of those killed.

Ahead of the event, a media campaign urged people to participate, with authorities providing free bus and metro rides. Government offices were shut for the day.

Among those laid to rest on Saturday was Mohammad Bagheri, the highest-ranking military officer in Iran who was chief of staff of Iran's armed forces.

Bagheri was to be buried with his wife and daughter, who were killed in an Israeli strike. In total, Iranian authorities said 627 people were killed in Iran. Israeli officials said 28 people were killed in Israel following missile attacks by Iran.

Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and nuclear scientists including Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi - head of Azad University in Tehran - were also among those laid to rest.

The funeral was attended by prominent figures including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani - an advisor to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - state television showed. Shamkhani was injured in an Israeli strike earlier this month.

VIt comes after US President Donald Trump said he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran again.

Responding to a question from the our reporter, Nomia Iqbal, at a White House press briefing on Friday, he said he would "without question" attack the country if intelligence concluded Iran could enrich uranium to concerning levels.

Trump has also repeated his assertions that Iran was "decimated", writing: "Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie."

Trump also claimed to have known "exactly where he [Khamenei] was sheltered", saying he "would not let Israel, or the US Armed Forces... terminate his life".

"I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death, and he does not have to say, 'thank-you, president Trump!'", Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned Trump against making "disrespectful" comments about Khamenei, who claimed US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites had achieved "nothing significant".

"If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei," Araghchi posted on X.

"The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults."

Araghchi has admitted that "excessive and serious" damage was done to Iran's nuclear sites by the recent bombings.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it is still not known how much of Iran's nuclear capabilities - including highly-enriched uranium and the centrifuges needed to purify the metal - have been destroyed or moved.

The agency's director general Rafael Grossi also said that stopping Iran from being able to build nuclear weapons would not be achieved through military attacks.

Kenyan Minister orders police to "shoot citizens on sight to kill"

NAIROBI,  Kenya 

The Law Society of Kenya has slammed Interior Minister,  Kipchumba Murkomen over his "shoot on sight" order to police against civilians who attack police stations. 

The LSK has termed the statement reckless, warning it could fuel more extrajudicial killings. Murkomen has since clarified that police are well aware of their limits in the use of force.

"Na tumeambia polisi mtu yeyote atakaribia police station piga yeye risasi," Murkomen said in swahili language. 

It is an order that was instantly rejected by the public.

As the Minister gave a green light for the police to shoot on sight any aggressors who approach police stations with criminal intent. His voice was drowned out by jeers from the residents of Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu County, who had assembled at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office.

"Mtu mwenye anaenda kuiba bunduki, abembelezwe?" Murkomen posed.  

“Shika yeye (arrest him)," the gathering replied.  

"Bunduki sio mandazi!" Murkomen retorted. 

The sentiments attracted wide criticism both online and offline, with the Law Society of Kenya leading the offensive against the order.

In a strongly worded statement, LSK President Faith Odhiambo began by dismissing the authority of the minister to issue such operational directives to the police, stating:

"The minister has no authority under the law to issue such an order," she noted. 

The lawyers' body issued a stern warning to police officers against misusing their firearms, adding: "Any unjustified act of aggression, disproportionate use of force, or extrajudicial killing carried out under such illegal directives will be deemed a premeditated crime."

The LSK concluded by cautioning the police against complying with the unlawful directive issued by the CS on Thursday evening.

"We sound our unequivocal warning to the National Police Service, that they are legally prohibited from acting upon and complying with the ultra vires, illegal, and unconstitutional shoot-to-kill order."

Following the backlash online, the minister, who was attending a graduation ceremony at the Border Police Training Campus in Kanyonyo, Kitui County, clarified that security agencies are well-trained and aware not to misuse their authority.

"Hatujasema itumiwe kiholela. Ile tunajaribu kutetea ni polisi mwenye maisha yake iko hatarini na anaambiwa ukitumia utashtakiwa," Murkomen remarked. 

The sixth schedule of the National Police Service Act outlines strict conditions on the use of firearms, stating they should only be used when all other means are inadequate.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 28/06/2025

 

S. Africa's police intelligence chief arrested over fraud allegations

JOHANNESBURG,  South Africa 

South Africa's criminal intelligence chief Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo has been arrested and has appeared in court on allegations of fraud and corruption.

Gen Khumalo was picked up on Thursday evening after landing at the main international airport in Johannesburg by members of anti-corruption unit, local media reported.

He made his court appearance in the capital, Pretoria, on Friday, alongside six co-accused, all senior police officers.

Their lawyer said they intended to plead not guilty to any charges laid against them.

Details of the charges are not yet clear but local media say Gen Khumalo and the other six had been linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged abuse of intelligence funds and potentially unlawful appointments within the South African Police Service (SAPS).

It marks the second wave of arrests within two weeks targeting the SAPS' Crime Intelligence unit.

Three other top officials are facing corruption and other charges.

The arrests have raised questions about the integrity of the unit, which is meant to be actively preventing crime and cracking down on criminals.

The Democratic Alliance, the second-biggest party in the coalition government, welcomed the arrests, saying it was a right "step in rescuing an organisation on the brink of collapse".

"This points to yet another serious breach of trust within a critical state institution tasked with performing our nation's policing functions and mandate," the party said in a statement.

The Economic Freedom Fighters party said the arrest of Gen Khumalo was not an isolated scandal, but the "latest symptom of a sick, and hollowed-out policing system, which urgently requires structural overhaul".

Gen Khumalo became the head of the Crime Intelligence unit in 2022.

Up until then, he had served in different police units for more than two decades.

Numerous corruption cases against senior police officers over the years have tainted their reputation in the country.

Rwanda and DR Congo sign long-awaited peace deal in Washington

WASHINGTON,  United States 

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace deal in Washington aimed at ending decades of devastating conflict between the two neighbours, and potentially granting the US lucrative mineral access.

The deal demands the "disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration" of armed groups fighting in eastern DR Congo.

Further details are scant and previous peace deals in the region have failed - yet that has not deterred the US and Congolese presidents from framing this as a generational victory.

"This is a great day for Africa and... a great day for the world!," wrote President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform last week when an initial agreement was reached.

"Another diplomatic success for President Félix Tshisekedi - certainly the most important in over 30 years," said the Congolese president's office ahead of Friday's signing.

The deal was signed by the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers at the US State Department.

There has been talk of Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame going to Washington to meet Trump together, though no date has been fixed.

Decades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following the recent rebel offensive.

After the loss of territory, the government in Kinshasa turned to the US for help, reportedly offering access to critical minerals in exchange for security guarantees. Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to the global electronics industries.

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 despite overwhelming evidence, and insists its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups like the FDLR - a rebel militia composed largely of ethnic Hutus linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Rwanda in turn accuses the Congolese government of backing the FDLR, which is denied by DR Congo. Their presence is of utmost concern to Kigali.

When some information about the deal was released last week, a statement spoke of "provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities", but there were no specifics.

It also talked about the "facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons".

According to a Reuters news agency report, Congolese negotiators had pushed for an immediate withdrawal of Rwandan soldiers, but Rwanda - which has at least 7,000 troops on Congolese soil - refused.

In an angry statement a day before the deal was signed, Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe condemned "the leak of a draft peace agreement" saying Rwanda had "demanded the other parties to respect the confidentiality of the discussions".

The calls for the total withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DR Congo is major point of contention.

But Nduhungirehe said "the words 'Rwanda Defense Force', 'Rwandan troops' or 'withdrawal' are nowhere to be seen in the document".

Just hours before the signing ceremony, Tshisekedi's office said the agreement "does indeed provide for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops... [but] preferred the term disengagement to withdrawal simply because 'disengagement' is more comprehensive".

Unless and until full details of the signed deal are made public, several crucial questions remain unanswered:

* Will the M23 rebel group withdraw from areas they have occupied?

* Does "respect for territorial integrity" mean Rwanda admits having troops in eastern DR Congo and will withdraw them?

* Would the agreed "return of refugees" allow thousands of Congolese back from Rwanda?

* Does "disarmament" mean that the M23 will now lay down their weapons?

* Who will disarm the FDLR, after the failure of several previous attempts?

* Would the agreed humanitarian access allow the reopening of the rebel-held airports for aid supply?

Prior to Friday's signing, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told Reuters news agency that the "lifting of defensive measures in our border area" would be contingent upon the FDLR's "neutralisation".

One of the main actors in today's conflict - the M23 rebels - were spawned by a previous peace deal 16 years ago that failed to ensure demobilisation.

Last year, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached an agreement twice under Angolan mediation on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and joint operations against the FDLR - but ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deal. 

Angola eventually stepped down as a mediator in March.

US gained nothing from strikes, Iran's supreme leader says

TEHRAN,  Iran 

Iran's supreme leader has insisted the US "gained no achievements" from strikes on its nuclear facilities, in his first public address since a ceasefire with Israel was agreed on Tuesday.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes did not "accomplish anything significant" to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme, and described the retaliation against an American air base in Qatar as dealing a "heavy blow".

It came as Washington doubled down on its assessment that the strikes had severely undermined Iran's nuclear ambitions.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said intelligence gathered by the US and Israel indicated the operation "significantly damaged the nuclear programme, setting it back by years".

Previously, US President Donald Trump said the strikes against three key nuclear sites inside Iran "totally obliterated" them, and has responded furiously to reports citing unnamed American officials suggesting the damage may have been less extensive than anticipated.

Speaking alongside senior general Dan Caine at a Pentagon press conference on Thursday morning, Hegseth said the mission was a "historic success" that had "rendered  enrichment facilities inoperable".

During an interview at times combative exchange with reporters, Hegseth also said the US was "not aware of any intelligence" which indicated the enriched uranium had moved out of Fordo - the deeply buried facility which the US targeted with powerful so-called bunker buster bombs - prior to the strikes.

Khamenei, who had been largely out of public view since direct conflict with Israel broke out on 13 June, released a televised address on Thursday morning, ending a week-long public silence.

The supreme leader has reportedly been sheltering in a bunker and limiting communications, which has sparked speculation about his whereabouts. 

Iranian authorities did not disclose where he was speaking from on Thursday, though a senior official acknowledged he was in a safe place earlier this week.

Khamenei used Thursday's video address to threaten to carry out more strikes on US bases in the Middle East if Iran was attacked again, and declared victory over both Israel and the US.

Khamenei said Trump had "exaggerated" the impact of the nuclear site strikes, adding: "They couldn't accomplish anything and did not achieve their objective."

Referencing the attack on the US air base in Qatar, Khamenei said: "This incident is also repeatable in the future, and should any attack take place, the cost for the enemy and the aggressor will undoubtedly be very high."

No one was killed during that attack, which Trump said had been flagged before it was launched. The US says the base was not damaged.

CBS News, reports that the White House is considering a range of options to entice Iran back to the negotiating table, including facilitating funding for a civilian, non-enrichment nuclear program.

However, Iran's foreign minister told Iranian state TV on Thursday that there no talks with the US are planned.

Central African Republic declares three days of national mourning following stampede

BANGUI,  Central African Republic 

The Central African Republic has declared 3 days of mourning after an explosion and the stampede that followed killed at least 29 schoolchildren and injured more than 250 at a high school in the capital city, Bangui.

Prime Minister Félix Molua visited the hospital with the injured students to assess their condition.

The incident left parents shocked as they sought answers.

“The police called me and told me to come quickly to the community hospital because my daughter was there. She is among the victims from Barthélémy Boganda High School—that’s how I came to the hospital. At this health center, she was in critical condition, and we had to transfer her here," a parent said.

When you have a child, you raise them to a certain age, and you have to support their schooling because they are your future. But now my daughter is in critical condition, and if she dies, my life will never be the same. I pray that she gets better.”

“From yesterday until today, we have been on our feet. Yesterday was the worst; we managed to stabilize the situation with the arrival of security. We received 85 patients who were victims of yesterday’s events at Barthélémy Boganda High School: 65 in emergency, 10 in gynecology, and 10 in traumatology. We regrettably had 15 deaths—young girls, two pregnant women, and two boys,” said Abel Assaye, the Director General of the Community Hospital.

Most of the victims, including 16 girls, died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede, while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. At least 260 students were injured and being treated in various hospitals, the ministry said.

An estimated 5,000 students were at the school for higher-education exams at the time. Survivors recounted hearing a loud explosion from the transformer midway into the examination.

Kenya's Interior minister accuses protesters of coup attempt after deadly demos

NAIROBI, Kenya 

Kenya's interior minister accused protesters of a coup attempt after deadly demonstrations were witnessed in many cities and towns across the country.

The Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, assessed the damage to businesses in the capital, Nairobi, on Thursday, where goods were stolen from multiple stores. He said police would follow up with owners whose CCTV cameras captured the looters to ensure swift arrests.

Kenyans mobilized Wednesday's protests on social media platforms to mark the first anniversary of huge anti-tax protests, when demonstrators stormed parliament and at least 60 people were killed. Twenty others are still missing.

Minister Murkomen on Thursday defended the conduct of police officers during the protests, saying the “government has your back."

Parliament and the president’s office were barricaded on Wednesday with razor wire, and protesters were unable to use the roads leading to the two establishments.

The number of Kenyans who died during Wednesday’s nationwide protests over police brutality and bad governance has doubled to 16, according to the state-funded human rights commission.

Property was also destroyed during the protests, which attracted thousands of frustrated young Kenyans. At least two police stations and a courtroom were razed by angry protesters.

Kenyans demonstrated on Wednesday in 23 of 47 counties across the country, calling for an end to police brutality and better governance. 

Thousands chanted anti-government slogans, and the protests morphed into calls for President William Ruto to resign.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 27/06/2025

 

Death toll in Kenyan anti-government protests rises to 16, says rights group

NAIROBI, Kenya 

The death toll from Wednesday’s nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya has risen to 16, with most of the dead reportedly killed by police, says rights group Amnesty International.

Hundreds of people were also wounded, with local media and eyewitness saying that security forces fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds in the capital, Nairobi.

In a joint statement, Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group said that of those injured, several had suffered gunshot wounds. 

ALSO READ: At least eight killed and hundreds hurt as Kenya protesters battle police

Thousands of people had taken to the streets in cities across the country to mark last year’s demonstrations in which more than 60 people died.

They were protesting against a controversial tax bill.

President William Ruto later withdrew the proposed tax hike, but people are still angry over the use of excessive force by the security forces.

There were more demonstrations earlier this month over the death of a blogger in police custody.