South African President Denies Refugee Claims of White Nationals Seeking U.S. Aid
President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected the classification of 49 white South Africans seeking resettlement in the United States as refugees, saying they did not meet the criteria for refugee status. Speaking at the African CEO Forum 2025 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Ramaphosa said that these individuals were not fleeing persecution but rather unwilling to embrace South Africa’s constitutional changes. He said he had addressed the issue in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, clarifying that the group did not represent the majority of South Africans. He said that South Africa, unlike other African nations, never expelled its colonizers, and reaffirmed a desire to continue constructive dialogue with the U.S., even proposing a meeting with Trump to further discuss the matter.
Ruto Claims All Abducted Kenyans Released, Vows End to Disappearances
President William Ruto announced that all individuals previously subjected to enforced disappearances or abductions by security agencies had been released and reunited with their families. Speaking during a joint media briefing with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ruto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the rule of law and vowed that such incidents would not happen again. His remarks followed a report by the Missing Voices rights group, which revealed a sharp rise in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2024, documenting 159 cases. The report also revealed that 2024 marked the highest number of enforced disappearances ever recorded by the coalition, surpassing the previous peak of 38 cases in 2019. The number of disappearances jumped from 10 in 2023 to 55 in 2024, an alarming 450% increase, with most occurring during protests against the Finance Bill 2024. The majority of victims were youths aged 18 to 34.
Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Case Back in Court, Future Uncertain
The legal battle over the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) returned to court as the Supreme Court of Appeal heard the Department of Home Affairs’ appeal against a June 2023 ruling that temporarily protected ZEP holders from arrest and deportation. The June 2023 interdict, obtained by the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation (ZIF), had shielded around 178,000 permit holders while the legality of terminating the ZEP system was contested. The validity of the ZEP was last year extended to November 2025. The Department sought to overturn the interim relief, arguing that the permits were temporary and that a separate high court ruling had already declared the permit system’s termination unlawful, though that ruling is also under appeal. In its court papers, the Department of Home Affairs argues that the matter should be considered moot because there’s already a separate high court ruling, in a case brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation, that declared the minister’s decision to end the ZEP system unlawful and set it aside. The department is also appealing that ruling. The ZIF opposed the appeal, stressing the human consequences of terminating the ZEP system, including threats to jobs, education, and family life.
Ivory Coast Opposition Leader Thiam Resigns Amid Election Dispute
Ivory Coast’s main opposition leader, Tidjane Thiam, announced his resignation as head of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast–African Democratic Rally (PDCI), while reaffirming his commitment to lead the party’s campaign for the 2025 presidential election despite being barred from running. According to Thiam, his decision was made to serve the party’s best interests. In March 2024, he renounced his French citizenship to meet eligibility requirements, but an Ivorian court ruled he had lost his Ivorian nationality upon acquiring French citizenship in 1987. Thiam also faced legal challenges to his leadership over questions about his nationality. PDCI deputy president Ernest N’Koumo Mobio assumed interim leadership, urging unity amid the political uncertainty. Thiam criticized the electoral process as exclusionary, noting that other opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo, had also been disqualified. Authorities denied any political interference, insisting the judiciary acted independently.
Dozens Killed in Northern Burkina Faso Militant Attacks
Hundreds of jihadists launched simultaneous attacks in northern Burkina Faso, killing several dozen people, including both soldiers and civilians. The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) targeted a military detachment, police posts in the town of Djibo, and other northern areas. Witnesses described the violence as extreme, with attackers arriving on motorcycles and vehicles, surrounding the town, looting a military camp, burning homes, and parading through the streets. At least twenty civilians were buried the same day, with more burials planned. The military junta, which seized power in 2022, did not respond publicly, as its leader, Ibrahim Traoré, was returning from Moscow. Burkina Faso has faced ongoing violence from armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, with over 26,000 deaths since 2015, more than half occurring in the past three years, according to conflict-tracking group ACLED.
