https://www.scmp.com/rss/519455/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alex Lo Alex Lo Last month in Florida, many leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean showed up for the so-called Shield of the Americas summit. Prefacing his speech, the self-styled US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “I only speak American.” Most people there spoke Spanish and/or English. Both the northern and the southern parts of the hemisphere are called American, but there is no such language as Hegseth’s, at least linguistically. However, it was clear what he meant. The United States just... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:05:43 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A former nurse made history on Wednesday when she was enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world’s 85 million-strong Anglican community. Sarah Mullally, 63, formally steps into the role after an abuse scandal led to the departure of her predecessor. The former midwife was formally installed in the historic ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England in front of around 2,000 people including heir to the throne Prince... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347909/ex-nurse-enthroned-first-female-archbishop-canterbury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347909/ex-nurse-enthroned-first-female-archbishop-canterbury?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:49:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A mine collapse on Tuesday at a major coltan mining site in eastern DR Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine. The collapse took place on Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines on Wednesday. Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the figure and said that the collapse was caused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345511/dr-congo-says-least-200-dead-coltan-mine-collapse-rebels-dispute-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345511/dr-congo-says-least-200-dead-coltan-mine-collapse-rebels-dispute-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:21:43 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As China and the United States compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape is emerging as a new arena for their rivalry, far from the technology hubs of Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. With a growing population, expanding internet access and linguistic diversity, Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for AI development, according to analysts. Early infrastructure and platform decisions can shape the future of emerging technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:10:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The United States was out in force in Cape Town this month, throwing down a direct challenge to China at Africa’s biggest mining conference, the Investing in African Mining Indaba. While Chinese firms showed their technological leadership with automation and green energy solutions, officials from the State Department, the Department of Energy and several US development agencies were among the record number of American diplomats and financiers at the event in South Africa. Analysts said the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344957/why-us-money-may-not-be-enough-break-chinas-rare-earths-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344957/why-us-money-may-not-be-enough-break-chinas-rare-earths-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Trump administration spent more than US$35 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries they had no connection to, doling out millions of dollars in lump sum transfers to foreign governments without a system to track how the money was used, according to a report released on Friday. The figures from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats average out to a cost of roughly US$116,666 per person deported. In Rwanda, which received seven deportees, the total cost reached about US$1.1... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343551/us-paid-us35-million-deport-300-remote-islands-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343551/us-paid-us35-million-deport-300-remote-islands-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:24:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sarah Mullally was confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England. The worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the US, has no formal head, but the archbishop traditionally has been seen as its spiritual leader. Mullally, 63, a cancer nurse turned cleric, officially took up the responsibilities of her new job as judges presided over a legal ceremony confirming her appointment, which was announced almost four... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341578/sarah-mullally-confirmed-archbishop-canterbury-first-woman-lead-church-england?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341578/sarah-mullally-confirmed-archbishop-canterbury-first-woman-lead-church-england?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:42:28 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong should focus on connecting its capital markets with African financial centres so that companies and Belt and Road Initiative projects on the continent can raise funds in the city, according to a council that advises the government on development strategy. In addition to being a funding source for commercial enterprises and infrastructure projects, Hong Kong could be a place for wealthy Africans to set up family offices to manage their wealth, succession and charitable activities, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Analysts say the US’ strategic retreat from multilateral organisations has created a vacuum that China is likely to exploit to deepen its influence within global health bodies and position itself as the main partner for the developing world. Under the “America First Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A microbiologist who revolutionised the production of laboratory-grown seafood protein took home the top prize in the 2025 African Business Heroes awards in Rwanda on Saturday, in the seventh annual edition of the largest event for start-ups of its kind on the continent. Diana Orembe, the founder of Tanzania-based NovFeed, was the winner out of 10 finalists in the awards, which received up to 32,000 applications from 54 countries. She took home US$300,000 in grant funding. Abraham Mbuthia of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:19:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have entered the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Uvira, near the Burundian border, in the biggest escalation in months of the long-running war, sources said on Wednesday. Uvira, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, has served as the headquarters of the Kinshasa-appointed government in South Kivu province and its regional military base since the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to M23 in February. Control of Uvira could open the way for the rebels to advance... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335966/rwanda-backed-rebels-enter-strategic-dr-congo-town-trump-peace-deal-crumbles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335966/rwanda-backed-rebels-enter-strategic-dr-congo-town-trump-peace-deal-crumbles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:45:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A just-signed agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo looked to be unravelling on Monday with the Congolese leader and Burundi slamming neighbouring Rwanda after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group attacked border areas. DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of “violating” the accord - signed only last Thursday in Washington at the urging of US President Donald Trump - as the M23 made a rapid advance to threaten the city of Uvira near the border with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335705/miracle-africa-peace-deal-signed-trumps-urging-already-unravelling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335705/miracle-africa-peace-deal-signed-trumps-urging-already-unravelling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:34:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump praised the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for their courage as they signed a deal on Thursday aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo and opening the region’s critical mineral reserves to the US government and American companies. The moment offered Trump – who has repeatedly and with a measure of exaggeration boasted of brokering peace in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts – another chance to tout himself as a dealmaker... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335259/trump-praises-dr-congo-and-rwanda-they-sign-us-mediated-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335259/trump-praises-dr-congo-and-rwanda-they-sign-us-mediated-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 23:50:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration has renamed the US Institute of Peace after President Donald Trump and has planted the president’s name on the organisation’s headquarters despite an ongoing fight over the institute’s control. It was the latest twist in a see-saw court battle over who controls the US Institute of Peace, a non-profit think tank that focuses on peace initiatives. It was an early target of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) this year. On Wednesday, the State Department said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335140/us-institute-peace-renamed-after-greatest-dealmaker-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335140/us-institute-peace-renamed-after-greatest-dealmaker-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:18:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi will travel to the US next week to sign a final agreement with his Rwandan counterpart aimed at securing peace in eastern Congo, the Congolese government said on Friday, capping months-long diplomatic efforts spearheaded by US President Donald Trump. Congo’s government has often said its signing of the deal will be conditioned on Rwanda’s withdrawal of support for the M23 rebels in the conflict-battered east. Tshisekedi’s confirmation of the December 4 signing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334601/congo-and-rwanda-presidents-meet-us-sign-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334601/congo-and-rwanda-presidents-meet-us-sign-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 03:39:48 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong is widening its appeal to global family offices, as it shapes new policies designed to meet emerging trends in the sector, according to Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu. The city’s “robust legal system, world-class financial infrastructure, strategic proximity to the mainland and competitive and simple tax regime” made it an “ideal destination for family offices, including those from Africa, seeking to establish or expand their operations”, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328251/hong-kong-revamps-family-office-rules-widen-global-appeal-targets-220-more-2028?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328251/hong-kong-revamps-family-office-rules-widen-global-appeal-targets-220-more-2028?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:30:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday sentenced ex-president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia for “treason”. Kabila, 54, who was neither present nor represented at the trial in the capital, Kinshasa, was found guilty of complicity with the M23 anti-government armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwandan help. He left the vast central African country in 2023 and briefly reappeared in M23-occupied Goma in the volatile east in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3327477/dr-congo-military-court-sentences-ex-president-kabila-death-treason?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3327477/dr-congo-military-court-sentences-ex-president-kabila-death-treason?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:19:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts – accusations that Israel called scandalous. The report came on the same day Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said “Gaza is burning” as a major new ground offensive began. Israel started its long-threatened push into the heart of Gaza City after weeks of fatal air strikes and incursions into... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325711/un-report-finds-israel-committed-genocide-gaza-you-dehumanise-your-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325711/un-report-finds-israel-committed-genocide-gaza-you-dehumanise-your-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo will commit to working with third parties, including the US, to revamp their mineral supply chains and develop reforms, according to a draft of an economic framework seen by reporters, as they seek to spur investment following a peace deal reached in Washington. The countries agreed on the draft framework, which is part of the peace deal, a source familiar with the matter said, adding that the draft was now being discussed by stakeholders, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3325486/dr-congo-rwanda-peace-deal-outlines-us-role-minerals-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3325486/dr-congo-rwanda-peace-deal-outlines-us-role-minerals-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 08:38:53 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A made-in-China automated electric air taxi took off in Africa for the first time this week, as a new generation of Chinese low-altitude aircraft attracts growing interest from global buyers. The product on show was a pilotless electric take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) made by EHang Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed tech company from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. It took to the skies during the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition, a major industry event involving 34 countries that was... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324491/chinese-flying-taxi-takes-skies-africa-firms-eye-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324491/chinese-flying-taxi-takes-skies-africa-firms-eye-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters British police said they arrested five people on Saturday after masked men tried to force their way into a hotel used by asylum seekers, a day after the government won a court ruling on the use of another hotel to house migrants. Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in, London’s Metropolitan Police force said. Two police officers suffered minor injuries, it said. “We understand strength of feeling on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323789/uk-police-arrest-5-men-hotel-near-london-during-anti-asylum-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323789/uk-police-arrest-5-men-hotel-near-london-during-anti-asylum-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 20:27:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Several poor countries, mostly in Africa, have agreed to take deportees from the United States as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants. What motivates them? The African nations of Rwanda, South Sudan and eSwatini have already accepted deportees – almost entirely citizens of other countries – as has El Salvador in Central America. Uganda, too, has agreed to take deportees, including one of the most high-profile cases, a Salvadorean man named Kilmar Armando Abrego... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323498/why-are-so-many-nations-accepting-deportees-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323498/why-are-so-many-nations-accepting-deportees-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:27:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-migration Reform UK party, announced a plan on Tuesday to repeal human rights laws to allow for mass deportations of asylum seekers, action he said was needed to prevent “major civil disorder”. Farage said his party, which is leading in national opinion polls, would remove Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act and nullify other international treaties that have been used to block the forced deportation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:04:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Uganda has agreed to receive migrants who do not qualify to remain in the United States, a foreign ministry official said on Thursday, in Washington’s latest attempt to speed up deportations. US President Donald Trump’s administration has negotiated arrangements to send people to third countries, among them El Salvador and eSwatini, which have been fiercely criticised by rights groups. At roughly 1.7 million, Uganda already hosts the largest refugee population in Africa, according to the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322671/uganda-joins-trumps-deportation-push-becoming-latest-country-accept-us-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322671/uganda-joins-trumps-deportation-push-becoming-latest-country-accept-us-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:54:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rwanda-backed rebels have killed at least 80 people in eastern DR Congo in recent weeks, Congolese authorities said, despite the ongoing Qatar-led peace process aiming to end the conflict. The army said in a statement late on Friday that it is “fiercely condemning a series of mass murders of civilians by the [Rwandan Defense Force]/M23-AFC coalition” in South Kivu, including 80 people on August 4 in the village of Nyaborongo, and six civilians, including two minors, on July 24 in the village of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3321324/rwanda-backed-rebels-kill-80-dr-congo-qatar-aims-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3321324/rwanda-backed-rebels-kill-80-dr-congo-qatar-aims-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 11:34:43 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is reaching out to Africa’s top coffee-producing nations as part of a broader strategy to secure new supply chains overseas. Observers say the shift – which coincides with Brazil seeking new buyers in China because of a fresh 50 per cent US tariff on Brazilian coffee – is driven by China’s strong domestic demand. The scale of this push is clear: last week, Beijing authorised 183 new Brazilian coffee companies to export to China. This is in addition to a US$2.5 billion deal signed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320908/booming-coffee-class-and-zero-tariff-policy-drive-chinas-push-african-bean-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320908/booming-coffee-class-and-zero-tariff-policy-drive-chinas-push-african-bean-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States and Rwanda have agreed for the African country to accept up to 250 migrants deported from the US, the spokesperson for the Rwandan government and an official told Reuters, as President Donald Trump’s administration takes a hardline approach toward immigration. The agreement, first reported by Reuters, was signed by US and Rwandan officials in Kigali in June, said the Rwandan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that Washington had already sent an initial list of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320741/rwanda-reaches-deal-us-take-250-migrants-african-nation-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320741/rwanda-reaches-deal-us-take-250-migrants-african-nation-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 22:35:16 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris You have to hand it to him. Six months into his second term, US President Donald Trump has largely done what he said he would – not many politicians can say that. He reigns supreme. The Supreme Court, Congress, federal civil service and Justice Department have all, it seems, been made to bend to his will, making his mercurial policies easy to execute. He has negotiated trade agreements with the European Union, Britain, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea to the great... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3320182/trumps-many-victories-will-prove-pyrrhic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3320182/trumps-many-victories-will-prove-pyrrhic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:32:50 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage After years of largely unchallenged control over the DR Congo’s critical minerals, China now faces growing US competition – a battle that Beijing is determined to win. The US reportedly pressured the Democratic Republic of Congo last year to block a Chinese firm from acquiring Chemaf Resources. Now, a US consortium – including firms led by ex-military executives – has bid for the operator of the Etoile copper-cobalt mine. Meanwhile, KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, secured a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319571/china-faces-against-us-domination-dr-congos-critical-minerals-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319571/china-faces-against-us-domination-dr-congos-critical-minerals-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:06:36 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The death toll from an attack on a Catholic Church in DR Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels has risen to 34, according to a civil society leader. “The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic Church,” Dieudonne Duranthabo said, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the eastern Ituri province. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3319771/34-killed-attack-dr-congo-church-islamic-state-backed-rebels-civil-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3319771/34-killed-attack-dr-congo-church-islamic-state-backed-rebels-civil-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:46:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Concern was mounting that recent violent anti-immigrant protests could herald a new summer of unrest, a year after the UK was rocked by its worst riots in decades. Police have arrested 16 people since protests flared last week outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in the town of Epping, northeast of London. In one demonstration, eight police officers were injured. The unrest was “not just a troubling one-off”, said the chairwoman of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch. “It was a signal flare. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3319569/uk-braces-potentially-volatile-summer-after-anti-immigrant-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3319569/uk-braces-potentially-volatile-summer-after-anti-immigrant-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 06:46:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels on Saturday signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end decades-long fighting and commit to a comprehensive peace agreement that would include the restoration of state authorities in key eastern cities controlled by the insurgents. Congo and the M23 rebels committed to “building trust” through various measures, including an exchange of prisoners and detainees as well as restoring state authority in all parts of the country,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318856/congo-rwanda-backed-rebels-sign-ceasefire-declaration-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318856/congo-rwanda-backed-rebels-sign-ceasefire-declaration-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:04:39 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Given the long-degraded state of the Nobel Peace Prize, I say Donald Trump probably does deserve one, or three. It may also be jointly awarded to the US president’s Israeli partner-in-crime, the suspected war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu with an outstanding arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity issued by the International Criminal Court. Eventually, Netanyahu will have to end his war on the Palestinian civilian population, which ought to make him a peacemaker of sorts. If... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3318054/degraded-nobel-peace-prize-standards-could-mean-trump-deserves-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3318054/degraded-nobel-peace-prize-standards-could-mean-trump-deserves-one?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:34:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year. The agreement marks a breakthrough in talks held by US President Donald Trump’s administration and aims to attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals. At a ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3316179/rwanda-and-dr-congo-sign-peace-deal-trump-cheers-mineral-rights-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3316179/rwanda-and-dr-congo-sign-peace-deal-trump-cheers-mineral-rights-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:34:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump took credit on Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialled an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC – to be formally signed in the US capital next week. “This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!”... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3315315/trump-complains-about-nobel-peace-prize-snub-over-congo-rwanda-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3315315/trump-complains-about-nobel-peace-prize-snub-over-congo-rwanda-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 01:25:51 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Rwanda made global headlines in 1994 for a genocide that saw Hutu extremists kill around 800,000 people, mostly from the minority Tutsi community, over a 100-day period during the country’s civil war. Today, the landlocked East African nation is not only politically stable but has established itself as a leader in high-end ecotourism, with some of the continent’s most luxurious safari lodges. Manzi Kayihura, who works for ecotourism companies Wilderness Rwanda and Thousand Hills Africa, has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3314603/how-rwanda-became-luxury-ecotourism-leader-moving-beyond-genocide-and-gorillas-label?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3314603/how-rwanda-became-luxury-ecotourism-leader-moving-beyond-genocide-and-gorillas-label?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:45:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump showed a screenshot of Reuters video taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of what he falsely presented on Wednesday as evidence of mass killings of white South Africans. “These are all white farmers that are being buried,” said Trump, holding up a printout of an article accompanied by the picture during a contentious Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. In fact, the video, published by Reuters on February 3 and subsequently... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311476/trump-used-dr-congo-image-proof-dead-white-farmers-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311476/trump-used-dr-congo-image-proof-dead-white-farmers-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 03:16:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Britain was talking with several countries to host rejected asylum seekers as they wait to be deported, the UK prime minister said Thursday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on a visit to Albania that the “return hub” concept was a “really important innovation” that could more effectively tackle irregular migration. He did not name the countries he was in discussions with or offer more details. Albania already had a five-year agreement with Italy to potentially shelter up to 36,000 migrants... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310617/uk-talking-several-countries-set-return-hubs-rejected-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310617/uk-talking-several-countries-set-return-hubs-rejected-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 07:10:18 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong should strive to become a hub for multifamily offices to enhance its economy and global standing in a volatile market, as these entities wield greater influence than single-family offices, according to the group CEO of Raffles Family Office. Multifamily offices can enhance Hong Kong’s “economic landscape, contributing to greater gross domestic product, job creation and a positive global image for the city”, said Kwan Chi-man. Such offices serve multiple ultra-high-net-worth families... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3310038/multifamily-offices-could-yield-bigger-benefits-hong-kong-industry-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3310038/multifamily-offices-could-yield-bigger-benefits-hong-kong-industry-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 00:30:08 +0000 China rarely criticises or takes sides in African conflicts, but recent insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to have prompted a measured shift in approach. Beijing – through its UN ambassador, Fu Cong – has directly asked Rwanda on at least two occasions so far this year to end its backing of the M23 rebel group and pull Rwandan troops out of the DR Congo. “China reiterates its hope that Rwanda will heed the call of the international community, stop its military support for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305238/african-mining-interests-stake-china-wades-drc-rwanda-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305238/african-mining-interests-stake-china-wades-drc-rwanda-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Apr 2025 08:59:01 +0000 Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured a third major town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their stranglehold over the country’s mineral-rich east. “The city of Walikale, the administrative centre of Walikale Territory, has been liberated by our forces to ensure the safety of the civilian population and their property,” spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement. The group already controls the city of Goma in North Kivu province and Bukavu in South Kivu province. The latest conquest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3303464/rwanda-backed-rebels-make-gains-dr-congos-mineral-rich-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3303464/rwanda-backed-rebels-make-gains-dr-congos-mineral-rich-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Mar 2025 09:14:19 +0000 UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday demanded that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) “territorial integrity” be respected and a regional war avoided, at an African summit the day after Rwandan-backed fighters seized a second DRC provincial capital. With international pressure mounting on Rwanda to curb the fighting in eastern DRC, the conflict was set to dominate the African Union (AU) summit as it opened in Addis Ababa. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was seen attending meetings at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298840/un-chief-warns-against-regional-war-over-dr-congo-africa-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298840/un-chief-warns-against-regional-war-over-dr-congo-africa-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:26:57 +0000 The escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo will dominate an African Union summit opening on Saturday, with the DR Congo president absent after Rwandan-backed forces seized a second major city on his territory. The 55-nation body meets in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa as Africa faces devastating conflicts in the DR Congo and Sudan – as well as US President Donald Trump’s cuts to US development aid, which have hit the continent hard. The African leaders represent about 1.5... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298812/african-union-summit-opens-overshadowed-dr-congo-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298812/african-union-summit-opens-overshadowed-dr-congo-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:25:19 +0000 Rwandan-backed M23 rebels appeared on Friday to be closing in on eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s second-largest city, Bukavu, as they seized control of the nearby airport of Kavumu, prompting Congolese troops to withdraw in some areas. The rebels have been trying to push south towards Bukavu since they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, at the end of last month. The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298793/dr-congo-troops-pull-back-m23-rebels-take-airport-near-bukavu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298793/dr-congo-troops-pull-back-m23-rebels-take-airport-near-bukavu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 18:39:48 +0000 In 2005, Aziz Abu Sarah – a Palestinian then living in east Jerusalem – met a Jewish friend who was visiting Israel from the United States. Although it was the tail end of his tour, his friend had not met any Muslims or Arabs on his trip, and he was harbouring anti-Palestinian views. “He was so one-sided, even though he knew me,” Abu Sarah says. It was a revelation that planted the seed for Mejdi Tours, a tour operator intended to bridge the divide between two populations at odds with each... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3298550/how-dual-narrative-peace-tourism-tours-take-travellers-deep-complex-relationships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3298550/how-dual-narrative-peace-tourism-tours-take-travellers-deep-complex-relationships?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:15:07 +0000 A summit of African leaders meeting to address the crisis in the DR Congo on Saturday called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” within five days. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has rapidly seized swathes of territory in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in an offensive that has left thousands dead and displaced vast numbers. The summit in Tanzania brought together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi as well as leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297917/eastern-and-southern-african-leaders-seek-peace-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297917/eastern-and-southern-african-leaders-seek-peace-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:43:28 +0000 Rwanda on Sunday welcomed calls for a joint regional summit over the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The M23 armed group, that the UN and several nations claim is backed by Rwanda, have made substantial gains in eastern DRC, taking the major city of Goma and vowing to march on the capital. It is the latest escalation in a mineral-rich region bedevilled by decades of fighting involving dozens of armed groups, and has rattled the continent with regional blocs holding... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297093/rwanda-welcomes-proposed-summit-dr-congo-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297093/rwanda-welcomes-proposed-summit-dr-congo-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Feb 2025 15:11:32 +0000 Democratic Republic of Congo’s M23 rebel group has gained control of the airport in the eastern city of Goma, diplomatic and security sources told Reuters. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the AFC rebel alliance that also includes M23, told Reuters that the airport was in their hands. A spokesperson for Congo’s government was not immediately available for comment. Dead bodies lay in the streets, gunfire rang out and hospitals were overwhelmed in east Congo’s largest city Goma where M23 rebels backed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3296632/gunfire-crackles-congos-goma-embassies-attacked-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3296632/gunfire-crackles-congos-goma-embassies-attacked-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:45:36 +0000 Rwandan President Paul Kagame joined Max Verstappen on stage when the Red Bull driver collected the Formula One champion’s trophy for the fourth year in a row at an awards ceremony held in Africa for the first time on Friday. The 27-year-old was handed the trophy by International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Mohammed Ben Sulayem alongside Kagame, who had earlier spoken of Rwanda bidding to host a race, at the gala in Kigali. Verstappen, who is one of only six drivers to have won four or... https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3290795/its-amazing-max-verstappen-collects-formula-1-trophy-rwanda-after-some-punishment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3290795/its-amazing-max-verstappen-collects-formula-1-trophy-rwanda-after-some-punishment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2024 05:53:17 +0000