Every day, Okeafrica shares a compilation of news we follow, but it doesn't publish it as a complete article. These short updates cover what's going on on the continent. Culture, politics and more. For more information about these stories, see Regional Story.
The President of Kenya appears to have recognized a deadly force against protesters.
Many online condemn Kenya President William Root's statement that police officers can shoot and injure anyone who discovers looting while protesting. The response is linked to police attacking unarmed protesters with lethal force, using water cannons, live bullets, and rubber bullets to cooperate with armed thugs. The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KNCHR) announced yesterday on Tuesday, July 8th that 31 people had been killed at a Sabah Sabah demonstration on Monday.
“Anyone who burns another person's business and property will go to the hospital when they get shot in the leg and head to court,” Root added that the police attack will attack the act of fear in the launch of a police housing project in Kilimani, Nairobi. In particular, the President of Kenya is a sinister indication, as the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) condemns “an alleged abuse and abuse of international human rights law.”
Trump hosts five West African leaders at White House Ranch amid a slash of aid, but skips Nigeria
US President Donald Trump welcomed leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal to the White House on Wednesday, July 9th, and strengthened US business ties, including supporting Gabon's Banio Katashi mines through the support of US international development finance companies. This is because Washington will significantly cut African aid and threaten a 30% mutual tariff on its trading partners.
Notable is Trump's removal of Nigeria from the summit, urging criticism from Nigeria's new opposition, African Democratic Parliament (ADC), saying Snub is evidence of global decline under Nigerian President Bora Tinubu. Increased consistency with Nigerian BRICS could also be the reason for exclusion. Trump is threatening an additional 10% tariff in all countries associated with intergovernmental organizations.
US aid cuts and tariffs: Lesotho declares disaster situation, white farmers in South Africa could go bankrupt
Lesotho declared a national disaster situation after youth unemployment surged nearly 50% due to cuts in US aid under President Donald Trump's trade policy and sudden tariffs. The small South African country's textile-rich economy offers around 40,000 jobs, accounting for 10% of GDP from exports to the US like jeans, and is now facing factory closures, canceling orders following the 50% tariffs announced by Trump in April and later suspended. Lesotho's exports have been hit harder than any other country. The declaration allows the government to divert funds to initial incentives such as discarded business registration fees and SME support in order to respond quickly to economic tensions.
Meanwhile, Trump recently announced a 30% tariff on all goods from South Africa, threatening major sectors such as citrus, wine, vehicles and agricultural cultivation, previously benefiting from Agoa duty-free access. With only the sole work of citrus farming at risk, potentially impacting an estimated 35,000 people, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called Trump's reasoning “inaccurate,” pointing out that 77% of US products are in South Africa's tariff free, with an average fee of just 7.6%. Earlier this year, Trump invited white African farmers to come to the US as refugees, citing false claims of white genocide. White South African citrus farmers who currently stay in the country could go bankrupt from the proposed tariffs of 30%.
Ghanaian government launches task force to combat illegal gold mining
Ghanaian President John Mahama has launched a special task force aimed at tackling illegal gold mining, known locally as “Galamsie.” Mahama, who enjoys a positive start to his second stint in the office, said he is ready to end the tragedy of Garamsie. Mahama said the launch of the Goldbod Task Force is “ready to act decisively” as it is expected to work hard to “dismantle the black market economy surrounding gold.”
Tunisian opposition leader has been sentenced to 14 years in prison
Several politicians, including Ennada Party leader Rached Ghannouchi, have been sentenced to prison conditions for inciting violence and attempting to overthrow the government. Gannucci, the former chairman of Tunisian parliament, was sentenced to 14 years in prison. His defense team said the charges were politically motivated, “the charges are based on false and contradictory testimony by a secret anonymous witness who was unable to present evidence of his unfounded and inconsistent allegations and who ultimately retracted most of them.” These latest incarcerations continue the trend of Tunisian authorities to silence opposition figures through fake court cases.
The US will reduce visa validity for Nigerians and Ghanaians by three months
The US has significantly reduced the duration and flexibility of immigration visas for most Nigerian and Ghana travelers, limiting them to a single admission that is valid for just three months. The US says the change, which came into effect yesterday, July 8th, is part of global reciprocity. They are consistent with short-term visa policies in Nigeria and Ghana. Previously, many Nigerians held multiple input visas for five years. The US says it is working with Nigerian authorities on visa tenure, criminal data sharing and secure travel documents. In June, Trump announced a travel ban in 12 countries, suggesting that 36 more Nigeria and Ghana could be added unless they address US security concerns. Social media reviews are also required for all visa applicants. While the old visas are still valid, many Nigerians fear that the possibility of visiting and studying in the US will be reduced under the new rules.
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