South Africa Migrant Violence and Diplomatic Tensionsactive

Malawi have completed one of the biggest surprises in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history, coming from behind to beat Ghana 2-1 and secure both a place in the semi-finals and qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Pretoria’s influence across Africa may be waning following widespread xenophobic attacks.

Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court ICC) to open a preliminary investigation into attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, arguing the violence could amount to crimes against humanity, as Ghana's president repeated his call on Thursday for the African Union to address the ongoing unrest.

Priscilla Mussa is three months old and has spent two of them sleeping on a filthy mattress on a sidewalk in the South African city of Durban. A fuchsia down onesie, a wool cap and a thick blanket that her mother, Rebecca Varis, pulls almost completely over her protect her from the southern winter. Around them there is the smell of a steaming, spiced stew that several dozen men and women are eating for breakfast from plastic cups. Across the sidewalk, washed clothes hang from an iron fence. “This is where we live now,” Varis says, pointing at the mattress. Durban has become one of the epicenters of a wave of xenophobic violence that for weeks has been forcing thousands of migrants and refugees to leave their homes. Foreigners make up around 4% of South Africa’s population, but they have become the scapegoats for a much deeper crisis. Continue reading

Ghana on Tuesday said a visit between President John Mahama and counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa had been postponed amid anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. Accra and Pretoria have been at diplomatic loggerheads over a wave of protests, some of them violent, against foreigners in South Africa, where Ramaphosa is president. France 24's Justice Baidoo reports.

Nigeria claimed one of the victims was killed by police following anti-migrant marches that have fueled xenophobia.

Nigeria's government said one of its nationals was reportedly killed by police officers "using gruesome interrogation techniques".

CAPE TOWN.- Thousands of South Africans took to the streets this Tuesday to demand the deportation of undocumented immigrants, in a day that marked the peak of a campaign driven by anti-immigration groups, which has already caused more than 25,000 foreigners to leave the country due to fear of attacks. The marches coincided with the June 30 ultimatum, a date set without legal backing by these organizations to demand that those staying irregularly leave the country. The main demonstrations took place in Johannesburg and Durban, where thousands of people marched through the city centers. Some groups were led by men carrying traditional Zulu sticks and shields. Police reported that there were some arrests for looting, although they maintained that the protests "remain largely peaceful." The slogans targeted undocumented immigrants directly. "Stop hiding illegal foreigners! Stop employing them and renting them housing!" read one of the signs displayed during the protest in Durban. Anti-immigration groups also threatened a "national paralysis" if the government did not respond to their demands. Among the protesters, the prevailing idea was that irregular immigration exacerbates the country's economic problems. Brightness Gumbi, a 48-year-old trader who participated in the march in Durban, sa...

Administered just twice a year, the drug Lenacapavir offers near-complete protection — more than 99% — against HIV. After years of research and clinical trials, the preventive treatment has been approved and is now set to be rolled out on a large scale. Mass rollout campaigns are planned across Southern Africa — South Africa, Zambia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Mozambique — the region hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. Our team on the ground reports.

Cape Town’s mayor said he will ramp up efforts to provide more affordable housing and curb electricity price increases if he wins a second term, as he seeks to counter rising living costs in South Africa’s main tourist hub.

In a potentially major advancement in the fight against HIV and AIDS, a South African laboratory is set to produce a generic version of a new preventive treatment that is injectable, and only needs to be administered twice a year. Initial studies show it reduces the risk of transmission by around 99.9%. FRANCE 24's Eunice Masson tells us more from Cape Town.

The governments of Nigeria and Ghana are offering to fly citizens home from South Africa after a spate of anti-migrant attacks.

The governments of Nigeria and Ghana are offering to fly citizens home from South Africa after a spate of anti-migrant attacks.

In tonight's edition, opposition figures in Somalia accuse security forces of attacking them at a meeting at the former PM's house. Also, critics of an African family values conference say that despite its purported push for the continent to define its own moral principles and priorities, the gathering in Ghana will roll back LGBT rights. And Nigeria’s National Museum  is drawing a new generation of visitors to a  revamped gallery that encourages a more hands-on experience.

GANSBAAI (AFP).- Amid a new escalation of violence against migrants in South Africa, hundreds of foreigners fled their homes and sought refuge in community centers as groups demanding the expulsion of undocumented immigrants advanced. The tension has resulted in attacks, fires, and reports of deaths linked to a campaign that blames immigrants for insecurity and unemployment. Fear took hold in various towns across the Western Cape province, where hundreds of migrants—mostly from Malawi and Mozambique—fled their homes over the weekend after local groups went door-to-door through neighborhoods demanding they leave the country. Many spent the night hiding in mountains and thickets before finding shelter in community halls. “They were telling us: ‘You are a foreigner, you don't belong in South Africa, you have to leave,’” recounted Thomas Vincent Baloyi, a Mozambican man in Gansbaai, about 110 kilometers southeast of Cape Town. “I replied: ‘No, I have documents to be in South Africa.’ They didn't want to hear it,” said Baloyi, who had lived in the country for 16 years and worked in construction and gardening. “They chased us away like dogs (...). It is unfair because I am a human being,” lamented the 32-year-old man, adding: “We stayed in the brush until 6:00 in the morning.” In recent days, ...