Kenya reaffirms commitment to peace after Sudan's accusations of 'hostility'
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's foreign ministry said Wednesday it is ready to support peace efforts in Sudan, a day after Khartoum accused Kenya of violating its sovereignty by hosting a meeting of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Force, RSF, in the capital, Nairobi.
In a statement, Sudan called Kenya's move to host Tuesday's meeting 'tantamount to an act of hostility,' particularly as it preceded a planned announcement of a parallel government by the RSF.
RSF Deputy Commander Abdel-Rahim Hamdan Dagalo led the Sudanese delegation at the government-owned Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, stating a significant announcement would be made on Friday.
Kenya's foreign ministry said the country hosts many Sudanese refugees and has a history of facilitating dialogue 'without any ulterior motives.'
However, Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the United States International University-Africa, said Kenya risks international isolation due to this 'foreign policy blunder." He argues that Kenya's foreign policy has become a 'one man show' with the president leveraging his friendship with RSF's Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, without considering 'Kenya's national interests.'
While Hemedti was not present at Tuesday's event, he enjoys a close friendship with Kenya's President William Ruto and his brother has met the president on several occasions.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the military and the RSF has killed more than 24,000 people and driven over 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the United Nations. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have escaped to neighboring countries.
Sudanese authorities on Tuesday said recent attacks by the RSF had killed more than 400 civilians, including infants after the paramilitary was 'overwhelmed by its devastating defeat' by the Sudanese army.
Haydar Abdul Karim, a Sudanese peace activist and freelance journalist now residing in Kenya, told The Associated Press that regional governments should not take sides.
He urged countries to refrain from supporting the formation of new governments or alliances, and instead focus on pressuring the two warring factions to sit down and negotiate and not try to support one faction over the other.
____
Follow AP's Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Evelyne Musambi, The Associated Press
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Hamilton Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
With Trump as ally, El Salvador's President ramps up crackdown on dissent
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Days before his arrest outside his daughter's house in the outskirts of San Salvador, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya called Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a 'dictator' and a 'despot' on live TV. This week, lawyer Jaime Quintanilla stood outside a detention facility in El Salvador's capital with a box of food and clothes for his client, unsure if Anaya would ever be released. The Saturday arrest of Anaya, a fierce critic of Bukele, marks the latest move in what watchdogs describe as a wave of crackdown on dissent by the Central American leader. They say Bukele is emboldened by his alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump , who has not only praised him but avoided criticizing actions human rights defenders, international authorities and legal experts deem authoritarian. Authorities in El Salvador have targeted outspoken lawyers like Anaya, journalists investigating Bukele's alleged deals with gangs and human rights defenders calling for the end of a three-year state of emergency , which has suspended fundamental civil rights. Some say they have been forced to flee the country. 'They're trying to silence anyone who voices an opinion — professionals, ideologues, anyone who is critical — now they're jailed.' Quintanilla said. 'It's a vendetta.' Bukele's office did not respond to a request for comment. 'I don't care if you call me a dictator' Observers see a worrisome escalation by the popular president, who enjoys extremely high approval ratings due to his crackdown on the country's gangs . By suspending fundamental rights, Bukele has severely weakened gangs but also locked up 87,000 people for alleged gang ties, often with little evidence or due process. A number of those detained were also critics. Bukele and his New Ideas party have taken control of all three branches of government, stacking the country's Supreme Court with loyalists. Last year, in a move considered unconstitutional , he ran for reelection, securing a resounding victory. 'I don't care if you call me a dictator,' Bukele said earlier this month in a speech. 'Better that than seeing Salvadorans killed on the streets.' In recent weeks, those who have long acted as a thorn in Bukele's side say looming threats have reached an inflection point. The crackdown comes as Bukele has garnered global attention for keeping some 200 Venezuelan deportees detained in a mega-prison built for gangs as part of an agreement with the Trump administration. 'Of course I'm scared' Anaya was detained by authorities on unproven accusations of money laundering. Prosecutors said he would be sent to 'relevant courts' in the coming days. Quintanilla, his lawyer, rejects the allegations, saying his arrest stems from years of vocally questioning Bukele. Quintanilla, a longtime colleague of Anaya, said he decided to represent his friend in part because many other lawyers in the country were now too afraid to show their faces. On Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed 'deep concern' over Anaya's arrest. Anaya, 61, is a respected lawyer and commentator in El Salvador with a doctorate in constitutional law. He has criticized Bukele's crackdown on the gangs and Bukele stacking of El Salvador's high court. Last year, he was among those who unsuccessfully petitioned the country's top electoral authority to reject Bukele's re-election bid, saying it violated the constitution . Days before his arrest, Anaya railed on television against the detention of human rights lawyer Ruth López , who last week shouted, 'They're not going to silence me, I want a public trial,' as police escorted her shackled to court. 'Of course I'm scared,' Anaya told the broadcast anchor. 'I think that anyone here who dares to speak out, speaks in fear.' While some of Bukele's most vocal critics, like Anaya and López, have been publicly detained, other human rights defenders have quietly slipped out of the country, hoping to seek asylum elsewhere in the region. They declined to comment or be identified out of fear that they would be targeted even outside El Salvador. Fear and an ally in Trump Last month, a protest outside of Bukele's house was violently quashed by police and some of the protesters arrested. He also ordered the arrest of the heads of local bus companies for defying his order to offer free transport while a major highway was blocked. In late May, El Salvador's Congress passed a 'foreign agents' law , championed by the populist president. It resembles legislation implemented by governments in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, Belarus and China to silence and criminalize dissent by exerting pressure on organizations that rely on overseas funding. Verónica Reyna, a human rights coordinator for the Salvadoran nonprofit Servicio Social Pasionista, said police cars now regularly wait outside her group's offices as a lingering threat. 'It's been little-by-little,' Reyna said. 'Since Trump came to power, we've seen (Bukele) feel like there's no government that's going to strongly criticize him or try to stop him.' Trump's influence extends beyond his vocal backing of Bukele , with his administration pushing legal boundaries to push his agenda, Reyna, other human rights defenders and journalists said. The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, which once regularly denounced the government's actions, has remained silent throughout the arrests and lingering threats. It did not respond to a request for comment. In its final year, the Biden administration, too, dialed back its criticism of the Bukele government as El Salvador's government helped slow migration north in the lead up to the 2024 election. On Tuesday, Quintanilla visited Anaya in detention for the first time since his arrest while being watched by police officers. Despite the detention, neither Anaya nor Quintanilla have been officially informed of the charges. Quintanilla worries that authorities will use wide ranging powers granted to Bukele by the 'state of emergency' to keep him imprisoned indefinitely. Journalists stranded Óscar Martínez, editor-in-chief of news site El Faro, and four other journalists have left the country and are unable to return safely, as they face the prospect of arrest stemming from their reporting. At a time when many other reporters have fallen silent out of fear, Martínez's news site has investigated Bukele more rigorously than perhaps any other, exposing hidden corruption and human rights abuses under his crackdown on gangs. In May, El Faro published a three-part interview with a former gang leader who claimed he negotiated with Bukele's administration. Soon after, Martínez said the organization received news that authorities were preparing an arrest order for a half-dozen of their journalists. This has kept at least five El Faro journalists, including Martínez, stranded outside their country for over a month. On Saturday, when the reporters tried to return home on a flight, a diplomatic source and a government official informed them that police had been sent to the airport to wait for them and likely arrest them. The journalists later discovered that their names, along with other civil society leaders, appeared on a list of 'priority objectives' held by airport authorities. Martínez said Anaya's name was also on the list. Now in a nearby Central American nation, Martínez said he doesn't know when he will be able to board another flight home. And if he does, he doesn't know what will happen when he steps off. 'We fear that, if we return — because some of us surely will try — we'll be imprisoned,' he said. 'I am positive that if El Faro journalists are thrown in prison, we'll be tortured and, possibly, even killed.' ____ Janetsky reported from Mexico City. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump's travel ban fuels despair and disgust with politics among Arab Americans in Michigan
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The ban on travel from certain countries that took effect Monday — reminiscent of President Donald Trump's first-term restrictions that became known to many as the ' Muslim ban ' — is once again souring relationships among Arab American voters in the key battleground state of Michigan, a group that Trump sought to make inroads with during the 2024 election. It came as a particular shock to many Yemeni Americans in the Dearborn area, who were surprised to find their country on Trump's new list banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 different countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. 'This is the reward to the community that defied everybody else?' asked Wali Altahif, a local activist who advocates for Yemeni and other immigrant communities. 'That said, 'No, we're going to support you, we going to vote for you'?' The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week , applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. While it may not elicit the same protests as 2017, many Yemeni and Arab Americans in the all important battleground state see it as yet another offense contributing to enormous dissatisfaction with both major political parties in the U.S. The aim of the new ban, the Trump administration said, is to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.' Altahif described it as 'selective discrimination' and 'collective punishment.' Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S., largely concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area. The state was an epicenter of anger at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the administration's support of Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis and sparked a historic shift away from the Democratic Party. With Trump's history of policy and rhetoric, including the restriction on travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries during his first term, the new restrictions and anger over the toll on Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war have left many Arab American voters feeling that both major political parties have failed to deliver for them. A dramatic change in Dearborn In the November election, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Dearborn, America's largest Arab-majority city, since 2000. Harris lost 15,000 of Democratic votes compared to Biden's 2020 win after Trump visited the area days before the election, campaigned in a local cafe and said he'd bring peace to the Middle East. The shift was muted but real. Trump picked up 3,000 votes in the city and third-party candidate votes swelled to 20% of the overall vote. Many did not vote for a candidate at all. Trump won Michigan — and the presidency — for the second time in three attempts. In Dearborn, nearly half of its 110,000 residents are of Arab descent and the largest Arab nationalities represented are from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq . Many Yemeni Americans in the metro Detroit area voted for Trump in the 2024 election after his vows for peace , which came at a time of widespread conflict and instability in the Middle East, Altahif said. In Yemen, a near decade-long civil war has pushed its population to the brink of famine . In Trump's first months in office, the U.S. bombed Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in a two-month long campaign that ended with a ceasefire agreement in May . 'Every single family of Yemeni descendant is affected by the war in Yemen,' Altahif said. 'And we were hopeful based on Trump's promise that he was going to end the war.' Rasheed Alnozili, publisher of the Dearborn-based online and print news services the Yemeni American News, said the travel ban will only stigmatize Yemeni and Arab communities in America and fuel Islamophobia, not counter terrorism. 'They are part of the society, they are raising their kids,' he said of Yemeni communities. There are exceptions to the ban. They include green-card holders and people with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents. Altahif expects the ban to make it much harder for families separated by the distance to reunite. He said it took his wife from Yemen five years to get a visa approved before coming to live in the U.S. in 2024. Widespread unease Many in the community are reluctant to talk openly about the new travel restrictions for fear of retaliation, even if they are U.S. citizens or green-card holders. Others are reluctant to leave the country for fear of being held up by border agents when returning home, something Arab and Muslim Americans already report dealing with at airports. Amir Makled, a Dearborn-based civil rights attorney, said the restrictions have been 'similarly chilling' for Muslim travelers compared to the 2017 policy. He's received several calls from people worried about being detained when traveling back to the U.S., even if they are citizens or lawful residents. One person of Yemeni descent ultimately canceled travel for the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a pillar of Islamic faith, Makled said. 'People overall are opting not to travel, even when they have a legal right to do so,' he said. Both major political parties will have to appeal to the Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area in key upcoming races in 2026. With open races for the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat, a few thousand votes could tip the balance of power in Lansing and in Congress. 'Where these voters land is going to, I think, make a difference in terms of who ends up in those seats,' said Peter Trumbore, chair of the department of political science at Oakland University. The war in Gaza drove Yemeni Americans away from the Democratic Party, Altahif said, and Trump has not made good on his promise to quickly bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war which has resulted in the deaths of more than 55,000 Palestinians . Altahif noted state Democrats who have vocally opposed the travel ban, but said he has not seen Republicans do the same. Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, said candidates from both parties who are running for governor and the U.S. Senate have met with him in recent months as the 2026 midterm races start. He also met with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat who is running as an independent for the governor's office . Siblani called the travel ban a 'racist' executive action that does nothing to help people in war-torn Yemen and Sudan, nations where many metro Detroit residents have relatives. But their disappointment in both Democrats and Republicans may leave them looking for a third option. 'I can see that there is an appetite in our community or a need in our communities to vote for an independent,' Siblani said. ___ Associated Press video journalist Mike Housholder contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's travel ban fuels despair and disgust with politics among Arab Americans in Michigan
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The ban on travel from certain countries that took effect Monday — reminiscent of President Donald Trump's first-term restrictions that became known to many as the ' Muslim ban ' — is once again souring relationships among Arab American voters in the key battleground state of Michigan, a group that Trump sought to make inroads with during the 2024 election. It came as a particular shock to many Yemeni Americans in the Dearborn area, who were surprised to find their country on Trump's new list banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 different countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. 'This is the reward to the community that defied everybody else?" asked Wali Altahif, a local activist who advocates for Yemeni and other immigrant communities. "That said, 'No, we're going to support you, we going to vote for you'?' The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. While it may not elicit the same protests as 2017, many Yemeni and Arab Americans in the all important battleground state see it as yet another offense contributing to enormous dissatisfaction with both major political parties in the U.S. The aim of the new ban, the Trump administration said, is to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.' Altahif described it as 'selective discrimination' and 'collective punishment.' Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S., largely concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area. The state was an epicenter of anger at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the administration's support of Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis and sparked a historic shift away from the Democratic Party. With Trump's history of policy and rhetoric, including the restriction on travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries during his first term, the new restrictions and anger over the toll on Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war have left many Arab American voters feeling that both major political parties have failed to deliver for them. A dramatic change in Dearborn In the November election, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Dearborn, America's largest Arab-majority city, since 2000. Harris lost 15,000 of Democratic votes compared to Biden's 2020 win after Trump visited the area days before the election, campaigned in a local cafe and said he'd bring peace to the Middle East. The shift was muted but real. Trump picked up 3,000 votes in the city and third-party candidate votes swelled to 20% of the overall vote. Many did not vote for a candidate at all. Trump won Michigan — and the presidency — for the second time in three attempts. In Dearborn, nearly half of its 110,000 residents are of Arab descent and the largest Arab nationalities represented are from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Many Yemeni Americans in the metro Detroit area voted for Trump in the 2024 election after his vows for peace, which came at a time of widespread conflict and instability in the Middle East, Altahif said. In Yemen, a near decade-long civil war has pushed its population to the brink of famine. In Trump's first months in office, the U.S. bombed Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in a two-month long campaign that ended with a ceasefire agreement in May. 'Every single family of Yemeni descendant is affected by the war in Yemen,' Altahif said. 'And we were hopeful based on Trump's promise that he was going to end the war.' Rasheed Alnozili, publisher of the Dearborn-based online and print news services the Yemeni American News, said the travel ban will only stigmatize Yemeni and Arab communities in America and fuel Islamophobia, not counter terrorism. 'They are part of the society, they are raising their kids,' he said of Yemeni communities. There are exceptions to the ban. They include green-card holders and people with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents. Altahif expects the ban to make it much harder for families separated by the distance to reunite. He said it took his wife from Yemen five years to get a visa approved before coming to live in the U.S. in 2024. Widespread unease Many in the community are reluctant to talk openly about the new travel restrictions for fear of retaliation, even if they are U.S. citizens or green-card holders. Others are reluctant to leave the country for fear of being held up by border agents when returning home, something Arab and Muslim Americans already report dealing with at airports. Amir Makled, a Dearborn-based civil rights attorney, said the restrictions have been 'similarly chilling' for Muslim travelers compared to the 2017 policy. He's received several calls from people worried about being detained when traveling back to the U.S., even if they are citizens or lawful residents. One person of Yemeni descent ultimately canceled travel for the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a pillar of Islamic faith, Makled said. 'People overall are opting not to travel, even when they have a legal right to do so,' he said. Both major political parties will have to appeal to the Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area in key upcoming races in 2026. With open races for the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat, a few thousand votes could tip the balance of power in Lansing and in Congress. 'Where these voters land is going to, I think, make a difference in terms of who ends up in those seats,' said Peter Trumbore, chair of the department of political science at Oakland University. The war in Gaza drove Yemeni Americans away from the Democratic Party, Altahif said, and Trump has not made good on his promise to quickly bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war which has resulted in the deaths of more than 55,000 Palestinians. Altahif noted state Democrats who have vocally opposed the travel ban, but said he has not seen Republicans do the same. Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, said candidates from both parties who are running for governor and the U.S. Senate have met with him in recent months as the 2026 midterm races start. He also met with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat who is running as an independent for the governor's office. Siblani called the travel ban a 'racist' executive action that does nothing to help people in war-torn Yemen and Sudan, nations where many metro Detroit residents have relatives. But their disappointment in both Democrats and Republicans may leave them looking for a third option. 'I can see that there is an appetite in our community or a need in our communities to vote for an independent,' Siblani said. ___ Associated Press video journalist Mike Housholder contributed to this report.
