US talks are an opportunity for Rwanda to expand its geopolitical influence
Talks between Rwanda and the US to host deported migrants is the latest move by the African country to position itself as a useful option for the anti-migration policies of allied governments.
Previous high-profile attempts, however, including with the UK, Israel and Denmark, failed after becoming beset by controversy.
On Sunday, Olivier Nduhungirehe said the talks with Washington DC were in the early stages. The Rwandan foreign minister told state TV: 'Those reports are true. We are engaged in discussions with the government of the United States of America.'
The US-based Handbasket newsletter first reported discussions between Rwanda and the US last month, citing a US State Department cable saying Rwanda had agreed to take in deportees who were unable to be sent to their home countries for fear of persecution.
Although details about the planned deal are scant, this is not the first time that Rwanda has explored such an arrangement for resettlement.
In 2022, the country entered an agreement with a previous UK government to receive asylum seekers from Britain. Under the deal, asylum claims would be processed in Rwanda. Successful applicants would remain there, while unsuccessful ones would be given the option to leave Rwanda or receive residency.
The agreement, which included plans for financial support for relocation and accommodation, faced legal challenges as well as criticism from opposition politicians and human rights activists. The government said it would tackle illegal migration and aid Rwandan development. But critics said it was unlawful and posed risks for the safety of refugees.
The deal, which cost the UK hundreds of millions of pounds, eventually fell through when Keir Starmer cancelled it after the Labour party came into power last year.
In his address on Sunday, Nduhungirehe acknowledged Rwanda's previous experience with similar migration plans, saying the US idea was 'not something new to us'.
Rwanda was also previously involved in a programme between 2014 and 2017 to take African asylum seekers from Israel. The agreement was shrouded in secrecy, but details started emerging in 2018 as Israel's supreme court weighed whether to approve a programme to give African migrants the option of a cash incentive for deportation or be detained indefinitely.
In 2017, Volker Türk, the assistant high commissioner for protection at the UN refugee agency, said 4,000 people from Eritrea and Sudan had been relocated under the 2014-17 programme to two African countries 'named in media reports as Rwanda and Uganda'.
The scheme collapsed when Israel's supreme court suspended deportations in 2018.
Rwanda has also explored a migration deal with Denmark. After the European country's passage of a law to process asylum seekers outside Europe in 2021, the two countries announced that they were looking at establishing a programme for the transfer of asylum seekers arriving in Denmark to Rwanda for consideration of their asylum applications and protection, with the option of settling in Rwanda.
They said: 'The current global asylum and migration system is dysfunctional and a new approach is required.'
Critics condemned it, saying Denmark was shifting responsibility for refugee protection. In 2023, the country paused the plan, seeking to work with other EU countries in a regional solution.
Paul Kagame has in the past defended migration plans to send people to Rwanda. Speaking on state television in 2022, the Rwandan president said: 'We are not involved in buying and selling of people, with the UK or anybody. It's just a problem that needs to be solved and Rwanda is ready to help.'
The latest talks with the US present an opportunity for the country to financially leverage the migrant crisis in the west as well as expand its geopolitical influence.
Notably, the discussions are happening at a time when the US is pushing Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to enter bilateral economic agreements with the US that would bring western investment to support mining in the countries.
The proposed deals are part of a US-led process to end fighting in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, where Rwanda has been accused of fuelling the conflict by backing rebels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How stunned Joe Rogan reacted to Trump and Musk war in real time during Kash Patel interview
It was supposed to be just another no-holds-barred conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience, but what unfolded in real time stunned even Joe Rogan himself. Midway through the recording of Rogan's high-profile interview with FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday afternoon, chaos was erupting on social media. Donald Trump and Elon Musk, once the closest of political allies and collaborators, were detonating their relationship in a flurry of public insults, threats, and finally, an explosive accusation that would leave political world gasping. 'Jesus Christ,' Rogan muttered, his eyes widening as he read aloud Musk's now-infamous post: 'Time to drop the really big bomb. Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That's the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' The podcast had already been knee-deep in a discussion of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 's shadowy network, when Rogan's producer put up Musk's incendiary post on the screen. It was an accusation aimed squarely at Trump, dragging him into the murky world of Epstein's infamous island and the so-called 'Epstein files' - flight logs and documents long rumored to implicate the powerful and well-connected. 'I'm not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and Trump,' Patel said immediately, distancing himself from the explosive spat. But Rogan couldn't look away. 'Someone should take his phone away,' Rogan muttered, incredulous. 'Jesus Christ that's a crazy thing to say. How does he know? Does he have access to the Epstein files?' Patel remained calm but firmly replied: 'I don't know how he would. But I'm staying out of it. That's way outside my lane.' Still in disbelief Rogan added: 'What the f*** are they doing?' The Musk-Trump row had been simmering for days, but few expected it to erupt so spectacularly. 'I understand he owns Twitter, but I think it's bad for your mental health,' Rogan said moments later. 'Posting all day and arguing with people all day - that can't be good for you.' 'I know my lane and that ain't it,' Patel said again, staying as far from the blast zone as possible. Hours earlier, at a White House meeting, Trump had lashed out at Musk's blistering critique of his prized 'Big Beautiful Bill,' calling the Tesla founder 'very disappointing.' From there, the tit-for-tat escalated with breathtaking speed. Musk upped the ante by threatening to back a third-party challenger, a nightmare scenario for Republican strategists. Trump, never one to back down, retaliated by publicly musing about cancelling Musk's multi-billion-dollar government contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense. By Friday, as word of the Musk-Trump implosion spread, Washington seemed to be in full crisis mode. Senior Republicans scrambled to contain the damage, fearful that the spectacle could derail crucial legislation, including Trump's controversial tax and border spending bill, which Musk had labeled an 'abomination.' 'I hope it doesn't distract us from getting the job done,' Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) told reporters nervously. Others practically begged for a reconciliation. 'When the two of them are working together, we get a lot more done,' Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Fox News. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted a photo collage of Trump and Musk, pleading: 'Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?' But Trump, in true Trump fashion, showed no interest in extending an olive branch. 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' he scoffed when asked about Musk during a phone interview with ABC News. 'I'm not particularly interested in talking to him.' Later, aboard Air Force One en route to his Bedminster golf club, Trump struck a more detached tone. 'Honestly, I've been so busy working on China, Russia, Iran... I'm not thinking about Elon Musk. I just wish him well,' he told reporters, even as aides privately fumed that Musk's accusations could inflict serious damage. Still, the president couldn't resist one last jab: 'He's lost it.' The political earthquake was soon matched by a financial one. Tesla's stock plummeted more than 14% on Thursday amid the very public feud, wiping out nearly $100 billion in market value before recovering slightly by Friday. At the White House, aides whispered that Trump was considering getting rid of the bright red Tesla Model S he famously purchased earlier this year, a symbol of the bromance that once was. Musk is seen jumping on stage as he joined Donald Trump during a campaign rally last October 'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official confirmed. Meanwhile, Musk remained unusually quiet on Friday, steering clear of his usual rapid-fire posting on X, the platform he owns and has aggressively reshaped. For Trump, Musk's financial and political support had been crucial. The billionaire donated nearly $300 million to Trump's 2024 campaign. But Musk, too, has much to lose.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
The Trump and Musk spat is turning them both into billion-dollar losers in every way
The boys are going at it. Like two heavies in the playground, the once richest man on Earth and one who thinks he is the most powerful are locked in a scrap. It's a bloke thing. Not long ago, the former bros used to spark off each other, rib each other while jointly belittling everyone else. Now the jocks, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, are grappling and so closely entwined were they and the organisations they lead, there can be no winner. It's possible that peace may prevail, but for how long? They've repeatedly raised the ante, which in male lore means backing down and letting bygones be bygones will be difficult. The fallout will hit them both. Trump says that Musk and his companies receive 'billions and billions of dollars' in government subsidies and contracts. He could cut them. 'I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. One estimate puts the total that Musk's two main businesses, SpaceX and Tesla, receive in public benefits at $38bn (£28bn). SpaceX president and chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell, has said its tally alone is $22bn. The exact combined figure may never be known because many of the deals between Musk's firms and Washington are classified. For his part, Musk is the heaviest donor to the Republicans, giving $200m to the GOP. There was more. Musk said he would support Maga candidates in local primaries, to the tune of $10m a pop, against sitting Republicans, should they dare to oppose Trump. Meanwhile, Musk's space rockets fly Nasa astronauts to the orbiting shuttle – without that service, the Americans would have to do the diplomatically unthinkable and seek the wholesale assistance of Russia and its Soyuz vehicles. It's likely the love-in was always destined to fail. Trump demands complete adulation, any dissenters are quickly shown the door. Musk, for all his admiration of the president, disagreed with him profoundly on a number of key issues. In order for his companies to stay ahead and to keep reinventing and innovating, Musk must attract the best brains. Whatever Trump alleges, they do not all exist in America, Musk needs to draw talent from overseas. That ran up against Trump's anti-immigration policy. Musk is a renewable energy evangelist, he made his name with the high-performance Tesla electric car. Trump is anything but, clinging to the belief that fossil fuels still rule and have a future. Likewise, Musk's products rely on imported parts and materials. Trump has kiboshed global supply lines and delivered large-scale uncertainty with his adherence to new tariffs. Musk's position on these was well known. He said so, and Trump tolerated him. After all, he was doing the White House 's bidding on Doge, slashing perceived governmental waste. Trump was happy for him to take the rap, to be the fall guy or poster boy, depending on how it was viewed. Musk's Maga popularity may have soared, but among his investors and consumers, it plummeted. Both men are characterised by a stubborn refusal to climb down and a belief in their own might. Musk pressed on, regardless. They also speak their minds, as they find, again, convinced of their own brilliance. There was so much that Trump was prepared to forgive, but it was when Musk openly criticised Trump's central tax bill that the gloves finally came off. It is a priority of Trump's second term, and the measure requires congressional Republican backing to get through. By hailing it a 'disgusting abomination', Musk was sowing doubt among possible GOP waverers, and that simply would not do. The new distance between them was noticed, and the rot set in. Musk was exiting the building. The president exhibited his usual pettiness, so what sent Musk ballistic was when an ally had his nomination to run Nasa withdrawn. That pal, Jared Isaacman, came out and said he was a victim of revenge – his nomination was revoked on the very day that the 'first buddy' was saying his White House goodbyes. Far from damping down the speculation as to why his appointment was suddenly off, Isaacman raised it. 'I mean, people can draw their own conclusions, but I think the directions people are going in seems to check out to me,' he said. Isaacman was not any other candidate – the billionaire had been a close collaborator with Musk ever since he led the first chartered passenger flight on SpaceX in 2021. Musk, understandably, was riled. Now it was personal. Since then, we've been treated to the spectacle of gladiatorial combat, albeit resorting to childish insults as weapons. But each man has plenty to lose. Trump is a brooder; he does not forget easily, and Musk may have overstepped a mark by alerting the world's media and social media to something that might or might not be contained in confidential files regarding Epstein and Trump. That may just prove unforgivable. Certainly, in the absence of an explanation, the accusation could return to haunt Trump. There may be one. It could be trivial and of little consequence. Musk may merely have been having fun, being provocative, and he hasn't presented anything to substantiate the allegation. But until we know, we cannot be sure, and the gossip will continue. Meanwhile, Trump's longtime ally Steve Bannon suggested that the president 'should sign an executive order calling for the Defense Production Act and seize SpaceX'. And the President himself was said to be planning on dispensing with all traces of Elon Musk, including the Tesla he bought at full price in March. It's perverse that they should be reduced to this. But two large, bristling personalities, possessors of machismo in abundance, were probably always going to find sharing the same small classroom an enormous challenge. Despite deploying all the cynical disregarding and showboating they could muster, it was insurmountable and could come at an enormous cost.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Far-right Proud Boys file $100m lawsuit against US government over convictions from Capitol riots
Five members of the far-right group Proud Boys, who were convicted following the attack on the US Capitol in 2021, have filed a lawsuit seeking $100m (£74m) from the US government. They claim their constitutional rights were violated when they were prosecuted for taking part in the riots, which aimed to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit was filed in Orlando federal court by Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Ethan Nordean, who all had leadership roles in the group, plus Dominic Pezzola. The lawsuit claims the men were arrested with insufficient probable cause and that government agents later "found" fake incriminating evidence. They also claim they were held for years in pretrial detention, often in solitary confinement. Tarrio, former Proud Boys chairman, suggested they were held as "hostages" - repeating a term Donald Trump has also used to refer to those jailed for involvement in the violence which erupted on 6 January 2021 in Washington DC. At a news conference on Friday, Terrio added that the lawsuit was "important to bring back law and order into our system". Tarrio, Biggs, Rehl and Nordean were all convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Pezzola was jailed after stealing a police officer's riot shield and using it to smash a window. They received sentences ranging between 10 and 22 years but were released after Mr Trump returned to office this year. The US president granted pardons to almost all of the more than 1,500 people who stormed the Capitol. Stewart Rhodes, who founded the so-called Oath Keepers, received an 18-year prison sentence after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy but was also later freed. He told Sky News he was convicted in a "show trial". 1:23 The Proud Boys lawsuit adds that: "The plaintiffs themselves did not obstruct the proceedings at the Capitol, destroy government property, resist arrest, conspire to impede the police, or participate in civil disorder, nor did they plan for or order anyone else to do so." "The plaintiffs bring this suit to seek redress for the multiple violations of their constitutional rights," the document read. Separately on Friday, a retired police officer was sentenced to serve 18 months in jail for lying to authorities about leaking confidential information to Tarrio, when he was the leader of the Proud Boys. Shane Lamond, a lieutenant for the Metropolitan Police Department in the capital, denied handing over details about an investigation into Tarrio. But he was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements. Tarrio was under investigation for burning a Black Lives Matter banner in December 2020, which he later admitted stealing from a church in Washington DC. Tarrio, who attended Lamond's sentencing, called for Mr Trump to pardon Lamond.
