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Africa Shifts Towards China Amid US Tariffs

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Africa Shifts Towards China Amid US Tariffs

 

Africa is bracing for the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with several countries on the continent facing some of the highest export charges.

 

However, this crisis could be an opportunity for China, which has long courted African countries and is now offering them a lifeline.

 

Four African nations – Libya, South Africa, Algeria, and Tunisia – will face tariffs ranging from 25% to 30%, while 18 other countries will be hit with 15% levies.

 

This move has sparked concerns about the potential economic shocks, particularly in industries such as agriculture and automobiles.

 

In Lesotho, the textile industry is already grappling with massive job losses due to the tariffs.

 

The country’s Prime Minister, Samuel Matekane, has declared a two-year national state of disaster, citing the huge tariff and the halt of US aid as major contributors to the crisis.

 

In South Africa, citrus growers are gripped with “great anxiety” ahead of the tariff deadline, warning that job losses will be a certainty if the tariffs come into effect.

 

The automobile sector is also at risk of economic shocks, with companies threatening to leave the country due to plummeting business.

 

China has offered to soften the impact of US tariffs on Africa by halting charges on imports for nearly all its African partners.

 

This move has been seen as an opportunity for African countries to strengthen South-South trade and reduce their dependence on the US.

 

“We are going straight into the hands of China,” Nigerian economist Bismarck Rewane said, describing the expected shift towards China as an “unfortunate outcome.”

 

South African researcher Neo Letswalo urged countries to “solely turn to China and make it the next US,” citing America’s gradual forfeiture of its global leadership status.

 

While China’s offer presents an opportunity for African countries, there are also risks involved.

 

Letswalo warned that alternating US with China “could be risky,” especially for nascent industries within African countries.

 

“If they’re not protected, Chinese products will flood and outcompete them as many African countries are price-sensitive markets,” he said.

 

South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said the country is seeking alternative markets for its goods.

 

“If the US imposes high tariffs, we must look for alternative markets,” he said, adding that China is already the country’s biggest trading partner.

 

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Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

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US Congress to Review Relations with South Africa, Sudan

Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

 

US House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, unless President Donald Trump removes her from office.

 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats could proceed “the easy way or the hard way,” describing the actions of Noem’s department as “disgusting.”

 

The crisis follows the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a federal agent, which has triggered backlash in Minneapolis and led to the planned departure of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Borvino and some agents from the city.

 

Trump has deployed his “border tsar,” Tom Homan, to take charge of on-the-ground operations, while a Minnesota judge has ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court over alleged violations of court orders.

 

Trump has distanced himself from claims by senior adviser Stephen Miller that Pretti was a “would-be assassin,” saying he did not believe the victim was acting as one.

 

Video footage shows Pretti holding a phone while filming agents, not a gun, although police say he was a legal firearm owner.

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UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

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Trafficking: Libya Deports 700 Sudanese Migrants

UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

 

The United Nations has expressed concern after South Sudan’s Deputy Army Chief, Gen. Johnson Oluny, was heard urging troops to “spare no-one,” including children and the elderly, ahead of military operations in opposition-held areas of Jonglei State.

 

In a video posted on Facebook, Oluny, addressing members of his Agwelek militia, called for total destruction during the deployment.

 

The UN Mission in South Sudan condemned the remarks, describing them as “utterly abhorrent,” and warned that inflammatory rhetoric targeting civilians must stop immediately.

 

South Sudan’s government, however, said the statement did not amount to an official order, insisting it remains committed to protecting civilians.

 

Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny said civilians were being warned only to avoid being caught in crossfire.

 

The development comes amid escalating fighting in Jonglei, where forces loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar have seized several areas.

 

The military has ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid workers to evacuate three counties—Nyirol, Uror and Akobo—ahead of an imminent operation.

 

The UN says more than 180,000 people have been displaced by the renewed violence.

 

Meanwhile, tensions remain high as opposition forces threaten to advance towards the capital, Juba, a claim dismissed by the army.

 

South Sudan has been unstable since a 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, but lingering political rivalry and ethnic tensions continue to threaten fragile peace.

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Diplomacy

Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

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Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

 

The Rwandan government has initiated arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under the now-abandoned asylum partnership agreement between both countries.

 

Rwanda has filed the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments contained in the deal signed under the former Conservative government.

 

The agreement, designed to relocate some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, was scrapped in 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the Home Office saying about £220m in future payments would no longer be made.

 

UK authorities insist the policy was costly and ineffective, pledging to defend the case to protect taxpayers’ funds.

 

Rwanda, however, says the arbitration concerns unmet treaty obligations and is seeking a legal determination of both parties’ rights under international law.

 

The PCA lists the case as pending, with no timetable yet announced for hearings or a ruling.

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