{"id":174203,"date":"2025-12-04T06:05:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T06:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/today-in-africa-december-3-2025-rsf-ransom-killings-kenya-vs-uk-troops-donald-trumps-anti-somali-remarks-okayafrica\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T06:05:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T06:05:27","slug":"today-in-africa-december-3-2025-rsf-ransom-killings-kenya-vs-uk-troops-donald-trumps-anti-somali-remarks-okayafrica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/today-in-africa-december-3-2025-rsf-ransom-killings-kenya-vs-uk-troops-donald-trumps-anti-somali-remarks-okayafrica\/","title":{"rendered":"Today in Africa \u2014 December 3, 2025: RSF Ransom Killings, Kenya vs UK Troops, Donald Trump\u2019s Anti-Somali Remarks – OkayAfrica"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWS
Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we\u2019re following but haven\u2019t published as full articles. These short updates cover what\u2019s happening on the continent \u2014 in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page<\/a>, with stories from across the regions.<\/span>
In just three years, Emily Chepkor\u2019s We Run Nairobi has grown into the city\u2019s biggest running club, and it\u2019s still making room for everyone.
Sudan\u2019s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which captured El Fasher<\/a> in late October, are detaining civilians<\/a> in surrounding villages and killing or assaulting those whose families cannot pay ransoms, according to former captives, aid workers, and researchers interviewed by Reuters. Survivors described being held in sites across North Darfur, paying ransoms ranging from $1,400 to $17,000, and witnessing executions of people who could not raise the money. Many of the missing from El Fasher \u2014 which was once home to more than 250,000 people \u2014 are believed to be trapped in RSF-controlled villages such as Garney, Korma, Um Jalbakh, and Tora. In contrast, others have fled to Chad with gunshot wounds and injuries consistent with severe beatings. The RSF denies widespread responsibility and blames abuses on a rival group wearing RSF uniforms, but its own investigative committee admitted receiving more than 100 complaints a day.
Testimonies include accounts of mass killings, torture, racial abuse, and sexual violence, with some captives forced to drink sewage water in overcrowded sites inside El Fasher. Survivors said fighters used Starlink terminals to demand ransom payments from families via video calls \u2014 echoing tactics used by trafficking gangs in Libya. Aid agencies estimate more than 100,000 people have fled El Fasher since its fall, but many remain trapped because they cannot afford transport or are too sick to escape. Satellite images show large clusters of newly built shelters in Garney, suggesting long-term detentions.
In a separate report<\/a>, Amnesty International said the RSF\u2019s April attack on Zamzam displacement camp \u2014 part of the group\u2019s siege of El Fasher \u2014 involved killings, rape, hostage-taking, and the destruction of clinics, schools, and mosques, calling the assault a war crime. The rights group also criticized the United Arab Emirates for allegedly continuing to support the RSF despite documented atrocities, a charge the UAE denies. The war<\/a> between Sudan\u2019s army and the RSF, now in its 20th month, has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced over 14 million, and created what the United Nations calls the world\u2019s worst humanitarian crisis.
A Kenyan parliamentary inquiry has accused British troops<\/a> training in the country of decades of sexual violence, killings, workplace abuses, and environmental damage, saying the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is now viewed by many communities as an \u201coccupying presence.\u201d The two-year investigation gathered testimony from civilians, victims, community leaders, and rights groups, who described rape, assault, abandoned children, fatal explosions from unexploded ordnance, and toxic waste from military exercises. The report highlights long-standing anger over the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru<\/span> \u2014 whose alleged killer, former soldier Robert Purkiss<\/span>, was arrested in the UK last month \u2014 and cites other unresolved cases, including the shooting of herder Tilam Leresh<\/span>. MPs said BATUK repeatedly avoided appearing before the committee and relied on diplomatic immunity.
British officials said they regret the \u201cchallenges\u201d raised<\/a> and are willing to investigate new allegations once evidence is provided, while BATUK maintained it has zero tolerance for abuse and complies with environmental rules. But the inquiry found major flaws in the defence cooperation agreement between Kenya and the UK, including gaps that make murder prosecutions difficult and weak oversight mechanisms. It called for a renegotiated contract with strict codes of conduct, stronger environmental obligations, civilian oversight, and measures to ensure British soldiers can be held accountable for child support and other violations.
Somali nationals in the U.S. are a primary target in the Trump administration\u2019s new directive to freeze all immigration applications from 19 countries already subject to a travel ban. This pause includes green card applications and naturalization ceremonies for those on the verge of becoming citizens. U.S. President Donald Trump<\/span> has targeted Somali immigrants, particularly the large Somali community in Minnesota. During a televised cabinet meeting, he called<\/a> Somali immigrants \u201cgarbage,\u201d adding that he doesn\u2019t \u201cwant them in our country, I\u2019ll be honest with you.\u201d He described Somalia as \u201cbarely a country \u2026 they just run around killing each other. There\u2019s no structure.\u201d
Last month, he said his administration is working towards ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali residents living in Minnesota, which would affect hundreds if achieved. Trump also claimed Somali gangs are terrorizing the state of Minneapolis without providing any evidence. \u201cSomebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country,\u201d Trump said in his remarks to the press after yesterday\u2019s cabinet meeting. He also shared disparaging comments on U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar,<\/span> the first Somali American to be elected to Congress, calling her \u201can incompetent person.\u201d
Omar responded in a social media post saying, \u201c[Trump\u2019s] obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.\u201d Somalian Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre<\/span> was more diplomatic in his response to the remarks, saying<\/a> the U.S. president has \u201cinsulted many countries, including Nigeria, South Africa. There are things that do not need comment; we just leave and skip. It is better to ignore than to make his words look like an issue.\u201d
A lawyer for the family of Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane<\/span> says they can\u2019t trust<\/a> forensic scientists working for the government. Ekane died earlier this week in police detention, and his family refuses to allow an official autopsy, which was scheduled for Tuesday, December 2. The family says they were concerned about the rush of the procedure and would prefer that the autopsy be carried out by doctors they appoint. Ekane, 74, was arrested by soldiers after post-election protests, which were caused by 92-year-old incumbent President Paul Biya<\/span>, the oldest sitting president<\/a> in the world, emerging as the winner. The election results were widely marred by allegations of electoral fraud. Ekane\u2019s party, African Movement for New Independence and Democracy, has called his death a \u201ccrime of state,\u201d alleging that Ekane was denied proper care while in detention.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced new limits<\/a> to the amounts that can be withdrawn using ATMs and point-of-sale (POS) devices. From January 1, 2026, individuals can withdraw a maximum amount of N100,000 ($69) daily and a weekly limit of N500,000 ($345), while corporate accounts have been limited to N5 million ($3,450). In its circular to banks and financial institutions, CBN said the measures \u201caim to moderate the rising cost of cash management, address security concerns, and reduce the potential for money laundering.\u201d The apex bank also hopes that the new policy will help improve the use of digital payment services, as it continues to push the agenda for an increasingly cashless economy. Withdrawals above the new limits will attract 3% and 5% fines for individuals and corporations, respectively.
Pope Leo XIV<\/span> ended his six-day trip to Turkey and Lebanon yesterday, Tuesday, December 2, and said his next major journey<\/a> could be to Africa in 2026, highlighting Algeria as a country he especially wants to visit to follow the life of Saint Augustine. He said such a trip would support dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities, noting Augustine\u2019s continued influence in the mostly Muslim nation. The Vatican added that Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea may also be included. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope and an Augustinian, praised Lebanon\u2019s tradition of religious coexistence during his visit and met with Christian, Sunni, Shiite, and Druze leaders. He also shared hopes to travel to Latin America, including Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, where he previously served as a missionary.
Gabon\u2019s tourism minister, Pascal Ogow\u00e9 Siffon<\/span>, has been placed under house arrest<\/a> after authorities detained him on a highway as he appeared to be fleeing Libreville. Investigators accuse him of mismanaging or embezzling nearly $18 million in public funds earmarked for tourism development over the past two years, including money from state-owned hotels and investment mechanisms tied to the oil and gas sector. Officials say they are examining how the funds were used and why several operations lacked proper accounting records, calling Siffon a flight risk given his attempted departure from the capital. Appointed in 2023, he had launched audits and infrastructure projects to revive Gabon\u2019s tourism sector.
South Sudanese police say a gunman hijacked a small Samaritan\u2019s Purse aid plane yesterday, Tuesday, December 2, forcing the pilot to stay in the air for hours before landing safely in Wau, where the suspect was arrested. The Cessna Grand Caravan had taken off from Juba carrying medical supplies to Maiwut when the man \u2014 identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf<\/span> \u2014 emerged from the rear cabin and tried to divert the flight to Chad, a country that does not border South Sudan. Authorities say they still do not know his motive. The pilot persuaded him to land by claiming the aircraft needed fuel. Police said the hijacker wore a vest with the logo of a local air charter company, which denied employing him. No injuries were reported, and the aid group thanked authorities for the safe resolution. The incident happened days after another Samaritan\u2019s Purse-chartered plane crashed in Unity State, killing all three crew members.<\/p>\n

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OkayAfrica is the premiere digital platform bringing the worlds of African music, art, culture, style, sports and politics to a global audience. Founded in 2010 as an extension of Okayplayer, OkayAfrica serves as a cultural bridge to foster deeper understanding of the continent, while also building meaningful connections with its diaspora. <\/p>\n

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