South Africa, Mali, Gaza
Today's three stories you should know
South Africa
Mobs of far-right protesters in South Africa have gone door-to-door in Johannesburg, snatching foreigners and handing them over to police. A Reuters reporter saw crowds breaking down the doors of houses in which they believed undocumented immigrants were living. People were then seen being marched to police vans by protesters before being taken away. A spokesperson for Johannesburg police was not immediately available for comment on the actions of the protesters or the police on the scene, Reuters said. South Africa has been rocked by often violent anti-immigrant demonstrations in recent months, with countries including Nigeria, Malawi and Zimbabwe evacuating citizens.
More from Reuters here.
NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on xenophobia in South Africa here.
Episode 6 of The Proximities Podcast, a conversation with British-Palestinian commentator and political economist Kieran Andrieu, is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Mali
Rebels in Mali have carried out an attack on a large convoy of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers, according to both rebel and government officials. The assault was claimed by the separatist Tuareg group the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which has been responsible for other attacks in recent days. Up to 200 Russian fighters from its Africa Corps paramilitary organization were traveling in the convoy, along with about 100 Malian soldiers, a security source said. In April, the FLA teamed up with the powerful al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin group to launch a series of coordinated attacks across the country during which Mali’s defense minister was killed.
More from DW here.
NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on the conflict in Mali and the Sahel here.
Gaza
People in Gaza are mourning a well-known aid worker who organized screenings of World Cup football matches in the enclave and was killed in an Israeli air strike on a taxi this week. Mohammad al-Waheidi, who worked for Egypt’s main aid organization, was killed along with three other people, including two siblings aged 10 and 8 who were nearby when the vehicle was attacked. The Israeli army said it killed a Hamas fighter but did not specify who, and no Palestinian armed groups claimed any of those killed as a member. Watching the World Cup matches on giant screens has brought rare joy and celebration for Palestinians who have lived through more than two-and-a-half years of genocide. "My father worked hard to bring some entertainment to the people, to the displaced, to us and everyone who suffers in Gaza, he tried to bring them the matches close to their tents and wrecked shelters," al-Waheidi’s son Fawaz said.
More from France 24 here.