South Africa, Syria, Mali
Today's three stories you should know
South Africa
A plane carrying 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa by their government due to a growing number of xenophobic attacks on foreigners has landed in Ghana’s capital Accra. Ghana's government launched a voluntary repatriation plan for its citizens after weeks of violence and anti-immigrant protests and, with more than 800 Ghanaians registering for the scheme, more flights are expected in the coming days. Far-right groups in South Africa falsely blame immigrants, who mostly come from neighboring countries, for a faltering economy and high unemployment. Nigeria has also offered repatriation to its citizens.
More from Al Jazeera here.
NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on xenophobia in South Africa here.
Syria
Syria's transitional government has discovered the remnants of former President Bashar al-Assad’s secret chemical weapons program, according to a Reuters interview with a Syrian official. Mohamad Katoub, Syria's permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, said that raw materials and munitions similar to those used to carry out chemical attacks during the country’s 14-year civil war were found. Eighteen people have been taken into custody for alleged involvement in the chemical weapons program, including high-level military, political and technical officials, he said. Current President Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024 after a lightning offensive on the capital during which Assad fled to Russia.
More from Reuters here.
Mali
As Muslims around the world begin celebrating the Eid al-Adha festival, AP has carried an interesting report on soaring sheep prices in Mali’s capital Bamako putting the traditional practice of slaughtering an animal and sharing its meat with the poor beyond the reach of many this year. The reason for the inflation is an ongoing blockade of the city by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida-linked rebel group applying increasing pressure to the government. Landlocked Mali depends on fuel and goods trucked in from neighboring countries and JNIM’s blockade strategy is adding to recent successes on the battlefield. The armed group operates in a porous and remote border area that allows it to launch attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
More from AP here.
NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on the conflict in Mali and the Sahel here, and a deep dive on the recent wave of coups in West Africa here.