Foreign
U.S. Calls On Rwanda To Immediately Withdraw Its Defense Force Personnel, Surface-To-Air Missile Systems From DR Congo
The US noted that the armed group was being sanctioned by its government and the United Nations
The United States has “strongly” condemned the worsening violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused by the actions of the Rwanda-backed M-23 armed group, including its recent incursions into the town of Sake.
The US noted that the armed group was being sanctioned by its government and the United Nations.
A statement by a US Department of State spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said the escalation in DR Congo has “increased the risk to millions of people already exposed to human rights abuses including displacement, deprivation, and attacks”.
It said, “We call on M23 to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma and in accordance with the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
“The United States condemns Rwanda’s support for the M23 armed group and calls on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the DRC and remove its surface-to-air missile systems, which threaten the lives of civilians, UN and other regional peacekeepers, humanitarian actors, and commercial flights in eastern DRC.
“It is essential that all states respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DRC.
“We call on the government of the DRC to continue to support confidence building measures, including ceasing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group named as a “negative force” by regional bodies and the government of the DRC, and which exposes the civilian population to risk.
“We continue to support regional diplomatic efforts that promote de-escalation and create the conditions for lasting peace in DRC and we call on all sides to participate constructively in reaching a negotiated solution.”
Ukrainian military intelligence has officially identified two Nigerian men whose bodies were recovered in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine after they were killed while serving with Russian forces, authorities said.
According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, the deceased were Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, both of whom had signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces’ 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment in the second half of 2025.
The intelligence statement said neither man received formal military training before being sent to the front lines, with Udoka deployed only days after signing his contract.
Their bodies were discovered in late November 2025 following a drone strike that hit their unit during an attempt to advance on Ukrainian positions near Luhansk.
Ukraine’s defence officials have warned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or taking up employment there, saying such trips carry a risk of being drawn into combat roles with little preparation.
Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children back in Nigeria, authorities noted.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has drawn international scrutiny not only for its humanitarian impact but also for recruitment practices involving foreign fighters on both sides of the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to publicly commend the elite U.S. special operations forces responsible for the high-profile capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
The visit will include time with service members and their families at one of the United States Army’s largest bases, the White House said, underscoring Trump’s effort to highlight the operation as a key achievement of his administration. The first lady, Melania Trump, will accompany him on the trip.
The Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained in a dramatic early-January mission that saw U.S. special forces fly into Caracas under cover of darkness, overpowered defenses and seized Maduro from a fortified compound.
Trump supporters have described the mission as a demonstration of American military capability.
Maduro is currently in U.S. custody, facing charges including drug trafficking. His next hearing is scheduled in New York federal court in March.
White House officials said Trump plans to use the Fort Bragg event to recognize what he calls the “heroic members” of the operation.
The administration has promoted the raid as part of a broader strategy to counter narcotics and regional instability, though critics including some foreign governments have questioned the legality and long-term implications of U.S. actions in Venezuela.
International reactions continue to vary, with some allies viewing the operation as a setback for Venezuelan authoritarianism and others condemning it as a breach of sovereignty under international law.
A Nigerian e-hailing driver has been brutally murdered in South Africa, sparking renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerian migrants and African foreign nationals living in the country amid persistent reports of violent attacks.
The incident was first disclosed by CrimeInSA, a prominent South African crime-monitoring platform, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where it revealed that the victim, identified as Isaac Satlat, was killed during a violent hijacking in Pretoria.
According to the platform, a dashboard camera captured the fatal attack on the 22-year-old driver, who worked as a driver on the Bolt e-hailing platform.
“A NIGERIAN E-HAILING DRIVER MURDERED IN PRETORIA,” CrimeInSA wrote, adding that “a dash cam captured the fatal attack of a 22 year old Nigerian e-hailing/Bolt driver Isaac Satlat in Pretoria. The young man was hijacked and strangled last night in Pretoria.”
The platform further disclosed that the attackers abandoned both the victim’s body and the vehicle several kilometres away from the crime scene.
“His body and the car were found some kilometers away in Moshongo, Attridgeville just outside Pretoria,” the post stated, referring to the township area of Attridgeville.
The killing has drawn outrage among Nigerians on social media, many of whom described the incident as another tragic example of the dangers faced by foreign nationals working in South Africa’s gig economy, particularly e-hailing drivers who often operate at night and in high-risk areas.
CrimeInSA noted that Satlat was not only working to support himself but was also pursuing his education, revealing that he was a student preparing for a major milestone.
“Satlant was a student and he was due to graduate next month and plans were underway for him to move to Canada to continue with his studies,” the statement added.
The development has once again highlighted long-standing tensions and recurring violent crimes affecting migrants in South Africa, where foreign workers — including Nigerians — have repeatedly raised concerns about targeted attacks, robberies and killings.
As of the time of filing this report, the South African police authorities have yet to issue an official public statement detailing arrests or identifying suspects linked to the killing.
Efforts to obtain comments from law enforcement officials were unsuccessful.
The murder has intensified calls from members of the Nigerian diaspora for stronger diplomatic engagement and improved protection measures for Nigerians living and working abroad, particularly those employed in high-risk sectors such as ride-hailing services.
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