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Trump’s Misstep: Using Congo Images to Claim ‘White Genocide’ in South Africa

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During a May 21, 2025 Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with what he claimed was evidence of a “white genocide” targeting Afrikaner farmers in South Africa. This dramatic encounter took an unexpected turn when a key image Trump presented, purportedly showing burial sites of white South African farmers, was revealed to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This blunder has reignited debates about misinformation and U.S.-South Africa relations.


The meeting aimed to “reset” bilateral relations strained by Trump’s previous actions, including cutting U.S. aid to South Africa and granting asylum to white South Africans. Instead, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa with a video and articles, asserting they proved systematic killings of white farmers. A prominent image displayed was from a blog post, showing humanitarian workers with body bags, which Trump claimed were “burial sites” of white South African farmers.


However, this image was a screenshot from a Reuters video published on February 3, 2025, depicting Red Cross workers in Goma, DRC, attending to bodies after clashes with M23 rebels. Reuters’ fact-checking team verified the footage’s origin, and the journalist who filmed it, Djaffar Al Katanty, expressed shock that Trump used his image to support such claims. Trump’s presentation also included a video showing white crosses along a South African highway, which he described as graves of “over a thousand white farmers.” In reality, these crosses were part of a 2020 protest near Newcastle, South Africa, following a farm murder, and symbolized farm murders over years, including victims of all races, not actual graves.


The “white genocide” narrative, amplified by figures like Elon Musk, alleges that South Africa’s government orchestrates targeted killings of white farmers. However, South African officials, scholars, and even some Afrikaner farmers reject this. South Africa’s high crime rate affects all racial groups; in 2024, only 44 murders were linked to farming communities, with most victims being Black and attacks often driven by robbery, not racial targeting.
Ramaphosa, visibly surprised, maintained composure, emphasizing that crime in South Africa is not racially exclusive and that the majority of victims are Black. He attributed violence to economic challenges rather than a genocidal campaign.


Trump’s claims are linked to his criticism of South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which aims to address apartheid-era land inequalities. While the law permits “nil compensation” in some cases, no seizures have occurred, and claims of widespread land grabs are unfounded.
Trump’s reliance on misleading sources, potentially influenced by Musk, was evident. This incident, including Trump’s past actions like cutting aid and fast-tracking Afrikaner asylum, risks further damaging U.S.-South Africa relations. South African officials have consistently emphasized that farm murders are a fraction of overall crime and not racially motivated. A South African judge in February 2025 dismissed “white genocide” claims as “imaginary,” underscoring the lack of evidence.
Trump’s use of a Congo image to support claims of “white genocide” in South Africa reveals a troubling reliance on unverified sources. While South Africa faces serious crime issues, the data and voices of its people indicate shared vulnerability, not ethnic cleansing.

AFRICA

Cameroon’s Election: Biya’s Eighth Term Fuels Protests and Widens Divide

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YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON — At 92, President Paul Biya has won Cameroon’s latest presidential election, extending his 43-year grip on power. Representing the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), Biya secured 53.66% of the vote, according to the Constitutional Council, while his main rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary—a former ally now turned critic—trailed with 35.19%.

Protests Erupt Amid Claims of Fraud

The announcement has sparked outrage instead of celebration. Opposition leaders and activists have dismissed the results, accusing the government of rigging the vote. Tchiroma Bakary, who declared himself the winner before the official tally, called the election a “sham” and rallied his supporters to protest.

In cities like Douala, anger has spilled into the streets. Clashes between protesters and security forces have led to injuries and arrests, with young Cameroonians, fed up with decades under the same ruler, chanting for change and demanding their voices be heard.

A Nation Divided

Biya’s latest victory means more of the same for Cameroon—a government that promises stability but struggles with corruption, sluggish economic growth despite rich resources, and a lingering conflict in the Anglophone regions. With over 70% of Cameroonians under 35, many feel disconnected from a leadership that seems out of touch. Young people are increasingly vocal, pushing for a new generation to take the helm.

The world is watching. While some foreign leaders may send congratulations, Cameroon’s handling of the election and the unrest that follows will shape its ties with global partners and donors.

For Cameroon’s youth, another seven years of Biya feels like a rerun of a story they’re tired of living. The big question now is whether the government can find a way to connect with a generation demanding a say in their country’s future.

Afroradar.com will keep tracking the situation, bringing you updates and insights on Cameroon’s shifting political scene.

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Ghana in Mourning After Deadly Helicopter Crash Wipes Out Top Officials

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Ghana is still struggling to come to terms with a tragic military helicopter crash which killed eight people, including two government ministers and other top officials, on the morning of August 6, 2025.

The downed Ghanaian Air Force helicopter belonged to the Z-9 model and took off again from Accra en route to Obuasi at 09:12am but crashed after departure. They immediately began search efforts when the aircraft did not respond to radio contact. The helicopter was later reported to have crashed into a tree in the Adansi Akrofuom District of Ashanti Region, where it caught fire and burnt beyond recognition.

The crash killed Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed, National Democratic Congress Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong and former Parliamentary Candidate Samuel Aboagye as well as Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah who were members of the crew.

National tragedy, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah declared during a press conference in the capital As the country mourns, flags are being flown at half mast on all government buildings as ordered by the government.

Rescue crews were on scene by 4 a.m., but by then the fire was so intense that little remained of the wreckage. It is not yet clear what prompted the crash — they are examining whether it could have been a technical fault or adverse weather conditions. The occurrence harks back to a military helicopter that crash-landed inside the Western Region in March 2024, but no one was injured in that accident.

The crash happened as Dr. Frank Amoakohene, the Minister for the Ashanti Region, was addressing an anti-galamsey event in Obuasi He rushed away to assist in coordinating the emergency response at the scene.

The government has vowed to provide support for the families of victims amid a wide probe to determine what led to the tragedy. At the moment, Ghana now awaits details of what might have caused such a tragic loss of lives. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Fuel Price Protests Turn Violent in Angola’s Capital

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Angolans Protesting High Fuel Prices in Capital Destroy Property in Marches Demonstrations in the streets of Luanda turned violent, and the police shot live bullets and tear gas.

Luanda, Angola — A peaceful strike by transport workers turned violent on Monday when the protesters took to the streets here to denounce a government measure to increase the price of fuel to 400 kwanzas a liter from about 300 kwanzas. The unrest has left businesses vandalized, residents shaken and questions swirling over the financial future of Angola.
The evening also brought burning tires and shattered storefronts along Broadway from 3rd to 7th. Two athletic sneaker stores and a T-Mobile store fared the worst — their windows smashed and their booty scattered. Video clips that made the rounds on social media showed protesters yanking buses to a halt and forcing them to discharge their passengers, and confronting drivers who were reluctant to join the three-day strike.
“The people are starving, and the government is killing us,” said Adilson Manuel, who is the spokesman for the social movement against the fuel hike. His comments echoed the frustration of many Angolans, who see the price jump as the latest blow to households already struggling with unemployment and an uptick in prices.
July 4, Angola’s government lifted fuel subsidies as part of an ongoing plan to reduce spending to comply with International Monetary Fund conditions under an economy support loan program to the heavily indebted African nation. It’s a paradox not lost on demonstrators: Despite its status as one of the world’s top oil-producing countries, Angola has to import most of its refined fuel because it lacks sufficient domestic refining capacity.
The figures and statistics paint a harsh picture for everyday Angolans. They increased taxi fares to 300 kwanzas a ride and a public bus ride in the city now costs 200 kwanzas. “It’s intolerable that the government is always trying to make our lives more difficult,” said one street vendor, Custodia dos Santos.

The police response was swift and brutal. The riot police and gendarmes used tear gas, batons and rubber bullets to push back protesters in a demonstration on 12 July, in which nine people were injured and 17 others arrested. One protester remains in custody, charged with the incitement of violence. Police claimed the protesters were going beyond agreed-upon routes — a charge organizers vehemently deny.
The crackdown reflects broader tensions within Angola, where the ruling MPLA party has held power for five decades. The signing into law of a contentious piece of legislation by President João Lourenço in August 2024 that imposes prison sentences of up to 25 years for damage caused during protests, has come in for heavy criticism from human rights groups accusing it of being designed to suffocate opposition.
The police violence against protesters in Angola is stomach-churning,” said Khanyo Farisè of Amnesty International, which found a pattern across 11 protests from 2020 to 2025 that left a minimum of 17 dead, with no officer held responsible.
The government has accused the opposition of fomenting the protests ahead of the election that will see multimillionaires in 2027, particularly UNITA. UNITA shot back, condemning the “autocratic attitude” of the police and heavy-handedness.
Defying even as the strike drags on.” Activist Laura Macedo has called for a stay-at-home strike, and organisers are working on a petition to the president, João Lourenço, and finance minister, Vera Daves, demanding Abreu’s decision is reversed.
The unrest has exposed a growing chasm between the rulers of Angola and a public that increasingly feels sidelined by policies prioritizing fiscal rectitude over social justice. We are facing hunger, the whole country is facing hunger, but our president is paying no attention at all.
With violence escalating and negotiations stalled, Angola hangs on the precipice of something. Here is the question now: Will leadership hear the voices of the streets, or will it seek to double down on a course that can only deepen the estrangement of the people from the people who govern them?

  • Track the rest of this unfolding story (if that’s what it is) on Afroradar. com. *

Afroradar. com condemns violence of any kind, and not withstanding the newsworthiness of the circumstances surrounding the public protests, does not condone the use of vandalism and property destruction. We call for peaceful dialogue and an end to violence through credible, inclusive leadership, and we continue to demand accountability consistent with the will of the Malian people.

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