DIPLOMACY
Trump expels South African ambassador
The State Department says South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, who was declared “persona non grata” last week, has until Friday to leave the country.
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S. and posted his decision Friday on social media, South African embassy staff were summoned to the State Department and given a formal diplomatic note explaining the decision, department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
She said Rasool’s diplomatic privileges and immunities expired Monday and that he would be required to leave the United States by Friday.
South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said in a television interview on Monday that Rasool was still in the U.S. but would be leaving as soon as possible.
Rubio announced his decision in a post on X as he was flying back to the United States from a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada. In it, he accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Donald Trump.
His post linked to a story by the conservative Breitbart news site about a talk Rasool gave earlier Friday in Johannesburg as part of a South African think tank’s webinar. Rasool, speaking by videoconference, talked about actions taken by the Trump administration in the context of a United States where white people soon would no longer be in the majority.
It is highly unusual for the U.S. to expel a foreign ambassador, although lower-ranking diplomats are more frequently targeted with persona non grata status.
Rubio’s decision was the latest Trump administration move targeting South Africa. Trump signed an executive order last month halting funding to the country. It criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting “bad actors” in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Monday that Rasool would give him a report when he returned home.
Ramaphosa said his government has “noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States,” and particularly about Rasool’s remarks, but stressed that he believed South Africa was in the process of rebuilding its relationship with the U.S.
“This is a hiccup, a hiccup we are working on straightening out,” he said.
“We will engage with the United States of America in a formal way,” Ramaphosa said. “We will do so with deep respect for them and for President Trump as well. Our relationship with the United States is going to be put on an even keel, so I would like the people of South Africa not to have sleepless nights.”
Bruce said the United States expects a certain level of respect.
“We’ve had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa. There are some challenges, but you want people in each embassy who can actually facilitate a relationship,” she told reporters on Monday. “And these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American.”
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said South Africa intended to raise questions with the U.S. over Rubio seemingly announcing on social media that Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S. before informing him of the decision.
Phiri said South Africa believed such matters should first be discussed diplomatically. “But this is the reality that we also have to contend with with this administration. That it does seem as though Twitter (X) is the preferred mode of communication,” the spokesman said in an interview on the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation.
Bruce said the meeting with South African embassy staff was on Friday. Rubio’s post went out at 4:42 p.m. on Friday.
-AP
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Four Moroccan truck drivers were abducted earlier this year in northeastern Burkina Faso. They have been released unharmed. The Malian government announced their release.
According to an official statement read on Mali’s national television, the drivers were kidnapped on January 18, 2025. This happened near the Burkina Faso-Niger border. They were freed on Sunday evening, August 3.
“The government of the Republic of Mali informs the national and international community. Four Moroccan truck drivers were kidnapped on January 18, 2025, and released unharmed on the evening of Sunday, August 3,” the statement declared.
Authorities confirmed that the abductees had been held by the Islamic State terrorist group in the Sahel Province, the regional affiliate of the so-called Islamic State (Daesh).
The successful rescue operation was the result of a joint effort between Mali’s National Agency for State Security and Morocco’s General Directorate of Studies and Documentation (DGED).
Both agencies had reportedly launched a coordinated investigation from the early hours of the abduction and maintained close collaboration throughout the months-long effort.
The Malian government commended the professionalism and determination of the security services involved. The outcome marks a significant victory against terrorist networks. These networks operate in the volatile tri-border area between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Further details about the circumstances of the drivers’ release were not disclosed.
DIPLOMACY
Zuma Backs Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, Hails It as Path to Peace and Stability
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has voiced his support for Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal on Western Sahara, describing it as a pragmatic framework that promotes local governance while safeguarding Morocco’s sovereignty.
Speaking after a high-level meeting with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, Zuma emphasised that his party, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), supports Morocco’s territorial claims based on historical and legal grounds.
Former South African President, Jacob Zuma, makes his stand clear on Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal on Western Sahara
“Our party believes that Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal allows for significant local governance by the populations of the Sahara region, while ensuring that Morocco retains its sovereignty,” Zuma stated in a press release issued after the talks.
Zuma, now leader of the MK Party, further noted that Morocco’s efforts to reclaim full territorial integrity align with the MKP’s broader commitment to African sovereignty and unity.
“The historical and legal context that underpins Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara cannot be ignored,” he said. “Morocco’s approach is consistent with our party’s platform aimed at preserving the sovereignty of African states.”
Zuma highlighted the growing international and continental support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, which he called “a balanced path forward that promotes stability, peace, and development in the region.” He urged the global community to rally behind the initiative as a viable solution to the long-standing Sahara issue.
This position reflects the MK Party’s strategic policy framework titled “Strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation, and Territorial Integrity,” released last month. The document supports Morocco’s claim to the Sahara based on historical allegiance of the region’s tribes to the Moroccan Throne before Spanish colonization in the late 19th century.
It also refers to Morocco’s 1975 Green March as “a unique and non-violent liberation movement,” hailing it as “an act of decolonization” and a powerful symbol of the bond between Morocco and its southern provinces. Over 350,000 unarmed Moroccans participated in the mass mobilization to reclaim the Sahara.
Zuma’s latest statement marks a notable shift in rhetoric compared to past South African leadership stances on the Sahara issue. It follows his 2017 meeting with King Mohammed VI on the sidelines of the AU–EU Summit in Abidjan, which helped reset bilateral ties between Morocco and South Africa after years of diplomatic tension.
The MK Party’s endorsement adds to a growing list of African and international actors supporting Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the basis for a negotiated political solution to the Sahara conflict under United Nations auspices.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has sent a message of condolence to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the people of Nigeria following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In his message, the Moroccan monarch expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the former Nigerian leader, describing him as “an illustrious son” who worked tirelessly for the progress and prosperity of his nation.
“On this sad occasion, I extend my sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to President Tinubu, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Nigeria,” King Mohammed VI stated. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the bereaved.”
The King also reflected on his personal working relationship with the late President Buhari, recalling collaborative engagements that, he said, resulted in the launch of key development projects between the two countries. He hailed the efforts as laying the foundation for a new era of strengthened friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and Morocco.
“I share your grief and want you to know how much I appreciated the working sessions I had with the deceased,” the King added. “They culminated in the launch of promising development projects that have ushered a new era grounded in friendship and close cooperation between our two sister nations.”
King Mohammed VI’s message highlights the close diplomatic and economic ties that grew between Nigeria and Morocco during Buhari’s presidency, including landmark agreements in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure development.
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