Xenophobic attacks: Ghana rejects MTN’s $1.8m donation for affected citizen

The Ghanaian government has declined a GH¢20 million ($1.8 million) donation from MTN Ghana intended to support Ghanaians affected by recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, saying adequate funds have already been provided for the ongoing evacuation and reintegration exercise.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, explaining that the government had already made sufficient financial provisions to assist Ghanaians being evacuated from South Africa and those returning home.

The ministry said it became aware of the proposed donation following comments attributed to MTN Ghana Board Chairman, Dr Ishmael Yamson, regarding the company’s plans to establish a support fund for affected Ghanaians.

While appreciating MTN Ghana for its willingness to assist, the government said it had decided not to accept the offer because funding for the humanitarian response was already in place.

The ministry said the government’s position had previously been communicated directly to Yamson and MTN Ghana’s Chief Executive Officer during their meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on August 14.

The government said its decision was not intended to discourage MTN or diminish the value of the company’s gesture. Rather, it said the existing arrangements meant additional financial support from the telecommunications company was not required for the current evacuation programme.

MTN Ghana had reportedly considered setting aside GH¢10 million for immediate assistance to Ghanaians affected by the violence before increasing the proposed amount to GH¢20 million to provide more comprehensive support.

READ ALSO:

• Oil companies avoid Iran-blacklisted vessels as Hormuz shipping risks rise
• Borgu attacks: NSCIA demands urgent rescue of abducted Muslim worshippers
• Renewed Hope Mass Transit: FG Launches 100 Electric Buses for Federal Workers

The expanded intervention was expected to assist returnees with rebuilding their livelihoods after their arrival in Ghana, rather than limiting the support to their immediate evacuation needs.

The renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa have raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of Ghanaian nationals living in the country. Ghanaian authorities have consequently been working to evacuate citizens who feel unsafe or have been directly affected by the violence.

The Ghanaian government said it remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance and financial reintegration support to every Ghanaian evacuated from South Africa as a result of the attacks.

Authorities also said the evacuation programme would be properly accounted for, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promising to publish a comprehensive breakdown of its total cost once the exercise is concluded.

According to the ministry, the planned disclosure is aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public funds used for the operation.

The government also moved to reassure international businesses operating in Ghana that its decision to decline MTN’s offer would not affect its relationship with foreign-owned companies.

The ministry said Ghana would continue to support international companies and maintain a favourable business environment for businesses operating in the country, irrespective of their countries of origin.

MTN Ghana’s proposed intervention was part of broader private-sector concern over the plight of Ghanaians affected by the violence. The company had expressed its willingness to support citizens who were returning home after facing insecurity in South Africa.

The government, however, maintained that the welfare of Ghanaians remains its utmost priority and that existing government resources would be used to support those affected throughout the evacuation and reintegration process.

The decision to decline the donation therefore reflects the government’s assessment that the current funding arrangements are sufficient, rather than a rejection of MTN Ghana’s willingness to assist citizens affected by the crisis.

Xenophobic attacks: Ghana rejects MTN’s $1.8m donation for affected citizen

47 Dead, 22 Injured as Gangs Target Displaced Persons Camp in Haiti Church

The United Nations has confirmed that at least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured in an overnight gang attack on the hillside community of Kenscoff, near Port-au-Prince. The assault, which targeted a displaced persons camp sheltering inside a church, has sparked outrage among residents who accuse security forces of failing to protect them from repeated violence. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti warned that casualty estimates could still change as searches continue.

According to Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean, armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and targeting a displaced persons camp located inside a church. “The bandits raided a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are fatalities and dozens of wounded. Some people were abducted by the criminals,” Jean told the AFP news agency. Residents described the attack as a “night of terror.” Wails filled the air in Kenscoff as survivors found the bodies of friends and family strewn on the streets early Monday. One woman kept yelling, “They killed my son!” as people nearby tried to comfort her. Local media reported that several houses were set on fire, including the home of Dr. Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert and founder of the Gheskio centres, which provide healthcare and HIV treatment in Haiti.

Kenscoff holds a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville—home to several embassies, upscale hotels, and the temporary seat of government—as well as a major road from the capital into southern Haiti. Control over Kenscoff would give armed groups another access route into Petion-Ville, where the transitional government has been relocating ministries. The community has suffered a dozen attacks by armed gangs since last year, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Attacks in Kenscoff over two months in early 2025 saw more than 260 people killed and 200 homes destroyed or set on fire, forcing 3,000 people to flee, according to UN estimates.

READ ALSO:

• Kano diphtheria outbreak: Over 50 children reportedly dead as lawmakers demand urgent action
• 2027: APC Denies Withdrawing Tinubu Campaign Council List Amid Controversy
• Stop Inviting African Dictators, Falana Tells NBA Over George Weah Invitation

Mayor Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition that the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organisation last year. The gangs are seeking to consolidate their presence in Kenscoff, a strategic area due to its proximity to the Southeast department and the city of Jacmel, which had remained relatively unaffected by the violence plaguing Port-au-Prince. Since setting their sights on Kenscoff with their first assault on January 27, 2025, members of Viv Ansanm have tried to reach its geographic centre. On Sunday, they finally did so with an attack that unfolded in several regions of the commune, near the mayor’s office and a police substation.

Even as Haiti’s government decried a “heinous attack” and promised to reinforce security, residents demanded the local police chief step down, saying officers failed to protect people killed just minutes from the police station. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned,” the prime minister’s office said on social media. “The government’s authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay.” The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé expressed “profound compassion” for the victims and their families, announcing that all security forces were on “maximum alert” and reinforcements were being deployed. “My family are victims,” said Coriolan Kendy, standing by his cousin’s body, lying on the road in a blood-stained sheet. “People in Kenscoff are suffering, and the government is to blame.” Another resident, Orisme, pleaded for the prime minister’s support: “We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us.” Some residents said several dozen police had tried to rebuff the armed men during the night, and some were injured. They added that they did not identify gang members among the dead. National police chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters during a visit to Kenscoff later in the day: “The police never gave up.”

The attack may deepen concerns over Haiti’s ability to hold an election in December, its first in a decade. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed elections as armed gangs have expanded their influence. Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, with Viv Ansanm repeatedly targeting nearby Kenscoff. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti—roughly 14% of the population—where more than 3,100 people were reported killed from January to June and another 1,189 injured, according to UN statistics. According to UN data, violence in Haiti caused at least 2,310 deaths and 1,106 injuries in the first five months of the year. There were also at least 99 kidnappings; 699 people—especially women and girls—were victims of sexual violence; and hundreds of minors remain in the hands of human trafficking networks. The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has long suffered from deep-seated political instability, corruption, natural disasters, and gang violence. The UN estimates that approximately 5.8 million Haitians—about 52% of the population—are experiencing food insecurity, while the number of displaced people reached 1.4 million last year, an unprecedented level.

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (FRG), which is mandated to help police fight gangs and replace a previous underfunded and ineffective structure, aims to reach a capacity of more than 5,500 troops this autumn. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions on whether the troops were reinforcing Kenscoff security. The attack comes less than a week after the U.S. government deported more than 160 people to Haiti for the first time since the Trump administration won a legal battle to end Temporary Protected Status for some 350,000 Haitians. Haiti’s government has said some of the deportees included TPS holders. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said those deported Friday included several gang members with criminal records ranging from assault to drug trafficking.

47 Dead, 22 Injured as Gangs Target Displaced Persons Camp in Haiti Church

M23 Rebels Impose Ebola Movement Restrictions as DRC Conflict Complicates Outbreak Response

The AFC/M23 rebel alliance in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has announced a one-month suspension of shared taxis and passenger boats on key routes linking rebel-held areas to government-controlled zones, following the detection of two Ebola cases in travelers from government territory. The restrictions, set to take effect Saturday, reflect the growing challenge of containing what health officials describe as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record in a region already devastated by armed conflict, mass displacement, and acute hunger. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, has now infected over 5,000 people in Congo, according to government data released this week.

Under the new measures announced Wednesday by rebel authorities, shared taxis operating on the Goma-Kirumba road will be suspended for one month, and passenger pirogue boats on certain routes across Lake Edward will also be halted. However, taxi-buses will continue operating subject to health and safety controls, and goods trucks will remain permitted to transport cargo. The decision came after two travelers from Lubero, a government-held town, tested positive for Ebola upon arriving in a village under M23 control, according to a member of the rebel authorities’ response team.

The Ebola outbreak, declared on May 15, has unfolded in one of the world’s most volatile regions. The Bundibugyo virus, first identified in Uganda in 2007, has an estimated fatality rate of 30% to 50%. By June, confirmed cases had reached 1,003 in Congo and 19 in neighboring Uganda. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that eastern DRC faces a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict,” with insecurity, attacks on health facilities, and population movements making it “nearly impossible” to trace contacts and isolate cases. “We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling,” Tedros said.

READ ALSO:

• ‘Show Me the Law’: Lawyer Questions FG’s Reluctance to Defend Kanu’s Conviction
• Hold Oborevwori Responsible If I’m Attacked, Killed During Campaigns, Omo-Agege Says
• Ecuador Intelligence Chief, 5 Americans Killed in Kenya Helicopter Crash

Health experts identify three major obstacles to controlling the outbreak in eastern DRC. First, neighboring countries have pursued unilateral responses, including border and airport closures, which go against WHO recommendations and encourage informal crossings that spread the virus. Cross-border communities link the DRC to Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi through a web of formal and informal crossing points, making monitoring and regulating movement extremely difficult. Second, misinformation and beliefs that Ebola was introduced for financial gain have fueled attacks on health facilities and resistance to response teams, with isolation wards burned and medical workers violently attacked in some cases. This distrust is rooted in a history of violence and government absence; a priest in Ituri told AFP that “there is no trust between the people and the army,” as the government is largely absent from rural areas. In 2025 alone, at least 309 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care were documented in eastern DRC. Third, active fighting involving the Congolese army, M23, and various militias has created multiple frontlines and areas of contested control, severely constraining humanitarian access as armed actors restrict the movement of civilians and aid workers. The humanitarian crisis compounds the health emergency, with nearly 10 million people across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika facing acute hunger, and people weakened by hunger are far more vulnerable to infections.

The M23 has used the Ebola outbreak to demonstrate its capacity to govern in the large territories it controls, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. The group has set up an Ebola task force, established treatment centers, and produced public awareness campaigns. The rebels declared their territory Ebola-free in late June after a 21-day monitoring period without new cases, having recorded only four cases in rebel-held areas—one in Goma and three near Bukavu—which analysts say provided a limited test of their capabilities. “AFC/M23 is keen to demonstrate its capacity to function as a state and manage a public health crisis better than the Congolese government,” said Reagan Miviri of the Kinshasa-based Ebuteli research institute. “But with only four cases recorded, it has been a limited test so far.” The rebels’ response has been coordinated through health administrations operating separately from the central government, with support from Rwanda, which has supplied medicine, specialists, and materials, though the United Nations and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, a claim Kigali denies.

For civilians caught in the crossfire, the crisis has created a nightmare of overlapping threats. More than 70,000 people now live virtually under siege in the Plaine Savo displacement camp in Ituri, where Doctors Without Borders treats around 60 cases of sexual violence each week. Women like Antoinette, a mother of eight, told AFP she no longer dares to collect water or firewood outside the camp, fearing rape or death from militiamen or Congolese soldiers. Health services are stretched to breaking point; “We don’t have an ambulance, we don’t have transport, not even a bike,” said Aime Lojunga, a doctor whose clinic was displaced with the population to Plaine Savo.

WHO has appealed for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian and medical teams safe access to affected communities. “Stopping this Ebola transmission depends entirely on humanitarian access,” Tedros said. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has declared the outbreak an African public health emergency, and WHO has designated it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Congolese health officials have limited visibility into what is happening in rebel territory beyond basic infection numbers that cannot be independently verified. Dieudonné Kazadi, director of Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, told The New York Times, “I can’t give you the situation in the territories occupied by M23 because I don’t have access.”

M23 Rebels Impose Ebola Movement Restrictions as DRC Conflict Complicates Outbreak Response