Today in Africa — December 17, 2025: South Africa Deports Kenyans, M23 Delays Uvira Exit, Sudan Hospital Attacks

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.

South Africa to Deport Kenyans Linked to U.S. Afrikaner Refugee Program

South Africa has arrested seven Kenyan nationals and ordered their deportation after authorities say they were illegally working at a Johannesburg center processing applications for a U.S. refugee program aimed exclusively at white Afrikaners. Officials say the Kenyans entered the country on tourist visas after work permits were denied, then took up employment anyway. They will be barred from re-entering South Africa for five years. The workers were linked to processing centers run by Amerikaners and RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support organization tied to Church World Service.

The arrests have triggered a fresh diplomatic dispute with Washington. The U.S. State Department says interfering in its refugee operations was unacceptable, while South Africa says the involvement of foreign nationals and coordination with undocumented workers raised serious diplomatic and legal concerns. The controversy sits within wider tensions over President Donald Trump’s claims that white South Africans face persecution — claims rejected by South Africa’s government and major Afrikaner groups. Relations have worsened throughout 2025, with disputes ranging from aid cuts to South Africa’s exclusion from the 2026 G20 summit in Miami.

M23 Stalls on Uvira Exit as Fighting Continues in Eastern DRC

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have not withdrawn from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Uvira, despite announcing earlier this week that they would pull back as a trust-building step to support U.S.- and Qatar-led peace talks. Residents told Reuters today, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, that M23 fighters remain visible across the town, including near government buildings, major roads, and the port. An M23 spokesperson says the group is “ready to leave” but wants its conditions reviewed, arguing that civilians need protection and that Uvira should be secured by a neutral force.

The DRC government dismissed the withdrawal announcement as a diversion, accusing M23 of trying to ease pressure on Rwanda, which Kinshasa, the United Nations, and Western governments say backs the rebels, claims Kigali denies. The DRC army says fighting continues daily across North and South Kivu, where M23 made rapid gains this year. The United States has warned that the seizure of Uvira threatens mediation efforts tied to the Washington Accords, reaffirmed earlier this month by the presidents of Congo and Rwanda during talks with President Donald Trump.

More Than 1,600 Killed in Attacks on Health Facilities as Sudan War Grinds On

More than 1,600 people have been killed in attacks on hospitals and health centers across Sudan so far this year, the World Health Organization said today, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, underscoring the toll of the country’s deepening war. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the agency has documented 65 attacks on health facilities since January, leaving at least 276 others wounded. The latest was a drone strike on Sunday that hit a military hospital in Diling, the capital of South Kordofan, killing nine people and injuring 17.

The Sudan Doctors’ Network blames the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for the Diling attack, which came as fighting intensified in the Kordofan region. United Nations rights chief Volker Türk says at least 104 people have been killed in attacks across Kordofan since December 4. Health facilities have increasingly been caught in the violence, including an RSF assault on the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher in October that left at least 460 people dead. Sudan’s war, now in its third year, has killed more than 40,000 people by UN estimates and forced over 14 million to flee, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Trump Expands U.S. Travel Ban, Adding More African Countries to Entry Restrictions

President Donald Trump has expanded a U.S. travel ban, imposing full or partial entry restrictions on nationals of dozens of countries, with Africa accounting for the largest share of those affected. Starting January 1, the U.S. will enforce full entry bans on people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, while also barring individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued documents. Laos and Sierra Leone were moved from partial to full restrictions, and 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Senegal, now face partial limits affecting certain visa categories.

The White House says the measures aim to protect U.S. security, citing high visa overstay rates, weak identity systems, corruption, and poor cooperation on deportations. Trump says the ban will remain until countries show “credible improvements” in vetting and information sharing. Exemptions apply to lawful permanent residents, many existing visa holders, diplomats, and athletes, with case-by-case waivers possible. This marks the third time Trump has imposed a travel ban, reviving a policy first introduced in 2017 that sparked global backlash but was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

DRC Opposition Cries Foul After Arrest of Ex-Presidential Candidate Shadary

Opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are protesting the arrest of Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former presidential candidate and senior figure in the opposition PPRD party, who was detained in Kinshasa yesterday, Tuesday, December 17, 2025. His party says he was held under troubling conditions and accused security forces of also raiding offices linked to the Common Front for Congo coalition during a nighttime operation. Shadary ran for president in 2018 and placed third behind current President Félix Tshisekedi. The PPRD was founded by former president Joseph Kabila, who was convicted in absentia of treason earlier this year over alleged ties to the M23 rebel group and sentenced to death. The arrest comes as fighting continues in eastern DRC despite recent peace agreements, though authorities have not said whether Shadary’s detention is linked to the M23 conflict.

Saied Supporters Rally in Tunis as Political Tensions Deepen

Supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied rallied in central Tunis today, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, accusing opposition figures of being “traitors” as rival protests and political divisions intensify. The demonstrations come amid a worsening economic crisis marked by high inflation, shortages of basic goods, and weak public services. Rights groups say Saied has escalated a crackdown on opponents since seizing sweeping powers in 2021, using the courts and police to silence critics — claims he rejects, arguing he is confronting corruption and a discredited elite. The rally followed recent mass arrests and harsh sentences for opposition figures, including a 12-year prison term handed to Abir Moussi last week and jail sentences of up to 45 years for dozens of politicians and lawyers. Tunisia’s powerful UGTT union has called a nationwide strike next month, adding pressure to an already volatile political moment.