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Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR’s representative in South Sudan, told Xinhua in an interview that the agency is struggling to provide basic needs such as health and education for more than 550,000 Sudanese refugees, as dwindling funds have already led to food ration cuts.

“We have witnessed ongoing reductions in the capacity of UN agencies to support refugees in South Sudan. Food rations, for example, are lower than before, while UNHCR has managed to maintain essential services such as health and education; indeed, the standards are not as high as they once were,” Verney said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Verney noted that despite the financial constraints, UN agencies are engaging with other institutions to sustain refugee support.

“So it is a difficult situation, but there are also some very positive developments, very strong engagement of the banks, World Bank, African Development Bank, on displacement issues and refugees in South Sudan, which gives us some confidence that we can be optimistic,” she said.

The UNHCR official said the greater challenge was the loss of flexible resources that previously allowed UNHCR to respond swiftly to multiple crises in South Sudan.

Since the conflict broke out in Sudan in April 2023, more than 1 million people, including both South Sudanese returnees and Sudanese refugees, have entered South Sudan, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan, caused by conflict, climate shocks like flooding and heatwaves.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, over half of South Sudan’s population is experiencing severe food insecurity.

With clear signs of famine risk in specific areas and widespread crisis elsewhere, the UN has urged urgent, multi-sector humanitarian intervention to prevent further deterioration and loss of life.

Speaking during an interview with conservative radio host Todd Starnes on Thursday, Trump said he would be “going out tonight with the police and with the military” and pledged that “we’re going to do a job.”

The statement comes less than two weeks after Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C., and invoked provisions of the Home Rule Act to assume federal control of the city’s law enforcement.

On August 11, his administration transferred authority over the Metropolitan Police Department to federal command and deployed National Guard troops across the city. Since then, Washington has seen a significant increase in the presence of federal agents and military personnel, with checkpoints and joint patrols established in several neighbourhoods.

The move has generated mixed reactions. Supporters argue that the deployment demonstrates a firm commitment to restoring order, while critics, including local officials, have expressed concern that the takeover undermines the city’s autonomy and risks politicising public safety.

In Congress, lawmakers are already debating legislation that could extend federal control of Washington’s police force beyond the initial emergency period, signalling that the measure could have lasting political implications.

In a statement posted on X on Thursday, August 21, 2025, U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said Washington was “encouraged by continued negotiations between the DRC and M23, facilitated by the State of Qatar.”

He described this week’s talks as a “critical step” following the signing of a Declaration of Principles last month, which laid out a roadmap for ending decades of conflict in eastern Congo.

Boulos reaffirmed the U.S. call for “an immediate end to violence against civilians” and stressed the importance of “concrete actions to uphold commitments to peace and stability.”

The comments come as both Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 announced this week that they would send delegations to Qatar.

The meetings are, among others, intended to evaluate progress on commitments made in the July 19 Declaration of Principles, including a permanent ceasefire and the release of prisoners.

AFC/M23 deputy coordinator Bertrand Bisimwa confirmed that his group’s technical team would focus on “the practical arrangements for the application of the ceasefire and the release of prisoners.”

The Congolese government also confirmed its participation, while emphasising that its negotiators would prioritise protecting national interests.

Despite the July agreement, mistrust between the two parties remains high. The sides had initially pledged to meet key commitments by July 29, paving the way for formal peace talks by August 8. Instead, accusations of ceasefire violations and disputes over detainees stalled progress.

The question of prisoners remains particularly contentious. AFC/M23 claims Kinshasa is holding around 700 members and supporters, while the government insists any releases can only follow the signing of a final peace deal. The impasse derailed efforts to conclude a broader agreement by August 18.

Qatar, which has been mediating since July, has acknowledged the setbacks but says it continues to work closely with both sides to encourage compromise.

This comes as a staunch Trump ally alleged that the top U.S. Fed official committed mortgage fraud, which is “appropriate for referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for consideration of criminal prosecution,” according to media reports.

Taking to social media, Trump on Wednesday wrote: “Cook must resign, now!!!”

In the letter posted on X, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte claimed Cook “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud under the criminal statute.”

Pulte was referring to mortgages in the U.S. state of Michigan and Georgia that Cook took out in June and July 2021 respectively. The letter, dated Aug. 15 and addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, said Cook stipulated that the two residences would be her principal addresses for at least a year, a move that could enable her to get a more favorable mortgage rate.

While no investigation has been disclosed so far, Cook said on Wednesday she had “no intention of being bullied to step down.”

“I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve, and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts,” Cook said in a media statement.

Pulte, an outspoken ally of the U.S. president, has been a vocal critic of the Fed, as well as Fed Chair Jerome Powell, for failing to heed the White House’s calls to lower interest rates, CNN reported.

According to Quartz, an American business news website, Pulte “in the months after his Senate confirmation … added to his job description helping orchestrate a fiery campaign against Powell and demanding the central bank chief to step down.”

“The new focus on Cook is an expansion of the Trump administration’s intense pressure campaign against the Fed, specifically central bankers who aren’t perceived as allies of the president,” CNN opined.

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) reported that Trump “appears to be rallying for another open seat on the board, which would allow him to appoint someone more aligned with his views.”

Analysts have also expressed concerns as the Trump administration made the new move in its bid to take control of the Federal Reserve and crimp its independence. In the past months, Trump has bashed Powell over the Fed’s monetary policy decisions and pressured the central bank to cut interest rates.

“This is part of a process to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve,” Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua that “Trump wants his people on the Federal Reserve so the bank lowers interest rates. It is all about wanting to control all the major levers of power. He needs people who are loyal to him and follow his instructions.”

Similarly, Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua that “Trump views the entire federal government as something that works for him and to advance his political agenda.”

“Anybody who’s not on board with that is, in his view, corrupt and needs to be replaced, regardless of facts and regardless of what the law says,” Galdieri said.

Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Xinhua that “I think it will make it less likely the Fed will lower rates … Since they won’t want to be seen buckling to (White House) pressure.”

“The effort to oust Cook will likely lead to higher long-term rates and less investment in the United States,” Baker added.

The inaugural tournament will bring together 80 young players aged 4 to 16 to compete across four categories — from beginners playing 3 holes to advanced juniors tackling the full 18 holes.

The event marks the beginning of a new chapter where Rwanda’s junior golfers will now be part of a regional circuit that links them to peers across East Africa. NCBA’s Junior Golf Series has already grown significantly in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania- attracting over one thousand juniors across the region.

This tournament marks NCBA’s second regional golf expansion to Rwanda, following the launch of the adult series in the country last year. The youth tournament will be followed by three subsequent adult golf tournaments under the same “NCBA Golf Series” banner.

For the Rwanda Golf Union, a key stakeholder in golf development, the priority is clear.

“Developing juniors today means we secure the future of the sport tomorrow. This is a critical step in that direction,” said Amb. Bill Kayonga, Chairman, Rwanda Golf Union.

The title sponsor, NCBA, sees golf as part of a wider investment in sustainability from a human perspective.

“By supporting junior golf, we give youth the chance to build discipline, confidence, and a foundation for a lucrative sports career should they choose. This is part of our sustainability agenda to invest where it truly matters,” said Maurice Toroitich, Managing Director of NCBA Bank Rwanda.

The host and co-sponsor, Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, emphasizes the need to open doors for the next generation.

“Our golf resort was built to open the door for the world of golf to come into Rwanda, and to open its doors to Rwandans of all ages to come, experience, and excel in golf,” said Gaston Gasore, Ag. CEO.

“The juniors are ready because they have been here every day preparing with support from our academy, so this is like a graduation — a milestone celebration of efforts we are making on a daily basis,” he added.

As for the juniors themselves, the moment carries deeper meaning. “I’ve been practicing for this tournament, and I can’t wait to compete. Golf has taught me to be patient and keep going even when I miss a shot,” said seven-year-old Joey Mutaboba, a rising golf star competing in the Intermediate Category.

By creating opportunities for children to learn and compete early, the tournament is nurturing tomorrow’s professionals while ensuring the game takes deep root for generations to come.

Over Frw 10 million spread over 6 categories is up for grabs. Dubbed Tangira StartUp TV Contest, the pre-recorded show scheduled to go on air by early November 2025 on Igihe TV seeks to offer a platform for start-up founders to access critical resources they need in their enterprise journey such as mentorship, networking and funds to boost their businesses.

Remmygious Lubega the Executive producer of the show and the CEO at RG-Consult Inc behind the innovation stated that submissions are open up from 20th August 2025 until 8th September 2025.

“Tangira is an opportunity for all Rwandan StartUp Entrepreneurs with ideas and startup businesses to showcase what they have to offer as they race to gain business mentorship, reach wider market of customers/ buyers or investors and access to capital in the form of top prizes” he noted.

Submission is through visiting the website [tangira.rw ->https://tangira.rw/] and uploading a short 90 secs video pitch of your business or idea to the contest portal.

Upon submission contestants will be screened and the top 50 will be shortlisted to give the general public room to vote/ participate on who they think deserves to be on the show.

The Top 12 ranking participants will then get the opportunity to go live on the big screen through a mentorship in Kigali, facing a panel of experienced Judges leading to the elimination stages where Six out of the 12 will be rewarded.

Alex Ntare president of ICT chamber at Private sector Federation(PSF) and a sponsor/ partners of the show expressed optimism at what the show offered Rwanda’s start up ecosystem.

“Am truly humbled for ICT chamber to come through to offer support to this innovation which is designed as a public good, a source of information on platforms where young people are to access while they innovate and comfortably so in Kinyarwanda. We believe this project will support the start-up ecosystem.

“We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to support the next generation of Rwandan start-up founders from this show courtesy of such projects like Tangira StartUp TV Contest,” he said.

Ms. Ines Umurerwa, speaking on behalf of IGIHE Media House, commended the project for its transformative impact.

“We are excited to add valuable content on our channel that is geared to educating our young audience on how to create jobs and how to grow those ideas to big businesses. Through Tangira we see our journey as a media house and how we have now grown because we transmitted our content in Kinyarwanda and stayed with our audience and grew. If we could come this far, we believe that many other local ideas can,” she said.

{{About Tangira start up TV contest}}

Tangira is a Start Up TV contest whose first season is scheduled for airing on Igihe TV (Youtube Channel) by November 2025.

Several key stakeholders have come together to support its creation. This includes Rwanda Development Bank (BRD), Start Up 250, The ICT chamber, The Kigali Universe, RG consult Inc, Igihe, 103.5 Capital FM, ATV, BTN, Itara Production among others.

The contest seeks to enable local entrepreneurs to acquire different business skill sets, visibility, and access to finance and leakage to stakeholders to support growth of the enterprise sector by supporting them.

The project’s goal is also to create a Free source of entrepreneurship content/ Information in the local language that can be helpful for many startups across the country.

During an event held at the Marriott Hotel on August 20, 2025, RDB emphasized that Law No. 12/2014 of May 19, 2014, governing the organization of tourism in Rwanda, stipulates in Articles 5, 20, and 29 that every institution operating in the tourism sector must have an approved operating license. The same law grants RDB the authority to suspend or permanently close any businesses that fail to comply.

This warning follows earlier calls for compliance made on June 27, 2025, when RDB’s Chief Executive Officer, Jean Guy Africa, addressed tourism stakeholders and reminded them that “compliance is not just a bureaucratic requirement, it is a strategic necessity.”

On that occasion, he stressed that the Tourism Operating License is both a legal instrument and a quality assurance mechanism, the very foundation of consumer protection and Rwanda’s reputation as a high-end destination.

Institutions considered part of the tourism sector include hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, motels, lodges and guest houses, tour operators, bars, and others.

Speaking at the Marriott Hotel, CEO Jean-Guy Africa reiterated this message, noting that inspections to assess compliance had already begun and urging operators to secure the required licenses without delay.

“Your dedication reflects our shared goal of building a strong, competitive, and welcoming tourism and hospitality sector. Partnership between government regulators and the private sector is what enables us to deliver quality services to every visitor or customer who chooses Rwanda,” he said.

He added: “When a guest walks into a hotel or a nightclub in Kigali, it is not only a private business transaction but also part of the country’s image. Their experience will shape their perception of Rwanda, determine whether they return, whether they act as our ambassadors abroad, or even decide to invest here or do the opposite.”

The CEO further underlined that ensuring quality standards and accountability is not only the responsibility of government, but also of private operators.

“Licensing ensures that every hospitality activity aligns with Rwanda’s tourism and hospitality regulations. It is essential for protecting clients’ safety, guaranteeing quality services, and safeguarding Rwanda’s reputation. When I speak of reputation here, I mean the reputation of Rwanda itself,” he said.

In his earlier remarks in June, he had also warned that operating without a license has three major consequences: it puts clients at risk, it creates unfair competition, and it erodes Rwanda’s image—a concern he repeated during the Marriott event.

The RDB CEO stressed that Rwanda has heavily invested in promoting the “Visit Rwanda” brand, and this must be matched with service quality. He urged all operators to comply with requirements and maintain high standards.

Ongoing inspections are being conducted to verify compliance across the tourism sector. RDB is working in partnership with the Rwanda National Police, the City of Kigali, and the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).

The inspections began on April 30, 2025, with five- and four-star hotels. In Kigali, 47 hotels were inspected; 27 in Musanze and Rubavu; and six in Karongi. The campaign was extended to the Eastern Province from August 11 to 22, 2025.

In a statement released on August 20, 2025, the armed group described the HRW report as “fake, politically motivated, and an instrument of propaganda” aimed at demonising the AFC/M23.

The report, according to HRW, accused the M23 of targeting primarily ethnic Hutu civilians during the alleged killings in the Virunga region.

The statement, issued by the AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, criticised HRW’s methodology, saying the organisation relied on unverified telephone testimonies and satellite imagery without on-the-ground verification.

Kanyuka also accused the report of ignoring atrocities committed by other armed groups in the area, including coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime, the FDLR, Nyatura militias, PARECO, and Wazalendo.

“The Human Rights Watch report of August 20th, 2025, is fake and falsification of reality. Its methodology is fraudulent, its sources are corrupt, and its context is truncated,” the statement reads.

“It is based on no tangible evidence, only on hearsay, deceptively interpreted imagery, and complicit silence regarding the crimes of the coalition forces.”

The group insisted that the HRW report serves to divert attention from what it described as “military failures and crimes against humanity” committed by the Kinshasa regime.

The AFC/M23 rebel group is currently engaged in ongoing peace processes in Doha, Qatar, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC, where the rebels accuse government forces of targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking communities through marginalisation and violence.

A report released by Amnesty International on August 20, 2025, documents multiple cases of rape and abuse in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

One 40-year-old woman told Amnesty that in late March this year, she was stopped by 10 Wazalendo fighters travelling in a vehicle. They demanded money from her, speaking in the Tembo language.

“I was terrified. I kept begging them, ‘Please, forgive me.’ They refused. Six of them dragged me into the forest while four stayed in the vehicle. They tore off my clothes, tied me up, and raped me. They beat me and covered my mouth with cloth,” she recounted.

She explained that her right hand was tied to one tree, the left to another, before being forced to kneel and assaulted. “All six of them raped me, one after another,” she said.

Afterwards, the fighters abandoned her, and she was rescued by passersby who took her to hospital. Although she received treatment and has since returned to work, she still suffers physical pain from the ordeal.

Another woman, a mother of four living in a camp in southern Masisi territory, said that in January 2024, she returned to her farmland to gather food for her children, where she was captured by three fighters from APCLS, a militia allied with the FDLR.

“They told me if I tried to run, they would shoot me. One said, ‘Instead of killing her, let us use her body.’ They pinned me to the ground and stripped me. I could not resist, my children would have been left without their mother and father. I accepted it to save them,” she said.

After raping her, the fighters warned her never to speak of what happened or they would kill her if they saw her again. “What I wish is that they too, may one day suffer what I went through. Only God knows the punishment they deserve,” she said.

In North Kivu, another woman, referred to as “Safia” for her safety said she encountered four armed men while collecting cassava leaves in her field. She suspected they were from Nyatura and FDLR, describing them as filthy, poorly dressed, and smoking marijuana.

“They told me I could not return home, then slapped me when I tried to respond. They accused me of working with the M23, saying that was why they had to rape me. I screamed for help, but no one came. They told me I was only calling for M23 to hear me, but even if they did, they would do nothing,” she explained.

She recalled how two of the men carried weapons while the others held her down, tearing off her clothes before raping her. “When they finished, I was left naked. I hid, waiting for someone to pass by and give me something to cover myself so I could return home,” she said.

“Safia” added that after people in her community learned of the assault, she was ostracised, and even her husband abandoned her because of what had happened. Ashamed, she decided never to return to her church.

{{DRC soldiers accused of raping pregnant woman
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In February 2025, as M23 fighters advanced to capture the city of Bukavu, soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and members of the pro-government Wazalendo militia fled towards Uvira territory, leaving behind a trail of atrocities.

A 28-year-old woman from Bukavu recounted that on the night of February 12, while she was sleeping with her husband and children, FARDC soldiers forcefully entered their home.

“They banged on the door, demanding that we open immediately or they would shoot. When they entered, they saw my husband and asked, ‘What are you still doing here?’ They started beating him. There were three of them, speaking Lingala. Two took my husband outside and continued beating him,” she said.

She described how one of the soldiers dragged her into the living room and threatened her life.

“They asked me, ‘Do you want to die or do you want us to spare you?’ I started crying and pleading. One soldier pushed me to the ground. I told him, ‘I am pregnant.’ He replied, ‘I don’t care.’ While one handed his weapon to another, he raped me. When he finished, a second soldier took his turn. I screamed loudly,” she explained.

Her family has since called on the DRC government to investigate FARDC officers implicated in war crimes and gross human rights violations committed during the ongoing conflict in North and South Kivu.

“The time has come for President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC to honour his pledge of justice and accountability, to ensure that Wazalendo fighters who committed these crimes face prosecution, and that others are reintegrated into civilian life.”