What's behind the US's antagonism against South Africa?
South Africa has rejected a recent report by the United States on its human rights record. It's not the first time the country finds itself in the firing line of the US. What's behind it?
"The United States is putting considerable pressure on African countries to accept the deportation of Venezuelans from the United States, some directly from prison," said Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar from Brazil, where he was attending a BRICS summit.
"It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners in Nigeria. We already have enough problems," he noted.
"It would be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan sports," the Nigerian minister added.
His comments follow threats from Washington to restrict visas and increase tariffs on countries that do not cooperate with White House policies.
Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department announced that, as part of a "global reciprocity reset," nearly all nonimmigrant and nonimmigrant visas issued to citizens of Nigeria, as well as those of Cameroon and Ethiopia, would now be single-entry and valid for only three months.
On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital, denied that the Trump administration was implementing visa restrictions as punishment for Nigeria's refusal to yield to its demands.
The real reason for the visa restrictions, according to the embassy, were "technical and security criteria" that had to be respected.
Objectives in Africa
Tuggar's comments come after The Wall Street Journal cited internal documents and sources claiming the Trump administration was also pressing leaders in Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau to accept migrants deported by the United States whose home countries reject them or are slow to accept them.
According to the newspaper, before the summit held Wednesday at the White House with the presidents of those countries, the Trump administration had already sent their requests to accept migrants expelled from the United States."The United States is putting considerable pressure on African countries to accept the deportation of Venezuelans from the United States, some directly from prison," said Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar from Brazil, where he was attending a BRICS summit.
"It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners in Nigeria. We already have enough problems," he noted.
"It would be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan sports," the Nigerian minister added.
His comments follow threats from Washington to restrict visas and increase tariffs on countries that do not cooperate with White House policies.
Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department announced that, as part of a "global reciprocity reset," nearly all nonimmigrant and nonimmigrant visas issued to citizens of Nigeria, as well as those of Cameroon and Ethiopia, would now be single-entry and valid for only three months.
On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital, denied that the Trump administration was implementing visa restrictions as punishment for Nigeria's refusal to yield to its demands.
The real reason for the visa restrictions, according to the embassy, were "technical and security criteria" that had to be respected.
Objectives in Africa
Tuggar's comments come after The Wall Street Journal cited internal documents and sources claiming the Trump administration was also pressing leaders in Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau to accept migrants deported by the United States whose home countries reject them or are slow to accept them.
According to the newspaper, before the summit held Wednesday at the White House with the presidents of those countries, the Trump administration had already sent their requests to accept migrants expelled from the United States.
