The diplomatic exchange follows Ghana’s decision last month to arrange flights for hundreds of its nationals seeking to leave South Africa after a wave of protests and violence targeting foreign migrants intensified in several communities.

Tensions escalated after Ghana’s embassy in Pretoria published footage showing passengers aboard a repatriation flight waving Ghanaian flags as they departed South Africa. The images drew attention across social media and prompted a sharp response from South African authorities.

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Pretoria had initially sought to assist Ghana’s government in facilitating the voluntary return of its citizens in a constructive and humanitarian manner. However, he accused some Ghanaian officials of presenting an incomplete picture of events and undermining diplomatic norms.

“Our initial hope was simply to assist the Government of Ghana in repatriating its citizens in a humane and cordial manner,” Lamola said in comments posted on X. He added that South Africa would not continue to accept what he called “public spectacles” marked by misinformation and lacking diplomatic decorum.

His remarks were directed at statements made by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose comments accompanied public discussion surrounding the evacuation effort.

The dispute highlights growing strains caused by recurring outbreaks of xenophobic sentiment in South Africa, where economic hardship and high unemployment have periodically fueled hostility toward foreign nationals. With unemployment exceeding 30%, migrants are often blamed by some groups for competition over jobs, housing and public services.

South Africa has long attracted both documented and undocumented workers from across the continent due to its comparatively diversified economy and greater employment opportunities. However, periodic anti-immigrant violence has remained a persistent challenge for successive governments.

Recent tensions intensified after a widely circulated video appeared to show a Ghanaian national being assaulted, sparking outrage among migrant communities and prompting renewed calls for protection of foreign residents.

The repatriation flights organized by Ghana underscore growing concerns among African governments about the safety of their citizens living in South Africa. At the same time, the public disagreement between Pretoria and Accra reflects the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding migration, public security and regional relations as authorities seek to manage the fallout from renewed anti-foreigner unrest.

Neither government has indicated any immediate change in bilateral relations, but the exchange has drawn attention to the broader challenge of addressing xenophobic violence while preserving regional cooperation and freedom of movement across the continent.

The accusations emerged after hundreds of participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived in Türkiye and other European countries following their deportation from Israel. The flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Israel’s coast while attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

According to accounts provided by activists and journalists, detainees were transferred from their vessels to military boats and then taken to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where they were allegedly held in shipping containers and subjected to physical abuse.

Several detainees told media outlets they were punched, kicked, dragged, restrained for extended periods and denied access to lawyers or consular representatives. Some also alleged that tasers and attack dogs were used during the detention process.

Among those making allegations was Turkish activist Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, who said detainees were forced to keep their heads lowered while handcuffed and were subjected to rough treatment after refusing to sign documents presented by authorities.

American activist Christopher Boren said he suffered facial injuries after being struck shortly after arriving at Ashdod port, while Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani described being blindfolded, restrained and physically handled during transfers between vessels and detention facilities.

Greek activist Yiannis Atmatzidis also alleged he was beaten and subjected to a taser discharge during processing procedures.

The claims have drawn international attention, particularly after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared in a widely circulated video involving detained flotilla participants.

The footage prompted criticism from several foreign governments, some of which reportedly summoned Israeli diplomats to discuss concerns over the treatment of detainees.

Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations. Israeli Prison Service spokesperson Zivan Freidin described the accusations as “false and entirely without factual basis.”

The flotilla’s organizers said the mission was intended to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and challenge restrictions imposed under Israel’s blockade. Israeli authorities maintain that maritime restrictions are part of security measures aimed at preventing weapons and military supplies from reaching militant groups operating in the territory.

The competing accounts are likely to intensify international scrutiny of Israel’s handling of foreign activists and humanitarian missions linked to Gaza, while adding to broader diplomatic tensions surrounding the conflict.

The charges announced by U.S. authorities on Wednesday intensified tensions between Washington and Havana and prompted criticism from Beijing, which reaffirmed support for Cuba’s sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference.

“The U.S. side should stop brandishing the sanctions stick and the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo said.

The indictment against Castro, 94, includes charges of conspiracy to kill Americans and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by anti-Castro activists, an incident that killed four people.

Castro, the younger brother of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, led Cuba from 2008 until 2018 after decades as one of the country’s most powerful political figures.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the indictment as a “very big moment” on Wednesday but downplayed suggestions of immediate action against the Cuban government.

The development comes as Cuba faces a prolonged economic crisis marked by fuel shortages, inflation and declining foreign currency reserves, conditions Havana has blamed in part on longstanding U.S. sanctions and restrictions.

China has maintained close political and economic ties with Cuba and has consistently criticized Washington’s sanctions policy toward the island nation.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting in Seoul, Lee said the South Korean citizens had been detained without valid legal grounds and suggested the incident required a firm diplomatic response from his government.

Lee did not provide further details regarding the identities of the detained nationals or the circumstances surrounding the arrests.

The remarks marked one of the strongest public criticisms of Israel by the South Korean administration since escalating tensions in the Middle East triggered broader international scrutiny over maritime operations and regional security measures.

Lee also referred to international legal pressure facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying many European countries appeared prepared to act on warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.
However, Lee said South Korea would make an independent assessment regarding any potential legal or diplomatic measures involving Israel.

The comments come amid heightened international debate over maritime interdictions, humanitarian flotillas and military operations linked to the conflict in Gaza and wider regional tensions involving Israel and its allies.

Neither Israeli officials nor South Korea’s foreign ministry immediately issued additional public statements regarding the detentions.

In a statement issued Monday, Milanovic said Israeli diplomat Nissan Amdur “has not received, nor will receive” presidential approval to serve as ambassador in Zagreb.

Amdur was nominated in November to replace Israel’s current envoy to Croatia and is expected to arrive at the end of May in the capacity of chargé d’affaires, a diplomatic role that does not require formal presidential consent, according to Israeli media reports.

“Granting or withholding approval for proposed ambassadors is the sovereign right of the Republic of Croatia,” Milanovic said, while also accusing Israel of violating diplomatic convention by publicly announcing the nominee before Croatian approval had been secured.

The dispute reflects widening divisions within Croatia’s political leadership over the Gaza conflict. Milanovic, a left-leaning president known for outspoken criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza, has repeatedly condemned the scale of civilian casualties since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

Croatia’s conservative government has adopted a more supportive stance toward Israel and strongly condemned the Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the conflict.

Although Croatia’s president holds largely ceremonial powers, the office retains constitutional authority over the confirmation of foreign ambassadors.

The diplomatic disagreement comes amid continued international scrutiny of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 72,000 people have been killed in the territory since the start of the conflict, with the United Nations and international agencies warning of worsening humanitarian conditions.

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October, violence has persisted in Gaza, with Israeli forces and Hamas accusing each other of repeated violations of the truce.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said Iran had launched nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones toward the UAE and other countries across the region, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.

The ministry described the attacks as a violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security and stability.

“The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked Iranian attacks and threats targeting the UAE and countries across the region,” the statement said.

The ministry added that all measures taken by the UAE were defensive in nature and aimed at protecting civilians, infrastructure and national security interests.
It said attempts to pressure the UAE through “coercion” or what it called “malicious narratives and allegations” would not alter the country’s policies or undermine its sovereign decision-making.

The statement came after weeks of heightened regional tensions triggered by a military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28.

The conflict prompted retaliatory strikes by Tehran targeting Gulf states, Israel and US assets across the region, raising concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and maritime routes.

A ceasefire announced on April 7 has largely held despite sporadic skirmishes and continued diplomatic strain between regional powers.

The UAE has repeatedly called for de-escalation and regional stability while maintaining close security coordination with Western allies and Gulf partners amid the ongoing tensions.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry thanked Washington for reaffirming that U.S. policy toward the self-governed island remained unchanged, following remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during Trump’s state visit to China.In a statement, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed appreciation for repeated U.S. statements emphasizing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The ministry also accused Beijing of continuing military intimidation around the island through regular naval and air operations.“This demonstrates that Beijing is a major risk to current regional peace and stability,” the ministry said.Taiwan has emerged as the central flashpoint in increasingly strained U.S.-China relations, with Beijing claiming the democratically governed island as its territory and refusing to rule out the use of force to achieve unification.

Xi warned Trump during Thursday’s meeting that mishandling Taiwan-related disputes could push bilateral relations into a “dangerous place,” according to Chinese officials familiar with the talks.Rubio later told NBC News that it would be a “terrible mistake” for China to use force against Taiwan, reiterating Washington’s longstanding position supporting the island’s ability to defend itself.

Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu endorsed Rubio’s comments in a post on X, stating that Taiwan was determined to “defend the status quo and deter aggression.”Taiwan’s defense ministry said seven Chinese warships were operating around the island during the previous 24 hours, although no Chinese military aircraft were detected.

A senior Taiwanese security official said the island occupied a critical position within the so-called “first island chain,” a strategic arc stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines that is viewed by Washington and its allies as central to Indo-Pacific security.

Taipei is also closely monitoring whether Beijing increases military deployments following the Trump-Xi summit and ahead of the second anniversary next week of President Lai Ching-te taking office, the official said.China’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The latest exchanges underscore how Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive and potentially destabilizing issues between Washington and Beijing despite efforts by both governments to stabilize broader ties through diplomacy and trade engagement.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said claims made by Pakistani officials linking Afghanistan to the attack on a police station in Bannu were unfounded.

“The Afghan government considers the recent statements by Pakistani officials, which claimed that the attack on the police station in Bannu was planned in Afghanistan, baseless,” Mujahid said in a statement posted on X.

The response came after Pakistani authorities blamed Afghanistan-based militants for the suicide bombing and subsequent assault on a police checkpoint in Bannu, an area near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan that has seen a resurgence of militant violence.

The attack, one of the deadliest against Pakistani security forces this year, intensified tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which have repeatedly traded accusations over cross-border militancy.

Pakistan has accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The Taliban administration has consistently denied harboring militants targeting neighboring countries and has argued that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months, including military confrontations earlier this year after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant hideouts.

The Taliban condemned those strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said evidence gathered through a detailed investigation and technical intelligence indicated that the attack was “masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan,” following a coordinated assault on Saturday involving a car bombing and a subsequent ambush targeting responding security forces.

The attack occurred in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, an area that has witnessed repeated militant violence in recent years. Images released after the incident showed the police post reduced to rubble.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said a senior Afghan diplomat had been summoned and formally presented with a strong demarche over the attack. Islamabad warned that it would not compromise on national security if militant groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.

“The Afghan Taliban regime has also been categorically informed that, if it continues to harbor these terrorist organizations, Pakistan will not compromise on its national security or on the safety and protection of its citizens,” the ministry said.

Deputy Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat told Reuters the Afghan government had no immediate comment on Pakistan’s allegations.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led administration in Kabul of allowing militants to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban denies. Afghan authorities maintain that Pakistan’s militancy problem is an internal matter.

The latest accusations threaten to further strain relations between the two neighbors after months of heightened border tensions. In February, some of the heaviest fighting in years erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Security analysts say continued militant violence along the frontier risks destabilizing already fragile relations between the two countries and complicating efforts to coordinate border security and counterterrorism operations.

The cases involve Dawn Michelle Hunt, a 54-year-old former flight attendant and artist from the Chicago area, and Nelson Wells Jr., a 52-year-old Louisiana native and father of three, whose families say were unknowingly used as “blind mules” to transport narcotics hidden in luggage provided by other individuals.

The appeal places the cases at the intersection of humanitarian diplomacy and increasingly strained U.S.-China relations, as Washington and Beijing remain divided over trade, Taiwan and Iran-related tensions. For Trump, who has frequently highlighted efforts to secure the return of detained Americans abroad, the release of the two prisoners could offer a rare diplomatic breakthrough during a summit expected to yield limited concrete agreements.

Family members said they are attempting to deliver letters directly to Trump ahead of the meeting. Tim Hunt, Dawn Michelle Hunt’s brother, described his sister as highly intelligent and said she had been lured to China through what he characterized as a fraudulent “prize” trip.

According to her family, she was later given purses and a suitcase containing concealed narcotics that she unknowingly agreed to carry on an outbound flight.Wells’ family said he was detained after agreeing to transport another traveler’s suitcase while returning from a trip to China.

The individual allegedly disappeared after airport authorities discovered drugs hidden inside the bag.“I enjoyed serving my country,” Nelson Wells Sr., a U.S. Army veteran, said in remarks released through the family. “Now I just want my country to serve me.”A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department⁠ said Washington is providing consular assistance to both Americans and advocating for their health and welfare, while declining to comment further because of privacy considerations.

China’s foreign ministry said the two Americans were serving sentences for serious drug offenses and that Chinese authorities were handling the cases in accordance with the law while protecting their legitimate rights and health conditions.Advocates involved in the cases said U.S. officials have formally requested humanitarian releases from Chinese authorities, citing worsening medical conditions.

According to family members and advisers, Hunt requires blood transfusions and has declined surgery because of concerns over prison medical care, while Wells suffers from seizures, diabetes and high blood pressure.Beijing-based lawyer James Zimmerman, who is advising the families, said Chinese officials had privately indicated a willingness to consider humanitarian parole if the matter received higher-level political attention from Washington.

The cases follow a prisoner exchange in 2024 in which China and the United States each released three citizens that both governments said had been wrongfully detained after years of diplomatic negotiations.Peter Humphrey, a former prisoner in China who now advises families of foreign detainees, said U.S. embassy officials had increased engagement with Chinese authorities regarding the cases in recent months.

John Kamm, whose San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation researches political prisoners in China, said both Americans should be granted humanitarian parole because of their medical conditions. The foundation estimates that around 200 Americans are currently held in detention facilities across China.

The families said public attention to the cases intensified after testimony delivered at a September 2024 hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, where lawmakers examined the treatment of Americans imprisoned in China.Relatives are also backing legislation introduced by Representative Chris Smith that would expand support mechanisms for families of Americans detained overseas under disputed circumstances.

Tim Hunt said his father died in January before seeing his daughter released, while Wells’ family said his youngest daughter, now 12 and living in Japan, was only six months old when he was arrested.