Tag Archives: Diplomacy

Algiers, Algeria | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday made his first official visit to Algeria, announcing that he came as a “friend” despite France’s historically prickly relationship with its former colony. Ties between Paris and Algiers have defrosted in recent years, a half-century after French forces brutally …

Ramstein, Germany | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met US military officers on Wednesday to prepare for a trip to better coordinate American security and diplomatic strategy in Africa. Tillerson plans to make the trip in the first quarter of 2018, the State Department said, after he dismissed …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday as “historic” and a “courageous and just decision”. Netanyahu also pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem’s highly sensitive holy sites in the city sacred to …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian migrants expressed relief as they arrived home on Tuesday from Libya, describing the “hell” of harsh conditions in detention camps where they had been held. African heads of state have condemned the treatment of undocumented migrants in Libya, including widespread violence and apparent slave trading. …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain is concerned about US President Donald Trump’s plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, foreign minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday. A senior US official says Trump will make the announcement later today, ignoring warnings from US allies around the world that the move could trigger …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped down warnings of widespread Middle East unrest as he told anxious Arab leaders he still intends to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, on the eve of a much-anticipated policy speech. Amid a frantic round of telephone diplomacy, Trump …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in the Middle East, urged the US president to be cautious, his office said Tuesday, after reports Washington was planning to move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. Trump informed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas of his …

Ankara, Turkey | AFP | The status of Jerusalem is a “red line” for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump mulled whether to recognise the city as the Israeli capital. Erdogan said Turkey, which …

Amman, Jordan | AFP | Jordan has warned of “grave consequences” if US President Donald Trump decides to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, state media said. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told his US counterpart Rex Tillerson by phone Sunday that it was “necessary to preserve the historical and …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Around $321 million in public funds stolen by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha will be returned to the African country, Switzerland said Monday. The money, originally deposited in Luxembourg, was confiscated by a Swiss court in late 2014 and in March last year the two …