An opposition MP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has requested a parliamentary debate over a reported agreement to receive deportees from the United States, triggering political backlash and civil society opposition amid heightened insecurity and institutional strain.

Christian Mwando Simba, a member of parliament and opposition figure, submitted an oral question to the National Assembly calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to appear before lawmakers and publicly explain the rationale and legal basis for accepting deportees from the US.

He questioned the relevance of the arrangement at a time when parts of the country remain affected by armed conflict, widespread insecurity, and what he described as weakening state capacity.

The intervention follows reporting that Congo is preparing to receive a group of deportees from the United States, all of whom are said to be nationals of third countries, not Congolese citizens. The move has been framed by officials as part of broader migration cooperation with Washington, which has increasingly sought agreements with African states to facilitate removals of individuals whose countries of origin are difficult to access directly.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism domestically. The civil society platform “Forces vives” has firmly rejected the idea of hosting migrants expelled from the United States, warning of social and political risks linked to the arrangement.

Jean-Bosco Lalo, speaking for the group, called on Congolese citizens to “stand united” against what he described as a measure that could prove “harmful” to the country’s long-term future.

The controversy underscores growing sensitivity in Kinshasa around migration policy being shaped through external agreements, particularly in a context where the state is already managing security pressures in eastern provinces and broader governance challenges.

Authorities have maintained that any arrangement falls within international cooperation frameworks and is limited in scope, but pressure is mounting for formal parliamentary scrutiny and public clarification.

Benin’s finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, has won the country’s presidential election with a commanding 94% of the vote, according to provisional results released by the electoral commission (CENA), after more than 90% of ballots were counted.

The result confirms a widely anticipated victory for Wadagni, 49, who stood as the candidate of the ruling alliance between the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR) and the Republican Bloc (BR). His campaign was strongly backed by outgoing president Patrice Talon, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term after completing two five-year mandates.

Wadagni’s ascent caps a decade in which he served as finance minister, overseeing sustained economic growth averaging above 6% annually. He has pledged continuity of that trajectory in a country often cited as one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, despite a failed coup attempt in December 2025.

His only challenger, Paul Hounkpe of the FCBE party, conceded defeat while counting was still under way. In a statement, he extended “republican congratulations” and called for respect for democratic norms.

CENA chair Sacca Lafia said the vote had been conducted peacefully. Civil society observers reported around one hundred incident alerts, including early openings of polling stations and cases where ballot boxes appeared already full at opening time.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) observer mission described a “peaceful atmosphere” and “smooth running” of the vote.

About 7.9 million citizens were registered to vote, with turnout recorded at 58.75% nationally. Participation was significantly lower in the capital, Porto-Novo, where it fell to between 20% and 40% in some polling stations.

However, the election took place under conditions criticised by analysts, who argue that political space has narrowed during Talon’s presidency. The main opposition party, Les Démocrates, was excluded from the ballot after failing to secure parliamentary endorsements required under constitutional changes introduced last year.

Those reforms, which tie presidential eligibility to legislative backing, effectively blocked opposition leader Renaud Agbodjo from qualifying for the race, as his party holds no seats in the National Assembly.

Romuald Wadagni campaigning in Cotonou, Benin, last month. He has been declared the country’s new president according to provisional results. Credit: Charles Placide Tossou/Reuters (via The New York Times)

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, has announced plans to deny visas to citizens of any country pursuing compensation for Britain’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade, a move that has drawn international attention.

He described reparations claims as “insulting,” noting that 3.8 million visas have been issued over the past 20 years to nationals from countries making such demands.

The transatlantic slave trade, conducted over four centuries by seven European powers including the UK, forcibly transported more than 15 million Africans. Scholars link the wealth generated from slavery to the industrial rise of the West, a legacy that continues to shape global economic and social disparities.

Last month, the UN recognised the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations as a step toward remedying historical injustices. The resolution, proposed by Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama and endorsed by the African Union and Caricom (Caribbean Community), was abstained by the UK and EU members, while the US, Israel and Argentina voted against it.

Yusuf argued that Britain had made “huge sacrifices” by being the first major power to abolish slavery and enforce its prohibition, insisting that the UK would no longer tolerate being “ridiculed on the world stage.” He added that countries pressing for reparations were attempting to “use history as a weapon to drain our treasury” and stressed that Reform UK would also cut international aid to nations making such claims.

Yusuf Zia, UK Reform Home Affairs Spokesman, appears in Picture @Ghana Chronicles X’s account.