International News
Pope Francis Arrives In Timor-Leste Amid Abuse Scandal
Pope Francis has landed in Timor-Leste, the only Catholic-majority country on his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.
The visit, which marks the first papal trip to the country since Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1989, is expected to draw around 700,000 people—more than half of the country’s population—to an open-air mass near the capital, Dili, later on Tuesday.
While the excitement surrounding the pontiff’s visit is palpable, it has also stirred controversy. Campaigners are urging Pope Francis to address a recent abuse scandal involving Nobel Peace Prize-winning Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, a prominent figure in the country’s fight for independence.
Bishop Belo has been accused of sexually abusing young boys, and although the Vatican imposed disciplinary measures against him in 2020, victims have yet to receive any compensation. Survivors and their advocates are calling for the Pope to address this issue during his visit.
In an open letter, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in Oceania emphasized the need for redress, asking Pope Francis to use Church funds to compensate the victims. While the Pope’s schedule does not include a meeting with the victims, it remains unclear if he will publicly acknowledge the scandal or whether Bishop Belo will make an appearance during the papal events.
The abuse scandal is not the only issue casting a shadow over the Pope’s visit. Authorities have faced criticism for demolishing homes and evicting dozens of families to clear space for the mass in Tasitolu, a wetland area outside Dili. The government argues that the residents were squatting on the land, but many of those displaced had moved from rural areas seeking work in the capital.
“They even demolished our belongings inside the house,” said Zerita Correia, one of the evicted residents. “Now we have to rent nearby because my children are still in school in this area.”
A government minister stated that the residents had been informed of plans to clear the area since September 2023, but the eviction has nonetheless sparked public anger.
Critics have also questioned the significant financial outlay for the Pope’s visit. The government has spent over $1 million on preparations, including the construction of a new altar. With nearly half of Timor-Leste’s population living below the national poverty line, some have voiced concerns that the money could have been better spent addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic challenges.
Timor-Leste, formerly known as East Timor, was a Portuguese colony until Indonesia invaded in 1975. During that time, only about 20% of the population identified as Catholic. Today, 97% of the country’s people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country in Asia.
Pope Francis’s visit to Timor-Leste follows stops in Papua New Guinea, where around a quarter of the population identifies as Catholic, and Indonesia, where Catholics make up only 3%. He is set to conclude his Asia-Pacific tour in Singapore later this week.
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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