����ֱ��

CAPE TOWN: The United States sent five men it describes as “barbaric” criminals to the small African nation of Eswatini in an expansion of the Trump administration’s largely secretive third-country deportation program, the US Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The US has already deported eight men to another African country, South Sudan, after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties. The South Sudanese government has declined to say where those men, also described as violent criminals, are after it took custody of them nearly two weeks ago.

In a late-night post on X, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the men sent to Eswatini, who are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos, had arrived on a plane, but didn’t say when or where.

She said they were all convicted criminals and “individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back.”

The men “have been terrorizing American communities” but were now “off of American soil,” McLaughlin added.

McLaughlin said they had been convicted of crimes including murder and child rape and one was a “confirmed” gang member. Her social media posts included mug shots of the men and what she said were their criminal records. They were not named.

Like in South Sudan, there was no immediate comment from Eswatini authorities over any deal to accept third-country deportees or what would happen to them in that country. Civic groups there raised concerns over the secrecy from a government long accused of clamping down on human rights.

“There has been a notable lack of official communication from the Eswatini government regarding any agreement or understanding with the US to accept these deportees,” Ingiphile Dlamini, a spokesperson for the pro-democracy group SWALIMO, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “This opacity makes it difficult for civic society to understand the implications.”

It wasn’t clear if they were being held in a detention center, what their legal status was or what Eswatini’s plans were for the deported men, he said.

An absolute monarchy
Eswatini, previously called Swaziland, is a country of about 1.2 million people between South Africa and Mozambique. It is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies and the last in Africa. King Mswati III has ruled by decree since 1986.

Political parties are effectively banned and pro-democracy groups have said for years that Mswati III has crushed political dissent, sometimes violently. Groups like SWALIMO have called for democratic reforms.

Pro-democracy protests erupted in Eswatini in 2021, when dozens were killed, allegedly by security forces. Eswatini authorities have been accused of conducting political assassinations of pro-democracy activists and imprisoning others.

Because Eswatini is a poor country with a relative lack of resources, it “may face significant strain in accommodating and managing individuals with complex backgrounds, particularly those with serious criminal convictions,” Dlamini said.

While the US administration has hailed deportations as a victory for the safety and security of the American people, Dlamini said his organization wanted to know the plans for the five men sent to Eswatini and “any potential risks to the local population.”

US is seeking more deals
The Trump administration has said it is seeking more deals with African nations to take deportees from the US Leaders from some of the five West African nations who met last week with President Donald Trump at the White House said the issue of migration and their countries possibly taking deportees from the US was discussed.

Some nations have pushed back. Nigeria, which wasn’t part of that White House summit, said it has rejected pressure from the US to take deportees who are citizens of other countries.

The US also has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, but has identified Africa as a continent where it might find more governments willing to strike deportation agreements.

Rwanda’s foreign minister told the AP last month that talks were underway with the US about a potential agreement to host deported migrants. A British government plan announced in 2022 to deport rejected asylum-seekers to Rwanda was ruled illegal by the UK Supreme Court last year.

‘Not a dumping ground’
The eight men deported by the US to war-torn South Sudan, where they arrived early this month, previously spent weeks at a US military base in nearby Djibouti, located on the northeast border of Ethiopia, as the case over the legality of sending them there played out.

The South Sudanese government has not released details of its agreement with the US to take deportees, nor has it said what will happen to the men. A prominent civil society leader there said South Sudan was “not a dumping ground for criminals.”

Analysts say some African nations might be willing to take third-country deportees in return for more favorable terms from the US in negotiations over tariffs, foreign aid and investment, and restrictions on travel visas.

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s traditional martial art that blends combat and artistic performance, pencak silat, has been gaining popularity in the UAE, which has played host to several international tournaments to promote the discipline worldwide. 

The traditions of pencak silat entered the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List in 2019. While its earliest origins can be traced back to the seventh century, pencak silat has evolved over the centuries, with the term widely used today often credited to Indonesia’s West Java province and Sumatra island.  

The martial art is also popular in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, and has been included in the Southeast Asian Games since 1987 and at the 2018 Asian Games hosted by Indonesia. 

In the UAE, there has been a growing interest in pencak silat, with Abu Dhabi hosting the 20th World Pencak Silat Championship and the 5th Junior World Pencak Silat Championship simultaneously last December, marking the first time such tournaments took place in the Middle East.

“These two championships became the largest in pencak silat history, with 57 countries represented and over 1,100 athletes, officials, referees, and judges in attendance,” Muhammad Sadri, chief of the social and cultural affairs department at the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a deputy chairman of the events’ organizing committee, told Arab News. 

“In the context of international relations, pencak silat serves as a powerful tool for soft diplomacy, fostering mutual understanding, cultural exchange, and friendship between nations.”

In recent years, pencak silat gained global traction through rising Indonesian martial artists, such as Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, who performed the tradition in famous film franchises, including “The Raid” and “John Wick.” 

While the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been promoting pencak silat since 2000, its recent rise to international prominence has helped boost its popularity in the UAE. 

Following the global pencak silat tournaments last year, the discipline has since been recognized by the UAE Sports for All Federation. 

“The response from both the UAE government and the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Pencak silat has attracted growing interest not only from the Indonesian diaspora, but also from Emiratis and expatriates of various nationalities who have begun participating in regular training sessions,” Sadri said, referring to weekly pencak silat classes held at the embassy. 

Indonesian authorities see pencak silat as “one of the most unique and meaningful expressions” of Indonesia’s heritage, and a “living embodiment” of the country’s core values of discipline, respect, humility, and strength in harmony.

The UAE “provides an ideal and strategic platform to introduce and celebrate this treasured Indonesian tradition with the world,” Sadri said. 

“By promoting pencak silat in the UAE, the embassy is not only preserving a vital part of Indonesian heritage, but also inspiring youth, strengthening people-to-people connections, and opening up new avenues for collaboration in the fields of sport, education, and cultural diplomacy.”

Beyond its sporting element, pencak silat also covers mental and spiritual aspects, as well as life philosophy, while its techniques range from unarmed skills to others incorporating the use of traditional weapons, such as machete, dagger, and trident. 

It also draws heavily from nature, with many styles taking inspiration from the movements of animals and natural elements, such as the silat harimau, or tiger style, from West Sumatra, which mimics the ferocity and agility of a tiger. 

In its inscription, UNESCO highlighted how the practice strengthens comradeship and maintains social order, while also providing entertainment in traditional ceremonies. 

“Pencak silat is not merely about physical combat — it is about character-building, cultural identity, and human connection. It offers values that transcend borders: discipline, resilience, and harmony,” Sadri said. 

He said the discipline “is not only a reflection of Indonesia’s past, but also a contribution to the future — as a universal platform for peace, empowerment, and international cooperation.”