Cape Town, South Africa – South Africa has formally returned ancestral human remains and a sacred Zimbabwe Bird stone carving to Zimbabwe, more than 100 years after they were taken during the colonial era, in a significant act of cultural restitution between the two nations.

The handover ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Iziko South African Museum. Eight coffins draped in the Zimbabwean flag contained the remains of individuals who had been unethically exhumed for colonial research.

Zimbabwean officials said the remains would be further studied upon return and eventually laid to rest in their rightful places. South Africa’s Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie described the restitution as an important step in restoring dignity, pride, and history to the people of Zimbabwe.

Also returned was the iconic soapstone Zimbabwe Bird (Chapungu), a powerful national and spiritual symbol believed to carry protective meaning. One of several carvings looted from the ancient Great Zimbabwe ruins (built between the 11th and 13th centuries), it was taken by a British explorer in the late 19th century and sold to Cecil John Rhodes.

Most of the other birds were returned shortly after Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980. The birds, which stand about 33 centimetres tall and were originally perched on stone columns, feature prominently on Zimbabwe’s national flag, banknotes, and coins.

The restitution forms part of a growing global movement for the return of African cultural artefacts and human remains taken during the colonial period. Zimbabwean government representative Reverend Paul Damasane welcomed the artefacts home, calling it a long-overdue moment of healing and reconnection with the nation’s heritage.

Pope Leo XIV will depart on Monday, April 13, 2026, for a major 10-day apostolic journey to Africa, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

Vatican officials are describing the tour as a deliberate effort to shine a global spotlight on the continent.

The trip, spanning nearly 18,000 kilometers (11,185 miles) and including stops in 11 cities and towns, will be the longest and most ambitious overseas journey of the pontiff’s young papacy.

During the tour, running from April 13 to 23, the 70-year-old Pope is scheduled to deliver 25 speeches, hold meetings with political leaders, and engage extensively with local Catholic communities.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official and close adviser to Pope Leo, said the visit is intended “to help turn the world’s attention to Africa.”

He noted that by heading to the continent early in his pontificate, the first American Pope is sending a strong message that “Africa matters” and should not be overlooked amid other global concerns.

Africa is currently the fastest-growing region for Catholicism, with more than 20% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics now living on the continent. Equatorial Guinea, which has not hosted a papal visit since 1982, is over 70% Catholic, while significant Catholic populations exist in Cameroon and Angola. Algeria, by contrast, is overwhelmingly Muslim with a small Catholic community.

The tour comes as Pope Leo has taken an increasingly vocal stance against the ongoing war in Iran. Vatican officials say the African visit reflects both the Church’s pastoral priorities and its commitment to global solidarity with regions often marginalized in international discourse.

Washington, D.C. – The United States has issued a strong travel advisory urging its citizens to reconsider all travel to Nigeria, citing persistent threats of terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and armed attacks across large parts of the country.

In an update released last Wednesday, the US State Department placed several Nigerian states under its highest-level “Do Not Travel” warning due to the deteriorating security situation.

The advisory also authorised the voluntary departure of non-emergency US embassy staff and their families from Abuja, describing the overall environment as increasingly challenging for American citizens and diplomats.

Despite deepening security cooperation between Washington and Abuja — including counter-terrorism support, intelligence sharing, maritime security, and military training with US-supplied aircraft and helicopters — the move underscores the gap between strategic partnership and the daily reality of insecurity faced by civilians and foreigners in many regions.

The advisory warns that violent attacks could occur with little or no warning in public places such as markets, hotels, places of worship, schools, and transportation hubs.

Nigerian authorities have yet to issue a formal response to the latest warning. In the past, officials have criticised such advisories for unfairly tarnishing the country’s image and potentially harming diaspora travel, international conferences, and foreign investment at a time when Nigeria is seeking economic recovery.

The development comes amid a fresh surge in deadly attacks in parts of the country, raising renewed concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing counter-insurgency operations against groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as banditry and communal violence in other regions.