LONDON: The death of an Afghan refugee in the eastern French province of Alsace has prompted police to send reinforcements to the area, The Times reported on Wednesday.
Quayyem Abdul Ahmadzai, 27, was allegedly shot in the chest after a fight broke out in the town of Colmar.
He and two other Afghans were having a picnic when the scuffle began, after he told a teenager nearby to make less noise with his motor scooter.
Witnesses said the teenager had been revving the engine of the scooter while standing on the pavement.
After insulting the three Afghans, he left, only to return with a group of friends, at which point the fight broke out and Ahmadzai was shot, said Catherine Sorita-Minard, the state prosecutor.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced in the aftermath of the killing that 60 police officers would be seconded to the town’s standing force of around 150 officers, to “reinforce security” and “reassure the inhabitants” of Colmar. Two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, are being sought by police in connection with the shooting.
Ahmadzai, who fled to France in 2017 and was granted refugee status, lived in the neighboring town of Mulhouse and worked for the car manufacturer Peugeot.
Another Afghan living in Colmar told The Times that Ahmadzai had been forced to leave his wife and children behind in Afghanistan when he fled, and that he “was all on his own here.”
His death has gained broad coverage across France as it came in the wake of a government crackdown on antisocial behavior by youths using motorcycles, which came to a head after four children were severely injured, and a 10-year-old girl in Paris left with severe neurological damage, after a number of accidents due to illegal races and stunts.
Darmanin said so far, 338 arrests had been made in relation to the crackdown nationwide, with 203 people remanded in custody, 157 motorcycles confiscated and 5,712 fines issued.
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Killing of Afghan refugee prompts police reinforcements in French town
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Killing of Afghan refugee prompts police reinforcements in French town
- Quayyem Abdul Ahmadzai shot dead after fight broke out with local youths over noise complaint
- 60 officers sent to Colmar as govt clamps down on illegal motorcycle activity
Trump’s new envoy arrives in South Africa with relations frayed
JOHANNESBURG: A conservative media critic picked by President Donald Trump to be US ambassador to South Africa has arrived to take up his post, the US embassy said Tuesday, as relations between the countries remain fraught.
Brent Bozell’s arrival has been keenly awaited with ties between South Africa and the United States becoming increasingly strained after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
“I’m confirming that he’s in country,” a US embassy official told AFP. Trump’s new envoy arrives in South Africa to frayed relations
Trump announced that he had chosen Bozell for the job in March, soon after expelling South Africa’s ambassador on accusations that he was critical of Washington. Pretoria has yet to announce a successor.
Trump said at the time that Bozell “brings fearless tenacity, extraordinary experience, and vast knowledge to a nation that desperately needs it.”
The ambassador-designate still needs to present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa before officially taking up his post.
The embassy and South Africa’s foreign ministry could not say when this would happen.
Bozell, 70, is founder of the Media Research Center, a non-profit that says it works to “expose and counter the leftist bias of the national news media.”
One of the several sticking points between Washington and Pretoria is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Bozell is reported to be a strong defender of Israel. Pretoria expelled Israel’s top diplomat last month, citing a “series of violations.”
The Trump administration boycotted South Africa’s G20 in Johannesburg last year and has not invited the nation to its own hosting of the group of leading economies this year.
The United States is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner by country after China.
The previous ambassador, Reuben Brigety, resigned in November 2024, just before Trump took office.
Brent Bozell’s arrival has been keenly awaited with ties between South Africa and the United States becoming increasingly strained after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
“I’m confirming that he’s in country,” a US embassy official told AFP. Trump’s new envoy arrives in South Africa to frayed relations
Trump announced that he had chosen Bozell for the job in March, soon after expelling South Africa’s ambassador on accusations that he was critical of Washington. Pretoria has yet to announce a successor.
Trump said at the time that Bozell “brings fearless tenacity, extraordinary experience, and vast knowledge to a nation that desperately needs it.”
The ambassador-designate still needs to present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa before officially taking up his post.
The embassy and South Africa’s foreign ministry could not say when this would happen.
Bozell, 70, is founder of the Media Research Center, a non-profit that says it works to “expose and counter the leftist bias of the national news media.”
One of the several sticking points between Washington and Pretoria is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Bozell is reported to be a strong defender of Israel. Pretoria expelled Israel’s top diplomat last month, citing a “series of violations.”
The Trump administration boycotted South Africa’s G20 in Johannesburg last year and has not invited the nation to its own hosting of the group of leading economies this year.
The United States is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner by country after China.
The previous ambassador, Reuben Brigety, resigned in November 2024, just before Trump took office.
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