Headline: Cambodia Orders All Africa Nationals to Leave Country by 31st May 2026.

In a startling and solemn announcement that has rippled across diplomatic corridors and expatriate communities alike, the Royal Government of Cambodia has issued an unprecedented directive: all nationals of African countries must depart the Kingdom by the 31st of May, 2026.

The order, released late Tuesday by the Ministry of Interior, cites “comprehensive national security and economic recalibration” as the driving forces behind the decision. While the government has pledged to facilitate orderly departures, the news has cast a shadow over what has long been a quiet but meaningful African presence in the heart of Southeast Asia.

For decades, Cambodia has been a mosaic of cultures—a gentle host to monks from Burkina Faso, students from Nigeria, traders from Ghana, and entrepreneurs from Kenya. Phnom Penh’s bustling riverside once echoed with a symphony of French, Khmer, Swahili, and English. African-run restaurants in the Tuol Tom Pong district, known locally as the Russian Market, served jollof rice and fufu alongside amok fish, embodying a rare culinary and cultural fusion.