THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: AFRICA'S MOST COVETED COUNTRY?

The Central African Republic (CAR) is not a country that receives much coverage in the English-language press. Yet, it may be one of the most important countries in Africa and the world at large due to its coveted natural resources. While many around the world have begun to pay attention to the political developments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the evolving relationship between France and the Central African Republic is less well known. In this video, African Stream's Inemesit Richardson break down the long history of France's vie for control over the CAR.

JESUS WAS NOT A WHITE MAN

Across Africa, churches are still adorned with the image of a White Jesus, an image that is historically inaccurate but remains deeply ingrained in Christian spaces. How did this portrayal come to dominate, and why does it persist today?

In this video, we visit a church in Kenya and explore how European colonialism shaped the way Jesus is depicted in Africa. The story reveals how these images weren't just about faith - they were tools of control, reinforcing colonial power structures and cultural superiority.

The White Jesus myth is not just a harmless cultural difference. It's a legacy of colonialism that continues to shape African identity and faith. But there's a growing movement across the continent to reclaim a Biblically more accurate and authentic depiction of Christ.

Continued….. Sources

1. https://sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2020/07/conversation_white_jesus.php


2. https://africasacountry.com/2019/08/beyond-white-jesus


3. https://medium.com/@ben_mmari/the-negative-effects-of-white-jesus-on-the-african-community-b883320b3cc4


4. https://broadview.org/black-jesus-colonialism/

5. https://christianstandard.com/2022/09/the-white-jesus-myth/

TURKEY-SOMALIA: FRIENDSHIP OR COLONISATION?

They say Turkey is ‘helping’ Somalia. But what kind of help is it if, in return, Ankara gets to keep Somali ports and oil, and expand its military footprint in the region?

For over a decade, Turkey has presented itself as Africa’s ‘Muslim brother,’ stepping into Somalia with aid, business deals and military training. But behind the humanitarian PR, who really benefits?

In Mogadishu, Turkey now runs two of Somalia’s most strategic assets: the airport and the seaport. A Turkish firm gets 45% of port revenues. That’s nearly half of Somalia’s maritime income going to a foreign country. Moreover, since signing a ten-year oil-exploration deal with Somalia, Turkey has made a 20-billion-barrel discovery worth 1.6 trillion dollars. And Ankara also has its biggest overseas military base in Somalia.

Continued……. Let’s be honest: this is influence and exploitation, not solidarity and friendship. And this isn’t about Turkey and Somalia alone. It’s about Africa’s sovereignty, our right to negotiate on an equal footing, to develop without being cornered, to say ‘no’ when help comes with strings attached.

Because if we trade our ports, our oil and our independence for short-term support, who are we really building for?

Sources

https://www.mei.edu/publications/far-benefactor-turkish-government-exploiting-somalias-fragility

WHO WAS JOHN GARANG?

Dr. John Garang dedicated his life to a united and peaceful Sudan. The revolutionary leader spent over two decades in the fight for justice, leading the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) through one of Africa’s longest civil wars. His vision culminated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which secured South Sudan’s autonomy and instilled hope for unity between north and south. But just 21 days after taking office as Sudan’s First Vice President, Garang’s life was cut short in a mysterious helicopter crash - sparking riots, grief and unanswered questions.

Was his death an accident, or was it part of a larger geopolitical conspiracy? Garang’s push for unity defied the interests of foreign powers who had long supported South Sudan’s secession. Many remain unconvinced that he died simply because of the weather condition or pilot error.

Continued……. Today, both Sudans remain divided and engulfed in conflict, but Garang’s legacy endures - as a leader who fought for peace and unity against all odds.

WILL F1 RETURN TO AFRICA?

Formula 1 could be on the verge of returning to Africa.

It’s long been the dream of the sport's first and only Black driver, Lewis Hamilton. He’s been a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in F1.

After more than a 30-year hiatus, F1 could race on African soil again by 2027, with a number of locations now competing to host the event. Cape Town’s proposed street circuit and the historic Kyalami track near Johannesburg are both under consideration. Morocco and Rwanda are also exploring the possibility of building new circuits in Marrakesh and Kigali, respectively.

Africa’s growing motorsport ambitions are clear, but this is about much more than just hosting a race. Hamilton has emphasised the importance of building a lasting motorsport culture across the continent, investing in grassroots programmes and developing young African talent that could one day compete in F1. Right now, there are no African drivers on the grid, but a Grand Prix in Africa could change that.

THE ZANZIBAR REVOLUTION

In 1964, Zanzibar, an African-majority island, erupted in revolution. For generations, political power, wealth and land had been controlled by a small Arab elite, a structure preserved by British colonial rule - and even after so-called independence. African Zanzibaris remained landless, jobless and locked out of the system.

Frustration simmered. Then, on 12 January, it exploded. A coalition of African revolutionaries led by Ugandan John Okello overthrew the ruling class in a swift and violent uprising. By sunrise, the Sultan had fled, and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar was born under the Afro-Shirazi Party. It marked the end of centuries of Arab dominance and colonial hierarchy, ushering in land reforms, nationalisation and a bold socialist agenda.

Continued…….. The revolution shocked the world. Western powers feared a left-leaning state in East Africa. And so, within months, Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania, a strategic union aimed at at keeping the imperialist forces at bay.

Today, Zanzibar remains semi-autonomous, and its revolution is remembered with both pride and pain. It dismantled colonial systems, but left scars that remain. Still, it stands as a powerful reminder: when African people are denied justice long enough, they will rise - as they did in Zanzibar.

WHO WERE THE CIVILIZED AND WHO WERE THE SAVAGES?

They said they came to civilise. But what they brought was nothing but savagery.

From Haiti to Australia to the Pacific Islands, this video unpacks the brutal truth behind Europe’s so-called ‘civilising mission.’

The Taíno and Arawak peoples of Haiti, once thriving communities with deep spiritual and agricultural systems, were nearly wiped out within decades of Columbus’s arrival. They were enslaved, mutilated, and hunted like animals all in the name of gold and empire.

Continued……. In Australia, British colonisers declared the land ‘Terra Nullius’ - or nobody’s land - while thousands of Aboriginal people were massacred in cold blood. In Queensland, it’s thought over 24,000 Indigenous lives were taken by government-sanctioned forces. This was not law and order. This was ethnic cleansing, dressed in European uniforms.

Across the Pacific, the lie of civilisation took the form of ‘Blackbirding’ - kidnapping tens of thousands from Melanesia and forcing them into backbreaking labour on plantations. Meanwhile, imported diseases erased entire communities.

This is not ancient history. The scars are still fresh. The descendants of these communities are still here, still fighting, still remembering. Because colonisation was never about civilisation, it was about extraction, domination and the silencing of Indigenous voices.

This video is not just history. It’s resistance. It’s about reclaiming the narrative from Columbus and Cook and all the myths they stood on. It’s about asking, in the face of genocide and greed: Who were the real savages?

Sources

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/columbus-reports-his-first-voyage-1493


https://www.harukasakaguchi.com/original-new-yorkers

https://www.library.gov.au/learn/digital-classroom/legend-and-legacy-james-cook/challenging-terra-nullius


https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/statistics.php
Source: https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/statistics.php

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/24/queensland-government-failed-indigenous-people-for-160-years-truth-telling-inquiry-hears
Source: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/the-black-line

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-blackbirders-forced-tens-of-thousands-of-pacific-islanders-into-slavery-after-the-civil-war-180985567/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221001104309.htm

CHRONOLOGY OF ATTACKS ON AFRICAN STREAM

For the last three years, African Stream has done what it was created for: fearlessly expose the crimes of imperialism against our people on the continent and in the diaspora. From Cape to Cairo, Haiti to the U.S, we have brought to light issues that many influential people in Western capitals would rather keep under the carpet. For this, we have been made to pay a high price, a price that has resulted in us closing shop for good.

When we started the project, we were not naive. We knew that our work would attract the wrath of the empire and its local cronies. However, it was work that had to be done. We could not let fear prevail.

To bring us down, they had to resort to the centuries-old noscript that portrays any African who stands up against oppression as being sponsored by some third force out there. To this end, the U.S. government and its allied entities have accused us of being a Russian propaganda outlet, but without any evidence.

Continued……. Despite our accusers failing to substantiate their claims, social media giants took down our accounts without asking the U.S. government to provide any evidence to back their allegations. Well, we guess that the U.S. is so trustworthy that the world can believe whatever it says. After all, it didn't lie about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. It didn't even lie about the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

The attacks by the U.S. government and the subsequent de-platforming by social-media giants have made it impossible for us to carry out our essential work, forcing us to make the difficult decision to shut down African Stream. This video, our heartfelt farewell to you, our esteemed followers, provides a detailed account of the events that have led to the closure of African Stream.

AFRICAN STREAM: DEPLATFORMED BUT NOT DEMORALISED!

It’s tough to accept that we had to shut down over baseless accusations by the U.S. government. But instead of bowing out in silence, the team chose to resist, just as our ancestors often did, through dance.

You can deplatform us. You can smear us.
But you can’t stop us dancing.

To all our supporters: thank you. You made African Stream what it was—the most meaningful thing any of us has ever been part of.

Peace out, with love and resistance. ✊🏿🖤💃🏾🕺🏿

MODIBO: THE STORY OF MALI’S PAN-AFRICAN REVOLUTIONARY LEADER

Modibo Keïta was Mali's foremost pan-African leader. While not as widely known among English-speaking audiences as other greats from the continent, he was one of Africa's most important figures in the revolutionary socialist movement for independence. This documentary, produced by African Stream, offers a closer look at his life, politics and legacy, particularly in the context of the new anti-imperialist movement sweeping the Sahel. Keïta was the first staunchly pan-African, anti-colonial head of state in the Sahel region. Who was he? What mark did he leave on the Mali of today? These are the questions we explore.

African Stream officially closed down operations on July 1st, but there were a few projects that we were still working on. One of them was a documentary on Modibo Keïta that we initially lost when Google took down our G Drive. However, due to the team's hard work, we were able to start from scratch, and here it is.

Continued….. We hope you enjoy. Let us know what you think in the comments.

FIRESTONE: HOW U.S. RUBBER
GIANT STILL BURNS LIBERIA

African Stream officially closed down at the end of July. But before making that decision, we had already been working on this important documentary about the American rubber company Firestone and its history of exploitation.

In 1926, Firestone signed a deal with Liberia’s government to lease 1 million acres of land, 10% of the entire country, for just six cents an acre. Backed by the U.S. government and designed to secure a steady rubber supply for American industry, the deal marked the start of a deeply exploitative relationship.

For decades, Liberian workers, many of them children, were forced to tap between 500 and 750 rubber trees a day in gruelling conditions. Some earned as little as 24 cents for a full day’s work.

Continued…. While Firestone grew into one of the world’s largest rubber producers, Liberia was left with environmental destruction, impoverished communities, and virtually no national development from the wealth extracted.

After Liberia’s brutal civil war, a new agreement was signed in 2005. But critics argue the terms still overwhelmingly favoured Firestone. The company continues to control vast plantations, while surrounding communities remain locked in poverty.

When we visited Barclay Farm, a village next to the Firestone rubber plantations, residents told us they still face crumbling infrastructure, undrinkable water, inadequate healthcare, and limited opportunities nearly a century after the original deal.

For many Liberians, Firestone is not just a company; it is a symbol of neocolonial extraction and a reminder that so-called “investment” often means exploitation without accountability.

This documentary is part one of a three-part documentary series on Liberia, which we will release over the course of the following week. After that, there will be no more African Stream content.

PROFIT OVER PEOPLE LIBERIA'S GOLD DILEMMA

Mat House village in Liberia, a once thriving rural community, is now facing displacement, pollution and broken promises. Why? Because of illicit gold mining. While Liberia recorded a gold production high of 376,000 ounces in 2022, local villagers in Mat House say they’ve received nothing but poisoned land and polluted rivers. The culprits? A wave of foreign mining companies from China, Turkey, the UAE and the West are accused of land grabs in Liberia, causing environmental destruction and ignoring the rights of local communities.

In this film, African Stream speaks with artisanal miners, community members and activists fighting for their land, their health and their survival.

➡️ This is part two of a three-part docuseries from African Stream that was recorded before we shut down at the end of July. Following the release of these docuseries, no further content will be published by African Stream.