Continued……Sources

https://www.wakatsera.com/bobo-dioulasso-le-constructeur-du-plus-grand-chu-du-burkina-designe/

www.leconomistedufaso.com/2024/07/29/sante-la-chine-au-chevet-de-lhopital-de-tengandogo/

https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/china-strengthens-military-ties-with-niger-amid-western-withdrawal/

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/niger-china-sign-crude-oil-mou-worth-400-mln-says-niger-state-tv-2024-04-13/

https://www.sidwaya.info/cooperation-bilaterale-mali-chine-les-presidents-goita-et-jinping-sengagent-a-porter-le-partenariat-a-un-niveau-strategique/

https://thesudantimes.com/africa/niger-expels-chinese-oil-executives-revokes-hotel-license/

https://apanews.net/mali-niger-tighten-regulations-on-chinese-mining-and-oil-companies/

THE UPC: CAMEROON’S TRAGIC INDEPENDENCE HEROES

On 10 April 1948, courageous Cameroonian workers and trade unionists came together in the Chez Sierra bar in Bassa to found the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon, a revolutionary political party that would fight for Cameroon’s total independence.

The party cadres demonstrated immense commitment to the revolutionary struggle and the enduring fight for pan-African unity. The UPC fought and died for the independence and unity of Cameroon, as well as that of Africa - but they paid a terrible price.

In 1955, after the violent repression of protests led to an anti-colonial uprising, the UPC was outlawed in Cameroon. This year often marks the start of the Cameroon War. By 1960, president Ahmadou Ahidjo - backed by France - was waging a genocidal war against not just the UPC but also the Bamiléké people, among whom the party enjoyed significant support.

Continued……. The UPC organised the peoples of Cameroon and fought to keep the country together, even across linguistic lines, despite the brutal repression and violence.

While the Cameroonian War of Independence is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War’ because the more successful Algerian Revolution overshadowed it at the time, the history of this struggle continues to shape Cameroon in the present.

Since independence in 1960 and the elimination of the UPC, a single political party and only two presidents have ruled the country: Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya.

Despite many setbacks, the UPC worked tirelessly to build relationships with other pan-African organisations and leaders, from Kwame Nkrumah to Patrice Lumumba and Ahmed Ben Bella. Though not yet achieved, their objective of a unified and liberated Africa continues to inspire us in the ongoing struggle.

Today, as Cameroon reflects on its independence, it is crucial to rekindle the revolutionary spirit of the UPC and the broader pan-African movement. With this milestone, let us honour the legacy of the country’s revolutionaries by working toward the realisation of their dreams: a Cameroon and an Africa that is truly free.

Sources

https://www.cameroon-info.net/article/cameroon-upc-is-not-dead-leaders-insist-198654.html
https://marxist.com/the-crimes-of-french-imperialism-in-cameroon.htm
https://time.com/archive/6647852/foreign-news-appointment-in-geneva/
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/in-yaounde-macron-recalls-massacres-and-abuses-of-de-gaulle-and-foccart/2647588
https://jacobin.com/2016/12/cameroon-france-colonialism-war-resistance

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) and Patriotic Alliance (PA) members of parliament have reportedly embarked on a secret mission to Israel. Publicly available details are scanty, but the trip appeared to include a visit to Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. Given the current frosty state of relations between Tel Aviv and Pretoria, this trip is likely to further strain relations within the already tense Government of National Unity (GNU) where the DA and the pro-Palestine African National Congress (ANC) are the largest parties.

In an 11-minute Facebook video recorded in Israel and posted on around 6 April 2025, PA MP Ashley Sauls told his followers: “We’ve already met a governor; we’re going to meet the president. We’re not meeting the prime minister, Netanyahu, but we will meet the president, so keep your fingers crossed.”

Continued……. The delegation included PA MPs Ashley Sauls and Millicent Mathopa, as well as DA MPs Nicholas Myburgh and Bridget Masango. Western Cape Provincial Parliament MP Brett Herron from the GOOD Party brought the trip to light, suggesting in a statement on Wednesday that the entire trip was deliberately shrouded in secrecy. In his statement, Brett said, “Details of the South African visit — such as who paid, who the delegation has met, its political objectives, whether the South African government or Parliament were informed and the date of its return — are unknown.”

The DA and PA have historically maintained a consistently pro-Israel stance. On South Africa’s g*enocide case against Israel at the ICJ, both parties condemned ANC-led government’s decision to drag Tel Aviv to court. The DA described the case as “one-sided and potentially damaging to South Africa’s international credibility” while the PA vocally opposed the case, calling it “misguided and politically motivated.”

In November 2023, the country’s National Assembly adopted a motion calling for the government to “suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until it agrees to a ceasefire.

Sources

https://forgood.org.za/da-and-pa-parliamentarians-secret-frolic-to-israel/

https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/national-assembly-adopts-motion-suspend-diplomatic-relations-israel

IN GAZA: A HAIRCUT A DAY TAKES THE SADNESS AWAY

In the heart of occupied Gaza, during a time of immense loss, a simple gesture is cutting through the despair—literally.

A youth-led group, @we.aregaza, in collaboration with Gaza’s paracycling team @gazasunbirds, set up a pop-up barbershop for displaced children.

Amidst the rubble, laughter returned—if only for a moment—as youngsters lined up for fresh haircuts, a rare treat that brought back smiles and pockets of joy.

As of early February, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israel’s military campaign had k*lled at least 61,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—since the escalation began on October 7, 2023. By July 2024, the British medical journal The Lancet projected the true death toll could exceed 186,000.

Continued……. These staggering numbers underscore the profound toll on Gaza’s children who have survived, but lost homes, families and bright futures. In the face of unimaginable trauma, small acts of care, like a fresh haircut, carry a powerful message: You are seen and you are loved.

Video credit: @gazasunbirds (IG)

Sources

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129722

https://www.aljazeera.com/program/quotable/2025/2/3/qt-mohamad-elmasry-030225

Today in 2012 we lost an African treasure: Algerian revolutionary leader Ahmed Ben Bella. The current tension between his home country and Mali (and the other Alliance of Sahel States members) would have greatly saddened him.

His journey to prominence began during World War II, in which he actually fought for his colonial master, France. For this, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. However, the massacre of Algerians by French forces on 8 May 1945 was a turning point - it spurred him to organise resistance against colonial oppression.

Continued……His leadership of the National Liberation Front (FLN) during Algeria's war of independence was instrumental to the country's liberation in 1962. Following independence, he held significant political roles, serving as prime minister and later as first elected president. His tenure was marked by efforts to rebuild Algeria and implement reforms aimed at national development, including campaigns for literacy and land redistribution.

Internationally, Ben Bella was a proponent of pan-Africanism and sought to strengthen alliances among emerging nations. He collaborated with leaders such as Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah, Modibo Keita and Che Guevara to support liberation movements across Africa. Despite his overthrow in 1965 and years of isolation, Ben Bella remained committed to pushing for reform and global solidarity until his death at the age of 95.

His legacy as a champion for the oppressed and an advocate for socio-economic equality continues to inspire generations.

Rest with the ancestors, Ahmed Ben Bella!

Sources

https://www.wrmea.org/2012-june-july/in-memoriam-the-legacy-of-revolutionary-algerian-statesman-ahmed-ben-bella-1916-2012.html


https://apnews.com/article/mali-algeria-sahel-alliance-drone-a42b34f060eb91edb28da49687cf8c5a

ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE IN GAZA: 'WORST EVER CONFLICT FOR REPORTERS'

2024 was the single deadliest year yet for journalists, with Israeli forces responsible for the k*lling of nearly 70% of all journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent non-profit organisation that promotes freedom of press. By December 2023, 77 journalists had been k*lled in Gaza by Israeli forces. Commenting on the staggering death toll, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa's program coordinator, Sherif Mansour, said it was "the most dangerous situation for journalists" they had ever seen. He added that "the Israeli army [had] killed more journalists in 10 weeks than any other army or entity in a year."

Continued……This graph, is a comparative analysis of the estimated number of journalists and media personnel who have been k*lled in different war zones across the world over the years - including World Wars 1 and 2 - and in Gaza since 7 October 2023. While 230 journalists were killed in Iraq over a 7 year period, in Gaza that death toll has been surpassed in less than 2 years.

The targeting of reporters in conflict zones is a prevalent issue, as belligerents typically look to limit the exposure of their crimes by barring independent press. Embedded reporters are offered access only if they agree to tell a sanitised story. In Gaza, despite calls for media and press freedom, Israel has prevented the presence of international reporters by placing a ban on foreign correspondents. This has meant that international news coverage relies on local reporters who are not only understaffed and underpaid, but also less protected, becoming direct targets of the Israeli military without any fear of consequences. In just the first month of Israeli forces' reign of terror in Gaza, 37 journalists were killed, making it "the deadliest single month documented," according to CPJ, since they began collecting data in 1992.

In January 2024, the International Court of Justice held that it was plausible that Israel's actions in Gaza amounted to gen*cide, and later in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

Background image credit: Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish on X)

Sources

https://rsf.org/en/iraq-war-heaviest-death-toll-media-world-war-ii-march-2003-august-2010

https://nuju.org.ua/list-of-journalists-killed-since-start-of-russia-s-full-scale-aggression-update-2

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/world/middleeast/30embed.html

https://cpj.org/reports/2008/07/journalists-killed-in-iraq/

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2024/12/31/know-their-names-the-palestinian-journalists-killed-by-israel-in-gaza

https://cpj.org/special-reports/2024-is-deadliest-year-for-journalists-in-cpj-history-almost-70-percent-killed-by-israel

https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2025/Turse_Costs%20of%20War_The%20Reporting%20Graveyard.pdf

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/3/24/live-israel-kills-46-in-gaza-including-two-hamas-officials

https://cpj.org/data/

https://cpj.org/2023/12/israel-gaza-war-takes-record-toll-on-journalists/

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/26/1227078791/icj-israel-genocide-gaza-palestinians-south-africa

MALEMA: WE CAN WORK WITH ANC, BUT NOT DA

South African opposition leader Julius Malema says that he would be willing to cooperate and work with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), but on one condition: That the ANC kicks out the right-wing Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) parties from the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Speaking at a rally on 6 April in Johannesburg, Malema (@julius_s_malema on X, @julius.malema.sello on IG) said his party, Economic Freedom Fighters (@effsouthafrica), would not accept being part of any government or coalition that included parties he described as ‘enemies of progress.’ He said the DA and FF+ have historically opposed policies that seek to redress apartheid-era injustices against Black South Africans.

Continued………The EFF leader’s comments come in the wake of increased tension between the ANC and the DA, the two largest parties in the GNU, a coalition government established after none of the parties failed to win an outright majority in the May 2024 elections.

For most of the previous months, the two parties have been at loggerheads over key issues, including foreign and economic policy. For example, the DA recently voted against the fiscal framework, a key part of the national budget, which Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, an ANC member, presented. This has led to calls from various stakeholders for the ANC to consider kicking out the DA from the GNU and replacing it with another party that has a similar ideology, such as the EFF.

Video credit: @newslivesa (X)

Sources

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-hold-more-talks-with-coalition-partners-over-budget-2025-04-08

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-08-gnu-2-0-anc-presses-control-alt-delete-on-the-national-coalition/?dm_source=top_reads_block&dm_medium=card_link&dm_campaign=top_reads&dm_content=south_africa
https://www.ewn.co.za/the-struggle-of-palestine-is-our-struggle-effs-malema

SOUTH AFRICA ACTIVISTS DEMAND TRADE EMBARGO ON ISRAEL

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters recently gathered outside African Rainbow Minerals in Johannesburg, accusing the company of exporting coal to Israel while South Africa takes Israel to the International Court of Justice over genocide in Gaza. Activists from the BDS Coalition say nearly 500,000 tons of coal have been exported from Richards Bay to Israel’s Port of Hadera since October 2023.

The Richards Bay terminal is jointly owned by companies including ARM, Glencore, Anglo, South32 and Exxaro. While ARM claims it doesn’t handle coal sales directly, its close ties to Glencore have drawn scrutiny.

Protesters say the imminent arrival of two coal cargo ships in Israel was the final straw. They’re now calling for the South African government to back up its genocide case with concrete action—starting with an energy embargo on Israel.

Continued……. As global institutions like the UN and ICC gather evidence of war crimes in Gaza, demonstrators argue that no South African corporation should be supplying a country accused of such atrocities.

What do you think should South Africa cut all exports to Israel?

Sources

https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/04/04/call-for-african-rainbow-minerals-to-stop-selling-coal-to-israel

https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/04/04/call-for-african-rainbow-minerals-to-stop-selling-coal-to-israel
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/isr/partner/zaf

https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/isr/partner/zaf

https://allafrica.com/stories/202504040207.html

https://groundup.news/article/glencore-urged-to-stop-selling-coal-to-israel/

https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/04/04/call-for-african-rainbow-minerals-to-stop-selling-coal-to-israel

https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/04/04/call-for-african-rainbow-minerals-to-stop-selling-coal-to-israel

Continued……Others express understanding, arguing that Zimbabwe has limited options due to the impact of over two decades of Western sanctions, which have severely hit the economy and driven millions to emigrate. These responses highlight the complex political and economic dynamics at play. Do you think Zimbabwe is tackling this right?

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5wwp5eelxo

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zimbabwe-government-honours-commitment-compensate-192000594.html

https://harare.diplo.de/resource/blob/2664728/c034e91b006318526743f77ca42e201d/240524-advertisement-invitation-compensation-for-bippa-farms-data.pdf

https://african.business/2025/02/apo-newsfeed/zimbabwe-government-honours-its-commitment-to-compensate-investors-under-bilateral-investment-protection-and-promotion-agreements-bippas

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-to-pay-white-farmers-us331-million-in-move-to-rework-debt/

https://www.ecofinagency.com/finance/2611-46181-zimbabwe-approves-331mln-compensation-for-white-farmers-to-tackle-debt-crisis

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jan/16/zimbabwe.chrismcgreal

https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2024/10/the-real-story-behind-britains-withdrawal-from-zimbabwes-land-reform-exposing-corruption-and-mismanagement/

https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/Unfulfilled%20Promises%20Britain-1104.pdf

WHY DO DOMINICANS DENY THEIR AFRICAN ROOTS?

Why do so many Dominicans deny their African roots? Over 90 per cent of Dominicans have African ancestry, according to various sources, including Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, and Americas Quarterly.

Yet, for generations, national identity has been shaped by a Eurocentric lens inherited through Spanish colonialism. Unlike its neighbour, Haiti, which embraced its African heritage after independence, the Dominican Republic distanced itself.

Is the conversation changing now with the younger generations? Let us know in the comments.

Sources

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america

https://minorityrights.org/country/dominican-republic

Continued…….. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/my-struggles-as-a-black-american-in-the-dominican-republic/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIHan1LxAys/?igsh=X1p0dlhoTk9N
https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/227/monograph/book/17842
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/1/18/dominican-republic-justifying-the-unjustifiable#:~:text=Deeply%20needed%20to%20the%20 antagonistic,off%20an%20imagined%20Haitian%20invasion.
https://www.npr.org/trannoscripts/138601410
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIHan1LxAys/?igsh=X1p0dlhoTk9N