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

ISRAEL’S LIES CONTINUE UNRAVELLING

Israel claimed its 23 March k*lling of aid workers was based on a perceived threat. This was unequivocally debunked by video footage recovered from one of the slain medic’s mobile phones, which proved this wasn’t a tragic mistake, but yet another chapter in a longstanding Israeli strategy: fabricate a threat, blame the victims, and manufacture sympathy.

This is a tactic Israel has employed for decades, long before its current onslaught on Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023. In May 2021, for instance, Israel bombed a media tower in Gaza housing Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, claiming it contained H*mas assets. The claim was later found to be entirely baseless. In the last 18 months alone, Israel has made multiple false allegations. At the onset of its 7 October offensive, Tel Aviv claimed that Palestinian fighters had beheaded children and committed mass r*pe of Israelis. Both accusations were proven false due to a lack of evidence.

Continued……. In November of the same year, Israel alleged Al-Shifa Hospital was a H*mas base holding hostages, complete with tunnels and elaborate command centers beneath it. Yet, following its two-week siege that destroyed Gaza’s largest and most advanced hospital, no evidence was produced to substantiate the claim. These fabrications are routinely circulated and regurgitated by its longtime ally and funder, the US, which hypocritically and chronically labels others as vessels of misinformation.

Rights groups continue to document numerous instances where Israeli forces knowingly targeted Palestinian civilians. On 31 October 2023, for example, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza k*lled 106 civilians - including 54 children - in an attack “absent [of] any apparent military target,” according to Human Rights Watch. Meanwhile, Israel continues to associate all Palestinian civilians with H*mas, using this narrative to justify collective punishment. In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that this practise supports a “plausible claim of g*nocidal acts.”

Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-aid-workers-deaths-video.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/world/middleeast/gaza-aid-workers-killed-israel.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/4/palestinian-aid-workers-likely-shot-execution-style-forensic-expert-says

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-says-killing-15-aid-workers-gaza-caused-by-sense-threat-2025-04-07/

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250409-survivor-recounts-israeli-attack-in-gaza-that-killed-15-aid-workers

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/15/give-us-10-minutes-how-israel-bombed-gaza-media-tower

https://theintercept.com/2023/11/21/al-shifa-hospital-hamas-israel/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/15/israel/palestine-unlawful-israeli-airstrikes-kill-civilians

https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/al-shifa-medical-complex-witnesses-one-largest-massacres-palestinian-history-enar

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/04/gaza-israeli-strike-killing-106-civilians-apparent-war-crime

https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447

‘THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY, THIS IS A REVOLUTION!’

President Ibrahim Traoré has warned against attempts by foreign forces and their agents to put a stop to Burkina Faso’s popular and progressive revolution. In this clip, he again draws attention to an alleged plot to do just that - being organised from neighbouring Ivory Coast (referred to by him here as ‘Lagoon side’ after Ébrié Lagoon). He says their plan is to make his country go again through ‘the events of ‘87’ - which saw the assassination of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, to whom Traoré has often been compared.

Continued……. Traoré also muses on the concept of democracy. He is adamant that, in the true sense of the word, it is currently inapplicable. A popular and progressive revolution such as the one he is leading right now needs to be completed first.

Since coming to power in a coup in 2022, Traoré has worked to transform the country, pushing it towards greater food sovereignty, industrialisation and overall self-determination. His international critics denounce the revolutionary process as undemocratic. These outlets and institutions focus on Traoré’s military background and decry what they deem backward ‘military rule.’

Today, the definition of democracy has become so warped that it is taken to mean simply voting in an election every 4-5 years. Little does it matter if the people have any real say in policy or are engaged in any political activities between election cycles. In a country such as the United States, thousands of people fight tirelessly against their government’s warmongering, from the Iraq invasion in 2013 to the support for Israel and its ongoing destruction of Palestinian Territories. These citizens plead and beg for universal healthcare, but all demands fall on deaf ears. We are made to believe that this is democracy because there was a vote, irrespective of how limited the options are.

Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream