CHIMAMANDA ON GAZA: DON’T SKIP THE BEGINNING!

In her 4 April 2025 interview with Al Jazeera’s Redi Tlhabi (@reditlhabi on X), award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (@chimamandareal on X) didn’t just talk about her new novel, ‘Dream Count.’ She also tore into Israel’s ongoing massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.

According to medical journal The Lancet, Israel’s US-backed onslaught on Gaza had killed an estimated 186,000 people by July 2024. In a 5 April 2025 statement, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that Israel’s massacres since 7 October 2023, have left nearly 40,000 Gazan children orphaned, with over a third losing both parents. The orphan crisis in Gaza today is the largest in modern history, according to PCBS President Dr. Ola Awad.

Continued…….. Adichie expressed disbelief at how world powers who have the capacity to bring the ‘mass murder’ of civilians to an end, sit and watch the carnage continue, while constructing narratives that justify the indiscriminate targeting of an entire population. She warned that ‘the danger of a single story’ can be observed in the manner that the Palestinian narrative is often told, where campaigns by H*mas are emphasised, but not the decades of ethnic cleansing and occupation that came before them. This, she said, would be like beginning the story of Native Americans without first telling of European invasion and the g*nocide of Native Americans on their land.

Chimamanda’s remarks serve as a timely reminder that the story of Palestine does not begin with 7 October 2023, but dates back to events like the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the Nakba of 1947-49, and the subsequent theft, occupation and blockade of Palestinian territories.

Video credit: @ajenglish (x)

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqA3vvZPhOo

https://www.google.co.ke/books/edition/Dream_Count/y-4jEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA4&printsec=frontcover

https://www.aaiusa.org/library/history-didnt-begin-or-end-on-october-7th

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/11/2/more-than-a-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-explained

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

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext

https://www.science.org/content/article/native-tribes-have-lost-99-their-land-united-states

For almost two years now, Sudan has been torn apart by war. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, with millions uprooted. Vital infrastructure lies in ruins and the threat of widespread famine is looming. The cause of all this misery is the years of unaddressed political turmoil, including ethnic and political rifts that that outside powers were then able to exploit. Sudan’s roots were decaying - and now death has spread to its branches.

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

AFRICAN STREAM IN ERITREA VIDEO BLOG PART 2

Some call Eritrea the North Korea of Africa, although often, those people haven't visited either country. African Stream was fortunate to see Eritrea's capital, Asmara, to understand the country's character better, see the sights and sounds, and get a glimpse of what the country is like beyond the lazy Western mainstream caricature depictions. In this second instalment of our video blog, we leave the hustle and bustle of Asmara nightlife behind (see part 1!) to check out some history at a war museum and cemetery, take in some spectacular mountainous panoramas from up high, and look at religious life outside an orthodox cathedral. Let us know what you think and where we should visit in Eritrea next.

CONTENT MODERATORS SUE META IN KENYA FOR TRAUMA

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is currently facing trial in Kenya for allegedly infringing on workers’ rights, in a landmark case highlighting persistent exploitation of Africans at the hands of powerful Western companies.

Since 2022, Meta has been slapped with a series of lawsuits by former content moderators who allege a third-party company, Sama, discriminated against them and arbitrarily terminated their contracts after they demanded for better working conditions. The tech giant argued that a Kenyan court has no jurisdiction over a US company, but last September, the High Court ruled the case can proceed to trial. Behind every flagged piece of content on your feed are workers who were exposed to disturbing imagery - violent assaults, child abuse, torture and sexual violence, for hours on end, without mental health support.

Continued…….. President William Ruto’s administration has bent over backwards to attract global tech firms, even when it means eroding worker protections. Industry players say strong ethical practices and labour laws are needed to protect locals from exploitation. Kenya Tech Workers United, an umbrella body of tech workers, has decried proposed changes to laws governing the country’s digital economy, saying they are designed to shield the likes of Meta at their expense.

Meta ceased its partnership with Sama in January, but former employees are still battling mental health conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression due to working in what a civil-rights activist describes as ‘AI sweatshops.’

Sama came under fire in 2024 after a US television programme, ‘60 Minutes’ (CBS News), exposed deplorable work conditions and low pay at its Kenyan operations. Workers reportedly earned $2 an hour instead of the agreed-to $12.50 per hour.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/why-former-facebook-moderators-in-kenya-are-taking-legal-action

https://nation.africa/kenya/business/kenya-s-digital-workers-proposals-that-shield-tech-giants-4840270

https://nation.africa/kenya/business/technology/dark-reality-of-content-moderation-meta-sued-for-poor-work-conditions-4165190

https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/4/1/african-workers-are-taking-on-meta-and-the-world-should-pay-attention

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Kenyan-workers-win-High-Court-appeal-to-take-Meta-to-trial

SUDAN DRAGS UAE TO ICJ OVER G*NOCIDE

On 10 April, Sudan’s representatives argued before the International Court of Justice that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is complicit in the g*nocide of the non-Arab Masalit people, citing the UAE’s documented support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia held responsible for atrocities in West Darfur. 

Sudan’s acting justice minister claimed the UAE’s backing enabled these acts, and the Sudanese government is now seeking emergency measures to force the UAE to halt its involvement. 

Continued……..
While the UAE denies all accusations, UN reports and international observers have linked Abu Dhabi to arms shipments and logistical support for the RSF, fueling a conflict that had reportedly k*lled up to 150,000 people by May 2024 and displaced 28 per cent of Sudan’s population.

Evidence presented included reports identifying UAE-operated hubs at Chad’s Amdjarass and N’Djamena airports. Over 170 flights have reportedly transported arms and equipment, implicating not only the UAE but several other African countries. Companies linked to RSF figures have reportedly procured weapons and vehicles from the UAE, later modified for combat use.

The same UAE accused of propping up the RSF is also courting deals across Africa, involving ports, telecommunications, mines, energy, farmlands, and financial and military aid, according to the Transnational Institute.

Sources

https://www.africanews.com/2025/04/10/sudan-accuses-uae-of-contributing-to-genocide

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j9j72lvdvo

https://youtu.be/egnRcCedlXM

https://archive.ph/OkgaW

https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/conflict-resources/how-the-rsf-got-their-4x4-technicals-the-open-source-intelligence-techniques-behind-our-sudan-expose

https://x.com/zamzamafg/status/1904950948167819268

https://x.com/saroyahx/status/1909686513358557221

https://www.tni.org/en/article/the-emerging-sub-imperial-role-of-the-united-arab-emirates-in-africa

ALGERIA AND MALI’S ONCE-REVOLUTIONARY FRIENDSHIP

Mali and Algeria have entered into a diplomatic spat, recalling their ambassadors and closing their airspace after a Malian drone was shot down by the Algerian Air Force along their border on the night between 31 March and 1 April.

However, following the recently commemorated 13th death anniversary of revolutionary Algerian leader Ahmed Ben Bella (1916-2012), we remember a different history between the two countries, one marked by revolutionary Pan-Africanist fervour and friendship.

Sources

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/algeria-bars-flights-mali-due-recurrent-violations-air-space-state-tv-says-2025-04-07/

https://actuniger.com/international/20914-crise-aerienne-et-diplomatique-alger-et-bamako-ferment-mutuellement-leurs-espaces-aeriens-la-tension-monte-dun-cran.html

https://news.1rj.ru/str/InfosAes/6014

https://news.1rj.ru/str/InfosAes/6018

Continued……Sources

https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/Press_En_ChildDay05042025E.pdf

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2585353/middle-east

https://www.unicef.org/sop/stories/without-immediate-food-and-aid-lives-gazas-children-hang-balance

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/gaza-strip-ipc-report-sep24-apr25/

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FACES CRITICISM OVER GAZA INACTION

In a passionate speech, Irish member of the European Parliament (MEP) Aodhán Ó Ríordáin condemned EU inaction amidst Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza that had k*lled as many as 186,000 Palestinians by July 2024, according to the British medical journal, The Lancet.

Ríordáin unleashed the fiery presentation during a plenary debate where MEPs debated the future of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This political and trade accord requires Israel to obey international human-rights laws.

MEPs called for the suspension of the agreement after reports of Israeli troops gunning down and burying 15 Red Crescent aid workers and their vehicles in a collective grave at Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital. Reports say they were last seen on 23 March.

Continued…. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified airstrikes, enforced large-scale evacuations and imposed movement restrictions within the West Bank. Despite a 19 January ceasefire, Israel has also denied humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, and more than 1,000 medical personnel have been k*lled since 8 October 2023.

While some MEPs have demanded the EU cut funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that no other organisation has the capacity or mandate to do its life-saving work.

Ríordáin also blasted Germany’s deportation of two Irish nationals, Roberta Murray and Shane O’Brien, for participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Video credit: @Europarl_EN (X)

Sources

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/algeria-bars-flights-mali-due-recurrent-violations-air-space-state-tv-says-2025-04-07/

https://actuniger.com/international/20914-crise-aerienne-et-diplomatique-alger-et-bamako-ferment-mutuellement-leurs-espaces-aeriens-la-tension-monte-dun-cran.html

https://news.1rj.ru/str/InfosAes/6014

https://news.1rj.ru/str/InfosAes/6018

SUDAN'S UNFINISHED REVOLUTION PART 1: THE STORY BEHIND SUDAN'S PROXY WAR!

Today marks 2 years since the world's worst humanitarian crisis recorded began. The Sudanese proxy war, which started on April 15, 2023, has resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis, with nearly 14 million people displaced. Over 9.6 million have been displaced within Sudan, and nearly 4 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. The conflict has led to a significant increase in deaths, with estimates suggesting a potentially much higher death toll than previously reported. Additionally, the war has caused widespread destruction, severely impacting infrastructure and essential services. 

Continued……Yet the routes of this tragic war go back to the unfinished Sudanese revolution that began in December 2018, a popular uprising in Sudan led by women that made global headlines and inspired activists worldwide. Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir was forced to step down. However, the rest of the Sudanese military refused to relinquish control, causing a power-sharing agreement with a transitional civilian government to collapse. But that wasn't enough for Sudan's army generals and the leaders of the largest paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who once again took control of the Sudanese state in a military coup. However, that was not the end of the torment for the Sudanese people but rather the start of a new, terrifying beginning, as tensions between the Sudanese Army and the RSF began to boil, culminating in a bloody fight for power that broke out on April 15, 2023.

African Stream's CEO and Founder, Ahmed Kaballo, filmed this documentary in 2020 and released it in 2021, years before the conflict broke out. But the documentary touches on the conditions that led to this terrible war that has caused so much misery for the people of Sudan. Please watch and give us your thoughts. (All rights reserved to Aparat Media Productions.)

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MALIANS PROTEST ALGERIAN HOSTILITY

Hundreds of people recently gathered in the streets of Bamako, calling for an official apology from Algeria - for shooting down a Malian drone. Like their government, the protesters say the action was hostile and violated Mali’s sovereignty. Algiers says the drone had strayed 2 km into its territory, but Bamako insists it was patrolling 10 km away from the border, on the Malian side. Both countries have recalled their ambassadors, with Mali’s AES allies Burkina Faso and Niger doing the same in solidarity.

Behind the scenes, this is very good news for France - and, by extension, NATO. The three AES countries have explicitly rejected Western military presence and influence, expelling French troops and accusing France and the US of sponsoring terrorism to maintain chaos and access to natural resources. A divided region plays straight into the West’s playbook.

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