Western Sahara is a full member state of the African Union, having joined the continental body on 22nd February 1982 as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Many countries and organisations throughout the world recognise the Sahrawi people’s right to live in their own state, including the United Nations General Assembly, which annually adopts a resolution affirming their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
But Morocco, backed by imperialists, says the territory belongs to it. In 2020, Trump accepted Rabat’s claim and, just recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s support. Swipe through for a breakdown of the history of Western Sahara, from colonialism to Morocco’s ongoing occupation and the brave efforts of the Sahrawi people to achieve self-determination, despite the obstacles.
But Morocco, backed by imperialists, says the territory belongs to it. In 2020, Trump accepted Rabat’s claim and, just recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s support. Swipe through for a breakdown of the history of Western Sahara, from colonialism to Morocco’s ongoing occupation and the brave efforts of the Sahrawi people to achieve self-determination, despite the obstacles.
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Continued……Sources
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-reaffirms-recognition-of-morocco-s-sovereignty-over-western-sahara/3532176
https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20220504/saharawi-arab-democratic-republic-becomes-43rd-african-union-member-state
https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/02/25/the-20-million-case-for-morocco/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/12/19/morocco-suppressing-rights-western-sahara
https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-western-sahara-conflict-on-an-evolving-african-security-landscape/
https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/western-sahara
https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%20988/volume-988-i-14450-english.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahrawi-Arab-Democratic-Republic
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-recognizing-sovereignty-kingdom-morocco-western-sahara/
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/western-sahara-sahrawi-refugees
https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/78/85
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-reaffirms-recognition-of-morocco-s-sovereignty-over-western-sahara/3532176
https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20220504/saharawi-arab-democratic-republic-becomes-43rd-african-union-member-state
https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/02/25/the-20-million-case-for-morocco/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/12/19/morocco-suppressing-rights-western-sahara
https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-western-sahara-conflict-on-an-evolving-african-security-landscape/
https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/western-sahara
https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%20988/volume-988-i-14450-english.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahrawi-Arab-Democratic-Republic
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-recognizing-sovereignty-kingdom-morocco-western-sahara/
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/western-sahara-sahrawi-refugees
https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/78/85
Anadolu Agency
US reaffirms recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara
US supports Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the 'only basis' for a 'just and lasting solution' to a dispute over the territory, Rubio tells his Moroccan counterpart
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BRAZIL'S 'O JOGO BONITO' IS ROOTED IN RACISM
Arthur Friedenreich (1892-1969), Brazil’s first mixed-race football star, faced racism while dribbling a path to becoming a legend in football.
Born to a German father and an Afro-Brazilian mother, Friedenreich rose in football when white elites dominated the sport in Brazil. Yet, they couldn't ignore Friedenreich’s talent. He revolutionised the game by introducing the iconic ‘o jogo bonito’ style, blending street football’s fluid dribbling and agility that would come to define Brazilian football.
Despite facing exclusion and brutal opposition, Friedenreich carved out a place for himself, becoming a symbol of resistance against colonially-imposed racial discrimination. His legacy set the stage for future football legends, like Pelé (1940-2022) and Neymar.
Arthur Friedenreich (1892-1969), Brazil’s first mixed-race football star, faced racism while dribbling a path to becoming a legend in football.
Born to a German father and an Afro-Brazilian mother, Friedenreich rose in football when white elites dominated the sport in Brazil. Yet, they couldn't ignore Friedenreich’s talent. He revolutionised the game by introducing the iconic ‘o jogo bonito’ style, blending street football’s fluid dribbling and agility that would come to define Brazilian football.
Despite facing exclusion and brutal opposition, Friedenreich carved out a place for himself, becoming a symbol of resistance against colonially-imposed racial discrimination. His legacy set the stage for future football legends, like Pelé (1940-2022) and Neymar.
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Continued……. Sources
https://sportsgazette.co.uk/capoeira-football-afro-brazilians-in-the-making-of-jogo-bonito
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/02/14/arthur-friedenreich-the-first-mixed-race-hero-in-brazilian-football-and-the-architect-of-their-early-glories
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/11/18/remembering-arthur-friedenrich-brazils-first-superstar
https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/research-projects/brazil/friedenreich/#:~:text=But%20his%20lasting%20impact%20lived,party%20with%20his%20white%20teammates
https://sportsgazette.co.uk/capoeira-football-afro-brazilians-in-the-making-of-jogo-bonito
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/02/14/arthur-friedenreich-the-first-mixed-race-hero-in-brazilian-football-and-the-architect-of-their-early-glories
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/11/18/remembering-arthur-friedenrich-brazils-first-superstar
https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/research-projects/brazil/friedenreich/#:~:text=But%20his%20lasting%20impact%20lived,party%20with%20his%20white%20teammates
Sports Gazette
Capoeira Football: Afro-Brazilians in the Making of Jogo Bonito - Sports Gazette
Jonny Coffey tells the story of Afro-Brazilian players Leônidas da Silva and Domingos de Guia who shaped Brazilian football as we know it.
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‘AFRICA IS NOT POOR’
What do African nations, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil all have in common? They are rich! Only the people are poor. Countries that have suffered under the boot of imperialism are not underdeveloped - they are overexploited. That line comes from American political scientist Michael Parenti. In this clip, he describes the 400-year exploitation of the Global South.
His speech - made decades ago - still resonates today. Take the nations in the resource-rich Sahel region. Following people-backed coups, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) - a pan-African, anti-imperialist confederation. Together, they’ve reasserted control over their resources and broken exploitative contracts with foreign multinationals, ensuring their natural wealth starts benefitting the people. The pan-African revolution is alive!
Sources
https://dailytitan.com/news/american-dream-is-the-nightmare-of-the-poor/article_5853d55a-a0df-5d9a-819a-f3464457ebe5.html
What do African nations, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil all have in common? They are rich! Only the people are poor. Countries that have suffered under the boot of imperialism are not underdeveloped - they are overexploited. That line comes from American political scientist Michael Parenti. In this clip, he describes the 400-year exploitation of the Global South.
His speech - made decades ago - still resonates today. Take the nations in the resource-rich Sahel region. Following people-backed coups, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) - a pan-African, anti-imperialist confederation. Together, they’ve reasserted control over their resources and broken exploitative contracts with foreign multinationals, ensuring their natural wealth starts benefitting the people. The pan-African revolution is alive!
Sources
https://dailytitan.com/news/american-dream-is-the-nightmare-of-the-poor/article_5853d55a-a0df-5d9a-819a-f3464457ebe5.html
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STOP BLAMING CHINA, THE U.S. NEEDS A REVOLUTION
In Africa today, 35% of people live in extreme poverty while many of our leaders remain Western puppets, emulating systems that have failed. China, on the other hand, over the last 40 years or so, has lifted around 800-million Chinese people out of extreme poverty. In February 2021, President Xi Jinping announced that his country - whose population is similar to that of Africa’s and around four times larger than the US’s - had fully eradicated extreme poverty, accounting for nearly 75% of global poverty reduction during this period.
In Africa today, 35% of people live in extreme poverty while many of our leaders remain Western puppets, emulating systems that have failed. China, on the other hand, over the last 40 years or so, has lifted around 800-million Chinese people out of extreme poverty. In February 2021, President Xi Jinping announced that his country - whose population is similar to that of Africa’s and around four times larger than the US’s - had fully eradicated extreme poverty, accounting for nearly 75% of global poverty reduction during this period.
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Continued….. While China's economic model has lifted its population into a growing middle class, in the US, that class has dwindled as a result of a system that benefits a wealthy few rather than the majority. Yet, China remains the target of much American public anger over economic woes. In this video, TikToker @neil778027 delves deeper into the comparison between the US and China. He explains why the US struggles with crumbling infrastructure, rising healthcare costs, educational barriers (student-loan debt totalled $1.777 trillion in 2024), growing income inequalities and limited social mobility. Meanwhile, China’s economic model is designed to transform the daily lives of its citizens through better infrastructure, healthcare Washington invests more in imperialism - under the guise of 'defence' - and military might than it does on social programmes to improve the livelihoods of Americans at home. Consequently, it has played a prominent role in the destabilisation of countries of the Global South, such as the Congo, where a US- and Belgian-backed assassination k*lled the country's revolutionary leader, Patrice Lumumba.
As African countries continue to chart a path for their own economies, perhaps it is time to stop relying on Western debt and remember that there are other socio-political and economic models, beyond Western capitalist ones, that are built around the needs of the majority.
Video Credit: @neil778027 (TikTok)
Sources
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/04/01/lifting-800-million-people-out-of-poverty-new-report-looks-at-lessons-from-china-s-experience
http://english.scio.gov.cn/40_years_of_poverty_alleviation/node_8009363.htm
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1257339.shtml
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56194622
https://amro-asia.org/an-exemplary-journey-in-eradicating-poverty
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/americas-housing-affordability-crisis-and-the-decline-of-housing-supply/
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/a-1-trillion-defense-budget-trump-hegseth-say-its-happening/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jlim/2016/08/29/why-china-doesnt-have-a-student-debt-problem/
https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-statistics
https://www.damemagazine.com/2022/01/20/its-time-to-wake-up-america/
https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/pixels-of-progress-chapter-5
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-21/inside-the-rise-of-us-oligarchs/104622344
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/fragility-and-poverty-sub-saharan-africa-two-sides-same-coin#:~:text=In%202019%2C%2035%20percent%20of%20the%20population,percent%20in%20East%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific.&text=For%20the%202019%20calendar%20year%2C%20their%20income,%2D%20$12535%2C%20and%20greater%20than%20$12535%2C%20respectively. and education.
As African countries continue to chart a path for their own economies, perhaps it is time to stop relying on Western debt and remember that there are other socio-political and economic models, beyond Western capitalist ones, that are built around the needs of the majority.
Video Credit: @neil778027 (TikTok)
Sources
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/04/01/lifting-800-million-people-out-of-poverty-new-report-looks-at-lessons-from-china-s-experience
http://english.scio.gov.cn/40_years_of_poverty_alleviation/node_8009363.htm
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1257339.shtml
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56194622
https://amro-asia.org/an-exemplary-journey-in-eradicating-poverty
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/americas-housing-affordability-crisis-and-the-decline-of-housing-supply/
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/a-1-trillion-defense-budget-trump-hegseth-say-its-happening/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jlim/2016/08/29/why-china-doesnt-have-a-student-debt-problem/
https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-statistics
https://www.damemagazine.com/2022/01/20/its-time-to-wake-up-america/
https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/pixels-of-progress-chapter-5
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-21/inside-the-rise-of-us-oligarchs/104622344
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/fragility-and-poverty-sub-saharan-africa-two-sides-same-coin#:~:text=In%202019%2C%2035%20percent%20of%20the%20population,percent%20in%20East%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific.&text=For%20the%202019%20calendar%20year%2C%20their%20income,%2D%20$12535%2C%20and%20greater%20than%20$12535%2C%20respectively. and education.
World Bank
Lifting 800 Million People Out of Poverty – New Report Looks at Lessons from China’s Experience
Over the past 40 years, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for more than 75 percent of global poverty reduction in the same period, according to a new report released on Thursday.
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WHY FRANCE OWES HAITI
Haiti’s present woes are often looked at without reference to the historic injustices it has suffered or the West’s relentless meddling in its political and economic affairs. Together, these factor have led to the crisis engulfing the nation today.
In our video, African Stream’s @Sannario_ takes a journey back to 200 years ago, when Haitians - after fiercely fighting for their freedom - were forced to pay their former slave masters. The Haitian Indemnity Agreement is a colonial ransom that Haiti spent over 120 years paying as punishment for daring to demand dignity. This amounted to a staggering $20 billion in today’s money, which could have transformed the first Black-led republic into a flourishing nation - but was instead used to trap it in a cycle of turmoil.
Haiti’s present woes are often looked at without reference to the historic injustices it has suffered or the West’s relentless meddling in its political and economic affairs. Together, these factor have led to the crisis engulfing the nation today.
In our video, African Stream’s @Sannario_ takes a journey back to 200 years ago, when Haitians - after fiercely fighting for their freedom - were forced to pay their former slave masters. The Haitian Indemnity Agreement is a colonial ransom that Haiti spent over 120 years paying as punishment for daring to demand dignity. This amounted to a staggering $20 billion in today’s money, which could have transformed the first Black-led republic into a flourishing nation - but was instead used to trap it in a cycle of turmoil.
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Continued………Now, on the 200th anniversary of this injustice, the calls for justice grow louder and are making it clear that it’s France that is in fact indebted to Haiti - not the other way around!
This isn’t just about the past. It’s about colonial reparations, historical accountability and the right of Black nations to thrive.
Sources:
https://aaregistry.org/story/the-haitian-indemnity-ocurrs/
https://heritage.bnf.fr/france-ameriques/en/haitis-independence-debt-slave-unit-account-1794-1922
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/05/1042518732/-the-greatest-heist-in-history-how-haiti-was-forced-to-pay-reparations-for-freed
https://www.wnyc.org/story/a-painful-anniversary-puts-renewed-focus-on-haitis-demands-for-reparations-from-france/
https://theconversation.com/200-years-ago-france-extorted-haiti-in-one-of-historys-greatest-heists-and-haitians-want-reparations-254550
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250417-haiti-independence-ransom-macron-offers-truth-haitians-want-reparations-slavery
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162406
https://www.theafricareport.com/32162/when-haiti-paid-france-for-freedom-the-greatest-heist-in-history/
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/haiti-france-reparations-slavery/tnamp/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-naomi-osaka-shares-strongly-worded-message-haiti-s-independence-debt-french-lawmaker-s-demand-statue-liberty-return
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/haiti
This isn’t just about the past. It’s about colonial reparations, historical accountability and the right of Black nations to thrive.
Sources:
https://aaregistry.org/story/the-haitian-indemnity-ocurrs/
https://heritage.bnf.fr/france-ameriques/en/haitis-independence-debt-slave-unit-account-1794-1922
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/05/1042518732/-the-greatest-heist-in-history-how-haiti-was-forced-to-pay-reparations-for-freed
https://www.wnyc.org/story/a-painful-anniversary-puts-renewed-focus-on-haitis-demands-for-reparations-from-france/
https://theconversation.com/200-years-ago-france-extorted-haiti-in-one-of-historys-greatest-heists-and-haitians-want-reparations-254550
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250417-haiti-independence-ransom-macron-offers-truth-haitians-want-reparations-slavery
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162406
https://www.theafricareport.com/32162/when-haiti-paid-france-for-freedom-the-greatest-heist-in-history/
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/haiti-france-reparations-slavery/tnamp/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-naomi-osaka-shares-strongly-worded-message-haiti-s-independence-debt-french-lawmaker-s-demand-statue-liberty-return
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/haiti
African American Registry
The Haitian Indemnity Ocurrs
*On this date in 1825, Haiti signed the Ordinance of King Charles X. Often called the Haiti Indemnity, this was a controversial agreement between Haiti and France where France demanded an indemnity of 150 million francs from Haiti in claims over property…
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WHY ARE REPARATIONS IMPORTANT?
Research confirms the European Slave Trade caused long-term, measurable damage to Africa. Over 12.5 million people were stolen—kidnapped, trafficked and enslaved—to build empires that now preach ‘human rights.’ The poorest regions in Africa today are those from which most Africans were taken, a legacy of violence that’s been met with apologies, but no justice.
In 2023, Caribbean states demanded $33 trillion in reparations based on an independent consulting firm’s calculations. While some European leaders have issued apologies, they have argued they shouldn’t be held accountable for historical crimes, even though those atrocities laid the foundation of their currently prospering economies. Germany offered over $1 billion to Namibia, but only on the basis that the southern African country explained how it would use the funds.
Research confirms the European Slave Trade caused long-term, measurable damage to Africa. Over 12.5 million people were stolen—kidnapped, trafficked and enslaved—to build empires that now preach ‘human rights.’ The poorest regions in Africa today are those from which most Africans were taken, a legacy of violence that’s been met with apologies, but no justice.
In 2023, Caribbean states demanded $33 trillion in reparations based on an independent consulting firm’s calculations. While some European leaders have issued apologies, they have argued they shouldn’t be held accountable for historical crimes, even though those atrocities laid the foundation of their currently prospering economies. Germany offered over $1 billion to Namibia, but only on the basis that the southern African country explained how it would use the funds.
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Continued……. Meanwhile, other groups, like Japanese in the US and Jews, have received reparations on no conditions.
Would this be a good topic for a university course, ‘Hypocrisy 101: How Europe Profited from Slavery, Then Pretended It Had Nothing to Do With It’? Let us know in the comments.
Sources
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/caribbean-countries-seek-trillion-slavery-reparations-b1106585.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlnrjd3087o
https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230705-france-s-top-court-denies-appeal-for-reparations-by-descendants-of-slaves
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20171204-macron-rules-out-reparations-colonialism
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/slavery-reparations-britain-mp-ignore-b2433013.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/british-lawmakers-accuse-starmer-colonial-mindset-slavery-reparations-debate-2024-10-27/
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/rising-populism-should-not-stop-discussions-reparations-says-african-union-2025-04-08/?taid=67f5bf9a9c16590001598302
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/rising-populism-should-not-stop-discussions-reparations-says-african-union-2025-04-08/?taid=67f5bf9a9c16590001598302
https://africarenewal.un.org/en/magazine/reflecting-brutal-transatlantic-slave-trade
https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-894?p=emailAcOX7bY4qQIl.&d=/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-894
https://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/ijird_ojs/article/download/132947/92154/323032?__cf_chl_tk=0Pgeq11L7YV5I7BxZzKgWYfrPEcxUnhzQ.DegQWhn8A-1745303054-1.0.1.1-y9jUmWuEcoyaIMq8m1urX7KKrzGcDSQPo2kL36p0zYA
https://www.dw.com/en/portugal-says-no-plans-to-pay-colonial-reparations/a-68939449
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/king-apologises-netherlands-historic-role-slavery-2023-07-01/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/king-apologises-netherlands-historic-role-slavery-2023-07-01
https://www.fairplanet.org/story/namibians-unimpressed-with-germanys-compensation-offer-for-colonial-genocide
Would this be a good topic for a university course, ‘Hypocrisy 101: How Europe Profited from Slavery, Then Pretended It Had Nothing to Do With It’? Let us know in the comments.
Sources
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/caribbean-countries-seek-trillion-slavery-reparations-b1106585.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlnrjd3087o
https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230705-france-s-top-court-denies-appeal-for-reparations-by-descendants-of-slaves
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20171204-macron-rules-out-reparations-colonialism
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/slavery-reparations-britain-mp-ignore-b2433013.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/british-lawmakers-accuse-starmer-colonial-mindset-slavery-reparations-debate-2024-10-27/
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/rising-populism-should-not-stop-discussions-reparations-says-african-union-2025-04-08/?taid=67f5bf9a9c16590001598302
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/rising-populism-should-not-stop-discussions-reparations-says-african-union-2025-04-08/?taid=67f5bf9a9c16590001598302
https://africarenewal.un.org/en/magazine/reflecting-brutal-transatlantic-slave-trade
https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-894?p=emailAcOX7bY4qQIl.&d=/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-894
https://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/ijird_ojs/article/download/132947/92154/323032?__cf_chl_tk=0Pgeq11L7YV5I7BxZzKgWYfrPEcxUnhzQ.DegQWhn8A-1745303054-1.0.1.1-y9jUmWuEcoyaIMq8m1urX7KKrzGcDSQPo2kL36p0zYA
https://www.dw.com/en/portugal-says-no-plans-to-pay-colonial-reparations/a-68939449
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/king-apologises-netherlands-historic-role-slavery-2023-07-01/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/king-apologises-netherlands-historic-role-slavery-2023-07-01
https://www.fairplanet.org/story/namibians-unimpressed-with-germanys-compensation-offer-for-colonial-genocide
The Standard
Caribbean countries to seek $33 trillion in slavery reparations
Bloc of 15 countries to seek formal apology and financial settlement from European nations
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