Bill Gates has faced criticism lately for his philanthropy rooted in capitalism, but the 69-year-old has managed to polish up his image somewhat after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu awarded him one of the nation’s highest National Honours. Or is it?
Tinubu asserts that Gates has excelled in serving humanity, even though the businessman firmly believes in the ‘power of private markets’—or, more bluntly, extractive capitalism that prioritises profits above everything else. Gates has poured billions of dollars into Africa, including Nigeria, supposedly to help the poor. Still, the funds ultimately end up in the pockets of Western corporations and research firms, which dictate the solutions to our health, agricultural, and economic challenges.
Tinubu asserts that Gates has excelled in serving humanity, even though the businessman firmly believes in the ‘power of private markets’—or, more bluntly, extractive capitalism that prioritises profits above everything else. Gates has poured billions of dollars into Africa, including Nigeria, supposedly to help the poor. Still, the funds ultimately end up in the pockets of Western corporations and research firms, which dictate the solutions to our health, agricultural, and economic challenges.
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Continued……. For some perspective, Nigeria is ranked 110th out of 127 on the Global Hunger Index, with 18 percent of its population deemed undernourished. Yet, Gates has reportedly invested $2 billion in Nigeria for health, agriculture, and digital innovation. A UN report highlights that Nigeria is the most dangerous place for a woman to give birth, contributing to 29 percent of global maternal deaths, a direct result of Abuja’s persistent healthcare underfunding. Moreover, insecurity issues are partly fueled by foreign interference, as US Congressman Scott Perry revealed that the USAID funnelled funds to the terrorist group Boko Haram.
The many challenges Nigeria faces are rooted in a history of colonisation and the subservience of post-independence ruling classes to imperialist agendas. For instance, in 2023, as the chairman of the regional bloc ECOWAS, Tinubu sided with France against Niger, imposing sanctions and threatening invasion to suppress the people-led anti-imperialist movement that had ousted the French. Instead of prioritising his citizens, he aligns with imperialists while cracking down on those who protest against a severe cost-of-living crisis.
While Gates has added another accolade to his collection, millions of Nigerians are left wondering where their next meal will come from.
Sources
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/nigeria-honors-billionaire-bill-gates-with-major-national-award/0gk67hw
https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2025/06/04/tinubus-surprise-move-why-bill-gates-just-got-nigerias-cfr-award/
https://statehouse.gov.ng/news/president-tinubu-confers-national-honour-on-bill-gates-an-inspiration-to-leaders/
https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2022/07/how-bill-gates-makes-the-world-worse-off
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287426876_Philanthrocapitalism_Past_and_Present_The_Rockefeller_Foundation_the_Gates_Foundation_and_the_Settings_of_the_InternationalGlobal_Health_Agenda
https://www.gatesnotes.com/the-power-of-catalytic-philanthropy
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bill-gates-should-stop-telling-africans-what-kind-of-agriculture-africans-need1/
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2008/01/$306-million-commitment-to-agricultural-development
https://grain.org/en/article/6690-how-the-gates-foundation-is-driving-the-food-system-in-the-wrong-direction
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=annlsurvey
https://www.globalhungerindex.org/nigeria.html
The many challenges Nigeria faces are rooted in a history of colonisation and the subservience of post-independence ruling classes to imperialist agendas. For instance, in 2023, as the chairman of the regional bloc ECOWAS, Tinubu sided with France against Niger, imposing sanctions and threatening invasion to suppress the people-led anti-imperialist movement that had ousted the French. Instead of prioritising his citizens, he aligns with imperialists while cracking down on those who protest against a severe cost-of-living crisis.
While Gates has added another accolade to his collection, millions of Nigerians are left wondering where their next meal will come from.
Sources
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/nigeria-honors-billionaire-bill-gates-with-major-national-award/0gk67hw
https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2025/06/04/tinubus-surprise-move-why-bill-gates-just-got-nigerias-cfr-award/
https://statehouse.gov.ng/news/president-tinubu-confers-national-honour-on-bill-gates-an-inspiration-to-leaders/
https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2022/07/how-bill-gates-makes-the-world-worse-off
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287426876_Philanthrocapitalism_Past_and_Present_The_Rockefeller_Foundation_the_Gates_Foundation_and_the_Settings_of_the_InternationalGlobal_Health_Agenda
https://www.gatesnotes.com/the-power-of-catalytic-philanthropy
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bill-gates-should-stop-telling-africans-what-kind-of-agriculture-africans-need1/
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2008/01/$306-million-commitment-to-agricultural-development
https://grain.org/en/article/6690-how-the-gates-foundation-is-driving-the-food-system-in-the-wrong-direction
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=annlsurvey
https://www.globalhungerindex.org/nigeria.html
Business Insider Africa
Nigeria honors billionaire Bill Gates with major national award
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on American billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, in recognition of his long-standing contributions to global…
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ANGELA DAVIS DEFENDS PALESTINE
On 4 June 1972, an all-white jury acquitted Black activist and scholar Angela Davis (@_angeladavis1944 on IG) of allegedly supplying weapons used in a fatal courtroom takeover in California. The trial lasted 13 weeks to consider charges including murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. However, the prosecution had failed to prove she had participated in planning or executing the act.
Today, on the 53rd anniversary of her acquittal, check out 81-year-old Davis’ perspective on one of the most pressing crises of our time. This elder has long stood up in the United States for the liberation of Palestine, understanding the connection between the Palestinian liberation struggle and the liberation of Black people in the United States and humanity as a whole. Davis became especially vocal in 2011, when she participated in a delegation and witnessed the horrors of Israeli occupation and settler colonialism.
On 4 June 1972, an all-white jury acquitted Black activist and scholar Angela Davis (@_angeladavis1944 on IG) of allegedly supplying weapons used in a fatal courtroom takeover in California. The trial lasted 13 weeks to consider charges including murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. However, the prosecution had failed to prove she had participated in planning or executing the act.
Today, on the 53rd anniversary of her acquittal, check out 81-year-old Davis’ perspective on one of the most pressing crises of our time. This elder has long stood up in the United States for the liberation of Palestine, understanding the connection between the Palestinian liberation struggle and the liberation of Black people in the United States and humanity as a whole. Davis became especially vocal in 2011, when she participated in a delegation and witnessed the horrors of Israeli occupation and settler colonialism.
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Continued……. In this 27 October 2023 clip, Davis spoke with pro-Palestine activist and academic Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill on IG), who hosts Al Jazeera’s ‘UpFront.’ She quoted Black poet, essayist and activist June Jordan (1936-2002), who stood up for Palestine during the 1960s and 1970s, when so few in the United States did so. ‘Palestine,’ Davis said, ‘is a moral litmus test.’ Furthermore, she highlighted stark parallels between apartheid South Africa and Occupied Palestine. Israel had provided the apartheid state with various forms of support. In turn, the Zi*nist state learned from apartheid South Africa to perfect its violent methods. No wonder Davis also pointed out South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela’s (1918-2013) vocal opposition to the Israeli oppression of Palestine.
Let us know if you agree with Davis.
Video credit: @ajeupfront on IG / @aljazeeraenglish on IG
Sources
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/08/home/davis-acquit.html
Let us know if you agree with Davis.
Video credit: @ajeupfront on IG / @aljazeeraenglish on IG
Sources
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/08/home/davis-acquit.html
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SUDAN: REMEMBERING THE 2019 KHARTOUM MASSACRE
This week marks six years since peaceful Sudanese demonstrators were brutally k*lled while staging a sit-in protest on 3 June 2019 at the army headquarters, chanting slogans such as ‘Freedom, Peace and Justice’. The now-infamous Khartoum Massacre was carried out by the United Arab Emirates-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, while the Sudanese army, which was aligned with the militia at the time, stood by and did nothing to protect the civilians.
After the movement ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the predominantly young protesters refused to return home, demanding a civilian-led transitional government and the complete dismantling of the authoritarian regime’s security apparatus.
This week marks six years since peaceful Sudanese demonstrators were brutally k*lled while staging a sit-in protest on 3 June 2019 at the army headquarters, chanting slogans such as ‘Freedom, Peace and Justice’. The now-infamous Khartoum Massacre was carried out by the United Arab Emirates-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, while the Sudanese army, which was aligned with the militia at the time, stood by and did nothing to protect the civilians.
After the movement ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the predominantly young protesters refused to return home, demanding a civilian-led transitional government and the complete dismantling of the authoritarian regime’s security apparatus.
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Continued….. They turned the perimeter of the army headquarters into a lively space of resistance, civic education, art, and a united front embodying the hopes of all Sudanese for a democratic country.
Tragically, the RSF r*ped and k*lled many civilians, throwing bodies into the Nile River that later resurfaced. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under the Transitional Military Council (TMC), invited the RSF into the capital city to reinforce and coordinate the violent and premeditated crackdown aimed at forcibly dispersing the sit-in and crushing the pro-democracy movement.
African Stream Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Kaballo’s 2019 documentary sheds light on the massacre, during which extreme violence is estimated to have lasted between 3 and 18 June. Witness testimonies he gathered at the time placed the death toll at 127, with more than 70 cases of r*pe and at least 40 bodies thrown into the Nile. However, other sources suggest these numbers may have been underestimated, primarily due to the Transitional Military Council forces suppressing evidence.
In this clip, we hear from witnesses and see only snippets of the violence that ensued when a generation determined to reclaim their country’s trajectory faced forces using violence to maintain a system that does not reflect the people’s aspirations.
Watch the full documentary on Kaballo’s YouTube channel (@ahmedkaballo4170).
Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/6/3/what-was-the-khartoum-massacre-marked-by-sudans-activists
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/11/18/they-were-shouting-kill-them/sudans-violent-crackdown-protesters-khartoum
https://phr.org/our-work/resources/chaos-and-fire-an-analysis-of-sudans-june-3-2019-khartoum-massacre/
https://humanrights.berkeley.edu/projects/verifying-sudans-khartoum-massacre/
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/11/18/they-were-shouting-kill-them/sudans-violent-crackdown-protesters-khartoum
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/02/sudan-justice-june-3-crackdown-delayed
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/3/6/sudans-june-crackdown-may-have-killed-241-people-rights-group
Tragically, the RSF r*ped and k*lled many civilians, throwing bodies into the Nile River that later resurfaced. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under the Transitional Military Council (TMC), invited the RSF into the capital city to reinforce and coordinate the violent and premeditated crackdown aimed at forcibly dispersing the sit-in and crushing the pro-democracy movement.
African Stream Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Kaballo’s 2019 documentary sheds light on the massacre, during which extreme violence is estimated to have lasted between 3 and 18 June. Witness testimonies he gathered at the time placed the death toll at 127, with more than 70 cases of r*pe and at least 40 bodies thrown into the Nile. However, other sources suggest these numbers may have been underestimated, primarily due to the Transitional Military Council forces suppressing evidence.
In this clip, we hear from witnesses and see only snippets of the violence that ensued when a generation determined to reclaim their country’s trajectory faced forces using violence to maintain a system that does not reflect the people’s aspirations.
Watch the full documentary on Kaballo’s YouTube channel (@ahmedkaballo4170).
Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/6/3/what-was-the-khartoum-massacre-marked-by-sudans-activists
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/11/18/they-were-shouting-kill-them/sudans-violent-crackdown-protesters-khartoum
https://phr.org/our-work/resources/chaos-and-fire-an-analysis-of-sudans-june-3-2019-khartoum-massacre/
https://humanrights.berkeley.edu/projects/verifying-sudans-khartoum-massacre/
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/11/18/they-were-shouting-kill-them/sudans-violent-crackdown-protesters-khartoum
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/02/sudan-justice-june-3-crackdown-delayed
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/3/6/sudans-june-crackdown-may-have-killed-241-people-rights-group
Al Jazeera
Sudan’s activists mark ‘Khartoum Massacre’. Here’s what happened
Killings of at least 120 pro-democracy protesters in 2019 were a flashpoint between activists and the military.
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THE REAL PAN-AFRICANISM
Pan-Africanism is more than just continental solidarity and cultural kinship.
Kambale Musavuli, one of the leading political and cultural voices from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), argues that the true essence of Pan-Africanism, particularly as forged at the Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester in 1945, transcends mere sentimental unity and involves a concrete strategy for total liberation and development.
Kambale reminds us that the motivation for the Pan-Africanism of 1945 was unequivocally clear: it was not "unity for the sake of unity." Instead, it was a direct response to the systemic deprivation of African people and the relentless exploitation of the continent's vast natural resources.
Pan-Africanism is more than just continental solidarity and cultural kinship.
Kambale Musavuli, one of the leading political and cultural voices from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), argues that the true essence of Pan-Africanism, particularly as forged at the Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester in 1945, transcends mere sentimental unity and involves a concrete strategy for total liberation and development.
Kambale reminds us that the motivation for the Pan-Africanism of 1945 was unequivocally clear: it was not "unity for the sake of unity." Instead, it was a direct response to the systemic deprivation of African people and the relentless exploitation of the continent's vast natural resources.
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Continued……. 80 years later, there is an urgent need to rediscover and implement the commitment to economic justice and self-determination championed by Pan-Africanists such as W.E.B. Du Bois, George Padmore, and Kwame Nkrumah. Kambale's message is that we need to discard forms of Pan-Africanism that prioritise political rhetoric over real improvements in the lives of ordinary Africans.
Authentic Pan-Africanism means a call to action: to harness the continent's wealth for the benefit of its own people. A visible sign of its resurgence can be seen in the alliance of Sahel States (AES) of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The trio are leading the way in reclaiming our sovereignty and control over our resources. They have booted French and US troops, they are nationalising resources, and they are consolidating their security and foreign affairs.
With the AES, Africa now has a tangible example of real Pan-Africanism–one that aims for the betterment of our people in terms of peace, justice, and prosperity.
Video credit: AfroDominion Media
Authentic Pan-Africanism means a call to action: to harness the continent's wealth for the benefit of its own people. A visible sign of its resurgence can be seen in the alliance of Sahel States (AES) of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The trio are leading the way in reclaiming our sovereignty and control over our resources. They have booted French and US troops, they are nationalising resources, and they are consolidating their security and foreign affairs.
With the AES, Africa now has a tangible example of real Pan-Africanism–one that aims for the betterment of our people in terms of peace, justice, and prosperity.
Video credit: AfroDominion Media
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WAS COLONIALISM BENEFICIAL | WE REACT
Was colonialism beneficial to its victims? We respond to a GB News panel (@GBNEWS on X) that cited education, transportation, and sanitation as reasons to be thankful to European colonisers.
In reality, looking at the advanced systems of education and society in places like Mali, Uganda, and Kenya, it is evident that colonialism robbed Africa of much more than it supposedly bestowed. Its disastrous impact on human lives and erasure of systems of knowledge and culture further provide a damning indictment of their claims.
Have a watch, and please share your thoughts.
Was colonialism beneficial to its victims? We respond to a GB News panel (@GBNEWS on X) that cited education, transportation, and sanitation as reasons to be thankful to European colonisers.
In reality, looking at the advanced systems of education and society in places like Mali, Uganda, and Kenya, it is evident that colonialism robbed Africa of much more than it supposedly bestowed. Its disastrous impact on human lives and erasure of systems of knowledge and culture further provide a damning indictment of their claims.
Have a watch, and please share your thoughts.
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Dozens of Sudanese refugees who were displaced by war were found dead in the Libyan desert. Extreme circumstances meant they took the perilous journey, but many unfortunately did not make it.
This is not a news story. It’s an appeal to humanity. We need to do more to stop this proxy war in Sudan.
Slide to read their story.
Share to create awareness.
Support organizations that help refugees on the ground.
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/395be7a468d3703568d5cabbd2926e17
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202505/23/WS682fdacba310a04af22c1249.html
https://libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/11-sudanese-refugees-died-kufra-desert-15-others-rescued
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-sudanese-refugees-fleeing-far-europe-un-refugee-agency-says-2025-04-11
https://x.com/UNHCRLibya/status/1926640535986417706?t=paLxNWuRHGHPkvTaBIGkIw&s=19
This is not a news story. It’s an appeal to humanity. We need to do more to stop this proxy war in Sudan.
Slide to read their story.
Share to create awareness.
Support organizations that help refugees on the ground.
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/395be7a468d3703568d5cabbd2926e17
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202505/23/WS682fdacba310a04af22c1249.html
https://libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/11-sudanese-refugees-died-kufra-desert-15-others-rescued
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-sudanese-refugees-fleeing-far-europe-un-refugee-agency-says-2025-04-11
https://x.com/UNHCRLibya/status/1926640535986417706?t=paLxNWuRHGHPkvTaBIGkIw&s=19
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NASSER AND SIX-DAY WAR
Today marks the anniversary of the Six-Day War. On 5 June 1967, Israel launched strikes against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, claiming it was trying to prevent attacks from these countries that it had been striking over several months due to attacks by pro-Palestine resistance fighters. Aided by the US, Israel went on to invade and occupy Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Egypt-administered Gaza Strip, Jordan-administered West Bank, Jerusalem’s Old City and Syria’s Golan Heights.
Today marks the anniversary of the Six-Day War. On 5 June 1967, Israel launched strikes against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, claiming it was trying to prevent attacks from these countries that it had been striking over several months due to attacks by pro-Palestine resistance fighters. Aided by the US, Israel went on to invade and occupy Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Egypt-administered Gaza Strip, Jordan-administered West Bank, Jerusalem’s Old City and Syria’s Golan Heights.
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Continued……. At the time, Egypt was led by one of its most popular presidents, Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-70). He’d beaten the British, French and Israelis in the 1956 Suez War, and his Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism changed the landscape of his country and the region.
Listen to Nasser’s TV interview in 1967, where he spells out, in no uncertain terms, his take on Israel and the US, just before the conflict broke out.
Nasser remained resolute even after Egypt’s defeat in the Six-Day War. Many believe if he hadn’t died in 1970, Egypt would still be fighting to free all the occupied lands. His successor, Anwar Sadat (1918-81), did manage to liberate the Sinai Peninsula, but only after recognising Israel and starting diplomatic ties following a 1979 agreement. In the years since, Egypt has signed many bilateral deals with Israel on energy, food and agricultural products.
Hence, the Six-Day War remains a controversial topic amongst Africans and Arabs alike.
Now, compare Nasser’s words with what Egypt has done following the 7 October 2023 escalation of Israel’s 77-year occupation of Gaza, where, amongst other things, Egypt has restricted aid to Gaza by denying trucks from crossing into Rafah. One Egyptian company reportedly generated $2 million per day in 2024 as it charged Palestinians fleeing Israel’s military onslaught and siege.
Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2009/7/13/1967-arab-israeli-war-timeline
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/icj-rule-egypt-end-complicity-israel-starving-gaza-will
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-firm-palestinians-fleeing-war-gaza
https://www.britannica.com/event/Six-Day-War
https://jacobin.com/2020/09/egypt-gamal-abdel-nasser-legacy
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/-1979-israel-egypt-normalization-meant-to-remove-cairo-from-arab-israeli-conflict-/2546743
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-firm-palestinians-fleeing-war-gaza
https://www.efootage.com/videos/78856/nasser-interview-israel
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/overview-of-israel-jordan-cooperation-2
Listen to Nasser’s TV interview in 1967, where he spells out, in no uncertain terms, his take on Israel and the US, just before the conflict broke out.
Nasser remained resolute even after Egypt’s defeat in the Six-Day War. Many believe if he hadn’t died in 1970, Egypt would still be fighting to free all the occupied lands. His successor, Anwar Sadat (1918-81), did manage to liberate the Sinai Peninsula, but only after recognising Israel and starting diplomatic ties following a 1979 agreement. In the years since, Egypt has signed many bilateral deals with Israel on energy, food and agricultural products.
Hence, the Six-Day War remains a controversial topic amongst Africans and Arabs alike.
Now, compare Nasser’s words with what Egypt has done following the 7 October 2023 escalation of Israel’s 77-year occupation of Gaza, where, amongst other things, Egypt has restricted aid to Gaza by denying trucks from crossing into Rafah. One Egyptian company reportedly generated $2 million per day in 2024 as it charged Palestinians fleeing Israel’s military onslaught and siege.
Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2009/7/13/1967-arab-israeli-war-timeline
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/icj-rule-egypt-end-complicity-israel-starving-gaza-will
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-firm-palestinians-fleeing-war-gaza
https://www.britannica.com/event/Six-Day-War
https://jacobin.com/2020/09/egypt-gamal-abdel-nasser-legacy
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/-1979-israel-egypt-normalization-meant-to-remove-cairo-from-arab-israeli-conflict-/2546743
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-firm-palestinians-fleeing-war-gaza
https://www.efootage.com/videos/78856/nasser-interview-israel
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/overview-of-israel-jordan-cooperation-2
Al Jazeera
1967 Arab-Israeli war timeline
A chronology of the major military events during the conflict.
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Iraq war-crimes veteran and US President Donald Trump’s campaign donor Erik Prince has reportedly entered a deal with the Haitian government to fight gangs. The founder of private military contractor Blackwater is amongst the US contractors working on a secret task force to deploy lethal drones against Haiti’s gangs. Despite operations since March, the New York Times reports no ‘high-value targets’ have been k*lled or captured. The Times claims Prince sent two large weapons shipments to Haiti, and that he seeks to tap around 150 Haitian-American veterans.
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