X: BRAVERY IS BLADES VS BOMBS

There’s nothing brave about using tanks and bombs to get your way. True bravery is about having the courage to resist - even when massively outgunned. It’s a quality demonstrated amply in Africa and Asia. Listen to Malcolm X explain why guerrilla tactics have disabused white supremacists of their faith in their own invincibility.

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Nigeriens Besiege French Sites

Thousands of Nigeriens have surrounded the French embassy and military base in Niger to protest the French ambassador's refusal to leave the country.

This comes after Niger’s military administration cut off water and electricity to the French Embassy in Niamey's capital, with no food deliveries allowed.

The country’s leadership has also taken similar action at the French consulate in Zinder.

The president of the National Support Committee for the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, Elh Issa Hassoumi Boureima, has asked all partners of French bases in Niger to suspend all water and electricity supplies and food deliveries.

In addition, any partners who continue to help the French acquire the goods and services will be considered “enemies of the sovereign people."

On Monday, President Macron said that France would support any efforts, including military intervention by ECOWAS, to restore constitutional order in Niger.

WHY AFRICA IS POOR

A significant amount of the uranium that France uses to power its electricity grid is from Niger, yet the West African nation is among the poorest in the world. This unfortunate situation is not limited to Niger but common across the continent. African countries produce most of the minerals and resources that the modern world needs to function, so how can Africa still be poor? Senior Lecturer in economics Dr. Howard Nicholas has some idea why. Listen to him explain how global economics and institutions keep the continent impoverished and its raw materials cheap. (14/10/2015, International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands).

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ZIMBABWE OPPOSITION DISPUTES RESULTS

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has officially declared the country’s incumbent leader and ruling-party candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner of last week's tightly contested ballot.

But the result is unlikely to bring to an end the political turmoil that’s rocked the country over the last few years, as opposition leader Nelson Chamisa claims he and his party Citizens Coalition for Change are the real winners.

The party says it knows this thanks to its own “internal voter tabulation system” - but has so far failed to give any evidence.

Some of its pre-election rallies were shut down as they would have clashed with ZANU-PF events, but monitors from the African Union were largely satisfied the vote was transparent.

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TINUBU NEGLECTS TERRORIST THREAT

Nigeria has committed troops to an ECOWAS intervention force in neighbouring Niger. However, this has been done while a Boko Haram insurgency continues to grip much of northern Nigeria. What’s more, the country’s government is closing camps used to shelter those displaced by the terrorists. Shouldn’t President Tinubu put the safety of his own people first, before looking to enter foreign wars?

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BREAKING: COUP IN GABON

Military leaders have seized power in Gabon - saying the presidential elections in the country lacked credibility.

Results announced on Wednesday declared Ali Bongo won a third term with just under 64.27 per cent of the vote. Borders have been closed, and all institutions dissolved.

"Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis," an officer said on TV channel Gabon 24. He was flanked by a group of a dozen army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers and others.

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Continued - Gabon has been under the rule of the Bongo family for over five decades, and the dynasty is notoriously allied with the West, backing UN sanctions and a no-fly zone against Gaddafi's Libya.

Bongo Snr, the incumbent's father, famously said, 'Africa without France is like a car without a driver. But France without Africa is like a car without petrol.'

The family's been dogged by corruption claims, living lavish lifestyles in the poverty-stricken country.

However, there was a strain on French-Gabon relations before the coup. Bongo's government banned French media outlets like RFI and France24, citing 'a lack of objectivity and balance' in election coverage. Considering how long Paris has backed the Central African government, could the Bongos have finally outlived their usefulness?

The biggest question is, is the coup a result of the aspirations of the people of Gabon or the government of France?

We'll keep you updated on the developing story at African Stream.

FRED HAMPTON: A REVOLUTIONARY IS BORN

Fred Hampton - born August 30th, 1948 - is the true definition of an African revolutionary. He rose to prominence in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party. He also later created the anti-racist, anti-classist multicultural political organisation known as the Rainbow Coalition.

A Marxist–Leninist, Hampton considered fascism the greatest threat: "Nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all." A charismatic orator and true grassroots leader, his community work was identified as a radical threat by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 1969, The FBI led an operation to assassinate him - he was drugged, shot and killed in his bed during a predawn raid at his Chicago apartment. A civil lawsuit was later filed on behalf of the survivors and Fred's relatives.

Continued - FRED HAMPTON: A REVOLUTIONARY IS BORN

His legacy remains influential with multiple movies and documentaries about him - the latest being a Hollywood production staring Daniel Kaluyya: Judah and the Black Messiah.

Happy Birthday Freddy, may you Rest in Power!

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WOMEN'S WEDNESDAY- MIRIAM MAKEBA

Miriam Makeba's voice transcended music, becoming a beacon of strength and unity. From the heart of South Africa's struggle against apartheid to global stages, her songs resonated with the call for equality and social change. She stirred souls and consciousnesses alike with a voice that held both gentleness and might. Beyond music, Makeba's activism showcased the fusion of art and advocacy, leaving a timeless legacy. And she’s in our limelight for this week’s Women’s Wednesday!

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AFRICA IS THE NEXT SUPERPOWER!

Youth is no hinderance to wisdom - as this clip from a Ted Talk by a young chap named Nicholas Wales amply illustrates. He argues that there’s every reason in the world to believe Africa can rise to become an economic superpower - and do it fast. Yes, Africa was robbed of riches and people, a fact that’s held it back. But it’s still richest in the world in terms of natural resources - everything from gold and diamonds to uranium. And as Wales notes here, America managed whopping economic growth in the span of a few decades - so why shouldn’t Africa turn things round just as quick? Indeed, one investment bank agrees with him, predicting that our continent’s combined GDP could jump ten-fold by 2050 - to reach 30-trillion dollars.

What do you think?

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GABON: ARMY EXPLAINS COUP REASONS

All eyes are on Gabon, were the military has seized control - asserting that the country’s just-held elections were a sham. Here’s the moment the coup leadership takes to the airwaves (Gabon 24) to explain its reasons for acting. Watch and let us know what you think.

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‘MAKE NOISE!’ DEPOSED GABON PRESIDENT’S PLEA

Placed under house arrest, deposed Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba called on "friends" around the world to "make noise" after his country’s military seized power.

He confirmed that he was at his residence (the military had reported that he was under house arrest), but also says he has no idea what’s happening. The president's plea was posted on the social networks of local journalists.

Ali Bongo is the son of Omar Bongo, who was president of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009. Since then, Ali Bongo has been in control of the oil-rich African nation, which is part of OPEC. After just winning a majority in yet another disputed election, it seems his time at the helm is coming to an end.

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GABON CELEBRATES COUP FIRST IMAGES

Initial reactions to the coup in Gabon are people in the streets celebrating. After nullifying recently conducted elections that have seen the incumbent Ali Bongo officially win with 62% of the votes, the military has taken over. They consider the elections a sham and have suspended all institutions and closed borders. They also believe the country was mismanaged and have cited it as another reason for the power grab.

What could explain the scenes of jubilation witnessed in the streets of Libreville? The Bongo family has been in power for over 50 years, first the father, then the son. However, the living standards for Gabonese people have been austere, reflecting poor governance. While Gabon boasts significant oil resources, 40% of its people live on under $1.90 per day, as per 2019 figures.

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Continued- GABON CELEBRATES COUP FIRST IMAGES

The Bongos' affluence, however, is a sharp contrast to the people they governed. Omar Bongo bought French politicians with Gabon money. By his death in 2009, he had ruled oil-rich Gabon for over four decades and amassed a fortune that reportedly included at least 183 cars, 39 luxury properties in France, and 66 bank accounts. In the US, Bongo's circle owns at least seven properties worth over US$4.2 million in and near Washington DC. His daughter held $1 million in cash from her father and confirmed that she bought luxury vehicles for Gabonese officials in the U.S. at her father's request.

As American Political Scientist, Michael Parenti, said, 'The third world is rich, only its people are poor'.

A decades-long record of the Bongo family's hold on Gabon politics has enriched a few at the expense of the rest. That partially explains why Gabon erupted into dance upon his ouster.

At the moment, the true interests behind the coup are unclear. Despite decades of close support from France, French media was banned just before the coup, allegedly for a lack of objectivity in covering the elections. Could the coup have Paris' endorsement? Or do these streets scenes reflect a popular movement in Gabon against years of misrule?

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Hear the word Niger these days and you’ll think coup, uranium, ECOWAS...

This time though, we want you to think beautiful lost desert city.

That’s right, hidden in the Saharan landscape is a pre-colonial African gem.

Despite the troubles facing the country, take a moment to enjoy our tour of Ksars of Djado.

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MALI GRABS BACK GOLD

Mali's announced radical plans to take more control of the country’s vast mineral resources.

Many of its mines are run by foreign firms including Canada’s Barrick Gold and B2Gold, Australia's Resolute mining and the Britain’s Hummingbird Resources.
Under a fresh law, the government can own 30 per cent of new projects, with another five per cent available to Malian enterprises.
Tax exemptions for foreign mining companies will also be scrapped and could boost state coffers by $800m per year.

The announcement was made by Mali interim President Assimi Goita. Since seizing power, military leaders have championed sovereignty and vowed to make "gold shine for Malians”.

The country is one of the world’s leading gold producers, and also has plenty of manganese and lithium.

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AFRICA FIGHTS BACK FOR ITS RESOURCES

In recent years, West Africa has become a political theatre of note. One military after another has moved from the barracks to the presidential palace. At the heart of these popular military takeovers is the contest over the vast resources that the continent is endowed with.

The African continent is blessed with abundant natural resources. It has 40% of the world's gold, 65% of its diamonds, and almost 90% of the chromium and platinum. It boasts around a third of global mineral reserves in total. There's heaps of 'black gold' too - 12% of the world's oil reserves - plus 8% of the natural gas and around 20% of the uranium. On top of that, our continent embraces 40% of the planet's arable land and 10% of its inland freshwater sources.

Under normal circumstances, the resources should have been a blessing.

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Continued- AFRICA FIGHTS BACK FOR ITS RESOURCES

Still, in the case of our continent, they have put it in the crosshairs of imperialists who, for centuries, have plundered with impunity and left a trail of destruction in their wake.

For instance, resource-rich countries such as Niger and Gabon have suffered under French imperialism for decades due to Paris's dependence on its resources for survival. It is Niger's uranium that powers France's electricity grid, while French companies such as TotalEnergies and Perenco control more than half of Gabon's oil sector, the fifth largest on the continent. The timber harvested from Gabon's rich forests adorns French homes, while most classrooms back home still lack desks.

Unsurprisingly, the military takeovers have early signs of support from many citizens because they are perceived as the only way of getting rid of the Western-aligned local elites, the enablers of the imperialist plunder of their national resources. Of course, Gabon is not Niger, and Niger is not Gabon, and in the coup in the latter, it's not sure who is pulling the strings at this early stage.

But many Africans across the continent are now asking if these uprisings will be how the continent finally manages to regain control of its abundant resources. Only time will tell.

THE GAME IS FIXED - KIMBERLY JONES

The markedly negative socioeconomic status of Africans in America is vividly explained by author Kimberly Jones in this 2020 video.

2020 is remembered for the Black Lives Matter protests around the world, following the murder of George Floyd by an American police officer. It was during that time that Kimberly made her now famous speech.

She goes to the heart of America's race troubles by comparing the disenfranchisement of the Black community with a rigged Monopoly game.

400 years of slavery building the White man's wealth is comparable to 400 rounds of monopoly in which Africans play for the other team, keeping nothing for themselves. As soon as they accumulate some money for themselves, the board is destroyed and the toiling starts all over again.

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Continued - THE GAME IS FIXED - KIMBERLY JONES

Africans were forcibly shipped across the Atlantic to build the wealth of White slave owners in America. Since then, they have suffered multigenerational poverty and marginalisation.

Only radical policies can help Africans in America climb the wealth ladder.

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