FARRAKHAN ON U.S.-ISRAEL POLITICS

In this 2011 clip, Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, criticism of Democrats’ and Republicans’ support for Israel is ever more relevant as the world continues to criticise the United States aiding Israel’s military onslaught of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Farrakhan’s words evoke a decades-long reality: The US is the biggest enabler of the Israeli occupation and atrocities.

For example, in 2016, the Obama administration finalised a $38 billion military aid agreement to Israel to be disbursed over 10 years, the largest such package in US history.

Continued…….. In 2017, the Trump administration acknowledged Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the US embassy and risking international condemnation, the Biden administration did not reverse.

Both parties on Capitol Hill routinely pass pro-Israel bills by nearly unanimous votes. Recently, the US Congress approved a bill defining anti-Semitism for anti-discrimination laws to criminalise educational programming, activities and other purposes.

Simultaneously, calls for conditioning aid or sanctions over Israel’s human rights abuses have also not gained traction. Despite mounting reports by groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing Israel of apartheid, Biden opposed international probes, including those by the International Criminal Court. 

As Israel’s military onslaught prompts global outrage and the total death toll may exceed 186,000, according to the Lancet journal, cracks are starting to form in this consensus, especially amongst the US population. However, in Washington, the silence remains unbroken and monolithic.

Video credit: @fakebatmanclub (X)

Sources

https://globalaffairs.org/research/public-opinion-survey/americans-grow-more-divided-us-support-israel

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/27/analysis-is-the-us-approach-to-gaza-damaging-ties-with-its-arab-allies

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us-israel-sign-38-billion-military-aid-package-idUSKCN11K2CI/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/20/us-secretary-of-state-blinken-us-embassy-to-remain-in-jerusalem

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/house-passes-ukraine-aid-bill/

https://www.c-span.org/congress/?chamber=house&date=2021-05-13

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2022/02/qa-israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-cruel-system-of-domination-and-crime-against-humanity/

https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution

https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/louis-farrakhan-puts-his-anti-semitism-full-display-deepens-conspiracy

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2585868/middle-east

https://youtu.be/GHJ9dgtx6Sw?si=ZswpHzJmzVPCWiXi&t=4208

This week's proverb speaks to the power of historical memory and self determination. While the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, is a newly formed bloc, it draws strength from a much older foundation - the shared struggles and pan-African aspirations that long predate colonial borders.

Rather than inventing something new, the AES is reconnecting to the deep roots of pre-colonial unity. It also channels colonial-era and post-independence resistance. From the empires and kingdoms of the Sahel to the revolutionary legacies of Modibo Keïta and Thomas Sankara, these nations are reconnecting to roots of a buried inheritance and with it, the power to withstand the storms of neo-colonial pressure.

Continued.......By expelling French troops, adopting a shared currency project and abolishing internal borders, as well as envisioning a single pan-African federation with one citizenship and a federal government, the AES is not planting something new, it’s unearthing what imperialism tried to bury.  If these roots are rediscovered by the rest of the continent, not even the most violent winds of imperialism can uproot them.

BURKINA FASO NATIONALISES FIVE MINING ASSETS

On 27 August 2024, Burkina Faso announced that it would nationalise two gold mines, Boungou and Wahgnion, following a legal dispute between London-listed Endeavour Mining and a local company, Lilium Mining.

On 11 June 2025, the government declared that the nationalisation process was complete. The state-owned Burkina Faso Mining Participation Company (SOPAMIB) officially owns and controls the two mines as well as three mining licenses previously held by Endeavour and Lilium Mining.

Continued……Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré has expressed interest in revoking more foreign mining permits and granting the state greater control over the mining sector.

Burkina Faso is a member of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a Pan-African anti-imperialist confederation that was established on 6 July 2024 and includes neighbouring Mali and Niger. All three countries have revised their mining codes. Mali is involved in an ongoing legal battle against Canadian-based company Barrick Gold, and its assertion of resource sovereignty led to the resignation of Terry Holohan, CEO of Australian company Resolute Mining. In 2024, Niger nationalised two major mines, Imouraren and Somaïr, formerly owned by French public company Orano.

Sources

https://africanminingmarket.com/burkina-faso-completes-nationalisation-of-5-gold-mining-assets/22421/

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-completes-nationalisation-five-gold-mining-assets-2025-06-12/

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/junta-led-burkina-faso-nationalises-five-gold-mining-assets/mmp89dd

https://www.rml.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/030225-Management-Changes.pdf

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-court-adjourns-hearing-whether-put-barricks-gold-mines-under-provisional-2025-06-02/

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/french-company-orano-loses-control-of-uranium-mine-to-niger-admin/3414093

https://fr.africanews.com/2024/06/21/niger-orano-perd-son-permis-dexploitation-sur-le-site-dimouraren//

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E6uzdGASVM