UGANDAN JEWS DENIED ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP

Did you know that Uganda is home to an African Jewish community (the Abayudaya) that has been denied Israeli citizenship, primarily due to its Interior Ministry’s r*cism? 

The Abayudaya, meaning ‘People of Judah’ in Luganda, is a community that traces its origins to Semei Kakungulu (1869-1928), a prominent military leader in the early 20th century. Initially converted to Christianity by British missionaries, Kakungulu became disillusioned with the British after they failed to make him king of territories he had helped them conquer. He then embarked on a deeper study of the Bible, leading him to believe that only the Old Testament was true. 

Continued…….. Out of antisemitism, British colonial authorities had designated Uganda as a potential home for unwanted Jews from Eastern Europe. In 1903, Z*onist leader Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) met with Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914), the British colonial secretary of state, and other senior officials who agreed in principle to the idea of settling European Jews in East Africa. They also considered neighbouring Kenya a suitable place for resettlement, but British settlers strongly opposed the plan, so it did not come to fruition.

In 1913, Kakungulu declared his community to be Jewish and urged his followers to observe the laws of the Hebrew Bible strictly. With time, the Abayudaya deepened their practice of Judaism, learning customary blessings, observing Kashrut (dietary laws), and celebrating Shabbat and holidays. In 2002, many Abayudaya underwent formal conversions overseen by US Conservative rabbis, further solidifying their Jewish identity.

While the Jewish Agency for Israel formally recognised the Abayudaya as a ‘recognised Jewish community’ in 2009 and reaffirmed this status in 2016, Israel's Interior Ministry has often taken a different stance, as the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate usually influences it.

However, white South African converts to Judaism are more easily granted citizenship, unlike Black converts. 

Video credit: @lumumba.amin / TikTok

Sources

https://israeled.org/uganda-proposal/

https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1428141/britain-gifted-uganda-creation-israel-territory

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/shall-state-israel-recognize-abayudaya-jews-uganda-summary-hearing-israels-high-court-justice


https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-south-africa-home-white-colonialists

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2021-09-30/ty-article/.highlight/cleansed-by-the-torah-why-these-afrikaners-became-jews-and-moved-to-israel/0000017f-e2bb-d9aa-afff-fbfb151f0000

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/28/ethiopian-women-given-contraceptives-israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ugandan-jews-get-official-recognition-from-jewish-agency/

5% FOR NIGER, 95% FOR FRANCE

The people-backed coup in Niger in 2023 against Western favourite Mohamed Bazoum spoiled the party for actors that had robbed the country for decades. While exploitation is a serious issue, humour can shed light on the situation. Here's a skit we made in 2022 to illustrate how France kept Niger in poverty - despite being dependent on its resources.

Niger's new leadership expelled French and US troops from its soil and took control of the uranium sector, including plans for nationalisation from French state-owned miner Orano. For decades, France had exploited Niger's uranium resources, buying them at minimal cost - while Niger imported 70% of its electricity from Nigeria. This exploitation was a key factor behind the 26 July 2023 coup, which had nationwide support.

Continued…….. The anti-colonial revolution in Niger is already showing positive results. According to Statista, Niger achieved a 10.3% growth rate in 2024, making it among the world's fastest-growing economies, despite pressure from international and regional players.

Sources
https://africanarguments.org/2023/08/niger-the-resource-politics-of-a-post-colonial-revolt/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/448600/gross-domestic-product-gdp-growth-rate-in-niger/

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/energy/energy-diplomacy/nigeria-cuts-off-electricity-supply-to-niger-following-coup/38644

Continued……. In 1961, he formed ZAPU with other anti-colonial activists. The party was founded on Marxist and nationalist principles and would gain nationwide acceptance. In 1963, the party suffered a significant split, with leaders such as Robert Mugabe, Ndabaningi Sithole, and Herbert Chitepo leaving to form the rival Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). In 1964, Nkomo was arrested by colonial authorities and jailed for ten years. Upon his release in 1974, he moved to Zambia, from where he led ZAPU’s anti-colonial activities.

ZAPU’s armed wing, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), achieved significant military victories against the Rhodesian army, thereby weakening the colonial regime and compelling it to the negotiating table at the Lancaster House talks. These talks led to the first non-racial election in Zimbabwe. Nkomo lost to ZANU’s Mugabe, who went on to become the country’s first post-independence prime minister.

In 1982, Nkomo was appointed to Mugabe’s cabinet, but the two quickly fell out. Nkomo would later be accused of plotting a coup. The state restricted his movements, but he managed to flee into exile a few months later.
The two leaders reconciled in 1987 and merged their parties to form ZANU-PF. In 1990, Mugabe appointed Nkomo as Vice President, a position he held until he died in 1999.

CASTRO: AFRICA’S HERO

Since the overthrow of US-backed dictator Batista in Cuba, the Caribbean island has been a steadfast friend to Africa. Under the leadership of revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, Cuba was a key player in the fight against apartheid, colonialism and exploitation in Africa.

During his tenure, he sent Cuban soldiers to fight side by side with Africans to secure their independence and sent civil support as well.

His unwavering commitment to the struggle against Western imperialism earned him love and respect across the continent.

Sources

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203009246/cuban-intervention-angola-1965-1991-edward-george

THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: AFRICA'S MOST COVETED COUNTRY?

The Central African Republic (CAR) is not a country that receives much coverage in the English-language press. Yet, it may be one of the most important countries in Africa and the world at large due to its coveted natural resources. While many around the world have begun to pay attention to the political developments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the evolving relationship between France and the Central African Republic is less well known. In this video, African Stream's Inemesit Richardson break down the long history of France's vie for control over the CAR.

JESUS WAS NOT A WHITE MAN

Across Africa, churches are still adorned with the image of a White Jesus, an image that is historically inaccurate but remains deeply ingrained in Christian spaces. How did this portrayal come to dominate, and why does it persist today?

In this video, we visit a church in Kenya and explore how European colonialism shaped the way Jesus is depicted in Africa. The story reveals how these images weren't just about faith - they were tools of control, reinforcing colonial power structures and cultural superiority.

The White Jesus myth is not just a harmless cultural difference. It's a legacy of colonialism that continues to shape African identity and faith. But there's a growing movement across the continent to reclaim a Biblically more accurate and authentic depiction of Christ.

Continued….. Sources

1. https://sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2020/07/conversation_white_jesus.php


2. https://africasacountry.com/2019/08/beyond-white-jesus


3. https://medium.com/@ben_mmari/the-negative-effects-of-white-jesus-on-the-african-community-b883320b3cc4


4. https://broadview.org/black-jesus-colonialism/

5. https://christianstandard.com/2022/09/the-white-jesus-myth/

TURKEY-SOMALIA: FRIENDSHIP OR COLONISATION?

They say Turkey is ‘helping’ Somalia. But what kind of help is it if, in return, Ankara gets to keep Somali ports and oil, and expand its military footprint in the region?

For over a decade, Turkey has presented itself as Africa’s ‘Muslim brother,’ stepping into Somalia with aid, business deals and military training. But behind the humanitarian PR, who really benefits?

In Mogadishu, Turkey now runs two of Somalia’s most strategic assets: the airport and the seaport. A Turkish firm gets 45% of port revenues. That’s nearly half of Somalia’s maritime income going to a foreign country. Moreover, since signing a ten-year oil-exploration deal with Somalia, Turkey has made a 20-billion-barrel discovery worth 1.6 trillion dollars. And Ankara also has its biggest overseas military base in Somalia.

Continued……. Let’s be honest: this is influence and exploitation, not solidarity and friendship. And this isn’t about Turkey and Somalia alone. It’s about Africa’s sovereignty, our right to negotiate on an equal footing, to develop without being cornered, to say ‘no’ when help comes with strings attached.

Because if we trade our ports, our oil and our independence for short-term support, who are we really building for?

Sources

https://www.mei.edu/publications/far-benefactor-turkish-government-exploiting-somalias-fragility

WHO WAS JOHN GARANG?

Dr. John Garang dedicated his life to a united and peaceful Sudan. The revolutionary leader spent over two decades in the fight for justice, leading the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) through one of Africa’s longest civil wars. His vision culminated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which secured South Sudan’s autonomy and instilled hope for unity between north and south. But just 21 days after taking office as Sudan’s First Vice President, Garang’s life was cut short in a mysterious helicopter crash - sparking riots, grief and unanswered questions.

Was his death an accident, or was it part of a larger geopolitical conspiracy? Garang’s push for unity defied the interests of foreign powers who had long supported South Sudan’s secession. Many remain unconvinced that he died simply because of the weather condition or pilot error.

Continued……. Today, both Sudans remain divided and engulfed in conflict, but Garang’s legacy endures - as a leader who fought for peace and unity against all odds.

WILL F1 RETURN TO AFRICA?

Formula 1 could be on the verge of returning to Africa.

It’s long been the dream of the sport's first and only Black driver, Lewis Hamilton. He’s been a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in F1.

After more than a 30-year hiatus, F1 could race on African soil again by 2027, with a number of locations now competing to host the event. Cape Town’s proposed street circuit and the historic Kyalami track near Johannesburg are both under consideration. Morocco and Rwanda are also exploring the possibility of building new circuits in Marrakesh and Kigali, respectively.

Africa’s growing motorsport ambitions are clear, but this is about much more than just hosting a race. Hamilton has emphasised the importance of building a lasting motorsport culture across the continent, investing in grassroots programmes and developing young African talent that could one day compete in F1. Right now, there are no African drivers on the grid, but a Grand Prix in Africa could change that.

THE ZANZIBAR REVOLUTION

In 1964, Zanzibar, an African-majority island, erupted in revolution. For generations, political power, wealth and land had been controlled by a small Arab elite, a structure preserved by British colonial rule - and even after so-called independence. African Zanzibaris remained landless, jobless and locked out of the system.

Frustration simmered. Then, on 12 January, it exploded. A coalition of African revolutionaries led by Ugandan John Okello overthrew the ruling class in a swift and violent uprising. By sunrise, the Sultan had fled, and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar was born under the Afro-Shirazi Party. It marked the end of centuries of Arab dominance and colonial hierarchy, ushering in land reforms, nationalisation and a bold socialist agenda.

Continued…….. The revolution shocked the world. Western powers feared a left-leaning state in East Africa. And so, within months, Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania, a strategic union aimed at at keeping the imperialist forces at bay.

Today, Zanzibar remains semi-autonomous, and its revolution is remembered with both pride and pain. It dismantled colonial systems, but left scars that remain. Still, it stands as a powerful reminder: when African people are denied justice long enough, they will rise - as they did in Zanzibar.

WHO WERE THE CIVILIZED AND WHO WERE THE SAVAGES?

They said they came to civilise. But what they brought was nothing but savagery.

From Haiti to Australia to the Pacific Islands, this video unpacks the brutal truth behind Europe’s so-called ‘civilising mission.’

The Taíno and Arawak peoples of Haiti, once thriving communities with deep spiritual and agricultural systems, were nearly wiped out within decades of Columbus’s arrival. They were enslaved, mutilated, and hunted like animals all in the name of gold and empire.

Continued……. In Australia, British colonisers declared the land ‘Terra Nullius’ - or nobody’s land - while thousands of Aboriginal people were massacred in cold blood. In Queensland, it’s thought over 24,000 Indigenous lives were taken by government-sanctioned forces. This was not law and order. This was ethnic cleansing, dressed in European uniforms.

Across the Pacific, the lie of civilisation took the form of ‘Blackbirding’ - kidnapping tens of thousands from Melanesia and forcing them into backbreaking labour on plantations. Meanwhile, imported diseases erased entire communities.

This is not ancient history. The scars are still fresh. The descendants of these communities are still here, still fighting, still remembering. Because colonisation was never about civilisation, it was about extraction, domination and the silencing of Indigenous voices.

This video is not just history. It’s resistance. It’s about reclaiming the narrative from Columbus and Cook and all the myths they stood on. It’s about asking, in the face of genocide and greed: Who were the real savages?

Sources

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/columbus-reports-his-first-voyage-1493


https://www.harukasakaguchi.com/original-new-yorkers

https://www.library.gov.au/learn/digital-classroom/legend-and-legacy-james-cook/challenging-terra-nullius


https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/statistics.php
Source: https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/statistics.php

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/24/queensland-government-failed-indigenous-people-for-160-years-truth-telling-inquiry-hears
Source: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/the-black-line

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-blackbirders-forced-tens-of-thousands-of-pacific-islanders-into-slavery-after-the-civil-war-180985567/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221001104309.htm

CHRONOLOGY OF ATTACKS ON AFRICAN STREAM

For the last three years, African Stream has done what it was created for: fearlessly expose the crimes of imperialism against our people on the continent and in the diaspora. From Cape to Cairo, Haiti to the U.S, we have brought to light issues that many influential people in Western capitals would rather keep under the carpet. For this, we have been made to pay a high price, a price that has resulted in us closing shop for good.

When we started the project, we were not naive. We knew that our work would attract the wrath of the empire and its local cronies. However, it was work that had to be done. We could not let fear prevail.

To bring us down, they had to resort to the centuries-old noscript that portrays any African who stands up against oppression as being sponsored by some third force out there. To this end, the U.S. government and its allied entities have accused us of being a Russian propaganda outlet, but without any evidence.