STARVATION DEATH CULT TRIAL LATEST

429 bodies have now been found in the mass graves in Kenya’s Shakahola Forest. They are believed to have been driven to suicide - and in some cases murdered - while under the sway of a death cult that preached starvation as an entry-ticket to heaven. Children’s corpses with signs of abuse were among those unearthed, as well as the bodies of entire ‘nuclear’ families.

Alleged cult leader pastor Paul Mackenzie and his accomplices are suspected of numerous crimes in connection with the ‘massacre’ - though no formal charges have been brought. Prosecutors have now asked to keep them in detention for another six months while forensic teams try to identify the victims and assemble more evidence in the case.

Mackenzie‘s lawyer managed to get a decision on that postponed. There’ll be a hearing on October 12th.

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PROTESTERS BURN MAYOR'S HOUSE IN LIBYA OVER FLOOD RESPONSE

Libyan protesters burned down a mayor's house in what has been days of protests over what they deem inadequate government action in response to recent floods that hit Derna city in the country's east. The floods wreaked havoc when two dams burst and flooded Derna, claiming thousands of lives and destroying homes. Angry protesters claim the local government did not warn them of the impending floods and are demanding punitive action. Since the deadly overthrow of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 in a NATO-backed regime-change operation, the country has been in a power struggle between two rival governments, one in the capital of Tripoli that runs western Libya and another in the city of Benghazi presiding over the country's eastern half. Sources on the ground say the east is bearing the brunt of the government neglecting to renovate dams, which was one of the plans Gaddafi had determined a priority in 2007, before his demise.

DR CONGO WANTS UN TROOPS GONE

Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has asked the United Nations to start withdrawing its forces from his country by the end of this year, 12 months earlier than the date the Security Council agreed upon in 2020. In an address to the UN General Assembly, Tshisekedi said the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, an acronym based on its French name has not only failed to carry out its mandate of ending violence in the country, but it is also creating tension with citizens. Despite costing nearly $1 billion per year, the 18,000-strong mission has failed to protect civilians from the menace of the dozens of armed groups that operate in country's eastern region. Its troops have also faced a plethora of allegations that they have commited atrocities against the very civilians they are meant to protect.

What do you think about Tshisekedi's request? Let us know below.

GUYANA PRESIDENT DROPS MIC ON TV HOST

It's a scene we've seen on mainstream television several times: A condescending journalist getting the knives out for a global south leader who dares to question former colonial powers.

Richard Madeley thought he would have Guyana's president for breakfast on his show, "Good Morning Britain." But President Mohamed Irfaan Ali gave him a taste of his cool and confident leadership.

The British journalist appeared to be speaking for many racist Europeans when he questioned President Ali's insistence that descendants of slave traders pay reparations to the current generation of victims.

At one point, Madeley can be heard laughing in the background. But then he loses his cool, banging the table in defense of the "royal family." Perhaps the seriousness of the topic was lost on him, but the exchange offers a window into the minds of colonial establishments who have zero intention of righting the wrongs of their inglorious past.

MALI UNUSUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today marks 63 years since Mali attained independence from its former coloniser, France. In a speech, military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, reaffirmed his determination in bringing security and peace to the country. While the celebrations are not being marked through the usual festivities due to the resumption of hostilities in the country's restive north, the memory of French colonialism, defined by brutal military campaigns, forced labour, widespread repression, cultural erasure, racial segregation, forced displacement and neo colonialism is still very much alive in the nation of 23 million. The country has been grappling with armed conflict since 2012 when political and ethnic-led insurgent groups took up arms against the government over battle for territorial control. Operation Barkhane, the French military counter-began in 2013, but was almost universally interpreted as a massive failure.


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Continued - MALI UNUSUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY

Operation Barkhane, the French military counter-began in 2013, but was almost universally interpreted as a massive failure. Mali not only expelled the French troops but didn't stop there, they are also currently in the process of kicking out a 13,000 strong UN mission from their territory. Meanwhile, Wagner entered the Sahel with a promise to complete the important job France, and with it the rest of the West, failed to do.

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RADIANT ROOTS: GLASSBLOWING + PÉTANQUE!

Welcome to our inaugural edition of Radiant Roots - positive stories and vibes from our beloved Africa. To kick things off, we have local craftsmen in Egypt who are preserving the centuries-old tradition of glassblowing. And then to Benin - which has finally snatched a gold medal in its favourite sport: Pétanque!

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MALI INDEPENDENCE IN A NUTSHELL

Sixty-three years ago, Mali severed it’s colonial shackles to France. Under the leadership of communist President Modibo Keïta, the country enacted pro-people reforms and attempted to form a federation with its neighbours, albeit unsuccessfully.

As the country celebrates its 63rd birthday, it’s recently reemerged as a powerful force in West Africa. It has taken the initiative to liberate the country from neocolonialism, booting out French troops, French propaganda outlets and even the French ambassador.

Further, in a move that would get a nod of approval from Keïta himself, the country is deepening ties with its neighbours Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger. This has immense potential to improve the lives of Africans in the region - as united we stand, divided we fall.

Join us in wishing the home of Mansa Musa and the University of Timbuktu a happy 63rd birthday! Here’s a two-minute look back at how it gained its freedom.

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BIDEN PRAISES RUTO - CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

At the UN, American president Joe Biden heaped praise on Kenya for offering to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti to ‘keep order’ and tackle ‘gang violence.’ And he asked the UN Security Council to rubber-stamp it.

But is this just confirmation Kenya’s William Ruto is effectively becoming the Black face of US foreign policy?

He’s pledged to lead a UN-backed peacekeeping force to the Caribbean Island - despite security issues at home, including nationwide anti-government protests over a cost-of-living crisis.

What’s more, Haitians have consistently protested against the presence of foreign troops on their soil - a presence that’s failed to deliver peace since the US/Canadian-backed coup deposing democratically elected former Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide.

GLOBAL DECLARATION AGAINST NIGER SANCTIONS

Dozens of Pan-African organisations worldwide are calling for the lifting of sanctions against Niger. They include African Stream and have signed a declaration denouncing the ECOWAS restrictions as illegitimate and inhumane.
Here’s a breakdown of what the declaration says, and the misery being imposed on Nigeriens.

TIGRAYAN WOMEN CELEBRATE AFTER WAR HIATUS

Tigrayans celebrate Ashenda festival after a two-year war hiatus. The festival, which is held after a two-week fast, is celebrated by young unmarried women to commemorate the ascension of Virgin Mary. Tigrayan women adorn themselves with traditional attire to sing and dance, as they honour their culture and identity.

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GHANA PRESIDENT DEMANDS SLAVE TRADE REPARATIONS

Pay up now for the transatlantic slave trade—that was Nana Akufo-Addo's message this week to the affluent north at the UN General Assembly. In a no holds barred speech, the Ghanaian president said:

"It is time to acknowledge openly that much of Europe and the United States have been built from the vast wealth harvested from the sweat, tears, blood and horrors of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the centuries of colonial exploitation."

Akufo-Addo strikes a chord with a growing movement of Africans in Africa and the Americas that seeks to redress global inequalities that are a direct result of centuries of exploitation.

Closer home, though, he is a poster child of brilliant speeches without accompanying substance on the ground. He is one of West Africa's leaders planning a military intervention in Niger, in cahoots with former colonial power France and has been hosting ECOWAS meetings on the same.

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JACQUES FOCCART: THE MAN BEHIND FRANCE’S DOMINATION OF AFRICA

There was hardly a French-inspired scandal in late 20th century Africa that didn’t have Jacques Foccart’s fingerprints all over them. He was the man behind La Franc Afrique - a system of colonial control that was able to continue very successfully even after his death. Foccart is certainly one of the most important historical actors in France’s neo-colonial domination over Africa. And his legacy continues to impact Africa to this day, with some African leaders who worked closely with him still in power.

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