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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MICK WALLACE: EU PAYING FOR MASSACRE OF AFRICANS

After being responsible for the pillaging and forced underdevelopment of Africa for centuries, Europe continues to kill Africans by proxy.

Instead of recognizing and addressing the root causes of the migrant crisis, Europe instead chooses to double down on repression. But instead of doing it themselves, they have outsourced the killing of African migrants. This is Irish MEP Mick Wallace’s perspective, a minority voice in the desert that is the EU Parliament.

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Continued- MICK WALLACE: EU PAYING FOR MASSACRE OF AFRICANS

The EU paid Tunisia to tackle immigrants and the result was hundreds transported and left to die in the middle of the desert. Last year, Morocco killed dozens of Africans in Spanish-occupied Melilla and Ceuta. The migrant issue also exposed the lack of principles in Europe, as Spain quickly capitulated to Morocco’s demands on Western Sahara once Morocco weaponized African migrants against Madrid.

According to the International Organization for Migration, 1,474 Africans have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2023.

AFRICAN INSECURITY BILLION $ BUSINESS

Africa is independent on paper. In reality, much of our culture remains colonised. That’s the claim of Thau-Thau Haramarumba - president of the Rastafari United Front in Southern Africa. He gives the example of the white wedding dress. Why do many Africans feel the need to have two weddings - the white-dress one, and the traditional African one? It smacks of cultural subservience to an imposed ideology. As we aren’t confident enough in our own traditions alone, we have to do things the coloniser’s way as well - to feel acceptable. The situation is similar with Western standards of beauty, which for some reason dominate over our own - even in our own communities!

What’s more, it’s not just a moral affront, it hurts in our pockets too.

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Continued- AFRICAN INSECURITY BILLION $ BUSINESS

Who needs to spend all that extra money on a white dress you’ll only wear once anyway? Taking the broader view, just think: the billions made from commodifying African insecurities could go to many other projects in support of development of the continent.

Imposed ideologies, rooted in historical biases and stereotypes, have eroded local cultures, stifling self-confidence and innovation. Genuine decolonisation requires a paradigm shift, liberating African minds from Eurocentric worldviews and embracing indigenous perspectives. This transformation empowers Africans to rewrite their own history, celebrate their rich heritage, and address contemporary challenges with homegrown solutions.

Hit like if you agree and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

AFRICAN DIASPORA NEEDS TO UNITE

The African Union defines the African Diaspora as "Consisting of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union." Remittances are funds transferred by immigrants to people in their home country and this money flow provides a lifeline for many households and the overall economy in Africa. Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, the former Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United States, spoke out on the matter. She advised the African diaspora to unite and channel this flow of money in an organized way to help Africa change its circumstances.

Do you agree? Let us know below.

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AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR AFRICAN IN AMERICA?

Not everyone likes the term ‘African-American’ - for example, pastor and theology professor Voddie Bauchman slams it, saying he doesn’t want his identity to be ‘hyphenated.’ Many of our most revered African freedom fighters also reject the term - albeit for somewhat different reason. Have a watch and hear them out, then let us know what makes more sense to you: African-American or American in Africa?

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