FRANCE BUCKLES WITHDRAWS TROOPS FROM NIGER

France has caved in and will remove its troops from Niger, along with its ambassador.

For months Paris had rejected pullout demands by military leaders who seized power in July. However, President Macron finally buckled on Sunday and announced their withdrawal.

Seen by many as a neocolonial force, France has maintained a presence in several African countries. It argues its troops are needed to fight an insurgency in the Sahel, which spiralled after NATO's bombing of Libya in 2011. But they’ve had little success, with terror-related deaths rapidly rising in the region. Niger is the latest West African nation to give French soldiers the boot after similar moves by neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso.

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WANGARI MAATHAI ON AFRICA'S MICRO NATIONS

Before the white man came to Africa to take its resources and colonise nations, African communities were self governed. Communities had structural order that worked like a well oiled machine. Economic and social affairs were in the hands of the people. When colonialism swept the continent, as the late Wangari Maathai articulately explains, colonial oppressors only had one way to subjugate and gain control—divide and conquer. By creating divisions among the people; indoctrinating them to believe ideas, opinions and beliefs; the systems in place will fall and make an easier path for colonial oppression. She instead replaces the word “tribes” with micro-nations. And befitting so, as powerful micro-nations truly existed in Africa, like the Kush, Songhai, among others in Africa before colonialism.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

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BENIN: BRINGING BACK THE BRONZES

The British may have looted the Benin Bronzes from the West African Kingdom in the 19th century, but they couldn’t remove the art form.

Artisans still use the country’s red soil to create bronze sculptures, just as their ancestors did decades before.

However, it’s a dying trade. The cost of raw materials is soaring and local craftsmen are struggling to make ends meet.

In this short film, we visit a workshop where beautiful Benin bronzes are still moulded, for now at least.

It’s a stark reminder the stolen treasures which once decorated Benin’s royal palace have to be returned.

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WINNIE MANDELA: HEROINE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the heroine of the anti-apartheid struggle, was born on this day 87 years ago, and she left her mark on revolutionaries around the world. To this day, she’s affectionately known as the mother of the South African nation. Rightfully so; after all, she sacrificed to liberate her people from racist white apartheid rule. We look at why Winnie Mandela is one of Africa’s greatest freedom fighters and why she is still celebrated so much in her country even more so than her famous ex-husband. While Nelson Mandela was invited to the white house and admired by the western political establishment, Winnie was revered amongst the poorest sections of South African society who she advocated for until the very end.

Happy Birthday Mama!

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RUSSIA INCHES CLOSER TO BURKINA

Burkina Faso has been developing a strong mutually beneficial relationship with the Russian Federation since Ibrahim Traoré came to power almost a year ago in a coup. This growing partnership has widespread support from Burkinabé citizens. Now, the Russian embassy will return to Burkina Faso after closing in 1992 under Blaise Compaoré's administration. The new Burkina Faso-Russia collaboration has led Western media outlets to claim the Sahelian state is working with Russia-based private military company Wagner. Burkina Faso denies these allegations. Western countries have already slapped sanctions on neighboring Mali for allegedly working with Wagner, which Mali also denies.

What do you think of this new relationship? Let us know below.

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TREVOR NOAH: THE RECIPE OF BEING BRITISH

South African comedian Trevor Noah defines what it means to be British. The Brits aren't happy with immigrants' behaviour, but aren't they just mirroring the behaviour of Brits themselves? The United Kingdom developed its empire through the brutal invasion and exploitation of other lands, all the way from the Caribbean Sea through to Africa, India and China in the far east. Even after most of their former colonies won independence, British multinational companies continue with the aid of their government to pillage the resources of these countries, leaving their citizens with no option but to make the journey across the seas to the United Kingdom and other Western countries.

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NIGER BLASTS UN OVER OBSTRUCTION

Niger's military leaders have accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing their participation in this year's UN General Assembly in New York, saying it was likely to undermine efforts to end the crisis in Niger. The military leadership had chosen Niger’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, who is now foreign minister, to speak at the General Assembly. The coup leaders have accused the UN chief of caving in to pressure from France and its allies to revoke Sangaré's credentials.

Since the late July coup, Niger has been hit with sanctions and is under pressure from regional body Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened military intervention unless ousted president Mohamed Bazoum is reinstated.

Are Niger's troubles at the UN a result of France muddying the waters, now that it has no option but to withdraw from the West African country? What do you think?

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THE AFRICAN TITANIC!

Over two decades on, the Joola passenger ferry disaster still haunts the people of Senegal.
More than 1,800 people lost their lives when the overloaded boat capsized in a storm. It was carrying more than four times its passenger limit and there were only 65 survivors. Such was the loss of life, the tragedy has become known as the African Titanic. We look back at events on that fateful night, 21 years ago today.

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AT UNGA, BURKINA FASO SLAMS IMPERIALISM

Burkina Faso's Minister of State Bassolma Bazié showed up on September 23 at the UN General Assembly with something to say! In this speech, Bazié pays homage to several Pan-African and revolutionary leaders while tearing Western imperialism to shreds. He calls out the UN for its role in destabilising Libya, correctly names Africa as the most resource-rich yet exploited continent on Earth. Bazié makes it clear African leaders should no longer submit to these imperialist games. Burkina Faso does not want to be pushed around anymore and the whole Traoré administration is adamant about defending the peoples of Africa and the long pillaged nations of the world.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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NIGER REACTS TO FRENCH WITHDRAWAL

Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that French troops would be withdrawn from Niger, many Nigeriens see it as long overdue, with some saying the departure should be immediate, and not end of year. France's decision to finally bow to weeks of pressure from military leaders and popular demonstrations is widely seen as a capitulation as Macron had earlier said that only ousted President Mohamed Bazoum could order them out.

While the coup in Niger was viewed by France and the west in general as threat to democracy, Nigeriens said it was a rebellion against French neocolonialism. Niger is part of the 14 West African countries that form what is known as the Franc Zone. These countries might have achieved political independence but are still economically enslaved thanks to a colonial pact that not only determines how these countries spend their own money, but also ensures that France remains the main beneficiary of these countries’ natural resources.

Continued- NIGER REACTS TO FRENCH WITHDRAWAL

What's worse, France has the exclusive right to supply these countries with military equipment and to militarily intervene in them, which explains why French troops are always the first on the ground when a former colony has an issue.

Nigeriens are hopeful for a new dawn, and regard giving France the boot as a necessary first step to attaining full sovereignty.

What do you think? Let us know below.

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OBAMA SHOULD SEEK FORGIVENESS
FOR NATO IN LIBYA

Following the flooding in Derna, Libya, Obama asked for donations from well-wishers to help respond to the worst tragedy in the country in recent history. Over 11,000 have reportedly died, and countless thousands of others are missing and displaced. What the man should be asking for, though, is forgiveness.

Obama was US president in 2011 when NATO overthrew President Muammar Gaddafi and plunged one of Africa’s wealthiest countries into a failed state, with rival governments and warring factions.

NATO’s 2011 actions led to the severity of the flooding in Derna. The collapsed dams showed signs of years of neglect. Compare this to the state’s capacity to respond to such crises during Gaddafi’s tenure. Libya even contributed to the recovery of the Maldives after a 2005 tsunami by providing $2 million.

Even more shameful is that Africa’s best was done dirty by America’s first Black president.


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ERITREA PRESIDENT: U.S IMPERIALISM NEEDS TO BE CONFRONTED

Isaias Afwerki, who fought to liberate Eritrea from Ethiopian occupation, has been viciously attacked by Western media outlets and NGOs for decades. However, when breaking down international relations and the history of US hegemony, Afwerki has a few criticisms of his own and certainly doesn't hold back when sharing them with the world. During the Russia-Africa Summit held in July in Saint Petersburg, he spoke frankly to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the need for Moscow's leadership to confront US hegemony across the global south.

Afwerki explained that the Cold War dynamics witnessed today not only affect large countries. Small states, like Eritrea, are being bullied because they refuse to bow to Western terms of engagement.

In Afwerki's eyes, managing these hegemonic tendencies is the only way to achieve peace and development. What do you think about the Eritrean president's statements and his search for an ally in Russia?

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIBYA

Rizza Islam of the Nation of Islam delivered a compelling argument in a 2020 interview on the hip-hop broadcasting network Revolt on the valid reason for destroying the once most prosperous country in Africa, Libya. Western governments and media have smeared former leader Muammar Gaddafi as a monster, but the prosperity he delivered to Libya was on the verge of going continental.

They say money is the root of all evil, so it's not hard to imagine what happens when you have plans to disrupt the global financial order.

It is usually curtains after that, and there is no better example than in Libya.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Video Credit: Revolt

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MUGABE'S GENEVA STANDOFF

In this interview, former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, spoke about one of the most crucial moments in his struggle, the Geneva Conference of 1976. These were a series of negotiations that took place in Switzerland between the racist Rhodesian regime, the British government and the African nationalist parties. The talks were supposed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and pave the way for majority rule in Rhodesia. But they ended in failure and disappointment for African people. Mugabe explains why he rejected the proposals that were offered by the British and the US government, who he accused of being biased and manipulative.

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Continued- MUGABE'S GENEVA STANDOFF

He said they wanted to impose a settlement that would protect the interests and privileges of the white minority, and deny the rights and aspirations of the Black majority. Mugabe also criticized the role of US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who had visited Africa before the talks and had tried to persuade African countries to accept his terms. Mugabe claimed Kissinger was lying and meddling and that he had no right or power to speak for Africa. The only acceptable solution for Mugabe was the one-man, one-vote system that would reflect the will of the majority of the people, and he was not willing to compromise on this principle.

What do you think of Mugabe's remarks? Let us know in the comments.

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"START INVESTING STOP IMPORTING"

During a meeting with representatives from low-income Ugandan primary schools known as Bridge Schools, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni passionately called for a shift in the economic relationship between Africa and its international partners. The meeting included Mirjam Blaak-Sow, the Ugandan Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the European Union.

Museveni emphasised the need to invest in local manufacturing industries, rather than continuing to export raw materials. Let us know what you think needs to be done for Africa to strike a more equitable trade dynamic with Russia, China, as well as its U.S. and European partners.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SHUTS BORDER WITH HAITI OVER CANAL

Haiti's plans to construct a canal off a river that the country shares with the Dominican Republic (DR) has brought to the surface simmering tension between the two countries. The DR, which claims that the canal will significantly reduce its share of water, has closed its border with Haiti and halted the issuance of visas to that country's citizens in protest against the canal. Haitians living in the neighboring country have also reported increased harassment from officials there in recent weeks, forcing many of them to return home.

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Continued - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SHUTS BORDER WITH HAITI OVER CANAL

Haiti says, despite the threats, the canal project that initially started out as a community project by locals will go on due to its importance to increasing the country's agricultural self-reliance. The project, which has become a unifying factor among Haitians, has also exposed the DR's deep seated hostility towards its neighbor. The Dominican government has for decades cooperated with Western powers that have invaded and occupied Haiti. It has also been called out over its harsh treatment of Black Haitian migrants.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

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'IF HAITI QUIETLY SUNK... IT WOULDN'T MATTER'

The US is calling on the UN to back a security mission to Haiti - but does President Joe Biden really care for the island’s welfare? Well, we’ll help you answer that by showing you this clip when he was a senator in the 1990s. He says the US wouldn’t blink if Haiti ‘sunk’ to the bottom of the sea.

However, while it’s still afloat, the resource-rich nation remains of strategic interest to the United States. Maybe that’s why it backed the coup against socialist president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. And maybe that’s why it’s backed foreign interventions since, despite them failing to secure peace for Haitians. So when you hear the US praising Kenya for sending police to “restore order” on the island and leading the latest UN mission, remember Biden’s comments in this video.

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WE PUSH BACK AGAINST “SOMALIS ARE NOT BLACK”!

At Speaker’s Corner in London, a controversial topic was raised where African youth from the British capital discussed their roots.

Some Somali youngsters refused to accept they are Black, stating their culture, language and heritage proves they are not.

But is this just another example of people falling for colonial stereotyping? Are they trying to distance themselves from their Africanness because of dominant negative Black narratives? Is this why the Somalis in this clip refuse to accept their own identity and colour?

Whether Somali, Moroccan or Nigerian, the necessity of being unified and proud of our origins is a must, and while we may not be identically homogenous and have difference in ethnicity and religion, our Africanness or Blackness must not be denied. That is weakness rather than strength.

Video Credit: Content Over Everything

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