TEARS OF THE CONGO

Being far away in the diaspora doesn’t mean what’s happening back at home on the continent doesn’t matter deeply to you. Watch as a Congolese sister in America fights back the tears to try and raise awareness of all the crises facing her native DRC right now - the butchery and the genocide in the east, the rebel groups indirectly financed with Western funds, the huge internal refugee emergency, the child slavery in the multinational ‘horror’ mines, the Western exploitation of her nation’s abundant mineral riches for profit and for the creation of gadgets the world needs but most Congolese will never own. She admits the pain gets too much when she reflects on all this and feels frustration at nothing having changed in over a decade of activism and awareness-raising - something that’s left her in despair and close to giving up.

Continued….We think her message needs to be heard far and wide - her cry for help speaks for millions of desperate Congolese, and Africa will only ever be truly free when the giant Congo is. Please watch, like, and share, share, share. And show some love and support for @hindirlane in the comments.

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AL AHLY FANS CHANT FOR PALESTINE

Al Ahly football club fans recently showed their support to Palestinians under Israeli occupation during a game against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns. Al Ahly is the team with most Egyptian and African noscripts in football and was voted the African team of the century in the year 2000.

Al Ahly fans or ‘Ultras Ahlawys,’ as they are known, have long been political and played a key role in the 2011 revolution on 25 January. Alongside Zamalek’s White Knights, their rivals, they led mass protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, demanding freedom, an aversion of cost of living crisis and human dignity, from now-ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

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EXECS CENSOR HIP HOP

Hip hop's origins were socio-political. It was created in the dire economic conditions of the South Bronx to express the struggle of Africans in the United States, most of whom live in poverty or working-class conditions. In this excerpt from the Savior's Day Convention held years ago near Chicago, USA, recording artist Wise Intelligent breaks down how record labels have facilitated an atmosphere for artists to promote negative stereotypes and tropes about African communities. But when they want to discuss state-sponsored police brutality, they are censored.

Through examples he raises of artists, such as JT the Bigga Figga and former G-unit rapper Young Buck, it is understood record labels demand a message that encourages gun violence among young Africans.

What do you think about the state of hip-hop? Is this all by design? Or are the artists, not the record companies, to blame? Let us know in the comments.

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Every week, African Stream likes to draw attention to certain facts. This week, it’s some truths about China's supposed debt-trap diplomacy in Africa. Chew them over with us in the comments.

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Continued…..International isolation played a key role in dismantling apartheid in South Africa. Western governments worked to undermine the fight against apartheid back then. Similarly, the US has now vetoed two UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. But just as the West was unable to maintain the colonial project in South Africa, many hope the same will hold in the Middle East.

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Australian-American basketball star Kyrie Irving donned a traditional Palestinian garment to his latest postgame press conference. The black-and-white keffiyeh - or scarf - is often worn to symbolise solidarity with the Palestinians. He made no vocal pronouncements about the situation in Gaza, discussing only what had happened on the court (where his Dallas Mavericks lost to the Sacramento Kings 113-129).

Irving is one of the NBA's most skilled guards, averaging 27.1 points per game last season, and has not been afraid to use his celebritiy profile to raise issues regarding social justice.

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CONGO IS BEING ROBBED!

Activist and artist Chakabars spoke with entrepreneur 19Keys at a 3-day conference, ‘REVOLT WORLD,’ about tangible ways to build generational wealth. He encouraged Africans around the world be part of owning land, media, and mining operations in Africa.

Chakabars compared the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of three US states with that of all of Africa, demonstrating theft leaves our people on the continent in tatters. Though, the numbers are a bit different from what we find, the disparity remains. Resource-rich Africa is getting ripped off.

Continued….During this conference held in the US city of Atlanta, panelists stressed the need for Pan-African unity, creating new economic and educational systems, taking back control of our culture, building our own institutions, and collective action. We don’t know if the conference mentioned socialism, a key component of Pan-Africanism. However, this clips ends with Chakabars saying Africans in the Americas and in Europe would rather help build than pillage Africa’s wealth, as neocolonialist capitalist corporations and countries are currently doing.

Let us know what you think.

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BEYOND COLONIAL BORDERS

During the era of colonialism, European powers established arbitrary borders without regard for existing ethnic, cultural or tribal divisions. This process split up communities and created artificial nations, leading to a lack of harmony between borders and the distribution of ethnic groups.

The occupiers established systems of ‘pass’ laws, which required individuals to carry passes or permits to move within certain areas. These passes often specified where individuals were allowed to live and work, and violating these restrictions could result in severe penalties.

For instance, in the former French colonies, instead of allowing for the creation of a single, large - and potentially more powerful - state in West Africa, France pushed for the establishment of several independent countries.

Continued….Today, the result is a continent which is incredibly inconvenient to travel across internally, and a people who are increasingly unaware of each other.

Vusi Thembekwayo, a South African entrepreneur, author and investor, challenges us to resist the imposed importance of these borders, as well as concepts like citizenship, passport and visa. How would freedom of movement across Africa change the quality of life for Africans? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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‘BLACK IS NOT A VALUE-FREE IDEA’

Renowned Nigerian Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says she never thought about being Black while growing up in her home county. But all that changed when she moved to the United States to study, where suddenly it became an issue. She faced a wave of prejudice, with even her tutor making assumptions about her academic talent because of the colour of her skin. To her it revealed the raw reality of being Black outside Africa and spurred her critically acclaimed short story Americanah. It also fuelled her admiration for those who continue to succeed, regardless.

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JUSTICE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR PEACE

There are many disturbing similarities between the apartheid policies of Israel and those once seen in South Africa. However, Egyptian YouTuber Mohammed Hijab says Israel has gone one stage further with the mass cleansing of Palestinians from their ancestral land. He made the point during a British TV debate with Rabbi Schmuley Boteach. Hajib also condemned Hamas for killing civilians, but said peace is only possible if horrific injustices against Palestinians are acknowledged and rectified.
Do you agree?

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ANTI-APARTHEID ICON COMMENDS ANC

South African anti-apartheid icon Ronnie Kasrils has commended the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for backing opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters' call that the government close Israel's embassy in the capital of Pretoria.

South African parliamentarians are set to vote 21 November on a motion to close the Israeli embassy, in condemnation of Israel's onslaught of Palestinians since the 7 October escalation in the Gaza Strip. So far, Israel has killed 13,300 Palestinians, with about 5,600 being children.

Hours before Tuesday's vote, Tel Aviv recalled its ambassador to South Africa for 'consultation', adding a new twist to frosty relations between the two countries.

Continued….In early November, South Africa withdrew its diplomatic staff from Israel in protest of the attacks on Gaza. Last week, the ANC announced it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the embassy's closure.

Kasrils, a South African Jew who was a commander in the ANC's paramilitary wing during the anti-apartheid struggle, and later served in various ministerial roles, commented last week that the motion was 'moral and practical.'

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COLONIALISTS - ‘BENEVOLENT’ SADISTS?

Ex-colonisers make absurd self-apologists.

They’ll try and excuse their crimes against Africans by telling us we ought to be grateful because they left a load of infrastructure behind and supposedly got us a leg-up onto the ladder of civilisation (sorry, who built the pyramids?). As if that could ever make up for the suffering they inflicted! All this infrastructure was anyway only ever built to service the settler population, it was never ‘meant’ for us.

Our man Clinton Nzala has the perfect analogy for it.

And if you like what he says, it’s from a much broader chat by the African Stream team about King Charles’ recent failure to apologise for his family’s crimes during a visit to Kenya. You can catch that reaction-video on our YouTube channel.

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Convicted American paedophile Terry Ray Krieger is back in a Kenyan court - accused of sexually assaulting a three-year-old. The abuse reportedly happened in Athi River, near Nairobi.

There was fury when the 69-year-old was released a year ago. He’d only served eight years of a 50-year sentence for creating and distributing child pornography involving underage Kenyans. He was first seized in Kenya in 2014 after an Interpol tip-off the year before. The judge who ordered his release argued that his sentence had been too harsh.

Krieger had already been convicted of sexual conduct with an under-13-year-old child in the US in 1992.

The latest charges carry a potential five-year sentence. The case will be mentioned on November 27th.

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NIGERIA DROPS ENI OIL LAWSUIT

It looks like foreign energy giant Eni will get to exploit one of Nigeria’s richest oilfields. The country’s Justice Ministry has unexpectedly dropped its $1-billion lawsuit against the Italian firm. It hasn't explained the u-turn, but the move
paves the way for Eni to exploit oil off the Niger Delta with partner Shell. It’s a region that’s been plundered by multinationals for decades, destroying local ecosystems and livelihoods. So, this latest development hardly fills us with joy. Thoughts welcome.

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LIBERIAN PREZ: MINERALS FOR THE PEOPLE!

Liberia’s new president has wasted little time explaining his priorities. After beating incumbent George Weah in elections this week, Joseph Boakai is setting his sights on maximising his countries mineral wealth.

Liberia has vast natural resources, but they’ve been exploited by multi-nationals for decades. As a result, there’s been minimal benefit for Liberians, most of whom live below the poverty line.

Can Boakai, a former rubber plantation worker, turn this around? Similar paths have been taken by West African neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso. Liberians are hoping their new leader will deliver on his man-of-the-people image.

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