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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BREAKING: South Africa’s parliament has passed a motion by majority of 248 vs 91
to close Israel’s embassy. This paves the way to fully cut diplomatic relations.

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U.S. SHAMED AT UN FOR FUNDING GAZA APOCALYPSE

Award-winning Sudanese rapper Bas has come under attack for sharing a video clip showing Dima Asfour - the deputy Permanent Observer of the Palestinian Mission to the UN in Geneva, condemning the ongoing Israeli onslaught of Palestinians.

Sharing the clip on Instagram has made Bas the latest celebrity to come under fire for solidarity with the Palestinian people who have been bombed restlessly for the last six weeks, resulting in over 13,000 being killed. All the so-called free speech advocates seem to be OK with the pro-Israeli lynch mob attacking individuals for sharing a speech that was made at an official UN platform.

Continued…..In the clip under question, the Palestinian representative calls out the hypocrisy and double-speak of the United States. She took issue with America’s hollow claim to ‘stand with Palestinian civilians’ in Gaza. As she notes, the US has just approved a massive package of military aid to Israel - military assistance that will go towards the butchery of more Palestinian children.
As Asfour says, Washington’s claim to stand with Palestinian civilians will remain a pretence until it stops the weapons flow to Israel.

If you are tired of the attempts to silence African voices speaking up for Palestine, then go over to @bas’s Instagram page and show some support.

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DIFFERENT COLONISERS, SAME TACTIC

The thing about colonial forces is that they are often lacking in the bravery department. Knowing they are hated, they constantly have to watch their backs. British soldiers serving in Northern Ireland have admitted that they used to feel safer patrolling near children as they thought there’d be less chance of being shot at. This despicable tactic - using kids as human shields - was also in evidence in apartheid South Africa, and has been used by the IDF in Israel.

The UN designates November 20th World Children's Day, so it’s worth remembering that, under international humanitarian law, the use of children on a battle field and the use of human shields are strictly prohibited through treaty and custom - and are defined as war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

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HOW LIBERIA WAS FOUNDED

We’ve decided to give you another little lesson on Liberia’s fascinating history. Blogger, educator and historian André White put together this simple guide on how the West African country was founded. And how it stemmed from the decision to send freed Black slaves back to West Africa - even though that decision wasn’t exactly borne out of kindness. It was the idea of the American Colonization Society which wanted to create a new Liberia state. Unfortunately that saw indigenous populations forced to give up their land - and fuelled future civil wars. It also helps explain how the capital Monrovia got its name!

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EX-OBAMA ADVISER: KILL MORE KIDS IN GAZA!

An ex-Obama adviser has been caught on camera vilely harassing a halal street vendor in New York and calling for more children to be killed in Gaza, saying 4,000 isn’t enough. Stuart Seldowitz, an ex-National Security Council chief, was filmed on multiple days spewing abuse at the cart employee, asking if he raped his children “like the Prophet Muhammad” and taunting him that his parents would have their fingernails ripped off in Egypt.

Seldowitz was also deputy director in the US State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs (1999-2003), wining the State Department’s Superior Honour award three times.

It gives a grim insight into the sort of ‘honourable’ people in charge of American foreign policy.

Continued….Obama's administration is remembered for the destruction of Libya under a US-led NATO coalition in 2011. Obama dropped more bombs per year than any other US president, 2016 being the peak, with 26,171 bombs - that's three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day. It’s similar to what Israel - with US support - is currently doing in Gaza. Tel Aviv’s war has killed over 5,600 defenceless children and 3,550 women. The US ships armaments to Israel worth $3 billion annually, with a special, additional $14.5-billion military aid package approved this year. Under Obama, Israel received the most US military aid ever - $38 billion over ten years starting in 2016.

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SOUTH AFRICA PARLIAMENT VOTES TO BOOT ISRAEL

In a historic move, parliamentarians in South Africa's National Assembly overwhelmingly voted yesterday in favor of a motion to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and cut diplomatic ties with Israel, in condemnation of Tel Aviv's onslaught of the Gaza Strip.

The vote result was 248-91, with no abstentions. Opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) introduced the motion, which several other political parties supported. That included the ruling African National Congress (ANC), whose numbers ensured the motion sailed through the house.

After it was amended at the ANC's insistence to include a precondition for reinstating diplomatic ties, the motion stated, "The House—calls upon the government to close the Israeli Embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until a ceasefire is agreed to by Israel and Israel commits to binding United Nations-facilitated negotiations whose outcome must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace.”

Continued…..More conservative parties, such as the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Freedom Front Plus and the Inkatha Freedom Party, opposed the motion. The ACDP and the DA said the move may prevent South Africa from playing a meaningful role in peace negotiations.

However, the motion is not legally binding. It is now up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to implement.

In early November, South Africa pulled its ambassador out of Tel Aviv to condemn the Israeli bombardment, which has so far killed at least 14,100 Palestinians, including about 5,350 children.

During a virtual meeting of the BRICS economic alliance held on the same day, Ramaphosa accused Tel Aviv of carrying out a genocide against Palestinians.

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Yesterday, we posted this picture alongside a long caption regarding Liberia's modern history and Americo-Liberian settlement into Liberia. While we stand by the text in the lengthy caption, we posted. We must apologise for the picture below, which was not from Liberia but was, in fact, from the Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin).

We are sorry for this colossal error.

IDF CROWD CHEER N-WORD GAZA TAUNT

An Israeli singer performing for a crowd of IDF soldiers whipped up a frenzy of hatred by throwing racist slurs and other insults at Gaza. The audience cheered as Lior Narkis called Gaza the n-word, as well as a ‘b*tch’ and ‘wh*re.’

These are the people prosecuting Israel’s war in Gaza. If they are this racist, how can we take their claims to be conducting an anti-terrorist operation at face value?

Over 13,000 Palestinian lives and counting…

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ISRAEL TO EGYPT: WE’LL PAY YOUR DEBT

An Israeli news report recently claimed Netanyahu’s government offered to pay off a chunk of Egypt’s debt to the World Bank in exchange for the African country accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza. Meanwhile, other reports have revealed EU officials also are putting pressure on Egypt at Tel Aviv’s request.

Israel has long wanted to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza and push them into Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. This is not a conspiracy theory. A recording of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal was leaked to the press a decade ago.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has repeatedly stated in public that his country is not willing to follow this path. It would create a land without a people, deal a blow to Palestinian statehood and become a security threat for Egypt in the near future, he said.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.

RAPAPORT’S RACIST RANT DESTROYED!

Racists often think they’re being smart when they’re blurting out their hate. The latest example is American actor Michael Rapaport’s rant about Israeli hostages. During a self-filmed tirade, he claims that if ten African-Americans had been murdered and another ten taken hostage, there’d be no calls for a ceasefire in America - and nobody would dare tear down their posters. Here, African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim rips that argument to shreds and exposes it for the racist drivel it really is. Tell us who’s right in the comments.

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MALEMA: SPRINGBOK SYMBOLISE APARTHEID

South Africa’s national rugby side may be a source of great pride for the nation following their record fourth World Cup noscript. But for some, the famous gold and green jersey and springbok emblem are anything but.

Opposition leader Julius Malema wants the colours and famous leaping antelope badge changed because of their links with the apartheid era.

They’ve been worn by the side since first appearing during a tour of Britain back in 1906. And remained during the height of apartheid when the Blacks were banned from playing the sport alongside Whites in South Africa.

Continued….The ANC had called for the kit to be scrapped after coming to power almost 30 years ago. However, Nelson Mandela intervened and allowed the national team to use the traditional strip at the 1995 World Cup, believing it could be a unifying step. But even today, despite making up less than 10 percent of the population, White players still form more than half of the country's rugby team.

Do you agree with Malema it’s time for a change? If so, what colours and emblem would you choose?

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RAMAPHOSA: ISRAEL'S ACTIONS 'TANTAMOUNT TO GENOCIDE'

The alliance of global South states known as 'BRICS' on 21 November held a virtual summit on the Gaza conflict. In addition to the five original members—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—six new members attended: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a stern condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, saying it was 'tantamount to genocide.' Already, more than 14,500 Palestinians—including about 6,000 children—have been killed since the 7 October escalation. Ramaphosa called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, plus the opening of humanitarian corridors to transport aid to civilians in the enclave.

Continued….On the same day, South Africa's parliament passed a motion to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspend diplomatic ties. It is now on Ramaphosa's government to implement the decision. South Africa had already withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Tel Aviv in early November in condemnation of the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians.

Bombardment of schools, hospitals, refugee camps and residential buildings has characterised Israel's military attack. Gaza is in a dire humanitarian crisis, with water, food, and energy shortages as a result of an Israeli blockade that began in 2007 and has been severely exacerbated since October 7.

Let us know what you think of Ramaphosa's remarks.

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ISRAEL-GAZA HOSTAGE DEAL FACES DELAYS

A temporary ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the U.S to facilitate the release of hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza has yet to take effect. The expected four-day pause in fighting will see 50 hostages in Gaza exchanged for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The deal will also allow trucks carrying food, fuel and gas to enter Gaza via Egypt's Rafah crossing.

However, Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi announced on Wednesday that no captives will be released until Friday.

In the meantime, Israeli forces have stepped up attacks ahead of the truce, with casualties reported in several places in Gaza. Israeli attacks have killed 14,500 Palestinians so far, 5,600 of them children - equating to one child killed every ten minutes since October 7th. Another 1,800 children are missing under the rubble, and 9,000 have been wounded - many with life-changing injuries.

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