SANKARA THE ANTI-DEBT ICON

On T-homas Sankara's birthday, we look back at one of the legendary speeches regarding foreign aid from the pan-African icon and former leader of Burkina Faso. He advocated self-sufficiency, the elimination of the entire continent's debt, and not relying on aid, which always comes with strings attached.

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RUTO REVEALS KENYA’S WHOPPING DEBT TRAP.

Kenya’s President Ruto has revealed his country’s staggering debt burden. He told journalists that 70 per cent of tax revenues are used to service foreign loans worth $70-billion. And he says that’s why subsidies on staples like fuel and maize flour are being cut.

Kenya is in the proverbial debt trap, having to borrow more to pay off existing loans. The only other ‘nuclear’ option is to default on its debt. But, of course, it’s not Ruto’s fault. He blames the current cost-of-living crisis on the poor housekeeping of previous administrations.

However, many remain unconvinced. As deputy president for ten years, he had access to government. He’s also fallen short of promises made during his election campaign. Take corruption, for example, which siphons off a third of Kenya’s annual budget. Instead of a strong crackdown on graft, suspects have seen their cases inexplicably dismissed, with a good number even landing state appointments.

Continued….On top of that, Ruto has embarked on a privatisation spree, putting 11 state companies up for grabs, with another 35 on the way. It looks like a desperate bid to raise revenue rather than a sustainable plan for long-term growth.

For many Kenyans, the root of the country’s financial woes remains unaddressed, and the government is milking them dry. Ruto claims his hands are tied and has no other choice, but is that really the case?

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BRITISH RAPPER RAISES $600K+ FOR SUDAN, CONGO, PALESTINE

Record-breaking UK-born Nigerian rapper Dave has raised $633,215 for children affected by conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and Palestine. The 25-year-old rapper had pledged the proceeds from a two-week merchandise sale held in early December, adding he would match and double the money raised.

Continued….The DRC, Sudan and Palestine are currently experiencing the crises of our time. Sudan’s conflict has gotten minimal coverage, despite having among the highest rates of internal displacement at 7.1 million people, currently. More than 12,000 have been killed, a figure many believe is orders of magnitude understated because of the lack of internet and electricity in parts of Sudan. DRC has around 6.9 million internally displaced people, alongside the 6 million killed amid decades of conflict. Children are especially vulnerable, with many forcefully connoscripted as child soldiers or as miners. Palestine has seen a relentless onslaught by Israel. More than 29,000 Israeli bombs have been dropped since 7 October on the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people and one of the most densely populated places in the world. About 20,000 civilians have been killed, with almost half being women and children.

That is why it is heartening to see famous people like Dave take a stand with the oppressed.

Let us know your thoughts.

ISRAEL, A HAVEN FOR FLEEING CHILD ABUSERS

Africa was the victim of seven settler-colonial regimes, with Apartheid South Africa being the biggest, followed by Algeria, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Kenya, Mozambique, Angola and German South-West Africa (Namibia). So, we know a thing or two about why settler colonialism is bad for the native population.

But the latest settler-colonial project in the Middle East is not only making life difficult for Palestinians but also for Israelis, jeopardising their children’s safety by allowing paedophiles from around the world to settle in the so-called Jewish state.

The Jewish Community Watch says that 32 paedophiles in their database have moved from countries around the world to Israel over the past decade. But that is just a drop in the ocean. According to an Israeli paedophile monitoring association, tens of thousands of paedophiles operate in Israel every year, leading to about 100,000 victims annually (you can find the report in The Jerusalem Post).

Continued…..How does this happen?

Well, while Palestinians are being driven out of their homes to make space for Israeli settlers, any person anywhere with a Jewish mother or maternal grandmother or any Jewish convert can move to Israel, claim citizenship and have access to land. Unfortunately, this policy has been abused by criminals, including paedophiles, to escape justice.

Tens of thousands of paedophiles operate in Israel each year, a country where nine out of ten sexual-assault cases get closed without a conviction, according to an annual survey released by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.

This CBS News investigation from 2020 breaks down the loophole that allows accused and convicted American paedophiles to escape justice by moving to Israel.

Please watch and let us know your thoughts.

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MICHAEL RAPAPORT CALLS AFRICANS ‘PRIVILEGED’

We’re trying not to do mental gymnastics, but US actor and comedian Michael Rapaport ranted last month that Africans in the United States are a privileged group that the US government would try to protect if Palestinians held us hostage. Are you laughing yet? We remember what the US government has been doing to our people for centuries. But wait. He then argued against the global cry for a ceasefire, saying bombing Gaza until at least 20,000 Palestinians have been killed —including more than 8000 children killed is a rational response to H*m*s attacks on 7th October.

Continued…..From Rapaport misquoting the number of Palestinians that the Israeli military has killed since the 7 October escalation in Gaza, does Rapaport know that the United States takes hostages, too? Check out the people being held for more than two decades—most without charge or trial—at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base. None of that has resulted in a genocide against US civilians. Rapaport’s jingoistic rhetoric—reminiscent of the days after the 9/11 attacks in the United States—deems all crimes against humanity fair as long as they are in defence of US or Israeli passport holders.

What do you think of the actor’s rant? Let us know below.

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PLO: AFRICA MUST WORK AS ONE ON GLOBAL STAGE

Individually, African nations are in danger of finding themselves with new masters - as long as we are not united! That’s one of the take-home messages from Pan-African scholar and lawyer PLO Lumumba during a recent round table at the African Stream studios in Nairobi.

He was discussing the admission (from Jan. 1st, 2024) of two more African countries to the BRICS economic club of emerging nations - which will now include Egypt and Ethiopia, alongside South Africa.

Given the way the US and EU use economic bullying in the form of sanctions, it’s understandable why countries might want to gang together for greater protection.

Continued….But when you have powerhouses like China (the ‘C’ in ‘BRICS’) in the gang, you must proceed with caution, warns PLO Lumumba - lest you become subservient to them.

The case generalises. African nations belong individually to numerous international blocs and alliances. Wouldn’t it be better if they joined forces as an African Union on the global stage, resolving any issues between African nations internally before dealing with the world?

Have a watch and let us know if you’re convinced in the comments.

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BELGIAN MUSEUM DECORATED WITH SEVERED HANDS

Antwerp’s ‘Museum aan de Stroom’ was hailed as an impressive bit of architecture when it was opened in 2011. But when you take a closer look, its ugly side becomes apparent: it’s decorated in hands - amputated ones. Which is grim enough, but is likely to make anyone even slightly acquainted with Belgium’s colonial past recoil in horror.

Belgium’s King Leopold II and his colonial forces maimed countless enslaved Congolese during their brutal reign of terror in the country - by chopping off hands as punishment for failing to meet quotas. Rape, torture, kidnapping and murder were also rampant in Leopold’s colony. It’s estimated his regime was responsible for an astonishing 10-million Congolese deaths.

Continued….Defender’s of the museum’s sinister design point out that the city of Antwerp has an old legend associated with it - of a giant who used to cut passing boatmen’s hands off if they failed to pay a toll. And it’s this 15th century parable that the hands on the building’s exterior are apparently a reference to. Be that as it may, it smacks of a complete lack of sensitivity and atonement.

Whatever the architect thought he was channeling, the building can throw and shock unprepared visitors. Among them, @amhur75 - who recently posted this video he filmed when in Antwerp.

Have a watch and let us know what you think should happen to the building

GHANA PRES: NO MORE EXCUSES!

A while back, Africa was rarely mentioned in a positive light. Things have changed today, whether economically, whereas the world incresasingly understands it relies on African resources or, culturally, with African films, music and textiles among its exports. Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in this clip from last year's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, calls for concrete actions to aid the development of our motherland.

Appropriately deploying Africa's natural and human resources may make the difference between a poverty-stricken continent and one treated with the respect and dignity it deserves. Take the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example.

Continued….Despite holding $24 trillion in minerals underground, producing more than 60 per cent of the world's cobalt, and being home to more than 102 million people, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. Meanwhile, multinational companies, such as Apple and Tesla, reap billions of dollars annually from Congolese resources. On the other hand, France has enjoyed access to Niger's uranium for almost five decades, but the Sahelian state has remained one of the poorest countries in the world.

To summarise Akufo-Addo’s message, the time for words has passed, and the time for action is now. Have a watch, and let us know what you think.

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SOMALI SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINIANS

Somalis have been among the most vocal African supporters of Palestinians since October 7th. Their solidarity with the plight of Gazans (and West Bankers) has been forged in similar personal experiences of oppression - including attacks by an external power. Another parallel is Somalia’s internal refugee crisis. Here’s a look at what connects these two peoples in their quest for liberation.

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FROM OPPRESSED TO OPPRESSOR

The pages of human history are littered with the blood of the victims of the oppression and wars that came about as some groups tried to establish dominance over others. From the crusader wars, through the slavery days up to the genocides and mass killings of the 20th century, there have always been groups and individuals who have had no qualms about spilling blood to achieve their economic and political goals.

There is no shortage of harrowing stories and genocidal villains, but the most disturbing trend has been how some of the victims of these brutal crimes, or their descendants, would later also turn into villains who meted out violence on new victims. African Stream’s William Sakawa outlines some of the most striking cases.

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‘THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WILL INDEED BE VICTORIOUS’

We should connect the Palestinian liberation struggle to other liberation struggles around the world, said activist and scholar Angela Davis many years ago at the closing session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, held in Brussels, Belgium. We agree.

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WHY BOYCOTTING ISRAEL IS IMPORTANT

Boycotts are back. They worked helping to undermine the apartheid regime in South Africa. And now activists the world over - enraged by Tel Aviv’s merciless killing-spree in Gaza - have the likes of McDonald’s, Starbucks and Disney in their sights. African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim explains why.

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DID THE QUEEN HELP AFRICA DEVELOP?

The blood, sweat, and tears of Africans are what gave the continent its independence from colonialism. That is community organizer Sefu Sanni’s perspective on who is responsible for the freedom Africans enjoy today. After the queen’s death, history revisionists painted Africa’s independence as coming from a benevolent monarch instead of decades of armed struggle against colonial occupation that made colonialism an unsustainable enterprise.

They also heaped praise on the British for ending slavery, conveniently leaving out the role Africans in Haiti played when they brought Napoleon’s military to its knees on the island.

Continued….Of note also is that Britain was a pioneer of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the descendants of slave traders still reap the benefits of their ancestors’ heinous acts. As recently as 2015, these slave trading families received compensation for the loss of their slaves. How many Africans who served under the dehumanizing conditions can say the same?

Sefu Sanni’s words are also a warning for the present. Neocolonialism remains deeply entrenched in Africa today, with key factors of production like land in the hands of a few, including British multinationals. With the recent influx of flowery language, including the non-apology from King Charles’ visit, it is a good time to remember oppression cedes nothing without a struggle.

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