FOOTBALL: THE COLONIAL OWN GOAL

Football takes centre stage in Africa, with AFCON kicking off this weekend. But it’s fair to say the sport has been ‘more than just a game’ during the continent’s history. Even though it was introduced by colonial powers, it was quickly used against them to promote unity and Pan-Africanism. And the Confederation of African Football played a major part. We look at how football became a colonial own goal!

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GAZA’S AFRO-PALESTINIAN WONDERKID

Meet Gaza’s 9-year-old Afro-Palestinian journalist, Lama Abu Jamous, who has grabbed the attention of millions of social media users around the world, as she has documented life after more than 2 million Palestinians have been under Israel’s siege and military assault since 7 October.

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WHY SOUTH AFRICA’S GENOCIDE CASE MATTERS

In this clip, former South African MP Andrew Feinstein argues that “never again” applies not just to Jews - but to everyone. And that’s why his country’s action against Israel at the International Court of Justice is so important.

Himself the son of a Holocaust survivor, he argues that if Tel Aviv is found guilty of genocide, it will make it that much harder for the West - and the US in particular - to back the devastating Israeli campaign in Gaza.

He draws parallels between the experiences of Black South Africans under apartheid and those of Palestinians now. The White supremacist regime murdered thousands of Blacks for standing up for their freedoms. Feinstein notes one big difference, though: the regime needed a Black workforce to keep the economy afloat, whereas Israel’s deadly oppression has no such restraint.

All eyes are now on the ICJ. Why do you think the case matters, and what will it change?

video credit @doubledownnews

RIP SEKOU ODINGA

Rest In Power to veteran of the Black liberation struggle in the United States, Sekou Odinga (1944-2024). He was a key founder of both the Bronx chapter and the International Section of the Black Panther Party, which set up an embassy in Algeria. He would also later go on to become an active member of the Republic of New Afrika in the US, declaring “conscious New Afrikan” citizenship, and rejecting American identity.

Odinga is lovingly remembered as one of the heroes involved in freeing his fellow Panther, Assata Shakur, from prison, where she had been unjustly detained and tortured. In 1981 he was captured by the state and hit with nine RICO charges related to the act. He endured 33 years of state captivity, finally regaining freedom in 2014.

Continued….Sekou Odinga faced state torture and survived the notorious FBI Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO), emerging as a revered and inspirational figure in liberation struggles worldwide. His narrative serves as a testament to unwavering persistence, profound courage, and unwavering commitment truth and justice.

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WE REACT TO JULIA BREWER’S DISGRACEFUL INTERVIEW

It’s still early days in 2024 and we’re off with our first reaction video.

This time, it’s about TalkTV host Julia Hartley-Brewer, who’s ignited a firestorm, with accusations of Islamophobic and unprofessional behavior for her attitude toward Palestinian official Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who was a guest on her show on 3 January.

Viewers have expressed outrage at what they see as a racist attitude toward Barghouti. Many have argued that her behavior is representative of broader biases within Western media against Palestinians.

Continued….In this reaction video, journalists at African Stream’s Nairobi studio dig into how white liberal feminism hurts the women on behalf of which it claims to fight. For instance, 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are reportedly starving, facing housing insecurity and suffering daily bombardment from the so-called ‘only democracy in the Middle East.’ Hartley-Brewer ignores this in her tirade against the Palestinian Legislative Council member.

Catch the entire video on our YouTube channel and give us your reaction.

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HOW OIL'S RIGGED AGAINST AFRICA

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, but unlike other oil-rich countries, it remains relatively poor. One of the biggest reasons is its lack of processing facilities. As a result, it has to sell its unrefined oil to other nations who refine it and then sell it back at several times the price. Obviously a stupid system, but one perpetuated by Nigerian politicians.

In this clip, Zimbabwean entrepreneur and author Joshua Maponga runs through how foreign firms have been allowed to exploit Nigeria’s oil for decades at the expense of local interests. According to him, there’s only one solution. Governments need to wake up and take back control of their country’s resources. And if you want an example of what can be done, we should look at Burkina Faso and Mali, or even China.

Western nations have long blamed Nigeria’s oil problems on its fuel subsidies, which were recently scrapped.

Continued….However, the result was an instant 175 per cent increase in pump prices for its citizens. Hardly a way of lifting its population out of poverty, 40 per cent of whom live on less than US$2 a day.

Maponga seems to be talking sense. Just run the oil industry as a proper business, which means refining the black gold yourself! Too simplistic? Give us your thoughts.

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AKON: AFRICA IS THE WAY OUT FOR BLACKS!

Senegalese music maker and entrepreneurial shaker Akon is deeply committed to Africa - and to his home country in particular, where he’s investing in the creation of a modern, high-tech city (named, not so humbly, after himself!).

One reason for that is that he sees our continent as a place where diaspora Africans can finally find dignity. As he points out in this clip, Africans as good as built America with their sweat and blood - yet have received neither thanks nor gratitude (let alone reparations!). And that breeds resentment in the community.

He thinks investing in Africa is good not just because Africa is great, but also because it is a way for diaspora Africans to re-connect with a place where there are none of the legacy grievances and obstacles to self-realisation - a place where they can truly be free.

What do you think?

WHEN CHE GUEVARA VISITED GHANA

On this day in 1965, Che Guevara visited Ghana as part of his three-month tour of Africa.

The Argentine-born revolutionary who is remembered for his role in the Cuban revolution, which helped topple Cuba’s US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, aimed to unite African liberation movements with their Latin American counterparts. In Ghana, Guevara met with Pan-Africanist hero, Kwame Nkrumah, who served as both president and prime minister. The two leaders toured development projects, such as the hydroelectric Volta Dam and the Accra-Tema highway.

Continued….Guevara’s visit laid the groundwork for Cuba’s internationalism, which supplied personnel, plus material and logistics support, in Africa’s struggle against imperialism. His legacy in Africa also has inspired generations of medical personnel, who’ve contributed to Africa’s health programmes over the decades.

Guevara’s influence in Ghana and Nkrumah’s revolutionary spirit did not go unnoticed. It is widely believed the CIA helped overthrow Nkrumah in 1966 and eliminated Guevara a year later.

AFRICAN TOWNS UNDER WATER

The history of flooding African-majority towns in the United States is a deeply troubling and often overlooked chapter in our people's struggle. African communities have disproportionately borne the brunt of environmental injustices because of discriminatory practices embedded in settler-colonial policies, as well as urban planning and development policies. This has perpetuated systemic inequalities, as our communities—thanks to the imperialist agenda—often lack resources and political power to resist or mitigate the effects.

In this clip, comedian Amber Ruffin, host of 'The Amber Ruffin Show,' tries to bring humour to the sad reality of 'development-induced displacement.'

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WHO ON THIS $2 BILL DIDN’T OWN SLAVES?

Let’s play a game! Here is an image of the back of the US $2 bill. Depicted are key figures in the establishment of the United States of America—the original signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

However, while this document spoke of ‘natural rights,’ some of the signers took part in the inhumane practice of chattel slavery. Under this system, enslaved Africans—and many other people—were denied every right the Declaration of Independence claimed to uphold because they were not considered humans.

We’ve identified only 8 of the men depicted here who did not own slaves. Take a close look at the image and try to guess one of the 8. For a bonus point add their name

After 5 days, we’ll post the answer in the comments!

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There’s not a single gold mine in France, but Paris boasts the world’s fourth-largest gold reserves - with an estimated 2,437 tonnes worth $112 billion. On the other hand, Mali has over 800 gold mines but has no gold reserves of its own. Why is that?

Mali was a French colony from 1892 to 1960 and during that time a lot of its wealth, including gold, was taken to Paris. France also dominated gold mines in other former colonies in West Africa.

Even after independence, Mali remains economically tethered to France via the Communauté Financière Africaine (‘African Financial Community’). This uses the CFA franc, which is controlled by the French Treasury. One of the rules is that central banks of the nations using the CFA franc have to keep at least 50% of their foreign currency reserves in France.

Continued….Following the overthrow of president Ibrahim Keïta in 2020, Mali embarked on a programme to regain control of its resources. In 2023, Mali introduced a new mining law and also signed a deal with Russia to build a gold refinery in Bamako. It has vowed to make gold ‘shine for ordinary Malians.’

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PLO: AFRICA WELCOMED OUTSIDERS, THEY ABUSED US

Over the ages, Africans have been welcoming to foreigners - but foreigners, often, have come with malicious intent to our continent. Watch Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba get visibly emotional as he recites the long list of outsiders who came - and abused. What do you think about his final warning about China? Is he right that they too abuse us?

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The number of cheating students paying for fake qualifications has got so bad Nigeria’s government has banned recognising degrees from dozens of universities. On the barred list are institutions in the UK, US, Togo and Benin while others in countries like Kenya are being closely watched.

It comes after an investigative journalist exposed how criminal syndicates offer desperate students degrees for a fee. One picked up a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Benin without attending a single lecture. He got it within six weeks, when it would normally take a student four years of learning.

However, it's feared the blanket ban could affect 10,000 Nigerian students who're currently studying and have done nothing wrong.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Education says it’s investigating a further 107 universities over the scandal.

Has it gone too far, or not far enough?

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