BURKINA FASO, NIGER & MALI DEPART ECOWAS

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger—members of the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States—announced during a 28 January televised joint statement that they are withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They accused the regional body of betraying its founding principles by imposing inhumane sanctions on the three countries after popular coups ousted Western-aligned leaders. The three states claim ECOWAS has become a threat to its members by serving foreign interests.

The 26 July coup in Niger is the latest event to have strained relations. ECOWAS had threatened military intervention to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Continued….The body imposed a no-fly zone, suspended transactions and froze Niger's assets. Neighbouring Nigeria went a step further and cut off power to Niger. In the face of this, Mali and Burkina threatened a wider confrontation should Niger be invaded. Interestingly, recent coups in Chad and Gabon were not subjected to the same treatment, leading many to question what appear to be double standards.

The alliance is endowed with natural resources, such as uranium, oil and gold, as well as a strong livestock market. Insecurity has hampered stability, thus development. But, with each country booting the French military and other French entities, they are reporting more success in the fight to reclaim territorial integrity against so-called rebels. This also meant the end of unequal exchange with former colonisers, like France, that, for example, relied on Niger's uranium reserves to produce French electricity. This while 90 per cent of Nigeriens have gone without electricity.

Once an official notice is sent to ECOWAS, a withdrawal would take a year to finalise. Thus far, reports say the regional body has not received notification.

HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST FEMICIDEIN KENYA

Thousands gathered in different parts of Kenya to protest a grim rise in killings of women in the country.

At least a dozen cases of femicide have been reported since the start of the year, prompting public outrage and debate.

Demonstrations were held in the biggest cities - including Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. Men and women alike marched, carrying placards that called for an end to femicide and for better enforcement of laws.

Activists also want femicide to be legally recognised as a crime, saying that its conflation with murder does not account for the gender-based motivation for the killings.

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UGANDA FIRST LADY: SLAVERY PUNISHMENT FOR ENSLAVING JEWS

What led to the slave trade? Is it African hospitality and naivete? A power imbalance between Africa and Europe? A need for cheap labour for plantations in the Americas? If you ask Uganda’s First Lady and once-Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, African enslavement was divine punishment for the Biblical account that Egypt enslaved Hebrews.

That is the degree to which Zionist ideology has permeated African society. Take another example. In recent days, a Ugandan on the International Court of Justice—the first African woman to serve—was one of two judges to rule in the minority against South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.

Continued….While some believe Judge Julia Sebutinde was merely compromised, maybe just financially, an equally plausible explanation is that, like a significant number of Africans, she also subscribes to Museveni’s 2019 view. Even more unfortunate is that, had the plan to create a Jewish state in East Africa gone through, it would have been Africans in East Africa fighting against Israeli settler-colonialism.

What do you think of Museveni’s opinion?

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BURKINABE REACT TO ECOWAS EXIT

Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, have dramatically quit the regional ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) bloc - which is widely seen as doing the West’s (especially France’s) bidding.

One recent thorn in the side of good relations was the reaction of ECOWAS to the coup in Niger. It imposed tough sanctions and threatened military action if the revolution wasn’t reversed - to which Bamako and Ouagadougou responded by declaring that any attack on Niamey would be an attack on them.

In Burkina Faso, there have been mixed reactions to the decision to leave ECOWAS. The country is pursuing closer ties with fellow anti-imperialist leaderships in Mali and Niger as part of the newly founded Alliance of Sahel States.

Continued….Some Burkinabe worry that exiting ECOWAS will harm people-to-people relationships by restricting migration and exchange. West Africa is home to the world's largest nomadic population, which travels regularly from the Sahel into coastal states and has done so long before the existence of colonial borders. Millions of Burkinabe live in Ivory Coast and thousands live in Ghana. The status of their freedom of movement and residency could now be threatened.

What are your thoughts?

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GENOCIDE RULING HAILED AND QUESTIONED

Here’s reaction in South Africa to last week’s UN court ruling that Israel must prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.

Palestine’s embassy in Pretoria and the ruling ANC party held a joint showing of the announcement by the International Court of Justice. But while South Africa’s government celebrated the ‘decisive victory’ for international law, questions still remain.

We caught up with Palestinian diplomat Hassona Aldramly, who lost ten members of his family in an Israeli air strike. He asks how the ICJ ruling will be enforced, while others want to know why the court did not insist on a ceasefire. Israel must report back to the court within a month regarding its compliance to the order.

Continued…The case of genocide against Israel was brought by South Africa in December. A final judgement could take years, but last week’s ‘provisional measures’ heap pressure on Tel Aviv.

In just over three months, more than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza.

RIPPING INTO UK JOURNO RANT S.A. IS ANTISEMITIC

Time to push back against another claim that criticism of Israel is antisemitic. Here, we look at British author and commentator Douglas Murray use that tired label to describe South Africa’s government after it accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.

We remind him that Jews in South Africa were among the most prominent in the fight against apartheid. As Nelson Mandela put it, Jews are the most in tune for justice and equality because of their history with oppression.

And as for the definition of genocide, Murray thinks that an increase in Gaza’s population disqualifies Israeli war crimes from reaching the threshold of genocide.

Here’s the short version of our pushback. You can see the whole thing on our YouTube channel.

Comments welcome.

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DOES THE WEST VALUE AMAZON PACKAGES OVER HUMAN LIVES?

British journalist and filmmaker Myriam François recently blasted the West’s higher regard for open trade routes than for Palestinian lives.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels—officially known as Ansar Allah—have vowed to block Israeli ships from sailing through the Red Sea, part of a key global shipping lane, until Israel ends its bombardment and allows humanitarian aid into the Gaza Ship. So far, Israel has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians since the 7 October escalation in the Palestine-Israel conflict. The state also has ramped up a blockade that it initially imposed on Gaza in 2007.

The US and UK governments have come under fire for launching attacks on Yemen, the poorest country in West Asia. Western shoppers, accustomed to same-day and next-day deliveries, are now experiencing delays.

Help François roar louder by sharing your comments.

Video credit: @skynews and @yaldahakim

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BURKINA FOILS 'UMPTEENTH' COUP

Yet another coup has been foiled in Burkina Faso. Its military leaders say ‘outside’ commandos planned to topple President Traore. They also alleged soldiers and activists in the country were involved and had received foreign funding.

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In the run-up to Nigeria’s 2023 elections, then-candidate and now-president Ahmed Bola Tinubu promised the halt the rapid depreciation of the country’s currency.

However, nearly one year down the line, Tinubu’s promise rings hollow, as the naira has continued to shed value against major convertible currencies.

On 26th January, the naira hit a record low of ₦1,421 per USD on the (thinly traded) official market - before recovering to ₦891.

The Nigerian currency has been in free fall since 2014, despite concerted efforts by the current and previous administrations to stabilise it.

The volatility of the naira has led to the emergence of a parallel black market, where it’s traded for over ₦1,000 per USD since late 2023, while the official exchange rate pegged it at around ₦800.

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PLO LUMUMBA-TO TRAVEL OR NOT TO TRAVEL?

Last year, Kenyan President William Ruto was accused of globetrotting on the people’s backs, with expenditures rising by 113 per cent from the previous fiscal year, according to reports.

And, now, Nigeria’s new president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has come under fire for exceeding a whole year’s travel budget in just six months. This comes as Nigeria’s coffers run short.

In January’s news wrap, we asked Professor PLO Lumumba about the exorbitant use of resources. The Pan-Africanist scholar had much to say.

What do you make of these expenditures? Hit us up in the comments.

TOUCHGOWN! AFRICAN FASHION STORMS NFL

African players in the NFL don’t just stand out on the field of play. They’re turning heads off it with eye-catching traditional clothing. Loud and proud they arrive at games in robes, hats and jewellery, representing tribes and cultures from all over their continent.

Among them are Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Basil Chijioke 'C. J.' Okoye of the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers. And If the trend spreads, American football could have quite an influx of colour. Last year there were over 125 players of African descent on the NFL roster.

Just goes to show, African culture is never out of place anywhere!!! Watch this and tell us which outfit is your favourite.

UGANDA ‘DISOWNS’ ICJ JUDGE

The Ugandan government has distanced itself from a dissenting position taken by a Ugandan judge, who sits on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Julia Sebutinde voted against all of the measures that the 17-member ICJ panel adopted 15-2 on 26 January. They ordered Israel to implement measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Her decision shocked many and provoked ire across Africa, forcing the Ugandan government to clarify on 27 January that the judge’s position did not reflect the small, landlocked country.

Uganda had hosted the Non-Aligned Movement’s 19-20 January summit, where members called for an immediate ceasefire and entry of humanitarian aid, among other measures. Thus far, Israel has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

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GENOCIDE AGAINST AFRO-BRAZILIANS?

Brazil has been thought of as a ‘melting pot’ in a tropical paradise. However, new data has led some to say a genocide is being committed against Afro-Brazilians. Making matters worse is mainstream and alternative media outlets don’t cover this phenomenon, according to people on the ground.

What are your thoughts? Let us know below.

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CAR FOLLOWS PATH OF SAHELIAN STATES

The rapid geopolitical alignment of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger always grabs headlines. However, there’s another country taking a similar path that’s going under the radar. The Central African Republic’s also booted out French troops amid accusations Paris is funding rebel groups to destabilise the region. And the resource-rich country, also seems to be turning towards Russia as a strategic partner. Will joining the Sahelian Alliance be next?
Thoughts welcome.

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