BURKINA FASO TAKES THE GOLD

The youngest African president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has positioned Burkina Faso, one of Africa's foremost gold-producing states, to develop technology to process gold-mine residues on-site.

The government will employ 100 people. The first 22-karat gold bars are due to be ready in 11 months, according to reports.

This comes about a-year-and-a-half after a 2022 coup ousted a Western-aligned leader. Since then, Traoré's administration has vowed to root out corruption, reclaim territory so-called rebels have controlled and nationalise commodities.

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NO TO COLONIAL RULE IN AUSTRALIA

Every 26 January marks ‘Australia Day,’ commemorating the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, now Sydney. It is a national public holiday, often celebrated with festivals and fireworks.

However, for Aboriginal Australians, it is a day of mourning. They refer to it as ‘Invasion Day’ because it kicked off European colonisation in what is now called Australia. Indigenous peoples were dispossessed of land and culture, and many other injustices were perpetrated against them in the European quest to conquer the whole island.

As in most years, protesters took to the streets on 26 January, demanding an end to settler-colonialism. This year’s protests came on the heels of a failed 14 October referendum that would have created a way for Aboriginal peoples to play a role in Parliament.

Many Aboriginal Australians refer themselves as Black, a way to assert and reclaim their identity in the face of historical injustices.

Continued…..After slavery was abolished, Jim Crow laws discriminated against Africans. Yet, slavery never ended, as the US Constitution's 14th amendment legalised free labour in prisons, beginning in 1866. In the 1970s, incarceration rates spiked. Nowadays, Africans only make up 13 per cent of the US population, but we are 37 per cent of imprisoned people.

Taking a look at what has occurred in the US South over the past few months, we can only conclude our struggle has a long way to go. What do you think? Let us know below.

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MUSLIM WOMEN BARRED FROM BIDEN EVENT

Watch how two Muslim women were ‘disinvited’ from attending a Democratic Party campaign event that recently took place in Las Vegas.

Despite pleas from the women and bystanders, organisers refused to explain the ban, leading many to conclude Democratic Party organisers were discriminating against the women for wearing hijabs (head coverings).

The campaign event showcased the US’s first Black vice-president, Kamala Harris, speaking with unionised workers. However, Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims and their allies have interrupted recent events featuring Harris and President Joe Biden. Activists have called out both elected officials over US support for Israel’s military operation, which has killed 27,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since 7 October.

Continued….Whatever their reasons, the organisers’ actions raised questions about the true nature of a political party that, for decades, has touted itself as defending minorities. This posture has earned the lion’s share of votes from marginalised communities. But, that mask has been falling off. Mainstream news reports have quoted Arabs and Muslims as saying they will not vote for any Democratic Party presidential candidate in November’s election. Many are beginning to understand the Democratic Party loves minorities’ votes, but it does not want to hear their questions about deadly US policies.

During the last election campaign, Biden infamously said to radio host Charlamagne tha God, ‘If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.’ Our question is, will this treatment also be meted out to the Black community, who have also been extremely critical of Biden’s support for Israel during its genocidal assault on Gaza?

Leave your comments below.

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PLO LUMUMBA EXPLAINS SIGNIFICANCE OF
NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT

The Non-Aligned Movement’s recent summit in Kampala saw the 120-member bloc make headlines by denouncing Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip and demanding an immediate ceasefire. But do you know how the movement - the largest global bloc after the UN - came into existence?

Here, in an exclusive round table with African Stream, Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba breaks down what motivated the founding members of the movement, explaining that these countries were opposed to joining either of the two major Cold War-era military and political blocs. Out of the five founders, two were African - Nasser’s Egypt and Nkrumah’s Ghana.

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JET-SETTING RUTO BREAKS NO-TRAVEL PROMISE

Having vowed to cut back on foreign trips, Kenya’s President, William Ruto, has just racked up another. Not so long ago he told African leaders overseas trips should be handled by the African Union speaking on their behalf. Seems like Ruto’s forgotten about that. He’s just been to a summit in Italy and during his first year in office enjoyed 51 foreign jaunts spanning 34 countries at a cost of $8.1m. A bit of a hard pill to swallow for Kenyans forced to stomach tax increases and a cost-of-living crisis.

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WILL ISRAEL BUILD CANAL TO RIVAL SUEZ THROUGH GAZA?

The Suez Canal - a vital artery for global shipping - has given African nation Egypt significant economic and geopolitical clout. But could a rival canal through Israel give it a run for its money?

Although first tabled 60 years ago by former Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion, it became a live possibility again during the Trump-mediated Abraham Accords talks (normalising ties between Israel and some Arab nations).

And now with Tel Aviv turning the Gaza Strip into uninhabitable rubble, some wonder whether the proposed canal might have a shorter, cheaper route to the Mediterranean.

Would the international community turn a blind eye if it meant savings on shipping? African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim breaks it all down in 90 seconds.

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SOUTH AFRICAN BANK ACCUSED OF FLEECING BLACK CLIENTS

Your credit score determines if you qualify for a bank loan and can win a low repayment (or interest) rate. However, in South Africa, your skin colour may also be a variable!

A major financial institution’s employee reportedly revealed to renowned financial-crimes investigator Emerald van Zyl (@interrec) that it is charging Black clients higher interest rates on home loans and car loans. In this interview with @newz405, Van Zyl explains he analysed loan agreements that more than 100 Black and White WesBank clients handed to him after he made a request on X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The bank, however, has denied the accusations, insisting race is not a factor when evaluating loan applications.

Political organisations have asked South African authorities to investigate the bank.

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THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR AFRICAN UNITY

The case for a strong, united Africa has never been about erasing cultural differences. Eritrean researcher and development specialist Milena Bereket says that a united Africa is our only defence against predatory forces that continue to plague us all.

During her remarks at the launch of The Afro-Asia Institute for Strategic Studies in Nairobi, Bereket argued that the solution to Africa’s economic woes is unity. Africa should unite under common economic and political interests to ensure African nations consistently get the best deal, no matter who we’re dealing with. Neocolonial leadership and fragmented relationships today have resulted in lopsided arrangements across the board.

Would it still be possible to shake-down an African nation when we are all speaking in one, loud voice?

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The University of Nairobi seems to have failed its ‘decolonisation exams’! Just look at the state of this quote from its new chancellor. Talk about White-saviour complex.

What ‘lessons’ do you think UON still needs to learn? Let us know in the comments.

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PANDOR: STOP FUNDING ‘PLAUSIBLY GENOCIDAL’ ISRAEL!

If someone’s actions are deemed ‘plausibly genocidal,’ should you keep funding them? South Africa’s foreign minister thinks not. Naledi Pandor has urged all nations to stop funding Israel while it wages war in Gaza.

Her message comes after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent its troops from committing genocide - and to take steps to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians.

The ICJ ruling stopped short of demanding a ceasefire, and has not yet ruled on the core of South Africa’s case - i.e., on whether it’s actually committing genocide. But the court said it did find it plausible that Israel’s actions could amount to that.

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Nigeriens living in the Saharan city of Agadez are sick of the alleged destruction of their environment by Canadian mining company SOMIDA. Civil-society organisations have come together to take action in court against the uranium-extraction business.

SOMIDA was first summoned to court in February 2023. It was ordered to suspend its operations - but was allowed to resume them two weeks later. Since that time, anti-imperialist general Abdourahamane Tchiani has seized power in Niger, diversifying Niger’s partners and moving away from Western economic control.

The new trial against SOMIDA opened on January 31st, 2024. What does the future hold in store for Canadian mining interests in this Sahelian state?

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