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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Continued….The court ruled on 26 January that Israel must prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in its ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip. So far, Israel has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians since 7 October.

Now, if Israelis are boycotting South African grapes, maybe the least that supporters of both Palestinians and South Africa’s case can do is go out and buy South African grapes. What do you think? Leave your comments below.

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GAS EXPLOSION KILLS THREE, WOUNDS 300 IN NAIROBI

A fiery explosion ripped through Nairobi’s Embakasi neighbourhood on the 1st of February, just minutes before midnight. The incident killed three people and left between 270 and 300 injured, according to various reports.

The blaze was said to have taken place in an LPG storage and filling plant. But, now, the Kenyan government says a gas-loaded lorry caused the huge ball of fire.

Continued….Nearby apartment buildings were evacuated, and electricity was shut down. It is not yet clear how much it will cost to address the damage. Rescue operations continue.

Kenyans on the Internet suspect the accident was a result of corruption. Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulation Authority posted on X that permits for the plant’s construction were denied in 2023, but its existence indicates that was no hindrance. X user @immanu3 claims he made multiple calls to the National Environment Management Authority, questioning why a gas handling facility was built so close to a residential area.

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Continued….Since booting the French out, Mali - along with Burkina Faso and Niger - has moved to curtail French influence by suspending Paris-based media outlets. All three Sahelian states have banned France 24 and Radio France International. Mali has also banned French-funded NGOs.

In a particularly controversial case involving France 24 in Burkina Faso, the channel aired an interview in March 2023 with the head of al-Qaeda’s North African wing. It’s that interview that prompted Ouagadougou to pull the plug on the station.

In the comments, do you support the Sahelian allies’ French media - propaganda - blockade?

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TRAORÉ: ECOWAS NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE

West-African bloc ECOWAS may once have been a good thing - motivated by certain Pan-African ideals - but it is no longer fit for purpose. That’s one of the messages of Burkina Faso’s president, Ibrahim Traoré, in this clip from an interview with veteran Cameroonian journalist Alain Foka.

He was discussing the decision of his country, along with Mali and Niger, to quit the regional alliance - citing also a lack of assistance in the war on terror and a lack of compassion. He reiterated his commitment to Pan-Arianism, inviting any fellow African who wishes to come to Burkina Faso.

Traoré also spoke about how his people had risen to the challenge posed by insurgents - signing up in large numbers to assist the army in its bid to reclaim territory seized by them. And he touched on why a coup - though never desirable - was ultimately necessary in Burkina Faso.

Hands up in the comments who thinks this man is a real leader!

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REAL REASON FOR KENYA’S HAITI DEPLOYMENT EXPOSED

An MP from Kenya’s ruling party has let slip - live on TV - what may be the REAL reason the government wants to deploy police units to Haiti.

Nelson Koech, who heads the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, was asked what was in it for Nairobi - and didn’t blush when he said: possibly, gold, silver and iridium. He stressed that Haiti was mineral rich, and that Kenya’s help in terms of providing security assistance via boots-on-the-ground policing would be appreciated - and worth Kenya’s while.

Koech’s candid comment is worth bearing in mind next time his boss President Ruto tries to justify sending Kenyan officers to Haiti as an act of brotherly solidarity and altruism.

Continued….Indeed, given Kenya’s own security challenges, it needs every cop it can get to police the home front - but access to minerals seems the sort of thing that might prompt the likes of Ruto to sacrifice security at home. (And he needs a boost to the budget, given the expenses he clocks up jet-setting round the world!)

As always, we’d love to know your thoughts on this revelation.

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JOY REID SAYS QUIET PART OUT LOUD

A recent hot-mic moment left MSNBC’s Joy Reid red in the face.

Reid didn’t realise her mic was still turned on as a soundbite of US President Joe Biden played. He was calling for more ‘security’ at the Mexico-US border, where 2.5 million ‘encounters’ between migrants and US Customs and Border Patrol agents took place in fiscal year 2023. Biden’s proposal ties increased border-security funding to an aid package for Israel and Ukraine. For many, this looks like the start of an inevitable war in West Asia involving Iran.

The US has accused Iran of sponsoring Palestinian group H*m*s and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, both of whom are engaged in conflicts with Washington’s beachhead in the region, Israel. Tel Aviv has repeatedly requested Washington’s support to help cut off the ‘head of the snake,’ referring to Iran.

Reid ended that night’s show by walking back her comment, but what do you make of it?

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BLACK HAWK DOWN HOLLYWOOD’S LIES

Hollywood never lets the facts get in the way of a good war movie. And 22 years after Black Hawk Down was released, we’ve decided to set the record straight about the Battle of Mogadishu.

You see, it wasn’t just US personnel from a helicopter that perished as they steamed into the East African country during a civil war in 1993. As we often see in conflict, scores of civilians were killed in the crossfire in densely populated areas. A point dodged by the Oscar-winning film, which also dehumanised Somalis.

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SUDAN’S FIRST FEMALE POLITICIAN

Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was a beacon of courage and a pioneering force in Sudanese history. She shattered gender barriers to become not only Sudan but Africa’s first female member of parliamentarian in 1965. And she used her political power to push for women’s rights and challenge social norms. It was not an easy task in what was a fiercely conservative country that less than ten years prior was being ruled by both the British and Egyptians, with the British colonialist really calling the shots.

We look at her life and achievements and how she inspired the next generation of Sudanese women.

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