HILLARY HECKLED OVER LIBYA, PALESTINIANS

Hillary Clinton was double-heckled during a speech she gave at Columbia University on the topic of sexual violence in conflicts.

As she was about to start, a man shouted that she was a war criminal - citing US involvement in Libya, as well as in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, “and now [against] the people of Palestine!” She waited for him to be removed before proceeding to deliver her address.

Later during the talk, she was interrupted by another protester, who told her she should be ashamed, accusing her (and Washington) of exploiting sexual violence in Libya to justify US intervention - adding that this was happening again now in Gaza to justify genocide.

Continued….For context, Hillary Clinton was the US Secretary of State when NATO bombed Libya and backed violent militants in the country to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi. In the lead-up to the regime-change operation, the US repeated unverified claims - later proven to be untrue - that Gaddafi’s soldiers were taking Viagra and raping Libyan women. Moments after Gaddafi himself was sodomised and killed by NATO-backed forces, Clinton shared a laugh with a television news reporter saying on camera, “We came, we saw, he died!”

What would you say to Clinton if you had the chance?

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BLINKEN’S WEST AFRICA BLITZ: WHY NOW?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a whistle-stop tour of West Africa at the end of January. While there, he committed to economic and security partnerships, and discussed America’s key goal of ‘boosting democracies’ in the region. African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim isn’t convinced, though. Here’s his 90-second take on what the real reason for the visit was.

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MADAGASCAR’S NEW CASTRATION LAW

Castration. That’s the new punishment for child rape in Madagascar - amid a surge in cases.

The law introducing the punishment (as well as life in prison) was first tabled by President Rajoelina. It’s now been signed by him after being approved by the Senate.

Last year, 600 children were sexually assaulted on the island - and just this January, 133 cases were reported.

Under the new legislation, those found guilty of abusing children under the age of ten will be surgically castrated. In cases where the child is 10-13, the method will be surgical or chemical, while rapists of 14- to 17-year-olds will be chemically castrated.

International rights groups have criticised the punishment but local defenders say it will deter paedophiles from acting. What do you think?

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CONGOLESE WOMEN PROTEST VIOLENCE

Hundreds of women gathered on 14 February in Kinshasa to demand an end to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s eastern part, where clashes between the military and rebel groups have escalated. Led by Minister of Gender, Family and Children Mireille Masangu, the rally featured banners highlighting the plight of millions of victims since the conflict kicked off in 1994. The women condemned Rwanda’s alleged expansionist agenda, as well as foreign actors’ complicity. That includes that of the United States, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Poland.

The crisis is dire, but remains underreported. It has been called Africa’s ‘World War,’ with more than 6 million people killed and around 7 million internally displaced.

Continued….The driving force for the violence is foreign corporations’ attempts to get their hands on Congolese resources such as timber, oil, gas, diamonds, cobalt, gold, copper and coltan. Companies like Apple and Tesla are battling a lawsuit linking them to child labour exploitation.

This protest is the culmination of recent demonstrations. A few days ago, fed-up youth attacked Western installations like the French embassy. They allegedly ripped Western flags off buildings across Kinshasa and set them on fire, prompting the government to beef up security. Intelligence services reportedly arrested a few activists. Plus, the DRC’s national football team held silent protests at Africa Cup of Nations matches, as well as with players’ pleas online.

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ISRAEL FAILS TO GATECRASH AU SUMMIT… AGAIN!

The African Union has banned an Israeli delegation from entering its Addis Ababa HQ in Ethiopia, where the 37th AU summit is underway.

Reports suggest Tel Aviv wanted to consult with allies on how Israel could acquire observer status at the annual event - something it’s previously tried but failed to do.

At last year’s get-together, there was a scandal when an Israeli official was caught in attendance without proper accreditation. She was dramatically marched out of the main hall in disgrace. If you missed it, here’s our coverage of that incident:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2Z1bZ1oPKA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Continued….Back then, Tel Aviv cried foul, alleging it had been stitched up by South Africa and Algeria - while hosts Ethiopia clarified that only the Israeli ambassador had been accredited, not the official in question.

Topping the agenda for the 2024 summit is conflict resolution and mediation - in particular, for Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a danger of a wider regional war breaking out in the Great Lakes region, as tensions between DRC and Rwanda - accused of arming rebels in Congo’s east - escalate. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, meanwhile, has killed thousands and forced nearly 8-million people from their homes.

Back to Israel though - why do yo think they’re so keen to get into the AU?

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WHAT GADDAFI DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT OBAMA

Even Pan-African leaders can fall victim to empty identity politics.

In February 2010, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi told journalist George Negus that Barack Obama’s Arab and Muslim roots differentiated him from the rest of the US imperial political establishment.

Tragically, the Obama administration’s aerial bombardment the following year helped depose Gaddafi, who was brutally sodomised and killed by NATO-backed forces.

Soon after, Black Africans began being sold in open slave markets in Libya. For many, that proved Obama only differed from other US presidents by the amount of melanin in his skin.

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WHY IS THE RED SEA CALLED THE RED SEA ?

The Red Sea’s geopolitical and economic importance cannot be understated. It’s been in the news lately between Yemen’s Houthi rebel group attacking Israel-linked ships and Somalia and Ethiopia battling over a proposed naval base.

But do you know why it is called the Red Sea?

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When South Africa dragged Israel to the International Court of Justice over alleged acts of genocide against Palestinians, many Israel supporters said the African country should mind its business and stay out of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

But what many may not know is while South Africa's racist regime oppressed Black people for centuries, Israel did not stay on the fence during the 20th century.

The most prominent involved Israel helping South Africa develop weapons to fight liberation movements, such as the African National Congress (ANC). This also allowed South Africa to destabilise neighbouring countries sympathetic to the liberation cause.

Israel deployed military advisors to South Africa to help the apartheid war machine as it engaged in fierce battles with the ANC's armed wing in southern Angola and northern Namibia in the 1970s and '80s.

Continued…..The apartheid security establishment used Israeli-manufactured special-purpose vehicles to brutally suppress protests across South Africa, especially in Black townships.

Therefore, Israel has a history of not only interfering in other countries' affairs, but being staunchly on the oppressor's side.

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AFRICA’S INDEPENDENCE-ERA SELL-OUTS

Africa got flag independence, while the colonisers retained the tools of power - such as control of Africa’s economies via chokehold institutions like the World Bank and IMF.

For this to work, they needed compliant Africans - collaborators willing to take out true African heroes like Thomas Sankara and Patrice Lumumba.

In this report, African Stream’s William Sakawa looks at four of the worst offenders among African leaders when it comes to serving foreign interests at the expense of their own people - including DR Congo’s Mobutu and Kenya’s Kenyatta.

Who do you think the biggest traitor was?

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OUR TAKE ON PUTIN’S INTERVIEW - PT. 1

Conservative US journalist Tucker Carlson, who has tried to position himself as a populist in the years since Donald Trump was elected president, allegedly defied immense pressure to cancel his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yet, during the more than 2-hour interview at the Kremlin, Carlson managed to repeat mainstream media tropes on China’s supposedly colonial ambitions. That didn’t wash with Putin, who, while much vilified in the West, enjoys a cordial relationship with Beijing, with which Russia established a strategic partnership starting in the late 1990s.

Over the past two decades, Chinese-built infrastructure totalling $155 billion has benefitted Africa. So, Carlson’s statement that China is colonising Africa doesn’t hold water on the continent, which Western imperial powers have long exploited.

Continued…..African Stream’s journalists had a blast reacting to Putin’s rebuttals during the 6 February sit-down. We’re sure you’ll enjoy watching the entire reaction video on our YouTube channel.

Our question for you: What does Russia’s rise mean for Africa—the most sanctioned continent—and the future of multipolarity? Let us know in the comments.

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BRAZIL RENEWS CALL FOR PALESTINE STATE

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, in denouncing Israel’s 4-month bombardment and siege of Gaza, called for a Palestinian state to be established during an Arab League gathering on the issue. After meeting in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Lula gave these remarks to the 22-member regional organisation.

The Brazilian president urged an end to Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinian people. He also called for a definitive and immediate ceasefire to allow the flow of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.

Continued…..Israel has levelled most of the Gaza Strip’s landscape, killing more than 28,000 people and internally displacing more than 2 million Palestinians in what Israel says are operations to root out H*m*s militants. Tel Aviv claims the militants’ last stronghold is in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped after having been pushed south as Israel bombards the 41-kilometre-long enclave. The Israeli military has vowed to mount a ground invasion of Rafah, which many analysts say will turn the overcrowded city into a mass graveyard.

Lula’s visit to Egypt coincides with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries; both are now members of the BRICS economic alliance.

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Grumbles are now also being heard in the US Congress over a Kenyan police mission to provide ‘security’ in Haiti - at the request of, and bankrolled by, Washington. Six members have written to State Secretary Blinken, calling the venture ‘misguided.’

They say it lacks a clear purpose and should really be Haitian-led. But they’re also worried about the moral standing of Kenyan officers - citing allegations they carry out extrajudicial killings and other rights abuses. The deaths of 23 protesters during a rally last year are blamed on the Kenyan force.

Kenyan President William Ruto has agreed to send a thousand of his police officers to Haiti - despite his own security woes at home. And he vows to defy the Kenyan Supreme Court, which ruled the deployment plans unconstitutional.

Do you think opposition in the US Congress could grow?

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SAHEL CONFEDERATION TAKING SHAPE

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are moving forward with plans for a Sahelian confederation following a meeting in the Burkinabé capital, Ouagadougou. This comes after they formed a mutual defence and economic pact in September called the Alliance of Sahel States. Then, last month, they announced their collective withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three Sahelian states see the new alliance as a way to increase the region’s autonomy and prosperity outside of colonial parameters most African countries continue to abide by.

The states have accused ECOWAS of being a proxy for foreign interests. Some have accused the regional body of dragging its feet on security matters, with the 5,900-kilometre-long Sahelian region accounting for 35 per cent of worldwide terrorism deaths in 2021.

Continued…..Continued……Further, when a widely popular coup overthrew Niger’s Western-favoured president, Mohamed Bazoum, ECOWAS was quick to take action, including imposing sanctions, denying electricity, closing borders, banning regional bank transactions, and threatening invasion.
Meanwhile, some have accused ECOWAS of duplicity, as it has not equally condemned recent civilian coups in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

The new Alliance of Sahel States is, in many ways, already operating. Military coordination has helped recover territory so-called rebels had used to conduct cross-border attacks. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso and Mali are constructing gold refineries, with Mali’s set to be West Africa’s largest ever. It is expected to produce 200 tonnes of gold annually. Niger is revisiting its mining concessions, while a pipeline linking Niger oilfields to international markets has been hooked up. The International Monetary Fund projects a positive outlook for all three states, with economists saying Niger could experience as much as an 11 per cent GDP growth.

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ISRAELI HIGH-TECH WEAPONS AT PLAY IN DRC?

High-tech weaponry has been spotted at play amid the minerals conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

A recent UN report posted photos of arms the global body found. They look similar to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit’s weapons.

This raises more doubts about Rwanda’s alleged innocence, even though the DRC neighbour insists it does not back the M23 militant group and other groups that the DRC’s army has been battling. Weapons like laser-guided mortar rounds are considered too expensive and complex to end up in the hands of such groups.

Israel supplied different sides in Rwanda’s 1994 conflict, training Rwanda’s military and paramilitaries before the bloodbath. In 2021, a leak alleged Rwanda used Israeli spyware Pegasus to keep tabs on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa starting in 2019.

Where do you think these weapons might have come from? Let us know in the comments.

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