WHAT WAS BOB MARLEY REALLY TALKING ABOUT?

Donisha Rita-Claire Prendergast, actress, model, dancer and poet, is Bob and Rita Marley’s granddaughter. She spoke about the reggae icon’s revolutionary lyrics, which the mainstream has conveniently ignored.

Marley helped popularise Rastafari, which embraced Pan-African political consciousness through his revolutionary music. We can’t allow the revolutionary message that Bob tried to portray through his lyrics to be sanitised, and we must continue to underline the context and the meaning behind his songs.

What is your favourite Bob Marley song?

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CRUSHING DEBT AND AFRICA’S ECONOMIC SLAVERY

Pan-African scholar, PLO Lumumba, breaks down how the IMF and World Bank are economic enslavers and how debt is the first stage of complete control and subjugation of any African nation.

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U.S. CAPITALISM BUILT ON AFRICAN SLAVERY

US capitalism was built on the backs of African slaves, historian Gerald Horne explained in this 2017 @empirefiles clip. The professor and author of about 40 books said cotton exports to European textile mills were a significant source of profit for US slave owners. As such, slaves’ bodies were considered solid investments. That meant Black people anywhere on Earth were at risk of being captured and shipped to the Americas.

However, Britain abolishing its slave trade in 1807 didn’t deter entrepreneurs. Banks and insurance companies—among them Aetna, AIG, Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, New York Life and Wells Fargo—did brisk business with slaveholders and slave-ship owners.

Continued….Wall Street, the symbol of US capitalism, is named after a wall that African slaves built at a slave auction site. So, next time you see stock exchanges on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean spouting impressive trade numbers, remember that African labour set them up for ‘success.’

What do you think of the professor’s explanation? Let us know in the comments.

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The number of Africans killed by terrorists has jumped by an astonishing 100,000% in the last ten years. That’s according to a report by the Pentagon’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies. It means a thousand times more Africans died in 2023 than a decade earlier. The decade in question, moreover, is one in which the US came to our continent - supposedly, to bring peace and stability.

In 2023, fatalities from terrorism in Africa soared to “a record level of lethal violence,” says the Center - 23,322 (versus 19,412 in 2022). Compare that with the 23 deaths blamed on terrorism in 2002-2003.

Continued….The two main theatres of US operations, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, have seen large increases in civilian deaths. The al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia claimed 7,643 lives in 2023.

With 29 bases across our continent and millions of dollars spent, is AFRICOM (United States Africa Command) - launched in 2007 - good for Africa's security? Or is it a magnet for malign forces?

As always, we value your insights in the comments.

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PT. 1: IMPERIALISM WON’T LET CONGO BE INDUSTRY HUB

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is Africa’s heart. Its resources are crucial to the continent’s industrialisation, but foreign entities have been whisking them away and leaving the Congolese with nothing but poverty and violence.

Maurice Carney of Friends of the Congo recently remarked to African Stream’s team about how, in the quest to steal the DRC’s vast reserves of resources, imperialist interests have assassinated popular leaders, imposed dictators, and used shortsighted regional proxies like Uganda and Rwanda to further destabilise the DRC. Meanwhile, the Congo’s minerals help companies like Tesla and Apple make hundreds of billions of dollars yearly.

If you enjoyed watching this segment, hop over to our YouTube channel to take in the hour-long interview with Friends of the Congo. Please share your thoughts here, as well.

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Today, we remember Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy in America whom a vigilante killed in a gated community in a suburb of Orlando, Florida, USA.

George Zimmerman, reportedly of partial Afro-Peruvian descent, claimed to act in self-defence on 26 February 2012 when he shot Miami-born Martin, whom Zimmerman called a 'real suspicious guy.' However, Martin was guilty of no crime. Instead, the media raised questions about the teenager for wearing a hoodie sweatshirt and carrying a bag of Skittles candy with a can of iced tea as he took an evening stroll. Police said they could not arrest Zimmerman due to Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law, which allows people to defend themselves using lethal force. However, Florida's governor appointed a special prosecutor to investigate.

Continued…..Martin's death sparked protests across the United States, leading to the launch of the global Black Lives Matter movement. Despite the outcry, a court acquitted Zimmerman. Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice's investigation concluded Zimmerman's action did not constitute a hate crime.

The case raised alarms among white supremacist groups and individuals, who provided material support to Zimmerman. One 'Muslim-free' Florida gunshop sold Zimmerman's painting of a Confederate flag, used during the US Civil War (1861-65) to represent the pre-abolition US South and has since symbolised a longing for the days of US chattel slavery.

To this day, institutionalised white supremacy in the US allows murdering innocent Africans with impunity.

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Today’s proverb of the week comes from Mozambique, the land that helped to popularize the phrase, “A luta continua” (“the struggle continues”). This was a liberation movement rally cry in their struggle for independence from Portugal.

However, our Mozambican proverb of the week speaks to those individuals who enjoy engaging in idle chatter ... you know ... gossipers. Likewise, it calls out those who make all sorts of false accusations against others ... you know ... liars. This Mozambican proverb highlights the negative effects gossip-feigns and liars can have on society, how their words can spread like wildfire, at times resulting in dire consequences.

Our proverb of the week, direct from Mozambique is: “Slander by the stream will be heard by the frogs.”

Share in the comments if a similar proverb exists in your country!

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SHAKEN ECOWAS LIFTS NIGER SANCTIONS

ECOWAS blinked first in the struggle between the regional political and economic bloc and the newly-formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Sanctions imposed on the latter group following Niger’s July 26th coup against Western ally Mohamed Bazoum have been lifted. They involve reopening border crossings with Niger and reconnecting the country’s financial infrastructure to ECOWAS.

While ECOWAS says the sanctions relief is inspired by humanitarian needs, the main underlying reason seems to be the AES’s departure from ECOWAS, which sent shockwaves across the region. Nigeria and ECOWAS president Bola Tinubu urged Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to “reconsider the decision” and said they should “not perceive our organisation as the enemy”. Previously, Tinubu had labelled the AES as being “a phantom push-back alliance”.

Continued….For their part, the AES stated that the lifting of sanctions comes too little too late. Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Ibrahim Traore, recently lambasted ECOWAS, reminding its leaders that power cuts to Niger resulted in countless and needless deaths in Nigerien hospitals, thus.

The withdrawal of the AES from ECOWAS will have far reaching economic consequences for the latter organization. In that vein, there’s no surprise as to why spirited attempts are being made to welcome the trio back into the club. The three AES countries comprise roughly half of ECOWAS in land size, and are well-endowed in terms of resources such as gold, oil, livestock and uranium. France, the former settler colonial power in the region, has and, in some ways, continues to be the biggest beneficiaries of these resources.

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KENYA BIDS FAREWELL TO KELVIN KIPTUM

Kelvin Kiptum, the 24-year-old marathon world record holder who recently died in a car accident, was laid to rest during a state funeral on 23 February in Kenya. Among the thousands of mourners who attended the emotional send-off were Kenya’s president, William Ruto, and Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, the international governing body for several sports.

At the Chicago (USA) marathon in 2023, Kiptum clocked a record 2:00:35 hours, becoming the first man to run the marathon under 2 hours and 1 minute. His next major competition would have been at the Olympic Marathon in July-August 2024 in Paris, France.

The athlete died alongside his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana, on 11 February. The 36-year-old was buried on 21 February in his home country.

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U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICEMAN SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE OUTSIDE ISRAELI EMBASSY

WARNING: Graphic images

This video might distress some viewers because it shows a US Air Force serviceman about to set himself on fire on 25 February in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, in protest of Tel Aviv’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Independent journalist Talia Jane said 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell’s loved ones provided her with the video, which she posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter. It shows Bushnell walking to the embassy as he condemned the US government’s ‘complicity’ in Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians. The latter part of the original video showed a blurred image of Bushnell as his body went up in flames while he shouted, ‘Free Palestine.’ Jane reported on X that Bushnell succumbed to his injuries on the same day.

Continued…..She also posted quotes from his friends. One person referred to as Xylem, who worked with Bushnell to support homeless people in San Antonio, Texas, described him as ‘one of the most principled comrades I’ve ever known.’

The US government has provided the most military, financial and political support to Israel than to any other country since World War II. Between the start of the 7 October escalation and late December, the US had sent Israel more than 230 aeroplanes and 20 ships containing weapons. Further, every year since 2019, the United States has sent $3.8 billion in aid to Israel. Since October, US legislative houses have considered additional aid packages totalling about $32 billion. Meanwhile, Washington has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire.

The assault on the besieged enclave has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians since it began on 7 October. About 70 per cent of casualties are women and children, while estimates on the amount of destroyed buildings range between 30 per cent to 70 per cent.

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BIDEN TO HOST RUTO ON STATE VISIT

US President Joe Biden will host Kenyan President William Ruto for a state visit on 23 May.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the visit will mark the 60th anniversary of US-Kenya diplomatic relations and ‘celebrate a partnership that is delivering for the people’ of both countries while affirming ‘our strategic partnership.’ A state dinner will honour Ruto and Kenyan First Lady Rachel Ruto.

The White House has hosted state visits for Kenyan leaders twice: In February 1980 for President Daniel Moi and again in October 2003 for President Mwai Kibaki.

Continued….Ruto said the upcoming visit would be ‘one of a kind’ and called it a sign that Kenya will ‘go places.’ Going to Haiti may count as one, given that high-ranking Kenyan and Haitian officials recently met in Washington to hash out a memorandum of understanding on deploying police forces from the East African nation.

Washington has pledged to support the deployment with $200 million, pending congressional approval. Last month, Kenya’s High Court ruled it unconstitutional. However, Ruto has vowed to challenge the ruling and insisted the deployment will proceed.

Ruto’s delight at being invited to the White House reminds us of the late revolutionary Mozambican leader Samora Machel’s quote: ‘If one day you hear whites speak well of me, know that I have betrayed you.’

What do you make of Ruto’s upcoming state visit? Let us know in the comments.

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Rwanda accuses the DRC of funding a Congo-based, mainly Hutu rebel group that includes fighters who were involved in the 1994 genocide. And this recent post from what looks like a Rwandan government-run Instagram page gives the impression that Rwanda has adopted a defensive posture amid renewed genocidal threats to Tutsis.

But there is another narrative. Kinshasa has long accused Kigali of plundering its resources by supporting the M23 rebel group in the east of the DRC.

Evidence presented by the UN suggests that Ugandan and Rwandan-backed rebel factions, including M23, control strategic smuggling networks running from mines in eastern Congo into Rwanda and Uganda - from where they are exported into the world’s supply chains. This would explain how Rwanda has become one of the world’s biggest coltan exporters, despite having few producing mines of its own.

Continued….Congo's potential, like most of Africa's, is immense. It is extraordinarily rich in natural resources, which has led to exploitation rather than wealth for Congolese people. The country has everything that the rest of the planet needs for the future - one of the highest reserves of mineral ore, thousands of square kilometers of fertile land and the second-largest rainforest in the world. However, competition for resources and influence in DRC has also heightened long-standing national rivalries in the Great Lakes Region.

So is Rwanda's alleged involvement in the Congo really about self-defence, like the pro-Rwanda Instagram account wants us to believe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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VIJAY PRASHAD ON CONGO

A city of two million is under threat of seizure by armed rebels, with thousands abandoning their homes for fear of the genocidal violence that may be unleashed, yet the world’s media - barely bats an eyelid.

As Indian scholar and Marxist intellectual Vijay Prashad points out in this video plea, it’s shocking how the people of Goma - and of eastern DRC generally - are simply being left to their fate. Other conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza grab headlines and mobilise political will, but the Congolese conflict - into its third decade - fails to move Western audiences, never mind the 7 million internally displaced, the 6 million killed, the fact that half the population has no access to clean water and more still none to electricity.

Continued….The ongoing conflict has been dubbed ‘Africa’s World War.’ It’s seen the pillage of Congo’s precious resources, such as coltan, gold, copper, timber, diamonds and cobalt (which is used in batteries for global tech giants like Apple and Tesla). Could that be why the conflict is so under-reported?

The plight of Congo should not be forgotten. Please share Prashad’s video plea. Africa and the world rise up!

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