MICK WALLACE: ‘E.U. BACKS MOROCCO OCCUPYING WESTERN SAHARA’

In supporting Morocco, the European Union is denying Africans in Western Sahara their right to self-determination, according to Mick Wallace, Irish Member of the European Parliament.

In this clip recently posted on his X account, Wallace ripped into the EU’s support for Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara. The EU has been providing aid to Morocco, while Western Sahara sued the EU in 2023 for not including the territory’s representatives in negotiations over a multi-million euro fisheries deal off part of its 1,110-kilometre coast, which contains plentiful fish and offshore oil and gas resources.

Continued….Through occupation, Morocco also controls about 70 per cent of the world’s phosphate deposits, required for fertiliser production. Western renewable energy companies, such as Siemens and Enel, and the Moroccan king’s energy company, Nareva, already operate wind farms there.

So far, a UN-mandated referendum to determine the disputed territory’s future has yet to take place.

Please let us know what you make of Wallace’s comments.

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REPORTS: NYT MADE UP H*M*S SEX CRIMES

The New York Times falsely reported H*m*s weaponised sexual violence during a 7 October attack on Israel. That’s according to the reportage of independent news outlets such as @intifada, @thegrayzonenews and @mondoweiss. They revealed that one of the article’s co-authors, Anat Schwartz, is a former Israeli military officer with no journalism experience.

Here, online show @breakingpointsn breaks down what happened.

But, what’s your take? Let us know in the comments.

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RACISM IN THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT

With the EU’s European Parliament elections coming up in June, the issue of immigration has taken centre-stage in a number of countries - including France. Its right-wing National Rally party, once led by Marine Le Pen, has vowed to make the vote “a referendum on being swamped by migrants” - in the words of its current president Jordan Bardella.

With the party predicted to enjoy a surge at the ballot, here’s a reminder of what it really stands for. In this clip from 2022, one of its MPs heckles a Black deputy with the cry of, “Go back to Africa!”

Not only does such shameless racism at the highest level ignore the many African families who’ve been part of the European project for generations, it ignores the root reasons why many chose to come to countries like France in the first place - namely, the neocolonial practices that have kept their homelands in poverty (for example, the pittance Paris pays for Nigerien uranium).

Continued…..The “Go back to Africa!” jibe has extra irony when your remember that France and its military have been trying desperately to cling on and stay in Africa, especially in the Sahel - only bowing to demands to pull out of Niger, for example, last December (after Niamey halted croissant deliveries to their base!). Macron had also sworn his ambassador to the country was going nowhere, and it took an active siege by thousands to get the envoy to return to Paris.

So, instead of racist Europeans telling Blacks to go back to Africa, why doesn’t Europe just stop meddling in Africa’s affairs and give back what it stole?

Do you think Europe’s racist parties will win big in the European elections?

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PT. 3: GRENADA’S EDUCATION REVOLUTION 🇬🇩

In part three of African Stream’s series on how Grenada used education to build its revolution between 1979 and 1983, we look at how literacy led to increased political participation. Ordinary Grenadians developed the country’s annual budget and built ties with other revolutionary states.

Let us know in the comments how your country could learn from this experience.

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SOUTH AFRICA NO ‘RAINBOW NATION’

In this clip from South Africa’s ‘Big Debate,’ social justice advocate Lovelyn Nwadeyi broke down why apartheid ended, poking holes in the notion that South Africa is a ‘rainbow nation.’ She also distinguished that white South Africans can remove themselves from the struggle that continued after apartheid ended in the early 1990s. Meanwhile, Black people do not have the same luxury.

Join us for a live show with newly elected British MP George Galloway, British-Iraqi rapper, and journalist Lowkey for a special episode of Pan African Attitude Ep. 5. We will be discussing the Israel lobby, South Africa’s case at the ICJ, Israel’s threat to Africa and of course Galloway’s stunning victory in Rochdale and what lessons we can learn as Africans and anti-imperialists.

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KENYA IS A PLANTATION

Kenya is just one big plantation. So alleges Cyprian Nyamwamu - director of the Future of Kenya Foundation.

His point is that the vast majority of the country’s wealth is controlled by a tiny number of families. Just six, he claims. These own large tracts of land, resources and enterprises that generate 90% of Kenyan GDP.

Chief among them is the Kenyatta family, which owns over 500,000 acres of land, as well as international schools, hotels, banks and more.

Then there are the Moi, Biwott, Odinga, Kirubi and Ndegwa empires. Between them, these families control the bulk of Kenyan industry and sit on its most valuable lands.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA FACT-CHECKS NEW YORK TIMES

Over 10 million people pay to read the New York Times, a 173-year-old daily newspaper that more than 636 million people visited online in January.

However, much smaller independent media outlets such as @TheGrayzoneNews, @Intifada and @Mondoweiss reported that a 28 December Times article about militant group H*m*s using sexual violence against Israelis on 7 October had not been based on evidence. The family of one of the Israelis who died that day said Times reporters pressured relatives to speak and that they had no evidence that their relative was r*ped.

Continued….Further, the outlets reported one of the article’s co-authors, Anat Schwartz, is a former Israeli military officer with no journalism experience. The Intercept reported on 28 February that a Times editor said, ‘We remain confident in the accuracy of our reporting and stand by the team’s investigation.’

In this clip, @AlJazeera mentions that the alternative media outlets debunked the Times’ article. Meanwhile, Grayzone founder @MaxBlumenthal told @jimmy_dore that The Intercept and Democracy Now failed to give due credit to the respective outlets.

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HOW THE CIA WRECKED HAITI

These days, Haiti news always seems to be bad news. But only a few decades ago, the island nation was on a path to becoming a success story - thanks largely to its popularly elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He stood for social justice and reparations from France. That was more than enough for the US to want him removed - and, as leaked diplomatic cables reveal, they did help remove him: twice! The country has been in turmoil ever since. Here is the story of how CIA meddling helped capsize Haitian sovereignty.

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ALABAMA’S BLOODY SUNDAY REMEMBERED

On March 7th, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, police attacked a group of 600 protesters marching against the denial of voting rights to Blacks. Shocking images of people being clubbed and tear-gassed were broadcast on national television, and the incident pressured President Lyndon. B. Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act three months later. That probably would not have happened had it not been for the bravery of the Selma community who stood up for justice.

Continued….On this day, almost sixty years ago, they marched from Brown Chapel AME Church to Edmund Bridge. Waiting for them was a group of Alabama State Troopers led by Sheriff Jim Carter - himself a segregationist. When the march refused to turn back, officers on horseback attacked them and chased down fleeing women and children. Dozens were severely injured and needed hospital treatment. Among them was protest leader John R. Lewis, an aspiring congressman and founding member and chair of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Two days later, another march was held in Selma, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called on people nationwide to turn up. Many did. The courage shown in Alabama should never be forgotten.

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PROTESTERS CONFRONT U.S. LAWMAKER ‘AOC’ ON ‘GENOCIDE’

US Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused pro-Palestine protesters on 4 March of ‘lying’ and insisted that she had been using the word ‘genocide’ to describe Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. This came after they followed the Democrat with smartphones through what news reports described as a New York movie theatre. Israel has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians since 7 October.

@AOC, as she is popularly known, unseated a 10-term incumbent in 2018 to represent parts of New York City. However, grassroots activists soon expressed disappointment that @RepAOC’s vocal support for Palestinian liberation cooled down after she won the Democratic Party primary in her congressional district.

On 9 October, AOC released a statement condemning militant group H*m*s and calling for a ‘comprehensive ceasefire.’

Continued…..On 15 November, AOC was one of the lead signatories on a letter from 24 US congresspeople to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a ‘robust bilateral ceasefire,’ a term on which African Stream had not obtained clarity from AOC’s press representatives, as of publication.

On MSNBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ in January, the 34-year-old congress member invoked the International Court of Justice’s 26 January provisional ruling that Israel’s actions are ‘plausibly’ genocidal.However, she did not mention the word ‘genocide,’ instead saying, ‘The fact that this word is even in play, the fact that this word is even in our discourse, I think, demonstrates the mass inhumanity that Gazans are facing.’

In 2020, the Democrat famously tweeted: ‘To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable... that’s the point.’

But the roles have been reversed.

Over the past few years, some at public events have confronted AOC about her positions on issues such as US funding of the Ukraine conflict and the lack of universal health care. AOC often takes to social media to post videos to complain about in-person and online confrontations as being ‘out of context,’ as she claimed in this clip.

What do you think of this incident? Let us know your thoughts.

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AFRICAN SOLDIER DENIED AWARD

Job Maseko, a South African who is credited with single-handedly sinking a German warship during the Second World War, died on this day in 1952.

Maseko’s heroic act gave a huge advantage to the allied forces campaign in North Africa and the Mediterranean. Naturally, one would expect that such a hero would have received the highest honours for his brave act, but this was not the case for Maseko. At the time of his death, he was a poor man whose war heroics mostly went unrecognised and unrewarded.

He had been recommended for the Victoria Cross - the highest decoration for bravery in the British armed forces - but the recommendation was turned down, for reasons unknown (but I am sure we can hazard a guess)

Continued….His family and campaigners have been trying to get him the recognition he deserved ever since. But the UK parliament has already rejected a petition to award him the Victoria Cross posthumously.

African Stream’s Clinton Nzala breaks down Maseko’s story. Let us know if you think his heroism needs to be acknowledged.

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GREAT FEMALE FIGURES OF AFRICA

The history and leading role of women in the liberation of Africa have not been given enough attention. In part, that’s due to traditional and cultural attitudes that have demoted women to the kitchen and assigned them the role of mere caregivers. But this is to warp history profoundly.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we take a dive into the history of the immense Kongo Kingdom, and trace the supreme role of two women - Queen Nzinga and Kimpa Vita. They were not only brave, but leaders in their own right, spearheading their communities’ fight against foreign domination - in this case, by the Portuguese.

Continued….The Kongo Kingdom was much bigger than today’s DR Congo. The Portuguese first arrived bringing Christianity and friendship, but later turned to the slave trade. That’s when King Manikongo took up arms against them, and after his death, our two heroines continued the fight. This is their story.

Let’s celebrate and remember the legacies of these powerful queens!

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UN: BLACKWATER FOUNDER TRIED TO MOVE INTO DRC

Erik Prince is a US businessman and former US Navy SEAL (special operations personnel) best known for founding private military contractor Blackwater in 1997. The global public first came to know Blackwater for killing 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007 during the US war on Iraq. In 2014, a US court found guilty four Blackwater contractors, who were immediately imprisoned.

However, Prince’s history with so-called ‘private security’ didn’t end there.

The UN has accused Prince of violations across Africa, including in Somalia and Libya. A December 2023 UN report accused Prince of planning to send 2,500 foreign mercenaries into the Democratic Republic of the Congo before the operation was halted.

What will it take for Africa to rid itself of these actors? Let us know in the comments.

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