ASKARI: AFRICANS FIGHTING FOR THE COLONIALISTS

Under colonial rule, Africans were used and exploited in all sorts of ways - including as soldiers in Europe’s imperialist armies. The Askaris, as they were known, were often forced to fight to defend colonialism against their own interest for little in return. Those that refused faced brutal and often violent punishment. But some were also loyal to the powers they served, helping brutally to quash African resistance movements. That complicates how history preserves their memory. What do you think?

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‘SORRY’ NOT GOOD ENOUGH: UK PM’S TOLERANCE OF RACISM

The UK’s prime minister - who has first-hand experience of racist mistreatment - has failed miserably to stand up against racism in the British parliament.

A Black MP from the opposition - Diane Abbott - was the victim of vile, violence-inciting abuse from one of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party donors, who said that Abbott made him “hate all Black women” and “should be shot.” Sunak told the House that this donor had apologised for those comments - and that that was the end of the matter. Yet he never checked with the victim whether she’d actually accepted that apology! (She wasn’t even given the chance to speak during Prime Minster’s Questions, despite repeatedly requesting to take part in the discussion about her!)

Here’s our reaction to the incident. What do you think? (Your can see our full-length reaction video on YouTube - give us a follow there too!)

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ETHIOPIA TO JOIN ARAB LEAGUE?

Could Ethiopia join the Arab League? Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he hopes one day it will happen and has urged people to learn Arabic. He also reckons it would give his country a greater voice on regional affairs, claiming: ‘If Ethiopia were a member of the Arab League, or an observer member, it could speak for itself, not for others to speak for us.’

Well, there’s certainly a lot to talk about. Ethiopia’s accused the Arab League of ‘meddling’ in Addis Ababa’s decision to build the Grand Renaissance Dam. The mega-project is on the Blue Nile and potentially threatens water supply to Egypt and Sudan. Currently the dispute is being mediated by the African Union, but the Arab League also wants to hold talks.

Continued….Then there’s Ethiopia’s maritime deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. The Arab League has condemned it, which has again annoyed Addis Ababa.

Despite their differences, Abiy Ahmed remains upbeat and recently said: ‘What unites Ethiopia with the Arab world is more than what divides it, and that if it were not for the tectonic separation of the Red Sea, Ethiopia would have been part of the Arab world.’

To him, joining the 22-nation organisation makes long-term sense. And there have been reports his country is lobbying the UAE in a bid to join. Ten African countries are already members, why not become the eleventh?

What do you think?

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FARRAKHAN PRAISES ISRAELI CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR

Mainstream press has often attacked Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan for alleged anti-Semitism or for supposedly hating white people. Like with many Black leaders, misrepresentation is often the order of the day. But, as the minister said in this 25 February clip, ‘You better get acquainted with me,’ after he praised an 18-year-old Israeli who refused connoscription into the military.

Tal Mitnick served a prison sentence starting on 26 December. After his 19 January release, Mitnick did a flurry of media interviews, saying he would return to jail for another 30 days.

He’s not the only person imprisoned for refusing connoscription. Yuval Dag served 20 days in early 2023 at age 20.

Continued….Over the past year, several young Israelis have come out on social media against military service, which Israel requires for residents upon reaching the age of 18. Men must serve at least 32 months, while women serve 24 months, with few exceptions for minorities. No official statistics exist on how many people refuse military connoscription.

Since 7 October, Israel has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians via bombardments and siege. Images of the violence on social media have caused many to turn against the Israeli state.

‘I think that, for 70 years, we’ve been seeing the same policy of occupation, of siege and of J*w*sh supremacy between the river and the sea, and I can’t take part in it,’ Mitnick told Sky News. ‘The war has only strengthened my opinion. I feel like we need to stop the cycle of violence.’

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This is the story of two vice presidents - both Black, both female. But the similarities pretty much end there…

Kamala Harris is the first Black (and Asian) woman to serve as the vice president of the United States - yet, throughout her career, she has consistently sided with the racist, capitalist, imperialist system. Her career as a prosecutor was built off of the war on drugs and strict policies targeting the Black and Brown working class. She is a strong supporter of Israel and has spoken more than once at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobbying group in the US. The country she represents as vice president is sending billions of dollars to Israel, as Tel Aviv bombs Gaza to ruins and kills thousands.

Francia Márquez, the first Afro-Colombian vice president, is part of a long tradition of grassroots Black liberation and environmental justice activism. Unlike Harris, she represents the interests of the African diaspora and oppressed peoples worldwide. The government she represents has restored relations with Venezuela, strengthened ties with the African continent and defended Palestine from what it regards as Israel’s genocide.

Comparing Harris and Márquez in this way reveals why radical politics matter more than just shallow representation without commitment to the people.

If you could vote for a VP, who would you vote for?

HISTORIAN: ISRAEL FIGHTING ‘WAR OF THE JUNGLE ‘ IN GAZA

Israel’s obliteration of Gaza is similar to the ‘wars of the jungle’ waged by colonialists in Africa. Rules of engagement are not followed by imperial powers that see themselves as a superior race to the enemy. That’s the argument put forward by historian Zachary Foster. He also says the opposite is true. Past wars between European powers have been less savage because they regard each other as ‘civilised.’
What do you make of his argument?
Most of the 32,000 Palestinians killed by Israel’s bombardment have been women and children, and those that survive face starvation.

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IMF & WORLD BANK NEED AFRICA

Arikana Chihombori-Quao, the former Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United States, argued the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank can only exist if Africa struggles. She cited high interest rates that strain poor African states compared to favourable terms countries like the United States receive.

In this 2020 clip, the long-time Pan-Africanist urged the children of Africa, both within the continent and the diaspora, to break the cycle of debt entrapment and subjugation.

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AFRICA - STOP THE BRAIN DRAIN!

Did you know that a Black man in America was one of the chief architects of the home computer as we know it today? Dr. Mark Dean, a computer engineer with many other inventions under his belt, holds three of the nine IBM patents that all PCs are based on.

African brains have contributed to everything from sanitation systems to traffic lights. The problem is there is a brain drain: for example, many Africans who train to be doctors end up working outside the continent, in the States and elsewhere.

In this clip, YouTuber Julie Ryan urges that something be done ASAP to resolve this situation. Why squander our talents and brains on improving other societies?

Do you think her idea can be turned into reality?

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KWAME TURE: MARX DIDN’T ‘INVENT’ LAWS OF SOCIALISM

Some Africans are suspicious of socialism - regarding it as a European ideology and invention. They argue that our continent needs a homegrown economic doctrine to address the socio-economic injustices there (many of which are a legacy of European colonialism).

But revolutionary Pan-African activist Kwame Ture begged to differ. As he argues here, Karl Marx didn’t ‘invent’ socialism, he ‘discovered’ it - just like Isaac Newton didn’t ‘invent’ his laws of motion but ‘discovered’ them.

That is, Ture considered socialist truths to be a real feature of the world - ‘out there,’ waiting to be discovered like any other facts of science. They are universal in character, and hold good for all humanity. (Nobody would argue we need a special ‘African physics,’ would they?)

Do you share Ture’s moral certainty? Have a watch and see whether it strikes a chord.

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POLITICIAN: ‘TRANSFORM’ SOUTH AFRICA’S ECONOMY

Malusi Gigaba is a charismatic politician who served in multiple administrations led by the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. He was home affairs minister under Jacob Zuma and served in other ministerial positions under Thabo Mbeki. Earlier in his career, he was an elected member of parliament, representing the ANC.

However, a man touted to reach the top position one day fell from grace as sex tapes of him were leaked online, which forced him to resign as minister of home affairs from incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.

Despite the scandalous end of his political career, during his maiden budget speech to parliament in 2018, he dropped some gems and quoted hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar! A real mic drop!

What do you think of his speech? Let us know in the comments.

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