NEW ORLEANS, BLACK INDIANS & HAITI

New Orleans is home to a unique cultural fusion of African and Native-American traditions - in the form of its so-called Black Masking Indians, who perform every year in the city’s Mardi Gras, wearing some of the most stunning costumes you’ll ever see. The exact origins of the Black Indians and their colourful rituals - full of rhythms and dance - are unclear, but one popular theory is that it began with the friendship that formed between two oppressed peoples, when Native Indians offered Black, on-the-run slaves shelter. New Orleans, of course, is also the city that saw a huge wave of arrivals from Haiti after its revolution, and this too has had its influence. African Stream’s Sefu Sanni takes a deep dive into a cultural mix like no other.

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NIGERIAN OFFICIAL ‘FAINTS’ DURING CORRUPTION PROBE

How far might one go to dodge accountability?

In 2020, Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, then acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), caused a social media storm after he appeared to faint while members of the Nigerian House of Representatives questioned him over alleged corruption. Live television had captured the moment.

While only medical professionals can determine the authenticity of the occurrence, Nigerians were not so convinced. Many on social media saw it as Pondei’s attempt to avoid consequences after being caught dipping his fingers in the public’s cookie jar. Pondei appears only to have served during 2020.

Continued…. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo formed the NDDC in 2000 to address the hostilities of several delta-inhabiting ethnic groups toward the London-based Shell oil company. Nigeria’s Supreme Court ruled in January in favour of hearing Shell’s appeal to overturn a 2022 ruling. That ruling required Shell to clean $12 billion in environmental degradation caused by oil spills before divesting—or selling—$2.4 billion in Nigeria-based oil assets. Stakeholders have lodged multiple cases against Shell in the courts of Nigeria, England and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Houston-based ExxonMobil and Rome-based Eni are other major extractors in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil exporter.

Let us know in the comments if you believe Pondei fainted and what you think about Nigerian resources being in foreign hands.

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UN EXPERT TRASHES ‘NO GENOCIDE’ CLAIM

Can a journalist ask a more ridiculous question?
This viral video shows a reporter from a pro-Israeli German paper asking a UN expert if the Israeli government has explicitly stated in a document its intent to commit genocide in Gaza. The suggestion being, without it, there’s no case against Tel Aviv.

Continued…. Well, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territories, gave the perfect comeback. The 47-year-old Italian lawyer lists past genocides where perpetrators never formally declared intent, and says there’s enough evidence against Israel to keep investigators busy for decades.

Germany, incidentally, is supporting Israel as it faces allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice. The case was brought by South Africa, and in January the ICJ ruled the claims were plausible. At the time, the German government said it would intervene as a third party to argue Israel’s innocence.

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GAZA’S DESTRUCTION AND RWANDA GENOCIDE PARALLELS

As the horrifying bombardment of Gaza continues, we react to a sickening interview aired on Israeli TV. Guests casually talk about the ‘erasing’ of Palestinian villages. It reminds us of the Rwanda genocide. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel.

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POPULAR OUSMANE SONKO IS SENEGAL’S NEW PM

Newly sworn-in President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has tapped his mentor and popular opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko, as Sénégal’s prime minister. This comes just a few years after a mass movement engulfed the small West African country, protesting undemocratic practices and French economic control.

Sonko caught public attention in 2016 as a whistleblowing tax inspector, who alleged a Canadian company was operating in Sénégal to evade $8.9 million in taxes.

In 2019, Sonko placed third in an election, running against then-incumbent President Macky Sall. The 49-year-old distinguished himself by railing against the neo-colonial West African CFA franc currency and French domination of the economy.

Continued…. In 2021, Sonko was arrested and charged with rape, a move many saw as political repression. This sparked mass protests that led to youth and workers pouring into the streets. In 2023, a court dismissed the rape charge, instead convicting Sonko of corrupting Senegal’s youth.

Last year, Sall announced he would not run for office and the Senegalese Constitutional Council maintained Sonko was also disqualified from running. Sonko endorsed 44-year-old Faye, who won the 24 March election and was sworn in as president on 2 April.

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THE WEST & RWANDA’S GENOCIDE

Rwanda’s genocide was unleashed three decades ago.

Ever since, it has been used as justification for Western countries to intervene militarily elsewhere.

What’s ignored is the West’s hand in stoking the ethnic divisions that spiralled into those hundred days of genocidal horror.

Moreover, on 21st April, 1994, the UN reduced its peacekeeping force by 90 per cent - from 2,500 to just 270. This went against its own ‘responsibility to protect’ doctrine, used to justify humanitarian interventions.

Here’s a recap of those dark events - a warning, our report contains scenes you may find upsetting.

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MOZAMBIQUE’S MIGHTY MACHEL

Happy National Women’s day Mozambique! This public holiday celebrated every year on April 7th, is inspired by the life of the revolutionary Josina Machel. She was married to the country’s first president socialist and nationalist Samora Machel.
She battled against Portuguese occupation, fought for th Mozambique liberation front and championed women’s rights. She died from liver cancer, aged just 25, on April 7th, 1971. She achieved a lot during her short life.

We look back at her impact on the Southeast African nation and why her name is one to be remembered for generations to come.

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ABBY MARTIN: ISRAEL IS COMMITTING GENOCIDE

Can what Israel is doing in the Gaza Strip be described a genocide? British journalist Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) recently posed that question to US-based journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin (@abbymartin) on @piersmorganuncensored.

She thought so, and cited indicators that point to Israel committing genocidal acts against Palestinians. From the besiegement of the Gaza Strip, starvation of civilians, destruction of health facilities, indiscriminate bombing of among the world’s most densely populated areas, the killing of over 33,000 civilians and so on, Martin said Israel’s policy targeting Palestinians is clear.

Continued…After debates that took place about whether Israel had bombed the first hospital in October, Israel went on to attack more hospitals in the Gaza Strip, leaving only 24 per cent of healthcare facilities functioning.

Do you think the discussions around whether Israel is committing genocide might be wasting time as more than 2 million of Palestinians are held under siege?

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BLACK UKRAINIAN WARRIORS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

After Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, thousands of Africans and other people of colour in the country faced discrimination as they tried to flee.

In this clip, 34-year-old Pyra Diantouadi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) expressed his disbelief at Ukrainians asking him to take up guns to fight for Kiev. He laughed at the idea of facing Russian troops, saying he’d stick out like a sore thumb and probably be killed, thanks to his skin colour.

He was lucky to get a train ride westward into Poland, where ABC News recorded this interview.