‘THEY TOOK OUR WEALTH’

On what would have been his 126th birthday, we remember ‘Afro-American’ artist Paul Robeson - with a clip from 1960, in which his wit, intelligence and insights shine through.

First broadcast on Australian TV, he explains to host and audience how their country, and the United States too, got its wealth - as well as why he is proud of his African roots, despite institutional attempts to make him ashamed of them.

His outspoken political beliefs got him blacklisted during the McCarthy era, effectively ending his mainstream success. But that didn’t stop him from saying what he thought.

Does he impress you as much as he does us?

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How best to test a soldier’s bravery? Well, some senior military officers at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) think pressuring recruits to have unprotected sex with local prostitutes is the way to go.

According to the UK’s Defence Medical Services, the toss of a coin determines whether a recruit wears a condom as part of a hazing—or initiation—process.

A report says prostitution is rife at the Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, where up to 10,000 troops train annually. More Kenyan-based UK soldiers reportedly seek medical care for sexually transmitted infections compared to troops in Britain. Defence authorities are now alarmed because of Kenya’s higher prevalence of HIV, at 5 per cent of the population compared to the UK’s 0.2 per cent.

Continued…. Kenyans have accused the British military personnel in Nanyuki of committing murder, sexual abuse and environmental damage. In 2021, a British Army training exercise sparked a fire that engulfed over 10,000 acres of forest and destroyed the livelihoods of 7,000 people in surrounding villages.

According to a UK government website, Britain spends £6.5 million ($8.25 million) annually for its defence partnership with Kenya.

Despite Kenya gaining independence in 1963, Brits still occupy Kenyan land for military and corporate purposes. What do you make of this? Let us know in the comments.

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HOW RWANDA’S GENOCIDE DESTABILISED THE DRC

It’s thirty years since the Rwandan genocide, but that grim episode in the country’s history is still having devastating consequences to this day - in particular, in neighbouring DRC, where conflict, atrocities and civilian displacement are facts of life. We examine how the current instability in eastern Congo can be traced back to the genocide across the border.

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U.S. IS COMING FOR AFRICA’S MINERALS

The US needs more of Africa’s minerals to lessen its reliance on supplies from China. According to a Washington think-tank, it’s now a matter of national security. A report by the US Institute of Peace warns America needs to engage in aggressive ‘commercial diplomacy’ to secure new deals with the continent. But it also admits none of this can happen overnight.

Well, of course it can’t. For decades, the US-Africa relationship has been exploitative. Washington benefited from Africa’s so-called ‘conflict minerals’ by funding puppet regimes in resource-rich African countries. In DR Congo, which has minerals worth $24-trillion, the CIA killed Pan-African leader, Patrice Lumumba, and propped up compliant dictator Mobutu Sese Seko for over 30 years. Many reports now link U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict in Eastern DR Congo.

Continued…. Finding new and willing business partners won’t be easy and neither will catching up with China. Beijing has stolen a march in Africa with business schemes, like the Belt and Road initiative, viewed as a win-win for all involved. By 2030, it’s forecast China will replace the EU as Africa’s biggest trade partner.

The trend has spooked the US which is now investing in the Lobito Corridor, connecting Zambia, DR Congo, and Angola. But is this just too little too late?

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BURKINABE PAN-AFRICANISTS RALLY BEHIND PREZ TRAORÉ

On April 6th, 2024, Pan-Africanists took to the streets of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso - to ‘send a message’ to the world: the country is behind its revolutionary leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

It comes amid a number of media reports, especially by French state-owned outlets, claiming that the revolution in the former French colony is unpopular.

In this clip, the leader of one of the local Pan-African groups rejects that in a passionate speech, in which he says the young people of Burkina Faso are fully behind (interim) President Traoré - and that the Sahel as a whole is leading the way for Africans continent-wide.

Have a watch and listen, and let us know if you’re also fired up by those sentiments!

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PAUL ROBESON RESISTING McCARTHYISM

Here’s another worthy clip from Paul Robeson, as we celebrate his birthday. The Pro-African activist famously schools members of the House Committee on anti-American Activities. It was during the height of McCarthyism, and his anti-imperialist work had brought him to the attention of U.S. officials. Robeson was blamed for persuading Blacks not to fight in imperialist wars and for being ‘a Communist’.

No doubt authorities’ fears also stemmed from his charisma and ability to engage the public. We shouldn’t forget Robeson was a 20th-century icon in sport and film and his talents shone from a young age.

Continued…. He was born on April 9, 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, to a former slave of Igbo (Nigerian) origin and a mother of mixed ancestry. In his early life, he turned heads on the football field, won a place at Rutgers College in 1915 and was their only student of African origin at the time. He went on to play in the NFL, trained as a lawyer and later became an actor and singer. Robeson died in 1976, aged 77, after suffering a stroke.

Happy birthday and rest in power, champ!

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PRISON TO PALACE IN TEN DAYS

Within the space of 10 days, a Senegalese prisoner became president. It’s an amazing story that saw Bassirou Faye go from his cell to the palace and lead his country with fellow inmate Ousmane Sonko joining him as prime minister. In just over a week, they managed to galvanise the youth vote and capitalise on years of popular discontent.

But will this dreamlike rise to the top end well? There are fears Faye’s already back-pedalling on his election promise to ditch the CFA franc as the country’s currency. We look at the duo’s stunning path to power and what lies ahead.

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RIDE THE LAGOS SKYLINE!

The Lagos Light Rail is the latest feather in the cap for Nigeria’s commercial capital - as Africa’s most populous city moves to ease its chronic traffic congestion

The 13-km-long metro line has been in operation for almost a year now, but the project - which links the mainland part of the city, where most of the population lives, with the more affluent Lagos Island, where many businesses are headquartered - is still causing a buzz online. Commuters are posting videos of their journeys - taking in the sprawling megapolis’ skyline.

The electric-powered service is helping to cut journey times from Mile 2 near Tin Can Island, the nation’s busiest sea port, to Marina on Lagos Island - from 3 hours to 25 minutes. Construction of the line began in 2009, with services slated to start in 2011, but funding constraints for the $132 million project delayed the plan.

Continued…. Even with the light rail in action for almost a year now, traffic congestion is still badly hurting the Lagos economy: according to Danne Institute for Research, the city’s businesses lose an estimated ₦3,834,340,158,870 a year - that’s almost $3 billion annually!

The second phase of the network should improve things further. It will run from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, on the way to Badagry, the state’s border with neighbouring Benin. It’s currently under construction, and will not only further ease traffic congestion but also provide idyllic views of the Lagos skyline.

Video Credit: (m_fun4)

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PALESTINE-ISRAEL: CONFLICT OR COLONISATION?

When discussing violence taking place in the Gaza Strip and across occupied Palestinian territories, people often explain it as a conflict between two equal sides fighting a war for decades.

However, in this 1 April clip from @piersmorganuncensored, US-based journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin (@fababs) told @piersmorgan this is an inappropriate lens to view the issue. The root cause, she argues, is the 75-year Israeli occupation inflicted on an indigenous people in service of a settler-colonial state.

Since the 7 October escalation, Israel has killed more than 33,000 people via bombardments and a siege. A provisional International Court of Justice ruling in January and a temporary UN Security Council ceasefire resolution in March have not stopped Israel.

Do you agree with Martin’s perspective? Let us know in the comments.

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Kenya’s president wants the Evangelical squad to help rid his country of bandits. William Ruto says violence in the volatile Rift Valley should be tackled by Bible-thumping missionaries. He was speaking at a Presbyterian Church service and reckons the holy approach might succeed where police have failed in taming unconverted criminals.

However, the commander-in-chief has come in for plenty of stick. Kenyans on X (formerly Twitter) mocked his idea, saying the East African nation might as well send missionaries to Haiti to tackle the Caribbean nation’s gang problem.

Continued…. Others joked Kenya needs clergymen posted on major highways to curb a spike in road accidents that have killed 1,189 in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Northern Kenya has been mired by banditry and cattle rustling for decades, despite numerous security operations in the region. Critics say the arid area has been marginalised by successive administrations since independence. It’s also easy for people to get their hands on Illegal weapons across porous borders from conflicts raging in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Will Ruto’s holy plan work?

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NICARAGUA TAKES GERMANY TO ICJ ON GENOCIDE

On 8 April, Germany began facing Nicaragua’s charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Nicaragua alleges Germany is complicit in Israel’s actions against the Gaza Strip and has violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention by providing Israel with military and financial aid.

The small Central American country has asked the ICJ to issue emergency orders for Germany to immediately suspend military aid to Israel and ensure Israel doesn’t illegally use Germany’s provisions.

Nicaragua’s case builds on South Africa’s, which led to the court stating in its 26 January provisional ruling that genocide is ‘plausible.’ It also ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians. However, Israel has not abided by the ruling, going on to kill an additional 7,000 people.

Continued…. In this clip, Nicaragua’s ambassador to the Netherlands argues Germany’s weapons industry is profiting from the ongoing bombardments of the Gaza Strip, thereby aiding Israel in committing genocide. In 2023, about 30 per cent of Israel’s military hardware came from Germany, totalling $326 million. The deliveries were 10 times more than those in 2022, potentially making Germany complicit.

Israel says it has been trying to eliminate H*m*s militants. However, reports say Israel has injured nearly 76,000 Palestinians and killed more than 33,000, with 25,000 being women and children. The UN said last month that over 1 million Palestinians are on the brink of famine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced that a date had been set to launch a ground offensive against Rafah, but he did not provide details. The city is in the Gaza Strip’s southern end, where about 1.5 million Palestinians have sheltered since leaving their homes in the north.

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THE UPC: CAMEROON’S TRAGIC INDEPENDENCE HEROES

On this day in 1948, the Union Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) was founded by Charles Assalé, Léonard Bouli, Guillaume Bagal and nine others, mainly trade unionists.

The UPC fought and died for the independence and unity of Cameroon, as well as that of Africa - but they paid a terrible price.

While the Cameroonian War of Independence is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War’ because it was overshadowed by the more successful Algerian Revolution at the time, the history of this struggle continues to shape Cameroon in the present.

Since independence in 1960 and the elimination of the UPC, the country has been ruled by a single political party and only two presidents: Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya.

Continued…Despite many setbacks, the UPC worked tirelessly to build relationships with other Pan-African organisations and leaders, from Kwame Nkrumah to Patrice Lumumba and Ahmed Ben Bella. Their objective of a unified and liberated Africa, though not yet achieved, continues to inspire us in the ongoing struggle.

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U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: ‘NO GENOCIDE IN GAZA’

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin insisted no evidence indicates Israel is committing g*noc*de in the Gaza Strip during a 9 April appearance before the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Austin’s comments come as Israel’s military operations have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, with 25,000 being women and children.

In a case South Africa launched, the International Court of Justice on 26 January ruled the g*noc*de charge ‘plausible.’ A final ruling on whether Israel has violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention may take years. However, the court also required Israel to take steps to avoid g*noc*dal acts. Israel has gone on to kill an additional 7,000 Palestinians since the ruling.

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KAGAME DENIES BACKING M23 HERE’S WHAT A UN REPORT SAYS

In the week commemorating three decades since the g*nocid* that killed some 800,000 Tutsis (including some Hutu and Twa people), Rwanda’s Paul Kagame has denied his country is backing the M23 rebel group - which is formed of ethnic Tutsi, and is fighting in neighbouring DRC.

However, a UN report released in December 2023 casts serious doubt on Kagame’s narrative. It presented strong evidence that M23 in fact enjoy the support of Rwanda’s military.

A recent flare-up in violence in DR Congo’s east has seen hundreds of thousands displaced, as the rebel group made inroads. The instability has been lucrative to the dozens of armed groups operating in the country, who profiteer from activities like illegal mining, human-trafficking and use of child labour in the resource-rich country.

Please have a watch and let us know your verdict.

Is Rwanda backing the M23?

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