The passing of revolutionary fighter and independent Algeria’s first elected president Ahmed Ben Bella on this day in 2012 marked the end of an era.

Born in 1916 under French colonial rule, Ben Bella’s journey to prominence began during World War II, in which he fought for France and for service in which he was later awarded the Croix de Guerre. However, the massacre of Algerians by French forces on May 8th, 1945, was a turning point - it spurred Ben Bella to organise resistance against colonial oppression.

His leadership of the National Liberation Front (FLN) during Algeria’s war for independence was instrumental to the country’s liberation in 1962.

Continued….. Following independence, he held significant political roles, serving as prime minister and later as first elected president. His tenure was marked by efforts to rebuild Algeria and implement reforms aimed at national development, including campaigns for literacy and land redistribution.

Internationally, Ben Bella was a proponent of Pan-Africanism and sought to strengthen alliances among emerging nations. He collaborated with leaders such as Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah and Che Guevara to support liberation movements across Africa. Despite his overthrow in 1965 and years of isolation, Ben Bella remained committed to advocating for reforms and global solidarity until his death at the age of 95. His legacy as a champion for the oppressed and an advocate for socio-economic equality continues to inspire generations.

Rest with the ancestors, Ahmed Ben Bella.

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HOW TIGRAY COMMUNITY SAVED AXUM TREASURES

Not all of Africa’s treasures were looted - it helped, for example, if you hid it under a mountain!

That’s what the ancestors of Ethiopia’s Tigray community did in the town of Axum.

Locals knew from folklore that there was something special under the local mountain, so when a road-construction project started drilling into the rock a decade or so back, they urged the authorities to intervene.

This they did, and what they found only added to Axum’s fame - already dubbed an ‘open air museum’ and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.

In this clip, travel vlogger Weyni Tesfin (aka @planbacktoafrica) tells the tale in full from the site itself.

Do you think you’ll visit?

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AFRICAN IN U.S. SHOT 6 TIMES, CHARGED WITH ASSAULT

Another day, another unarmed man of African descent shot by police in the United States during a mental health episode.

Donald Armstrong, a 47-year-old Miami resident, who surprisingly survived the gunshots, now faces charges of aggravated assault by the same police officers who shot him six times in a 7 March incident.

In a bystander’s video that his attorney, Ben Crump, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), Armstrong is seen in what appears to be an agitated state outside a house. He raised his hands to show he had no weapon and pulled up his T-shirt, indicating he had no concealed firearm. His mother had called 911 out of concern for her son, whom the family reportedly said was holding a screwdriver. Police tasered him, and as he stumbled under the impact of the electric jolt, officers shot him six times.

Continued…. Armstrong is paralysed and detained in a jail hospital with no bond. Crump said he is unsure if the paralysis is permanent. Attorneys call for police to drop all charges.

People of African descent are three times more likely to face deadly police force than Europeans. Critics say the problem is rooted in the lingering impacts of slavery, which continue an apartheid situation. The police killings of African people like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and a string of others triggered historic marches and rallies across the United States. The months-long uprising after Floyd’s 2020 recorded murder is considered the largest in US history.

How can police violence against people of African descent in the United States be stopped? Join in the conversation with your thoughts.

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WE DEBUNK NBC REPORT SMEARING HAITI 🇭🇹

NBC just dropped an investigative report about the US Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to stem the flow of weapons from the US to Haiti.

However, African Stream found the report overlooked critical context that explains why foreign powers control Haiti more than 200 years after overthrowing French enslavers. We raise questions about Haiti’s alleged ‘poverty,’ so-called ‘gang violence,’ and these gangs’ alleged access to millions of dollars to buy smuggled arms.

Take a look and let us know what you think about NBC’s report.

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BASSEM YOUSSEF: ‘EVEN IF 300,000 PALESTINIANS KILLED, NOBODY CARES’

Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef used his recognisable dark humour to break down to CNN host Christiane Amanpour why the West’s reaction to Israel killing seven World Central Kitchen aid workers was hypocritical. It has far outweighed their solidarity with the more than 33,000 Palestinians who have died at the hands of Israel over the last six months.

Another critical point Youssef highlighted is the lack of accountability for Israel over the mounting civilian death toll and how the international community can suffice itself with an apology from Tel Aviv.

Do you think Israel will get away with its reported war crimes in the Gaza Strip? Let us know what you think below.

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BITTER IRONY! THIEF TARGETS BRITISH MUSEUM

The British Museum wants public sympathy after thousands of its artefacts were stolen. It’s calling for anyone who’s come across the gems and jewellery to hand them back.

Trouble is, most of the items the museum houses are stolen goods anyway, with many looted from Africa. But, for some reason, the museum still refuses to hand those back to their rightful owners.

This latest story again highlights the hypocrisy of former colonial powers, who still seem to think it’s one rule for me, and one rule for thee!

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KILLING A PUPPY VS KILLING A BLACK MAN

Dr. Joy DeGruy authored a 2005 book noscriptd, ‘Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing,’ which addresses the residual impacts of trauma on descendants of enslaved Africans in the Americas.

In this clip from a 2008 talk she gave in London, DeGruy compared the societal consequences of stomping a puppy versus killing a Black man. She argued someone would be punished for killing the puppy, even though both acts would traumatise—and, as DeGruy said, dehumanise—witnesses.

Indeed, in places where Africans live under duress, we contend with much violence with neither regard to the mental and physical ramifications nor real solutions to end systemic violence. In the United States alone, a Black person is five times more likely to be incarcerated than a white person, while white households hold more than nine times more wealth than Black households.

Let us know what you think about DeGruy's remarks.

CHINA’S DEFORESTING AFRICA

Illegal logging has become a serious problem in Africa. It is reportedly being fuelled by increased Chinese demand for rosewood. The results include severe environmental degradation in places like the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest carbon sink. On top of that, there are dire impacts on peace and security as natural resources are plundered by criminal networks colluding with corrupt officials.

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DENZEL WASHINGTON: IMPORTANCE OF BLACK DIRECTORS

Denzel Washington has starred in and directed some great films. Here, he talks about the importance of knowing Black culture when making films about Black people. He was giving an interview while promoting his award-winning movie Fences. It focuses on a working-class African in America who raises a family in the 1950s. Making such films work, says Denzel, is about knowing what it feels to be Black. And that, he argues, is something that can’t be felt by White directors. Makes sense, right?

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