FROM DARFUR TO KAMPALA: A REFUGEE FAMILY’S STORY

The war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group and Sudan’s army started a year ago. In that time, the conflict has created a massive refugee crisis - with more than 8-million people displaced internally, and over 2 million fleeing abroad.

In this clip, one Sudanese family relates how they escaped the genocidal violence in Darfur by making the journey - including through harsh desert - to Uganda’s Kampala.

It was a tough trip, and conditions aren’t easy in their new home. But with 25-million Sudanese facing a humanitarian emergency, they could be called lucky.

Have a watch and please share your reaction.

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BABY-KILLING SYRUP RECALLED

More African countries have recalled potentially deadly batches of a cough medicine made by Johnson and Johnson. Warnings have been made over Benylin Paediatric syrup made in 2021, which contains toxins that cause kidney failure.

It’s now being taken off the shelves in Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Since 2022 the medicine’s been linked to dozens of child deaths in Gambia, Cameroon and Uzbekistan.

The product is currently produced by J&J spin-off firm Kenvue, which says it’s recorded no adverse reactions to the syrup from May 2021 to April 11th, 2024. It also says it’s working closely with authorities to determine a course of action

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UNBREAKABLE BOND SOMALIA SUPPORTS SUDAN REFUGEES

With the war in Sudan crossing the one-year mark with no end in sight, there’s been a wonderful show of solidarity among African brothers.

The Sudanese community in Somalia held a football tournament with help from their embassy in Mogadishu. Hosted over Ramadan, it was a way for Sudanese refugees to come together despite being away from their homeland.

Sudan-Somalia solidarity goes back decades. Both countries established relations upon independence and have enjoyed strong bilateral ties ever since. When civil war gripped Somalia three decades ago, Sudan graciously hosted many Somali refugees, including young students.

This latest tournament is perhaps another glimpse of what an Africa without European borders could look like. Her people free to help each other move around the continent. This heartwarming report is from Chinese network CGTN.

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WE REACT: HOW & WHY THE U.S. HIJACKS DEMOCRACY

The United States claims to be a guardian of democracy and goes to great lengths to sanitise US imperialism through this lens. Take Niger, once hailed as a democracy by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, despite irregularities marring previous elections in Niger.

The US military occupation of Africa does not reflect the will of Africans. In reality, the US presence has only brought chaos, fueling mass protests in Niger, Iraq, South Korea and Okinawa.

On the other hand, when military administrations enjoying popular support ascend to power, they are immediately accused of being undemocratic. What, then, is democracy if not the will of the people by the people?

While the US accuses Russia of undermining democracy by working with governments, the US government supports 73 per cent of the world’s dictatorships, according to US-based attorney and activist Rich Whitney.

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U.S. IGNORING OWN LAWS TO SUPPORT ISRAELI CRIMES

The United States has long violated its own laws that forbid US financial, military or humanitarian aid to countries that violate international law.

Josh Paul famously resigned in October after 11 years overseeing arms transfers, security assistance and ‘defence diplomacy’ at the US State Department. His move protested US policy on Israel’s bombardment and siege of the Gaza Strip. The former official with a history in security consulting recently told @democracynow’s @juangon68 that, until the 7 October escalation, he had never seen a US administration avoid seeking a legal opinion and intelligence assessments for arms transfers.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

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EVERY AFRICAN CAPITAL: THE A’S

Every African country has a capital city - but some have two, like Eswatini… or even three, like South Africa!

Africa’s capital cities typically hold the seat of power, but they’re not always a nation’s best known metropolis - as is the case with Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.

While the UN recognises 54 countries in Africa, the African Union recognises 55.

In our latest series, we’re going to take you on an alphabetical tour of each of them - including also Western Sahara’s Laayoune and Tifariti cities (the latter being where the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is planning to move its capital, as the former is in disputed, Morocco-occupied territory).

So fasten your seatbelts as we start with the A’s…

Which one is your favourite?

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MALCOLM X EXPLAINS HIS NAME

European colonisers have stripped much from African people, including our identities, so we take back our power by defining ourselves.

In this 1963 clip, Malcolm X corrected a white reporter who posed multiple questions about the legality of the name ‘Malcolm X.’ Through Malcolm’s insistence on his right to self-define, he laid out the brutal history of chattel slavery that denied Africans in the Americas the right to know their identities and family histories.

In some traditional African societies, griots, or oral historians, were responsible for remembering and sharing family bloodlines. They would often refer to individuals as ‘the son of … who was the son of …’ and on it went.

While Malcolm X’s family may have understood that the US system denied them the knowledge of their lineage, Malcolm could place himself in the lineage of a new tradition, Black radicalism.

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“Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny/
And in this judgement there is no partiality/
So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle/
‘Cause that’s the only way we can overcome our little trouble”

So goes the opening verse of Bob Marley’s song Zimbabwe. The track was the highlight of the Jamaican reggae legend’s electrifying performance on this day, 44 years ago, at a packed stadium in what was then Salisbury, now Harare, to mark the birth of a new nation called ‘Zimbabwe.’

Marley had openly and consistently supported African liberation movements and his 1979 album, Survival, featured tracks such as Zimbabwe and Africa Unite, which were specifically dedicated to freedom fighters across the continent. This made him an obvious choice to be invited to this momentous occasion.

Continued…To avoid imposing a financial burden on the new nation, Marley used his personal money to fly in his band and equipment for the performance.

Commotion ensued during the acclaimed show, as thousands who could not make it inside the stadium to catch a glimpse of the star almost ran amok, prompting security officers to lob teargas canisters into and around the stadium. However, Marley carried on with the gig. He also put on a second huge show the next day - Independence Day! - for those who missed out the earlier celebration.

Some four decades later, his performance is still the stuff of legends. One story is that prisoners broke out of jail in an attempt to get to the concert. There is no telling if it is indeed true, but what is certain is that music is a powerful tool that - in the hands of politically conscious individuals - can be used to foster social and economic change.

Long live the undying spirit of Bob Marley!

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MONEY TRAIL EXPLAINS U.S. BACKING OF ISRAEL

Why is the US so eager to fund and arm Israel’s horrific destruction of Gaza? In this snippet of a 12-minute video, anti-war journalist, Ryan Dawson, reveals a telling money trail.

Billions of US aid sent to Israel ends up in the pockets of American arms manufacturers and APAIC, the pro-Israeli lobby group. Not only does it advocate pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches, 97 percent of candidates it backs get elected. In 2022 alone, the organisation spent at least $3.6 million on the Congressional Black Caucus, financing figures like Hakeem Jeffries. These politicians then pass bills sending billions to Israel.

The host calls it a self-licking ice cream, and it could help explain why the US remains an eager participant in the massacre of tens of thousands of women, children and men.

Continued…. Since October 7th, the US has vetoed at least three ceasefire resolutions. President Biden, the biggest recipient of AIPAC money, pledged $14-billion to Israel in November. The US has also sent hundreds of shipments of weapons used to flatten Gaza.

The video concludes halting aid to Israel should be a priority for Americans interested in maintaining their country’s sovereignty. Is this assessment on the money?

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THE MOTHER OF ALL KARENS

Karen Blixen’s legacy during Kenya’s colonial era is nothing rosy. She was a white aristocratic Danish writer considered the mother of all Karens- who boasted a 6,000-acre home and 2,000 servants on her coffee farm at the foot of the Ngong' Hills.

Today is her birthday. There will be no candles or birthday cake for this occasion as we take you down memory lane to a time during colonization when she acquired her land forcefully from the Maasai people and left a legacy marred by racism and marginalisation as well as a suburb named after her that still carries the whiff of colonial exclusivity and snobbishness.

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PLO LUMUMBA’S FRIENDSHIP WITH PAUL KAGAME

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) army and M23 militant group have been fighting for control of the eastern DRC’s Goma city and the surrounding mineral-rich area for many years. However, while Kinshasa has long accused Kigali of providing financial, political and military support to M23—and despite mounting evidence against Rwanda—Rwandan President Paul Kagame has always denied culpability.

During Pan-African Attitude podcast episode no. 8, held at African Stream’s studios in Nairobi, Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba admitted to being friends with Kagame. So, our team put him on the spot to reveal some of their private conversations, specifically who Kagame thinks is to blame for the long-standing crisis in the Congo.

Give it a watch, and let us know if you’re satisfied with the response.

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AFRICAN BLOOD & SWEAT BUILT THE WEST

The West often claims it is more developed because its people work harder and are more ingenious. However, we know European colonisation stole wealth from our continent. Europeans used our resources to build ‘civilised’ countries in Europe and the Americas, elevating the standard of living for a portion of the global population.

And this clip featuring our ancestor, South African freedom fighter Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, shows the truth. However, the term, ‘Third World,’ that Mama Winnie uses was created to distinguish between countries of the global majority that refused to align with either the United States or the Soviet Union during the 20th century’s ‘Cold War.’ So, while some in the Global North will use the term to describe poverty conditions, we recognise its dignity.

What do you think of Mama Winnie’s remarks?

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AFRICAN BLOOD & SWEAT BUILT THE WEST

The West often claims it is more developed because its people work harder and are more ingenious. However, we know European colonisation stole wealth from our continent. Europeans used our resources to build ‘civilised’ countries in Europe and the Americas, elevating the standard of living for a portion of the global population.

And this clip featuring our ancestor, South African freedom fighter Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, shows the truth. However, the term, ‘Third World,’ that Mama Winnie uses was created to distinguish between countries of the global majority that refused to align with either the United States or the Soviet Union during the 20th century’s ‘Cold War.’ So, while some in the Global North will use the term to describe poverty conditions, we recognise its dignity.

What do you think of Mama Winnie’s remarks?

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ANTI-ZIONIST JEW ON ZIONIST & FASCIST COLLABORATION

In this @thepeoplesbubbiefilm clip, @jvpny member Esther Farmer reads from a piece she wrote published in a 2021 book she co-edited, ‘A Land With a People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zi*nism.’ She describes her father’s opposition to Zi*nism, as it collaborated with fascism and Nazism.

However, African Stream would like to point out that the state of Israel also collaborated with former N*zis to support apartheid in South Africa.

The apartheid system bore striking similarities to European Nazism in that the populations were strictly categorised based on race, and various laws forbade intermarriage and intermixing. Laws also kept white people in power.

The first leader to officially impose apartheid laws, D.F. Malan, once said, ‘I have been reproached that I am now discriminating against the Jews as Jews.

Continued….. Now, let me say frankly that I admit that it is so.’ However, authorities recognised South Africa’s wh*te population had a disadvantage in being small, so they bestowed the wh*te status onto Jewish people, too.

John Vorster led South Africa from 1966 to 1979, serving as prime minister and later as president. He spent much of his early adulthood supporting the N*zi expansion across Europe as an active member of the organisation, Ossewabrandwag, which sought to bring N*zism to South Africa.

Despite this history, Israel lent generous material support to the apartheid regime beginning in the late 1970s, even inviting Prime Minister John Vorster, who expressed public admiration for H*tler, as a guest to Israel. From that point on, Israel would supply South Africa with all sorts of weapons to combat freedom-fighting Africans. Israel even gave South Africa the information it needed to build nuclear bombs.

Did you know about the collaboration between Zi*nist Israel and South African apartheid leaders? Let us know in the comments.

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AFRICANS INVENTED THE BANJO

Did you know that African people invented the banjo? The banjo is an instrument that nowadays is largely associated with rural White country artists, but it would not exist without African innovation.

Africans were kidnapped and brought to the Americas, bringing with them their culture and their music styles. Stringed instruments are common across Africa, and many of them bear a striking similarity to the banjo found in the southern United States. African instruments such as the kora, the akonting, the ubaw-akwala, the xalam and the ngoni are all precursors to the American banjo.

The earliest historical documentation of the American instrument all attribute its origin to enslaved Africans. The latter used materials that were readily available to them in the Americas to recreate the instruments they were familiar with in Africa. They originally used gourds and animal skins, which is how these instruments are usually made in Africa.

Continued…. Banjos and other, similar stringed instruments were also created by African people across the Caribbean.

The Banjo was such an important centrepiece of African life across the Americas and the world at large that Jamaican-born writer Claude Mckay noscriptd his novel about Pan-African exchanges ‘Banjo.’

It was only through generations of racism in the US music industry that the instrument was decoupled from its African roots and attributed to Southern White populations.

This clip by @protectourhistory gives a good account of the story - as well as some fine examples of the instrument being played! Do you play?

🎥 credit to protectourhistory via tik-tok

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