HOW WEST IS SPONSORING DRC GENOCIDE

The long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo has been described as a silent gen*cde. Over 7-million Congolese have been displaced, 1-million of them in North Kivu alone. The humanitarian catastrophe in displacement camps is one of the worst in the world. Civilians keep getting kill*d by externally-funded militia.

In this clip, Claude Gatebuke - an expert on the situation in DRC and a Rwandan gen*cide survivor - argues that a large part of the blame should go to the ‘indirect’ sponsors of the conflict: the US, the UK and the European Union (who fund Rwanda, which backs the main rebel group M23). These foreign actors are the key beneficiaries of the conflict in eastern Congo, siphoning off mineral wealth at the expense of the long-suffering Congolese people.

You can hear more of what Gatebuke has to say on our YouTube channel - it’s part of our Pan-African Attitude podcast series.

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

BOB MARLEY‘S POLITICAL REGGAE: ‘CRAZY BALDHEAD’

Our musical pan African icon Bob Marley died on this day in 1981 at the tender age of 36. We look back at some of the deeper, political messages behind his songs - taking a deep dive into the lyrics of his revolutionary tune Crazy Baldhead.

The noscript might make it sound like it’s about neo-Nazis and skinheads. But ‘baldhead’ is actually Rasta slang for colonialists, and the words of the song are about fighting back against their cultural, political and economic grip on the Caribbean - as our man Uwimana explains. He also breaks down the Pan-African ideals behind certain other famous Marley lyrics.

Unfortunately copyright restrictions meant we weren’t able to include the music - but please do go hunt it out in the usual places if you don’t know it already!

And, of course, let us know your favourite lines in the comments!

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

SOUTH AFRICA’S LITERARY HERO BESSIE HEAD

Born mixed-race with mental health problems in apartheid South Africa and placed into foster care, the chances of Bessie Amelia Head becoming a literary giant may have looked somewhat slim at the outset. But in her short life, she achieved just that - transforming from journalist-activist into author-in-exile and political refugee in Botswana. There, she was afflicted by bouts of poverty and depression - barred from returning home by the apartheid regime. But her writing flourished. Although she died aged only 48, her reputation as a writer adept at handling issues of race, identity and power has only continued to grow. African Stream’s Wambura Mwai pays tribute to her talents and legacy.

Have you read Head’s works? Which ones?

Location: @Chechebooks

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

BOB MARLEY: AFRICA’S OUR HEAVEN

Bob Marley should be remembered for his revolutionary music but also as an artist that wanted a unified Africa. Even though he was born in Jamaica, he travelled to the continent with trips to Ethiopia, Kenya, Gabon and Zimbabwe. And he recognised all Africans scattered everywhere shared the same struggle. That is why he wrote songs like ‘Africa Unite’ and ‘Zimbabwe.’ His songs called for resistance, an end to injustice and exploitation, and a return to Africa. Africa, as he explains in this clip, is Heaven. Bob Marley passed away from skin cancer aged just 36 years old on this day in 1981. But he remains the most internationally popular and beloved reggae artist ever and is revered by Pan-Africans worldwide.

Play your favourite Marley song today and tell us what it is in the comments 🤟🏾🎵❤️

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

S’ LEONE FIRST LADY: WOMEN’S RIGHTS UNDER SIEGE

On many levels, Sierra Leone has one of the worst gender gaps in the world. As of 2021, women held only 12.3% of seats in parliament, while less than 10 per cent aged over 25 have secondary education. That’s not acceptable, according to the country’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio. And in this interview she says ‘pushing women into the kitchen’ is strangling her country’s development. She compares it to telling Muhammad Ali to box with one hand.

Rwanda leads the way in African politics, in terms of female representation. Just over half its cabinet positions are held by women. Other countries with similar numbers include South Africa and Ethiopia.

The question is, when will other African nations catch up?

PT. 1: FORMER CIA AGENT SPILLS TRUTH ABOUT WAR AGAINST THIRD WORLD

In this 1988 video clip, former CIA agent John Stockwell spoke out about the CIA's crimes against the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America. He called this the 'Third-World War' because his studies concluded that crimes against people in countries that did not align with either the United States or the former Soviet Union made up the 'third bloodiest war.'

The term 'Third World' evoked pride as it was associated with anti-colonial resistance. French demographer Alfred Sauvy coined the term to refer to states adopting a policy of neutrality in the face of the 20th century's Cold War. Today, the term is often inaccurately used to describe countries riddled by warfare, disease, poverty, corruption and general violence.

Continued…While most Third World countries have been formally independent since the 1960s, they continue to operate under European and US economic and military terms. Further, covert US intelligence operations in the 20th century had wreaked havoc, setting the stage for US military invasion and the overthrow of democratic leaders. In more recent years, the United States has bombed or aided other countries to bomb countries like Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

U.S. GOV'T PROJECTS ITS CRIMINALITY ON VICTIMS

How are criminals dealt with in civilised societies? You could say by the rule of law.

But that's not the case in the United States, said the late Pan-African scholar Amos Wilson (1941-95). There, the government projects its criminal nature by treating Indigenous peoples and Africans as savages worthy of punishment.

Is this the same treatment being dished out to peaceful pro-Palestine protesters on US university campuses? Authorities now describe these students as ‘criminals.’

Jump in with your comments to let us know what you think.

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

TOUR OF HAITI HEROES

We thought we’d treat you to a quiet corner of Ecuador and slice of Haitian history. This video shows Republic of Haiti Square, in Quito’s San Juan neighbourhood. You’ll spot two busts: the first is of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the founder of the Republic of Haiti. The second is of Alexandre Sabès Pétion, the ‘father of Pan-Americanism’. Both were crafted by sculptor Vicente Bolaños.

Freedom from colonial Spain in the Americas owes a great deal to the Haitians. Their steadfast international solidarity, not just in words but deeds against imperialism, was vital. Without it, how would independence be achieved for countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Peru and Bolivia?

On May 6th, 2015, this little square was unveiled to the public, exactly two hundred years after the arrival of revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar to the shores of Les Cayes, in Haiti. It would be one of two separate exiles for Bolivar on the island where he was welcomed.

Continued….. Prior to becoming heads of state, Dessalines and Pétion served as generals in Haiti’s revolutionary army, leading thousands of formerly enslaved Africans during 12+ years of war against primarily France, but also Spain and Britain. Once achieving their freedom, Haitian foreign policymakers embarked on a comprehensive and widespread internationalist policy of anti-colonialism and anti-slavery.

Forward wind to today and you’ll see Haiti is portrayed as the poster-child for failed states, overrun by gangs and rampant instability. But that can never hide how the small Caribbean island has hit well above its weight in terms of revolutionary solidarity throughout the bad days of colonialism.

That’s why beautiful squares like this exit. They may not be big or get much publicity, but they remember what should never be forgotten. Hope you enjoy our little tour.

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

MOTHERS OF AFRICA

Many Africans are celebrating Mother’s Day today. But African countries are also celebrating the women they’ve come to revere as ‘mothers of the nation.’ Today, we look at some of the great African mothers and their different contributions to championing the liberation, development and growth of our motherland. What other African mothers are you celebrating today?

Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

WEST USING PROXIES TO CARRY OUT WAR IN CONGO

The West has always wanted the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to remain in turmoil. Those are the words of Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba.

During a recent appearance on African Stream’s flagship podcast, ‘Pan-African Attitude,’ Lumumba highlighted how Western governments have used Africans to sow division in the Congo to facilitate the exploitation of its resources.

He gave an example of how US and Belgian intelligence services groomed the DRC’s longtime president, Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-97), to overthrow revolutionary leader Patrice Lumumba (1925-61) and take power from 1965 until 1997.

He added that using proxies has continued into modern times, giving credence to allegations that the West is using Rwanda and Uganda to foment strife and conflict in the Congo while facilitating the transit and laundering of suspected conflict minerals whose proceeds help perpetuate violence.

Watch the rest of this conversation by heading to our YouTube channel.