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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

This week’s African Proverb is an invitation to stop and think before doing anything stupid. In particular, think about your own vulnerabilities before going on the attack - if you can’t take it, don’t dish it out! You might end up with egg on your face, or worse. (But what if it’s an egg fight?)

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A UNIFIED AFRICA WILL FREE THE DIASPORA

Revolutionary Pan-African leader and founding member of the @aaprpinternational Kwame Ture once stated, ‘Until Africa is free, no African anywhere in the world will ever be free or respected.’

Africans scattered across the diaspora, living far off in places like Europe or the Americas, find themselves without a home base to defend them. Ture said if Africa unified based on socialism, it would be powerful enough to punish countries that enact brutal acts of violence against Black civilians, such as in the United States.

In what ways do you think life would change for Africans of the world if Africa unified? Drop your ideas in the comments.

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THE REAL STORY VS HOW MAINSTREAM MEDIA REPORT IT

We all know the mainstream media only ever likes to report on Africa and Africans when it’s ‘bad’ news. But does it actively try to twist reality to make us look bad? You might think so when comparing this headline and its cropped image (left) with the full image (right). Many would argue that the way the image is used in the reporting misleadingly suggests the Black individual in the foreground is the suspected criminal - whereas the full image reveals she is actually the arresting officer. Are we being over-sensitive here?

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Egypt has announced it will formally join South Africa’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) gen*cide case against Israel due to its recent attacks on Rafah, and in the central and northern Gaza Strip.

Rafah is the enclave’s southernmost city, where Israel months earlier had advised Palestinians to flee to avoid its military onslaught.

An anonymous Egyptian official also allegedly told the Associated Press that the 1979 treaty with Israel that established diplomatic relations between the two states is at ‘high risk’ if Tel Aviv expands its military offensive in Rafah. Cairo has long said it will not accept Palestinian refugees and refuses to open safe corridors to protect Palestinians’ right to their land.

Continued…. The ICJ’s interim ruling in January found gen*cide ‘plausible’ since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine and ordered Israel to take a series of measures to prevent gen*cidal acts. However, since then, Israel’s military onslaught has killed more than 9,000 Palestinians, bringing the death toll to more than 35,000, with most being women and children.

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WHITE PRIVILEGE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP

While watching this video, keep asking yourself - what if she’d been Black?

It shows a White woman arguing with, insulting and repeatedly refusing to comply with a police officer - after breaking the speed limit, not pulling over and driving all the way home.

How many African-Americans have been executed by US cops on the flimsiest of pretexts? This clip showcases White privilege in action.

In many ways, American policing has been a continuation of racist policies that go all the way back to slavery. By 2000, Black people made up almost half of the state prison population but only about 13% of the US’s.

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Kenyan President William Ruto’s hope to address the US Congress went poof!

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has turned down a few Democratic legislators’ recent request for Ruto to address a joint session of both houses of Congress due to ‘scheduling constraints.’ It would have been a first for a Kenyan leader and the second time for an African head of state. In 2006, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf addressed the US Congress.

In the past, some world leaders aligned with Washington have addressed all 535 US legislators. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are recent examples.

Continued….. Ruto has advocated deploying Kenyan police to Haiti with Washington’s financial aid, and he has expressed support for US ally Ukraine. Recently, Kenya lined up behind US ally Israel amid its military onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

Ruto’s state visit to the United States is set for 23 May. The last African head of state to do a US state visit was Ghanaian President John Kufour in 2008.

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UN CHIEF: RAFAH FACES 'EPIC' DISASTER

The UN Secretary-General fears an ‘epic humanitarian disaster’ as Israel intensifies its assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Speaking at a press conference in Kenya, Antonio Guterres warned there were no tents or food left for the thousands of fleeing Palestinians.

On Sunday, Israeli forces pushed deeper into Rafah where more than a million civilians have been sheltering.
Over three hundred thousand have fled the city in the last few days, according to the UN, with most heading to the badly-damaged city of Khan Yunis or the crowded Mawasi tent camp.

More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 when Tel Aviv launched its offensive on the besieged enclave. The majority of those killed are women and children, despite Israel claiming its offensive is targeting H*mas fighters. Conditions for survivors are bleak. In March the UN warned over half the Strip’s population faces imminent famine due to Israel’s blockade of food and aid.

In 1985, police accused the group of parole violations, contempt of court, illegal possession of firearms and making 'terroristic' threats. The resulting fire claimed the lives of 11 people, including five children, in the headquarters and destroyed 65 nearby homes. Only one adult and one child survived the attack.

In 1996, a US federal court ruled that the city used excessive force and violated constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure in the 1985 raid and bombardment.