Zahi Hawass, archaeologist and former Egyptian minister of antiquities, has launched an online petition calling on Germany to return the famous bust of the ancient Egyptian queen, Nefertiti (circa 1370-circa 1330 BC). The German Oriental Society shipped the painted limestone bust of Pharaoh Akhenaten's great royal wife to Berlin in 1913, a move the Egyptian minister and archaeologist deems illegal. Egyptian authorities have attempted several times to repatriate the artefact.

Debate has long raged about Nefertiti's racial identity. Her name means 'the beautiful one has come forth.' Western media has portrayed her with white skin, such as in the 1961 film, 'Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile.' However, late Senegalese historian and anthropologist Cheikh Anta Diop (1923-86) spearheaded decolonial research to re-establish ancient Egypt's Black African racial, cultural, and political identity. 

Continued……The beauty of the Nefertiti bust still influences fashion, jewellery, and popular culture 3,000 years after the Egyptian queen graced the Nile River Valley.

In a separate petition, Hawass calls for France to return the Dendera Zodiac, a bas-relief from a chapel's ceiling dedicated to the Egyptian god of fertility, Osiris, and for Britain to return the Rosetta Stone, a fragment of a stele (stone monument) inscribed in 196 BC with Egyptian King Ptolemy V's royal decree.

These petitions can be found at hawasszahi.com/repatriation

Let us know in the comments what you think of this effort to repatriate the artefacts.

AMÍLCAR CABRAL: COLONIAL PORTUGAL’S NIGHTMARE

A hundred years ago today, on this day in 1924, the great revolutionary pan-Africanist Amílcar Lopes Cabral was born. His adopted warrior name was ‘Abdel Djassi.’ Cabral became an icon and a hero of the liberation struggle as leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. The PAIGC (for short) fought an armed struggle against Portuguese colonialism, organising rural farmers in Guinea-Bissau and training them both ideologically and militarily for the fight.

In addition to this, Cabral was also a founding member of The People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), having met Angolan militants such as Agostinho Neto while studying in Portugal.

Continued……Cabral was educated as an agricultural engineer in Lisbon but he decided to give up a comfortable career in order to dedicate his life to the liberation of his people. This perhaps inspired his theory of ‘class suicide,’ referring to the act of sacrificing one’s higher-class status to struggle alongside the most oppressed sectors of society.

Cabral was not just a strategic warrior, he was also a brilliant theorist who developed a framework to understand the importance of culture within the struggle for national liberation. Today, oppressed and colonised people all around the world study Cabral’s speeches to learn from his wisdom.

If you’ve read him, let us know in the comments what inspired you most.

GRAYZONE JOURNOS CONFRONT DEMOCRATS VIPS ON GAZA WAR

Behind the scenes at last month’s Democratic National Convention, heavyweight Democrats and AIPAC editor-turned-CNN presenter Wolf Blitzer shrugged off questions that Max Blumenthal, founder and editor of The Grayzone, and Managing Editor Wyatt Reed threw at them about why Democrats have not used their leverage on Israel to stop its military onslaught on Gaza.

Since that encounter, the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced that the pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has already spent more than $100 million during the current election cycle.

Continued……An analysis by The Guardian found that pro-Israel members of Congress received $58 million for their most recent campaigns, money that has shaped the Biden-Harris administration’s policy on the Palestine Question. 

Meanwhile, AIPAC has used advertisements to target progressive candidates over their criticism of Israel. AIPAC spent $9.9 million to prevent New York-based congress member Jamaal Bowman, a so-called progressive ‘Squad’ member, from winning the Democratic primaries held in June. Bowman was one of the first politicians to call for a ceasefire. Missouri congressional representative Cori Bush, another member of the ‘Squad,’ lost her seat after AIPAC spent $5.2 million.

All this comes despite the US public not supporting Israel’s actions. According to a June 2024 Gallup poll, more Americans disapprove than approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, and their opinions of Netanyahu are also negative.

In a Data for Progress poll in October 2023, 66 per cent of people in the US strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that they want the US to use its leverage over Israel to stop the military onslaught.

What’s your take on the Grayzone confronting Democrats?

Video credit: @TheGrayzoneNews @MaxBlumenthal @wyatt.reed1

ANTI-APARTHEID ICON STEVE BIKO REMEMBERED

On this date, September 12, 1977, South African anti-apartheid icon Steve Biko, was brutally beaten to death by apartheid police officers.

He was also the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, and his shocking death sparked outrage across the country and beyond. More than 20,000 people turned up for his funeral in his hometown of King Williams Town.

In this clip, Mr Biko warns that Black South Africans will not enjoy the fruits of liberation if racist economic structures are not completely dismantled. Unfortunately, his prophetic words went largely unheeded in post-apartheid South Africa.

According to a 2022 World Bank report, the Rainbow Nation is the world's most unequal country, with 'race playing a determining factor in a society where 10% of the population owns more than 80% of the wealth.'

Continued......In May, the governing African National Congress (ANC) failed to win an outright majority in the elections and it struck a coalition deal with the White-led Democratic Alliance. This represented a significant shift in South African politics. For many, the DA represents a legacy of apartheid, and it now has a wide-ranging portfolio. Responsibilities include: Agriculture, Basic Education, Public Works and Infrastructure, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Home Affairs, Communications and Digital Technologies.

Biko campaigned for a fairer economic system. Sadly, almost fifty years after his death, that still hasn't happened.

JAMES EARL JONES ON CUBA

We celebrate the life of the renowned US-born African actor James Earl Jones (1931-2024) who joined the ancestors this week with a throwback to 1988, when he collaborated with filmmaker David Hoffman in documenting Cuba’s then-30 years of revolutionary socialism. 

Jones’ trademark baritone narration beautifully captured the emotion of Cuban troops returning from their 13-year mission in Angola, where they had gone to fight for the revolutionary ruling party, People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), against the US- and South Africa-backed the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA). About 10,000 Cuban troops reportedly gave their lives in the struggle for African liberation in Angola.

Continued……Many of the Cubans who served in Angola were descendants of enslaved Africans shipped to Cuba between the 16th and 19th centuries. Cuban leader Fidel Castro alluded to this in a December 1975 speech, ‘African blood flows freely through our veins.’ He also warned US and South African imperialists, ‘We are part of the world revolutionary movement, and in Africa’s struggle against racists and imperialists, we’ll stand, without any hesitation, side by side with the peoples of Africa.’

During a 1988 speech to South Africa’s parliament, Castro said 381,432 Cuban soldiers and officers fought in Africa against imperialist intervention. As part of Castro’s policy of internationalism, Cuba sent tens of thousands of Cuban doctors, dentists, nurses, academics, teachers, and engineers to Africa and elsewhere, despite bearing the weight of US-imposed sanctions since 1960.

Do you agree with Jones’ verdict that Cuba is ‘a nation to be reckoned with, a major player on the world stage?’

Video credit: ‘The Portrait of Cuba,’ David Hoffman (@davidhoffmanca on X and @davidhoffmanfilmmaker on IG), @CNN (1989) 

CHEPTEGEI M*RDER SUSPECT DIES OF BURNS

Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei’s ex-boyfriend and alleged attacker has now also died. According to the Kenyan hospital that was treating Dickson Ndiema, he suffered respiratory failure due to severe airway burns and sepsis - injuries he sustained after allegedly dousing Cheptegei in petrol and setting her on fire.

The attack happened 1 September in Kenya. It apparently occurred following a disagreement over a piece of land. Cheptegei suffered 80% burns, Ndiema 30%. Cheptegei died days later in hospital from multiple organ failure. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, on hearing of Ndiema’s subsequent death, reportedly said, “We consider his case as justice delivered.”

Continued……. Rebecca Cheptegei‘s death shocked, angered and saddened. Tributes for the athlete poured in from around the world, as did condemnation of the atrocity carried out against her.

Violence against women in Kenya shot up at the beginning of the year, which sparked anti-femicide protests in Nairobi calling for immediate action. According to Africa Data Hub, there have been over 500 reported femicide cases in the country between 2016 and 2023.

Cheptegei is the third athlete since 2021 in Kenya to lose her life to femicide. Two other runners, Kenyan Agnes Tirop and Kenyan-born Damaris Mutua, were killed in domestic violence incidents.

Mali recently joined its neighbour, Burkina Faso, in suspending the French media outlet TV5Monde. According to the Malian government, the outlet will be suspended for three months after it reported that Malian armed forces k*lled 15 civilians on 25 August with a drone strike. Mali refuted the story and suspended TV5Monde for not providing journalistic 'balance' by reporting the government's perspective. Meanwhile, the news outlet said it reported the government's account of the situation on the following day, 26 August.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have accused French and other Western media outlets of spreading false information since all three ousted Western-aligned leaders through successful military coups d’état.

Civilians have protested these media outlets for attempting to discredit and destabilise the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Continued……The AES is a confederation between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed on 6 July after the three countries expelled French military forces. Now, the countries collaborate on security and defence, education, diplomacy, economic policies and other areas.

Mali permanently suspended French-state owned media outlets France 24 and Radio France International (RFI) in 2022. A few weeks ago, on 23 August, Mali suspended French media outlet La Chaîne Info (LCI) for two months. 

Other AES countries, Burkina Faso and Niger, have also indefinitely suspended RFI and France24 in recent years. Plus, Burkina Faso suspended TV5Monde for a six-month period starting in June.

TRUMP’S ‘PET HATE’: BEING FACT-CHECKED!

Donald Trump maliciously spread outlandish claims about Haitian immigrants to millions watching his debate with fellow presidential hopeful Kamala Harris. He alleged, without evidence, that Caribbean newcomers residing in Springfield, Ohio were stealing and eating local pets.

Thankfully, ABC’s co-moderator David Muir was on the ball and called the ex-president out - noting that the top Springfield official said there had been no reports of pets being harmed, injured or abused by the city’s immigrants.

Trump’s baseless claim fits into a long history of anti-Haitian attitudes in the US. Worse, it could put Haitians in the US in danger, with racists emboldened by his words.

Continued……Despite Washington’s role in destabilising Haiti through coups, installed dictatorship and economic subjugation, the US political class is never shy to scapegoat Haitians migrating to the US to escape the instability in their native country.

Across Republican and Democrat administrations, Haitians have been a prime target of US migration policies. A public health rule called Title 42 has been used to swiftly remove migrants, particularly Haitians, found at the US-Mexico border. Metering has seen those seeking asylum at the border put on a waitlist and told to remain in Mexico until it’s their ‘turn’ to begin the asylum process. This is nothing new: presidents such as Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan subjected Haitian immigrants to special procedures that saw them detained and fast-tracked for deportation.

Video credits: @C-SPAN 2, @NBC

S.AFRICA WILL ‘PROVE’ ISRAEL COMMITTING  G*NOCIDE

South Africa has vowed to press ahead with its g*nocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). And it says it’s got facts that prove Israel is committing war crimes in Palestine.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, also said Pretoria will hand the evidence to the UN’s top court by October 2024. He made the statement after claims in ‘some quarters’ South Africa was planning to drop its lawsuit.

The case, initiated in December, has garnered global support, with countries including Libya, Spain, and Mexico joining proceedings. It saw the ICJ order Israel to take steps to prevent g*nocide, but the massacres in Gaza continue, with tens of thousands of Palestinians k*lled and millions displaced.

Continued……Israel denies the accusations and has launched a diplomatic campaign to pressure South Africa to back down. According to US news outlet Axios, a leaked cable revealed Israeli diplomats have been instructed to lobby US lawmakers and Jewish organisations to lean on Pretoria, warning it will face ‘consequences’.

It follows reports that Israel had allegedly threatened Fatou Bensouda, while she was the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor. In 2021 she opened a formal investigation into claims of war crimes in Palestinian territories.

Earlier this week, the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, called for urgent arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.

‘DON’T VOTE FOR GEN*CIDE, HOLD THE LINE’

Hold the line and don’t vote for g*nocide. That’s what Sabrina Salvati recently argued on the ‘Bad Faith’ podcast.

The podcaster (@SabbySabs2) and member of Revolutionary Blackout Network (@revblacknetwork) argued that if left-leaning voters had organised to build an independent party rather than backing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, perhaps that could have changed the duopoly that defines U.S. politics today, where presidential elections are a contest on who is the ‘lesser of two evils’ candidate. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris asks voters who question her record over Palestine if they want Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in office. At the same time, Trump tries to scare voters by inaccurately describing Harris as a Marxist.

Continued……Fearmongering on both sides is what the US ruling class is forcing people to choose between in the 2024 presidential election coming up in November. Meanwhile, progressive and socialist candidates offering real solutions to people’s everyday problems while advocating to end aggressive U.S. imperialist policies abroad and its support for pariah states like Israel barely get mainstream media coverage and are barred from televised debates.

What do you think? Is there hope in the US breaking away from the duopoly of Republicans vs Democrats? Can there really be a third-party option that can alter the direction of US imperialism without the billions of dollars that both Democrats and Republicans raise through their connections to Wall Street and domestic and foreign lobby groups? According to OpenSecrets’ in 2020, Trump’s campaign raised $774 million, while Biden’s campaign became the first to raise over $1 billion from donors. Can third parties compete when Democratic and Republican candidates spend that money?

Video credit: @badfaithpod (X) @briebriejoy (X)

‘I’M NOT A KIDNAPPER’ - HAITI’S JIMMY ‘BARBECUE’ CHÉRIZIER

Former Haitian police officer Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, the head of G9 Family and Allies, has become the face of the Caribbean state’s gang violence, thanks to international media plastering him on their front pages. The 47-year-old faces accusations of human rights violations, including k*llings and r*pe.

In this clip from an exclusive interview with African Stream’s freelance journalist Maud-Salomé Ekila (@ekilaaa on IG and X), Chérizier responded to the allegations.

If you’d like to hear more, you can watch the whole conversation on our YouTube channel. It is by no means a softball interview.

In the meantime, let us know in the comments what you make of Barbecue. Are you convinced by his answers?