GANDHI'S RACIST LEGACY IN AFRICA

Mahatma Gandhi was born on this day back in 1869 and is widely hailed for his fight against British colonial rule in India. But while he’s remembered for fighting for the freedom of his people, the same can’t be said for his attitude towards Blacks. While living in South Africa, he attempted to align with the White ruling class. He campaigned for Indians living there to be treated better than Blacks who he called savages.
It was a callous attempt to gain favour with the ruling authorities. While Gandhi’s achievements are of course celebrated, this sinister chapter in his life should not be forgotten either.

Continued.....The inquiry will also scrutinise allegations that British soldiers have regularly paid for sex with local women, gang-raped women and abused girls as young as 13. Earlier this year, Kenya ran its own public inquiry into allegations of human-rights breaches and abuses of power connected to the BATUK base, to which local community members gave evidence.

The UK Ministry of Defence promised to look into the allegations, including the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru. Her body was discovered in a hotel's septic tank three months after her disappearance. Wanjiru, who was stabbed several times, was last seen in the company of British soldiers. A Kenyan inquest found that one or more British soldiers were responsible for her murder. The hearings marked the culmination of long-winded legal proceedings to try British soldiers under Kenyan law following years of lobbying by civil society groups and after initial pushback from the British government.

Continued.......
No one has ever been prosecuted, despite the suspect being named by several regiment members. UK Defence Secretary John Healey has promised to meet with Wanjiru’s family. According to a UK government website, Britain spends £6.5 million ($8.25 million) annually for its defence partnership with Kenya.

Despite Kenya gaining independence in 1963, Brits still occupy Kenyan land for military and corporate purposes.

SOURCES:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/27/mod-investigate-british-troops-kenya-itv-documentary

https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1weekweek-40-2024-sat-28-sep-fri-04-oct/base-british-army-scandal#:~:text=This%20powerful%20documentary%20investigates%20how,top%20of%20the%20UK%20military.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/28/kenya-begins-public-hearings-into-alleged-abuses-by-uk-troops

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/19/uk-armed-forces-introduce-ban-on-use-of-sex-workers-abroad

The West African country of Guinea gained independence on this day, 2 October 1958, after 65 years of French rule.

When French President Charles de Gaulle offered the option of greater autonomy under French rule versus complete independence, Ahmed Sékou Touré (1922-84), Guinea’s founding leader said, ‘We prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery.’ His message resonated deeply with the people and led to a landslide vote favouring independence.

Continued......Starting his political journey in the labour movement, the plight of the masses influenced Touré’s political leanings. He maintained that fire even as president. With the French gone, Guinea nationalised foreign-owned companies and implemented extensive social reforms aimed at education, healthcare, literacy and infrastructure development. African socialism illuminated the path, emphasising self-reliance, African unity, and the rejection of neocolonial influences. Guinea joined the Non-Aligned Movement made up of countries recently having won independence and seeking to build a path forward together outside of either US or Soviet influence. Such countries were referred to as the Third World, with the US being the First World and the USSR and China being the Second World.

Guinea’s independence was a boon for pan-Africanism, as Touré helped establish the continent-wide Organisation for African Unity, precursor to the African Union, in 1963. Plus, he maintained amicable ties with US-based Pan-Africanists like Malcolm X and Kwame Ture. Then, when the CIA overthrew fellow Pan-African leader Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Touré offered Nkrumah refuge and appointed him honorary co-president.

Guinea’s struggle for liberation provides insights as Africa fights to rid itself of neocolonialism. Greater integration, solidarity and self-sufficiency are values of the recent coups in the neighbouring Sahel region, where Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger rose against France, tired of decades of exploitation and occupation.

Happy Independence Day, Guinea!

SOURCES:

First colony to get independence, nationalised foreign-owned companies, helped found the OAU, joined the Non-Aligned Movement, provided Nkrumah's refuge
https://worldhistoryedu.com/life-and-major-accomplishments-of-ahmed-sekou-toure-the-first-president-of-guinea

CIA overthrow of Nkrumah
https://www.liberationnews.org/cia-overthrow-kwame-nkrumah-neocolonialism-west-africa

Toure relations with Malcolm and Stokely
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/ahmed-sekou-toure-biography1

Sahel rises against France
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/31/au-revoir-sahel-did-2023-crush-frances-influence-in-africa

Gambian-born British citizen Momodou Taal, a 30-year-old PhD student at Cornell University, is facing the threat of deportation from the US. His crime? Pro-Palestine activism. 

According to Inside Higher Ed, this may be the first case since the latest spate of pro-Palestine protests kicked off almost a year ago in which a student-visa holder in the US faces deportation.

Taal's most recent troubles began when he and over 100 students protested defence contractors Boeing and L3Harris at a career fair on 18 September.

Students demand Cornell divest from investments in weapons manufacturers, saying such financial relationships make the university complicit in what the International Court of Justice ruled in January a 'plausible' g*nocide in Gaza, as well as ongoing settler violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Continued........In April, about two-thirds of students approved a resolution calling on Cornell to divest from BAE Systems, Boeing, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, and ThyssenKrupp.

In the third year of an Africana studies doctoral programme, Taal said the university has yet to follow due process, denying him the ability to go through the proper channels to appeal a possible suspension. An official suspension would nullify Taal's F-1 student visa, forcing him to leave the US immediately. This is the second time he has faced suspension related to pro-Palestine activism.

About 7,000 people have signed on to an open letter demanding Taal's reinstatement.

In his defence, Taal asserts that his actions have been peaceful and within the bounds of the First Amendment. He believes the real issue Cornell wants him gone is because he is a Black Muslim student. Black Students United, the umbrella organisation encompassing dozens of Black cultural, mentorship, performance, professional and Greek organisations, said following through with a suspension would make Cornell an 'unsafe space for all Black students.'

'When it comes to Palestine,' Taal argued, 'the university is willing to forsake its commitments to academic freedom and free speech to protect its corporate interests.'

Do you believe the university is targeting Taal for being an African Muslim?

SOURCES:

https://x.com/MomodouTaal/status/1840878323800694969

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/cornell-protest-palestine-immigration-1235112444

https://cornellsun.com/2024/09/30/student-groups-campaign-for-suspended-pro-palestinian-international-student-as-potential-deportation-looms

https://www.newsweek.com/cornell-student-forced-leave-us-pro-palestinian-activism-1960399

https://www.commondreams.org/news/momodou-taal

https://progressive.org/latest/cornell-students-push-for-divestment-from-companies-arming-israel-dilawar-20240213

https://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/cornell-students-shut-down-career-fair-demand-divestment-from-weapons-manufacturers/article_37ec5470-76aa-11ef-a114-f3a94aa47980.html

https://www.ithaca.com/news/cornell-students-approve-resolution-calling-for-university-to-divest-from-weapons-manufacturers-and-support-a/article_4044a630-0117-11ef-8e69-f34850aead99.html

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2024/09/25/could-pro-palestinian-protest-lead-student

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/03/international-students-campus-protest-visas

THE GROWING SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST AFRICAN STREAM

Many people worldwide have taken issue with several social media platforms banning African Stream after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed African Stream was 'secretly run' by Russian state-owned TV network RT. Despite Blinken not offering evidence for this claim, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok gave African Stream the boot two weeks ago.

Pascal Lottaz, an Associate Professor for Neutrality Studies at Kyoto University, underscored the hypocrisy and racism at the heart of this decision. The implication is that African people are too stupid to determine whether a media outlet serves African interests or be able to figure out if something is Russian propaganda. Following that logic, it seems Africans are not smart enough to think for ourselves.

Continued......Of course, the reality is that what is in Africa's best interest is not what is in the best interests of the US ruling class. So, it must deploy any shoddy pretext to shut down anything promoting African liberation.

Lottaz also pointed out that media sites like The New York Times, CNN, and the BBC are also propaganda. While African Stream has a pro-African bias, the BBC, for example, funded by the British government and has a pro-NATO bias. To give another example, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, owns CNN.

African Stream has never purported to be neutral. We have always stated that we are 'with the lions, not the hunters,' meaning we defend the oppressed and colonised peoples of the world. We are unapologetically pro-African. Every story we publish is at heart the interests of the masses of African people of the continent and the diaspora. Contrary to what the smear campaigners state, we are not 'Kremlin Propagandists' or 'Iran propagandists' we are 'African Propagandists' . We believe Africans always have the right to make decisions concerning our continent. For that, we offer no apologies and will never relent or compromise.

Video credit: @plottaz

SOURCES:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/06/media/att-oan/index.html

https://www.state.gov/alerting-the-world-to-rts-global-covert-activities/

https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/african-stream

https://jacobin.com/2024/02/new-york-times-anti-palestinian-bias

https://fair.org/take-action/action-alerts/why-were-government-propaganda-experts-working-on-news-at-cnn/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-bbc-exposing-disinformation-peddling

https://x.com/PLottaz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rFBbRmeiJ4

KENYAN ACTIVIST CHARGED WITH CYBERCRIME

Social media-savvy Kenyan lawyer and activist Morara Kebaso is out on bail after authorities charged him on 1 October with cyber harassment for alleging on X (formerly Twitter) that President William Ruto bought a businessman's properties at below-market prices in allegedly corrupt dealings.

Scores of Kenyans cheered in the streets when the court released Kebaso on a $387 cash bail. He is due back in court on 4 October.

The 28-year-old has gained a massive social media following for filming himself touring unfinished government projects, such as a stadium, a housing complex and a nursing school, in an attempt to expose Ruto's misuse of public funds in a country burdened with $82 billion in foreign debt and International Monetary Fund-backed economic policies stripping social services.

Continued... Kebaso has become one of the more recognisable faces of Kenya's politically-conscious youth, who have challenged Western-aligned Ruto over proposed tax hikes, poor governance and corruption. From June to August, police k*lled over 50 people during youth-led protests. Since then, Kebaso and like-minded activists have switched tactics from street protests to countrywide civic education using publicly-raised funds.

Sources:
https://www.knchr.org/Articles/ArtMID/2432/ArticleID/1201/Statement-on-Mukuru-Murders-and-Updates-on-the-Anti-Finance-Bill-Protests

https://www.mwakilishi.com/article/kenya-news/2024-10-01/activist-morara-kebaso-released-on-bail-amid-cyber-harassment-charges

https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2024%3Anewsml_RW842001102024RP1&share=true

https://www.csis.org/analysis/taking-charge-gen-z-leads-historic-protests-kenya

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/7/why-are-kenyans-angry-with-the-imf

https://www.theafricareport.com/361149/kenyas-youth-adopt-new-style-of-anti-ruto-activism/

AFRICAN DIASPORA DEFENDING ETHIOPIA

Africans on the continent and in the diaspora have always worked together and fought alongside one another for common goals. When, on this day in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia for a second time, thousands of Africans at home and abroad mobilised to fight the colonialists. Black Harlemites in the United States, South Africans, Jamaicans and many others were clear on their mission: it was time to defend Ethiopia at all costs.

For the Italians, the war was not merely payback for that humiliating defeat 40 years earlier, but a chance to implement dictator Benito Mussolini’s plan to inflate Italy's standing on the world stage. However, for millions, the invasion imperiled Black freedom and dignity across the globe and awakened a strong sense of allegiance that transcended national boundaries.

Continued……Today, we see three countries in the Africa - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - defending African freedom and self-determination on the world stage and, like Ethiopia at the time, refusing to be colonised. Yet these three countries are under brutal attack. From terrorist paramilitaries to sanctions to coup attempts to Western media propaganda, the goal of Western powers is very clear: they want to destroy the Alliance of Sahel States.

What lessons can Africans across the world in 2024 learn from this story of the struggle to defend and protect Ethiopia?

CREATOR SLAMS INSTAGRAM OVER AFRICAN STREAM BAN

Silencing us on social media won’t silence our followers. After Instagram and a host of other social-media giants de-platformed African Stream, there was an outcry. Special shout out to our sister @enzegram for snubbing an Insta invitation to a ’creator challenge’ - noting, as she did, that the network is happy to monetise her content while denying Africans a voice. She also called for our page to be re-instated. As she says (to Insta boss @mosseri and FB/Meta CEO @zuck), #iamnotyournegro. We appreciate the gesture of solidarity and thank you all for your support. We will continue to do all we can to amplify African voices and perspectives and work towards an emancipated, pan-African future.

Video credit: @enzegram

ASSANGE: 'CIA SPIED ON MY FAMILY'

The US has long promoted itself as a beacon of democracy and free speech. However, when WikiLeaks exposed US crimes, such as k*lling civilians, mass surveillance and compromising internet security, the United States spent years trying to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage charges, even though he's not a US citizen.

The 53-year-old Australian citizen spent more than five years in Belmarsh Prison in London after taking refuge for almost seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

After pleading guilty in June to one count of breaching the US Espionage Act in a court in the US colony of Northern Mariana Islands, he returned to Australia.

In this 1 October video from his first public appearance, Assange explained the CIA sought retribution for the embarrassing leaks. Tactics included hacking, theft, assassination plans and spying on Assange's family, including trying to obtain DNA samples from his 6-month-old son's diaper.

Continued......If not for Wikileaks, Africans wouldn't have known about the US spying on African leaders at the UN or how a complex financial operation looted Kenya of a reported $1.4 billion benefitting several foreign firms while President Daniel arap Moi (1924-2020) was president between 1978-2002.

Have a watch, and let us know what you think.

SOURCES:

Sources.
Wikileaks exposes Apache pilots
https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder,_5_Apr_2010

CIA compromised supply chains
https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1

Assange in Belmarsh
https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/julian-assange-wikileaks-belmarsh-prison

Assange in Ecuadorian embassy
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/timeline-of-the-julian-assange-legal-saga-as-he-makes-a-final-bid-to-avoid-extradition-to-the-u-s

US spying on African leaders at UN
https://www.voanews.com/a/wikileaks-revelations-could-have-serious-consequences-for-africa-says-analyst--111603274/157029.html

Wikileaks exposes Moi
https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06NAIROBI607_a.html

Assange timeline
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11949341

Kenyan looting
https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06NAIROBI607_a.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7871697.stm

https://www.africafiles.org/article_id-10731-thisurl-_kenya_asp-urlname-kenya.html