The smearing of African media as disinformation tools is an old imperialist tactic, designed to maintain control of the narrative about our continent. We’re accused of disseminating propaganda when our perspectives challenge imperialist geopolitical interests. While these accusations serve to delegitimise and silence African voices, they also conceal deeper fears. Independent African journalism shines a light on neo-colonial exploitation and practices on the continent.

7 OCTOBER 2001: US 'WAR ON TERROR' COMMENCES

Following the horrific 9/11 attack that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States, US President George W Bush declared a global 'War on T*rror,' which began with the first bombardments on this day, 7 October 2001, in Afghanistan.

Consequently, African countries that had no issues with t*rrorism in 2001, saw a surge in armed violence over the past 24 years, that can be traced back to decades of US and NATO intervention, exacerbated in 2007 when the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) was formed.

For example, t*rrorist activities ravaged Africa's arid Sahel region since NATO's 2011 invasion of Libya, spurning violent rebels to k*ll former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Then, Sahel-region t*rrorists accessed the fallen Libyan government's weapons stash and distributed them in Mali, seizing control of large swaths of land in the country's north, spilling into its neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Continued......Not to mention Somalia, where through a US-backed Ethiopian invasion in 2006, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) was crushed, leading to the rise of the violent t*rrorist group, Al-Shabaab. The ICU consisted of various clan-based courts that governed the East African country following the 1991 civil war, became a federation in 2004 and had no Al-Qaeda affiliations.

Nonetheless, after years of a well documented history of fabricating narratives for political and economic interests to make way for invasion, the US appears to be losing the strong foot-hold it once had. Many are now seeing the nation for what it truly is; an imperialist state that neither cares for human rights nor to combat terrorism.

The formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on 16 March 2023, for instance, offers a glimmer of possibility towards African sovereignty.

Continued.....Upon formation, the AES broke ties with AFRICOM, choosing to instead form a confederation for shared defense, economic and foreign policy. Over a year later, the three Sahelian states in West Africa continue to advance the work of decolonisation by breaking ties with neo-colonial institutions and reclaiming bit by bit, their sovereignty over their lands.

Are we currently witnessing the crumbling of an empire?

SOURCES:

https://emro.libraries.psu.edu/record/index.php?id=1720

https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-war-in-somalia

https://africainterest.org/confederation-of-alliance-of-sahel-states-aes-birthpangs-of-african-political-union

https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/research/topic-guides/global-war-terror

UAE WEAPONS TO SUDAN DISGUISED AS AID!

An alarming New York Times investigation has exposed how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is sneaking weapons into Sudan through Chad under the guise of humanitarian aid to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a 17-month war that has k*lled from 20,000 Sudanese to as many as 150,000, according to the US envoy.

The New York Times reported the UAE is using the red crescent, the famous symbol of humanitarian aid, for its covert operations, essentially blurring the lines between aid and military support.

The war that started between the Sudanese army and RSF on 15 April 2023 has displaced 10 million Sudanese internally and forced 2 million to flee, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than half of the country’s 50-million population suffers acute hunger.

In May, the Sudanese ambassador to the UN accused the UAE of arming the RSF, while NGO SwissAid says the UAE is the primary recipient of Sudanese gold. According to the World Gold Council, Sudan is Africa’s fifth-highest gold producer.