FELA KUTI: REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE

Few figures have left such an impression on the African music scene as Nigeria’s Fela Kuti. As we celebrate what would have been his 86th birthday, we explore the legacy he left behind.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his musical family have done much to shape Nigerian arts, culture and politics. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a revolutionary who organised Nigerian women to fight neo-colonialism and capitalist exploitation. Fela Kuti in turn understood his role as an artist in the service of African liberation. Now his children carry on their father's musical legacy, with son Seun Kuti also actively engaged in keeping alive the pan-African and socialist politics of his family.

PAN-AFRICAN ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN FRANCE

On Monday, French police arrested Beninese pan-Africanist Kemi Seba and his colleague Hery Djehuty in two separate incidents. Reports suggest it’s connected to Seba’s entry into France, even though he holds a Nigerien diplomatic passport and a Shengen visa issued by Spain, which allows him freedom of movement inside the European Union.

Seba has been a vocal critic of French neocolonialism in Africa. He has participated in protests against the CFA franc and tore up his French passport before Paris later revoked his citizenship. Seba was also recently appointed adviser to Niger's revolutionary leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, who has done much to stand up to French neo-colonialism in his country.

Continued......The incident seems to fit nicely into the wider Western campaign to deplatform alternative, anti-imperialist, African voices - including yours truly, African Stream.

SOURCES:

Seba’s arrest
https://www.trtafrika.com/africa/beninese-anti-french-activist-kemi-seba-arrested-in-paris-18220259

Seba has been a vocal anti-imperialist
https://www.trtafrika.com/africa/beninese-anti-french-activist-kemi-seba-arrested-in-paris-18220259

SANKARA LIVES ON

Burkina Faso's pan-African president and hero, Thomas Sankara, was assassinated on this day in 1987 in the capital, Ouagadougou.  A hit squad also killed 12 of his comrades. Sankara was one of Africa's most outstanding leaders.

He came to power in a coup in 1983, and his pro-people policies endeared him to the nation. He understood that Africa's problems resulted from systemic issues such as debt. In his four years in power, he did a lot for Burkina Faso. For example, his land-reform policies gave rural farmers greater access to territory, which in turn boosted wheat production; while his drive to vaccinate two-million children against meningitis, measles and yellow fever saved many lives.

We remember his life and legacy, but we also raise questions about his death: why are the CIA and France still refusing to de-classify some of their records relating to Sankara’s demise?

On this day in 1987, visionary pan-African icon and leader of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara was assassinated by his longtime friend and, at the time ,minister of state, Blaise Compaoré. That put a temporary halt to his progressive vision for the Sahel nation, which - under him - saw land redistribution, expanded access to education and mass vaccination. After his death, Ouagadougou again came under the sway of ex-colonial power France amid lingering suspicions that Paris had a hand in the assassination.

Sankara was taken too soon. But the torch he lit continues to guide Burkina Faso. We compare Thomas Sankara's impact over his four-year tenure with the work accomplished by the man currently at the nation’s helm, Ibrahim Traoré.

Continued......Since coming to power in 2022, Traoré has embarked on similar initiatives, including the removal of French influence in Burkina Faso and the partial realisation of the pan-African project: the unification with Mali and Niger into a tripartite anti-imperialist confederation.

Do you think Traoré is a Sankara 2.0?

SOURCES:

Death of Sankara, role of Blaise
https://archive.ph/3BN2v#selection-4979.139-4979.217

Sankara's progressive policies
https://archive.ph/3BN2v#selection-4979.139-4979.217

Burkina kicks out the French under Traore
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68846771

On 5th October, 2024, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso made an important statement in a radio address: the country will be revoking mining licences and focusing on mining its own gold.

Since the revolution that brought him to power, several of the country's gold mines have been nationalised, including Boungou and Wahgnion. In addition, early into his presidency, the Canada-based Trevali mining firm ended operations in Burkina after it was found guilty of manslaughter by a Burkinabe court.

Continued.......Ouagadougou is increasingly focused on manufacturing and refining raw materials locally. It’s laid the foundation for its first gold refinery, which is set to launch by the end of this year. The site will be able to produce 150 tonnes of gold annually. The country has also opened a mining-waste treatment facility.

Burkina Faso, which is part of an anti-imperialist bloc known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), is not the only country vigorously asserting sovereignty over its natural resources. Neighbouring AES member Mali has signed a contract with Russia to build a gold refinery capable of producing 200 tonnes of gold per year. And next-door Niger (also in the AES) recently revoked French company Orano's licence to exploit uranium.

According to World Gold Council, Mali was the second-largest gold producer in Africa in 2023, while Burkina Faso was fourth.

SOURCES:

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/burkina-faso-set-to-cancel-foreign-mining-operations/

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-plans-withdraw-some-mining-permits-junta-leader-says-2024-10-05/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/14/burkina-court-finds-mine-execs-guilty-of-involuntary-manslaughter

https://www.miningreview.com/base-metals/trevali-surrenders-nantou-mining-in-burkina-faso/

https://www.ecofinagency.com/public-management/2411-45079-burkina-faso-to-launch-its-first-gold-refinery-by-the-end-of-2024

https://trtafrika.com/africa/burkina-faso-opens-first-mine-waste-treatment-facility-16757632

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/mali-russia-gold-refinery-bamako/

https://www.gold.org/goldhub/data/gold-production-by-country

GHANAIAN ARTIST RALLIES SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN STREAM

Ghanaian artist Kwame Oteanankanduro says he woke up to a nightmare when he found out YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Threads had banned African Stream. After he made this video, TikTok and Gmail also banned or suspended our accounts.

The tech bans followed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claiming, without offering any evidence, that African Stream was 'secretly run' by Russian state-owned TV network RT.

Not a person given to despair, this artist put up a list of things for like-minded followers of our anti-imperialist work, like you, to do to keep the fire burning. He suggested in the denoscription of his Instagram video that you create 20-second videos, share our materials, defend the Alliance of Sahel States and use hashtags like #WeAreAllAfricanStream.

Continued......Like our Ghanaian subscriber, don't remain silent. Follow us on Telegram, Patreon, Rumble and X. Ask others to do the same.

Together, no one can silence us!

#WeAreAllAfricanStream

Video credit: @oteanankanduro (TikTok)

SOURCES:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/google-bans-african-stream-locks-prominent-media-group-out-of-workspace/3348185

https://www.tiktok.com/@africaliberationmovement/video/7416299924289096965

The tributaries that represent the global oppression of indigenous and poor peoples may take different shapes and directions. Still, their waters flow from the same river source that controls the masses and defines the circles beyond which the people are forbidden from crossing in thought, action or livelihood.

Thus, the seeds for revolution connect from the 'security' walls encapsulating Gaza to the shores of the Western Cape and from the streets of Havana to the sands of the Nubian Desert. 

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68) said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'

Enjoy and share this week's Wednesday Wisdom.

SOURCE:

https://www.gphistorical.org/mlk/mlkspeech/

On 16 October 1968, an unforgettable moment unfolded at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. As the US national anthem played, two sprinters, Tommie Smith (centre) and John Carlos (right), raised their gloved fists in the Black Power salute in silent protest against racism in the United States. They wore beads and scarves to represent their opposition to lynchings and black socks with no shoes to raise awareness about Black poverty in the US.

Continued......The Olympic Project for Human Rights fought for hiring Black coaches, including Black people on the Olympic Committee, and barring apartheid South Africa and white-run Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe). Some athletes in the project boycotted the Olympics, but Smith and Carlos saw the opportunity to raise their issues.

Smith and Carlos' defiance on the world stage came at a significant personal cost. Even though Smith had won gold and Carlos earned bronze in the men's 200-metre event, the International Olympic Committee condemned the pair, while the US team banned both athletes and sent them home early. This move effectively ended their careers, and they faced death threats. Their marriages fell apart, and Carlos found it challenging to find employment for years afterwards.

Smith and Carlos' brave move came during a tumultuous year in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement. In April, a gunman assassinated the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-68). Plus, the anti-war movement had gained momentum thanks to opposition against the US imperialist war against Vietnam. 

During the 1960s, life was tough for Black people in the US. Their average life span was seven years lower than that of white people. Compared to white children, Black children had only half the chance of completing high school, only one-third the possibility of obtaining a bachelor's degree, and a third the chance of entering a profession upon becoming adults. On average, our people earned half of what white people did and were twice as likely to be unemployed.

Nearly 60 years later, despite the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the struggle for equality continues. Black people earn 24 per cent less than white and are five times more likely to be incarcerated, making up half of the prison population despite only being 13 per cent of the US population.

Given the persistent racial disparities in the US, is the Black Power salute as relevant today as it was in 1968?

SOURCES:

https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3323

https://www.history.com/news/black-athletes-raise-fists-1968-olympics

https://www.brut.media/us/videos/sports/olympic-games/the-legacy-of-the-1968-olympics-black-power-salute

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-5-key-question-and-answers/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169721811024087

Prison population
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2023/05/racial-disparities-persist-in-many-us-jails

KENYAN COURT DENIES DEPUTY PRESIDENT IMPEACHMENT REPRIEVE

A Kenyan court has rejected Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's attempt to block the Senate debate and vote on his impeachment, following the National Assembly's overwhelming decision to impeach him on 11 charges, including corruption. Gachagua, who denies the allegations, will continue in office while the Senate deliberates his fate. His legal team plans to appeal the ruling, with the High Court judge noting that the petition raises significant legal issues to be heard alongside other petitions challenging the impeachment process.

This case marks the first impeachment of a deputy president under Kenya's 2010 constitution, with over two dozen legal challenges filed against the proceedings. Six of these petitions have been consolidated and will be heard by a three-judge panel.

Continued……The Senate requires a two-thirds majority to remove Gachagua from office. Critics say it’s all a distraction from bigger problems facing the nation, such as wider rampant government corruption and the controversial proposed lease of Kenya’s main air hub to a foreign investor.

SOURCES:

News
http://doc.afp.com/36K27H2

Sale of airport
https://citizen.digital/news/the-adani-jkia-deal-a-deep-dive-into-kenyas-most-controversial-aviation-project-n349437

Sale of power transmission
https://citizen.digital/business/inside-adanis-ksh95-billion-30-year-deal-for-kenyas-power-lines-n351348

'AFRICAN STREAM BANNED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH'

Why did YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, and Gmail ban African Stream? Could it be because African Stream spreads the truth online? Could it be because African Stream provides an authentically Pan-Africanist and anti-imperialist perspective on geopolitics and critical current events?

In this video, Nigerian political analyst Adamu Garba II suggested African Stream was plain too honest to last on corporate social-media platforms. Forget about the Russia boogeyman claims. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken most likely knows we do not receive Russian funding. We think it was always about finding a way to silence dissenting African voices and anyone else who refuses to submit to US global hegemony.

Continued......
So, what can you do about it? You can continue to share African Stream videos across social media. Use the hashtag #WeAreAllAfricanStream. Follow us on Telegram, Patreon, Rumble and X. Ask others to do the same! We will not be silenced.

#WeAreAllAfricanStream

Video credit: @adamugarbaii on TikTok

THE FORMIDABLE QUEEN ASANTEWAA OF ASHANTI

Today, we honour Yaa Asantewaa, queen of the Ashanti Kingdom, who died on 17 October 1921 in the Seychelles, where the British had exiled her from what is now Ghana.

Born in the mid-19th century in the Ashanti Kingdom, in the southern part of modern Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa began as a skilled farmer. When her elder brother, Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpase, became king of an Ashanti Kingdom state known as Edweso, he anointed her Queen Mother in the 1880s, according to the Ashanti culture's matrilineal tradition. Yaa Asantewaa was responsible for safeguarding the Golden Stool, a symbol of power in the kingdom. She was instrumental in presenting candidates for the Golden Stool when the position became vacant.

During her brother's reign, the British sought to colonise the Ashanti people, usurp the ruling king, and seize control of their wealth to create a colony.

Continued.....In 1896, the British captured and exiled Asantehene Prempeh I, the King of Ashanti. That's when Yaa Asantewaa formed an army. Her articulate and persuasive leadership sparked the Anglo-Ashanti War, commonly called the 'Yaa Asantewaa War of Independence' or the 'War of the Golden Stool,' which began on 28 March 1900.

The rebellion k*lled 1,000 British soldiers and allied African troops, while the Ashanti forces lost 2,000 soldiers. Yaa Asantewaa's resistance earned her the respect and admiration of many men who had remained passive. Unfortunately, the British captured and exiled her to the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, where she died in 1921. 

However, her legacy is immortalised in history. For example, in 2000, a museum opened in the Ejisu-Juaben District of Ghana to honour her. Additionally, an award called the 'Nana Yaa Asantewaa Awards' recognises women who embody the values and leadership of Yaa Asantewaa.

Yaa Asantewaa is known by many names: Queen Mother, the Lioness of Ashanti, and Queen Yaa. These noscripts embody her fearless and relentless spirit.

Rest in peace, Queen Yaa. Your contributions will never be forgotten.

SOURCES:

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/yaa-asantewaa-mid-1800s-1921/

https://www.ghanaweb.com/person/Yaa-Asantewaa-175

https://www.kuntacontent.com/yaa-asantewaa

Birthday
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40026704

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43306258

Queen Mother position
https://www.jstor.org/stable/41857049

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/19/article/722532/pdf

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42982051

Museum
https://www.modernghana.com/news/697476/us10-million-reconstruction-of-yaa-asantewaa-museum-to-star.html

Exile queen mother
https://www.nation.sc/archive/251467/queen-mother-yaa-asantewaa-honoured-on-95th-death-anniversary

Exiled king
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/history-in-africa/article/abs/asantehene-agyeman-prempe-i-asante-history-and-the-historian/3203D5FDBDC2D4E26BF42386380DCCFB

Yaa Asantewaa Awards
https://thebftonline.com/2022/03/21/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-receives-guba-yaa-asantewaa-award

Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpase
https://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/nana-yaa-asantewaa-unforgettable-warrior-queen-mother

UAE WANTS TO BE AMERICA’S BEST FRIEND

According to the website of the United Arab Emirates in Washington DC, the Gulf state and the US have shared interests and common values, and work together to promote regional security, create economic prosperity and address pressing global challenges.

However, Abu Dhabi plays a key role in Sudan’s devastating war, backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, which is accused of multiple atrocities - yet Washington, the self-declared leader of the free world, has done nothing to rein in its ally.

A five-member panel of UN experts has presented convincing evidence of the UAE's complicity in fuelling the flames of Sudan's 17-month war. So why hasn’t the US used its considerable leverage to compel the UAE to stop weapons shipments to the rampaging RSF?

The explanation could lie in a revealing admission by retired UAE Air Force general Abdullah Al Hashmi, who said that the Gulf state desires to be America’s ‘best friend,’ on a par with Israel.

Continued......This, of course, only serves Washington’s interests in the region too well. As always, principles go out of the window when it suits the US.

SOURCES:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/23/u-s-uae-joint-leaders-statement-dynamic-strategic-partners/

https://www.uae-embassy.org/uae-usa-united

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/005/64/pdf/n2400564.pdf

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/005/64/pdf/n2400564.pdf

https://www.theafricareport.com/177622/libya-united-arab-emirates-yemen-saudi-arabia-former-sudanese-mercenaries-testify/

https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/the-uaes-rising-military-role-in-africa-defending-interests-advancing-influence-172825

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/25/sudan-trump-travel-ban-uae-yemen/

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/12/06/how-the-uae-turns-its-interests-into-us-policy/