Niger's ability to provide food for its citizens has been impacted by ECOWAS sanctions which were in place from July 2023 to February 2024. On top of this, regional flooding likely caused by global climate change is impacting Niger's ability to grow its staple foods. Thus, the Nigerien government has decided to stop all exports of important cereals such as rice, sorghum, millet, and corn as well as legumes such as the cowpea to all countries outside of the AES. Niger's government is concerned with guaranteeing its own population its necessary food supply first and foremost.

Continued......The willingness to continue exports to Burkina Faso and Mali demonstrate Niger's commitment to unity among the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries. Niger is the third of the three countries to have a revolutionary anti-imperialist seize power through a military-led coup d'état. The three countries seek to unify into one single Pan-African federal state and have formed into a Pan-African confederation in the meantime. The citizens of the three countries, are increasingly adopting a shared AES identity and are in favour of a unification process.

SOURCES:

https://www.barrons.com/news/niger-bans-grain-exports-to-all-bar-burkina-mali-7f34e260

https://www.dw.com/en/niger-west-african-bloc-ecowas-lifts-post-coup-sanctions/a-68361861

Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia face increasing risks of abuse due to escalating clashes and violence, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. The conflict involves Ethiopian federal forces and Fano militias, one of several regional groups in the northwestern Amhara region. These clashes expose thousands of fleeing Sudanese to a range of serious abuses.

The report reveals that for over a year, unidentified gunmen have subjected refugees to killings, beatings, abductions, and forced labour. Those fleeing the civil war in Sudan are often provided with limited security in Ethiopia. Preliminary reports have been submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ethiopian government's Refugee and Returnee Services (RRS) for further action.

Currently, Ethiopia hosts over 90,000 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, including more than 38,000 who escaped the armed conflict that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.

Continued.....https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/17/ethiopia-fighting-abuses-putting-sudanese-refugees-risk

https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/111270

IMF REFORMS PUSH 56% TO POVERTY IN NIGERIA

A World Bank report indicates that the reforms pushed by the IMF in Nigeria have exacerbated poverty levels. Since taking office, President Bola Tinubu has implemented measures aimed at 'economic revival' and attracting investors, such as removing fuel subsidies and liberalizing the Naira. However, these reforms have led to skyrocketing energy prices and the highest inflation in 30 years, at 30%. As a result, the poverty rate has surged from 40.1% in 2018 to 56% in 2024, with 129 million Nigerians now living in poverty.

The most vulnerable segments of Nigerian society have been hit hardest, with a declining standard of living. Despite this, institutions like the World Bank and IMF appear indifferent to the widening inequality when imposing reforms. Meanwhile, Nigeria's extreme wealth disparity persists, as the combined wealth of the country's five richest individuals, at $29.9 billion,

Continued….. could end extreme poverty, yet millions still face hunger, according to Oxfam.

In addition to poverty and inequality, corruption remains a major issue in Nigeria, which these global financial institutions seem to overlook. Between 1960 and 2005, approximately $20 trillion was embezzled from the country's treasury by public officials. What, then, is the sense of impoverishing an already struggling population despite the majority of Nigerians not benefiting from its vast natural resources or World Bank/ IMF debt?

Let us know what you think.

Sources.
More than 50% of Nigeria in poverty
https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/10/19/more-than-half-of-nigerians-live-in-poverty-world-bank

IMF backed Nigeria reforms
https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/05/08/pr-24144-nigeria-executive-board-concludes-2024-art-iv-consultation

Nigeria inequality
https://www.oxfam.org/en/nigeria-extreme-inequality-numbers

Nigeria looted trillions
https://www.oxfam.org/en/nigeria-extreme-inequality-numbers

This week's Wednesday Wisdom scoop from the late author and thinker Maya Angelou (1928 - 2014) serves as a reminder of the significance of history when trying to shape a future.

Both on individual and community levels, detaching people from their roots often - if not always - results in identity crises. Furthermore, when people do not know their true history, they become susceptible to manipulation by other people's narratives of who they are.

For example, Africans who have internalised the idea that they are inferior to Europeans actively go out of their way to be the closest they possibly can to Whiteness. It is why skin bleaching, for instance, is an epidemic in many parts of the continent and beyond. Or the reason some Africans in the diaspora try to distance themselves from the continent based on narratives told to them by the imperialists about Africa.

Continued.....Arguably, the most important wing of liberation is mental decolonisation, as it is from this that all other actions result. Emancipation from mental slavery cannot be achieved without a strong footing to renew the mind. That strong footing for Africans is African history; understanding where we have been and how we arrived at our current reality to know where we are heading and shape tomorrow’s current.

SOURCE:

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/16/archives/-for-years-we-hated-ourselves.html

Continued.......The BRICS bloc gained much more clout in the global economy in January when 4 new strategically important nations officially joined - Iran,
Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia remains non-committal, and Argentina withdrew after the election of Western-leaning President Javier Milei.

BRICS+ has some pretty impressive stats:

- 44% of the world's crude oil production

- 46% of the world's population

- 37.3% of global GDP (based on purchasing power parity)

As the Western-led financial world sanctions itself into oblivion, the future - as Malcolm X said - "belongs to those who prepare for it today."

SOURCES:

https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/docs/

https://firstlinesecurities.com/brics-caribbean-investments/

https://www.rogtecmagazine.com/brics-accounts-for-almost-45-of-global-oil-reserves-after-expansion/

https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPD@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD/CHN/BRA/ZAF/RUS

https://www.kas.de/en/brics-plus

https://www.scmp.com/topics/brics

Continued.....https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/22/russia-hosts-brics-summit-pushes-new-world-order-agenda-to-rival-west.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-to-know-about-the-brics-summit

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-war-ukraine-vladimir-putin-brics-leaders-kazan-rcna176351

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-66525474

ANGOLA ACCUSES M23 OF CEASEFIRE BREACH IN RARE MOVE

Angola has accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of violating a ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which had been in place since early August following mediation efforts by Angola.
A statement issued by the Angolan government condemned the M23's seizure of the town of Kalembe in North Kivu province on Sunday as a "flagrant violation" of the truce.
It warned that this act jeopardises ongoing peace efforts to resolve the conflict in the region, which has been marked by violence between various armed groups.

Continued......On Sunday, fighting broke out between heavily armed M23 rebels and the Wazalendo militia, a government-aligned group, leading to the occupation of Kalembe by M23 forces.
Residents reported that the Wazalendo were pushed out of the town by the M23, but Marcellin Shenkuku, a spokesperson for the Wazalendo, later claimed that the militia regained control.
The involvement of the official Congolese military in the fighting was not confirmed. Clashes between M23 and government-aligned militias are frequent, though rarely addressed in official statements from governments, thus making Angola's statement all the more significant.

North Kivu, rich in minerals such as gold, coltan, and diamonds, has been at the centre of conflict for decades. The M23 has seized significant territory in eastern DRC since launching an offensive in 2021, displacing thousands and worsening the humanitarian crisis. UN figures put the displaced people at around 2.6 million as of the end of September.
The rebel group has also been accused of committing serious war crimes such as rape and forced recruitment of civilians, including children.
Various organisations, including the UN, have accused neighbouring Rwanda of providing M23 with weapons and soldiers.
In July, a report by the UN Security Council's group of experts revealed that between 3000 and 4000 Rwandan soldiers have fought alongside M23 rebels in the DRC.

Source:
News
https://www.barrons.com/news/angola-accuses-m23-of-violating-ceasefire-in-dr-congo-fb3749df

Displaced
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/drc-army-says-it-takes-back-kalembe-from-m23-rebels-deny-4799928

SHOCKING PIERS MORGAN STATEMENTS

British broadcaster Piers Morgan has made a name for himself for his combative interviewing style and controversial remarks on his show. He's hosted numerous guests and debated over some of the world's high-wattage talking points- such as Israel's ongoing military onslaught on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war, among other topics.
We zero in on three of his most outrageous statements recently- on the debunked beheaded babies story, western hypocrisy on genocide ( western allies are not held to account, apparently), and the casual dismissal of Ukrainian casualties as "good" as long as it helps weaken Russia, even if it means fighting to the last Ukrainian.

Which other shocking remarks by Piers have you come across?

Video credit: Piers Morgan Uncensored

BRICS ALTERNATIVE TO WESTERN HEGEMONY

For centuries, Western powers have held sway over the global political and economic system, often at the expense of the Global South, leading to significant disparities and injustices.
The world's leading financial and political institutions have been under their ambit. This power has been frequently abused to impose unilateral sanctions on governments and countries that have taken policy positions that went against those of the Western powers.
This has led to Global South nations seeking alternative organisations that not only give them a better chance of economic development but also shield them from the bullying tactics of the Global North.
In this clip, Patricia Mantula, CEO of GSQ Media House, a media entity dedicated to amplifying the voices of women in the Global South, argues that BRICS+, an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates offers that alternative.

Continued......Speaking at the ongoing BRICS+ summit in Kazan, Russia, Mantula pointed out that the organisation is marked by diversity and tolerance, a testament to its inclusive nature. By leveraging the global south's resources, BRICS can ensure development worldwide, a departure from decades of Western neo-colonialism.
Have a watch, and let us know what you think.
Video credit: RT

Continued......In 1935, Zambia's history sharply pivoted when thousands of African miners initiated a strike over reduced wages and a colonial 'native tax.' This protest, though short-lived due to a violent crackdown, marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for independence.

However, it was the first form of organised pressure against the colonial government and gave rise to trade unions, which became resistance movements. The most prominent was the Northern Rhodesia African National Congress (NRANC), the political home of anti-colonial leaders such as Godwin Lewanika (1907-77), Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula (1916-83) and Kenneth Kaunda (1924-2021). However, the United National Independence Party (UNIP), which broke away from NRANC in 1959, would lead Zambia to independence in October 1964. Kaunda was UNIP's leader, and the teacher-turned-politician became the country's first president.

Continued.....Zambia was the first liberated country in Southern Africa, allowing it to be a haven for similar movements in neighbouring Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.

We've found some photos of the country's first decade as an independent nation to mark this special day.

Happy 60th anniversary, Zambia!SOURCES:https://www.theelephant.info/reflections/2021/06/19/hamba-kahle-kenneth-david-kaunda-pillar-of-african-liberation-struggles

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-16039411

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/world/africa/kenneth-kaunda-dead.html

https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/black-miners-strike-northern-rhodesian-zambia-copperbelt-1935

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Cecil-Rhodes

https://www.zambiatourism.com/about-zambia/history/british-empire-in-zambia