'WE WANT TO GO HOME' - DRC REFUGEE

This refugee’s cry for help shows the human cost of foreign powers destabilising the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a nearly three-decade conflict over natural resources. She is one of 6.9-million people pushed off their land and forced to live in tent camps.

The DRC’s estimated $24 trillion in mineral wealth has not benefitted its people. Instead, more than 100 armed groups control the mines.

Continued……. This arrangement has upended the lives of millions, but guaranteed the supply of crucial minerals, like cobalt and coltan, to the Western tech sector. Firms like Apple and Google have been accused of profiteering from child labour, but a recent lawsuit failed in a US court.

UN experts have accused regional actors Uganda and Rwanda of fuelling the fire through their support of rebel groups like M23. Despite an August ceasefire, M23 has been accused of going on an offensive in October. The group now controls about 70 per cent of North Kivu province in eastern DRC, and it reportedly brings in an estimated $300,000 a month from taxes on coltan production.

Credit: @pappyorion (TikTok)

Sources
Congolese resources controlled by militias
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/a-guide-to-the-decades-long-conflict-in-dr-congo

Western tech firms profiteer off blood minerals
https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphones-congo-blood-minerals-b1f20aa7bd3a3f4f8cf7fcde19c6f053

Rwanda Uganda back M23
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c134kgdpd6do

M23 controls 70% of N. Kivu
https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/m23-rebels-expand-control-in-eastern-dr-congos-mineral-rich-north-kivu-province-6a1cc8fc

Estimated earnings from Cobalt
https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/m23-rebels-expand-control-in-eastern-dr-congos-mineral-rich-north-kivu-province-6a1cc8fc

Lawsuit
https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-court-absolves-top-tech-companies-congos-child/story?id=107839639

Mineral wealth
https://gsphub.eu/country-info/Democratic%20Republic%20of%20Congo

Displacement figure
https://www.iom.int/news/record-high-displacement-drc-nearly-7-million

More than 100 groups control mines
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/m23-rebels-seize-key-smartphone-mineral-mining-town-in-eastern-congo

More journalists have been k*lled in the last two years than during any other time since media monitoring organisations first began gathering data.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that, on average, one journalist was killed every four days in the line of duty between 2022-23. The latest escalation of Israel's 76-year occupation of Palestine has k*lled 137 media workers in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon.

UNESCO reports 85 per cent of cases globally remain unsolved, with no perpetrators held to account. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it is investigating cases in which Israeli forces' specifically targeted' at least five journalists and 'deliberately targeted' at least 10 others. 

Continued……Apart from physical elimination, governments have muzzled many journalists through censorship and Internet bans. Tech giants shutting African Stream's accounts following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claiming on false grounds that we are 'secretly run' by Russian-state TV network RT and that we showcase 'Kremlin propagandists' stands as an example.

Despite the challenges, African Stream and all truth-seekers across the globe continue to speak out. No one will silence us.

SOURCES:

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/85-journalist-killings-remain-unpunished-worldwide-unesco-report#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20new%20UNESCO,4%20points%20in%20six%20years.&text=In%202022%20and%202023%2C%20a,ever%20be%20held%20to%20account.

https://cpj.org/2024/10/one-year-and-climbing-israel-responsible-for-record-journalist-death-toll/

https://cpj.org/data/killed/all/?status=Killed&motiveConfirmed%5B%5D=Confirmed&type%5B%5D=Journalist&type%5B%5D=Media%20Worker&cc_fips%5B%5D=IS&cc_fips%5B%5D=LE&start_year=2023&end_year=2024&group_by=year

https://ifex.org/statement-on-the-targeting-and-killing-of-journalists-in-palestine-and-lebanon/

https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/10/28/gazas-journalists-defiant-in-face-of-israeli-targeting/

https://rsf.org/en/2024-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-under-political-pressure

SUDAN WOMEN MASS SUICIDE TO ESCAPE SEXUAL VIOLENCE

According to Niemat Ahmadi, President of the Darfur Women Action Group, over 130 women in Sudan’s Al Jazirah region have tragically committed suicide to escape the relentless sexual violence inflicted upon them. This violence has predominantly been perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary amid the ongoing civil war in Sudan. It follows numerous accusations against the RSF for various atrocities and human-rights violations, including gang rapes.

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released in July highlighted the alarming extent of sexual crimes against Sudanese women and children. The report identified the RSF as the main perpetrators but also implicated Sudan’s Army in carrying out attacks. The HRW findings indicate that victims ranged in age from nine to 60 years old, with some succumbing to their injuries.

Continued……. More than 18 months into this brutal struggle for power between the army and the RSF, it is estimated that at least 20,000 people have been killed and over 13-million individuals displaced. However, Tom Perriello, the US special envoy to Sudan, acknowledged the difficulties in estimating casualties and suggested that the real death toll could be as high as 150,000.

Sources:


https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/28/sudan-widespread-sexual-violence-capital

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xpqvz0e88o

https://www.trtworld.com/africa/sudan-war-has-killed-at-least-20000-people-un-18205188

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/african-news/sudans-civil-war-has-left-at-least-62000-dead-by-our-estimate-%E2%88%92-but-the-true-figure-could-be-far-higher/

SUDAN’S WAR MAP: SUDAN ARMED FORCES (SAF) VS RAPID SUPPORT FORCES (RSF)

Sudan’s grim civil war is grinding on, with significant military activity in three areas: El Fasher (North Darfur’s capital), Khartoum Bahri (in Khartoum State ) and Ed Dueim (on the west bank of the White Nile, between Khartoum and Kosti).

Three weeks ago, in eastern Gezira, the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary carried out ethnically-motivated revenge attacks on civilians after one of their military commanders, Abu Aqla Kakil, defected to the Sudanese army. There have also been reports of the RSF poisoning detainees’ food amid shortages.

Over 20,000 people have been confirmed killed in the war since hostilities broke out in April 2023. Earlier this year, the US special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, suggested this could be a gross underestimation - saying the real death toll (even back then) could be as high as 150,000.

Continued……The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN says that 26-million people are in acute hunger, warning that 100 Sudanese civilians will die from starvation each day if the war is not halted and humanitarian access is both granted by the warring parties and funded by the international community.

The map below, based on the most recently available data, indicates the current areas of control for the Sudanese army and the RSF.

SOURCES:

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-situation-update-rsf-marches-sennar-and-west-kordofan-july-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-rsf-sets-its-eyes-north-darfur-situation-update-april-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-rsf-sets-its-eyes-north-darfur-situation-update-april-2024

https://acleddata.com/2024/10/14/turning-the-tide-the-safs-strategic-offensive-in-khartoum-and-the-rsfs-setbacks-sudan-october-2024/

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2024/10/23/news/politics/rsf-retaliatory-attacks-in-eastern-gezira-following-commanders-defection-to-military-diplomatic-source-ambassador-to-uae-dismissed/

https://sudanwarmonitor.com/p/map-of-the-areas-of-control-in-sudan-0f3

https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15784.doc.htm

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/african-news/sudans-civil-war-has-left-at-least-62000-dead-by-our-estimate

CORRECTION: ‘TRUMP TO PAY REPARATIONS TO WHITE STUDENTS OVER DEI?’

On 13 November, African Stream shared a story on US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to challenge Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) measures at US universities under the noscript above.

Although we noted that the clip we shared was undated, we also mentioned that Trump's announcement came slightly more than a year after the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action at universities.

Upon further investigation, we discovered Trump may have initially outlined his plans on 2 May 2023, according to the Forbes Breaking News YouTube channel, dating his announcement before the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in June 2023.

Continued……While what Trump said deserves to be critiqued, when he said it is crucial context for this story. For that reason, we have deleted the story on all our platforms and we will republish the video with updated context.

African Stream is committed to upholding the highest journalistic integrity and accuracy standards, providing our audience with reliable and accurate information. As such, we remain equally uncompromising on transparency and would like to apologise for this error and any confusion it may have caused.

SOURCE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW_wnSP7dAA

NIGERIAN UK OPPOSITION LEADER: ‘BE GRATEFUL BRITAIN
ENDED SLAVERY!’

According to the UK’s newly-elected opposition leader, we should be grateful that Britain ended slavery - and should stop moaning about the past. Remarkably, Kemi Badenoch is also of Nigerian descent. In this clip, she goes as far as to allege that those seeking reparations are simply being manipulative.

OK, let’s just ignore the fact that the UK gave itself a 400-year developmental headstart by building up its economy on the back of the barbaric exploitation of African people.

Abolition-proud Britain didn’t give up its African colonies until much later, and colonialism is another form of enslavement. Zimbabwe for instance, wasn’t ‘free’ until 1980 (the year of Badenoch’s birth), but even after independence, the UK sanctioned the African nation to high heaven as soon as it tried to assert sovereignty with land reforms that would have seen territories stolen by the Brits returned to Africans.

Continued……After colonialism, neo-colonialism: London has exploited its economic power to further control African nations and keep them impoverished - for example, though predatory lending via the IMF and World Bank (institutions it played a key role in shaping).

The UK has no statute of limitations on serious crimes. Does Badenoch, who has vowed to uphold the law, really think the unspeakable suffering inflicted on Africans by the British - with negative consequences felt by millions of Black people to this day - was just a misdemeanour that can simply be brushed off?

Video Credit: GB News

On 12 November, the United States imposed a 30-day ban on US airlines flying below 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) above Haiti after bullets hit three US airlines on 11 November in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on the same day Haiti’s transitional council swore in a new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aime.

All flights reached their destinations safely despite sustaining damage from bullets.

The Caribbean country has endured a long history of foreign interventions since becoming the world's first Black republic in 1804 by overthrowing French enslavers. Years of economic and political problems, often instigated by Washington, have destabilised the country. Over the years, scenes have shown thousands of people protesting in the streets over foreign interference. In October 2023, the UN Security Council agreed to authorise a Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti led by Kenya and financed mainly with a promise of up to $300 million by the United States.

Continued….. An initial batch of 400 Kenyan police officers landed in Haiti in June, while 600 are due to join in November 2024.

As the aeroplane incident starkly illustrates, Haiti's problems, which have deep historical roots, cannot be resolved by pouring more money and guns into the fire of colonial misdeeds. What is needed are comprehensive, long-term solutions democratically generated by the Haitian people.

Sources:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/11/americas/haiti-spirit-airlines-jetblue-intl-latam/index.html

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20241031-murder-rate-in-haiti-spikes-with-over-1200-killed-in-three-months

https://issafrica.org/iss-today/will-the-kenyan-led-police-mission-in-haiti-be-replaced

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/kenya-send-more-police-haiti-after-new-gang-attacks-2024-10-11

https://www.semafor.com/article/11/11/2024/kenya-is-racing-to-transition-its-haiti-force-as-white-house-changes-loom

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/americas/haiti-us-blinken-security-mission-intl-latam/index.html

https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15432.doc.htm

TRUMP’S AG PICK CALLED FOR
NIGER INVASION!

Remember how US Republican Matt Gaetz openly called for an invasion of Niger on the floor of the US House of Representatives? Well, President-elect Donald Trump has just nominated him for the position of US Attorney General.

Gaetz, who joins a list of controversial picks for key roles in the next administration, was furious about the anti-imperialist revolution that swept Niger, beginning with the coup of 27 July 2023, which brought General Abdourahamane Tchiani to power.

In a rant most likely fuelled by the Tchiani administration's decision to expel US troops from the Sahel country, Gaetz described the Nigerien government as "third-world thugs."

Video credit: C-Spa

TINUBU DROPS TREASON CHARGES ON KIDS

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration has dropped charges on dozens of protesters, including children as young as 14, detained after participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests against the rising cost of living after Tinubu followed the International Monetary Fund’s advice.

Following viral videos of four children collapsing in court on 1 November, Tinubu ordered all detained children’s release on 5 November and called for an investigation into the conduct of police and officials involved. 

The children were among nearly 700 individuals detained, with some charged with treason and inciting a coup, among other charges, because authorities allegedly saw them flying Russian flags.

Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4lzqe79x3o

https://trtafrika.com/africa/nigeria-frees-29-children-charged-with-treason-after-outcry-18228871

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-charges-76-including-minors-with-treason-after-august-protests-2024-11-01

THE MAN BEHIND AFRICA'S PARTITION

140 years ago today, on the 15th of November 1884, European powers came together and carved up Africa with not a single African in the room in what's called the Berlin Conference. This was the brainchild of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and his thirst for German colonies in Africa led to a catastrophic tragedy. The Conference sparked the scramble for Africa among European powers. Participants drew arbitrary borders, disregarding cultural and political groups, causing disruption and conflicts. The result was the exploitation of Africa's resources by colonial powers. Bismarck's actions had devastating consequences for the African continent.

IS RWANDA MOVING OUT OF THE WEST’S ORBIT?

Western foreign policy has increasingly focused on isolating countries like Russia and China.

In contrast, Rwanda, one of Washington's key partners in Africa, appears to be strengthening ties with Russia. During the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum on 9-10 November in Sochi, Russia, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier JP Nduhungirehe said deeper cooperation with Russia aligns with Rwanda's strategy to achieve economic self-reliance through trade and investment over foreign aid. He said areas of possible cooperation include agriculture and civil security. 

The partnership between Rwanda and Russia has already produced a 2019 accord that involves sending Rwandan students to Russia to study nuclear sciences. Rwanda also works with Russia's atomic agency, ROSATOM, to build a nuclear power plant. The two countries have implemented a visa-free arrangement for diplomatic and official passport holders. 

Continued….. Let us know what you think this development means for Kigali, Moscow and Washington.

Sources
West isolating Russia to their detriment
https://www.ft.com/content/60e42ac2-03d8-4faf-ad88-9f92982420f5
https://fortune.com/europe/2024/04/11/germany-pay-reliance-russian-gas-power-chief-significant-structural-demand-destruction-energy-crisis/

News
https://www.rt.com/africa/607470-russia-help-rwanda-achieve-self-reliance/

Agreements
https://www.rt.com/africa/607470-russia-help-rwanda-achieve-self-reliance/

ROSATOM to build nuclear plant
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20241014/rwanda-partners-russias-rosatom-to-build-nuclear-power-plant--1068679412.html

Summit
https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1980737

BERLIN CONFERENCE: CARVING UP AFRICA

140 years ago, European powers redrew the map of Africa and kick-started an era of colonisation and resource exploitation - at what is known as the Berlin Conference. We break down how this occurred, who the main players were and its negative legacy and effects on the continent.

KWAME TURE BLASTS AFRICAN BOURGEOISIE

On this day in 1998, Pan-African revolutionary and icon Kwame Ture died in Guinea, Conakry. Born on 29 June 1941, Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, moved to the United States from Trinidad with his family at 11. He led a life marked by a strong dedication to the Pan-African cause. In his mid-20s, he became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which primarily focused on organising and mobilising Black people in the US South to exercise their voting rights. He later oversaw SNCC members who co-founded the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, an SNCC affiliate focused on registering Black voters in Lowndes County, Alabama. Ture was at the forefront of this struggle throughout the 1960s, from the Freedom Rides (challenging segregation at bus stops) to the rise of the Black Power Movement. He later helped found the All-African People's Revolutionary Party.