Continued.........Williams was executed on 24 September despite evidence casting doubt on his guilt and opposition from the victim's family. The prosecution allegedly incentivised informants who testified. After dismissing six prospective Black jurors, the almost all-white jury contained only one Black juror. Meanwhile, DNA evidence on the murder weapon did not match Williams.

Legal efforts to commute his sentence were unsuccessful, with the Missouri Supreme Court rejecting a motion for life without parole, and the US Supreme Court declining to intervene. His case aligns with broader systemic disparities, as a 2022 report by the National Registry of Exonerations found Black people are significantly more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder in the US.

What would the reaction from the West be if an African president granted his son a pardon? Does the difference in how Marcellus Williams and Hunter Biden have been treated relate to proximity to power? Let us know what you think.

Continued.......Sources:

Hunter pardoned

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/president-biden-pardons-his-son-hunter-biden/ar-AA1v5xZv 

Marcellus Executed

https://innocenceproject.org/who-is-marcellus-williams-man-facing-execution-in-missouri-despite-dna-evidence-supporting-innocence/ 

Black people more likely to be wrongfully convicted

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/report-black-people-7-5-times-more-likely-to-be-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder-than-whites-risk-even-greater-if-victim-was-white

21ST-CENTURY SLAVERY IN THE U.S.

In 1865, the United States formally abolished slavery through a constitutional amendment—but with a significant exception: Forced labour could still be used as punishment for a crime. This loophole has perpetuated a system where, though the whips may be gone, a different form of coercion endures, enforced through the legal and carceral systems.

Inmates, many of whom are disproportionately Black, find themselves trapped in a cycle where they serve the state or private companies under conditions that resemble the very institution slavery was meant to abolish. Major corporations like McDonald's and Wendy's, as well as various government agencies, benefit from the low-cost labour pool.

This arrangement is particularly glaring in Alabama, where 10 predominately Black formerly incarcerated men and women filed in December 2023 a class-action lawsuit in federal court over forced labour.

Continued.......Black people make up 38 per cent of incarcerated people despite representing only 12 per cent of the US population. In Alabama, Black people make up 26 per cent of the population while comprising 53.8 per cent of the prison population.

In 2023 alone, one estimate claimed Alabama generated $450 million from prison labour, while inmates working grueling hours often see only a fraction of their earnings.

Alabama's parole practices further reveal how the system ensures a steady supply of prison labour. Though parole board guidelines suggest that 80 per cent of cases should be granted, the state’s actual approval rate is a mere 10 per cent. Some see this discrepancy as a deliberate tactic to maintain a captive labour force, even when some prisoners are deemed safe to reintegrate into the community.

For those behind bars, the pressure to comply with labour demands is immense. Refusal can mean losing any hope of reconnecting with family or securing freedom or being forced to do more labour in prison for free.

Video credit: @moreperfectUS (X)

Sources:
https://x.com/i/status/1832800561382539551

13th amendment and slavery
https://medium.com/fourth-wave/slavery-was-never-abolished-8816e1a8de98

Corporations profiteer of Black prison labour
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/14/1219187249/prisoners-are-suing-alabama-over-forced-labor-calling-it-a-form-of-slavery

Alabama lawsuit
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/14/1219187249/prisoners-are-suing-alabama-over-forced-labor-calling-it-a-form-of-slavery

Alabama prison labour earnings
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/14/1219187249/prisoners-are-suing-alabama-over-forced-labor-calling-it-a-form-of-slavery

Alabama’s problematic parole approval ratings
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1217710630/prison-parole-alabama-redemption-earned-prisoners-release

Consequences of refusal to work
https://x.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1832800561382539551 (5:37 - 5:55)

Black overrepresentation in prison
https://www.science.org/content/article/pandemic-may-have-been-setback-racial-makeup-u-s-prisons

AFRICAN HEROES MASSACRED BY FRANCE

Sunday, 1 December, marked the 80th anniversary of the brutal massacre of African soldiers at the French colonial military camp of Thiaroye, Senegal. The soldiers were African men of various ages who had been connoscripted and forced to serve in France's colonial army. They hailed from all over French colonial West and Central Africa and were collectively referred to as the Senegalese Tirailleurs - or sharpshooters.

These African men had just returned from Europe, where they had served on the frontlines of World War II in order to defend France from the spread of Nazism. Upon their return to Africa, they were sent to the Thiaroye camp to receive their wages and then return home to the various parts of the continent from which they came. However, this time round, their wages were delayed - and when they dared to protest about this, the French colonisers opened fire on them, murdering up to 400 African soldiers who’d served them in their own army.

Continued.......On this anniversary, for the first time, a French president, Emmanuel Macron, has officially recognised that this massacre occurred - in a letter to the Senegalese president. Perhaps the reason for the change of tune is that countries across Africa are expelling French troops, and France is scrambling to save its image before a revolting population. However, recognition of this historical atrocity is not enough. Africans in former French colonies are calling for the full removal of all French military forces, an end to the neo-colonial CFA franc currency and the closure or nationalisation of the many French-based multinational corporations that have taken over the local economies of the region.

"Time to leave" - Senegal to France

Senegal, under the leadership of 44-year-old President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has joined the anti-French wave sweeping across Francophone countries in West Africa. Elected in March on a radical pan-Africanist agenda, Faye has boldly called for the closure of French military bases in the former colony, which gained independence in 1960. He asserts that the presence of French troops on Senegalese soil is incompatible with the nation's sovereignty. Faye has made it clear that Dakar is not seeking a rupture with Paris but is redefining relations to ensure they are based on mutual respect and cooperation, free from any military presence. Currently, about 350 French military personnel operate out of two bases in the capital.

Continued….. Faye cited the example of Senegal's bilateral ties with China, its biggest trading partner: Beijing has no military bases in the West African country.

Faye's decision coincided with the 80th anniversary of a colonial massacre committed on 1st December 1944 by French troops at the Thiaroye military camp near Dakar. Around 1,600 ‘Tirailleurs Sénégalais’ - a corp of African soldiers who had fought for France in World War II - went up to the military camp to demand delayed wages. French troops reportedly opened fire on the unarmed men, killing nearly 400, according to some historians.

Do you agree that the best way to honour the memory of the 'Tirailleurs Sénégalais' is by gaining total independence from France?

Sources:

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20241129-senegal-s-leader-says-france-should-close-all-army-bases-in-country

https://www.newarab.com/news/senegal-leader-calls-france-close-military-bases

https://english.news.cn/20241129/698175acadee400d9d4fc18526de2b19/c.html

Continued….. https://diplomaticwatch.com/end-of-an-era-senegal-closes-french-military-bases/

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/senegal-follows-chad--seeks-to-end-french-military-presence

https://tass.com/world/1879807
https://apnews.com/article/senegal-france-thiaroye-colonial-massacre-tirailleurs-76db7190dcbc12349ff0d6ade82309b3

BURKINA FASO'S QUEST FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Burkina Faso's revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara (1949-87) once said, ‘He who feeds you, controls you.’ Throughout the revolution he led, Sankara placed great emphasis on food sovereignty and local production. Today, Burkina Faso's new Pan-African president, Ibrahim Traoré, does the same.

Through a new people’s investment programme, Burkina Faso allows Burkinabé people to invest in entrepreneurial projects to play a direct role in the country's development. Despite growing tomatoes locally, most Burkinabé purchase imported tomato paste from other countries to use in various local recipes. However, through this programme, Burkina Faso was able to open a new tomato paste factory on 30 November in the city of Bobo Dioulasso. 

Continued….. In this same vein, @capitaineib226 (X) also gifted Burkinabé farmers with 20 new optical rice sorters valued at $300,000 to advance local rice production by as much as 3 tonnes per hour per certain machines. Rice is a staple, yet Asian countries export most of the rice Burkinabé people eat. Now, Burkina Faso can increase local rice production for consumption and export.

The government has called on both residents of the country and the diaspora worldwide to donate to the people’s investment programme to support these government-led entrepreneurial activities. For more information, visit apec.bf

Video credit: @mamon45051 (X)

TRUMP THREATENS BRICS

Member-states of the economic alliance known as BRICS resolved at their October summit to do business in their currencies over the globally imposed US dollar. However, that didn't stop US President-elect Donald Trump from warning against it. In a 30 November post on X (previously Twitter), Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs on all imports into the US market from BRICS member states should they move away from the 'mighty US dollar.'

BRICS is an acronym for the economic alliance that initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In October, it welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS countries now represent 25 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to the United States’ 26 per cent. 

Do you think Trump’s threat will deter BRICS members? Take the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Continued…..

Sources:

https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1863009545858998512

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/despite-no-brics-currency-plan-donald-trump-issues-threat/articleshow/115874312.cms?from=mdr

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/brics-summit-emerging-middle-powers-g7-g20?lang=en

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-brics-group-and-why-it-expanding

https://infobrics.org/post/40089

https://bricsri.co.za/summit-resolutions

NIGERIANS SAY FRANCE ARMING BOKO HARAM

Last week, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was on a three-day state visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron. Following the visit, they both shared heartfelt messages - a mix of French, Pidgin and English - on X, expressing appreciation for their growing bond and strengthening ties. Yet, Macron and his government have been accused of sponsoring the notorious terrorist group Boko Haram, which is active in Northern Nigeria. Are these concerns that Tinubu touched on during his state visit?

This resurfaced clip is from a December 2019 protest outside the French Embassy in Abuja, organised by the Movement Against Slavery and Terrorism (MAST). MAST accused the French government of arming Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) militia, particularly to exploit economic resources in the Lake Chad Basin region.

Continued……. Although Nigeria is not a former French colony, MAST alleges that President Macron's administration is destabilising the nation, along with other African nations in the region, as part of a broader attempt at what they call recolonisation.

In her speech, Princess Ajibola, the leader of MAST, asserted that France exploits its former colonies under the colonial pact and redirects the funds from this exploitation to sponsor terrorist activities across Africa. MAST called for accountability for Macron and his government, but their concerns have yet to receive any meaningful response.

Video credit: @Choice TV Africa (YouTube)

Sources:

https://www.thecable.ng/is-france-truly-the-face-of-boko-haram/

https://thenationonlineng.net/boko-haram-stop-sponsoring-terrorism-in-africa-protesters-tell-macron/#google_vignette

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/12/group-accuses-france-of-sponsoring-terrorism/#google_vignette

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwkSee39d18

https://x.com/officialABAT/status/1862203486051467735

https://www.dw.com/en/frances-macron-hosts-nigerias-tinubu-for-talks-in-paris/a-70913942

Continued........The Lobito Corridor is also touted as Biden's legacy in Africa. It’s unclear what Trump's victory in the presidential election means for the project. Some, worried by Trump's racist disparaging of all things African, fear he'll pull the plug on the investment. But others think his rivalry with China (which is outcompeting the West - and Washington in particular - with its heavy investment into Africa) means the project is likely safe.

What do you think Trump’s plans for Africa are?

Sources;

https://edition.cnn.com/world/africa/angola-lobito-corridor-railway-impact-spc/index.html

https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/connecting-democratic-republic-congo-zambia-and-angola-global-markets-through-lobito-corridor_en#:~:text=the%20Lobito%20Corridor-,Connecting%20the%20Democratic%20Republic%20of%20the%20Congo%2C%20Zambia%2C%20and%20Angola,through%20investments%20and%20soft%20measures.

Continued......https://www.voanews.com/a/key-chinese-belt-and-road-projects-underway-in-africa/7767507.html

https://www.ustda.gov/business_opp_oversea/zambia-lobito-railway-environmental-and-social-impact-assessment/

https://www.dfc.gov/sites/default/files/media/documents/BDR%2824%2931%20Lobito%20Atlantic%20Railway%20S.A.pdf

https://railmarket.com/news/freight-rail/6816-lobito-atlantic-railway-begins-operations-on-angola-s-key-rail-corridor

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/13/fact-sheet-partnership-for-global-infrastructure-and-investment-at-the-g7-summit-2/

https://www.dfc.gov/media/press-releases/dfc-announces-new-us-financing-africas-lobito-corridor

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241203-biden-kicks-off-two-day-angola-visit