Continued….. Mali is Africa's third-largest gold producer and aims to increase revenues as gold prices rise. Since ousting Western-aligned leaders in recent years, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprised of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger—has undergone a decolonisation process that includes reclaiming natural resources.

SOURCES

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-issues-arrest-warrant-barrick-gold-ceo-document-shows-2024-12-05/?taid=67520faa555a1b0001ad834f&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/frances-orano-says-it-has-lost-control-uranium-mine-niger-2024-12-04

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-junta-arrests-four-employees-barrick-gold-say-sources-2024-09-27

https://www.miningweekly.com/article/mali-issues-arrest-warrant-for-barrick-gold-ceo-2024-12-06

https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wire/654493

Continued……https://www.barrick.com/English/news/news-details/2024/barrick-confirms-arrest-of-four-malian-employees-reaffirms-commitment-to-resolution-of-disputes/default.aspx

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/four-barrick-gold-employees-face-101705170.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mali-issues-arrest-warrant-barrick-153351282.html

IS LOBITO CORRIDOR A RESOURCE EXTRACTION PATHWAY?

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's visit this past week to the port city of Lobito in Angola has sparked debate on the 1,300-km, US-financed Lobito Corridor. The rail line, which aims to connect Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Angola's Atlantic coast, raises eyebrows.

While some argue the 'partnership' between the three African states, and the US and the EU, will boost their economies, others, like podcast host and Congo activist Hadija (@readingafricana on X), consider it another neo-colonial Western move to syphon African minerals at its people's expense.

Do you agree with Hadija's analysis? Take the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

CHAD CELEBRATES FRENCH DIVORCE

There were festive scenes in Chad, after N’Djamena announced it was ending its ‘outdated’ military pact with France. It’s not quite the severing of ties that we’ve seen elsewhere in the Sahel, with Chad’s foreign minister saying close links would be maintained in other areas - and Paris still being regarded as an ‘essential’ partner; but it’s certainly indicative of which way the wind is blowing. The news in Chad comes as Senegal announced it wanted to close French bases - a trend started by the Sahel Alliance trio of nations.

Sources:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDNUOeRPM5s/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/16/chadians-protest-as-anti-french-sentiments-hit-new-highs-in-sahel

Continued……https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/29/world/europe/france-chad-military-ally.html

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-12-02/chads-deby-says-military-pact-with-france-was-outdated

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7042v17kjqo

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/29/world/europe/france-chad-military-ally.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7042v17kjqo

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/29/world/europe/france-chad-military-ally.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-adopts-new-mining-code-boost-sectors-contribution-gdp-mines-ministry-2023-08-08/

https://mimimefoinfos.com/captain-traore-inaugurates-burkina-fasos-first-locally-funded-factory/

AFRICANS WORLDWIDE RAISE VOICES FOR AFRICAN STREAM

The struggle against censorship and in defence of independent media that serves the interests of the African majority has become a vital part of the Pan-Africanist struggle today. With tech giants YouTube, Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads), Stripe, TikTok and Google banning African Stream, Africans are doing whatever it takes to continue watching our video reports and fighting for our right to continue to inform the public.

In this video, African Stream journalist Inemesit Richardson speaks to Africans from the US, Kenya and Ghana about why they continue to support African Stream despite harsh accusations meted out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said African Stream showcases ‘Kremlin propagandists’ and is ‘secretly run’ by Russian-state TV network RT.

Continued ……But where was his proof for these baseless accusations? When it comes to the world's leading superpower, they can enforce censorship and smear us without ever needing to provide any evidence.

And do the majority of Africans buy into this claim? According to the Africans we interviewed (on X: @tundeosazua of @blacks4peace, @manolo_realengo of @peoplesforumnyc, @bookerbiro of @communistske, @blaisetulo3 of @socialistghana), African Stream represents the perspective of the oppressed, the exploited, and above all, the African working-class.

If you agree with what they had to say or are curious about learning more, you can still follow African Stream on X, Telegram, Rumble, Odysee and Patreon.

Nigerian activist, lawyer and author Dele Farotimi has been arrested by authorities, following a petition filed by prominent lawyer Afe Babalola. The latter alleges Farotimi's book - Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, published last month - defames him, as he is explicitly named as one of the individuals responsible for corrupting the country's judiciary. Babalola says the accusation is baseless and designed to cause 'fear' and 'public disturbances.'

Many Nigerians are angered by the arrest. They see it as an attack on their civil liberties and an attempt to silence those exposing the country's systemic corruption. Nationwide protests are being organised to demand Farotimi's release and his book is reportedly selling out in bookstores across the country.

Continued….. Nigerians are purposefully purchasing the book after it was revealed that Babalola's petition included a request to 'recover all copies of the book,' essentially seeking to ban it across the country. They view both the arrest and the ban request as attempts to silence the truth and intimidate those who speak it.

Sources:

https://gazettengr.com/what-dele-farotimi-wrote-in-his-book-about-how-afe-babalola-corrupted-nigerian-judiciary/

https://gazettengr.com/what-dele-farotimi-wrote-in-his-book-about-how-afe-babalola-corrupted-nigerian-judiciary/

https://hallmarknews.com/dele-farotimi-disappears-after-revealing-afe-babalola-wrote-a-petition-against-him/

https://gazettengr.com/bookstores-run-out-of-dele-farotimis-bombshell-as-nigerians-race-to-read-how-afe-babalola-corrupted-judicial-system-for-decades/

BURKINA FASO'S REVOLUTIONARY POPULAR THEATRE

Political education has come to the stage in Burkina Faso as popular anti-imperialist theatre captures the attention of Ouagadougou's youth. One theatrical production in particular has caught our eye. 'Le Marchand' (or 'The Merchant' in English) is about a pair of characters who denounce German capitalists who come to invest in Africa's Sahel region. The 2023-released play includes flashbacks to different points in time to show how European civilisation has long profited from Africa's exploitation. We sat down with playwright and director Thierry Oueda to understand why he made the play and where he hoped it would go.

German cultural institutions initially funded this play despite it being unapologetically critical of Germany and Western imperialism.

Continued……Unfortunately, Oueda’s plan to obtain further funding to take the play on a tour of West Africa will not come to fruition. Furthermore, he said the funders told him they lost the original recording of the play's opening night.

Nevertheless, residents of Ouagadougou flock to see the play every time it shows because it unambiguously touches on some of the most pertinent questions of our time. The characters boldly make connections between Western imperialism and t*rrorism, even going as far as to ask if the t*rrorism in the Sahel is not really a ‘war between Westerners.’ This play is an expression of utmost love for the Sahel and its people, rooted in the revolutionary values that represent Burkina Faso and its Alliance of Sahel States (AES) neighbours—Mali and Niger—during this historic moment following coups d'état that ousted Western-aligned leaders in these three countries.

Oueda and fans of ‘The Merchant’ still hope that the play can find a source of funding to tour the AES.

To learn more about this play, visit theatresoleil.com or follow Théâtre Soleil on Facebook.

Continued……. Sources:

https://www.orano.group/en/news/news-group/2024/december/orano-confirms-the-loss-of-operational-control-of-somair-in-niger

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/french-nuclear-firm-says-it-has-lost-control-of-uranium-mine-to-nigers-junta/bc3rpcj

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20241024-orano-halts-uranium-output-at-niger-s-arlit-mine-amid-financial-strain

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2023/08/04/how-dependent-is-france-on-niger-s-uranium_6080772_8.html

https://afriquexxi.info/Nigerien-Uranium-at-the-Service-of-France-s-Greatness

https://www.dw.com/en/are-nigers-uranium-supplies-to-france-under-scrutiny/a-66711717

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eliasferrerbreda/2023/08/16/how-important-is-nigers-uranium-for-france

https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/niger

https://www.mining-technology.com/data-insights/uranium-in-kazakhstan/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/21/niger-revokes-french-nuclear-groups-licence-at-major-uranium-mine

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7ve6y735djo

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/frances-orano-warns-financial-problems-niger-uranium-plant-somair-2024-11-15

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20241113-niger-embraces-russia-for-uranium-production-leaving-france-out-in-the-cold

https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/niger-nationalises-its-water-terminates-contract-french-firm-veolia

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/06/24/the-hope-of-the-imouraren-mine-is-gone-and-with-it-a-farewell-to-niger-as-a-contributor-to-a-nuclear-france_6675595_19.html

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/06/24/the-hope-of-the-imouraren-mine-is-gone-and-with-it-a-farewell-to-niger-as-a-contributor-to-a-nuclear-france_6675595_19.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kked7ydqyo

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/niger-revokes-mining-permit-for-imouraren-project

LOOSE CANNON? NIGERIA’S NAVY DRILLS WITH FRANCE

As more African nations sail away from French neocolonialism and chart new, sovereign routes, Nigeria is bucking the trend - choosing to anchor itself ever more closely to Paris. The latest example: joint navy drills in and off Lagos.

Sources:

https://dailypost.ng/2024/11/24/nigerian-navy-launches-exercise-crocodile-lift/

https://leadership.ng/tinubu-embraces-france-in-early-foreign-policy-shift/#google_vignette

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

NIGERIAN JOURNALIST DISMISSES U.K. COURT ORDERS TO PAY $120,000 FINE

Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin dismisses a recent UK order to pay BBC journalist Charlie Northcott £95,000 ($120,000) as damages for libel. Northcott accused Hundeyin of seriously impacting him professionally and personally following accusations that Northcott used his position as the director of a documentary film to obtain sexual favours from Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi.

Hundeyin stands by what he published and sees the lawsuit’s outcome as an exercise in colonialism, asking why UK courts have included West Africa into their jurisdiction. 

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Sources:

Original story
https://westafricaweekly.com/journalism-career-graveyard-the-bbc-and-its-west-africa-problem/