Continued……Some sources say the Haitian bourgeoisie funds gang vi*lence.

In January 2024, the Kenyan High Court ruled the mission unconstitutional. Nevertheless, on 1 March 2024, Ruto and then-Haitian Interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry signed a ‘reciprocal agreement’ that authorised the deployment.

Critics have cited the historical interference of the US, France, Britain and Canada in Haiti’s affairs since it ousted French enslavers, becoming the first Black republic in 1804. Past peacekeeping efforts in Haiti have resulted in more harm than good. For instance, a cholera outbreak in 2010, linked to UN Nepalese peacekeepers, led to the deaths of up to 30,000 Haitians after they contaminated the Artibonite River.

After winning independence, Haiti fought to maintain its sovereignty against foreign interference. In 1825, France imposed a staggering indemnity of 150 million francs ($90 million in unadjusted terms) on Haiti as compensation for the loss of the colony. This payment hindered the country’s development. (For perspective, the US acquired France’s Louisiana Territory in 1803 for just $15 million.)

Additionally, from 1915 to 1934, the US invaded and occupied Haiti. Then it backed the overthrow of democratically-elected Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in 1991 and again in 2004.

Kenyans opposed to deployment have remarked on their country’s insecurity problem with bandits, abductions and alleged extrajudicial k*llings. Given that, how can the East African state succeed in pacifying Haiti?

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68090488

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/01/haiti-police-officers

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/1/kenya-haiti-sign-reciprocal-agreement-on-police-deployment-ruto

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158781

https://www.nationalpolice.go.ke/arrival-third-contingent-kenyan-police-officers-haiti-mission

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2024/02/02/kenya-haiti-leaders-force-police-mission-despite-court-ruling

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/dec/01/haiti-cholera-outbreak-stain-on-reputation-un-says

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/noscript-list-alphabetically/u/us-occupation-of-haiti-1915-1934.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/05/1042518732/-the-greatest-heist-in-history-how-haiti-was-forced-to-pay-reparations-for-freed

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/louisiana-purchase-bargain-came-great-human-cost

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/us-haiti-coup

https://marxist.com/the-gangs-of-haiti-and-the-failure-of-bourgeois-rule.htm

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/26/americas/kenyan-police-haiti-delayed-pay-intl-latam/index.html

A Statista report has revealed that Kenyan President William Ruto has the highest salary among world leaders compared to his country's economic capacity. According to the report, Ruto's income is nearly 2,000 per cent of Kenya's per capita GDP (based on purchasing power parity), which is only $6,300. This makes his pay not only disproportionate to Kenya's economic output but also one of the most controversial, considering Kenya's financial struggles. While heads of state from economic superpowers may report higher salaries, Ruto's pay is significantly high given Kenya's per capita GDP in 2023.

Continued……In June 2023, Kenya’s Salaries and Remuneration Commission increased Ruto's monthly salary from $11,148 (KES 1,443,750) to $12,741 (KES 1,650,000). The commission justified the 14 per cent raise to attract skilled Kenyans to public service. However, this increase came at a time when nearly 33 per cent of Kenyans were living below the poverty line, and the country's youth unemployment rate hovered around 13.5 per cent.

This report followed 2024’s nationwide anti-government protests, during which dissatisfied Kenyans demonstrated against the introduction of a controversial International Monetary Fund-backed finance bill that required tax hikes in a country riddled by foreign debt and a cost-of-living crisis.

Beyond the president's salary, the financial burden of Kenya's bloated public sector further compounds public frustration. Government officials and parliamentarians are among the highest-paid globally, with Kenyan MPs earning a salary of approximately $65,000 annually, 10 times the country’s per capita GDP. This has sparked long-standing criticism, as public funds are being directed toward elite privileges while basic services, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, remain underfunded.

Sources:

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/national/87069/ruto-ranked-highest-paid-world-leader-by-gdp-ratio-report

https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/105984-william-ruto-ranks-first-best-paid-world-leaders-capita-gdp

https://www.statista.com/chart/3350/pay-levels-of-world-leaders-in-perspective

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2024-07-16-gen-z-revolt-now-turns-to-mps-hefty-salaries-allowances

https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2023/09/12/understand-the-impact-of-poverty-on-kenyan-society-unveiling-the-struggles-faced-by-vulnerable-communities

BIDEN PARDONS MARCUS GARVEY 102 YEARS LATER

On his last day in office, US President Joe Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey, 102 years after his controversial conviction on dubious mail fraud charges. The pardon follows years of advocacy by civil-rights groups and lawmakers seeking to honour the Jamaican-born leader, who championed pan-Africanism and the liberation of African people.

Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was targeted by the FBI, which saw Black activism as a national security threat, leading to his imprisonment.

While the pardon acknowledges a miscarriage of justice, many see it as mere tokenism. Other figures, such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Assata Shakur, remain entangled in the US justice system.

The pardon also fails to go far enough: an exoneration would be more apt, as it would declare his innocence, rather than simply forgiving a conviction.

Continued……. Garvey’s legacy endures. His teachings inspired leaders such as Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, and Malcolm X, who credited him with initiating America’s freedom movements. The Rastafarian movement revered Garvey for his prophecy tied to Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, while the pan-African flag - his creation - symbolises the blood, skin and soil of Africa. Garvey died at just 52, yet his impact resonates generations after. For Africans, Garvey’s greatness needs no external validation.

NATIONWIDE CURFEW IN SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan has imposed a dusk-to-dawn nationwide curfew after revenge attacks killed 16 Sudanese nationals. The violence erupted in the capital Juba and other towns after videos emerged, allegedly showing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Al Jazira harassing and killing South Sudanese citizens. According to reports three Sudanese people were killed in Central Equatoria state, nine in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, three in Western Bahr el-Ghazal and one in Upper Nile.

South Sudan is home to many Sudanese refugees who fled the proxy war being fought in their country. South Sudanese president Salva Kiir has urged his citizens to refrain from violence, while also demanding accountability from Khartoum.

The African Union has also called on Sudan’s government to investigate and bring the perpetrators of the killings of South Sudanese to justice, sending condolences to the victims’ families.

Continued……. Sources:

https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20250118/auc-chairperson-strongly-condemns-brutal-killings-south-sudanese-civilians

https://www.newarab.com/news/south-sudan-imposes-curfew-after-looting-sudanese-shops

https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/juba-summons-sudan-envoy-over-wad-madani-atrocities

https://sudantribune.com/article296100/#google_vignette

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/10/airstrike-north-darfur-market-kills-people-sudan

https://www.barrons.com/news/sudan-army-denies-involvement-in-al-jazira-state-civilian-assaults-8c38dc92?refsec=topics_afp-news

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudanese-army-says-advancing-key-rsf-held-capital-al-jazira-state

https://x.com/african_stream/status/1869404365674467526?s=46

HOW ISRAEL COST KAMALA HARRIS THE U.S. PRESIDENCY

A recent YouGov poll showed that 29 per cent of people who voted for US President Joe Biden in 2020 said the number one reason for not voting for Vice President Kamala Harris was her refusal to break from Biden’s policy on Gaza. 

Further, 20 per cent of voters in states that swung from Biden in 2020 to Donald Trump in 2024 said they would have voted for Harris if she hadn’t expressed unconditional support for Israel.

Following Donald Trump’s victory on 5 November, Democrats blamed people who voted for independent parties. However, vote tallies show that these parties garnered too few votes to affect either Harris or Trump.

Continued….. Trump is likely to be as pro-Israel, if not worse, than Biden-Harris and has already made some disturbing remarks, although he did manage to get a ceasefire before his inauguration. Let’s not forget that during his first term, he recognised Occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city and the Syrian-occupied Golen Heights as part of Israel. But the difference, is that Republican Trump supporters, by and large, couldn’t give a toss about Palestine, while traditional Democratic voters do. That’s why Harris and Biden’s complete capitulation to Netanyahu and the Israeli regime cost them votes.

What do you think?

Sources:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/harris-gaza

Continued…….. The FBI ran an extensive campaign, including surveillance, wiretaps and listening devices in King’s hotel rooms. King accused the FBI of attempting blackmail through an anonymous letter, along with a tape of his alleged infidelities, suggesting he should commit su*cide to avoid public embarrassment. The FBI leaked information about King’s personal life to the media and attempted to turn public opinion against him. However, the press at the time largely refused to publish such details.

The King family and others have argued that James Earl Ray (1928-98) was used as a scapegoat for King’s assassination, which they say involved a broader conspiracy including the US government, the mafia and Memphis police. In 1999, a Memphis jury in a civil trial found local, state and federal governments liable for King’s death.

So are we really supposed to forget all this and just be grateful that the FBI had a change of heart and is now commemorating King?

Let us know in the comments.

Sources
FBI post
https://x.com/FBI/status/1881371223075995958

J Edgar Hoover: Garvey, Malcolm, Hampton
https://moguldom.com/448109/fact-check-before-malcolm-x-was-murdered-j-edgar-hoover-sent-message-do-something-about-malcolm-x/
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/john-edgar-hoover-the-fbi-director-who-destroyed-civil-rights-groups-using-state-sponsored-terrorism1234
https://truthout.org/articles/new-documents-suggest-j-edgar-hoover-was-involved-in-fred-hamptons-murder

FBI vs King
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/18/956741992/documentary-exposes-how-the-fbi-tried-to-destroy-mlk-with-wiretaps-blackmail

James Earl Ray was scapegoat
https://archive.ph/hK1KK#selection-971.253-971.267