THE U.S. IS THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

For many years, stories about African leaders using their positions to economically empower their relatives or shield them from the law have been a staple in mainstream Western media outlets. These outlets have framed corruption, abuse of office and autocratic tendencies as African phenomena.

However, the last several years have shown that these tendencies are just as prevalent in the West. For example, former US President Joe Biden issued pardons to several family members and political associates hours before he departed the White House on 20 January.

Continued……Not to be outdone, hours into his presidency, Donald Trump also joined the pardon jamboree by offering clemency to the about 1,500 people involved in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol over alleged fraud during the 2020 US presidential election.

In this December 2024 clip from a more extended reaction video on Biden pardoning his son, Hunter, African Stream Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Kaballo explained why the US is the world’s most corrupt country. Let us know your thoughts, too.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r5g5dezk4o

https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-family-trump-white-hous-caee326c4723a4ba6d972f7daf750a0b

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/11/pentagon-fails-7th-audit-in-a-row-eyes-passing-grade-by-2028/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-an-early-biden-crime-bill-created-the-sentencing-disparity-for-crack-and-cocaine-trafficking/2019/07/28/5cbb4c98-9dcf-11e9-85d6-5211733f92c7_story.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58001750

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7l47xrpko

CONGO TO EXECUTE URBAN YOUTH GANGS

Widespread debate broke out across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the world when Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba announced on 5 January that the country would be executing 170 youths involved in gang violence in Kinshasa.

Known as 'Kuluna,’ the youths are held in a special prison in the country’s north. While official reports state that the boys are between the ages of 18 and 35, many worry that some of the gang members are much younger.

African Stream’s Inemesit Richardson spoke to Jacinthe Maarifa, a Goma-based Congolese artist and activist with Action Globale pour l’Inclusion et la Résilience (Global and Inclusive Action for the Development in English, @agir_rdc [X], AGIR RDC [Facebook]), to better understand the debates surrounding capital punishment and the Kuluna gangs.

SELECTIVE ANTI-SEMITISM? ELON MUSK’S N*ZI SALUTE

This comedy skit from @KeyAndPeele (X) has resurfaced to show how Western media, well-known people and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are gaslighting those criticising the latter’s N*zi-like salute at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally on 20 January.

Ironically, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), usually quick to label almost any criticism of the state of Israel as ‘anti-Semitic,’ called for ‘grace’ and excused Musk’s gesture as ‘awkward’ and one made ‘in a moment of enthusiasm.’

Continued…….. ‘Anti-Semitism’ thus seems to be a term weaponised against those who oppose Israel’s 76-year occupation of Palestine. For example, former CNN contributor and commentator @MarcLamontHill’s (X) open support for Palestine led to CNN firing him 24 hours after his 2018 speech at the United Nations. And, recently, eight-time National Basketball League (NBA) All-Star champion @DwightHoward (X) revealed how a ‘free Palestine’ tweet almost got him kicked out of the league.

Video credit: @KeyAndPeele (X)

Sources:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/elon-musk-at-trumps-inauguration-whats-the-history-of-the-nazi-salute

https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-did-the-adl-conclude-that-elon-musk-didnt-give-a-nazi-salute-it-isnt-saying/

https://apnews.com/article/musk-gesture-salute-antisemitism-0070dae53c7a73397b104ae645877535

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-gaza-hamas-celebrities-social-media-comments-cancel-culture-1845966

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/marc-lamont-hill-fired-cnn-after-his-speech-israel-draws-n942151

https://x.com/african_stream/status/1877643072659439980

‘THEY TOOK OUR WEALTH’

On this day in 1979, pan-Africanist singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson died at 77.

During his life, Robeson’s anti-imperialist views put him in the crosshairs of the US government. During the McCarthy era (a period of state repression against individuals holding leftist views), it held him responsible for dissuading Africans in America from participating in imperialist wars and branded him a Communist.

This not only led to Robeson getting blacklisted during the McCarthy era, effectively ending his mainstream success, but the government also denied him the right to travel by refusing to grant him a passport.

Continued……However, all these attacks did little to dampen Robeson’s revolutionary spirit or prevent him from expressing his opinions. In this 1960 clip, Paul Robeson’s wit, intelligence and insights are on full display.

First broadcast on Australian TV, he explains to the host and audience how their country, and the United States too, got its wealth - as well as why he is proud of his African roots, despite institutional attempts to make him ashamed of them.
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WILL RUTO’S PRO-WEST GAMBLE BACKFIRE?

Donald Trump kicks off his second term as US president with an uncertain agenda regarding Africa.

Kenya’s status as a key non-NATO ally hangs in the balance, with rumours swirling around that Trump plans to withdraw the US from the military alliance.

The East African nation’s strong ties with Washington were solidified during William Ruto’s extravagant state visit to the US in May 2024, when former president Joe Biden revealed that Congress would move to officially recognise Kenya as a major non-NATO ally. This shift signified Nairobi’s departure from a 60-year policy of non-alignment, which had allowed it to reap benefits from both Western and Eastern powers.

The African Stream team recently discussed Ruto’s rejection of pan-Africanism in favour of subservience to imperialism in light of the evolving geopolitical landscape in 2025 - here’s an excerpt.

Continued……Sources:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/biden-designates-kenya-as-major-non-nato-ally/3257243

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/world/africa-faces-uncertainty-in-donald-trump-2-0-season-4893236

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-would-happen-us-leaves-nato-trump-2025-1

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/24/major-non-nato-ally-what-does-bidens-new-kenya-pledge-mean

Continued……. In 2022 and 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger pulled out of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, citing the need to regain control over their security from foreign-backed entities. (G5 was set up in 2017 to coordinate anti-terrorism efforts, with an initial grant of €100 million from the European Union.) In 2024, they left ECOWAS and established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with a focus on unified defence, economic and foreign policies.

Commenting on the AES’s latest move, Niger’s defence chief stated, “We are in the same place, we face the same type of threats, especially this threat of criminal groups. We have to join forces.”

Could this inspire other African nations to strengthen their self-reliance?

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/junta-led-sahel-states-ready-joint-force-5000-troops-says-minister-2025-01-22/

https://www.africanews.com/2025/01/22/alliance-of-sahel-states-to-form-5000-troop-military-unit/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/16/mali-niger-and-burkina-faso-establish-sahel-security-alliance

https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/frances-strategic-failure-mali-postcolonial-disutility-force

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2024/09/17/the-alliance-of-sahel-states-implications-challenges-and-prospects-in-west-africa/

https://ecfr.eu/special/sahel_mapping/operation_barkhane

https://www.leidensecurityandglobalaffairs.nl/articles/operation-serval-the-french-intervention-in-mali

ARE ISRAEL & U.S. PLANNING REGIME CHANGE IN ERITREA?

Is Israel manufacturing consent for regime change in Eritrea? In a 16 January article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, author Habtom Ghebrezghiabher argues Asmara poses a threat to Israel and the US due to its warm relations with Iran, China and Russia.

The Haaretz article argues that Asmara is an Iranian proxy used to disrupt the maritime routes used by Israel’s allies, citing the detention of a vessel of Azerbaijan, an Israeli ally. The author argues Eritrea and Yemen effectively grant Iran control over both sides of the southern Red Sea. Iranian vessels using Eritrean territorial waters is another sticking point, with the author taking issue that Eritrea accused Israel of violating Eritrean sovereignty when Tel Aviv attacked an Iranian vessel.

Continued……. Eritrea’s anti-Zi*nist stance has been a headache for Israel. Asmara has consistently voted against Israel at the UN, rejected an Israeli ambassador, opposed Israeli presence in the African Union, downgraded its embassy in Israel, and expressed solidarity with Ansar Allah (colloquially known as the Houthis) attacks against Israeli-linked ships in response to Israeli massacres of Palestinians.

For the US, Eritrea’s China-Russia ties could explain the hostility. China has helped develop Eritrea’s infrastructure, such as in healthcare. Eritrea has also benefited from China cancelling debt and imposing zero tariffs on Eritrean exports to China.

The author also cites Eritrea’s cordial relations with Russia as a point of contention. With Eritrea voting in favour of Russia at the UN during a 2022 vote on withdrawing Russian forces from Ukraine, and recent high-level visits between officials in the two countries, it makes sense why the West would be increasingly hostile. In 2019, negotiations began for Russia to establish a logistic centre in Eritrea to bolster military and logistical capabilities in the Horn of Africa region. Eritrea is also interested in attracting investment, particularly in the face of Western sanctions against the country.

Sources
News, fearmongering Iran
https://archive.ph/SHTZP

Eritrea China ties
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2001/06/18/china-cancels-debt
https://chinaglobalsouth.com/2022/06/07/new-mining-project-in-eritrea-proves-again-china-willing-to-invest-where-others-dare-not/
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202305/16/WS6462ee66a310b6054fad3354.html
https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTE0NTk2NTMyOQ

Eritrea Russia ties
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/06/02/the-strategic-partnership-between-eritrea-and-russia
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2024-08-13-russia-eritrea-to-continue-developing-economic-humanitarian-cooperation-moscow-says
https://www.africanews.com/2018/08/31/russia-plans-investment-in-eritrean-port-as-foreign-ministers-meet

A LUTA CONTINUA IN GUINEA BISSAU


On this day in 1963, one of Africa's most illustrious revolutionary organisations, the PAIGC - that is, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde - launched its armed struggle against the Portuguese colonial forces in the two countries.

The organisation was formed in 1956 by anti-colonial revolutionaries such as Pan-African theorist and intellectual Amílcar Cabral.

Continued…….. In its early years, the organisation attempted to pursue independence using dialogue and peaceful protests. However, like other African liberation movements, the PAIGC soon found out that the oppressive colonial system could not be dismantled through pacifist resistance.

The next eleven years would be brutal as the Portuguese did everything to crush the independence movement. However, no amount of repression can stop a determined people. On 10 September 1974, the PAIGC's dream of an independent nation became a reality as Guinea-Bissau was finally recognised as a fully independent sovereign nation.

The party led the nation until early 2000 when it lost that year's presidential elections. It bounced back in 2005 and remained in power until 2020, when it lost control in a vote that's widely thought to have been rigged in favour of Western-backed Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Embaló, who also has the blessing of regional bloc ECOWAS, has strengthened Guinea-Bissau's relationship with France and with former coloniser Portugal since assuming the presidency. As befits a Western puppet, he threatened to invade Niger after the start of its anti-imperialist revolution.

Despite losing state power, the sun has not set on the PAIGC. Today, many in Guinea-Bissau are working hard to ensure the party regains power and are trying to live up to the values and teachings of Amílcar Cabral. Former combatants who fought in the revolutionary struggle between 1963 and 1974 are guiding and educating the next generation.

These efforts are already bearing fruit. In 2023, the PAI-Terra Ranka coalition, led by the PAIGC, won the country's legislative elections. Parliament was, however, dissolved in December of that year by Embaló over an alleged coup attempt. He promised to hold fresh legislative elections in November 2024, but he later postponed them.

He also postponed the presidential election that was set to be held in December 2024. Is someone afraid of facing the PAIGC at the ballot?

Sources:


https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/10/niger-the-future-of-ecowas-at-stake-according-to-the-president-of-guinea-bissau/

https://observador.pt/2024/06/10/presidente-da-guine-bissau-condecora-consul-portugues/

https://cnnportugal.iol.pt/guine-bissau/umaro-sissoco-embalo/presidente-da-guine-bissau-em-visita-a-portugal-ate-quarta-feira/20231023/65361364d34e371fc0b8fea7

https://www.voaafrica.com/a/macron-wraps-up-africa-tour-in-guinea-bissau/6677668.html

https://hoodcommunist.org/2023/12/14/peoples-democracy-in-guinea-bissau/

RUTO 2ND-MOST CORRUPT PERSON AFTER ASSAD?

Kenya’s President William Ruto has been pipped to the post by Syria’s deposed Bashar al-Assad as 2024’s Corrupt Person of the Year. The award is made annually by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which solicited nominations from the public.

Kenyans, though, have been left wondering whether the OCCRP itself has been handed a kickback, as their president got a record 40,000 online nominations - yet only came second, despite swimming deep in allegations of mis-governance and overseeing a deadly crackdown on protests. Ruto is also reportedly the world’s highest paid leader when adjusted for Kenya’s economic output - something that hardly sits right, given his county’s dire financial state.

Continued….. The jury said they ultimately picked Assad because of his “far-reaching and devastating” influence. Some aren’t buying that, speculating that the competition was rigged to bring greater legitimacy to Assad’s removal from power by (supposedly ex) extremists in late 2024.

What do you think?

Sources:

https://www.occrp.org/en/person-of-the-year/bashar-al-assad

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q0w1g8zqvo

https://theconversation.com/hotbed-of-corruption-kenyas-elite-have-captured-the-state-unrest-is-inevitable-233562

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39nyvvmne8o

https://www.citizen.digital/news/ruto-receives-record-breaking-nominations-for-occrp-corrupt-person-of-the-year-noscript-n355189

https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/22/what-the-west-got-wrong-in-syria/

‘GREATEST BRIT’ CHURCHILL’S IMPERIALIST RACISM

Britain still lionises its war-time prime minister Winston Churchill who died on this day 24th January 1965 .

He’s credited with being a driving force against Hitler and the Nazis.

Yet the dyed-in-the-wool imperialist oversaw some Hitleresque policies of his own. Here’s a real lion’s perspective on Churchill’s deep racism and imperialism

JOSHUA MAPONGA: AFRICA’S SOUTH NEEDS A TRAORÉ!

The Sahel region has become emblematic of what is possible when Africans decide to smash the chains of neo-colonialism and seize their sovereignty. Incredibly inspirational has been the revolutionary leadership of Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré. Africans across the continent see him as a unifying role model. Among those who think so is the pan-African Zimbabwean author and thinker Joshua Maponga. He’s just set off on a fact-finding mission to the Sahel to see what lessons the south of our continent can learn from the tremendous changes happening up there. As he says in this video, our leaders have been licking non-African boots for too long and allowing the West to set Africa’s agenda. It’s time we set our own agenda.

Video credit: Make Africa Great (YouTube)