Continued….. This notion was put to the test in this clip from a 1989 interview. CBS reporter Harry Reasoner (1923-91) posed a rather misguided question to the legendary jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer Miles Davis (1926-91). However, the famously cool and collected musician had none of it. Davis pointed out that he hailed from a well-off background and that Reasoner’s question was just another tired stereotype suggesting that Black musicians have rhythm in their DNA, a supposed gift from our enslaved ancestors. As Davis calmly explained to Reasoner, Africans play the blues not out of sorrow, but out of sheer love for the art.

So, let’s crank up the volume and celebrate Black musical achievements without letting played-out tropes crash the party!

Video credit: 60 Minutes / @CBS

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_gZqZfq9xA

https://www.milesdavis.com/

https://music.si.edu/story/musical-crossroads

https://plus.pointblankmusicschool.com/black-history-month-us-10-black-artists-that-redefined-music/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/foster-musical-movements/

THE MAN BEHIND AFRICA’S PARTITION

This week marks 140 years since the end of the infamous Berlin Conference - where, over three-and-a-half months, European powers carved up our continent, having completely sidelined Africans. The so-called Scramble for Africa had already begun, and had led to conflict among the imperialists over who had the right to what - for example, Belgium’s King Leopold II wanted to secure his claims on Congolese territories before the French could get their hands on it. At the Belgian monarch’s urging, Germany’s chancellor Otto von Bismarck - who himself was keen to secure German colonial interests in Africa - convened the fateful meeting.

Continued……. As the European powers negotiated and formalised their respective claims, they drew arbitrary borders, staking their flags to our riches while disregarding cultural and tribal groupings - with tragic consequences for Africa and its people that are felt to this day. In this video, we take a closer look at Bismarck’s shameful role in European colonialism.

Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream

On 27 February 1978, South African freedom fighter and pan-African intellectual Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe succumbed to lung cancer. Despite dying at the relatively young age of 54, by the time of his passing, Sobukwe had made a profound and lasting impression on the struggle against apartheid.

Born on 5 December 1924 in a Black township on the outskirts of Graaff-Reinet in today’s Eastern Cape province, his childhood was marked by academic excellence. He enrolled at Fort Hare University in 1947, an institution whose alumni includes anti-colonial icons such as Robert Mugabe, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.

Like many before him, Sobukwe’s revolutionary flame was lit at Fort Hare. Becoming a prominent figure on the university’s political scene, he served as the president of the students body and Secretary of the newly formed African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL).

Continued……In 1958, Sobukwe led members of the ANC, who, disgruntled by the party’s ‘liberal-left multiracialist’ policies, ceded from the organisation and formed the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC).

On 21 March 1960, Sobukwe led hundreds of people in a march to Orlando police station in Soweto in protest against the so-called Pass Law, which restricted the movement of Black South Africans. A similar protest also took place on the same day in the township of Sharpeville, where 69 people were gunned down in cold blood when apartheid forces opened fire on them. Sobukwe and other PAC leaders were arrested in the aftermath of the demonstrations. He was later sentenced to a three-year prison term.

After completing the prison sentence, Sobukwe was again detained under the so-called General Law Amendment Act, which allowed apartheid authorities to prolong the imprisonment of any political prisoner indefinitely.

In 1969, Sobukwe was released from Robben Island and subsequently banished to Kimberly, where he was placed under 12-hour house arrest and restricted from engaging in political activities. It was in Kimberly, where he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Restrictions imposed on his movements complicated his attempts to receive timely medical care.

Sources:

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/11/30/robert-sobukwe-the-south-african-leader-once-as-revered-as-mandela

https://www.ufh.ac.za/news/News/UFHcommemorateRobertMangalisoSobukwe%E2%80%99scentenaryspecialMemorialLecture
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Unisa-History-and-Memory-Project/Personalities/All-personalities/Robert-Sobukwe

https://southafrica-info.com/history/robert-sobukwe-one-race-human-race/

For years, white supremacists have pushed the myth of a so-called ‘white g*nocide’ in South Africa to justify their racist paranoia and deflect from the real victims of systemic oppression. But now, a South African court has shattered this lie, ruling that the claim is ‘clearly imagined’ and ‘not real.’

The court blocked a $2.1-million donation from white settler Grantland Michael Bray that was intended for the white-supremacist group Boerelegioen, which calls itself a ‘civil defence movement that enable[s] the citizens to resist the promised slaughter of whites in [South Africa] as well as the theft of their property.’

Bray had allocated funds in his will to support Boerelegioen’s training programmes before he died in 2022. Bray’s siblings, who, as beneficiaries of his estate, filed the lawsuit, argued their brother was ‘obsessed with the idea of an impending gen*cide of white people in South Africa.’

Continued……. The Boerelegioen denied discriminating against people based on gender, race or religion, claiming instead to only offer security and training to communities. However, Bray allegedly told an employee the money would go to an organisation that would ‘exterminate every Black person.’ Ultimately, the judge ruled in favour of Bray’s siblings and ordered Boerelegioen to cover legal costs.

This verdict comes at a poignant time, amidst renewed hysteria from figures like US President Donald Trump, who recently denounced ‘large-scale k*lling of farmers’ in South Africa. Plus, Trump advisor and South Africa-born Tesla CEO Elon Musk falsely claimed the South African government enacted ‘racist ownership laws’ and is trying to k*ll white settler farmers in a bid to push them off the land through a new land expropriation law designed to rectify long-standing inequity.

White settlers enjoy a higher standard of living than Black South Africans more than 30 years after the end of the apartheid system, owning around 70 per cent of South Africa’s private farmland while making up less than 8 per cent of the population.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyj1198wy3o

https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-africa-afrikaners-0120efec17122b47e3371e0e39fe1db8

https://time.com/7225641/white-south-africans-gather-us-embassy-support-donald-trump

https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAWCHC/2025/51.html

KENYAN COP K*LLED IN HAITI GANG AMBUSH

A 28-year-old Kenyan police officer was k*lled in Haiti on 23 February during a patrol with the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), marking its first fatality. Kenyan police had been deployed to the Caribbean nation in June 2024 to allegedly help restore stability amidst violence that comes after centuries of foreign interference.

Despite a High Court ruling declaring the deployment unconstitutional, Kenya has deployed over 600 police officers to Haiti. However, the mission’s future remains uncertain, given the Trump administration has launched a campaign to freeze foreign aid.

Continued….. Mainstream media says organisations they refer to as ‘gangs’ now reportedly control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of rural areas. In 2024 alone, the violence claimed the lives of over 5,500 individuals, forcing more than 1 million people to flee their homes.

Reports have argued the Haitian bourgeoisie, which collaborates with foreign powers, backs such gangs.

Haiti became the world’s first independent Black republic when it overthrew French colonialists in 1804. Since then, imperialist forces have strived to roll back the Haitian Revolution, beginning with the French demanding $21 billion in reparations for losing the colony. Since then, US, Canadian and French imperialists have interfered with and destabilised Haiti.

Sources:

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-kenya-gangs-police-killed-3599ea174c1d19b781a4b9a0fa346b0a

https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/kajiado-family-mourns-officer-killed-in-haiti/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62x3nyd6e4o

https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/un-chief-should-propose-transforming-kenyan-led-haiti-mission-un-operation

https://www.voanews.com/a/kenyan-police-officers-arrive-at-un-mission-in-haiti/7966157.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://marxist.com/the-gangs-of-haiti-and-the-failure-of-bourgeois-rule.htm

https://www.blackagendareport.com/gilbert-bigio-israels-man-haiti-and-architect-behind-us-migrant-crisis

DISRESPECTING AFCON

In recent years, African football has faced consistent disrespect, with African players often questioned about their commitment to their national teams and even urged not to play for their countries. They are insulted and ridiculed in ways that their fellow European players are not. The value of tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is frequently undermined, and African players are often subjected to unfair scrutiny.

This ongoing issue has been called out in the past by prominent figures such as former England player Ian Wright (@wrightyofficial/Instagram). In a 2021 clip, he pointed out how disrespectful it is to disregard AFCON and the incredible contributions of African players. He also accused the British media’s coverage of African players representing their national teams as one “tinged with racism.” Wright passionately advocated for giving African football and its stars the respect they rightfully deserve.

Continued……The clip has now resurfaced after Jamie Carragher, the English footballer-turned-pundit, recently made controversial comments regarding Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances in the wake of Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City. He suggested that Salah’s chances were slim because he plays for Egypt, implying that his international commitments with Egypt hinder his individual success.

These remarks sparked a wave of criticism, with many believing that Carragher belittled the significance of AFCON and the value of African players representing their countries. His colleagues Daniel Sturridge and Micah Richards swiftly defended African football, challenging Carragher’s views and reaffirming the importance of respecting African players and their international duties.


Sources:

Threesixtytv/Instagram

https://trtafrika.com/sports/uk-sports-pundit-under-fire-for-mo-salah-comments-18268617

https://www.eurosport.com/football/ballon-d-or/2022/black-history-month-how-george-weah-s-historic-1995-ballon-d-or-win-put-black-and-african-players-on_sto9192984/story.shtml

https://www.givemesport.com/jamie-carragher-pulled-up-micah-richards-daniel-sturridge-afcon/

CONGO WAR DEADLIEST SINCE WWII

The conflict in Congo is the deadliest since World War II, according to Congolese activist Nils Kenoani. The recent escalation by the Rwandan-backed M23 group has resulted in the deaths of 7,000 individuals since January, as reported by Congo’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa. In recent weeks, the M23 has advanced into eastern DRC and seized control of the cities of Goma and Bukavu, leaving around 450,000 civilians without shelter, food or water, according to the United Nations - while 700,000 have been forced to flee their homes since January.
Kenoani, who was born in Bukavu, relates how the three-decade-long war has claimed the lives of members of his family and millions of other lives, yet the media continues to under-report the severity of the situation.

Continued……He provides a poignant overview of the devastating conditions in Congo, highlighting how Western companies have intentionally fuelled the conflict to maintain their exploitation of the country’s vast mineral resources, which are estimated to be worth $24 trillion. By 2010, the war had already claimed around 6-million lives. Listen in and share your thoughts.

Credit: TRT World

Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream

M23 REBELLION OR RWANDAN INVASION?

Here is a Congolese take on M23, the militia responsible for k*lling over 3,000 people and displacing more than 700,000 since January in Goma, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s North Kivu province. 

NGO Focus Congo’s (@focuscongo on IG, @focuscongo_drc on X) Pappy Orion (@pappyorion) points to long-available and mounting evidence that the militia is merely a Rwandan proxy, in effect making their campaign a formal invasion by Rwanda. The UN has documented Rwandan troops in Congolese territory and the Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23’s advanced weaponry.

Continued……Perhaps the growth of the Free Congo movement and M23’s recent violent seizure of territory has pressured some of Rwanda’s Western allies to respond. For instance, the US announced sanctions against a Rwandan official and an M23 official, the UK has paused direct bilateral aid, and the European Parliament recommended suspending a minerals agreement and freezing aid.

The consequences of this round of international pressure remain to be seen. Previous sanctions forced the M23 underground in 2012, but the group re-emerged even stronger in 2021. Sanctions could also be merely symbolic, as they have not punished Rwanda’s senior leadership so far.

Since the first Rwandan invasion after the 1994 gen*cide, the three-decade-long, Western-backed proxy war over natural resources had k*lled at least 6 million by 2010 and internally displaced more than 7 million by 2024. 

Once militias push ordinary people off their land, mining operations begin. M23 seized one town, Rubaya, in April 2024, netting the group $800,000 per month by imposing a production tax on mineral extractions.

SOURCES

700,000 displaced
https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/wfp-flash-report-crisis-eastern-drc-no2-january-2025

3,000 killed in Goma
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/africa/dr-congo-goma-violence-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html

UN definition of 'invasion'
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/GAres3314.html

US sanctions
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0022

UK pressure
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-statement-on-response-to-the-situation-in-eastern-drc

European parliament recommendation
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20250206IPR26752/meps-want-to-suspend-eu-rwanda-deal-on-critical-raw-materials

2012 international pressure on Kigali
https://apnews.com/article/rwanda-rebels-congo-international-response-1bd498132e780cb9738bd73c60dfec1e

M23's 2021 re-emergence
https://cic.nyu.edu/resources/the-resurgence-of-the-m23-regional-rivalries

Millions killed and displaced
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1152031

M23 minting close to $1 million a month
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kagames-hatchet-man-kabarebe-named-by-us-rwandas-liaison-congo-rebels-2025-02-24

Death toll as of 2010
https://www.caritas.org/2010/02/six-million-dead-in-congos-war

Niger is reclaiming control over its natural resources by granting mining permits to two local companies, the Research and Exploitation Mineral Company (Comirex SA) and Aïr Mining Company (Cominair SA). 

Both are public-private partnerships, with the government owning 40 per cent of Comirex SA and 25 per cent of Cominair SA.

In June 2024, Niger nationalised the Imouraren and Somaїr uranium mines upon revoking the licence of French-state-owned mining giant Orano. 

Continued……Niger was the world’s seventh-largest supplier of uranium and France’s second-largest supplier in 2022. On average, 70 per cent of France’s yearly electricity supply comes from uranium-derived nuclear energy. Meanwhile, under 20 per cent of Niger’s population has access to electricity, making it one of the least electrified countries worldwide. As nationalisation just occurred in 2024, we have yet to see its impact on Niger, France and the world.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso has nationalised multiple gold mines in recent years and next-door Mali has been battling foreign gold mining companies to reclaim a greater share of the profits. 

Together, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation established on 6 July 2024 that is delinking from neo-colonialism and laying down the planks to ensure their sovereignty. The AES aims to create a federated state without colonial borders.

Continued….. Sources:

https://www.africaradio.com/actualite-108883-le-niger-se-lance-dans-l-exploitation-du-cuivre-pour-diversifier-son-secteur-minier

https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/niger-has-not-banned-uranium-exports-to-france-and-eu-idUSL8N39Z48A

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS?locations=NE

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/mining-of-uranium/world-uranium-mining-production

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/france

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