CHINUA ACHEBE: WE MUST WRITE OUR OWN STORIES

On 21 March 2013, renowned Nigerian poet and novelist Chinua Achebe transitioned into an ancestor. His work continues to shape African literature today.

In 1988, Achebe (1930-2013) reflected on the literature he studied at university. Upon reading these works closely, he realised that the so-called ‘savages’ often resembled characters that looked like him, African, while the stories portrayed white people as heroes. He explained that without a conscious understanding of this narrative, what may seem like ‘innocent’ fictional tales can misinform Africans who have endured the oppression of slavery and colonialism.

Achebe’s solution? Africa must take control of its history by writing about it.

Video credit: ‘A World of Ideas,’ @PBS

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OTA BENGA: THE BOY EXHIBITED
IN A HUMAN ZOO

109 years ago, Ota Benga - who’d been kidnapped from the Congo - committed suicide in Lynchburg, Virgina. In the US, he’d been exhibited in a cage and forced to live alongside monkeys, as crowds gawked at him in racist fascination. His appalling treatment and humiliation was justified in the name of science: he was billed as a living specimen of the ‘primitive savage’. It’s a reminder of the deadly dehumanisation inflicted on Africans. This video tells his tragic story.

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The Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23 militia defied calls for a ceasefire from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, instead capturing Walikale, a key mining hub in North Kivu province, on 19 March, just a day after peace talks in Doha, Qatar.

Walikale, rich in tin and large gold mines, is home to about 15,000 residents and is approximately 125 kilometres northwest of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC.

Continued……. Since re-emerging in 2021, M23’s capture of Walikale marks its western-most advance into DRC. Reports indicate that M23 now controls a road that links four provinces in the eastern part of the country, effectively isolating the army’s positions and bringing the group within 444 kilometres of Kisangani, DRC’s fourth-largest city.

On 27 January, M23 took control of Goma. Then, on 16 February, it captured Bukavu, the country’s second-largest city. On 11 March, the group seized Nyabiondo city, located 110 kilometres northwest of Goma, after several days of fierce fighting. According to the Congolese government, around 8,500 Congolese had been k*lled between January and the end of February. The United Nations reports that more than 450,000 civilians are without shelter, food, or water, while 700,000 have fled their homes.

Angola attempted to broker direct negotiations between DRC and M23 on Tuesday. However, M23 withdrew from the talks on Monday, citing the European Union for imposing sanctions against some of its leaders.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/20/m23-rebels-capture-strategic-mining-hub-of-walikale-in-eastern-drc

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/20/m23-rebels-capture-walikale-another-key-town-in-eastern-dr-congo

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159541

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/congo-war-security-review/congo-war-security-review-march-11-2025

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160486

https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/dr-congo

5 MUST-READS BY CHINUA ACHEBE

On this day 12 years ago, the world bid farewell to Nigerian novelist and poet Chinua Achebe. But his literary legacy lives on. In this short video, African Stream’s Erick Gavala explores five novels that built Achebe’s reputation as one of Africa’s greatest writers.

Things Fall Apart is lauded for its groundbreaking portrayal of Igbo society and colonial disruption; Anthills of the Savannah and Arrow of God showcase his evolution into a more complex style - with broader political and philosophical themes; No Longer at Ease and A Man of the People offer sharp critiques of contemporary Nigerian life, tackling corruption and governance with Achebe’s signature wit and insight.

What do you think of our picks? What’s your favourite work by Achebe?

SOUTH AFRICA REMEMBERS SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE

On 21 March, South Africans are reminded of the price they had to pay in their fight to bring down the brutal apartheid regime. On this day in 1960, apartheid security forces opened fire on unarmed Black protesters in Sharpeville township on the outskirts of the industrial city of Vereeniging, killing 69 of them and injuring at least 180. The victims had taken to the streets to demonstrate against laws that required Black people to have a permit to travel around the country.

The Pan-African Congress party, which had organised the protest, was banned shortly after. So was the African National Congress (ANC), which was the country’s leading anti-apartheid movement.

Continued….. The atrocity sparked an international outcry, drawing global attention to the brutality of the apartheid system. It also prompted the UN to declare 21 March the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The massacre would push the ANC to shift from non-violent resistance to armed struggle, as it became clear that peaceful means alone would not work against a brutal regime.

Sources

https://www.snl24.com/dailysun/news/human-rights-day-anc-remembers-sharpeville-heroes-20250321

https://www.iol.co.za/sport/opinion/human-rights-day-sharpeville-massacre-united-the-world-against-apartheid-but-sa-sporting-isolation-took-too-long-ask-the-all-blacks-44c37c6a-2d5e-4b40-a889-caa53077c5bc

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-18-65-years-after-sharpeville-human-rights-struggles-in-todays-south-africa/?dm_source=dm_block_grid&dm_medium=card_link_sponsored&dm_campaign=main

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/aujh/vol13/iss1/5/

Continued……In a 2021 case, Bolloré’s media company agreed to pay a $14.5 million fine for charging below-market advertising rates to presidents campaigning for election in Togo and Guinea in exchange for lucrative port management contracts.

This situation underscores the neocolonialist tactics employed by European companies, which leverage their power to extract profits from their African ventures, often at the cost of indigenous communities. Ordinary African people frequently work for low wages while excluding local businesses from the opportunity to compete for contracts.

Would the NGOs winning the Bolloré case establish a precedent that prevents foreign entities from exploiting Africa without restraint?

Sources

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20250319-french-billionaire-bollor%C3%A9-targeted-in-african-ports-corruption-case

https://www.ecofinagency.com/public-management/2003-46520-bollore-faces-new-lawsuit-in-france-over-corruption-in-africa

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250319-french-billionaire-bollore-targeted-in-fraud-case-over-africa-ports

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210226-bollor%C3%A9-group-fined-%E2%82%AC12-million-in-african-corruption-case

https://www.ft.com/content/7d7c20b1-3723-4d0f-9718-37964ff5aa83

https://www.worldcargonews.com/business/2025/03/bollore-faces-corruption-complaint-over-african-ports/?gdpr=accept

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business-tech/anti-graft-groups-target-bollore-group-over-old-africa-assets-4971474

https://maritime-executive.com/article/ngos-try-to-recover-funds-from-bollore-logistics-sale-alleging-corruption

SOUTH SUDAN CRISIS: A BREAKDOWN

South Sudan risks collapsing into civil war again, as rival factions clash and neighbouring Uganda sends troops to aid its ally in Juba. The last conflict, which ended in 2018, lasted five years. Its consequences are still being felt by the population, 57% of whom will suffer from acute hunger - the worst form - by July (says the UN). Another war could bring the country and its people to breaking point. So why is this happening? Our sister @sannario_ breaks it down.

Continued……Sources

https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/africa-file-march-13-2025-looming-civil-wars-ethiopia-south-sudan-threaten-plunge-horn

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156661

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/16/south-sudan-ethnic-targeting-widespread-killings

https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-fighting-ugandan-troops-3e36094b4eaea9247843ea3fad86f03d

https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/nasir-airstrike-kills-21-civilians-local-sources-say

https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/sspdf-commander-gen-majur-dak-laid-to-rest-in-juba

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/5/south-sudan-arrests-key-machar-allies-as-army-surrounds-his-house

https://theglobalobservatory.org/2024/10/what-could-end-the-long-postponement-of-south-sudans-first-elections/

https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/south-sudans-postponed-elections-a-symptom-of-a-deeper-crisis/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/07/09/south-sudan-crossroads

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160161

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/21-killed-in-south-sudan-aerial-bombing-4969148

https://www.wfp.org/news/hunger-crisis-deepens-south-sudan-returnees-fleeing-war-and-children-hit-hardest

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/08/south-sudan-general-among-dozens-killed-in-attack-on-un-helicopter

https://www.africaintelligence.com/eastern-africa-and-the-horn/2025/03/07/fearful-salva-kiir-purges-allies-to-reshape-his-inner-circle,110383885-ar2

DRC PRESIDENT INVITES U.S. INTERVENTION

In a desperate move to counter the growing threat from the Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23 militia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi, has reached out to none other than the United States, proposing a partnership in which the latter would get exclusive access to Congolese minerals in exchange for security.

Fox News reported that Tshisekedi wrote a letter last month to US President Donald Trump, saying his 2024 re-election ushered in a ‘golden age for America.’

In this clip from an exclusive 19 March interview with the media outlet, he spoke with host Bret Baier on the prospective deal.

Continued……. The three-decade-long Western-backed mineral conflict in the DRC has escalated in the past few months, with the M23 gaining ground in eastern DRC, pushing out government forces, while displacing more than 700,000 and k*lling 8,500 by the end of February. On 27 January, they seized Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. Then, on 16 February, M23 captured South Kivu province’s capital, Bukavu, and the cities of Nyabiondo on 11 March and Walikale on 19 March. The most recent capture places M23 farther west than ever reported.

While a rapid response is needed to curb the insurgency, history has proven that US intervention, such as in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, brings more suffering to civilian populations rather than alleviating it. Additionally, the US is complicit in the DRC’s destruction, as it has failed to hold accountable US companies benefiting from illegally mined blood minerals, such as Apple and Elon Musk’s Tesla. In 2024, a US court ruled against former child miners who sued five US tech companies. 

Moreover, despite overwhelming evidence of Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s support for M23—including the presence of 4,000 Rwandan troops on Congolese territory—the US only recently sanctioned a government official while leaving Kagame untouched. 

What do you think of Tshisekedi pursuing a US partnership as the answer to the Congo’s troubles? Let us know in the comments.

Sources

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/african-war-torn-nation-invokes-trump-golden-age-minerals-deal-exchange-booting-violent-rebels

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0dg11y6xko

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/wars-of-decline-afghanistan-iraq-and-libya/

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/m23s-rampant-human-rights-abuses-demand-concerted-international-action/

https://apnews.com/article/un-congo-rwanda-troops-m23-panel-experts-8619a4ce5727a7fec85808ef76762d9b

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business-tech/dr-congo-sues-apple-in-europe-over-conflict-minerals-4860958

https://globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/drc-apple-tesla-intel-may-source-conflict-minerals-through-failing-responsible-mineral-scheme

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/20/m23-rebels-capture-strategic-mining-hub-of-walikale-in-eastern-drc

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/20/m23-rebels-capture-walikale-another-key-town-in-eastern-dr-congo

NAIVASHA: KENYA’S COLONIAL SIN CITY

The World Rally Championship’s Safari Rally Kenya 2025 is in full swing. The annual event, which wraps up Sunday, takes place in Naivasha, attracting thousands of fans.

But pleasure seekers used to come here long before the racing competition drew in the crowds. In the heyday of the British Empire, Naivasha was known as an African Las Vegas. Cocaine-fuelled orgies, wife-swapping parties, crimes of passion and hedonism were standard fare for a group of mostly British aristocrats and adventurers who settled near the Aberdare Mountain Range between the 1920s and 1940s. Their decadent lifestyle earned them the nickname ‘the Happy Valley set’ and is the subject of films and books depicting their antics, such as White Mischief.

African Stream’s Wambura Mwai paid a visit to find out more.

DRC RAP PRODIGY CHANNELS PATRIOTISM

Dogo Browny, a young rap sensation from the Democratic Republic of Congo, ignites a flame of patriotism with his latest track, encouraging them to rise above the shadows of past and present hardships and recognise the beauty of their homeland.

At just 13 years old, Browny is earning accolades for the sincerity of his message, drawing from his own experiences as a child in one of the most tumultuous regions of the globe. His music bravely addresses grim realities such as child soldiers, gender-based violence, displacement, massacres, the plundering of natural resources and political killings. To repeat, he’s 13 years old.

Continued….. The DRC, home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon, boasts an estimated $24 trillion in mineral wealth and a youthful population with a median age of just 15.8 years. This vast central African nation, nearly two-thirds the size of Western Europe, possesses all the elements necessary for a thriving, stable and influential presence on the world stage.

However, three decades of a foreign-backed resource conflict have led to a tragic mass-loss of Congolese lives - 6 million by 2010, with countless more killed since. Over 7-million people are displaced, and more than 25 million face food insecurity, as reported by the UN. As the global race for cobalt, coltan, tantalum and other rare minerals intensifies, the DRC has become a focal point for ‘conflict minerals’ that fuel foreign technology industries.

Yet Browny holds firm in his belief that the Congolese people’s deep love for their homeland will empower them to overcome these dire challenges. The question remains: will the adults of the nation - especially its leaders - listen to the heartfelt wisdom of this young voice?

Video credit:
@invisible_kids_academy243, @dogo_browny

Sources

https://database.earth/population/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/median-age

LET’S TALK ABOUT TENNESSEE WHISKEY

We present you the story of Nearest Green, the first known Black master distiller in history - and the man who taught Jack Daniel the art of distilling whiskey. For a long time, Dan Call, a Lynchburg Tennessee reverend, was credited with teaching young Jack the art of whiskey distillation. As a result, Nearest’s craftsmanship - although not altogether erased - was underemphasised.

In 2016, on the 150th anniversary of the Jack Daniel’s brand, Brown-Forman - the company which owns the Jack Daniel’s distillery - made the decision to publicly reveal that it was in fact Nearest, not Rev Call, who had taught Daniel. In 2017, he was acknowledged by the company as the first master distiller behind the JD brand, with Daniel as the second.

Continued……. Their decision, though welcomed, was also received with scepticism by critics who questioned the intention - with some suspecting it was just a marketing ploy to cash in on the growing awareness of the critical role of enslaved African labour in distilleries and other US businesses.

Nonetheless, Nearest’s story caught the attention of entrepreneur and author Fawn Weaver (@FawnWeaver on X, @Fawn.Weaver on Instagram), who committed to honouring Nearest’s legacy. She bought the farm out in Tennessee where Daniel learned under his apprenticeship and created the Black-owned whiskey brand Uncle Nearest, which finally saw Nearest’s name make it onto the label in 2017.

Sources

https://www.nearestgreen.com/about-nearest-green/

https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-nearest-green-americas-first-known-black-master-distiller-164311

https://www.theimpactmagazine.com/lifestyle/legacy-unveiled-nearest-greens-triumph-from-slavery-to-excellence-a-tale-resonating-with-black-resilience/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr0oseCa5Xs

https://www.history.com/articles/jack-daniels-enslaved-distiller-nathan-nearest-green

https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/g-nathan-nearest-green#google_vignette

https://www.searchablemuseum.com/the-man-behind-tennessee-whiskey-distilling-the-truth/

https://time.com/6993030/master-distiller-nathan-nearest-greens-history-essay/

GRABBING GHANA’S GOLD WEALTH

Did you know that 98.3% of Ghana’s gold is in the hands of multinational corporations, mainly from the US and Canada? Despite being one of the largest exporters of gold in the world, Ghana only sees 1.7% of this return in wealth.

African Stream’s Kenneth Kaigua explains the country’s resource curse, identifying the root problem of foreign capital controlling large-scale operations in the West African country.

Should the country that once led the march towards pan-African unity and economic independence change course or continue being the Western world’s Gold Coast?

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