MALI RECAPTURES KIDAL!

Since 2014, Mali’s northern town of Kidal has been in the hands of rebels. The occupation was brought to halt on Tuesday, when Mali’s military rolled in after a nine-year absence. It comes days after UN peacekeepers abandoned their camp near the town due to the ‘worsening security situation.’

The roots of Mali’s security crisis - as elsewhere in the Sahel - lie in the NATO intervention in Libya that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, which saw fighters flood the region after the war. For over a decade since, the most vulnerable have paid the highest price for the West’s misadventures. 40% of Burkina Faso, for example, lies under rebel control.

Continued…The Sahelian security crisis has led to a round of coups, resulting in the eviction of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and, most recently, Niger. These countries have since formed a military alliance.

The recapture of Kidal shows that this was a wise move. African nations are better off relying on each other than on outside ex-colonial powers. The recapture of Kidal saw jubilant celebrations in the Malian capital Bamako, and encourages optimism among Sahelians everywhere.

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LET'S UNITE TO FREE DRC - MALEMA

We need to come together and find a solution to the conflict in the DRC, Julius Malema has urged. The leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters party says imperialist forces are responsible for fuelling conflict in the resource-rich central African giant.

One example is Western military aid for Rwanda, which backs the M23 rebels in DRC. However, the US has recently pulled the plug on such funding - precisely over Kigali’s backing the militia group, which uses child soldiers.

Malema wants Africans to unite in silencing the guns in order for the long-suffering Congolese to know peace. Malema was speaking on November 9th upon arriving in Kenya as a guest at the launch of the Pan-African Institute.

Continued…..The DRC is Africa's most complex and long-standing humanitarian crisis. Years of fighting have led to nearly 7-million internally displaced persons, according to the UN. Recently, there has been a sharp spike in violence in the eastern part of the country. NGOs say nearly 3,000 civilians have been killed there since the beginning of 2023.

Malema echoes the last words of Patrice Lumumba in a letter to his wife: "We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and the free and liberated peoples in every corner of the globe will ever remain at the side of the millions of Congolese who will not abandon the struggle until the day when there will be no more colonisers and no more of their mercenaries in our country."

Let us know in the comments if you share Malema and Lumumba’s sentiments.

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NO JUSTICE FOR AFRICANS IN AMERICA

The worst miscarriage of justice is the conviction or sentencing of an innocent person. According to one study on race and convictions, Black men in America are seven times more likely to be falsely convicted of serious crimes than their White counterparts. This is largely a result of racial profiling. One particularly egregious example is the case of Clarence Moses-El, who became another statistic when he lost 28 years of freedom for a rape he never committed. Even though he was finally exonerated and paid compensation, that will never make up for his having had his life stolen.

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KWAME TURE: VISIBILITY OR POWER

As revolutionary Pan-Africanist Kwame Ture stated, "We want power. We don’t want money, we don’t want fame, we don’t want fortune, we don’t want popularity, we want power. Power comes only from the organised masses." In this short clip, Kwame Ture talks about the difference between visibility and power. Africans can be seen these days appearing to have succeeded in politics. These can range from former US President Barack Obama and current US Vice President Kamala Harris to Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo.

But do we have power? What is the difference between visibility and power? Ture, who transitioned into an ancestor on this day in 1998, broke it down in this 1993 interview with US journalist Charlie Rose.

Let us know in the comments what you think.

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REDVEIL TO FANS: PLEASE, DEMAND CEASEFIRE NOW!

At the recent Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival music festival in Los Angeles, California, rapper Redveil rallied the crowd around the cause of Palestinian liberation.

He displayed the names of hundreds of Palestinian children under the age of four that have been killed in Gaza since October 7th. Like many other artists and musicians right now, Redveil is speaking out publicly against what he sees as the genocide of Palestinians.

African artists from across the continent and the diaspora have long understood that music and artistic expression are deeply political. From Miriam Makeba, to Fela Kuti, to Paul Robeson to Nina Simone - these artists used their platform and their work to promote liberation and resist imperialism.

Continued….In this video, Redveil urges his fans to visit the website ceasefiretoday.com and to call their representatives to demand a cease fire, and gets the crowd to chant ‘Free Palestine!’. He posted on X that this was the most important part of his set.

Let us know what your think of his message.

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ISRAEL AMBASSADOR: SLIP OF THE TRUTH?

The Israeli ambassador to Australia made a slip of the tongue that many would say was in fact a case of letting the truth slip out. During a recent live conference, Amir Maimon said, “We are not the victims” - before quickly correcting himself and claiming Israel is not the aggressor in the current Gaza conflict, but is the victim.

With the Gaza death toll now exceeding 11,000 - including thousands of children - and hundreds killed in the West Bank recently, many would say Palestinians are the victims. Was Maimon‘s slip of the tongue an inadvertent admission of that fact?

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AFRICANS ARE OWED REPARATIONS

Whenever someone raises reparations as a just compensation to Africans in the United States for the atrocities they and their ancestors are and were subjected to—starting from the European slave trade that crossed the Atlantic Ocean—detractors rush to say these Africans only want free money.

While the West has had no qualms about paying reparations to the victims of the European Holocaust, they remain largely opposed to doing the same for the descendants of the Africans who were kidnapped from the continent and shipped in inhumane conditions to labor as slaves in the Americas.

Continued…..Enduring genocidal conditions that included splitting up families and punishing the practice of culture, Africans' forced labor built the economy of the United States. Today, the US government refuses to acknowledge Africans' pain and contribution in turning unceded territory into an economic powerhouse. Further, Africans continue to face colonial conditions in segregated US neighbourhoods, lacking access to decent water, food, healthcare, housing, education and jobs. This comes as the US state deploys its agents—the police—to harass, imprison and sometimes kill Africans.

In this clip, Chinganji Akinyela, a founding member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, makes the case for why the United States owes reparations to African people.

How could Africans in the United States obtain reparations? Is it a good idea? Let us know what you think.

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REFUGEE’S FURY OVER DRC CRISIS

A Congolese refugee gives an impassioned account of her desperate life after being forced to flee to South Africa. She and others had camped outside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pretoria. When they were recently evicted, this mother-of-four tore into a local reporter. Laying bare her feelings, she blasts the international community for allowing never-ending conflict in DRC. The UN’s peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, she says, has achieved nothing and the UNHCR does little to help Congolese. She also accuses Rwanda of destabilising her country by backing rebels, something Kigali denies.
But there’s one thing that’s indisputable. In her mind, it’s all down to the greed and desire for DRC’s vast mineral wealth. She challenges anyone to disagree with her. Listen to her heartfelt interview and tell us what you think.

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LET THE GENOCIDE CONTINUE! - U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER

Calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are outrageous, said US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson during the 14 November ‘March for Israel‘ rally in Washington, DC. The crowd of pro-Israel supporters responded thunderously by chanting, 'No ceasefire!'

This may be the clearest sign yet that the US administration is determined to support Israel's genocidal policy in Gaza, despite global outrage over mounting civilian deaths.

Israel has used mainly US bombs to attack hospitals, schools, refugee centres and convoys fleeing the conflict. This has caused more than 11,000 deaths, including that of at least 4,650 children. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 people are missing and presumed to be dead under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Continued….In Africa, where the African Union has taken a stand against Israel's occupation, the United States' oft-repeated message about the 'rules-based order' and 'Israel's right to defend itself' rings hollow. The United States covertly supported the apartheid regime in South Africa and Nelson Mandela was on its terror watch list until 2008. And, they did nothing to exercise their much vaunted 'responsibility to protect' principle during the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The list of US crimes in Africa include the US/NATO destruction of Libya, CIA-sponsored insurgencies in the Sahel, the killing of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and the current exploitation of Congo's resources.

The history we teach will not be kind in remembering the role of the United States in supporting the slaughter of innocents in occupied Palestine.

Let us know what you think.

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VAN JONES BOOED AT PRO-ISRAEL RALLY

As supporters of Israel marched in Washington DC they made no effort to hide their bloodlust for Palestinians being killed on the Gaza. While CNN’s Van Jones called on 14 November for a ceasefire in Gaza, attendees of the 'March for Israel' in Washington, DC, booed him and chanted ‘No Ceasefire’ in opposition to the end of the Israeli attacks that have killed over 11,500 Palestinians so far, with at least 4,650 being children. The world has raised the alarm as Israel has targeted hospitals, schools, refugee camps and residential buildings.

The United States has reinforced its support for the unfolding genocide, even as pro-Palestine protests sweep the country.

Continued…. It has continued sending weapons, voiced political solidarity, and it has deployed a group of aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Plus, the United States is mulling a $14 billion package to the Israeli occupation, on top of the $3.8 billion it gives Israel, annually.

Meanwhile, Western states have embarked on a crackdown of pro-Palestine voices, such as in the United Kingdom, where the government referred to solidarity demonstrations as ‘hate marches.'

Let us know what you think about the 'no ceasefire' chants.

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UK COURT STOPS RWANDA ASYLUM DEAL

The UK Supreme Court has dealt a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The highest UK court ruled 15 November that the scheme is unlawful, upholding an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal, which judged Rwanda's human-rights safeguards could not be guaranteed. Human-rights defenders have called into question Rwanda's suitability as a haven for deportees. According to NGO Human Rights Watch, 'commentators, journalists, opposition activists, and others speaking out on current affairs and criticising public policies in Rwanda have been disappeared, and some have died under suspicious circumstances.'

Continued….Activists also have said the Rwanda scheme violates the core principle of the 1951 Geneva Convention, which states that no refugee be returned to a country where their safety and freedom cannot be ensured. While it has stopped deportations, the apex court's ruling leaves the UK's politics in tatters, in the same week Sunak sacked former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Let us know what you think of the ruling.

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SIAD BARRE ON ISRAELI OCCUPATION

Prominent Africans have long been warning of the dangers of Israel’s policies.

In this 1979 address to the UN General Assembly, then-Somali president Mohamed Siad Barre told the world that the Israeli seizure of Arab lands in 1967 and subsequent establishment of permanent settlements in these regions would have dire consequences for peace.

Today, Israel says its current war in Gaza is a justified response to the October 7th Hamas atrocities. Many Africans and others think that’s too simplistic - and ignores the fact that Tel Aviv has mistreated Palestinians for decades, including in the way Barre described. October 7th, they argue, was itself a ‘response’ in a long-running conflict.

Perhaps if the world listened more to African voices it would be a better place. Tell us if you agree.

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SOUTH AFRICAN DIPLOMAT: LET PALESTINIANS PICK OLIVES

Drawing from shared experiences of settler colonialism, apartheid and racism, South Africans have long empathised with and defended Palestinians. In this 3 November 2021 video, South African diplomat Lesiba Machaba stands up for Palestinian farmers who are being harassed by an Israeli soldier simply for picking olives in the town of Tuqu’ southeast of Bethlehem. According to the mayor of the town, Tayseer Abu-Mefreh, Machaba went to pick olives alongside Palestinian farmers when they were met with tear-gas canisters and stun grenades. They were then forced to leave at gunpoint. Abu-Mefreh, alongside three other Palestinians, were briefly held by the soldiers for daring to pick olives. Another olive picker was later detained for his participation.

Continued….Even though Tuqu' is a Palestinian town located in the West Bank, the Palestinian National Authority has no control over the administrative and civil affairs of 98.5 per cent of the land. This is due to an Israeli law that classifies various parts of the West Bank as 'Area C,' meaning Israel-controlled territory. Over 60 per cent of the West Bank falls under this category, making Palestinian movement off limits or heavily restricted.

Let us know what you think.

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