AfricanStream

The US is a circus, is it not? Faced with imperial implosion as witnessed by over half a million homeless people, unaffordable healthcare, crumbling infrastructure while the military is earmarked to receive a trillion dollars annually, the ruling class has turned to spectacle and neon lights as a distraction. In this video, former wrestling star Hulk Hogan endorses Donald Trump in his trademark shirt-ripoff fashion. Birds of a feather flock together. That means while Hogan was sacked from WWE over allegations of racism after he referred to his daughter’s Black lover using the N-word, Trump, during his previous presidential term, was quoted referring to African states as “shithole countries”. More recently, during a televised debate with his main rival for the US presidency, Joe Biden, Trump referred to labour intensive, low wage gigs as ‘Black jobs.’ But really, are the Democrats any better? Was it not Biden who played a pivotal role in authoring the 1994 Crime Bill, which disproportionately put Black men behind bars and fuelled the ever-sprawling prison industrial complex? He also opposed attempts to desegregate school buses. During a 1977 Senate Judiciary hearing Biden said, “Unless we do something about this, my children are going to grow up in a jungle, the jungle being a racial jungle with tensions having built so high that it is going to explode at some point.” Regardless who occupies the White House, no US presidential candidate seems to have a bonafide or even hint of a Black People’s Agenda. But no worries, brothers and sisters, here comes Hulk Hogan, leaping about and ripping his shirt to shreds, ready to save the day! Credit: NBC News

In the last few decades, accusations of being a 'sell-out' have been part of the South African political landscape. Politicians, especially in the liberation movement-turned-ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), have often accused each other of having been apartheid spies or collaborators during the liberation struggle that lasted until the end of apartheid in the early 1990s. The accusations have again come to the fore following a decision by the Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) that includes political parties, such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), white-led organisations with a history of opposing policies that seek to reverse the negative effects of decades of apartheid legislation that excluded non-white people from participating and benefiting from the white-controlled economy. In this clip from a recent episode of a podcast hosted by South African media personality and academician Sizwe Mpofu Walsh, South African lawyer Muzi Sikhakhane claimed a 'sell-out' faction controlling the ANC led to the GNU's creation. Video credit: @_smwx on YouTube, @SizweMpofuWalsh on X and IG, @sizwempofuwalshofficial on FB

Though the United States has only existed for a few hundred years, it maintains effective control over peoples all over the world, with cultures thousands of years older. Musician and composer Frank Zappa (1940-93) highlighted the absurdity of this relationship in this 1982 clip. The United States has long exploited African cultures for profit. Between slavery on the unceded Indigenous territories now known as the United States and neocolonialism around the world and in Africa, our people’s labour, resources, and cultural products (like hip hop) helped build the US economy. Zappa said the United States has always had more to learn from other cultures than vice versa. He further questioned how a country that is not focused on maintaining a culture can exist. Let us know what you think in the comments. Video credit: Manhattan Cable TV

These Kenyan protesters vent the anger being felt across the country, as calls grow louder for President Ruto’s resignation. He recently U-turned on a controversial IMF-backed finance bill after weeks of protests against it, but many remain unconvinced. As a result, demonstrations continue and have morphed into wider demands for systemic change. Discontent’s reached boiling point with President Ruto failing to deliver on election promises to improve the lives of the country’s citizens. Once in power, he scrapped fuel subsidies and the subsequent finance bills heaped extra tax burdens on the poor. All this while corruption, taking a third of the country’s budget, remains unaddressed. Police, meanwhile, continue to brutally crack down on protests. Over the last four weeks there have been arrests, abductions and killings of at least 50 at the hands of security agencies, who appear to act with impunity.

Germany is likely to become the third Western country whose military forces will leave Niger. On 16 July, German Foreign Affairs minister Annalena Baerbock announced Germany is no longer able to continue military operations due to Niger's partnership with Russia and Niger’s lack of trust in Germany. This came after Niger refused to allow immunity from prosecution for German troops. Niger also recently expelled troops of Germany’s fellow NATO allies, France and the US. France exited in December. Germany is set to evacuate by 31 August. The US is due to depart by 15 September. Italy is the only remaining Western entity occupying Niger. Germany pulled out of Mali in December 2023 for similar reasons. Nigerien civilians, like their Malian and Burkinabé neighbours, prefer their government not to partner with US and European countries to combat terrorism. Niger has instead strengthened its relationship with Russia and Iran. It has also entered into the Alliance of Sahel States with Burkina Faso and Mali, a confederation with shared economic, foreign and security policies. All three alliance members ousted Western-backed leaders in recent years to the applause of most of their populations.

In 2009, the United Nations (UN) declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day, in honour of the South African anti-apartheid icon, who was born on this date in 1918. Mandela is remembered as a man who helped lead South Africa out of the crimes and excesses of apartheid. Western mainstream media may downplay him as a fluffy older man who liked to dance and forgive his oppressors, but we remember him as an anti-imperialist until the end. In this video, Mandela calls out America as a warmonger. A country that supports carnage, consistently breaks the rules and is more than willing to go to any lengths, even at the expense of fundamental human rights, to push its hegemonic agenda. He lambasts the US for its invasion of Iraq and the war it initiated 20 years ago. An unnecessary military campaign resulting in the deaths of anywhere between one and two million men, women and children. When former US Secretary of State,Madeleine Albright, was asked if US sanctions that claimed the lives of up to 500,000 Iraqi children were justified, she responded, ‘We think the price is worth it.’ Mandela was instrumental in tearing down South Africa’s oppressive apartheid regime, as well as speaking up for other oppressed African states. May he continue to rest in peace and power! Video credit : Democracy Now

Youth-led protests in The Gambia are demanding plans to boost salaries for politicians and the judiciary are scrapped. They’re against the unpopular Judiciary Officers Bill and National Assembly Remuneration Bill and voiced their anger in the capital, Banjul. Calling themselves ‘Concerned Gambians’ demonstrators chanted ‘reject the bill, we are tired’ They’ve put forward an eight-point list of demands to authorities including better compensation for public servants and equitable allocation of natural resources. It comes at a time of high inflation which topped 18 per cent last September, and follows protests in Kenya that saw IMF tax-hikes abandoned. Video credit @cecild84 @EYEAFRICA TV

You’ve probably seen the headlines, ‘Democracy is crumbling in the Sahel.’ But what exactly is democracy, and who gets to define it? In the West, the term refers to participation in an electoral system that brings forward new presidential candidates every several years. However, outside of the occasional election, many citizens are disengaged, having no way to be involved in decision-making processes regarding the economy, foreign policy, domestic security and other concerns. The Sahel is different. Three countries in this arid region south of the Sahara Desert, known as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have formed a confederation under the newly established Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They have embarked on an alternative path where they share a common economy and foreign policy. Military leaders govern the three countries, but this is not the repressive, brutal military rule we sometimes see. Instead, this is closer to former Burkina Faso President Thomas Sankara’s (1949-87) style of ‘coup governance,’ which he referred to as a popular and democratic revolution. African Stream journalist Inemesit Richardson went to all three AES countries to hear directly from the mouths of the people: What is democracy, and are these Sahelian states currently democratic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Hundreds gathered outside the French embassy in Tunisia on 16 July to protest Israel’s continued massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, aided by European and US arms, diplomatic cover and funding. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and placards that read ‘stop the genocide.’ The protest came in the wake of an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 90 people and wounded 300 others in Gaza’s Al-Mawasi camp, designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone. Since 7 October, Israel’s military onslaught has k*lled more than 38,000 Palestinians. However, British medical journal Lancet reports the casualty figure could be as high as 186,000 people. Further, most k*lled in Israeli airstrikes have been women and children, despite Israel’s claim that its military operation targets H*mas members.

Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré held a public meeting on 11 July with various organisations in the capital, Ouagadougou, to detail his plans. In addition to sharing essential goals, he educated Burkinabé people on imperialist tactics, explaining how the Western media—specifically, Hollywood films—are a powerful form of racist propaganda meant to further imperialist objectives. Many have noticed how Traoré’s (@capitaineib226 on X) speeches mirror those of Pan-Africanist Malcolm X (1925-65), who once stated, ‘The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make the criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal... If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.’ Please share with us some examples of how the Western media does imperialist propaganda. Video credit: Faso7 TV (@faso7tv on YT, @faso7_bf on X and IG, @faso7bf on TikTok)

It’s always nice for arsonists to sympathise with fire victims! The International Monetary Fund (IMF) feels for suffering Kenyans, according to its spokesperson, Julie Kozack. In an 11 July press briefing posted on X, she discussed the Kenyan police crackdown that killed 39 people during recent youth-led protests against proposed IMF-backed tax hikes and described it as “the tragic events in Kenya”. Kenyan President William Ruto insisted the increases would raise $2.7 billion in revenues for payments on the $80 billion in international and domestic debts and other expenses. The IMF had predicted protests against controversial tax hikes featured in the now-shelved finance bill but urged Ruto’s administration to stand firm. Street battles, including protesters storming Parliament buildings, forced Ruto on 26 June to scrap the most controversial levies, such as a 16 per cent consumption tax on bread. Still, Kenyans insisted he rejected the proposed budget entirely, and the demonstrations have now morphed into calls for major political reforms, including Ruto’s resignation. A @jacobin report says the IMF’s austerity programmes, such as the one hoisted on Kenya, transferred $229 billion in debt payments from so-called ‘sub-Saharan Africa’ to the West from 1980 to 2004. By 2004, Africa had paid the wealthiest countries $15 billion annually in debt servicing. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, that’s more than the continent received in aid, new loans or investment. Of course, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack will refrain from mentioning these inconvenient facts. What are your thoughts? Will Kenya’s youth revolution help end dependency on foreign money lenders? Or is that wishful thinking? Let us know in the comments. Video credit: @IMFSpokesperson (X)

In a major win for women’s rights. Gambia’s parliament has rejected calls to decriminalise female genital mutilation (FGM). It was made illegal in 2015, but earlier this year a male MP tabled a bill to lift the ban, amid claims it was an attack on the country’s culture. However, parliamentarians overwhelmingly voted against his proposal on July 15th. The result’s been welcomed by rights activists who say FGM violates the dignity of women, although it’s still practiced widely across the country. According to UNICEF, about 73 percent of Gambian girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM.

(July 16th) we’re marking the 77th birthday of Assata Shakur. You may know her as the former member of the Black Liberation Army who’s on the FBI’s most-wanted list. However, did you know she was also the revolutionary godmother of legendary rapper 2PAC and is often referenced in hip-hop lyrics? Our quick look at her life, resistance and persecution will help you understand her cause celebre status. She was controversially convicted of the m*rder of a US policeman, broke out of jail and escaped to Cuba, where it’s thought she’s still living. In 2013, she wrote an open letter in Havana, describing the flaws in her trial. You can read it @https://hoodcommunist.org/2024/03/07/an-open-letter-from-assata-shakur/

Argentina has just won the 2024 Copa America trophy after a one-nil victory over Colombia at a match played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. While the focus should have been on football, many people could not help notice the stark difference in the racial make-up of the two teams. The Colombian side had Black players, while Argentina didn’t have any. So, why do teams of countries on the same continent look so different? In no small part, it reflects racist policies implemented by Argentina over a century ago. At one point the country was Blacker than it likes to admit. In 1778, Afro-Argentines formed almost half the population of Argentina. However, anti-Blackness policies succeeded in reducing them to 30% of the population by the time the country gained independence from Spain in 1816. Racial politics and alleged extermination campaigns then saw them steadily wiped out and their rich Black culture erased from the nation’s collective consciousness. Today, statistics show Afro-Argentines form a paltry 0.4% of Argentina’s total population, making it the Whitest country not just in Latin America but the Whitest outside Europe. The old saying: ‘Mexicans descend from the Aztecs, Peruvians from the Incas, but Argentinians descend from ships from Europe,’ encapsulates Argentina’s perception of itself as a nation of White Europeans that never had Blacks. Historically, Black people and their culture were shown the red card. Argentina’s football team is evidence of that.

When you think of the exploitation of Africans, powers like Britain, France and Germany spring first and foremost to mind. But let’s not forget that America has a longstanding history of meddling and aggression towards our continent. And it’s US presidents who bear the bulk of the blame. Our man Salifu has selected five he thinks should be considered Africa’s biggest OPPs. He’s got clear reasons for each. Hear him out and let us know if you agree. In your book, which American leader was/is Africa’s biggest OPP?

Inyama yenhloko, a stew made from a cow’s head, is not your average dish. This traditional South African Zulu delicacy not only comes with rich flavours, but also with an equally rich history and an interesting set of rules regarding its consumption. In the past, the meal was reserved for older men. Women were even prohibited from consuming its gravy, as this was considered to be good for male fertility. You’re probably thinking that this is patriarchy in a pot! But luckily things have since changed and people of all ages and gender can now enjoy this amazing dish. African Stream visited Champion Inyama, a Johannesburg roadside joint that prepares and serves this yummy stew. Have a watch and tell us if this is something that tickles your taste buds!

Many are the times when we are told Africa’s problems are a result of bad leadership. While this is true to a certain extent, it does not tell the whole story. Bad leaders in Africa are not a coincidence, but the result of colonisers’ calculations. In the past, the West has not only ousted progressive African leaders, but installed or propped up puppets and tyrants, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Mobutu Sese Seko and Gabon’s Omar Bongo. These leaders are reported to have colluded with Western corporations to loot their countries’ resources while they lined their pockets. In this video clip, South African content creator and blogger Darren Campher (@darrencampher.com on TikTok and @darrencampher.com_ on IG) explains how the West fights progressive African leaders Video credit: Darren Campher

Sports stars are told to express themselves on the field of play, but it’s a whole different ball game when they want to express themselves on social media. Here, Boston Celtic’s forward, Jaylen Brown, outlines how athletes’ thoughts are kept carefully in check. They’re given meticulous media training to make sure they don’t say the ‘wrong thing.’ And if they do step out of line with their views, they’ll lose endorsements. Hearing this from a player of Jaylen’s status, definitely gives it extra weight. Not only is he a 2024 NBA champion and Most Valuable Player (MVP), he’s also deeply involved in social justice and community activism. On top of that, he’s an academic. He majored in biology at the University of California, and took graduate-level classes in philosophy. So, now you know that, don’t be surprised to hear him talk in this clip about Panopticism. In case you’re wondering, it’s a social theory that states we’re all being monitored by authorities. And Jaylen says social media has become their latest watchtower. Do you agree? Social media has become a surveillance tool?

Being Black brings with it health benefits, not least because our bodies are packed with melanin. According to holistic health expert Dr Llaila Afrika, the pigment is responsible for almost everything happening in our body. From absorbing harmful UV rays from the sun, to increasing our sense of sight and smell. He says it gives Black people superior sensory perception and has been studied by the US military. Now, if you go online and look up melanin, you’ll also find experts who disagree. But, for the record, Dr Afrika is a Doctor in alternative medicine, an experienced lecturer and says he’s been helping people be ‘healthy’ for decades. That’s why we thought we’d share this clip, where he champions melanin’s powers. It’s a fascinating topic. Drop us a comment below.

Amilcar Cabral once stated, ‘You measure a people’s potential for liberation based on how different their culture is from their oppressors.’ In this video clip from an unknown time, Pan-Africanist revolutionary Kwame Ture talks about the importance of understanding African culture, which European hegemony seeks to repress. He also highlights that we are at war. While some would say war is a conflict between two equal sides, let’s momentarily play out this train of thought. Many Africans go about, day to day, without ever thinking about how European civilisation placed African people in a defensive position 500 years ago, when they started enslaving and killing us. Now, the most noble thing we can do is win our liberation, once and for all. Do you think every African must be engaged in permanent collective action to bring us closer to our freedom? Let us know in the comments.

The UN human rights chief says his office is investigating reports of another mass grave in the desert along the Libya-Tunisia border. It follows the discovery in March of a site containing the bodies of 65 migrants in southwest Libya’s al-Jahriya valley. The circumstances of their deaths remain unknown, but it’s believed they died while being smuggled through the desert. Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, said crimes were being committed against migrants and refugees ‘at scale, with impunity’ by State and non-State actors. They include torture, forced labour and mass expulsions. There are also reports of human traffickers taking migrants hostage and killing them if ransom demands are not met. During a July 9th Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Libyan authorities were urged to co-operate with the UN’s latest probe into the atrocities. Libya’s has become part of a deadly transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe via the southern Mediterranean.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of the nation’s most unpopular presidents ever. Over the last year his approval ratings have averaged just 27.5 per cent and dropped to 11 per cent in February. Despite big promises during his election campaign, Tinubu’s been accused of disastrous economic policies that’ve driven unemployment and inflation to record highs and increased the cost of living to unbearable levels. Beyond domestic troubles, he’s faced foreign policy catastrophes. As ECOWAS chair, and with the West’s backing, he lead the charge for a military intervention in Niger but dropped the plan in the face of strong regional opposition. It’s been a chaotic reign, but there are stunning claims his rise to power should never have happened in the first place. An investigation by the news website Grayzone questions his close dealings with the US and his shady past in America. There are allegations he forged education documents in his bid to be president. There are also US court documents from the 1990s revealing he was accused of laundering millions for heroin dealers in Chicago. Even though there was no conviction, some speculate US authorities had ‘got enough on him’ to make him their asset. According to State Department cables released by WikiLeaks, officials relied heavily on Tinubu’s assessments to understand what was happening politically in Nigeria. It’s a fascinating backstory to a president most Nigerians just want to get rid of. This is our interview with the journalists behind the explosive Grayzone report.

France’s far-right party, Rassemblement National (National Rally), won the most votes in the first round of France’s snap legislative elections held on 30 June. As the far right gains power in France, multiple African countries, including Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mali and Niger have been expelling French troops. So, what is the connection between the rise of neo-fascism and the waning influence of French neo-colonialism in Africa? In this video, Kossi Paul, a Paris-based organiser with the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (@aaprpinternational on IG and @aaprp on X), breaks it down. His recent article, ‘France, Its Far Right, and Africa: An Update on the Ongoing Parliamentary Elections,’ published on @blkagendareport (X), provides more detail and historical context regarding the relationship between domestic French fascism and French imperialism.

The US military completely withdrew on 7 July from one of its two Air Force bases in Niger, making the Sahelian country the first in Africa to give the US the boot. On 16 March, the landlocked African country announced it was ending all military cooperation with the United States and ordered the departure of US troops. Air Base 101 is in the capital city of Niamey. However, US troops still remain at another airbase, Air Station 201 in the Sahara Desert city of Agadez. This is reportedly the largest known US drone base and the US Air Force’s largest construction project. The largest US military base in Africa remains Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti, according to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). US troops are set to withdraw from Agadez by 15 September. Every African country, with the exception of Eritrea, has entered into or continued some form of military cooperation with the US in the 2000s. The CIA also operates its own drone base in Niger in the city of Dirkou, not far from the Libyan border. The future of this CIA base remains to be determined.

Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré met with his Malian and Nigerien counterparts on 6 July in Niamey, Niger, to create the Alliance of Sahel States Confederation. All three countries had successfully ousted Western-aligned leaders over the past few years. In Niger, the 36-year-old president (@capitaineib226 on X) used the occasion to deliver a powerful speech denouncing imperialism and the African lackeys that uphold the imperialist system. His reference to ‘house slaves’ who will do anything to please their masters is reminiscent of Malcolm X’s famous speech ‘Message To The Grassroots’ during which X speaks about ‘house N*gros’ and ‘field N*gros.’ It has been a long time since we have heard an African leader speak so boldly in public about the neo-colonial system that uses African henchmen to direct the flow of profits from the African continent to the West. Are we in a new era when African leaders who have their people’s interests at heart will speak out against the exploitation Africans have suffered under for far too long? Let us know in the comments. Video credit: Radiodiffusion Telévision du Burkina (@rtburkina on IG, YT and X, @rtbgroup on TikTok)