AfricanStream

Remember when the CIA investigated itself for links to drug trafficking, and concluded it was innocent? That’s what the British government is asking the Israeli government to do to itself. The West could be seen as complicit as Israel in the deaths of 34,000 Palestinians since 7 October. The US and UK have vetoed multiple ceasefire resolutions at the UN, the UK has conducted 50 spy flights for Israel over Gaza, Germany has sent 10,000 tank shells to Israel, and the US has approved $26 billion in military aid in addition to its annual $3.8 billion provision, since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Israel has long claimed it needs to protect itself using deterrence. That has meant when an enemy strikes, it would hit back so hard to ensure no one would dare touch it. That policy forms the basis of the Dahiya Doctrine, named after a Shi’ite suburb in Lebanon that the Israeli Air Force carpet-bombed during the 2006 war with Hezbollah. Watch as Israeli historian, professor and politician Ilan Pappé vividly illustrates the doctrine. In the first 89 days of Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, it had dropped 65,000 tonnes of explosives on the besieged enclave, the equivalent of three atomic bombs. Since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine, Israel has so far k*lled over 34,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. Tel Aviv accuses militant group H*mas of using Palestinians as human shields, but this video reveals the deaths are part of a deliberate Israeli policy.

When British journalist Piers Morgan asked TYT Network founder Cenk Uygur what Israel’s response should be to Iran’s recent drone attack, Uygur reminded Morgan that Israel provoked Tehran by bombing Iran’s consulate in Syria. The 1 April attack killed 16 people, including two high-ranking Iranian military officials. Uygur added that Israel should not respond. Do you think Israel is to blame for this escalation? Let us know in the comments.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight uses perhaps Africa’s most famous melody and made millions of dollars - but not for its original creator, Zulu singer Solomon Linda. The melody did not belong to Disney, yet it helped turn The Lion King into a huge box-office success. The US entertainment giant held out crediting the South African singer until it was sued by his descendants. Nothing wrong with African music being enjoyed and appreciated beyond the continent, of course, but credit where it’s due, please. Can you think of other examples of appropriation without acknowledgement? This is the story of the song whose real name is Mbube.

Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef (@bassem) spoke with @olidugmore on the @PoliticsJOE_UK podcast about Israel’s ongoing bombardments and escalated siege against the Palestinians, the West’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes, and how the media needs to be more responsible in its coverage. He said Global North leaders expressed outrage over the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks in France. Still, the media and politicians have been silent about Israel k*lling more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Let us know if you agree with @byoussef.

Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) President @Julius_S_Malema spoke with Kaya FM radio host @PhemeloMotene about the South African economy, education, and the continent's future ahead of the South African provincial and national elections on 29 May. In this 27 February clip, Malema made the case for unifying Africa by eliminating colonial borders and creating a continent-wide governance, military protection and currency. He said this is how Africans will win genuine respect when dealing with the international community and benefit from Africa's natural mineral wealth. What do you think about Malema's plan to unify Africa? Let us know in the comments.

Some people actually still think that White privilege is a myth - created by ‘angry’ people of colour as a tool to bash Whites. They believe, for example, that poverty rates are higher among Africans because they make the racist assumption that we are somehow lazy. Never do they entertain the possibility that we are, in fact, hindered every step of the way by systemic political and economic oppression rooted in slavery, colonialism and neo-colonalism. In this clip, spoken-word artist Kyla Jenée Lacey breaks down the concept of White privilege for those who still do not get it or believe in its existence.

When it comes to breaking records, Nigerians have few equals. This time, 29-year-old Tunde Onakoya smashed the world chess marathon record by playing for 60 hours on 19 April against US chess champion Shawn Martinez. Cheered on by fellow Nigerians and well-wishers at New York's Times Square, Onakoya broke the previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds that Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad had set in 2018. Onakoya hopes to raise $1 million for children's education in Africa through his feat. His non-profit, Chess in Slums Africa, works to uplift poor children by teaching the game. More than 10 million Nigerian children are out of school, one of the highest rates in the world, as one out of every 5 children who is not in school lives in Nigeria. Onakoya credits chess with saving him from the poverty he endured growing up in Lagos's infamous floating slums. The Guinness World Records has yet to confirm his success.

Activists, online and off, have been working tirelessly to bring global attention to the catastrophe in the Democratic Republic of Congo - yet the world’s governments and publics remain mostly unmoved by the genocidal violence, mass internal displacement and the millions of Congolese facing food insecurity (not to mention child labour and exploitation). Why is that? @marylaurakato is one of those campaigning, and admits it can be emotionally difficult. In this clip, she connects the lack of reaction to White supremacy. Blacks and other non-Whites are seen as ‘expendable’ and their suffering isn’t taken as seriously - they are deemed, she says, bottom of the hierarchy when it comes to moral considerations. (Compare reactions to the attacks on Israel and Ukraine.) And, of course, there’s the fact that the rest of the world actually depends on Congo’s resources. Keeping Congo down keeps prices down - helping Congo would incur Western economic pain. The exploitation of Congo goes back to - and hasn’t stopped since - the days of King Leopold II. Millions were killed under the Belgian monarch’s reign of terror, as the population was turned into his private army of slave labourers, whose bodies could be mutilated and dispensed with at will. Later, Pan-African icon Patrice Lumumba was killed by the Belgians in cahoots with the CIA and Britain. In his place, the West installed puppet Mobutu Sese Seko, who pilfered the country’s resources for decades. Other Western allies - Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni - then helped overthrow him once he was no longer useful. In the process and aftermath, millions of Congolese were killed, with millions more turned into refugees. As this is ongoing, DRC’s minerals leave the country and find themselves in the custody of multinational giants like Apple, Google and Tesla. As this sister says, the reason the suffering of the Congolese people doesn’t get any traction globally is that a racial hierarchy exists - and Africans are at the bottom. Do you agree with her?

The best argument against the Israeli occupation of Palestine is asking people to hear out the Zi*nist settlers themselves. In this video clip from Israeli Channel 12, journalist Yehuda Schlesinger expressed his frustration at the sight of Palestinians appearing to enjoy the beach as Israel continues its bombardment and escalated siege of more than 2 million people. Israel has k*lled more than 34,000 Palestinians, and an Israeli blockade is on the brink of causing famine by next month in the Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations. Plus, the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says one-third of toddlers and infants are acutely malnourished. While many in the West have lost scholarships and jobs after condemning Israel, Zi*nists have faced no consequences for these kinds of calls to violence against a besieged population that has no military for defence. Instead, Western powers like the United States have provided what US President Joe Biden has called ‘ironclad’ support. This has come in the form of financial aid, UN diplomatic cover, and shipments of at least 10,000 tonnes of military equipment to Israel. Would Israeli society feel so emboldened to make such utterances if not for the US? Please share your thoughts.

University prepares us for life. And professor Ruha Benjamin didn't hold back when talking to graduating students in Atlanta, Georgia. She told them: 'Black faces in high places won't save us.' The message being, don't expect your rights to be defended by Black people holding professional, political or economic power. Ruha gives the example of Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy to the United Nations. Yes, the woman who vetoes ceasefires in Gaza. She also takes aim at Black politicians running the city of Atlanta who support the creation of a 'cop city' and expansion of violent police forces that target Black youth. We might add to her list Black mis-leaders such as Barack Obama, who oversaw US military operations across the African continent. Or maybe US Vice President Kamala Harris, who's built her career on the mass incarceration of Black and Brown youth and families. Ruha's speech is cheered by students at Spelman College, a historically Black institution. She finishes by encouraging them to stand up for what's right, despite being labelled 'troublemakers' by authorities. It's a refreshingly honest take on the real world. Is there anyone else you'd add to Ruha's list?

On average, life expectancy of Black people in America is 70 years old. That’s six years shorter than White Americans, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics. Many factors have been blamed, and one is a lack of Black primary care doctors. A study shows when the number of Black doctors goes up in a community, so does the life expectancy of Black people living there. In this clip, one of the co-founders of the report runs through the correlation. Whatever the causes, it’s clear more doctors are needed. Black people make up around 12 per cent of America’s population and yet represent only six per cent of the physician workforce. Have a listen to this interview on PBS news with Dr Michael Dill, from the Association of American Medical Colleges. He has a few ideas on what can be done to improve the situation. Do you agree with him? Maybe you’ve got some suggestions of your own?

Watch how Nigerian teen Faith Odunsi went genius mode in Season 4 of a game show called, ‘Cowbellpedia,’ in 2018. Our only thought would be don’t succumb to the myth that we are not intelligent and that we need people from the West to do our maths for us, especially not our maths!

As the world observes Earth Day today, one institution seems to have been let off the hook: the U.S. military. It’s the planet’s biggest polluter, according to multiple studies. Washington has done much to bury this uncomfortable truth. It lobbied to exempt its military from reporting its emissions, as required by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The 2015 Paris Agreement overturned this exemption - but still does not legally bind the US to report military emissions. With at least 750 American army bases globally (29 in Africa), it’s not just US boots on the ground that are a cause for concern - but the carbon footprint they leave. African Stream’s Kenneth Kaigua looks at how this enormous war machine is killing our beautiful planet. It’s another reason to take pride in our brothers and sisters in the Sahel, as they kick out US forces from their counties - do you agree?

Hundreds of Moroccans gathered on 20 April in front of the US consulate in Casablanca to say the United States is just as responsible as Israel for the bombardments and escalated siege that have killed 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. US diplomatic, financial and military support has allowed Israel to occupy Palestinian territories for 75 years. On 19 April, the US House of Representatives passed a bill giving Israel $26 billion in ‘emergency aid.’ If it passes in the Senate, US President Joe Biden, who has promoted the bill since October, is likely to sign off on the $95 billion military aid package to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. As of December, 244 aeroplanes and 20 ships had delivered more than 10,000 tonnes of military equipment worth $2.4 billion to Israel since October. Further, the Intercept reported the US Air Force has been flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip for the first time in history, and the news outlet reported a government document appears to indicate the United States has been providing Israel with targeting information to aid airstrikes and to help fire long-range artillery weapons. Last week, the United States vetoed a UN resolution that would have recognised Palestine as a state. Meanwhile, the US has long claimed to support a two-state solution. The US has also vetoed three ceasefire resolutions at the global body. What explains US support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine? Let us know in the comments.

For 11 years, the US military has intervened in and occupied the Sahelian West African country of Niger. However, on March 16th, 2024, the Nigerien government, led by anti-imperialist military officer Abdouramane Tchiani, announced that it would be putting an immediate end to the military accord signed by a prior administration with Washington. Niamey declared US military operations in Niger illegal. It means the 1,100 US troops stationed in the country now have to scoot. Across Niger, many have welcomed the decision - but many are also frustrated that, over a month on, nothing’s happened yet. After a major protest in the capital last week urging the Americans to get on with it and go, this weekend saw a similar rally in Agadez - the site of the Pentagon’s 201 drone base. People at the protest also shared their views on what any future military alliances must look like: “We are not slaves,” said one man. Have a watch and please tell us if you share the sentiments expressed.

Burkina Faso has been investing most of its resources into defending its territory against paramilitary forces roaming the Sahel region, most recently by acquiring aircraft seen in this @rtburkina clip. Words like 'sovereignty' and 'autonomy' are featured in President Ibrahim Traoré's speeches and increasingly in the everyday conversations of citizens. Burkina Faso, along with neighbouring countries Mali and Niger, are working to strengthen their relationships with one another, as well as with international partners, to fight back successfully. For Burkinabé, these aircraft are a step toward greater security, prosperity and self-determination. Over the past nine years, paramilitary attacks led France to occupy this small landlocked country militarily. However, attacks continued across Burkina Faso and the Sahel, an arid zone south of the Sahara Desert. Many people across the region believe paramilitary forces, or what some refer to as 'death squads,' are connected to foreign powers outside of Africa. These forces increased in the aftermath of the 2011 NATO destabilisation of Libya. After former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's ouster, rebel groups from Mali were able to access the fallen government's weapons stash. Since then, some have wondered how these militants have been obtaining new weapons and technologies. After the 2022 military coup that ousted a Western-aligned leader, France got the boot to the cheers of the Burkinabè people.

US philanthropic foundations’ have a long and dark history of trying to control reproduction in Africa. The Rockefeller Foundation advertised in 1979 that it was launching the ‘Nertus Project’ to depopulate Africa in exchange for food, water and housing. However, decades later, activists and justice-minded intellectuals are trying to hold some of these foundations accountable, as African Stream’s Wambura Mwai explains. How should Africans hold outsiders accountable for eugenicist projects? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Should Africans hold foreigners accountable for trying to depopulate our continent?

Waist beads are all the rage on TikTok. For pretty much the same reasons our African ancestors loved them. African Stream’s Miss Phyll explains.

Africa’s most prized resource, its people, have been relegated to mere footnotes by Africa’s ruling elite. With low literacy rates and high poverty and hunger on a continent with 67 per cent of the world’s arable land, what gives? Everyone is clamouring for Africa, except the Africans, who, on rickety boats, look for opportunities their governments should have provided. Imperialism plays a role in the current state of affairs, as well. Leaders of the 20th century, such as Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Patrice Lumumba, Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara, Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah and Grenada’s Maurice Bishop, all executed pro-people policies, looking to utilise their natural resources to develop African people. They all saw their final days at the hands of the colonial powers. PLO Lumumba, a Pan-Africanist and former director of the Kenya School of Law, made the case in November 2022 that development is impossible without improving the African condition. In this clip, he spoke to Nigerian politicians in Abuja before the 2023 elections. Could greed, a lack of self-esteem and insecurity explain the disconnect? How relevant would the tired unimaginative elite be if Africans were empowered? How much better would the continent fare if the lions refused to be led by bought-and-paid-for sheep? What do you think of Lumumba’s remarks? Let us know in the comments.

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, while speaking to France 24 about immigration, reminded viewers of the root cause: Europeans coming to Africa to enslave, plunder and colonise - and leaving Africa underdeveloped while robbing it of resources to this day. That’s why those in a panic in the EU and the United States about Africans seeking a new life there ought to be more understanding. Had the West not enriched itself at the expense of Africans and done everything to keep our continent down and divided, this ‘crisis’ would not be at their door. What are your thoughts on this?

At African Stream, we think Scottish trade unionist Jimmy Reid’s remarks in this clip from about 50 years ago are relevant for Africans. From the continent and throughout the world, governments tell us we have rights. According to international law, a Malian farmer has the same legal rights and responsibilities as Nestlé CEO Ulf Mark Schneider. However, when Malians lost a lawsuit against food companies Nestlé and Cargill for child slavery, we saw that, in practice, equality before the law isn’t real. Rural Nigerian villagers are allegedly equal to the executives running oil companies Shell and Chevron. But who do you think has the upper hand in the courtroom? Legally, African Stream has the same rights to freedom of speech as the New York Times, CNN and the BBC. But which do you think has to contend with censorship? Under capitalism, most of our freedoms are abstract because, while we have the same legal rights as those who rule over us, we do not have the resources to fight to maintain these so-called freedoms.

The US has used its Security Council veto to override - singly - the will of Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and other Security Council members to let the Palestinians have full UN membership. In all, 12 out of 15 voted for what would have amounted to recognising a Palestinian state. (Currently, the Palestinians have observer status.) The UK and Switzerland abstained. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, the US used a person of Colour as their envoy to defend White supremacy. It previously used African-American Linda Greenfield-Thomas to veto a ceasefire resolution on Gaza. In the lead-up to the Iraq war, Colin Powell was used to present fabricated evidence to justify war. Many have long questioned the veto right held by the five permanent members of the UNSC (China, France, Russia, UK, US) - pointing out that it can be abused, un-democratically, to oppose the will of the majority (something particularly ironic - or hypocritical - in the case of the self-styled world champion of democracy!). What are your thoughts on the issue?

If you’ve never read any Toni Morrison, this short clip might just inspire you to. The Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist is known for her unmatched poise, authority and articulacy - qualities on display here, as she halts the interviewer in her tracks to call out the implicit racism of her question (essentially: why doesn’t Morrison write about White characters?). The interviewer is left shell-shocked. What’s your reaction?

Sierra Leone's first lady has attracted global attention for her ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ initiative, which works to protect women and girls against sexual violence and patriarchal practices. In this 6 March interview with Harvard University’s Takemi Program in International Health Executive Director Jesse Bump, Fatima Maada Bio detailed how she is working to close the gender gap in Africa. Women account for slightly more than half of the continent's population. The first lady also delved into Sierra Leone's bloody history and described how foreign interests still exploit its mineral wealth, making the case that, as a whole, Africa is not yet fully liberated. Bio also said the United Nations Security Council must be reformed after almost 80 years to include Africa as a member. Enjoy watching, and, as always, join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments section.