DIASPORA AFRICANS CRUCIAL IN LIBERATION STRUGGLE

The African Union formally recognises Africa's diaspora as the continent’s “6th region.”

We share a history of oppression, a commitment to Pan-Africanism, and a collective desire for self-determination and dignity. In this clip, Claude Gatebuke, a Rwanda G*nocide survivor and activist, gives the recent solidarity marches for Ibrahim Traoré as an example of this dynamic.

Gatebuke argues that Africans in the diaspora play a crucial role as vital bridges between the continent and global struggles for liberation. Their intellectual contributions, political activism, financial support, and cultural solidarity form a critical bridge between Africans on the continent and a global network of allies. 

The diaspora actively counters dominant Western narratives that often misrepresent or ignore events and leaders in Africa. In the case of Ibrahim Traoré, mainstream Western media usually paint him as a power-hungry ‘junta’ leader, burying the inconvenient truth that he is spearheading a people-led revolutionary movement. 

Diaspora activists utilise social media, independent news sources, and direct action to ensure that alternative views highlighting African sovereignty and the fight against neo-colonialism are heard worldwide. For example, in late April, Leo Muhammad, who was born in Jamaica, led a pro-Traoré solidarity protest outside the US embassy in London, where he heads the UK’s Nation of Islam movement.

Can you add your voice to Gatebuke’s by liking and sharing this important message?

Video credit: AfriDominion Media