Africa Is Taking the Lead on Global Finance Reform
ADDIS ABABA – This year’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have made it clear that the global financial system, strained by repeated crises, is no…
Africa
Fighting for the Planet means Sovereignty for the Sahel
At the core of most demands for the US empire, we’re asking for kindergarten ethics– is that a stretch? It’s what the climate movement teaches about our relationship with the…
Who is Captain Ibrahim Traoré? In the footsteps of Thomas Sankara
From Samori Touré to Thomas Sankara [left], our ancestors chose resistance. Now, we must choose: either we fight for sovereignty, or we remain slaves to neo-colonialism. — captain Ibrahim Traoré…
The State of Africa In The New World Order
Africa today stands at a crossroads, caught between internal crises, shifting global power dynamics, and the slow unraveling of the post-liberation political order. Across the continent, ruling parties that once…
Africa at a Crossroads: A Future of Ruin or Renewal?
Africa, the cradle of civilization, stands at a critical moment in history. Once home to thriving ecosystems and abundant resources, it now faces severe crises: relentless droughts, disappearing forests, vanishing…
North Africa’s Regional Power Struggle
The conflict over Western Sahara is just one layer of the deep-rooted geopolitical battle for regional leadership between Morocco and Algeria. Too often, the Western Sahara conflict is viewed as…
African Debt Cycle
Debt is an important source of finance for development. But if the debt situation turns burdensome and it may even threaten the very sovereignty of a nation. That’s what happening…
In New African Protest Movements, the Youth Are Leading the Way
by Onyonge Mengo and Moses Awuor “Africa is Rising!”—or so the narrative goes. But the sun of economic growth does not shine on everyone. African youth face record-high unemployment, political underrepresentation,…
African Farmers and Pastoral Groups Speak Out Against Onslaught of Big Business Interests
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is a ‘network of networks’, with a presence in most countries of Africa, comprising farmers’ organizations, pastoral groups, consumer and health groups, civil…
Former Nigerian President Discusses US-Africa Relations
Kicking off its inaugural African Leadership Perspective Series at the Wilson Center to discuss an everchanging geopolitical landscape, was former Nigerian President H.E Olusegun Obasanjo. The program is designed around…
Stranglehold of Imperialism: Inflicting Hunger and Hardship in Africa
In late June, Kenyan President William Ruto backtracked on a tax-hiking finance bill after protests left at least 20 people dead and more than 150 injured when police opened fire…
AI and the digital scramble for Africa
We are told that Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be a powerful tool for advancing democratic concerns and human rights across Africa. Yet, there are also early indicators…
Slaughter in Sudan and the US Role
Thousands of Americans have been protesting for eight months against the murder and misery in Gaza. We have felt complicit because the bill is largely paid for by the US…
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Quit ECOWAS, A Tool Of Foreign Powers
The military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), claiming the regional bloc has become a tool…
The Pentagon Proclaims Failure in its War on Terror in Africa
America’s Global War on Terror has seen its share of stalemates, disasters, and outright defeats. During 20-plus years of armed interventions, the United States has watched its efforts implode in…
Is the Left Dead in Kenya?
Kenya faces critical times today as the government of President Ruto moves full speed towards the agenda set by USA via IMF directives. The push on Kenya to turn ‘West”…
Humanitarian Calamities That Aren’t on the World’s Agenda
by Priti Gulati Cox and Stan Cox Various versions of the aphorism “War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography” have been making the rounds ever since the rise of…
Tunakataa! Saying ‘No’ to Capitalism and Imperialism in Kenya
Preface to the book by Durrani, Nazmi: Tunakataa! We Say No! Resistance Poems in Kiswahili and English Reflecting Life in Kenya in the 1980s. Forthcoming: Nairobi: Vita Books. [Tunakataa: Kiswahili…
France Will Pull Out Its Diplomats And Military From Niger, Says Macron
France will pull its military and diplomats from Niger after a successful coup by anti-French forces, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. The move will see around 1,500 soldiers leave…
Imperial Footprints in Africa: The Dismal Role of AFRICOM
No power in history has exercised such global reach. With brutal immediacy, forces from the United States may be dispatched and deployed within hours to combat any designated adversary. From…
Hunger in Africa has its roots in a History of Colonialism and Neo-colonialism
Soon after many countries of Africa became free from direct colonial rule, it was noticed that distorted patterns of trade allied to big business growth were resulting in perpetuation of…
Is This the End of French Neo-Colonialism in Africa?
by Zoe Alexandra and Vijay Prashad In Bamako, Mali, on September 16, the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger created the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). On X, the…
‘Epidemic’ or Revolution: The Other Side of the West Africa Upheaval
What if the "epidemic of coups" in West and Central Africa is not that at all, but a direct outcome of outright revolutionary movements, similar to the anti-colonial movements that…
Three Former French Sahel Colonies Form Military Alliance
The military governments of three African states, which all deposed their Western-backed leaders in recent years, have agreed to assist each other, individually or collectively, in case of any external…
The Leading Cause of Immense Distress in the Sahel is Imperialism
The Sahel region in Africa has experienced some of the worst distress in the world in recent times caused by violence, insecurity, hunger and deprivation. The recent crisis in Niger…
France Is Planning Aggression Against Niger, Claims Nigerien Government
France is planning to intervene in Niger, as it continues to deploy troops to several countries in the region, the West African state’s military government has claimed. Relations between Niger…
People Try To Storm French Military Base In Chad
A French military nurse shot and killed on Tuesday a Chadian soldier he was treating and who attacked him with a scalpel in a French forces base in Faya-Largeau, in…
Another War Breaks Out in Northern Ethiopia, as the Threat of Disintegration Looms
“The worst-case scenario is unfolding in Ethiopia,” Gabriel Bizuneh tells me, as he organizes in the Ethiopian community in Washington, D.C. Once again, the federal government is at war with…
Niger Crisis, China Plans To Mediate
The Chinese government has announced its intention to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Niger crisis, following a coup in July that triggered sanctions and left the West African country…
People Protest French Military Presence In Niger, Demand Withdrawal Of French Troops
Thousands of people protested the French military presence in Niger and French interference in Niger’s internal affairs Saturday. Media reports said: The protesting people gathered outside of the French military…
Military coup ousts Bongo political dynasty in Gabon
On Wednesday, a month after a military coup in Niger, the military ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba in Gabon, an oil-rich former French colony in central Africa. The coup in…
Withdraw From Niger Within September 3, Niger’s Ultimatum To French Troops
Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) has reportedly demanded the complete withdrawal of French troops from the West African country by September 3. Earlier, Saudi media…
Trade Unions are the Future of Kenya
Image the situation in Kenya in the 1930s. The most powerful imperialist country in the world was in total control of land, life and future of the country. Not only in…
France Will Back ECOWAS Military Action In Niger, Says Macron
France will back any military action by the 11-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Niger to restore the rule of ousted leader Mohamed Bazoum, French President Emmanuel…
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger at the forefront of the African Revolution
“You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the…
Private Military Companies Continue To Expand in Africa
The recent coup in Niger threatens to unleash more private military and security companies on a continent where they have become steadily more powerful in recent decades. In the wake…
Is Western Media’s Perception of Africa Racist?
Racism goes beyond the use of certain words or the discriminatory practices of everyday life. It is also about political perceptions, intellectual depictions, and collective relationships. Consider the way that…
The Final Colonial Partition of Africa at the Turn of the 20th Century
The “Black Continent” of Africa until the end of the eighth decade of the 19th century was not properly known territory, especially its central parts which have been unknown to…
What’s Happening in Niger Is Far From a Typical Coup
On July 26, 2023, Niger’s presidential guard moved against the sitting president—Mohamed Bazoum—and conducted a coup d’état. A brief contest among the various armed forces in the country ended with all the…
Intervention In Niger, U.S. Hints Support
The US has said it backs efforts to restore Niger’s “constitutional order” in the wake of a military uprising last month, after countries in the region said they would activate troops…
Niger: A Coup Against French Control And Dominance
The situation in Niger is still in flux. On 26 July 2023 a military coup took place in that West African state that led to the ouster of its elected…
Queen of the Ukraine Coup Victoria Nuland Visits Niger
Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has traveled to Niger, and met with the new military government. Widely regarded as a foreign policy hawk, Nuland spoke to her…
Statement from New World Mathaba In Support of the Revolutionary Forces of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger
The New World Mathaba was born out of the original World Mathaba founded by the revolutionary leader and martyred Pan Africanist, Muammar Qaddafi. We are committed to the original mission…
France Punishes Burkina Faso Due To Stand On Niger Coup: Aid Suspended
The French government announced on Sunday that it is halting financial assistance to Burkina Faso over the West African nation’s stance on the coup in Niger. “France suspends, until further…
Invasion Threat, Niger Closes Airspace, Thousands Rally Supporting Military Government
The situation in Niger is still tense. The military government now running Niger has refused to relinquish power, as an ultimatum set by the Economic Community of West African States…
Ousted Niger President Calls For U.S. Intervention In Own Country
The ousted Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum has asked for U.S. help to defeat the military junta that seized power last week. The Washington Post on Thursday evening published an op-ed purportedly…
Niger Is the Fourth Country in the Sahel to Experience an Anti-Western Coup
by Vijay Prashad and Kambale Musavuli At 3 a.m. on July 26, 2023, the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Troops, led by Brigadier General Abdourahmane…
The coup in Niger
In the spirit of “every coup deserves a blog post”, here are some basics about the coup in Niger. Caveats to start: I know a lot about coups, but I…
How Babban Gona Keeps Nigerian Youth Off The Streets
In 2012, Nigeria was amidst a social and political crisis when Kola Masha, the Harvard educated managing partner of Babban Gona, the award-winning for-profit social enterprise, took a monumental decision…
The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Africa
The framework of our civilization is premised on the destruction of the planet. The struggle for environmental justice in Africa is complex and broad. It is the continuation of the…
What role did trade unions play in the struggle for independence in Kenya?
It is instructive to compare the role of trade unions in Kenya’s War of Independence under Mau Mau with the situation under Maji Maji, the Tanzanian people’s war of liberation…
Capitalist Exploitation Entrenched in Kenya
An important feature of life in Kenya, as in other capitalist countries, is the ever-present exploitation of labour and resources in every aspect of life. It is so prevalent that…
Euro-imperialism ready for new colonial wars in Africa
Where is Danish foreign policy headed? Everything now revolves around the war in Ukraine and rearmament against Russia, which is quite openly called our enemy, and where sanctions are being…
The Long Arm of Washington Extends Into Africa’s Sahel
On March 16, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced—during his visit to Niger—that the United States government will provide $150 million in aid to the Sahel region of Africa.…
Burkina Faso Ejects French Troops
On January 18, 2023, the government of Burkina Faso made a decision to ask the French military forces to depart from the country within a month. This decision was made…
Liberating Africa from Poverty Requires Changing Power Relations with the West
Soon after arriving in Oslo, my taxi zigzagged through the city's well-organized streets and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Large billboards advertised the world's leading brands in fashion, cars, and perfumes. Amid all…
Charting the Rise of Anti-French Sentiment Across Northern Africa
In November 2021, a French military convoy was making its way to Mali while passing through Burkina Faso and Niger. It did not get very far. It was stopped in Téra, Niger,…
The Other Russia-West War: Why Some African Countries are Abandoning Paris, Joining Moscow
The moment that Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was ousted by his own former military colleague, Captain Ibrahim Traore, pro-coup crowds filled the streets. Some burned French flags, others carried Russian…
France’s Influence in Africa Faces Strains From Locals and Foreign Competitors
The recent visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Algeria is an attempt by Paris to hold on to the economic and cultural control it once had over its former…
The Intricate Fight For Africa: The Legacy of the Soviet Union vs Western Colonialism
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent tour in Africa was meant to be a game changer, not only in terms of Russia's relations with the continent, but in the global…
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