African Stream

In 2018-2019, the people of Sudan took to the streets to fight for their democratic rights and demand that longtime Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir step down from power. He was then removed in a coup orchestrated by the joint efforts of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary. But what initially looked like a victory for the people soon spiralled into a power struggle between the SAF and RSF that turned into a devastating civil war and a proxy war between regional powers in the region.

The Sudanese Army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, controls most of the industries in Sudan, while the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemdeti, control the goldmines, but both sides want total supremacy over Sudan - and especially over the capital, Khartoum.

The fighting has displaced more than 7.8 million people internally, while 2 million have fled the country. Some 20.3 million face acute food insecurity. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed, and on top of the humanitarian emergency, there are reports of mass rapes and genocidal violence. In the Darfur region, the RSF and allied Arab militia are accused of committing atrocities against the Masalit people. The war has also overshadowed a pre-existing conflict in the Nuba mountains.

Despite the enormity of the tragedy unfolding in Sudan, the conflict and its consequences have largely been ignored by global news outlets.

We invited two Sudanese guests to discuss the pressing emergencies in their country. Kamal Ramadan (aka ‘General KD’) is an artist from the Nuba mountains who highlights the challenges in this region and the role of art and music during this war, especially in reaching out to young people, who form the majority of the combatants. Mosaab Baba, meanwhile, is a researcher and consultant from Ayin Network. He has been working with Sudanese civil society since the 2000s, even during the conflict, to try and find an amicable solution and peaceful transition of power.

They gave us their take on the war, its genesis and what steps need to be taken to put a permanent end to hostilities. They bring some great insights to the table.

African Stream has reacted to videos of Donald Trump, King Charles, Elon Musk, among others, but the one that took the cake was our reaction to CNN's expert on the coup in Niger.

Shortly after July 26 it was evident that the overthrow of Western-aligned president Mohamed Bazoum by the military had popular support. For Nigeriens, here at last was a chance to kick out the exploitative French - and their influence - from their motherland.

CNN brought on Washington DC think-tanker and former State Department employee Aneliese Bernard to explain France's (and the West's) dwindling fortunes in Niger.

Trying to make sense of it all, she said that the capital Niamey was populated by the elite, whose differences with the president may have contributed to his downfall. No mention of how France has greatly benefited at the expense of Niger, which is one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita income of $ 628 (IMF).

CNN's host Zain Asher then echoed the West's fear of an awakened continent when she wondered why Nigeriens were happy to be rid of a 'democratically elected' leader who is 'trusted by the West'.

It's a dangerous time for humanity when mainstream media believes its own propaganda, especially about Africa. It's even more dangerous when people believe what these 'experts' say about the continent.

Violence has escalated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between M23 militants and the DRC army. Unfortunately, rockets and bombs have landed on universities, markets and villages, killing some civilians while others run for their lives. Many fear the conflict and the humanitarian crisis will cycle out of control as Goma, North Kivu province's largest city—home to 2 million people—might fall to the so-called rebels.

African Stream hosted two guests from Friends of the Congo and the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa to unpack the situation.

There's a new wave of people of African descent being given platforms to say stuff some White people want to say but won’t, for fear of being called racist.

And here’s a perfect example.

Senegal-born entrepreneur, Magatte Wade, reckons Africans should stop blaming their economic struggles on their colonial past. And she was happy to make her case to right-wing commentator Jordan Peterson who just nods in agreement. Excuse me? How can our colonial and neo-colonial history be completely ignored? We break down the stupidity of her argument and highlight a new worrying trend.

Kenya's plan to deploy police officers to Haiti does not enjoy support among ordinary people. So, you can imagine African Stream's surprise at seeing a group of Kenyans donning 'Africa4Haiti' T-shirts at a 24 January event dubbed 'Hands Off Haiti.'

The group's inability to articulate reasons for supporting the Haiti mission confirmed our suspicion that they were a crowd-for-hire lot. The phenomenon is not unique to Kenya, as African Stream Assistant Operations Manager Clinton Nzala attests from his experience in Zambia.

The lobby group's 'Chief Inspiration Officer' later presented his case on a popular Nairobi-based radio programme. We got a good laugh out of that.

Watch our reaction to this experience and join the conversation by leaving us with a comment.

With the Kenyan High Court ruling Kenya's deployment of police to Haiti as unconstitutional and the president's insistence that the mission must happen, African Stream hosted two community organizer's to delve into the topic. The two were also part of Hands Off Haiti, an event that took place in opposition to the deployment.

We dissect the origins of Haiti's crisis, the current state, the actors involved and more. Please have a watch and we'd love for you to get into the conversation.

The United Nations Security Council vote on 2 October has opened a new era of occupation in Haiti. Popular debates have sprung up, speculating whether or not the latest "peacekeeping" mission, spearheaded by Kenya and funded by the United States, will be effective. However, African Stream host Salifu Mack says history shows US interests in Haiti have always resulted in the exact opposite of "peace." For more information about the history of occupation in Haiti, check out the many resources made available by the @blackallianceforpeace.

Let us know your thoughts on the UNSC vote to occupy Haiti.