African Stream

NIGERIAN BILLIONAIRE NEEDS 35 VISAS FOR AFRICA! Here’s proof of how difficult it is for Africans to travel around their own continent. Nigerian Billionaire, Aliko Dangote, says he needs 35 different visas just to do business here. And he points out a French national would require far less! The award-winning entrepreneur was speaking at the recent CEO Forum Annual Summit in Rwanda and even gave President Kagame an earful over the bureaucratic madness. We’d also like to point out the insanity isn’t just strangling economic growth, it also impacts society. Many communities from the same ethnic groups are separated due to colonial-made boundaries and can’t interact because of visa requirements. It’s time something’s done.

Continued….. Caledonia has heaps of it - meaning heaps of profits for the masters back in Paris. So naturally, islanders are out protesting. They’ve been met with a huge security response, leading to violence and six deaths - as well as a good deal of rioting. France has declared a state of emergency, imposing a curfew and banning TikTok. In this clip, TikTok political commentator @beautymrked walks us through an article that neatly summarises what’s going on, adding his own observations. Your insights into the situation are of course most welcome in the comments! Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

NEW CALEDONIA RAGES AGAINST FRENCH IMPERIALISM It’s kicking off on the Pacific island of New Caledonia - colonised by France in the 1850s. The indigenous Kanak people are furious about French plans roll out greater electoral rights to newcomers to the island - meaning people who likely moved from the mainland and are in favour of keeping the island part of France. The independence movement narrowly lost two referendums a few years back, and boycotted a third, and now fears planned amendments to the constitution could see the political representation of Kanaks reduced. Of course, France is dressing it up as a would-be win for democracy, but look closer, and you’ll find the real neo-colonial motive: nickel. It’s a key element and New

South Africa has backed a bid to arrest Israeli and Hamas leaders for war crimes. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, says there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe they’ve committed grave atrocities. He’s targeting Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant along with three senior Hamas officials. The evidence will now be looked at by a panel of judges who’ll decide if ICC arrest warrants will be issued. South Africa has already launched a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

Continued…. The system invests in weapons manufacturers, asset manager BlackRock, Coca-Cola, Disney and 22 other companies that either do business or invest in Israel, according to an EdSource.org review of the UC system’s investments. In April, Gillman stated the institution would not boycott or divest from Israel. The UC system educates 280,000 students on 10 campuses in California and other facilities outside the US state. Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

BLACK PROFESSOR ARRESTED AT PRO-PALESTINE RALLY SPEAKS On 15 May, 10 police agencies arrested several people, including Professor Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, at the University of California, Irvine, during a pro-Palestine protest that began occupying a university building. Police also cleared a more than 2-week-old student encampment outdoors. UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman’s statement said students’ escalation required police action. The demonstrators, like many across the US, demand the University of California (UC) system divest $32 billion, or 18 per cent of its $175 billion in assets, from Israel.

Continued….. In terms of what happens next, ICC pre-trial judges will now weigh up if there’s enough evidence to issue arrest warrants. It could take months before a decision is made. Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has hit 35,562 - mostly women and children- since the October 7 escalation in the 76-year occupation of Palestine by Israel. Over 7,000 are missing, believed to be buried under the rubble. Ninety-seven journalists and 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 staff from UN relief agency UNRWA, have also been killed. Israel’s 17-year blockade of the strip has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, where the entire population is starving, and one in three children is severely malnourished. On Friday, a UN agency report said only 300 aid trucks had entered Gaza since Israel began its recent assault on Rafah. Its population of 1.3-million desperate Palestinians are trapped on the border with Egypt. Whatever Netanyahu says, he cannot hide the scale of devastation he’s unleashed. Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

BIBI BLASTS ICC ARREST THREAT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blasted a bid for his arrest for war crimes. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court wants him detained, along with his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for a list of alleged atrocities. They include the ‘starvation of civilians’ and ‘intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population’. Netanyahu accused the ICC of creating ‘a twisted and false moral equivalence’ with H*mas. Karim Khan also filed applications for the arrest of three H*mas leaders, accusing them of murder, taking hostages, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The resistance group also hit back, saying Khan was trying to ‘equate the victim with the executioner.’ US President Joe Biden doubled down on support for Tel Aviv, saying the allegations against its ally were ‘outrageous’.

Continued….. Lithium is in high demand around the world and is used in appliances from mobile phones to electric cars. It’s a market that’s only set to grow, as countries switch from fossil fuels to greener sources of energy. Zimbabwe holds the largest lithium reserves in Africa and the seventh largest in the world. Between January and September 2023, it sold raw supplies worth $209m. Why isn’t every mineral-rich African nation fast-tracking plans like this? Please follow us on Telegram, Link in Bio

Zimbabwe says four leading lithium mining companies have finally submitted plans to start processing the mineral within the country's borders. This follows a government directive issued in November, ordering companies to prepare to end exports of the mineral in its raw form. They were given until the end of March 2024 to submit plans to set up lithium refineries inside Zimbabwe. The ultimatum was then extended for two months. The move aims to ensure that the mineral is exported as battery-grade lithium, which fetches higher prices - and hence, should yield more cash for the country's coffers.