History repeats itself! After Patrice Lumumba’s 30 June 1960 Independence speech, the Congo Crisis started. The Belgians were not happy to leave their colony and thus funded Moïse Tshombe in the Katanga for the secession of Congo. This was at the height of the Cold War, and served as a proxy conflict between the East and the West or the Soviet Union and the United States and cronies. A little over a week later, on 9 July, Belgium deployed paratroopers, without the Congolese state’s permission, in Kabalo and elsewhere to protect fleeing white civilians. As the conflict persisted, Lumumba appealed to the United Nations, but he was told that all aid to the Congolese government would be going through the UN. Finding this out, his Deputy Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga declared:
“The people of the Congo do not understand why we, the victims of aggression, we who are in our own land . . . are systematically and methodically disarmed while the aggressors, the Belgians, who are in our conquered country, still have their arms and and all their firepower. . . . The UN forces allow Katanga to consolidate secession and let the Belgians behave as if they were in an occupied country under the smokescreen of a phoney Katanga provincial government that we, the legitimate government of the Congo, have declared illegal.” Antoine Gizenga, in CRISP, Congo 1960, p. 615
As you read these words uttered by Deputy Prime Minister Gizenga over 66 years, does it not read like the aggression that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been going through at the hands of the M23, proxy troops of Rwanda used to loot the Congolese resources? These words remind us of the conflict in Cote d’Ivoire with the Marcory treaties where the victims were disarmed while the aggressors were armed… and so many other conflicts in Africa: the victim wishing for his dependence is disarmed pushed into a corner, while the aggressor is funded by the West. All of this, under the watchful eyes of the UN, just as in 1960!
Today we will talk about the Congolese writer and poet Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard. To celebrate the ‘independence’ of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we will focus on Loutard’s poem on Congo: Congo natal (Natal Congo). Even though Loutard is from the Republic of Congo or Congo-Brazzaville, one can tell that he is talking about the entire Congo basin. This poem is very lyrical, and deeply rooted in Congolese identity. It also shows his deep love of Congo and its landscape, joys, flora, fauna, people, and essence. He starts by letting you know the effect of exile on his soul, far away from its country. Then he centers it around nature, but highlighting a world anchored on African ancestral maternal protective traditions.
Enjoy ‘Congo Natal‘ by Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard, published in his poetry collection La tradition du songe: Poèmes. Presence Africaine (1985). Translated to English by Dr. Y. Afrolegends.com.
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Congo Natal
Je ne redoute rien tant que l’exil Le regret de mon soleil versé sur les vagues Comme l’huile qui s’exalte dans la poèle Et chante le cantique du feu Et ma mère trempée d’angoisses Devant son foyer aux-trois-pierres Combien de poètes portent à jamais Le deuil des Tropiques dans les contrées du Nord Les douleurs dans leurs écrits se disposent comme des noctuelles sur des étaloirs Quand le climat déploie ses forces arides L’oeil s’ouvre sur la grisaille et s’embue Le coeur nidifie dans la pierre Parfois la mémoire se déplie Vient la clarté puis à nouveau le ciel s’embrume Toi l’étrange cultivateur transmigrant Quel espace as-tu fructifié Depuis que la terre en toi s’est rétrécie Que le fleuve Congo n’y est plus qu’un sillon Je pense à mon horizon où lève l’épi de l’aube Aux enfants qui s’éparpillent sur le miroir du jour Aux passereaux en tumulte dans le rônier A ce peuple missionné qui reprend feu Quand passe le vent avec ses poissons-pilotes de feuilles mortes Cherchant dans son trouble inapaisable A jeter bas les masques du mensonge A ceux qui ont déserté les ailes D’une maison obscurcie par la mort Le soleil survient qui replante ses lances dans la rue J’observe les générations nouvelles qui ondulent Et cette fille de l’espèce lianescente Sort du terroir profond Son visage a bruni au feu de santal Elle passe comme une jacinthe dans les eaux errantes Aveugle elle va briser son coeur sur l’écueil L’asphalte lui ouvre ses mares ses mirages Et je n’oublie pas la gloire des Jours d’Août Sanglés dans leur tunique couleur de sang Et l’héritage exhalant encore le parfum du frangipanier.
Natal Congo
I dread nothing so much as exile, The longing for my sun spilled upon the waves Like oil rising in the pan Singing the hymn of the fire, And my mother, steeped in anguish Before her three-stone hearth. How many poets forever mourn The Tropics while in northern lands? The sorrows in their writings are arrayed Like owlet moths upon a display board. When the climate unleashes its arid forces The eye opens upon the grayness and clouds over The heart makes its nest in the stone Sometimes memory unfolds Clarity comes, then the sky grows hazy once more You, strange transmigrating cultivator What space have you made fruitful Since the earth within you shrank Since the Congo River became but a furrow there? I think of my horizon where the stalk of dawn rises Of the children scattering across the mirror of the day Of the sparrows clamoring in the Palmyra palm Of that missioned people catching fire again As the wind passes, with its pilot-fish of dead leaves, Seeking, in its unappeasable turbulence, To tear the masks of falsehood from the faces Of those who abandoned the wings Of a house darkened by death, The sun arrives to plant its spears once more in the street; I watch the new generations undulating, And this daughter of the vine-like breed Emerges from the deep soil; Her face has turned brown in the sandalwood fire, She passes like a hyacinth through wandering waters; Blind, she will shatter her heart against the reef, The asphalt opens up its pools and mirages to her, And I do not forget the glory of the August Days, Girt in their blood-colored tunics, Nor the legacy that still exhales the scent of frangipani.
Last Thursday, there was another attack on Niger’s main airport, the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey. In the early hours of the morning, inhabitants of the capital Niamey heard gunshots. This new wave of attacks by gunmen is said to have killed 11 soldiers and 2 civilians on the government side, while government forces repelled the attack and killed 22 assailants. According to the government statement read out on state television, 20 people were arrested and assorted weapons seized. A large cache of weapons including RPG-7 launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, communications equipment and thousands of rounds of ammunition were also reportedly seized. The assailants also mixed in with the local population to run from the government, but were caught by local residents who joined forces with soldiers to unearth them. And of course, foreign media were rejoicing and could not wait to tell us all about it. Let’s keep our countries in our heart all the time and remain strong! The enemy lurks, but we stay alert!We will never give up!
Gunmen launched a violent assault on the Diori Hamani International Airport, which serves the capital city of Niamey, Niger, in the early hours of Thursday, June 18, 2026. The attack shattered the morning calm with sustained gunfire and multiple explosions, prompting an urgent mobilization of national security forces. The incident began at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT), leading to a security standoff that lasted for nearly an hour, with intense fighting concentrated near the airport’s main gate. One local resident described the scene, noting, “I heard the first gunshots at 06:00 (05:00 local time) while I was at the mosque. But the current situation is under control.”
Government security forces acted with speed to repel the assailants after the facility’s perimeter was breached. By mid-morning, soldiers were conducting rigorous security checks on travelers and civilians along the roads surrounding the airport. While government authorities have yet to issue a formal statement, security sources confirmed that the army successfully neutralized the immediate threat and pushed back the gunmen. Reports indicate the fleeing attackers abandoned several weapons at the scene. These ongoing security challenges persist despite recent government measures to bolster defenses, which included the demolition of adjacent neighborhoods identified as “terrorist risks” and the installation of over 350 surveillance cameras to monitor the facility.
The International Criminal Court in the Hague (Source: inews.co.uk)
At last, another African country leaves that racist and prejudicial institution that is the International Criminal Court of Justice. It is no secret that the ICC only indicts mostly African leaders: Joseph Kony of Uganda, Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé of Côte d’Ivoire, Charles Taylor of Liberia, Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto of Kenya, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, and the list goes on. Out of the 17 situations currently under investigations by the ICC, 10 of them are on African countries. Since the ICC’s creation in 1998 up until around 2021, 100% of people indicted by the ICC were Africans, while today 60 – 75% of those indicted are Africans. In view of this, it would seem as if there is only one continent on planet earth: Africa! and the ICC only sees crime in Africa! The ICC has an African bias! I am not saying that some of these people do not deserve to be judged, but when we compare to leaders around the world who have committed major atrocities or authorized horrendous things, why are they not at the ICC too? Why the bias?
Flag of Niger
Today, Niger is the third country to leave the ICC joining the Philippines and Burundi. It is about time! Niger has accused the ICC of selective justice. In a letter submitted on Monday to the United Nations, another organization which only serves the West, Niger’s authorities said “While the court had raised great hopes among peoples who cherish peace and justice, it has been misused and exploited.” We, Africans, should leave all these institutions that devalue us, and serve those who continue looting our continent with impunity. Shouldn’t we strengthen our own judiciary systems to handle our very own matters? Why should we let some people located thousands of kilometers in some of the countries that are often bombing us like in the case of Libya, judge our leaders? How fair could they possibly be?
Niger has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), nine months after announcing its intent to leave.
President Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger
In September 2025, Niger, along with allies Mali and Burkina Faso – which are all under military rule – issued a joint statement saying they would not recognise the ICC’s authority, calling it an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression“.
The court said it had received an “instrument of withdrawal” on 18 June, according to a statement seen by the AFP news agency. Withdrawal takes effect one year after notification. The ICC added that Niger must honour its obligations to the court until that date. The ICC – based in The Hague in the Netherlands – was set up in 2002 to pursue cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
The court’s statement on Tuesday did not make any mention of Mali or Burkina Faso.
When announcing their withdrawal, the three Sahel states said they wanted to set up “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice“.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Emblem (FIFA Official logo FIFA.com)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup started last week and we have felt the joy of it… At this year’s World Cup, there are a record 48 teams, as opposed to the past 32, and 10 countries representing the continent, an increase from the past 5. The 10 countries representing Africa at the World Cup are: Algeria (The Fennecs), Cape Verde (The Blue Sharks), DR Congo (The Leopards), Ghana (The Black Stars), Egypt (The Pharaohs), Ivory Coast (The Elephants), Morocco (The Atlas Lions), Senegal (The Lions of Teranga), South Africa (Bafana Bafana), and Tunisia (The Eagles of Carthage). All teams have played their first games, and so far Cape Verde has wowed the public with a draw against the mighty Spain (0 – 0), Morocco has also pulled a draw against Brazil (1 – 1), Egypt against Belgium (1 – 1), DR Congo returning 52 years after being the first African nation at a World Cup also pulled a draw against Portugal of Cristiano Ronaldo (1 – 1); Ivory Coast won their first game against Ecuador (1 – 0), while Ghana defeated Panama (1 – 0); South Africa lost against Mexico during the opening game (2 – 0), Senegal lost against the vice-champion France (3 – 1), Algeria against champion Argentina (3 – 0), and Tunisia against Sweden (5 – 1). There are still 2 games to make it to the qualifying rounds, and we pray that African teams make us proud.
Flag of Cape Verde
At this World Cup, we have also felt the pains of it. Yes, there is pain! The tickets are extremely expensive, it is said that they are at least 7 times higher than tickets were at the World Cup in Qatar 4 years ago. Then there are the visa issues which we hear about now. For many Africans there is a $15,000 deposit fee for a tourist/business visa! Can you imagine? Who has $15,000 laying around? And what is the procedure for one to recover that money upon returning home? From my experience with anything, once people take your money, there is always a delay in refunding money which may take days: is it the case here? The US government imposed a visa bond fee on 50 countries said to have high overstays… guess how many of those 50 countries are in Africa? 33 African countries! Thus, we have seen the superb Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha in tears at the end of his game since his mother could not get a visa to watch him play for lack of money; this has since been remedied as US representative Hakeem Jeffries (who has some Cape-Verdean heritage) called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and now Vozinha‘s mother will be able to watch her son play.
In view of this, my question is to us Africans, why don’t we apply reciprocity? Why do we have to be humiliated paying hefty fees, while the others can just waltz in our countries? and call us persona non grata in their countries while they make billions in ours? Do you remember how last October, Mali got the US to scrap the visa bond when they reciprocated with a similar visa bond for US citizens? “This is not about confrontation; it’s about respect,” a senior Malian foreign affairs official stated “If a Malian citizen must pay a bond to visit the U.S., then so must an American to visit Mali. Reciprocity is a cornerstone of equal partnership.” Indeed, this is the era of equal partnership, and dignity. We can no longer be humiliated to no end. Such an approach should not just applied to visa bond, but to the visa process and applications as a whole! and further to resources and negotiations!
Soweto Uprising: children running away (Source: kilimedia.com)
Today marks the celebration of the 1976 Soweto Uprisings which have been seen historically as the beginning to the end of apartheid in South Africa, and which is a public holiday celebrated South Africa as Youth Day. Remembrance: 16 June 1976 Soweto Massacre. It is also celebrated as the International Day of the African Child. On June 16, 1976, thousands of Black students in Soweto, South Africa, marched to protest the compulsory use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools, seen as a tool of oppression under apartheid. The peaceful protest escalated when police responded with tear gas, batons, and live ammunition resulting in the deaths of hundreds of students including 13-year-old Hector Pieterson whose image became the international symbol of the uprising. I visited the Hector Pieterson’s memorial in Soweto and talked about it here extensively. Visiting the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum. June 16 is a day to commemorate and remember the ills of apartheid and their treatment of the Black community and how children who were just protesting for some basic rights, the right to education were massacred.
Hector Pieterson being carried away by Mbuyisa Makhubo, with his sister running alongside (Photo by: Sam Nzima)
Now, 50 years later, South Africa is back to being a xenophobic country … I don’t like using such words because it implies a generalization which should not be done, but how do you explain the current division or hate for African foreigners in South Africa? We all remember how, during the apartheid era, many African governments supported, hosted, and even funded the ANC for the liberation of the Black population of South Africa and now this? After apartheid, attacks on migrants in townships started becoming more prevalent and cyclical. Foreign shop owners are accused of “stealing jobs” or undercutting local businesses, especially in the informal economy. Around the world, migrants are frequently cast as scapegoats for deeper structural problems, reaching from inequality and corruption to weak economic growth and state failure. In South Africa, this scapegoating overwhelmingly targets Black and African migrants: Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Mozambicans, Ghanaians, etc.
Plaque to the Hector Pieterson Monument
When will the Black South African population realize that this is just a division tactic used by politicians to shift the blame for their poor performance or lack thereof? In other parts of Africa, they use tribalism, but in South Africa it is xenophobia. Black South Africans are taking their frustrations at unemployment, social inequality, on other Africans who they claim take their jobs or are illegals! Yet, they say nothing about the Europeans who come and stay or take jobs, or own lands, or who inherited from the wealth that came from the apartheid regime. Instead of blaming their governments who have been misappropriating funds, they take it out on the rest of Africans residing in their country. They forget that over 90% of the wealth is still in the hands of European descendants or people who profit from separation. That just because ‘apartheid’ no longer exists or rather its name, it still is present, and they still own nothing! They don’t realize that this is a tactic for those in power (the government and more) and to keep them down, distracted from the real issues of economic empowerment, land ownership, and more. Even former President Thabo Mbeki addressed this, when he warned against blaming immigrants for South Africa’s unemployment crisis, urging citizens to reject xenophobic narratives that scapegoat other Africans for domestic governance failures.
Map and Flag of Ghana
The governments of Nigeria and Ghana have now started repatriating their citizens. Over 1,000 Ghanaians have been repatriated. The Nigerian government has threatened to retaliate by boycotting South African assets by giants like MTN in their country; let’s see if it it not all fluff. This spat has even showed its face at the FIFA 2026 World Cup last week during the opening game between Mexico and South Africa played in Mexico City, where many African fans were supporting Mexico against South Africa.
Our African ancestors must be rolling in their graves wondering how their support to end apartheid could have paved the way to such behavior! They must be rolling in their graves as they watch us fight, while the real culprits stand on the sides and fill their pockets with our minerals, our resources, and more. In reality, we should be united, and the enemy will use every technique known in the book to keep us down… anything that divides us is not good. Xenophobia is no way to celebrate the memory of Hector Pieterson
Nigeria has threatened retaliatory measures against South Africa after Abuja began repatriating hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa this week amid alleged xenophobic attacks by South African protesters.
Flag and map of Nigeria
Diplomatic tensions between the two countries have spiked since the latest wave of violent anti-immigration protests by thousands of South Africans calling for strict, mass deportation measures.
… There have been three waves of anti-immigration protests since 2008, all turning violent and resulting in casualties and the looting of shops and other property. Much of the anger has targeted, in particular, nationals from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, as well as Nigeria and Ghana.
… On Monday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu accused South Africa’s government of failing to forcefully denounce violence against Nigerian nationals in South Africa. She said this had damaged the bond the two countries have enjoyed since the solidarity Nigeria showed during South Africa’s fight against apartheid. Legitimate businesses are being “looted” while children are forced to stay away from school, she said. “The police refused to do anything,” the minister added. “Nigeria is not happy because Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African independence struggle,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu told journalists on Monday. “My own generation, we carried placards, we demonstrated in front of South African assets, sometimes we even got arrested.” At least 1,000 Nigerians were initially scheduled for repatriation this week, but Abuja says the number of people wishing to return home is rising
“Revolutions can be hijacked, co-opted or stripped of their substance when they lack both a clear doctrine and an organization capable of ensuring that change is sustained over the long term. And that is why this congress is historic, two years after we assumed the highest offices of state,” is what Ousmane Sonko said during his address to the PASTEF congress this past weekend.
These words resume the essence of the congress. With delegates coming from all over the country, from other countries on the continent, and the diaspora, it was a real show of people’s dedication, strength, enthusiasm, and muscle power. It was beautiful! It was encouraging, and most importantly it was inspiring. Indeed, revolutions can be hijacked, co-opted, or stripped of their substance when they lack substance, but when a revolution is driven by the people, when a revolution is driven by a clear vision, it cannot be stopped!
With 553 sections from around the country, and the diaspora, Ousmane Sonko has been unanimously elected as the first official president of the Pastef party during its first ordinary congress, held on Saturday.
Flag of Senegal
This is the first time Pastef has formally elected a party president since its creation in 2014. The party’s internal regulatory body (HAREP) described the election process as transparent, inclusive, and democratic. The election is seen as a symbolic milestone, officially recognizing Sonko as the leader who has guided the party since its founding. The congress marks a new chapter in Pastef’s organizational and political evolution.
To read more check out Seneweb.com, Senego, and AfricaNews. Thank you to Sonko and the Senegalese people. We are all members of PASTEF today.
I am trying to understand why Nigerians are opening their markets to France. Did you know that Nigeria is one of France’s largest economic hubs in sub-Saharan Africa? French companies are active across nearly every major sector of the Nigerian economy. Likewise, in Angola, the French footprint is growing up particularly in oil and gas, logistics, and construction: there, for instance, TotalEnergies is one of the top 2 oil operators in Angola owning over 40% of Angola’s offshore production (their presence predates some of us, remember Angolagate?). Now our dear William Ruto is opening the Kenyan market to France… Not quite, Kenya is one of the top 3 African countries for French business presence (after South Africa, and Morocco). Don’t these African, anglophone and lusophone countries feel or know how the Francophone African countries have been suffering under their yoke?
Africa Forward Summit 2026
Over 3 weeks ago, Kenya hosted the Africa Forward Summit, a summit aimed at deepening Africa-France economic ties which was held for the first time in an English-speaking country, as France seeks to revitalize its influence outside its normal pré-carré in Africa. Kenyan President William Ruto was leveraging the summit to negotiate for ‘fairer’ treatment of African nations in global finance, with France expressing support. At the end of the summit, France and Kenya signed over $1 billion in agreements covering transport, infrastructure, maritime affairs, and economic development. Our good old Ruto and his deals! Macron also announced $27 billions of investment during the Africa Forward summit in Kenya. Where would this money come from, when France is in super debt? Oh wait!… from the other pré-carré countries, and printing paper money! Africa is funding Europe!
So instead of repairing the relationship with all the Francophone countries who complain of France’s chokehold on them, France is expanding to the other African countries (Anglophone, Lusophone, hispanophone) who were never part of its colonies. They maintain their chokehold on 14 – 15 countries with the horrible FCFA and keep them under their yoke choking the life out of them, and now for those who have rebelled like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger they even fund terrorism and push all sorts of embargo on them. The 11 Components of the French Colonial Tax in Africa. Historically, France has sponsored numerous coups d’état in many of its pré-carré constantly destabilizing them to their advantage.
FCFA Franc map
During the Africa Forward Summit, French President Emmanuel Macron, who cannot help but show his disdain and condescension for Africans, stood up and asked the audience to quiet, telling them that their behavior showed a “total lack of respect” for the presenters. His remarks were perceived by many as condescending, highlighting tensions related to France’s historical legacy in Africa. Remember when he went to Burkina Faso in 2017 and asked the president of the country, Roch Marc Kaboré, to go fix the AC in front of university students? or in Mali where he called the president by his nickname during a press conference… something he would have never done with his Western counterparts? The disrespect is common measure for this man, and betrays his feelings toward us.
Now, the French president is cruising the continent, Nigeria, Angola, Kenya, Ethiopia… It’s like France has finished to suck its previous colonies dry, and is now moving to the other ones who, having no knowledge of their modus operandi, open up to them without knowing that they are opening a page to slavery. My question to the other African countries being courted today: are you just blind? or do you choose to be naive and think that your neighbor’s master/enemy would treat you differently? Your neighbor is still in chains after over 60 years of ‘independence.’… would you escape? What do you think of the French president’s scolding of audience in Kenya?
Quiconque passe du temps au puits finit vite par trouver un seau (proverbe Wolof – Sénégal, Gambie). Si vous êtes patient, de bonnes choses finiront par vous arriver.
Whoever spends time at the well can soon find a bucket (Wolof proverb – Senegal, Gambia). If you are patient, good things will come to you eventually.
African Heritage 