Author: Dr. Y.

I am an African in love with the history of the world, and particularly that of Africa. I am a child of love, an artist, a scientist, a lover, a friend, a human. I am in love with nature and beautiful things, art, history, geography, travel, dance, food, science, and technology, and much more.

Mali Recovers over a Billion $ for its Miners

On By Dr. Y.In Great People, Great Moments, Great EconomyLeave a comment
Map of Mali 

Imagine being able to recover money from multinationals? Imagine putting the well-being of your people so much at the forefront that you are not afraid of uncovering or exposing corruption or injustice, and of taking on major world multinationals! This is what the Malian government has just done, and as a result has uncovered a billion dollar in arrears! Remember how Pascal Lissouba, the former president of the Republic of Congo, admitted that the Congolese government had no idea how much oil Elf (now Total Energies) was pumping out of its soil, and that they were at the mercy of whatever the company wanted to pay them, which was pennies; when he tried to renegotiate contracts or find better partners, he was deposed by Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Western puppet. Remember Jean Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic who admitted that he had no visibility on the amount of diamonds or uranium that French and Swiss companies were extracting from his country. Now, imagine being in your sovereign state, i.e. no Western puppet at your helm, the well-being of your people at the forefront?

AES Logo

Mali (and the other countries of the AES) has been working tirelessly on nationalizing their resources, and renegotiating correctly contracts with multinationals that are extracting their resources. Thus, such an exercise is fruitful in the sense that now, they can audit accounts, and compensate or fight for better compensation for their people better. Today, it was announced that Mali has recovered over a billion dollar in arrears from mining companies! Isn’t this a beautiful Christmas /end of year present? This also makes us pray further for the safety of such governments who place the restoration of their people’s dignity and well-being at the forefront of their efforts. Now, more than ever, they will be the target of the foreign corporations and bandits! Now, more than ever, they need each of us to stand in solidarity with them!

Excerpts below are from Africanews.

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Mali has recovered more than a billion dollars in arrears from mining companies after a sweeping audit, its finance minister, Alousséni Sanou, said on Tuesday.

It’s one of the country’s biggest ever clawbacks from its lucrative mining sector.

The military-led government launched an audit of the sector in early 2023 and uncovered massive shortfalls for the state. That paved the way for a new mining code that raises royalties, boosts the state’s ownership in mining companies and scraps stability clauses.

A recovery commission was set up after an audit flagged financial irregularities and shortfalls for the state estimated at between half a billion and a billion dollars.

…

African Fraternity on Display in the AES

On By Dr. Y.In UncategorizedLeave a comment
AES Logo

We take a minute today to salute the African fraternity displayed by our brothers of the Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES – Alliance of Sahel States). It is no secret that islamic terrorists funded by ‘we know who’, have blockaded the distribution of fuel in the capital of Mali, Bamako, for the past 2 months. The jihadists have imposed blockades, multiplied attacks on fuel convoys, and disrupted transported routes, which has almost paralyzed the city. 

The sister country of Niger sent a convoy of trucks to Mali carrying fuel across 1,400 km amid the ongoing regional insecurity. It took 21 days for the convoy of 82 petrol tankers to arrive in Bamako from Niamey. The convoy arrived on 25 November. This example of fraternity among African nations is a warm balm to the heart. 

Since the creation of the AES, a confederation formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the governments have presented an alliance to deepen their security, defence, and economy, amidst the barricade of open sanctions and hidden attacks that have come from the West and its puppet organization that is the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Excerpts below are from APA News.

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Fuel

A large convoy of 82 hydrocarbon tankers from Niamey successfully arrived in Bamako on November 22, completing a major delivery that signals Niger’s official support for Mali.

This operation takes place amid persistent supply tensions in Mali and underscores the evolving regional solidarity within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

The fuel shipment, a donation initiated by Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tiani, reached the Malian capital after navigating the sensitive Niamey-Bamako axis—a crucial corridor challenged by insecurity in certain border areas. The Malian government officially received the 82 tankers, handing them over to the Minister of Industry and Trade.

The delivery is critically important given Mali’s heavy reliance on imports to meet its energy needs. The country’s daily fuel requirements are estimated at approximately 40,000 barrels of hydrocarbons (equating to about 6.3 to 6.5 million liters per day). This massive consumption, driven by road transport and growing electricity demands coupled with a lack of national refining infrastructure, makes the nation highly vulnerable to external disruptions and embargoes. Malian authorities confirm that this shipment will help to temporarily stabilize the domestic market.

…

Charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même / Charity starts at home

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Leopard

On ne prête pas la porte de sa maison au voisin, quand le léopard est aux alentours (Proverbe Burundais – Burundi). – On cherche quand même à se protéger d’abord soi-même.

You do not lend your door to the neighbor, when the leopard is nearby (Burundi proverb – Burundi). – We try to protect ourselves first.

African Countries are Uniting to Pass a Resolution to have Colonial Era Crimes Recognized

On By Dr. Y.In Great MomentsLeave a comment
Algerian War Collage (Source: Wikipedia)

This is a recurring issue, but this time, African countries, are uniting to challenge the status quo, and ask for justice and reparation for victims of colonialism. They met in Algiers, the capital of Algeria this past week to pass a resolution to recognize the colonial era hurts. The choice of Algeria as a summit holder is no coincidence, as French forces committed some of the worst atrocities in the country during the colonial era, including nuclear tests which decimated entire villages; Algerians fought a bloody war which lasted 8 years between 1954 to 1962 to win independence. The death toll is estimated at over 1.5 million Algerians who lost their lives due to the barbary of France.

As stated before, African countries need to become stronger for their voices to be heard, and one way for this to happen is to present a strong united front. 

Excerpts below are from The Guardian.

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Under British guns, during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya
Under British guns, during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya in the 1950s

African leaders are pushing to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations.

At a conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism.

Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf said Algeria’s experience under French rule highlighted the need to seek compensation and reclaim stolen property.

A legal framework, he added, would ensure restitution is seen as “neither a gift nor a favour”.

“Africa is entitled to demand the official and explicit recognition of the crimes committed against its peoples during the colonial period, an indispensable first step toward addressing the consequences of that era, for which African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price in terms of exclusion, marginalisation and backwardness,” Attaf said.

Hanging of Chagga men by the German Colonial Government ca 1890s – 1900 (Source: Wikipedia)

… [At] the African Union’s February summit, … leaders discussed a proposal to develop a unified position on reparations and formally define colonisation as a crime against humanity [about time!].

The economic cost of colonialism in Africa is believed to be staggering, with some estimates in the trillions. European powers extracted natural resources often through brutal methods, amassing vast profits from gold, rubber, diamonds and other minerals, while leaving local populations impoverished.

… Earlier in November, … Caribbean governments have also been calling for recognition of the lasting legacy of colonialism and enslavement, and for reparative justice from former colonisers, including a full formal apology and forms of financial reparations.

So Long to Jimmy Cliff, the Author of Many Rivers to Cross

On By Dr. Y.In Great Music, Great PeopleLeave a comment

Jimmy Cliff (Source: Dancehallmag.com)

One of Reggae’s greatest known artists, Jimmy Cliff, passed away yesterday. The author of Many Rivers to Cross, I can see Clearly Now, or The Harder They Come, or Vietnam, and many more, has joined the ancestors… they must be all singing today. My favorite of Cliff’s songs has always been “I can See Clearly Now”, for it is a deep message of hope and renewal; it was the cover of the 1993 movie Cool Runnings soundrack.

Jimmy Cliff was born James Chambers in 1944 in St James parish in Jamaica in a family of nine children; he was the eighth child. In terms of music, he was self-taught, started singing at age 6 in the church choir, later started writing his own songs, and wrote his first song, I Need a Fiancée, on a guitar made with bamboo. By the age of 14, he moved to Kingston, the capital, and took the surname Cliff to express the heights he intended on reaching. In 1965, he moved to London, where it took a while for his music to take off, until his 1969 single Wonderful World, Beautiful People, and then the politically charged Vietnam, which Bob Dylan called “the best protest song ever written.” In 1986, he told Reggae archivist Roger Steffens, “The essence of my music is struggle. What gives it the icing is the hope of love.”

Flag of Jamaica

Over the years, Cliff has collaborated with some of the greatest artists of this earth, from Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Elton John, UB40, Kool & the Gang, Elvis Costello, Wyclef Jean, and countless others. He is the only other Jamaican, after Bob Marley, to have been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Throughout his career, Cliff expressed his deep love for Africa which he described as his ancestral home, and his music inspired generations of musicians in Africa and beyond. His themes of liberation, struggle, and hope mirrored African struggles against colonialism and apartheid. He also always valued African culture singing on stage and showcasing African clothing with style.

Below are the lyrics of my favorite, I can see clearly now

I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright) 

Bright (bright) sunshiny day

It’s gonna be a bright (bright)

…

Oh, yes, I can make it now the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for

It’s gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright (bright) sunshiny day

(Ooh) Look all around, there’s nothing but blue skies

Look straight ahead, there’s nothing but blue skies

Experience

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Les oreilles grandissent, mais jamais plus haut que la tête (Proverbe Dogon – Mali).

The ears grow, but never higher than the head (Dogon proverb – Mali).

The Importance of the Timbuktu’s Manuscripts and their Return

On By Dr. Y.In Great Civilizations, Great Literature, Great Moments, Great People, Great Science2 Comments

Manuscripts a Tombouctou (Mali) montrant de l'astronomie et mathematique
Manuscripts a Tombouctou (Mali) montrant de l’astronomie et mathematique

The Timbuktu’s Manuscripts are Returning Home to their rightful owners, after over 10 years away. It is so beautiful that the families who own these multi-centennial parts of African history get to have them back as it is not only part of their heritage, but ours also, and we are thankful for them to have protected throughout the centuries.

At the Ahmed Baba Institute in Bamako, people have been actively working on digitalizing all the manuscripts for humanity’s sake. These challenge the eurocentric views that “Africans have not entered enough in history” as the former French president Sarkozy said, even though many scholars from around the world used to travel to Timbuktu to find the best teachers. Through these manuscripts, we discover brilliant scholars, doctors, lawmakers, astronomers, mathematicians, geologists, and much more. After all, Timbuktu, was one of the world’s first and oldest university.

Excerpts below are from Africanews, and check out the Google Arts & Culture (Timbuktu Manuscripts now Available Online, The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu).

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Timbuktu from a terrace by Heinrich Barth 1858

… Among the manuscripts are medical texts, legal rulings, letters, astronomical notes and chronicles of West African empires.

In some pages, scholars debate whether smoking tobacco was moral or forbidden.

In others, officials urge reducing dowries so poorer men could marry.

Marginal notes record earthquakes and local events long forgotten elsewhere.

Sane Chirfi Alpha is the founding member of SAVAMA DCI, which is a local nonprofit organisation dedicated to the safeguarding, preservation, and promotion of the ancient Timbuktu manuscripts. He says the collection reveals a depth of scholarship that challenges assumptions about the region’s past.

“According to old documents, there were doctors here in Timbuktu who performed surgery to treat cataracts. The same manuscript also says that a doctor from Timbuktu saved the French throne. The crown prince was sick, and French doctors could not cure him. It was the doctor from Timbuktu who cured him.”

…  One important tradition still documented in many manuscripts is the chain of teaching, where scholars recorded who taught whom through generations.

Dr Mohamed Diagayaté, general director of the Ahmed Baba Institute says: “When a student finishes studying with a scholar, that scholar gives him a certificate saying he has taught him a subject, which the student has mastered. The certificate also says that the student learned it from a certain scholar, and that this scholar learned it from another scholar, going right back to the person who wrote the original document.”

…

Great Britain and South Africa hand back Ghanaian Royal Artefacts

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments, Great PeopleLeave a comment
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (Source: Ghanaweb.com)
Over 130 Ghanaian royal artefacts were returned this week to the rightful owner, the Asantehene (king) Otumfuo Osei Tutu II of the Asante people from Ghana. These were returned by Great Britain and South Africa. The 130 objects include gold and bronze artefacts, drums, royal regalia and ceremonial gold weights, some of which were looted during colonial times by Great Britain, while others were bought on the open market. The items date from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The handover took place at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the seat of power of the Asante kingdom. Unlike the last time, these appear to be a ‘real‘ return and not a loan (UK Museums “Long-term Loan” looted Asante Gold Artifacts to Ghana)!!! Let’s pray it is a real return with no hidden clause!

Excerpts below are from BBC.

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Map and Flag of Ghana
Map and Flag of Ghana
Ghana’s Asante king has welcomed the return of 130 gold and bronze artefacts from the UK and South Africa some of which were looted during colonial times and others bought on the open market. The items included royal regalia, drums and ceremonial gold weights, dating back to the 1870s – and reveal the cultural role gold played in Asante society. Twenty-five of the pieces were donated by British art historian Hermione Waterfield and the rest by South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti. Handing over the pieces at a ceremony at the Manhyia Palace, in the city of Kumasi, officials from AngloGold Ashanti said the gesture was made as an act of cultural respect and reconciliation. … gifts included a wooden drum looted during the 1900 siege of Kumasi by British colonial forces. … British soldiers were involved in a series of conflicts in the late 19th Century in what were called the Anglo-Asante wars. The palace of the king, or Asantehene, was plundered twice. The call by African countries for the return of looted items has been met with some success in recent years – though some items are only on loan. Last year, 32 looted artefacts went on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum as part of a three-year loan agreement between two British museums – the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and British Museum – and the Asante king. …

Les colibris dans la sagesse Sotho / Hummingbirds in Sotho Wisdom

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Là où il y a des colibris, il y a aussi de l’eau (Proverbe Sotho -Lesotho, Afrique du Sud). – Pas de fumée sans feu.

Where there are hummingbirds, there is also water (Sotho proverb – Lesotho, South Africa). – No smoke without fire. 

African Countries are Among the Most Vulnerable to Land Grabbing

On By Dr. Y.In Great MomentsLeave a comment
Map of Africa

The German platform Statista published a study titled, “Countries Most Vulnerable to Land Grabbing.” Land grabbing refers to a large-scale acquisition of land, often by powerful entities, multinationals, corporations, governments, usually foreigners and frequently involving unethical or exploitative practices. They involve the purchase or lease of massive lands mostly in developing countries. These land-grabs often raise high human issues, such as lack of compensation of the locals, removal of local populations from their lands, and environmental degradation.

Map of the DRC
Map of the DRC

From Statista’s study, the countries most at risk of land grabs are, no surprise, in Africa and Asia. Out of the 13 countries on the top list, 8 out of the 13 are African. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tops the list, followed by Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Mozambique and South Sudan. Liberia and Cameroon have sold the most: 14.6 % of the country of Liberia is in the hands of foreigners, while 8.5% of Cameroon is, so about 1.6 million hectares and 4 million hectares respectively. For countries like DRC or South Sudan, one could understand as there were wars in the country. But what about Cameroon? To be 3rd on the list, and have 4 million hectares (40,000 km²) of the country in the land of foreigners is crazy… To put it in perspective, 4 million hectares is roughly the size of Netherlands, Switzerland, or Denmark (excluding Greenland). Thus, the government of Cameroon has ceded land the size of the Netherlands to foreign interests between the years 2000 and 2024. This is without counting the ones ceded since independence… This is all done without the populations’ consent, and the countries almost get nothing, if not pennies? In Cameroon, majority of the companies are French, but there are also Chinese, American and more. As we saw in the case of Niger, or Cameroon with Safacam for instance, which has been there 130 years, but the road there is impracticable – they can grab everything, without even giving simple things like roads to the locals!

Map of Cameroon, with the capital Yaoundé

The Statisca survey goes on to indicate that the land acquired by foreign investors in Cameroon is primarily used for logging, mining, and industrial agriculture, such as palm oil production.

This is why African governments should be transparent, and expose every contract that they sign in our names and our children’s names so we know what is going on. African Governments should make Contracts Public to their Populations! They should take example on King Moshoeshoe I who banned the sale of the land of his ancestors to foreign investors. We should have a thing similar to the DOGE website to see all contracts!!! Moreover, if there is a call for contracts, how about our governments also open the call to locals? There are many Africans with great ideas!

Most Vulnerable Countries to Land Grabbing (Source: Statista – Banque Mondiale, Land Matrix)