Category: Great Moments

A Heritage of great moments in the history of the continent and the black race

What does Donald Trump’s Victory mean for Africa

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Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)

This past Tuesday, November 5 2024, Donald Trump made an amazing and spectacular comeback to the highest office of the American nation, winning both the electoral and popular votes by a landslide, with the Republican party taking both the House and the Senate. In essence, he was given a mandate by the people. His victory, unlike what mainstream media had promised, was a real red tsunami (MMs should be sued for blatantly lying and taking sides in elections). Overall, many Africans rejoice because as it is well-recorded, Trump is the only American president in recent years who has not started a war. In the warmongering climate in which the world currently is, with fears of a third world war, this position offers a great appeal to many Africans. Relationships between countries are not love affairs, but business deals, and Africans need to remember what they stand for and seek benefits for themselves. Congratulations to the new president of the United States, and best wishes. Africans need to take advantage of the upcoming 4 years of a new establishment to enable policies that will strengthen them economically, politically, and socially.

There is no doubt that Donald Trump’s victory will have great impacts on Africa. There are many areas that will be affected by this change; but we will focus on two key ones. 1) The economy: what will happen to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and is it any good? What will happen to the significant American deals in Africa such as the Lobito Railway construction meant to go through Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), contract which had been won initially by China? or other deals across the continent?; 2) Geopolitical dynamics: what will be Trump’s take on Africa this time around, particularly as it pertains to the slap taken in recent years by France in the Sahel or the closure of the American base in Niger and the countries of the AES federation, or the wars in Sudan and DRC, or Russia’s growth in Africa, or China’s deals on the continent? Will America continue its expansionist vision? Only time will tell.

Messages have come from all corners of Africa, congratulating Donald Trump for his victory. Excerpts below are from The Africa Report.

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Flag of Egypt
Flag of Egypt

… Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, … was quick to congratulate Trump… “Egypt and the US have always presented a model of cooperation and succeeded together in achieving the common interests of the two friendly countries, which we look forward to continuing in these critical circumstances that the world is going through,” said Sisi in a statement early Wednesday.

… The South African president [Cyril Ramaphosa] looks forward to “continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our cooperation.” In the global arena, said: “South Africa looks forward to our presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US who will succeed us in the G20 presidency in 2026.”

Flag of South Africa

… Earlier, Clayson Monyela, South Africa’s head of public diplomacy, took to X to respond to a user’s assertion that Kamala Harris would be better for South Africa than Trump. “Historically relations between South Africa and the US thrive under a Republican White House,” he wrote, adding that during Trump’s first term, he appointed a woman born in South Africa as the US Ambassador to South Africa. “She was brilliant and helped to enhance the strong and mutually beneficial ties between our two nations.”

Flag and map of Nigeria
Flag and map of Nigeria

… Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in a statement expressed “heartfelt” congratulations to the US president-elect, seeking to strengthen the ties between the two countries “amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world”. Tinubu said: “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace and address global challenges that affect our citizens.” …  “Given his experience as the 45th president of the US from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the US.”

Flag of Kenya

Kenya’s William Ruto has been slower to congratulate Trump than his impeached deputy Rigathi Gachagua, who congratulated the American leader for “one of the greatest political come-backs of our generation”. He wrote on X: “Your victory is clear proof that resilience and a never-say-die attitude will always TRUMP obstacles on the path to your destiny.” … President Ruto has since congratulated in a statement, celebrating the “longstanding partnership with the United States spanning over 60 years, grounded in our shared values of democracy, development and mutual respect”.

Flag of Ethiopia

… it was no surprise to see Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed among the first African leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory.

… Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa congratulated Trump, saying, “The world needs more leaders who speak for the people”.

The DRC’s Félix Tshisekedi, whose controversial first-term victory was waved through by the first Trump administration, congratulated Trump, “in the name of the Congolese people, for his great victory”, saying he was ready to work together.

King Charles Says “The Past cannot be Changed” — No Apology for Slavery

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments1 Comment
Flag of Great Britain

In November 2023, while on his first visit to Kenya as a monarch, King Charles gave one of those empty speeches in which he acknowledged the past atrocities committed by Great Britain and its colonial legacy. He said there were ‘no excuses‘ for it, yet did not apologize! He told guests that “the wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.” (No Apology from King Charles III in Kenya). This year, at the Commonwealth Summit which took place last week in in Samoa, the leaders of the Commonwealth somehow expected an apology from the King of Great Britain about slavery, the part that Great Britain played in the slave trade, and possible reparations. Has anything changed in a year? It would seem that these Commonwealth leaders had not paid attention to the King’s visit to Kenya, or maybe they thought it was going to be different? If King Charles III had not apologized for the atrocities committed by the British during the colonial era in Kenya, what made them think that he was going to apologize for slavery? or that they could now talk about reparations?

The back of a slave

This year, the King of the British made another empty speech at the Commonwealth Summit, telling everyone how the “most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate“, as if we did not know, for our ancestors were on the receiving end, their pains still resonate with us. He added, “None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts, to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.” What does this even mean? What is Britain going to commit to, with all its heart? Learning its lessons? Which lessons? What lessons can one learn when one’s coffers have been filled to the brim from others’ pain? What lessons can one learn when because of the slave trade, one has become one of the richest empires in the world? Those lessons are definitely different from the ones the enslaved and the victims have learned. From this, it is clear that the British monarch is truly mocking us!

Below is an excerpt from the BBC telling us, why King Charles III cannot quite apologize for slavery!

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The “most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate“, King Charles III said this week to Commonwealth leaders in Samoa, as arguments about reparations and apologies over the slave trade rumbled once again.

That’s become an occupational hazard for the Royal Family, as it can’t shake off questions about the long shadow of historic links to slavery.

It’s even more pointed in a forum such as the Commonwealth summit, with leaders representing some of the countries most affected by the legacy of colonialism and slavery.

But even if the King had a personal belief that there should be a symbolic apology or a commitment to reparations, he wouldn’t have been able to deliver it [as if he could think otherwise, when his family and entire kingdom has benefited from it]. Monarchs speak on the advice of ministers – and on a question of such political sensitivity, his speeches will have to stay within the boundaries of government policy. In other words, he has to stick to the script.

… “None of us can change the past,” the King said diplomatically, neatly aligning with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s line that we “can’t change our history”.

… As head of state, the King is the symbolic focus of calls for such redress, whether that’s financial reparations or some other ways addressing of historic wrongs. That’s not going to go away.

That’s awkward but he’ll take that in his stride, as it’s a political decision that he can’t change and reparations for the past seem unlikely when current UK budgets are under intense stress. [their coffers were filled from your pain, now that you ask for something, their budgets are under stress].

But there’s also the more complicated question of how much the monarchy, as both a family and an institution, might have a closer responsibility.

For example, the Royal African Company, founded in the 17th Century under royal patronage, has been claimed as transporting more enslaved people from Africa across the Atlantic than any other company.

But history, like people, can be full of contradictions. When it came to Britain’s pioneering efforts to abolish slavery, in the early 19th Century, research by historian Prof Suzanne Schwarz found the Royal Family itself was divided. The nephew of George III, the Duke of Gloucester, was one of the most important campaigners to abolish slavery – a tireless opponent of the cruel trade and a supporter of the Royal Navy’s efforts to intercept slave ships. But before the royals feel the clouds lifting, George III’s son, the future William IV, was one of the most enthusiastic defenders of slavery.

…

BRICS 2024 – Key Takeaways for Africa

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BRICS 2024 Summit (Source: LatestNewsandUpdates.com)

Last week, Vladimir Putin of Russia hosted the 16th edition of the annual BRICS summit which took place from October 22-24 in the city of Kazan in Russia. This was the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in decades. The aim of the alliance is to foster a more equitable and inclusive global order, challenging the economic and political monopoly of the West.

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group started in 2006, and Brazil, Russia, India and China convened for the first BRIC summit in 2009. South Africa joined a year later, in 2010.

BRICS (Source: RussiasPivotToAsia.com)

In 2023, BRICS extended invitations to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after these countries applied for membership. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, but the others have.

Presidents of many countries in the world were present at the meeting, and even the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was in attendance. BRICS’ evolution from an economic concept to a geopolitical force has been remarkable. The expanded members now collectively represent 44.3 % of the world’s population, 29.5 % of the land mass, and 30.8 % of the global gross domestic product (GDP) (49.7 % of global GDP in purchasing power parity, or PPP, terms).

BRICS flags

We will highlight below the key takeaways of the BRICS summit for Africa. There were a lot of takeaways in general, but our focus will be on Africa. Our wish is that African representatives could, when attending these summits, join as ‘ONE’ and not several. At the recent China-Africa meeting which took place in September 4 – 6, 2024, some African countries asked for more debt, like Kenya, while others asked for balanced trade, technology transfer, investment in manufacturing to boost job creation, like South Africa. This will create imbalanced partnerships which will be a disadvantage for neighboring African countries and then affect Africa as a whole later (this will be a subject for another day).

Key Takeaways for Africa

  • As pointed out above, Egypt and Ethiopia joined as new BRICS members, while Nigeria and Algeria participated as partner countries.
  • De-dollarization: this is a global shift which has occurred mildly before, but more significantly since the start of the Ukraine conflict which saw Europe and the US impose sanctions on Russia in hope of asphyxiating Russia, but which instead forced Russia to deal in local currencies and other leaders such as China and India to do likewise. This shift is more important for African countries, particularly the ones which are still part of the FCFA (that slave currency) block.
  • Energy and Technology partnerships between Russia, China and African countries to enhance energy projects and digital infrastructure.
  • Economic collaboration with the New Development Bank (NDB) which aims to fund infrastructure projects across Africa, offering an alternative to the shark Western financial institutions.
  • Balanced diplomacy: for too long, Africans have had only one way of thinking with the Western world. Now with the BRICS, Africans hope for a more balanced relationships to benefit and ensure sustainable development for our nations.

“The National Economy: Independent, Self-Sufficient, and Planned at the Service of Democratic and Popular Society” — Thomas Sankara

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“We are heirs of the revolution” by Thomas Sankara

Today, we will end with the third point cited by President Thomas Sankara, last point for revolutionizing all sectors of Burkinabe society. Excerpts below are from “We are Heirs of the World’s Revolutions, Speeches from the Burkina Faso Revolution 1983-87” by Thomas Sankara, Pathfinder Press (2007) p. 50 – 53. Again, as you read, you can see that this is exactly what our leaders of the AES, and Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso in particular are applying. The main difference today is that the AES also faces terrorism and the repeated attacks of hordes fabricated by Western powers; so security is one of the major priorities.

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… The National Council of the Revolution is therefore aware that the construction of an independent, self-sufficient, and planned national economy requires the radical transformation of present society, a transformation that itself requires the following major reforms:

  • Thomas Sankara
    Thomas Sankara
    Agrarian reform
  • Administrative reform
  • Educational reform

Reform of the structures of production and distribution in the modern sector

The agrarian reform will aim to:

  • Increase labor productivity through better organization of the peasants and the introduction of modern agricultural techniques in the countryside.
  • Develop a diversified agriculture, together with regional specialization.
  • Abolish all the fetters that are part of the traditional socioeconomic structures that oppress the peasants.
  • Finally, make agriculture the basis for the development of industry.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso

All this is possible by giving real meaning to the slogan of food self-sufficiency, a slogan that now seems dated for having been proclaimed so often without conviction. First, this will be a bitter struggle against nature, which, by the way, is no more thankless for us than for other peoples who have conquered it magnificently on the agricultural level. … To the contrary, numerous small accomplishments in the agricultural system will allow us to transform our territory into one vast field, an endless series of farms.

Second, this will be a struggle against those who starve the people, the agricultural speculators and capitalists of all types. Finally, it will mean protecting our agriculture against domination by imperialism — with regard to its orientation, the plunder of our resources, and unfair competition from imports against our local products, imports whose only advantage is their packaging aimed at bourgeois afflicted with snobbishness. As for the peasants, sufficiently high prices and industrial food-processing facilities will guarantee them markets for their produce in any season.

Flag of Burkina Faso

… The reform should result in a less costly, more effective, and more flexible administration.

The educational reform aims to promote a new orientation for education and culture. It should result in transforming the schools into instruments at the service of the revolution. Graduates of the system should not serve their own interests and the exploiting classes, but rather the popular masses. The revolutionary education that will be taught in the new schools must imbue everyone with a [Burkinabe] ideology, a [Burkinabe] personality that rids the individual of blind mimicry. …

Burkina Faso

Culture in a democratic and popular society, should have a three-fold character: national, revolutionary, and popular. Everything that is antinational, antirevolutionary, and antipopular must be banished. To the contrary, our culture extols dignity, courage, nationalism, and the great human virtues. 

… Our artists … should seize the opportunity before them to raise our culture to a world level. … Let musicians sing not only of our people’s glorious past, but also of their radiant and promising future.

The revolution expects our artists to be able to describe reality, portray it in living images, and express them in melodious tunes while showing our people the true way forward to a better future. It expects them to place their creative genius at the service of a national, revolutionary, and popular [Burkinabe] culture.

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“Women hold up the other Half of the Sky” — Thomas Sankara

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“We are heirs of the revolution” by Thomas Sankara

I love what Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso, said about women. I had previously published it here, Thomas Sankara in His Words. Did you know that Sankara had placed women at the center of his politics? He appointed females to high governmental positions, encouraged them to work, recruited them into the military, and granted pregnancy leave during education. During his time, he outlawed female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy in support of Women’s rights. Excerpts below are from “We are Heirs of the World’s Revolutions, Speeches from the Burkina Faso Revolution 1983-87” by Thomas Sankara, Pathfinder Press (2007) p. 49 – 50.

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The weight of age-old traditions in our society has relegated women to the rank of beasts of burden. Women suffer doubly from all the scourges of neocolonial society. First, they experience the same suffering as men. Second, they are subjected to additional suffering by men. 

African Woman

Our revolution is in the interests of all the oppressed and all those who are exploited in today’s society. It is therefore in the interests of women, since the basis of their domination by men lies in the system through which society’s political and economic life is organized. By changing the social order that oppresses women, the revolution creates the conditions for their genuine emancipation.

The women and men of our society are all victims of imperialist oppression and domination. … they wage the same battle. The revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph. Women hold up the other half of the sky. 

… Until now, women have been excluded from the realm of decision making. The revolution, by entrusting women with responsibilities, is creating the conditions for unleashing women’s fighting initiative. … They will be involved in all the battles we will have to wage against the various shackles of neocolonial society in order to build a new society. … The final goal of this great undertaking is to build a free and prosperous society in which women will be equal to men in all spheres. 

Burkina Faso

However, we must have a correct understanding of the question of women’s emancipation. It is not a mechanical equality between men and women, acquiring habits recognized as male – drinking, smoking, and wearing pants. That’s not the emancipation of women. Nor will acquiring diplomas make women equal to men or more emancipated. A diploma is not a free pass to emancipation.

The genuine emancipation of women is one that entrusts responsibilities to women, that involves them in productive activity and in the different fights the people face. The genuine emancipation of women is one that compels men to give their respect and consideration. Emancipation, like freedom, is not granted, it is conquered. It is for women themselves to put forward their demands and mobilize to win them. 

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“A Conscious People Take Charge Themselves of their Homeland’s Defense” – Thomas Sankara

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments, Great People3 Comments

Every October 15, we talk about Thomas Sankara, the father of the Burkinabe revolution. Today, we will bring back some of his words, from “We are Heirs of the World’s Revolutions, Speeches from the Burkina Faso Revolution 1983-87” by Thomas Sankara, Pathfinder Press (2007) p. 46 – 48. You will see that President Ibrahim Traoré in particular, and the leaders of the AES as a whole (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Sign a Mutual Defence Pact), are following in Thomas Sankara’s footsteps in the defense of their homeland against foreign forces which have used terrorism to balkanize the region and terrorize the people for over a decade now. “Each citizen should work to revolutionize his sector of activity. … a conscious people cannot leave their homeland’s defense to one group of men, however competent they may be. Conscious people take charge themselves of their homeland’s defense.” Tomorrow, we will talk about points (2) and (3).

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Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara

The August revolution does not aim to establish one more regime in Upper Volta [Burkina Faso]. It represents a break with all previously known regimes. Its ultimate goal is to build a new Voltaic [now Burkinabe] society, within which the [Burkinabe], driven by revolutionary consciousness, will be architect of his own happiness, a happiness equal to the efforts he will have made.

To do this, the revolution – whether the conservative and backward forces like it or not – will be a deep and total upheaval that will spare no domain, no sector of economic, social, and cultural activity.

Revolutionizing all domains and all sectors of activity is the slogan of the day. Strengthened by the guiding principles laid out here, each citizen should work to revolutionize his sector of activity, whether he finds himself.

The philosophy of revolutionary transformations is already affecting the following sectors: (1) the national army; (2) policies concerning women; and (3) economic development.

(1) The national army: its place in the democratic and popular revolution

Flag of Burkina Faso

According to the defense doctrine of the revolutionary Upper Volta, a conscious people cannot leave their homeland’s defense to one group of men, however competent they may be. Conscious people take charge themselves of their homeland’s defense. To this end, our armed forces constitute simply a detachment that is more specialized than the rest of the population for Upper Volta’s internal and external security requirements. …

The revolution imposes three missions on the national armed forces:

  1. To be capable of combating all internal and external enemies and to participate in the military training of the rest of the people. This presupposes an increased operational capacity, making each soldier a competent fighter, unlike the old army, which was merely a mass of employees.
  2. To participate in national production. Indeed, the new soldier must live and suffer among the people to which he belongs. The days of the free-spending army are over. From now on, besides handling arms, the army will work in the fields and raise cattle, sheep, and poultry. It will build schools and health clinics and ensure their functioning. It will maintain roads …
  3. To train each soldier as a revolutionary militant. Gone are the days when the army was declared to be neutral and apolitical, while in fact serving as the bastion of reaction and the guardian of imperialist interests. Gone are the days when our national army conducted itself like a corps of foreign mercenaries in conquered territory. Those days are gone forever. Armed with political and ideological training, our soldiers, … will instead become conscious revolutionaries, at home among the people like a fish in water.

As an army at the service of the revolution, the National Popular Army will have no place for any soldier who looks down on, scorns, or brutalizes his people. An army of the people at the service of the people – such is the new army we are building in place of the neocolonial army, which was utilized to rule over the people as a veritable instrument of oppression and repression in the hands of the reactionary bourgeosie. …

All Support to Charles Onana as Trial against Him begins

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Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali, Rwanda

The trial against Charles Onana opened up yesterday, Oct. 7th, in Paris, France, and he is being accused of complicity in contesting the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Under French law, it is an offence to deny or “minimize” the fact of any genocide that is officially recognized by France. Mr Onana’s trial will be “historic, since there is not yet any case law strictly speaking related to Rwanda” on questions of Holocaust denial, as Camille Lesaffre, campaign manager for NGO Survie, one of the organizations which brought the case forward, told AFP.

Charles Onana

Friends, please rise in support of the Franco-Cameroonian author and journalist Charles Onana. Onana has been among those who have questioned the narrative of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 (NOT whether it happened or not) and by extension the Congolese genocide which has been ongoing for almost 3 decades and been swept under the rug. Thanks to his constant hammering, and his books, many now know that there is an ongoing genocide in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and more importantly that, these massacres have been going on for the past 30 years, and above all that Congo’s destabilization is coming from Rwanda, which serves as a pawn for foreign powers who want a part in the enormous resources of the DRC.

“Rwanda, la Verite sur l’Operation Turquoise” de Charles Onana

I have listened to Onana on several occasions and have read several of his books: nowhere does he question the Rwanda genocide or its happening; he is not a negationist. As his lawyer, Emmanuel Pire, told the AFP news agency, his book published 5 years ago, was  “the work of a political scientist based on 10 years of research to understand the mechanisms of the genocide before, during and after”. Over the past 25 years, Onana has meticulously documented and questioned first the narrative about the place of France in the Rwandan genocide via its Operation Turquoise (Rwanda, la vérité sur l’opération Turquoise : Quand les archives parlent enfin). On April 6, 1994, the airplane transporting 2 sitting presidents, presidents Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda and Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi was shot in mid-air; to date, it has not brought an uproar as to how or why the plane of 2 presidents had been shot down. This is what really triggered Onana’s interest in the region: if it were anywhere in the world, this would have produced an uproar and multitudes of investigations, but somehow, in the case of Africa, it has been total silence. In 2006, a French investigation concluded that Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, was responsible for the killing, to which Kagame responded that the French were only trying to cover up their part in the genocide. We know that since Sarkozy, France has been playing the kissing game with Rwanda.

“Holocauste au Congo, L’Omerta de la Communaute Internationale” by Charles Onana

In his works, Charles Onana simply demonstrates that since 1994, the world has been witnessing the masked invasion of Congo by militias and troops of Paul Kagame, sponsored by the West. His latest book, “Holocaust in Congo, the International Community’s Omerta” is a true gem. Onana has even brought a case, on October 4, against the president of Rwanda, after receiving death threats.

Over the years, Onana has detailed and stood for the Congolese, and now, thanks to his work, and those of others, people now know that there is a silent genocide in the east of Congo which has been going on for almost 3 decades and whose victims approximate over 10 millions deaths, 500,000 raped women, and yet the world has been silent, even though some like Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Laureate, are being recognized for their work helping the victims of those attacks.

The questions should be: why is there a silence on the genocide of the Congolese people? Why is there a silence on the aggression of troops supported by Rwanda on Congo? How can there be a systematic killing of millions of people in a country, and total silence? Who benefits from this? Then people will talk of the international community as a group which represents the world… NO… the international community only serves the interests of the few who benefit from Congo, the geological scandal that it is, being brought to its knees. Let’s all come out in support of Charles Onana.

Attention! A Call to Action for Africans by Nathanael Minoungou

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Flag of Burkina Faso

Africa is a very rich continent, and one of its most important wealth is its youth… Africa is young, and the West, as seen by many of its generals and politicians, trembles. As Africans, it is our duty to free our continent. We can no longer stay behind while others get fat over our resources. As young Africans, it is our destiny to rise and conquer our freedom; we can no longer live it to others, or think future generations will do it for us… the future is now, if we cannot impact today, we will never change tomorrow.

I saw this speech by Nathanael Minoungou, alias Nael Melerd, a Burkinabe who shared a call to action to all Burkinabe and to all Africans. Time is of the essence. Africa, Rise! Enjoy! I have translated a few lines… For the whole speech, watch his video!

Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso

“…

The biggest scam of time, the biggest scam of the century, is not to rob a country, but to make a young person believe that he has time ahead of him. A young person does not have time, time is for the old … I hear, “Enjoy your youth because we only live once,” lies and scams, we only die once, we live every day.

… Africa is invincible because of its youth, as long as this youth remains awake and takes its responsibilities … if we cannot defeat you, we must by all means make you waste time, time that you do not even have …

How do you manage to have time, while people call your country poor?

How do you manage to have time while your land is exploited, while Africa is assisted at almost all levels?

How do you manage to have time in the midst of reconquering food sovereignty while the fields are idle in the village due to a lack of able-bodied workers?

How do you manage to have time in the midst of the fight against terrorism when even the elderly are enlisting to defend the homeland?

How do you manage to have time when people work during the day, and at night become watchmen that are called wayiha? … how do you manage to have time?

How do you manage to have time in the middle of rebuilding while you have “made in China” on your t-shirt and underwear?

Capitaine President Ibrahim Traore (Source: sig.gov.bf)

… African youth has not suffered from poverty, … illiteracy, … African youth has rather suffered from a lack of reference points and worthy leaders … until today when these youth can finally turn to you, Comrade President Captain Ibrahim Traore … From now on, everything has changed, because everything has become urgent, because everything has happened quickly, and because Africa is proud!

That is why, if you are the Captain, know that from now on, all the young people in this room, in uniform or not, are now soldiers engaged at the front for the sovereignty of Africa! … If you accept the sacrifice, stand on your feet ! ATTENTION!“

“Fashion the Revolution with the People” by Sekou Toure

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Sekou Toure, Cover Time Magazine, Feb. 16, 1959

Every September we celebrate the lives of some of Africa’s great leaders who were either born or assassinated during that month, Ruben Um Nyobe, Agostinho Neto, Amilcar Cabral, Kwame Nkrumah, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Steve Biko. I found this quote in Steve Biko’s book I Write What I Like p.32, by Sekou Touré, the Guinean leader who said NO to the France of General De Gaulle (Guinea: the country who dared say ‘NO’ to France). This quote by Sekou Touré is so on point, as it matches the revolutionary spirit that should be found in each African who fights to free his land. Each one of us is needed for the revolution, but we cannot just be bystanders, but need to add our hands to the fight. African leaders need to fashion the revolution with the people, if they want to free their lands.

“To take part in the African revolution, it is not enough to write a revolutionary song; you must fashion the revolution with the people. And if you fashion it with the people, the songs will come by themselves and of themselves.

In order to achieve real action you must yourself be a living part of Africa and of her thought; you must be an element of that popular energy which is entirely called forth for the freeing, the progress and the happiness of Africa. There is no place outside that fight for the artist or for the intellectual who is not himself concerned with, and completely at one with the people in the great battle of Africa and of suffering humanity.”

Africans at the Paris Paralympics 2024

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments1 Comment

Paris Paralympics 2024 (Source: Paralympic.org/paris-2024)

This is the first year that I have watched the Paralympics long enough. I was particularly moved by the Brazilian Gabriel Araujo who won 3 gold medals in swimming; Araujo was born with short legs and no arms, yet he made swimming backstroke seem like a second nature. Watching the Paralympics was a real exercise of humility.  Why humility? We are sometimes so busy with our lives, our problems, and our problems seem so insurmountable that we crumble under their weight. Watching the Paralympics and the joy on the faces of these athletes who for some don’t even have hands or legs, make one realize that, 1) there is no mountain so high that we cannot climb it; 2) appreciate every little thing; 3) life might be hard, but make the best of it; 4) we might be going through a storm now, but like palm trees during a storm, we should choose to bend and not fall; 5) there are always worse problems out there, just make the best of today. I love this quote by Nigeria’s para-powerlifting silver medalist Esther Nworgu who issued a rallying cry for people with disabilities, which applies to all of us, “Sports will build you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, … Sports is like an X-ray. It brings you out and shows you what you are inside. Where there is disability, there is ability. I see it as strength.”

Africa shone at the Paralympics, winning 64 medals, with Morocco getting the most medals with 15 medals, but Algeria topped the continent’s medal table thanks to its 6 gold medals vs. 3 gold for Morocco. Most medals were won in para-athletics and para-powerlifting disciplines.

Below are some highlights:

Raoua Tlili (Source: Outlook India)

Raoua Tlili of Tunisia cemented her place as a legend in the F41 discus throw and shot put, winning 2 gold medals this year. With 8 gold medals under her belt, she holds the national records for the most Paralympic gold and total medals at the games. She started at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics where she won gold in Discus Throw F40. Since then, she has been ever-present at the Paralympics, winning gold in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and now Paris 2024. At these games, she opened the winning streak by offering the very first African medal of the games. She is a true legend!

Yovanni Philippe gave Mauritius its first medal ever by securing a bronze medal in the men’s T20 400m.

Mariam Eniola Bolaji (Source: APR News)

Nigeria’s Mariam Eniola Bolaji became the first African to win an Olympic or Paralympic medal in Badminton with her golden victory in the women’s SL3 singles category.

Annaba native of Algeria, Brahim Guendouz won gold in para-canoeing’s KL3 class over 200m, giving Algeria its first ever medal in a discipline outside of para-athletics, para-judo, and para-powerlifting.

Algerian runner Skander Djamil Athmani also won 2 gold medals in the T13 class over 100m and 400m.

Below is the list of the medals per country at the Paralympics 2024

Flag of Morocco

Algeria : 6 Gold and 5 Bronze

Tunisia: 5 Gold and 3 silver, and 3 Bronze

Morocco: 3 Gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze

Nigeria: 2 Gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze

Egypt: 2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze

Ethiopia: 2 gold, 1 silver

South Africa: 2 Gold, 4 bronze

Namibia: 1 gold, 1 silver

Kenya: 1 silver

Mauritius: 1 bronze

The motto is simple, let Africans and Africa prepare to shine at the next Paralympics in LA, by investing now building on today’s victories, to make tomorrow even sweeter.