Tag: Busang Collen Kebinatshipi

Who / What did We Celebrate in Africa in 2025 ?

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments2 Comments

We celebrated quite a few achievements in 2025 in Africa. Please find below a few that brought joy across the continent.

  1. AES Logo

    In January, our brothers of the Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES) signed a joined military agreement. Last week in December, they held the second AES summit where they announced the creation of a radio, television, bank, and completion and progress on many more initiatives. The AES created a Joint Military Force. President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso succeeds to President Assimi Goïta of Mali for one year at the head of the confederation. We also salute the love shown by the brothers of Niger under President Tchiani who traveled over 1,400 km to bring fuel from Niamey to Bamako which has been under blockade by the terrorists. African Fraternity on Display in the AES.

  2. In March, the Burkinabe film “Katanga, the danse of the scorpions” won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga (Etalon d’or de Yennenga) at 2025 edition of FESPACO, one of Africa’s biggest film festivals. “Katanga, La Danse des Scorpions” by Dani Kouyaté, and FESPACO 2025: Burkina Faso Wins its First Golden Stallion in 28 years!
  3. In March also, archaeologists published in the journal Nature their discovery of the earliest known bone tools, showing evidence of their use 5 million years ago. These bone tools were found in the Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania. The tools were carved on elephant and hippopotamus bones. Bone Tools found in Tanzania dated 1.5 million years ago.
  4. Angelique Kidjo

    In June, Franco-Beninese artist Angelique Kidjo became the First African Singer to get a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over the years, she has won 5 Grammy awards and nominated 15 times. With a career spanning over 4 decades, she has been trained by some of Africa’s greats, and has sung and collaborated with some of the greats of the world.

  5. In June, Mali Launched a State Gold Refinery, Zimbabwe banned exports of lithium, while Cote d’Ivoire announced the discovery of large gold deposits on its territory, in the north, near the border with Burkina Faso. This month, Niger took control of its uranium, thus giving the country a true say in its development.
  6. Super Falcons defeat the Atlas Lionesses to win 10th title and become WAFCON 2024 winner (Source: BusinessDay.ng)

    At the end of July, the Nigerian Super Falcons, the Female national soccer team of Nigeria, won the Women’s African Cup of Nation (WAFCON). The Super Falcons of Nigeria defeated The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco to win the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. Similarly, the D’Tigress, Nigerian Women’s Basketball team won their 7th African Cup, by defeating Mali at  FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Cote d’Ivoire. Now, we hope that these ladies will make it very far at their respective World Cups and make the continent proud.

  7. Mali recovered over a billion dollar from gold companies to reinvest and give back to their populations. These are the kind of gestures that unnerve the West. Mali Recovers over a Billion $ for its Miners. What a beautiful end-of-year present to the populations!
  8. Botswana’s 4×400 relay team celebrating their gold medal (Source: Reuters/Eloisa Lopez)

    Africans shone at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships, including Botswana which cemented its place in the athletic world by winning the country and continent’s first ever gold in 4 x 400 m relay in the men’s discipline. On Sunday, Botswana’s team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi edged out the United States, the winners of the last 10 world titles, in a rain-drenched race, while South Africa took third position. Africans are starting to be present in the sprint discipline and we are proud of their hard work.

  9. Map of the Nile River flow and the location of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Africa

    This year saw the inauguration of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in September. The dam has been almost entirely domestically funded through bonds and donations of the hard working populations. The GERD has also united Ethiopian citizens across ethnic and political divides. Inauguration of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

  10. The Timbuktu’s manuscripts have returned home after being hosted for almost a decade in Bamako. These are treasures that have been protected for centuries by local families, and they had had to move them because of the insurgency of western-funded terrorists’ attacks which had divided the country. Continuing on the artifacts subject, Great Britain and South Africa handed back Ghanaian royal artifacts. While France returned the skull of Beheaded King Toera of the Sakalava People of Madagascar 127 years after it was taken; one caveat, no genetic testing has conclusively established the identity of any of these skulls to be that of King Toera!
  11. Flag of Namibia

    Namibia made history as the only country in the world where Women hold Key Positions: women make up 57% of the government! Namibia has done what no other country in the world has ever done: the country has a female president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, vice-president Lucia Witbooi, speaker of the national assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and secretary general of the ruling party. To the naysayers out there, remember that most of Africa has matriarchal traditions; thus it makes sense that it would be first.

  12. Map of Africa

    This past November, African countries, assembled in Algiers, united to pass a resolution to have colonial era crimes recognized – it’s about time, and let’s hope it works, and that their union keeps up. This comes up as tensions between Algeria and France intensify, culminating with Algeria passing a bill last week requesting that France atone for its 130 years of occupation; France called it a blow to dialogue. African Countries are uniting to pass a Resolution to have Colonial Era Crimes Recognized.

  13. Meta bowed to Nigeria and paid up for privacy infraction. This is a first, and usually multinationals tend to do whatever in our countries… we applaud the judgment, and hope that this signals to those companies to start treating Africans like humans, with some measure of respect. Meta Bows to Nigeria and Pays for Privacy Infraction.

Africans Shine at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments, Great People1 Comment
Botswana’s 4×400 relay team celebrating their gold medal (Source: Reuters/Eloisa Lopez)

Africa had an awesome show at the World Athletics Championships last week, which took place in Tokyo, Japan, from Sept 13 to 21.

First of all, congratulations to Botswana which cemented its place by winning the country and continent’s first ever gold in 4 x 400 m relay in the men’s discipline. On Sunday, Botswana’s team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi edged out the US, the winners of the last 10 world titles, in a rain-drenched race, while South Africa took third position; the team had previously earned the silver medal in the Men’s 4x400m relay at the Paris Olympics last year. This gold victory has caused the country’s president to declare Monday September 29 a public holiday to celebrate the country’s victory in the Men’s 4×400 metres in Tokyo. President Duma Boko hailed the gold medal as a “historic African win“, in an online address praising the team for their performance. From New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly, President Boko added, “I’ll be sure to tell everyone, Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground, they are our World Champion athletes.” The country finished 5th in the medal tally behind the US, Kenya, Netherlands and Canada, with 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medals. Busang Collen Kebinatshipi won gold in the men’s 400 m, while Bayapo Ndori took silver in the same discipline.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, gold, and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, silver, react after the women’s 5,000 meters final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. (Source: Pic/AP, PTI)

Our Kenyan sisters Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon did not disappoint. They were on fire! Beatrice Chebet triumphed in the Women’s 10,000 m and 5,000 m winning gold in both; she became the third woman to ever complete the 5,000m-10,000m double at a World Championships. Faith Kipyegon came through with a gold in the Women’s 1500 m, and silver in the 5000 m; she has now matched retired men’s world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj as the only other athlete in history to amass four 1500 m titles at the championships. Lilian Odira and Faith Cherotich took gold in the Women’s 800m and 3000m steeplechase, while Peres Jepchirchir took gold in the Women’s marathon. Dorcus Ewoi took silver in the Women’s 1500 m. The men did not disappoint either with Emmanuel Wanyonyi taking gold in 800 m, while Reynold Cheruiyot and Edmund Serem both claimed bronze medals in the Men’s 1500 m and 3000 m steeplechase respectfully.

Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu won the gold medal in the Men’s marathon – making it the first gold medal for the country at the World Athletics Championships.

Flag of Ethiopia

Ethiopia took silver in the Men’s 10,000 m with Yomif Kejelcha, while Gudaf Tsegay took bronze in the women’s version of the discipline. Tigst Assefa took home silver in Women’s marathon and Sembo Almayew bronze in women’s 3000 m steeplechase.

Djamel Sedjati of Algeria won the silver medal in the Men’s 800 m.

Soufiane El Bakkali won silver medal in the Men’s 3000 m steeplechase.

Our Nigerian sister Tobi Amusan did not disappoint, taking home the silver medal in the Women’s 100 m hurdles, her country’s sole medal at these world championships.

As stated earlier, the South African men’s team, made up of Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Wayde van Niekerk, and Zakithi Nene, won the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 m behind Botswana and the US.

Kudos to our African athletes, and we hope to see more and more victories in the future.

 

Flag of Kenya

While at the Berlin marathon, Kenya made a clean sweep with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s. Sawe finished in 2h2min16s to make it 3 wins in his first three marathons. Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third. In the women’s marathon, Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru – also of Ethiopia – coming third.