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 mrelay in the men’s discipline. On Sunday, Botswana’s team of LeeBhekempilo 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 completethe 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 3000msteeplechase, 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 msteeplechase 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 SemboAlmayew 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 mhurdles, 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.
There was a lot to celebrate in Africa this year. Below are just a few:
Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES) (Source: Alliance-sahel.org)
In January, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger left the ECOWAS creating a major seismic shift in the organization. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger all leave the ECOWAS. This came as no surprise given that the coup to topple puppet governments in their respective countries, the ECOWAS had suffocated these countries by suspending all three countries and imposing heavy sanctions on Mali and Niger that exacerbated the populations’ sentiments that it is a puppet organization serving foreign interests. Niger even tried to amend the situations by inviting ECOWAS representatives to the country, but only the member from Togo showed up. Why should anybody remain in an organization that punishes its member populations?
In January, Ghanaian artifacts were returned home for the first time in 150 years, on a “loan”. Ghana Artefacts “Return” Home 150 years later … on Loan. It is a disappointment that African governments can only get “loans” for what is dutifully theirs from those institutions which have amassed millions over the year from the exhibition of stolen African artefacts.
The Elephants are winners of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (Source: CAFonline.com)
In February, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire gave us a thrill from being redeemed in the knockout stage with 2 defeats (among which a 4-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea) that left them open to elimination, and a redemption that came from being one of the four best 3rd-placed team, a coach sacking, and a coach change, to lift the trophy of the Africa Cup of Nations. It was a real “Coup du Marteau” (Tam Sir, we are talking about your special song!) The Ivorians added to their previous Nations Cup wins of 1992 and 2015 (Côte d’Ivoire wins the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations) and became the first tournament hosts to triumph since Egypt lifted the trophy in 2006. CAN 2023: the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire are the New Champions
Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Source: Seneweb.net)
In March, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected president of Senegal, making him the youngest African president at 44. This was a joyous moment for the Senegalese people who stood to have their democratic system and constitution upheld. Faye is very unconventional, as the youngest with no political background (he was previously a tax officer), he is also the first Senegalese president to openly have two wives. With his friend and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, we hope for better governance for Senegal. Senegal Presidential Elections: Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to be the next president. Either way, the Senegalese have demonstrated once again, that although their democracy is young, it is not to be messed with!
Map of Niger
In mid-March, Niger suspended military “cooperation” with the USA, with immediate effect. Operating from years of condescending treatments of those deemed inferior, particularly of Africans, the Americans had decided to dictate their will, like the French before, to Niger people and deny their sovereign rights to choose their own partnerships in their fight against terrorism. The spokesman of Niger’s government, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, exposed the fact that the military “cooperation” with the US was not even a real one, i.e. the US had installed their largest drone base in Africa, and possibly in the world, in Niger via a verbal agreement only, and the Niger people had to pay for the American base in their country, while the Americans never raised a hand to help Niger fight against terrorist attacks that were maiming their citizens [Bye Bye to French Troops in Niger, France set to Withdraw Troops and Ambassador from Niger]. Niger suspends military “cooperation” with the US, effective immediately.
Alliance des Etats du Sahel (source: linfodusahel.com)
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso’s leaders met on July 6, 2024 in Niamey, Niger, as part of the first summit of the Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES – Alliance of the Sahel States). During the summit, the three leaders signed a confederation treaty aimed at strengthening the links between the three nations in terms of defence, and other aspects such as the economy, infrastructures, and more. They reinforced their mutual defence pact.
Right before the Paris Olympics, brother Biniam Girmay of Eritrea made history by becoming the first African to win a stage at the Tour de France, and two more stage victories which helped him capture the green jersey for the highest points scorer – a first for anyone from the continent.
Faith Kipyegon winning historic 3rd gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics (source: Kelly Ayodi for Olympics Kenya – EastleighVoice.co.ke)
The Paris 2024 Olympics ended with a strong show from African athletes who shined in various disciplines, and represented many countries including outside of Africa. They made us proud and served us joy, endurance, and passion. We will list just a few. We had a lot of firsts, like our Kenyan sister Faith Kipyegon who won her 3rd successive Olympic gold in the women’s1500 m, making her the first African athlete to ever win gold in the same event 3 times in a row. Our brother Letsile Tebogo of Botswana earned the top most place in the Men’s 200 m thus giving Botswana and Africa as a whole its first ever olympic gold medal in the 200 m; Tebogo also led the Botswana’s team to a silver medal in the
Letsile Tebogo after winning gold in 200m (Source: Onuaonline)Men’s 4x400m relay, again a first for any African country ever. Ugandan brother JoshuaCheptegei delivered on his promise for his last Olympics to be memorable by winning gold in the Men’s 10,000 m, and landing Uganda its first gold at the games. Tatjana Smith of South Africa made her country proud by winning gold and silver medals in the Women’s 200m and 100m breaststroke events. Akani Simbine and South African track team delivered us silver in the Men’s 4 x 100 m relay, again a first for South Africa, and for Africa as a whole. Kaylia Nemour gave Algeria and Africa its very first victory ever in gymnastics with a gold in the Women’s Uneven bars in artistic gymnastics. Tamirat Tola, who was just added to the Ethiopian Olympics’s team 2 weeks prior, took home the gold medal in the Men’s Marathon. AhmedElgendy won the first gold medal for Egypt at any Olympics, becoming the first African and person to win in the new discipline of Men’s Modern Pentathlon. Cabo Verde got its very first medal at the Olympic games through David de Pina who won bronze in the Men’s 51 kg Boxing. Zambian Muzala Samukonga won the bronze medal in the Men’s 400m, giving his country its very first Olympic medal.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has built one of the world’s largest oil refineries in Nigeria, Africa. The refinery opened its doors last year, and in May shipped out its first boat of refined jet fuel to the Netherlands. Since then, the refinery has gotten into agreements with the Nigerian governments and neighboring ones as well.
Paris Paralympics 2024 (Source: https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024)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. Veteran RaouaTlili of Tunisia cemented her place as a legend in the F41 discus throw and shot put, winning 2 gold medals this year, giving her a total of 8 gold medals for her country, having competed in each Olympics since
Raoua Tlili (Source: Outlook India)
Beijing 2008. Nigeria’s Mariam Eniola Bolaji became the first African to win an Olympic or Paralympic medal in Badminton. Yovanni Philippe gave Mauritius its first medal ever by securing a bronze medal in the men’s T20 400m; while Annaba native, 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.
Gael Faye and his book Jacaranda
African authors made great wins and firsts: they won the most important literary awards in French literature: the Goncourt prize, which was awarded to Kamel Daoud for his third novel titled «Houris», and the Renaudot prize awarded to Gaël Faye for «Jacaranda». Daoud’s novel is currently in a controversy. Africans win the Goncourt and Renaudot 2024 Literary Prizes.
AndakiaA Senegalese startup, Andakia, has just introduced the very first African AI: AWA. AWA is a Wolof-speaking artificial intelligence system; it is the brainchild of Alioune Badara Mbengue. In an interview to TRT Afrika, Mbengue said, “AWA is the first AI that understands and speaks perfect Wolof. Our vision is to extend AWA to other African languages, enabling Africa to become a leader in digital innovation and ensure technological sovereignty tailored to its needs.” Users need to simply engage in a spoken exchange with the AI interface in Wolof, seeking general information or asking it to perform tasks such as ordering a taxi, ordering a meal, or carrying out financial and other transactions. This is revolutionary as it addresses the needs of the population. We applaud the amazing work of our brother and his team, and truly the sky is the limit.
Letsile Tebogo after winning gold in 200m (Source: Onuaonline)
Since Frankie Fredericks of Namibia, who used to always win silver at the Olympics in the 1990s, no African has gotten close to the gold medal in the 100-200 m distances until Letsile Tebogo of Botswana who won the first African gold in the Men’s200 m discipline ever, at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He also helped Botswana and an African country land silver in 4 x 400 m Men’s relay. By winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Tebogo became the first Olympic gold medal winner from Botswana and the first runner from Africa to win the 200m final at the Olympic Games. He set a new African record by shaving off 0.04 seconds off his previous best to clock 19.46 s. “Africans can be sprinters, too,” he said in an interview to NBC Sports.
Letsile Tebogo (Source: SportNewsAfrica)
Tebogo started with a strong love for football (soccer). At the age of six, Tebogo was already a well-rounded footballer and sprinter. His teachers encouraged him to practice both sports, but injuries hampered his football career so he opted to focus solely on track. As he explained in an interview with Runblogrun.com., “I used to run past people and won medals. I also played football. Every time though I went to play football I was being benched.” “[This] made me frustrated…and prompted my decision to go back to athletics as I saw [that] I am able to put food on the table for my family from that,” added the runner whose single mother Seratiwa Tebogo struggled to raise him and his younger sibling. His mother, who was his pillar, passed away this past May and did not get to see her son achieve this great accomplishment, but there is no doubt that she would be very proud of her son. Tebogo dedicated his 200m gold medal win to her, and held up his shoe to the camera after the race, which featured his mother’s birthdate on it. He also painted her initials on his nails. … ” I’ve had such a huge blow that affected me deeply so I’m still trying to get the confidence back into the body. It’s not about injuries, it is all about my mum.” Reflecting on his Paris Olympic victory, Tebogo shared, “It was a truly memorable race. Heading into the final, my coach told me his job was done and the rest was up to me—to finish the race healthy, medal or not. I’m glad I could finish stronger than before, carrying the memory of my mother with every stride. She’s watching from above, and I know she’s proud. I chose not to mark the date of her death on my shoe because it’s too emotional.”
Flag of Botswana
He “didn’t take sprints seriously until 2019” when he raced his first major 100m in 10.68s and clocked 21.12s in the 200m. “For a while, I didn’t pay more attention to athletics until about 2018-2019 when I realized I could go professional with it,” Tebogo said. “The motivation to get into athletics was from watching the big guys likeIsaac Makwala, Karabo Sibanda and Nijel Amos,” explained Tebogo. “However, I just really wanted some change in the country, so I had to do something different from the big guys, that’s why I opted to compete in the 100m and 200m.”
Like so many track and field athletes in the sprint distances, he looks up to Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world and 8-times Olympic champion, and dreams of running faster and faster. “It’s time for Africa to take charge over the sprints and every event,” he said in the interview with Runblogrun.com.
Since his Olympic triumphant victory in Paris, he has been taking charge by winning 2 other games so far. Keep an eye out for Tebogo tonight at the Diamond League event in Rome, Italy.
The Paris 2024 Olympics have just ended, and African athletes have shined in usual disciplines i.e. those where we are used to seeing them, but also on those never conquered before. They made us proud and served us joy, endurance, and passion. At these games, we also saw more Africans representing other countries European and even Asian and winning medals: Bahrain, Qatar, Japan, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Canada, US, … and winning for them as well. In essence, Africa shined a lot! For this article, our focus will be on African athletes representing the continent.
Faith Kipyegon (Source: StarConnectMedia)
We had faith in our Kenyan sister Faith Kipyegon… and she delivered: Faith won her 3rd successive Olympic gold in the women’s 1500 m, making her the first African to ever win gold in the same event 3 times in a row. Last Monday, she had won silver in a very contested Women’s 5000 m at the Olympics, where she was first disqualified for track obstruction, and then reinstated as the silver medal winner after appeal by the Kenyan federation. Her compatriot Beatrice Chebet won the first Kenyan gold medal of these Olympics in the Women’s 5000 m, and proved unbeatable in the Women’s 10,000 m delivering gold there as well. Mary Moraa, Faith Cherotich, and Hellen Obiri all took home the bronze medal in the Women’s 800 m, Women’s 3000m steeplechase, and in the Women’s Marathon respectively. EmmanuelWanyonyi won gold in the Men’s 800 m. Ronald Kwemoi won silver in the Men’s 5000 m, while BensonKipruto and Abraham Kibiwot took home bronze in the Men’s Marathon and Men’s 3000m steeplechase respectively. In total, Kenya earned 11 olympic medals: 4 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronzes.
Letsile Tebogo after winning gold in 200m (Source: Onuaonline)
We had our eyes on Letsile Tebogo who missed out on the 100m podium, but earned the top most place in the Men’s 200 m thus giving Botswana and Africa as a whole its first ever gold medal in a 200 m. Since our brother Frankie Fredericks of Namibia who used to delight us, and always ended with silver, this is a very first. Tebogo also led the Botswana’s team to a silver medal in the Men’s 4x400m relay, again a first for any African country ever, letting the world know that Africans can no longer be discarded in these disciplines.
Joshua Cheptegei (Source: Dailyexpress.co.ug)
Before the Olympics, our Ugandan brother JoshuaCheptegei told us that this will be his last Olympics, and promised us magic. Cheptegei did not disappoint, he ran his heart out serving us a performance worthy of a novel, coming from behind to win gold in the Men’s 10,000 m, and landing Uganda its first gold at the games. Compatriot Peruth Chemutai won silver in the Women’s 3000m steeplechase.
South African team after 4 x 100m Relay win (Source: dispatchlive.co.za)
In swimming, Tatjana Smith of South Africa made her country proud by winning gold and silver medals in the Women’s200m and 100m breaststroke events; recall that Smith, born Schoenmaker, was the Tokyo 2020 Gold medalist in the 200m breaststroke category. South Africa also landed 2 bronze medals in rugby and mountain bike with Alan Hatherly. Although flag bearer Akani Simbineended 4th in a highly contested Men’s 100 m track and field, Simbine and the rest of his team delivered us silver in the Men’s 4 x 100 m relay, again a first for South Africa, and for Africa as a whole in winning a medal in the discipline. Jo-Ane van Dyk delivered silver in the Women’s javelin throw.
Algeria took home 2 gold and 1 bronze medals, one gold from the controversial athlete Imane Khelif who is said to be a man competing in female boxing, and another gold from Kaylia Nemour in the Women’s Uneven bars in artistic gymnastics. Nemour‘s victory is a first for Africans in gymnastics. DjamelSedjati took home the bronze medal in the Men’s 800 m.
Tamirat Tola wins Men’s Marathon at Paris 2024 Olympics (Source: afrik.com)
Tamirat Tola, who was just added to the Ethiopian Olympics’s team 2 weeks ago after his compatriot Sisay Lemma was injured, took home the gold medal in the Men’s Marathon, making Ethiopia and our legend Haile Gebrselassie who opened the marathon, proud. Berihu Aregawi won a silver medal for his participation in the Men’s 10,000 m. Tsige Duguma and Tigst Assefa both won silver in the Women’s 800 m, and the Women’s Marathon respectively.
Ahmed Elgendy wins gold in the first ever modern pentathlon (Source: TheTelegraph.com)
Egypt won 3 medals: 1 gold in the Men’s Modern Pentathlon with Ahmed Elgendy, 1 silver in Women’s 81kg weightlifting with Sara Ahmed, and 1 bronze in fencing with the Men’s individual Epee with Mohamed Elsayed. Elgendy‘s gold is the first gold medal for Egypt at any olympics, and a first in the discipline for an African athlete; he also becomes the first person to win in this brand new discipline at the Olympics.
Morocco delighted us when Soufiane El Bakkali won the gold medal in the Men’s 3000m steeplechase; and the Moroccan football (soccer) team, currently Africa’s highest ranked soccer team at number 4 (the senior men’s team) in the world’s ranking of football team, took home the bronze medal by defeating Egypt.
Tunisia reveled us with gold in Taekwondo in the Men’s 80 kg with Firas Katoussi, and bronze in the Men’s58 kg with Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi. Fares Ferjani won silver in Fencing the Men’s Individual Sabre.
Our dear brother Cheikh Sallah Cisse of Ivory Coast did not disappoint by taking the bronze medal in Taekwondo for Ivory Coast, in the Men’s 80kg; Cisse had given Côte d’Ivoire its very first gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Cabo Verde got its very first medal at the Olympic games through David de Pina who won bronze in the Men’s 51 kgBoxing.
Muzala Samukonga of Zambia wins Bronze in the Men’s 400m (Source: pulsesports.ng)
Zambian Muzala Samukonga won the bronze medal in the Men’s 400m. This may be Zambia’s first medal at the Olympics; if not, it is Zambia’s first medal in the discipline ever. And the Zambian team also came out 4th in the Men’s 4 x 100 m relay one step short of a place on the podium; this tells you the future that this Zambian team holds if it perseveres.
We cannot wait to see Africa at the Los Angeles Games in 2028!
Hugues Fabrice Zango getting his triple jump (Source: bbc.co.uk)
The controversial opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has not dimmed the spirits of African athletes, they know that they are there to work and make their continent proud.
Before the beginning of the games, there were a few African athletes to watch out for:
Our golden athlete Hugues Fabrice Zango, the first gold medal of Burkina Faso, and representing us all on the triple jump. As a fun fact, Zango also recently defended his PhD thesis in Electrical Engineering, and looks to make the colors of his country shine again this year.
Faith Kipyegon (Source: StarConnectMedia)
Our loved one, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon… we all have faith in her to make us proud again. With 2 world titles won and 4 world records, Faith is hoping to win her 3rd successive Olympic gold in the women’s 1500m; if she manages to accomplish this, she will be the first African to even win gold in the same event 3 times in a row. On Monday, she already won silver in a very contested Women’s 5000 m at the Olympics, where she was first disqualified for track obstruction, and then reinstated as the silver medal winner after appeal by the Kenyan federation. Her compatriot Beatrice Chebet won the first Kenyan gold medal of these olympics.
The revelation is this year’s Eritrean athlete Biniam Girmay who has won stage events at the Tour de France, becoming the first African to ever do so, and also topping the points classification. We will be on the look out for him in cycling.
Letsile Tebogo (Source: SportNewsAfrica)
We had our eyes on Letsile Tebogo of Botswana who took silver in the 100m and bronze over 200m at the world championships; however, the 100m did not go well for Tebogo, but we are all throwing our support behind him for the 200m. Our young brother lost his mother, Seratiwa Tebogo, his pillar and rock back in May, and we are sending him lots of love and support.
Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria is a wrestling baobab in Nigeria and Africa, with 14 continental titles, 4 commonwealth medals, and a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, today, Oborududu lost on advancing to gold or silver, but will be competing for the Bronze medal tomorrow.
Flag of Uganda
Before the Olympics, our Ugandan brother Joshua Cheptegei told us that this will be his last Olympics, and promised us magic. Cheptegei did not disappoint, he ran his heart out serving us a performance worthy of a novel, he came from behind to win gold in the men’s 10,000m, and land Uganda its first gold at the games so far. Compatriot Peruth Chemutai won silver in the Women’s 3000m steeplechase, while Kenyan Faith Cherotich won the Bronze medal.
In swimming, Tatjana Smith of South Africa made her country proud by winning gold and silver medals in 200m and 100m breaststroke events. South Africa also landed 2 bronze medals in rugby and mountain bike with Alan Hatherly. Flag bearer Akani Simbine ended 4th in a highly contested 100m track and field men’s final.
I will write an article at the end of the Paris 2024 Olympics games to tally all our victories.
There was a lot to celebrate in Africa in 2023. Below are just a few in the sea of celebrations.
The different ministers of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso met to sign the agreement (Source: https://thenews-chronicle.com)
1. In January, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, three West African countries , all of whom have recently undergone military takeovers amid rising public national anger against France, have agreed to a Bamako-Conakry -Ouagadougou axis, with enhanced cooperation on matters ranging from trade to the fight against insecurity.
FESPACO 2023
2. The biennial African film festival, FESPACO, took place this year from 25 February to March 4. On March4, the winner, Tunisian Youssef Chebbi won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga (Etalon d’or de Yennenga) for his film ‘Ashkal‘ which centres on the investigation into the killing of a caretaker on a construction site in Carthage on the outskirts of his hometown. This year, women directors were celebrated and took home the second and third prizes, with Burkinabe filmwriter Apolline Traore, who picked up the Silver Stallion of Yennenga for the film ‘Sira‘, while the Bronze Stallion was awarded to Kenya’s Angela Wamai for ‘Shimoni.‘ FESPACO 2023: Tunisian Film ‘Ashkal’ Wins the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, and Women Filmmakers are Recognized
3. In March, the Vatican rejected the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to Justify Colonial Quest and Theft of Land. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples” and “therefore [the Vatican] repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political ‘doctrine of discovery.’” This is the first official acknowledgment of the Catholic Church for his first place participation in the enslavement of people around the globe, and particularly of Africans. We had published here Dum Diversas or The Vatican’s Authorization of Slavery, which highlighted the major role played by the Vatican in the slave trade of Africans over the centuries.
Inauguration of the Place des Tirailleurs-Sénégalais with Tirailleurs aged over 90-years-old on 10 March 2023 (Source: Sylvie Koffi, RFI)
4. Nine Senegalese tirailleurs, men who served for France for its liberation during the wars, have now won the right to receive their pension while living in Senegal. These men, aged 85 to 96 years, have served in the French army during the wars of Indochina and Algeria, and were forced to live in France at least 6 months per year to get their retirement pension! Can you imagine serving for a country that does not even want to pay you a dime for your services (remember Thiaroye?)? As a result, most of them never returned home. This year, they were able to finally go home. At Last: Senegalese Tirailleurs now allowed to receive their pension while living in Senegal
Zambian flag
5. Following months of talks, Zambia successfully agreed new repayment terms with its state creditors on up to $6.3bn (£5bn) debt, including over $4bn owed to China. … Although the details of the deal have not yet been released [as always, populations are kept in the dark, while their future is being signed over], it appears that Zambia will be granted an extended repayment time of over 20 years, including a three-year grace period with interest-only payments. In recent years, the economic debt of Zambia has been making the locals apprehensive; this is a positive step. Zambia breathes a Sigh of Relief after $6bn Debt Deal.
Anatoli Kirigwajjo (Source: 256businessnews.com)
6. Anatoli Kirigwajjo from Uganda, the founder and CEO of Yunga, a local digital security network that enhances neighbor-to-neighbor safety, was awarded “The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation” dedicated to developing African innovators, an award, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK. In a modern world where drums are no longer used to alert communities, it is imperative to find a solution that will be used to alert all neighbors within a community of some impending issue. His innovation is based on the ancestral drum tradition, and the “10,000 household model” – a traditional practice where people use drums to alert their community in case of an emergency. Ugandan Engineer takes Africa’s Top Innovation Award for His Safety Invention.
Faith Kipyegon (Source: WorldAthletics.org)
7. Africans made us Proud at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. There were so many outstanding contributions, and amazing firsts. Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso who took home the gold medal in the men’s triple jump, thereby offering his country its first gold at the World Championships. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana made us proud by becoming the first African to win a silver medal at the World Championships ever in the men’s 100 m, and a bronze medal in the 200 m. Faith Kipyegonof Kenya delivered! There isn’t another athlete as consistently dominant over such a range as Kipyegon, and she was rightfully selected among the best African athlete of the year; at the world championships, she won gold medals in the women’s 1,500 m and 5,000 m in Budapest. Ladies Gudaf Tsegay, Letesenbet Gidey, and Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia dominated their events to give us a trio winning gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively in the women’s 10,000 m. Please check out the exhaustive list of winners.
Francis Ngannou knocking down Tyson Fury in the 3rd round (Source: Eurosport)
8. Francis Ngannou, professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer, of Cameroon made us proud in the “Battle of the Baddest” against the undefeated world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, which place on October 28, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou was able to knock down Fury in the third round, taking the fight all the way to the scorecards, in which the judges awarded Fury the victory in a controversial split decision. To many, not just Africans, the real winner was Ngannou.
Map of Liptako-Gourma region (Source: aha-international.org)
9. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger signed a Mutual Defence Pact called the Liptako-Gourma Charter, to protect their countries, and fight effectively against terrorists which have been occupying the northern parts of their territories. The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which aims to “establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations“, Colonel and leader of Mali, Assimi Goïta wrote on X. These countries have shown that we, Africans, can take care of ourselves, without the need of puppet organizations such as ECOWAS.
Ibrahim Traore, President of the Transition, raises the new plate renaming the boulevard after President Thomas Sankara (Source: LeFaso.net)
11. On the 36th anniversary of Thomas Sankara’s assassination, Burkina Faso renamed Boulevard in Honor of Thomas Sankara; the boulevard, one of the main streets of the capital Ouagadougou, was previously known as General Charles de Gaulle Boulevard. Thus, Burkina Faso has replaced the country’s former colonial ruler with its very own leader and inspiration to the nation, Thomas Sankara. We applaud Burkinabes for doing this, and hope to see many African countries follow in their tracks, as many streets and cities still wear the names of European men who wiped out entire peoples (Brazzaville, Port-Gentil, etc).
Woppa Diallo and Mame Bougouma Diene (Source: The Caine Prize/Guardian)
12. Senegalese couple, Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo, has made history this week by winning the Caine Prize for African Writing [Senegalese Couple Makes History by Winning Literary Caine Prize for African Writing]. It is the first time in the history of the prize that it is awarded to a couple. Diallo is a lawyer and activist while French-Senegalese American Diene is a humanitarian and a short-story writer. There were also lots of African writers who published acclaimed work this year.
Map of Mali with its capital Bamako
13. Mali military forces succeeded in Kidal where France and Allies could not! The forces were able to liberate the city of Kidal from terrorist groups where France and its allies and the MINUSMA could not. They succeeded in a few days, where it took years for France and co. On November 14 2023, president Assimi Goïta of Mali announced the liberation of Kidal, stronghold of terrorist groups for the past few years. The news was so stunning that even the BBC who has been calling the Mali government, ‘the junta’ and all sorts of names, and always showing ugly pictures of Assimi Goïta, had to, begrudgingly write the article and for once showed him in a decent image :).
Hugues Fabrice Zango (Source: The Straits Times, AFP)
Over the past few days, Africans have made us proud at the 2023 World Athletics Championships which took place in Budapest, Hungary. There were so many outstanding contributions, and amazing firsts.
The list starts with our brother Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso who dominated the field and took home the gold medal in the men’s triple jump. This is his country’s first gold at the World Championships. Zango has consistently improved over the years from bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, to silver at the Eugene 2022 World Championships, to now gold. When interviewed, he said, “I am proud to be the man who keeps his word. I promised to make history and I did it tonight… We have some troubles in our country now and it is an incredible mission to bring some positive emotions to them.” Keep it up brother, we are so proud of you!
Letsile Tebogo (Source: SportNewsAfrica)
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana made us proud by becoming the first African to win a silver medal at the World Championships ever in the men’s 100 m, and a bronze medal in the 200 m. In events dominated by Americans and Jamaicans, brother Tebogo showed that Africans should not be counted out.
Faith Kipyegon (Source: StarConnectMedia)
We held onto Faith, and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya delivered! There isn’t another athlete as consistently dominant over such a range as Kipyegon. She won gold medals in the women’s 1,500 m and 5,000 m in Budapest, capping a year in which she obliterated world records at 1,500 meters, the mile and 5,000 meters in the span of seven weeks this summer. Her compatriot Beatrice Chebet took silver in the women’s 5000 m; while Jacob Krop took home the bronze medal in the men’s 5000 m. Ethiopia‘s DiribeWelteji took home the silver medal over the women’s 1,500 m distance behind Faith.
Mary Moraa (Source: The Star Kenya)
Kenya Mary Moraa won gold in women’s 800 m defeating favorite Athing Mu of the USA… this has been a long time coming since the Mozambican Maria Mutola, and South African Caster Semenya. Her compatriot Emmanuel Wanyonyi took silver in the men’s 800m.
In the 3000 m steeplechase, the Kenyan women Beatrice Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich took home the silver and bronze medals respectively in the women’s event; while their countryman Abraham Kibiwot took home the bronze in the men’s event. MoroccoSoufiane El Bakkali, the Olympic gold winner over the distance, took home the gold medal in the men’s event, while Ethiopia Lamecha Girma took home the silver.
Ladies Gudaf Tsegay, Letesenbet Gidey, and Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia dominated their events to give us a trio winning gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively in the women’s 10,000 m. Their compatriot Selemon Barega won bronze in the men’s 10,000 m. Uganda‘s Joshua Cheptegei dominated the men’s event taking home the gold medal, while Kenya’sDaniel Simiu Ebenyo took silver.
Victor Kiplangat (Source: The Africa)
Ethiopia Amane Beriso Shankule and Gotytom Gebreslase won gold and silver respectively in the women’s marathon; they were followed by Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco with the bronze medal. Shankule’s countryman Leul Gebresilase took home bronze in the men’s marathon. Uganda‘s VictorKiplangat was victorious, taking home the gold medal in the men’s marathon.
African Heritage 