China wows African leaders at Africa China CONFAB in Jo-Burg
GINNEWS (GIN)–At the recently concluded Forum on Africa and China Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to be everywhere–shaking hands, holding one on ones, watching cultural shows and last but not least, approving generous grants. As the conference in Johannesburg drew to a close, 48 African countries had received pledges, promises and development deals from Asia's principal financial giant. They also...
Freed Nigerian schoolboys welcomed; calls for more security
KATSINA, Nigeria—Bleary, barefoot, apparently numbed by a week of captivity, more than 300 Nigerian schoolboys, freed after being kidnapped in an attack on their school, were welcomed by the governor of Katsina state and Nigeria’s president on Dec. 18. Reunions with their parents began late in the day. “Since this incident happened, I have not been able to sleep, but...
Historical roots and ties of apartheid and colonialism
According to the Financial Times, South Africa has a population of nearly 50,000 Jews, the majority of whom are Ashkenazi. The country has a history of Zionist Jews that supported South African apartheid but also has a history of anti-apartheid, anti-Zionist Jews, including Koni Benson, a member of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, and Andrew Feinstein, a...
America and a history of failure in South Sudan
America and its growing history of incompetence in failed state building in foreign lands is like a father uprooting and leaving babies he is no longer willing to care for. Afghanistan is the United States’ current example of the “Papa was a rolling stone” analogy. Before that we had South Sudan, another failed U.S. nation state building venture. And...
The importance of exploring the cultural history of Islam in the Motherland
In W.E.B. DuBois’ 1939 book, “Black Folks Then and Now,” the prolific author, scholar, and convener of Pan African Congresses explains the substance of the continent of Africa during pre-colonial times and during the heyday of global imperialism. While on my many trips to Egypt and Sudan, my last time in 2021 having spent two months living in the capital...
The spread of Islam across the African continent
In early April, Muslims around the globe began Islam’s Holy Month of Ramadan, including East Africa’s Kenya where 10 percent of the population are adherents to the faith. Many worshipers gathered, in large numbers, right before Ramadan at the Jamia Mosque. Though Islam represents only 10 percent of Kenya’s population of 56.2 million, according to Ustadh Hassan Ali Amin, chairman...
UN marks first International Day for People of African Descent
The UN celebrated the enormous contributions the African diaspora has made in every field of human endeavor, marking the first-ever International Day for People of African Descent. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a greater commitment to advance the promise of equality, justice and dignity for all, in his inaugural message on Aug. 31. Long overdue “It is a long overdue recognition...
Zimbabwean teen teaches taekwondo to fight child marriage
HARARE, Zimbabwe—In Zimbabwe, where girls as young as 10 are forced to marry due to poverty or traditional and religious practices, a teenage taekwondo enthusiast is using the sport to give girls in an impoverished community a fighting chance at life. “Not many people do taekwondo here, so it’s fascinating for the girls, both married and single. I use it...
Superhighway paves over a Nairobi slum, leaving thousands homeless
(GIN)—An ambitious road construction project in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has demolished some 13,000 homes in the informal housing of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, technically a slum, ignoring human rights and leaving some 40,000 people homeless, says Diana Gichengo of Amnesty International Kenya. Schools, businesses and homes across nearly 100 acres have been demolished since October as the government constructs the so-called...
Reparations lobby groups demand trillions of dollars for slavery
NAIROBI, Kenya (PANA)-Two lobby groups pressing for the return of resources looted from Africa by former colonial masters have intensified compensation claims from the United States and Britain ahead of President George Bush’s visit to the continent, starting July 8. The Pan African Reparations Movement and the Global African Congress are demanding $776 trillion from the two powers for...