CONTENTS: 1. Features  2. Announcements  

Features

The U.S. and the wars in the Sahel

Gary K. Busch

Washington has been at war in Africa for years.  But in French-speaking parts of the continent it is Paris that is fully in control. Who becomes president and how national affairs are conducted is a matter determined by the French for their own interest under the colonial-era doctrine of Françafrique. And American tax-payers foot much of the bill for this neo-colonialism.

CARICOM deals a blow to US plans for regime change in Venezuela

Gerald A. Perreira

Before US diplomats offer any criticism or advice to Venezuela or any other state on issues of democracy and human rights, they should first examine the behavior of their own government in relation to their undemocratic practices and policies, both internally and around the world, and their endless list of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Canadian PM Trudeau is not a friend of all God’s children

Norman (Otis) Richmond aka Jalali

Canada is attempting to project itself as a friend of Africa, Haiti, women and the world. If he is to be believed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a friend of all God’s children. But is he?

The Canadian who helped conquer 150,000 sq. km for King Léopold II

Reflections on Canada’s 150th anniversary are incomplete without this dark chapter of their history

Yves Engler

Celebrated Canadian soldier William Grant Stairs helped King Leopold II of Belgium conquer the resource-rich Katanga region of the Congo. Known for his heartless brutality, Stairs headed a heavily armed mission that swelled to 2,000. The goal of the expedition was to extend Leopold’s authority over Katanga to get a piece of the copper, ivory and gold trade.

Inga 3 Dam risks plunging DRC deeper into debt

New report finds that DRC likely to suffer financial losses, continuing energy poverty if hydropower project advances

International Rivers

Inga 3 could generate modest revenues under highly favorable conditions in the best and good-case scenarios. However, under the worst, worse, and most realistic median-case scenarios, Inga 3 would not even cover the  DRC government’s debt payments for the project, let alone constitute a windfall that could fund development priorities.

Some notes on white monopoly capital: Definition, use and denial

Christopher Malikane

Dismantling white monopoly capital in South Africa has always been central to the national liberation struggle. White monopoly capital simultaneously implies colonialism of a special type. The two concepts are inter-twined. To fail to mention the racial character of monopoly capital is to fail to acknowledge the colonial character of South Africa and the special nature of that colonialism.

President Magufuli, ban sexual violence, not teenage mothers from school

Christa Stewart

By punishing pregnant girls and denying them their education, the government is penalizing them on the basis of gender and is curtailing their futures so they are likely to remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. Around one in four females in Tanzania is illiterate.

President Magufuli is wrong on teenage mothers

Chika Ezeanya-Esiobu

The Tanzanian president’s directive that teenage mothers should not be allowed back in public schools is troubling. The dreams and aspirations of a young girl must not to be sacrificed on the altar of adolescent misbehaviour.

Thank you, President Trump, high office is not for poor people

Gerard Boyce

The President of the United States of America has forcefully asserted the idea that only rich people can save society, a message that, till now, has been conveyed all too subtly. Society needed such a message in order to convince everyone of the great benevolence and moral uprightness of rich people.

My second arrest in a week and harassment by police

Kinuthia Mwangi

Stephen Kinuthia Mwangi, administrative coordinator with Mathare Social Justice Centre in Nairobi, was arrested twice for no apparent reason last week. MSJC believes this harassment by the state is a direct result of its work in the slums of Mathare, especially documentation of extrajudicial executions by the police.
 

Announcements

The 2017 PALU Annual Conference and Triennial General Assembly

Southern Sun Ehlangeni and Maharani Hotel Durban, Republic of South Africa

You are cordially invited to PALU's 8th Annual Conference, the leading platform for African lawyers, bringing together distinguished Lawyers and Lawyers' Associations as well as Law firms, Human Rights and Good Governance Professionals. The conference will be held from 5th to 8th of July, 2017. If you have not registered yet, you can  register through the conference website at: http://lawyersofafrica.wixsite.com/palu2017/venue

Celebrating Buchi Emecheta: A special issue of Pambazuka News

Pambazuka News calls for articles for a special issue on the legacy of this eminent Nigerian-born writer, considering her reflections on and representations of both the personal and political elements which shaped the experiences of Africa and its diaspora.

Pambazuka Android App is now on Google Play Store

As a way to reach more people and to make your experience with Pambazuka News better, we have developed an android app as another tool to create a better reading experience with mobile devices. The app will have periodic updates to cater for changing readers' requirements and experiences.to cater for changing readers' requirements and experiences.
App download Link

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Henry Makori and Tidiane Kasse - Editors, Pambazuka News

Yves Niyiragira - Executive Director, Fahamu

Websites: Fahamu.org, Pambazuka.org