Keeping an eye on Africa [Archive] - The Project Avalon Community Forum

Iloveyou

30th April 2019, 07:57

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM)

The United States is the only country to have divided the world into separate military sectors to monitor and patrol, NORTHCOM, PACOM, SOUTHCOM, EUCOM, CENTCOM and now AFRICOM.

Under the stated goals of fighting terrorism and providing humanitarian assistance, AFRICOM implanted itself on the continent, conducting military exercises with a growing number of African countries.

The establishment of AFRICOM was key for the consolidation of US interests in Africa.

The Americans sought to establish the headquarters of AFRICOM as well as a headquarters for the CIA in Mali. The problem was that the Africans had a common position of refusing the establishment of new military bases.

This opposition forced the US to set up the command of AFRICOM thousands of miles away, in Stuttgart, Germany [in 2007].

Is the United States Africa Command’s military exercise “Flintlock 2019” Relevant?

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https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2016/10/shadow-war-sahara-161009025023817.html

When the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) was established in 2007, the White House announced that this military operation would “enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth.” However, critics (including AFJN) have long argued that it functions more often as a mechanism to protect US economic and political interests in Africa (e.g., access to oil resources) at the expense of the African people, and lends support to unaccountable African leaders who often use the threat of terrorism as an excuse to, among other things, use US trained troops and equipment to suppress dissent and change the constitution to stay in power.

Is the United States and Europe’s war on terrorism masking another kind of war? “Shadow War in the Sahara”, an Al Jazeera documentary eloquently answers this question.? From February 18 to March 1 of this year, AFRICOM held a special operations forces exercise known as “Flintlock 2019” in Burkina Faso, where roughly 2000 personnel from 30 countries gathered for counter-terrorism training. At the same time, however, the number of jihadists in the Sahel region of West Africa is growing with the return of fighters from Iraq and Syria, while the Trump administration has decided to reduce the American military presence in Africa by 10%. These developments have raised fresh concerns about the future of AFRICOM and its long-term impact on human rights and justice issues in Africa.

https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/25/5216afb3a0fe439caf4bbc74c5106bc0_18.jpg

Didgevillage

30th April 2019, 09:36

No civilization arose out of Africa.
Egypt, of course, is situated in Africa but ancient Egypt was not an African civilization but Near Eastern.

Star Tsar

30th April 2019, 09:45

I am sure this thread was NOT created for members to exercise their ignorance?!?

Strat

30th April 2019, 11:56

Egypt, of course, is situated in Africa but ancient Egypt was not an African civilization but Near Eastern.

This was less the case for AE. More melting pot-ish than modern day Egypt.

Iloveyou

30th April 2019, 12:25

Chris Hedges and Lee Wengraf on „Extracting profit: Imperialism, Neoliberalism,
and the New Scramble for Africa“
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Debunking myths about Africa and a bit of history

African poverty is an inevitable and inescapable feature of African states themselves

Any debt owed by the West has been paid in full and must be put behind us

Africa is cursed by natural ressources

African nations are ungovernable, dominated by failed states and trapped by an
unrelenting propensity for war and violence

Ordinary Africans are merely passive victims of authoritarian African rulers or fueled
by the conflict of age-old ethnic devide

Mass unemployment and crisis make resistance in Africa futile

Thomas Sankara

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Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara (1949-1987) was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 until his assassination 1987.

27 years on and Thomas Sankara's legacy still lives on. Sankara was a profound leader with deep love for his country, Burkina Faso. But he would not live long enough to see his vision change his country for better. He was assassinated. "Faces of Africa" takes you through Sankara's journey and how his ideas have stuck in the minds of the young generation, now seeking to resuscitate the country's economic and political status.

http://www.thomassankara.net/facts-about-thomas-sankara-in-burkina-faso/?lang=en

Patrice Lumumba

Patrice Émery Lumumba (1925-1961), African nationalist and Pan-Africanist and first Prime Minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo (June-September 1960). Assassinated by an US- and Belgian-orchestrated plot which used Congolese accomplices and a Belgian execution squad to carry out the deed.

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Forest Denizen

30th April 2019, 13:32

By the way, this might surprise some of you but here is an actual size comparison of the size of Africa versus some countries. Taken from Scientific American.

https://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w460/ForestDenizen/Africa_zpsaram9glx.jpg

Praxis

30th April 2019, 13:40

No civilization arose out of Africa.
Egypt, of course, is situated in Africa but ancient Egypt was not an African civilization but Near Eastern.

How much longer are we gonna this overt kind of racism get spewed by this dude?

This is straight out of white nationalist talking points and is so beyond ignorant that this dude does not belong here.

Furthermore, how does his comment even fit the thread?

Strat

30th April 2019, 14:45

If you don't like him then call him out on his bs. Pick apart his post, point out where he's wrong. Educate everyone else in the process. I feel he cherry picks his info so I'll only debate him to a point but I wouldn't advocate him being banned.

He's not far off w/ Egypt. I assume he'll pissed everyone off w/ 'no civilization' arose out of Africa. Yeah, I'll let him deal w/ that one. I assume it'll come down to the definition of 'civilization.'

Soda

30th April 2019, 15:13

Iloveyou

30th April 2019, 15:32

Don‘t worry, Praxis and Star.

All kinds of people will show up. People with ‚white supremacist’-views, too, probably.

This is why we are in the ‚Human Condition‘ section.

@ Didgevillage, it would be a good idea to explain your statement or how you‘ve come to this conclusion.

@ Soda, the eleventh commandment says: you shall not exaggerate :)

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Strat

30th April 2019, 15:55

Kinda random, but I'd love to travel to Mali.

Daozen

30th April 2019, 16:02

A useful thread.

If anyone is sincere about helping Africa, look at what they're doing in 2019. Otherwise this discussion will turn into an unproductive, meandering foodfight. Lord knows there are enough of them on the net already. Posters here have the option to quit blowing so righteous and hard and help builders on the ground. These people need their projects promoted and replicated. The internet intellectual discussion crowd is in danger of becoming utterly irrelevant and mindnumbingly tedious. This forum can do better.

EDIT: Sorry if I sounded terse. I just hope genuine innovators get more help. I think some of you are too narcissistically in love with you opinions and words. They count for very little.

https://africancrowd.org/
https://www.afrikstart.com/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanmoed/2018/08/02/a-new-model-for-investing-in-africa/#7983bee3a458
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/empower-africa-s-entrepreneurs-let-s-jumpstart-africa#/
https://www.thundafund.com/
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/categories/international-volunteering/africa

Agape

30th April 2019, 16:13

Every continent contains large bio-ethical diversity of human species, more so Africa.

And yes, there were many great civilisations and empires we just lost full memory of in Africa:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/7-influential-african-empires

Trying to compare any human civilisation of past to what we are part of now , 8 billion human beings and counting nearly all connected to the “grid”, the “net” and watchable from satellites is nearly impossible.

Most civilisations come apart as result of attack from one or another group of barbarians. In today’s world both civilised and primitive people try to coexist in a blend of multi form society with members of both sub-groups ( civilised and primitives) masking and masquerading as the opposing group in order to protect themselves and retain their status and privileges.

Iloveyou

30th April 2019, 18:35

This report reveals the degree to which British companies now control Africa’s key mineral resources.

Africa’s wealth in natural resources is being handed over to foreign, private interests. The figures noted in this report indicate that it is foreign, private companies which will benefit most from the exploitation of these reserves. In only a minority of mining operations do African governments have a shareholding in projects, and even if they do this tends to be small at 5-20%.

https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/TheNewColonialism.pdf

https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/TheNewColonialism.pdf

https://ghanafinancialmarket.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/img_0083.jpg

Iloveyou

30th April 2019, 20:56

Kinda random, but I'd love to travel to Mali.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5297721aed915d05da000001/131128_Mali_jpeg.jpg

Official travel warnings are often overstated - in case of Mauritania, for example - but for Mali they are almost accurate. I‘ve been in Bamako, Mali in February/March for three weeks (as a traveller, not for work). Expats and embassy workers will tell you not to travel north of Segou (red zone). Locals will tell you that Djenne, Mopti and the Dogon Country east of Mopti is fine as long as you move along discreetly and low-key. I met three travellers who did it either on their own or with a guide. There‘s even a local travel agency who offer (expensive) round-trips in the region. Sadly north of Mopti is off-limits and this will probably not change for many years. Though everyone agrees on the region south of Segou (orange zone) being perfectly safe.

So ancient towns like Tombouctou or Gao have become places out of bounds again.
Who knows for how long . . .

I‘d say: follow your dreams :thumbsup:

Didgevillage

30th April 2019, 22:03

@ Didgevillage, it would be a good idea to explain your statement or how you‘ve come to this conclusion.

What OTHER conclusions can be feasible?

Right. Blame it all on white colonialism for the state Africa is in.
Goes to show what liberal education can do to reasonably intelligent minds.

Didgevillage

30th April 2019, 22:14

Homo sapiens did not originate in Africa.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/05/22/europe-birthplace-mankind-not-africa-scientists-find/

https://medium.com/@b1e1nugent/famous-fossil-ape-named-lucy-debunked-by-science-8082dff233b3
https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=76

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00353-0

Didgevillage

30th April 2019, 22:21

And yes, there were many great civilisations

How are they affecting today's world if they ever existed?

Most civilisations come apart as result of attack from one or another group of barbarians.

No. Civilizations fall because of inner parasitism.

Strat

1st May 2019, 10:47

Official travel warnings are often overstated - in case of Mauritania, for example - but for Mali they are almost accurate. I‘ve been in Bamako, Mali in February/March for three weeks (as a traveller, not for work). Expats and embassy workers will tell you not to travel north of Segou (red zone). Locals will tell you that Djenne, Mopti and the Dogon Country east of Mopti is fine as long as you move along discreetly and low-key. I met three travellers who did it either on their own or with a guide. There‘s even a local travel agency who offer (expensive) round-trips in the region. Sadly north of Mopti is off-limits and this will probably not change for many years. Though everyone agrees on the region south of Segou (orange zone) being perfectly safe.

So ancient towns like Tombouctou or Gao have become places out of bounds again.
Who knows for how long . . .

I‘d say: follow your dreams :thumbsup:

You've been there? Very cool. Where else have you traveled in Africa? Anywhere you'd particularly recommend? I'd also like to see South Africa. Mainly cause one of their cities is a sister city to mine (Port Elizabeth), but I'd also like to check out Joburg.

Bill Ryan

1st May 2019, 13:13

Moderator note: I've unilaterally barred Didgevillage from this thread, whose posts I don't mind saying publicly I personally find objectionable, provocative and unpleasant.

~~~

The best trip of my life was in December 2000 when I crossed the Kalahari desert in Botswana in a 4x4: A most magical place. As many reading this may know, I spent most of the first 8 years of my life in Nigeria and then Ghana, and it feels I have Africa in my blood. Only those who've traveled there may readily know what this means.

Since then I've returned many times: not to West Africa, where Iloveyou has explored extensively, but to East and Southern Africa. And yes, it's a vast continent, far larger than depicted on regular maps.

I've spent time in the Masai Mara and the Ngorongoro Crater, climbed high on Mount Kenya, attempted to climb the Mountains of the Moon but was turned back by a high fever, and had a memorable solo experience on Mount Elgon (the world's largest extinct volcano) where, with no map, I ended up on a smuggler's trail.

There, without having planned to, I traversed the mountain and ended up in Uganda without my passport, very much to the excitement of a 12 year old border guard with a gun as large as he was. :) (A kindly local villager, who knew him, helped calm him down and allow me through to catch the bus back to Nairobi. The boy, maybe understandably, had flatly refused to believe I'd accidentally hiked over Mount Elgon from Kenya.)

The briefest summary: I've always found Africans to be the most spirited, wonderful people, full of humor and life, often despite staggering hardship. Iloveyou will know exactly what I mean.

http://projectavalon.net/Young_Bill_Ryan_1.jpg

Iloveyou

1st May 2019, 13:32

Official travel warnings are often overstated - in case of Mauritania, for example - but for Mali they are almost accurate. I‘ve been in Bamako, Mali in February/March for three weeks . . .

You've been there? Very cool. Where else have you traveled in Africa? Anywhere you'd particularly recommend? I'd also like to see South Africa. Mainly cause one of their cities is a sister city to mine (Port Elizabeth), but I'd also like to check out Joburg.

Hi Strat, since you threw in such a ‚kinda random‘ oneliner, I just couldn‘t ignore it :)

Why Mali ? Been to West Africa (Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Mali) and traveled on a tight budget by public transport. No aircondition, no hired cars and guides (one exception), no restaurants (rarely), often no running water and limited electricity, for five months. It was the most wonderful and rewarding time and I‘ll return next year. Another person might say: Nothing but poverty, dust, sand, goats and garbage heaps! Get me out of here!

Sometimes a place calls you, maybe for years, before you go. South Africa sounds exciting. It is on my list, too. I guess, a sister city is a good reason to start. Like: been to the most Western point of Africa, now I should see the most Southern point, too.

I‘ve heard people say: Once you‘re hooked on Africa, it is forever. So take care :)

Iloveyou

1st May 2019, 13:45

Moderator note: I've unilaterally barred Didgevillage from this thread . .

Oh Bill, I don‘t see any reason to ban Didgevillage from the thread. Most people will not agree with his views - me neither - but I see no harm done by him. I‘m at a loss to express precisely what I want to say because of my very limited 500-word-non-native-speaker-vocabulary. Isn‘t INTEGRATION / INCLUSION one of our most powerful tools (as long as a person/situation isn‘t outright dangerous)?

All kinds of people will show up. People with ‚white supremacist’-views, too, probably.

This is why we are in the ‚Human Condition‘ section.

———————————————————————————————-

Thanks so much for your story and your beautiful comment.

Here I agree wholeheartedly!

Is that you on the picture, the little one, I mean ? :-)

PS. Bill, how about the simple title: ‚Keeping an eye on Africa?’ (would prefer that)

Strat

1st May 2019, 14:49

Why Mali ?

Honestly, not sure. Or maybe "I don't remember" is a more fitting answer. I am an armchair anthropologist and I'm always looking up people/places. At one time I was reading about Mali and it became attractive to me. I do know I wanted to travel to Timbuktu because it's legendary. I've also always been fascinated by the sahara, Very Very Very cool.

I've always been attracted to places that were a bit more in the middle of nowhere. Again, I truly don't know why. Seems cool.

If I did go to Africa for sure the first place I'd go would be Egypt & Sudan to visit all the ancient egyptian sites. Not off beaten path I know but I've been attracted to that since I was in 4th grade (video game inspired believe it or not).

The port elizabeth thing ties more into my own personal life, part of my own little quest to make the world a better place.

Somalia looks beautiful, shame its so dangerous. So much history.

My aunt and uncle went on a missionary trip to Kenya and they loved it.

I'm sure I'll go somewhere in Africa just don't know where? I'm not at that time in my life.

Star Tsar

1st May 2019, 16:43

The Phnom Penh Times

Megalithic Stone Circles Unveiled In Senegal's Museum Of Black Civilizations

Published 8th April 2019

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Iloveyou

1st May 2019, 17:15

Why Mali ?

Honestly, not sure. Or maybe "I don't remember" is a more fitting answer.

Whenever I was asked: why Africa? I struggled to explain but always, always ended up saying: the honest answer is: I don‘t know. This is no joke.

Being attracted to places because they’re cool. I hear you perfectly. Middle of nowhere. Or end of the road. Like Cape Town. End of the North-South route.

If I was to make one recommendation it would be Mauritania. For the Sahara. For the Nowhere. The Now here. For the ancient cities and libraries, half buried in the desert, the sand tracks. For the incredible people.

It is inexpensive and safe.

Bill Ryan

1st May 2019, 17:35

If I was to make one recommendation it would be Mauritania. For the Sahara. For the Nowhere. The Now here. For the ancient cities and libraries, half buried in the desert, the sand tracks. For the incredible people.

I'd also recommend Botswana, for different reasons. Physically gorgeous, and also very well governed with strong investment in infrastructure (schools, highways, communications, transport, healthcare). I didn't see any poverty, and (when I was there) I was told by everyone there was little or no government corruption. (In Africa, and maybe even in any continent it does have to be said that's quite something.)

That's where half the Kalahari desert is, though the Botswana Kalahari isn't a sea of sand like the Sahara: there's quite a lot of vegetation growing in the sand, but just zero surface water.

The other half of the Kalahari is in Namibia, an equally or maybe even more beautiful place. It also borders the ocean, and with much more open sand, and I've wanted to visit there for decades now.

Bob

1st May 2019, 19:15

Just a FYI - we are setting up to do two projects in Namibia and Botswana - finding primary water, aquifers and underground streams - We've analyzed via satellite so far and things look promising.

Bill you'd be invited to come along if you want for part of the documenting. Quite amazing places both Botswana and Namibia.. Very humanitarian and very much for the People.

Franny

2nd May 2019, 05:49

Why Mali?

Never been but I'd love to go. However, until then we can enjoy the music of Mali, it's fantastic. Mali is rather well known for it's music.

Ya, I'd love to go to Botswana and other areas of east Africa too.

Below is West African Kora & Ngoni music of Mali and Senegal with nice visuals too.

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More good stuff - Adama Yalomba "Mbora" - Music of Mali
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Star Tsar

2nd May 2019, 09:44

For the misinformed amongst us...

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HaveBlue

2nd May 2019, 13:14

By the way, this might surprise some of you but here is an actual size comparison of the size of Africa versus some other countries. Taken from Scientific American.

https://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w460/ForestDenizen/Africa_zpsaram9glx.jpg

Not sure what the point is of this pic? Why the apples with oranges comparison? Continents versus continents, countries versus countries. Why is Australia not overlayed there then? That is both a country and a continent. Maybe that would cause people to think too hard and see propaganda? Africa is a continent, not a country. So it is with the EU but on with the one world govt right? Imagine the maps we could draw.

Iloveyou

2nd May 2019, 15:44

Forest Denizen

2nd May 2019, 19:14

Not sure what the point is of this pic? Why the apples with oranges comparison?
Continents versus continents, countries versus countries.

As I‘ve understood, it is not about countries or continents, it is a creative, funny way to demonstrate how big the African continent is in relation to other places. Because the well known and widely used Mercator projection doesn‘t show that. It provides a completely distorted image of the world. Anyway, all types of projection, all worldmaps are wrong...

...As an experiment one could try to draw a world map from
memory and then compare it to the actual proportions.

Yes, thank you, HaveBlue and Iloveyou, I should have been more clear in my post. I just wanted to illustrate how vast Africa really is versus the perception many hold due to the Mercator Projection and other more nefarious influences :sun:

Here's a useful chart for getting the idea across, sorry about the lack of formatting:

Geographic Area (millions of square kilometers)
Top 15 countries

(Africa) 30.4

Russia 17.1
Canada 10.0
China 9.6
U.S. 9.5
Brazil 8.5
Australia 7.7
India 3.3
Argentina 2.8
Kazakhstan 2.7
Algeria 2.4
DR Congo 2.3
Greenland 2.2
Saudi Arabia 2.1
Mexico 2.0
Indonesia 1.9

Other nations and city-states

South Africa 1.2
Venezuela 0.9
Afghanistan 0.65
Somalia 0.64
France 0.55
Spain 0.51
Germany 0.36
Poland 0.31
Italy 0.30
Luxembourg 0.003
Monaco 0.000002

AriG

3rd May 2019, 00:13

If we apply Occam’s razor analysis to the phenomenon of Africa, we can probably draw a few hypotheses?

1. Africa may not have been the birthplace of “civilization”, whatever that is, but it is most likely the birthplace of modern man, in all of its multifarious forms.

2. The earth is rejecting the white man, the purveyors of war, climate destruction, and commoditization of all things beautiful and natural, so much so, that the average “Caucasian “ can’t reproduce, yet the Africans, in spite of biological warfare such as HIV, seem to continue to thrive - until we intercede.

3. Gaia knows her natural enemies- those who seek to pillage and destroy, versus those in the end who survive as they are the ones who do the least harm.

So this begs the question, “what exactly is civilization”? That which co-exists with nature or those who seek to destroy her?

Bill Ryan

3rd May 2019, 01:09

https://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w460/ForestDenizen/Africa_zpsaram9glx.jpg

Not sure what the point is of this pic? It's about the sheer size of Africa, nothing else.

Because the Mercator Projection (our 'usual' map of the world) very much distorts areas — giving prominence to Europe, interestingly, where the projection originated in the 16th century — our minds are conditioned to think of Africa as a lot smaller than it really is, even though Mercator still shows it as quite large.

But it's really quite an enormous place.

Strat

3rd May 2019, 19:24

Maybe I missed it in a previous post, but what is the alternative to the Mercator Projection? I've been meaning to get a decent (giant) map and put it on my wall like a poster, but I will use it as a reference when needed. Plus maps look cool.

Also something I wondered about Africa: Say 5 African friends, who are all from different African countries, walk into a bar. Would a separate African observer be able to identify the countries they're from straight away, or would it be a bit more difficult?

Bill Ryan

3rd May 2019, 20:03

Maybe I missed it in a previous post, but what is the alternative to the Mercator Projection? I've been meaning to get a decent (giant) map and put it on my wall like a poster, but I will use it as a reference when needed. Plus maps look cool.

See this great little thread:

The REAL World Map - You are being lied to (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?66723-The-REAL-World-Map-You-are-being-lied-to)

... and BE SURE to watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVX-PrBRtTY). Just 4 minutes, but you'll never forget it. :bigsmile:

Also something I wondered about Africa: Say 5 African friends, who are all from different African countries, walk into a bar. Would a separate African observer be able to identify the countries they're from straight away, or would it be a bit more difficult?

Wonderful question. :) There are many cultural and traditional differences separating North Africa, West Africa, Saharan Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa.

Languages are different, too: there are over 2,000 languages spoken in Africa (!), but four of the principal five are all imported from Europe: Afrikaans, English, French and Portuguese.

The fifth is Swahili. In general, if you want to travel widely in Africa and be able to communicate, you need both English and French.

Skin color and facial features differ, too: for example, those from North-East Africa often have darker (sometimes almost black) skin, and more Arabic features.

But I'd guess folks from the following groups of countries might be pretty hard to tell apart at first meeting:

Morocco—Libya—Algeria—Tunisia
Mali—Senegal—Mauritania-Gambia
South Africa—Botswana—Zambia—Zimbabwe—Malawi
Kenya—Uganda—Tanzania
Egypt—Somalia—Sudan

I'd be most interested in Iloveyou's answer to this question. :flower:

Iloveyou

3rd May 2019, 22:45

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_map_projections
You can click on the image to enlarge it and get details.

Also something I wondered about Africa: Say 5 African friends, who are all from different African countries, walk into a bar. Would a separate African observer be able to identify the countries they're from straight away, or would it be a bit more difficult?

That‘s an interesting thought. Next time I shall ask people, but I’ll have to make sure not to embarrass myself :) I think people from a certain greater region (like one country with all its neighbouring countries) will recognize each other immediately - not by their country, but by their ethnicity, their nation, their ‚tribe‘; often also by their clothing or headgear. Features are very distinctive. And as soon as they speak, of course by their language. They live together and interact daily.

There are large ethnic groups like the Fulbe, widely dispersed across many countries for centuries. And there are quite small groups who have never left their home region. That would make a difference. A group of youngsters in a big city who identify themselves with a certain youth/music style may not be distinguishable at first glance. And a guy from Mali will probably not identify someone from, say, Mozambique. A small country like Sierra Leone has already sixteen ethnic groups. I‘m sure at least the five or six major ones recognize each other easily.

What was the question again? The more I think about it, the more complicated and multifaceted it gets.

But I'd guess folks from the following groups of countries might be pretty hard to tell apart at first meeting:

Morocco—Libya—Algeria—Tunisia
Mali—Senegal—Mauritania-Gambia
South Africa—Botswana—Zambia—Zimbabwe—Malawi
Kenya—Uganda—Tanzania
Egypt—Somalia—Sudan

This, Bill, I think is true for us non-Africans.

That‘s what I believe. I could be completely wrong.
Only from the looks, at first glance? Hmm, not so sure anymore.

Iloveyou

4th May 2019, 11:00

xxxxxxxx
Tomorrow's Battlefield: US Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa

You won’t see segments about it on the nightly news or read about it on the front page of America’s newspapers, but the Pentagon is fighting a new shadow war in Africa, helping to destabilize whole countries and preparing the ground for future blowback. Behind closed doors, US officers now claim that “Africa is the battlefield of tomorrow, today.” (Nick Turse)

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24:40 / 2017

“We’ve seen a significant increase in U.S. military training to the African continent in recent years.”

AFRICOM uses extremely broad language to describe training missions, including those in which troops are killed in action. “When push comes to shove training missions can easily cross the line into combat operations.”

Experts warn the surge in U.S. military activities lacks strategic planning, and that providing training and equipment to such poor nations with fragile governments can result in greater instability.

This is particularly risky “in countries where there is inadequate civilian control of the military.” In 2012 a U.S.-trained Army captain, Amadou Sanogo, overthrew Mali’s elected government. Two years later, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida, another U.S.-trained officer, seized power in Burkina Faso.

articles:

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/ywn5yy/us-military-secret-missions-africa (2017)

https://www.nickturse.com/articles-1

"The average journalist follows the herd of others. A bold one like Nick Turse goes to where the herd isn’t." (Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost)

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2017/10/22/20171026_africa1.jpg

Iloveyou

6th May 2019, 09:39

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Dakar-Mus%C3%A9e_de_l%27IFAN_%287%29.jpg
Wall of Masks, IFAN Museum, Dakar © Bess Sadler

Bill Ryan

6th May 2019, 12:08

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Dakar-Mus%C3%A9e_de_l%27IFAN_%287%29.jpg
Wall of Masks, IFAN Museum, Dakar © Bess Sadler

I used to have one of those: a JuJu mask (intended to keep off evil spirits) which was presented to my father in Nigeria when he was working there and was made honorary chief of the local tribe.

After my parents both passed, I no longer have it (I gave it to a close family friend), and sadly I no longer have a photo of it either. It was black, and rather more fearsome than any of the above, with horns like a depiction of the Devil. (But apparently, it was on our side. :) )

We had quite a few items like that, which I've only ever seen in museums. There's a wonderful museum in Paris called Musée du quai Branly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_quai_Branly_%E2%80%93_Jacques_Chirac), which I'd strongly, strongly recommend to anyone visiting Paris who's interested in Africa.

The exhibits there are stunning, fascinating, and beautifully presented. I went there in 2006 with Kerry Cassidy, and I kept saying to her: "Oh, we've got one of those, and one of those, and one of those..." :)

Bill Ryan

13th May 2019, 00:28

In 1989 I was in Nairobi, Kenya for a couple of weeks. I was staying in a small guest house a couple of miles from the city center.

Every day I walked down the long road to the post office and market, and walked back. And every day I passed a beggar who was sitting on a dirty blanket at a street corner.

This man's arms and legs were shriveled. He could not walk. He wore a loincloth. He sat on the ground, and crawled around on his blanket. He had nothing at all.

But each time I passed by - twice a day for 14 days - he was surrounded by people. They were laughing, joking, having fun. The little beggar-man was always happy. His face was permanently wreathed in smiles. This was where the party was at, all the time, every day.

He was the man. I never once saw him other than enjoying life to the full. His friends - many of them - clearly loved him dearly.

This experience changed me profoundly. Every day I wondered at this man and his friends. One of my greatest regrets is that I never approached him to say hello.

Ten years later, I returned to Nairobi. I tried hard to find him. I wanted to give him something to thank him for his great contribution to my life. I could not. I assume he had died.

I can never tell this story on stage or in an interview: I would not be able to keep it together. That little African beggar, bless his eternal soul, taught me that one does not have not have things to be happy: one only has to create one's own joy with the people one loves. In the context of this, little else matters.

Strat

13th May 2019, 03:22

Some time ago I was researching the Dogon people (probably in part where my Mali interest is, along with its overall history) and I came across this video. Check out his channel, it's a hidden gem:

6KVgJvjMpVs

Also very cool:
wpEdZtoD7p8

Iloveyou

14th May 2019, 10:41

https://vimeo.com/121137859(13:30)
All music was banned in northern Mali in 2012 by Islamist militants. But musicians such as Khaira Arby refused to accept it. The last ... years have seen a collective of musicians taking Mali's rich musical heritage across the outskirts of war-torn Mali and into neighboring Burkina Faso on a grand Caravan of Peace – an offshoot of Mali’s famous Festival in the Desert.

iCJ1-CFudDY

Malian musician Afel Bocoum on the meaning and importance of traditional Malian music which goes way beyond just being an artform or entertainment.

__________________________________________________ __________________

Blaming it all on ethnic violence?

More than 150 killed in Mali's „hunter-herder clashes“ (March 2019)

Attackers dressed as traditional Dogon hunters targeted Fulani herders in the villages of Ogossagou and Welingara in Mopti region.

Dogon people have often accused the Fulani of bringing their cattle onto their farms and destroying their crops. This has historically led to tension and at times violence between the groups, but competition over resources was frequently resolved by negotiation. But the militant Islamist conflict that began in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to central areas by 2015 brought more instability, weapons and a lack of government control into the region.

The Dogon, who have been victims of militant attacks, accuse the Fulani of aiding the jihadists. Meanwhile, the Fulani say that the Dogon self-defence groups have been armed by the government, and are carrying out atrocities against them, which is denied by the authorities.

Dan Na Ambassagou, which means "hunters who trust in God" in the Dogon language, is an association that was formed from local self-defence groups.

There have been accusations that it has been involved in a number of the attacks on Fulanis last year, but it has denied this. Likewise, it was accused of being behind Saturday's attack as the perpetrators were dressed in traditional Dogon hunting gear.

But Dan Na Ambassagou says the association was not involved."We have nothing to do with this massacre which we utterly condemn," it said in a statement. "Anyone can wear hunters' costumes, they are available in the markets. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47694445

Regional news for Mali

https://www.antiwar.com/regions/regions.php?c=Mali

Iloveyou

14th May 2019, 14:00

Meanwhile in Burkina Faso, Mali‘s Southern neighbour, a Pandora's box of ethnic tensions has opened up - in a country once considered a beacon of coexistence and tolerance in West Africa.

Attacks by Islamist militants, military operations, and waves of inter-communal violence have left hundreds dead and tens of thousands displaced since January 2019, triggering an “unprecedented” humanitarian crisis that has caught many by surprise.

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2019/04/17/spreading-violence-triggers-unprecedented-crisis-burkina-faso?fbclid=IwAR37PtpauK-PIOmzlTZ-Yf22mcllXf8UFtZvsn2jrZDc6e4bJyye0uxMM54

____________________________________________________________________

Exposing The Inhumane Conditions Of Burkina Faso's Gold Mines(2016)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Blaise_Compaor%C3%A9_with_Obamas_2014.jpg/320px-Blaise_Compaor%C3%A9_with_Obamas_2014.jpg
Blaise Compaoré with First Lady Chantal and the Obamas 2014

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Gold Dust: Under Blaise Compaoré's leadership, Burkina Faso's unregulated gold rush has had a devastating effect on mining conditions. This report digs deep into the industry, exposing the corruption beneath Compaoré's ruling.

Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso from 1987 to 2014, a top associate of President Thomas Sankara during the 1980s, and in October 1987, the leader of a coup d'état during which Sankara was killed.

Sankara’s foreign policies had been centered on anti-imperialism, with his government eschewing all foreign aid, pushing for odious debt reduction, nationalizing all land and mineral wealth, and averting the power and influence of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Iloveyou

14th May 2019, 20:23

The best trip of my life was in December 2000 when I crossed the Kalahari desert in Botswana in a 4x4: A most magical place. As many reading this may know, I spent most of the first 8 years of my life in Nigeria and then Ghana, and it feels I have Africa in my blood.

Bill, I love reading your stories and I‘d love to tell some of mine, too. I sent travel reports home - in my mothertongue, German - using all the richness and possibilities of language to get things across. Any attempt to do that in English or to translate anything always ended in linguistic disaster :) Here is beautiful Mount Kenya Nationalpark instead.

https://travelguide.michelin.com/sites/default/files/styles/poi_slideshow/public/images/travel_guide/voyage_media-NX-20230/mount-kenya-national-park.jpg

https://www.marcopolosafaris.com/images/stories/national-reserves/mountkenya/mount-kenya-3.jpg

https://www.marcopolosafaris.com/images/stories/national-reserves/mountkenya/mount-kenya-10.jpg

https://worldbirdwatching.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/img_1388.jpg

Bill Ryan

15th May 2019, 00:16

Here is beautiful Mount Kenya National Park

Ha. :sun: I was there, climbing Mount Kenya in 2003. It's a very dramatic environment, straight out of Lord of the Rings.

Some photos:

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_5.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_1.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_2.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_4.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_6.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_7.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_8.jpg

Bill Ryan

15th May 2019, 00:17

(Mt Kenya, continued)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_9.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_10.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_11.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_13.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_12.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_3.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Ryan_Mt_Kenya_2003_14.jpg

Iloveyou

27th May 2019, 20:38

xxxxx

Islam in West Africa

In West Africa, under the influence of African traditions Islam has developed in a very different way than in Asia or the Middle East. North Africa has been conquered by violence, West Africa also through scholarship and trade.

In the ancient kingdom of Ghana Saharan Muslim merchants were not permitted to stay overnight in the city. The Ghana Kings benefitted from Muslim traders, but kept them outside centers of power. In the following centuries the contact between Muslims and Africans increased. African kings began to allow Muslims to integrate. Many rulers combined local practices with Islam. Although Islam became the state religion in a diverse and multi-ethnic empire, the majority of the population still practiced their traditions. Mystical Sufi brotherhood orders played an integral role in the social order of African Muslim societies and the spread of Islam. In Senegal, there‘s the saying that the population comprises 95% Muslims, 5% Christians and 100% Animists.

Many West African countries face massive problems: high level corruption in the first place, lack of basic infra-structure (roads, water supply, sewage system, electricity, waste management), unemployment, lack of education, no legislation against rape and domestic violence, teen pregnancy, female genital mutilation, child labour, human trafficking - but Islam is not among them.

Except you equate Islam with Muslim Brotherhood, Taliban, AQIM, IS, Boko Haram, Ansar Dine, various other jihadist groups and ... nothing else. Who had financed, trained and supported those groups? What are the connections to the US- and European Deep State Organisations? The UK government identifies 74 Islamist terrorist groups in detail. Is that all rooted in Islam in general? Or was the UK deep state (among others) involved?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/670599/20171222_Proscription.pdf

The population of the West African countries I visited
are Muslim to 75-100 percent. You would never guess it.

Well, there are mosques (mainly simple mud-brick buildings) at every corner. The call for prayers will wake you up before sunrise. You see people wash their face, their hands and feet in a torn plastic bucket and kneel down on a mat or a piece of cardboard for prayer. It might just be a security guard on duty in front of a bank. Or the taxi stops in the middle of nowhere and everyone gets out to do their prayers, men at one side of the road, women on the other.

Women are all over the place in public, in sub-Saharan countries they show much of their beautiful brown skin, they breastfeed their babys in public, their movements are particularly beautiful, self-assured and body-centered. They are dressed in colorful traditional African or Western style. Very rarely I saw a Muslim woman in black veil, never a burqua. Three West African countries had banned the production and sell of burquas, two more consider ban and ten others support it (by 2016).

In Freetown, Sierra Leone (it has a Muslim population of 78% (officially, locals say 50:50) you find many Christian churches and schools all over the city. The mini-bus-taxis and trucks are colorfully painted with the slogans Allah-Is-Great, Mother-Blessing, God-Is-My-Shepherd, Mother-Love and Good-Luck-To-Us-All.

In most West African countries all Muslim and Christian holidays are official holidays. Alcohol is sold in many shops and restaurants. There are discos and bars (mainly in urban areas) where the youth, young women and men, have fun. There are many intermarriages. Despite often terrible economic circumstances people radiate a kind of vitality and joy, you barely find elsewhere.

There are strong indications that Islam can be - and in fact is - widely practiced in a non-dogmatic way. Islam is indeed able to coexist peacefully in a climate of tolerance with non-Islamic societies. There’s actually proof. In case anyone thinks: that’s the exception: this applies for 16 states and 360 million people in West Africa. Only Mauritania is different. It is the single non-laical state, an Islamic Republic in the region.

Sharia is not Islam, generally. It is a fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, an extreme interpretation of Islam. In point of fact, in Timbuktu, Mali, which they control, the jihadist group Ansar Dine have profaned and destroyed tombs and mausoleums of Timbuktu Islamic saints which are remembrance places for local population. They destructed seven of the sixteen mausoleums of Muslim saints of Timbuktu.

The peaceful and respectful coexistence of Muslims and Christians in West African countries may be at one end of the spectrum, with fundamentalist, political Islam and Islamist terror (sponsored by the West?) at the other. I‘ve the impression that between those extremes there lies a wide range of possibilities, how Islam is interpreted and practized in daily life.

https://muslimsinafrica.wordpress.com/numbers-and-percentage-of-muslims-in-african-countries/

Senegal: Model for Interfaith Peace

Senegal is a Muslim-dominated country where a Christian minority is well respected and has lived peacefully with the Muslim majority for ages. Larry Nesper, associate professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, talks about a trip to Senegal to find out about the Christian-Muslim relations (2010/9:50)

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-Christians are a 5% minority, Islam in Senegal is entirely Sufi

-Senegal tradition of Teranga (hospitality) is a deeply engrained value taught at home and in school

-the first Senegalese president was Christian, the second and third were Muslim, married to Christian wives

-many children of the (small) Muslim middle-class are educated in Christian schools

-an example is set by prominent religious families. They see no problem with mixing religions in one family

-if one parent is Christian and the other Muslim, their children will choose their religion when they grow up

Iloveyou

27th May 2019, 21:03

https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/sites/default/files/Ankole%2017.%20Lake%20Mburo%20district%2C%20Nyabushozi%2C%20Western%20Region%2C%20Uganda%2C%202012_0 .jpg

https://hyperallergic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/sightingsofsacred04.jpg

Group of Ankole cattle. Kiruhura district, Western Region, Uganda © Daniel Naudé

Strat

4th June 2019, 22:54

Justin Wren (MMA fighter) has become known for his charity work with the pygmies in the Congo. He drills wells. In this video Cris 'Cyborg' (MMA fighter) does her part:
HE7XmZuhDD0

Iloveyou

5th June 2019, 16:51

https://docugraphy.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/buna-4-ambaras-simien-mountains-ethiopia.jpg

text deleted . . .

Star Tsar

6th June 2019, 05:20

Learn of the astronomy of the Bantu & Saan people.

Astronomy Cast

Episode 533 | Indigenous South African Astronomy

Streamed & Published 5th June 2019

Let's move to another continent this week, and look at the astronomy that was going on in southern Africa in ancient times. (Starts @ 8:40).

-0WyZD6J1Qo

Iloveyou

6th June 2019, 17:47

Top 10 richest men in Africa 2018

https://netstorage-legit.akamaized.net/images/d690361775658424.jpg

Aliko Dangote, Nigeria 14.1 bn USD, cement

Nicky Oppenheimer, South Africa 7.7 bn USD, diamonds

Johann Rupert, South Africa 7.0 bn USD luxury goods

Nassef Sawiris, Egypt 6.6 bn USD construction

Mike Adenuga, Nigeria 5.3 bn USD telecom, oil, gas

Issad Rebrab, Algeria 4.0 bn USD telecom

Naguib Sawiris, Egypt 4.0 bn USD telecom

Mohamed Mansour, Egypt 2.7 bn USD diversified

Koos Becker, South Africa 2.6 bn USD media, internet

Patrice Motsepe, South Africa 2.4 bn USD. mining

(for comparison: the ten richest US billionaires
own between 50 and 131 bn USD each)

more . . .

Aziz Akhannouch, Morocco 2.2 bn USD petroleum
Yasseen Mansour, Egypt 2.1 bn USD diversified
Strive Masiyiwa, South Africa 1.7 bn USD telecom
Othman Benjelloun, Morocco 1.6 bn USD banking, insurance
Mohammed Dewji, Tanzania 1.5 bn USD diversified
Youssef Mansour, Egypt 1.4 bn USD diversified
Michiel Le Roux, South Africa 1.2 bn USD banking
Stephen Saad, South Africa 1.2 bn USD pharmaceuticals
Desmond Sacco, South Africa 1.1 bn USD mining
Christoffel Wiese, South Africa 1.1 bn USD retailing

(only two out of ten listed are black people)

Strat

6th June 2019, 20:23

By the end of the fourth week I suddenly noticed the worm sticking his head out and gliding out of my chest smoothly, plus the feeling of two hands holding it. So now where to put it?
That's interesting. I know of 3 different times when this happened in the bible. That is, demons removed from someone and transferred into animals. Fascinating stuff.

Be it physical, mental or spiritual pain and suffering, Africa may be a great, great place to find healing, in Our Mother‘s Arms. Whenever the time is right.
I always thought it'd be neat to make a documentary where I go around the world and contact healers/shamans or whatever to see if they can fix my health issues. Good excuse to travel.

I saw a doc like that a while ago where a small boy traveled with his parents to seek healing. They eventually found it from (I think) a mongolian shaman. Was like flicking the lights on. Neat stuff.

At this point I'd try almost anything. It's the logical thing to do, I did the traditional western medicine route and look where I am now.

Iloveyou

7th June 2019, 05:40

Once you’ll document your healing way, you‘ll do it. Time is on your side. The key is focus, whenever possible, when there are good days. To plan and envision and feeling so happy and proud because it is already achieved. On good days.

Will look up the documentary on the boy and his parents :thumbsup:

Iloveyou

15th June 2019, 06:33

Inner No-Man’s Land: traveling in remote places

Traveling in remote places on your own, without touristic infra-structure requires three things: collecting as much information as possible in advance, behaving reasonably and according to local customs and the most important point imo: identifying, reoccupying and clearing up your personal stretch of inner No Man’s Land.

These are regions of your inner landscape which you have abandoned (for various reasons) long ago. You have withdrawn, fled the place and left it to bandits, robbers, highwaymen (in terms of energy). A wild piece of land, where you‘ve given up your right. But still, it‘s yours and you are responsible.

I‘m very well able to define my boundaries, draw a line and say a clear and undisputable NO. At least I thought so. Though at times I found myself in the most uncomprehensible, ambigious situations. I did set my boundaries straight and communicated clearly, but often too late, out of an irrational fear of being unfriendly or a misunderstood, false kind of tolerance. I’ve not only let people invade my personal space and take (to a certain extent) advantage of me, I still gave them more than they demanded, freely (body contact, money, attention, aknowledgement) - which I had never done in my familiar environment.

Nothing bad ever happened to me. People in West African countries are as vital, joyful, peaceful, open, honest, helpful and hospitable as it can get. I just managed to put myself in uncomfortable situations.

Finally, by watching myself and what I did from outside I came to understand this concept of No Man’s Land. I guess most of us have such abandoned regions, we are more or less aware of it, but maybe don‘t want to know ... In our daily routines and familiar surroundings we might deal with it very well. In foreign countries and cultures they mark our weak points and vulnerabilities.

For a foreigner (who is neither a tourist nor member of an organisation/company), in Africa everything is a matter of negotiation. You will not be cheated, but if you are not absolutely clear about your own intentions and about what drives you, exactly that will show up. Each moment of weakness will cost you. Your own inner ambiguities are on display, unrelenting and merciless. They have immediate consequences.

The overwhelming majority of interactions were honest, kind and people did not take advantage of me even if I seemed to invite them to do. There were those others who helped and allowed me to learn and grow (hopefully).

So far my personal experience.

https://photos.travellerspoint.com/836830/large_20171004072948.jpg

Iloveyou

15th June 2019, 08:02

The Sahel in flames

Violence spreads in formerly stable West African countries

A surge in violence across West Africa’s Sahel has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and left thousands dead since January, as Islamist militants with links to al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State extend their reach across the region at a time when they are losing ground in their Middle Eastern strongholds.

JyO21Q5WqAo

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/special-report/2019/05/30/briefing-civilian-fallout-sahel-s-spreading-militancy

After the Big Players having put the boot into Latin America, the Middle East and North African countries, West Africa has been targeted openly for quite some years now. Countries with decades of relatively peaceful existence after their initial years of struggle following independence. Mali and Burkina Faso are among them. A wave of violence has spread over formerly stable countries.

Mali has been embroiled in conflict since Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012 before being pushed back by French troops in 2013. A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups has failed to restore stability (like anywhere else in the world). In Burkina Faso it started last year.

Fighting between al-Qaeda-linked extremists, self-defence militias, and government soldiers had displaced tens of thousands of people in central Mali and left hundreds dead (2018). In March this year 157 villagers had been killed in a massacre, in June there was another village massacre with 95 dead. These are just the worst in numbers among many.

Unidentified heavily armed men on motorcycles and pick-ups are surrounding the villages and firing at people. That‘s what witnesses say. Officially everything is blamed on century old tensions and ethnic violence. Though all that bears an explicitly different signature.

The real instigators of ISIS etc.
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?107347-Gioele-Magaldi-Freemasons.-The-discovery-of-the-Ur-Lodges.&p=1296037&viewfull=1#post1296037

What are they up to in West Africa and why now?

Star Tsar

15th June 2019, 09:55

Learn about modern South African astronomy if you will...

Astronomy Cast

Episode 533 | Indigenous South African Astronomy

Streamed & Published 5th June 2019

Let's move to another continent this week, and look at the astronomy that was going on in southern Africa in ancient times.

-0WyZD6J1Qo

Episode 534 | Modern South African Astronomy

Streamed & Published 14th June 2019

Last week we talked about some ancient south African astronomy, so this week we'll talk about the state of modern astronomy in the southern part of Africa, which happens to be a great place with nice dark skies and a great view into the heart of the galaxy.

vNA-q__Ub3I

Iloveyou

15th June 2019, 12:42

Very nice talks about astronomy, Star.

Indigenous astronomy starts at 9:00. She talks about the SAN people (called ‚Bushmen‘) and the BANTU people, and the stories they tell about the sky and the stars in relation to their lives.

Do you know, how the Milky Way was created? It was created by a girl of an ancient race who scooped up a handful of ashes and fire, and threw it into the sky. There had been edible roots cooking in the ashes which made for the red glowing stars . . .

Modern astronomy starts at 11:00. It is about the ‚Royal Observatory of the Cape of Good Hope‘ in Cape Town and an observatory next to the village of Sutherland, 370 km north-east of Cape Town, consisting of fifteen different domes on a plateau with no light pollution.

https://www.saao.ac.za/science/observing/observer-notes/sutherland/

Strat

15th June 2019, 16:45

I watched one of these Timeline documentaries on Africa and it was really good. Gonna watch this one tonight:
JFxaZ-dkebw
There's a bunch of them on different African countries. In the one I watched earlier he traveled with a caravan, crossed a desert and reached a small oasis which supported a village which made its profit off of a salt mine.

Intranuclear

15th June 2019, 18:05

I have seen many documentaries about the Ark and it being in Ethiopia.
This is indeed such a beautifully done work and really heart-warming and educational in showing how it is the wealth of spirit that makes these people smile regardless the hardships of life.

Heh, is seems like the disclosure of the Ark which has been kept secret for thousands of years and that of UFOs are just too similar. In our materialistic view, we seek evidence to feel the expenditure of spiritual focus justified.
Also the warning of the Ark is similar to that of the truth of UFOs in that the "truth" is too powerful and I guess can only be digested slowly through time.

Still, these Ethiopian people are beautiful in every sense of the word.

One other parallel: In Sekret Machines (book 1,2) there is this "revelation" of powerful tablets that can be used by some to gain incredible powers, such as the ability to control material objects but in the "wrong" hands can be devastating.
Is this what the Ark contains?
If true, how would disclosure help anyone?
Those seeking even more power will stop at nothing.

Anyway, back to Africa. :)

Star Tsar

16th June 2019, 08:41

Ancient news from SA!

Ancient Architects

8,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found Inside the World’s Largest Meteorite Crater

Published 15th June 2019

https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Vredefort-Crater.jpg

The Vredefort Structure in South Africa is the largest, and second oldest meteorite Impact Crater on Earth, 190 miles wide and created by a 10-mile wide asteroid that struck the earth approximately 2 billion years ago.

Scientists estimate is was travelling at almost 43,500 miles per hour when it struck the Earth and although today the crater is greatly eroded, you can still see the shape of the crater in satellite imagery.

It is largest than the Chicxulub site in Mexico that was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs approximately 65 million years ago and today, it is a UNSECO World Heritage Site because of its geological interest.

But now the crater is also of archaeological interest because whilst geologists were working on the site, they stumbled across a number of ancient engravings also known as petroglyphs, finds that will help experts learn about ancient human civilisation in Southern Africa. Watch the video to find out more about these amazing discoveries.

All images are taken from Google Images for educational purposes only.

Read all about it here: :https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/vredefort-crater-0012142 & https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-carvings-biggest-impact-crater-1443822

2HEQ1zp7koA

Iloveyou

16th June 2019, 17:14

https://i.postimg.cc/Pfgs2BR2/6-BC514-D3-9369-4-DF8-AD19-1-D104-B8-B269-E.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/hj0sTQ6k/5-BB23-E4-A-5-A8-D-4-E69-884-E-9454-C12-C9870.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/3NYphKrY/FBBA05-AA-385-D-4490-ABA7-7047421-F03-CF.jpg

Here are some pictures I took on a site near the Guelb er Richat in Mauritania. The locals had started to highlight the lines to make them better visible for visitors.

I don‘t know what to make of it. Maybe it is a mix of ancient petroglyphs and more recent graffiti in Arabic script? Tifinagh letters / Berber language (5000 years old)? Proto-Saharan script (5000 - 7000 years old)? The kind of depictions in the first image, I think I‘ve seen them before, but can‘t remember.

My French was too basic to collect further information, but I‘ll return there anyway.

Iloveyou

20th June 2019, 12:14

https://i.postimg.cc/MTbR1DWz/C770784-C-393-D-44-D4-AA89-D543-C2-C1315-C.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/V6Y9GTZJ/6-DE73-FE7-A83-C-4-C74-97-A5-13733377-B952.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/zBm6yJf9/47-BC364-E-9-AAC-421-E-94-E6-6390550-F862-A.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/R0CQGyDN/5-CCE1424-44-FA-469-C-AF19-099-C2-AF7-EF24.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/x1pS1DM2/4-E9-F19-D1-9-D26-4-C90-8263-82-DFD6-EF9831.jpg

My heart is aching and longing to return. To life, just simple life. The way my financial
endeavors progress it seems I‘ll have to get used to reduce my baggage to a minimum,
walk a lot, sleep in a tent (and carry it) and be happy to wash myself once a week.

A British woman who lives in West Africa told me about a friend back in London. He worked
for big companies, had burnt himself out, suffered from depression and chronic health issues.
It took a long time to convince him of visiting her. Then, back in London after several weeks,
he wrote: You know, at Heathrow airport I was the only person smiling and I just can‘t
stop it anymore (the smile). I‘ve gone back to the essential like sharing a meal . . .

Iloveyou

20th June 2019, 12:20

https://i.postimg.cc/NGXGCMTr/DE397667-783-C-4323-8-DD9-99-B138-E51-DBC.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/c4YmJQ34/289149-F9-ECFC-4162-93-EA-FCC8-FACBF548.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/kGS5xMNK/D110-B0-F0-31-B9-423-D-A8-D2-6-C2616892-EA2.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/fbM0DdcF/A5-AC59-C4-32-FF-4-B06-86-F6-0-A343-B504971.jpg

Hervé

20th June 2019, 13:13

Rothschilds accused of preying on South Africa's state-owned enterprises (https://www.rt.com/business/462286-rothschilds-capturing-sa-airlines/)

RT
Published time: 20 Jun, 2019 10:09
Get short URL (https://on.rt.com/9wpa)

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.06/article/5d0b5a37dda4c873368b4666.jpg
© Facebook / FlySAA

South African unions have joined forces to take on the Rothschild family, which they have accused of being involved in attempts to 'capture' the country’s State Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

According to the Citizen tabloid (https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/protests/2143586/rothschilds-have-captured-soes-like-the-guptas-unions-allege/), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and the South African Cabin Crew Association released a joint statement, claiming that the Rothschilds were “interfering” in SOEs for “selfish and greedy purposes.” The statement alleged that the wealthy family intended to collapse South African Airways (SAA) so it could be privatized.

View image on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Numsa_Media/status/1138384008314785793/photo/1) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8xaNAfXYAA6IEL?format=jpg&name=small (https://twitter.com/Numsa_Media/status/1138384008314785793/photo/1)

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/731934579276156928/oCqcWBdp_normal.jpg (https://twitter.com/Numsa_Media) NUMSA @Numsa_Media
(https://twitter.com/Numsa_Media)
NUMSA and SACCA are united in their demands. We want Vuyani Jarana to be reinstated.#SAAPicket (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAAPicket?src=hash)#SAVESAA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAVESAA?src=hash)#SAVEOurSOEs (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAVEOurSOEs?src=hash)@SAFTU_media (https://twitter.com/SAFTU_media)@IOL (https://twitter.com/IOL)@News24 (https://twitter.com/News24)

11:54 AM - Jun 11, 2019 (https://twitter.com/Numsa_Media/status/1138384008314785793)
The Rothschild family is the most famous of all European banking dynasties; for some 200 years, it has had great influence on the economic and, indirectly, the political history of Europe. It also holds stakes in many businesses internationally.

The South African unions said that the Rothschilds were using an alleged link to SAA board member Mark Kingston, who is also the executive chair of Rothschild & Co. in South Africa and was previously its CEO. The unions want the removal of various SAA board members, including Kingston, as well as another board member who actually carries the Rothschild name – former Johannesburg Stock Exchange chairperson Geoff Rothschild.

The unions have called the Rothschilds the new Guptas – linking the controversial South African family accused of various corrupt acts. The Gupta family has been the focus of widespread scrutiny because of its close ties to former president Jacob Zuma.

South Africa’s Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has been also accused of acting recklessly, when he previously expressed a lack of faith in the airline's future.

The unions held a protest last week calling for the reinstatement of South African Airways former CEO Vuyani Jarana, whose ‘turnaround strategy’ they want to be implemented.

Jarana, who was appointed chief executive of South Africa’s embattled national carrier in August 2017, has assured that SAA would not be privatized. He had proposed a plan to make the airline financially self-sustainable by 2021. The CEO resigned early this month due to uncertainty about the airline’s government funding.

Related:

Rothschild worried about new world economic order (https://www.rt.com/business/435490-rothschild-new-world-order-stability/)

Rothschild Bank caught up in money-laundering scandal (https://www.rt.com/business/433993-rothschild-caught-money-laundering-switzerland/)

Bill Ryan

20th June 2019, 13:26

At the risk of introducing some levity here (for a moment!), this African Women's Cricket news just hit me like a bombshell. :)

For those who don't understand cricket, this ridiculous record defeat is like the equivalent of a football (soccer) match when one side won 100-0.

https://espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27014916/mali-women-sink-record-304-run-defeat-t20i

Mali women sink to record 304-run defeat in T20I

Mali women's miserable run in the Kwibuka Women's Twenty20 Tournament 2019 continued for a third straight day, as they sank to a record 304-run defeat (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/19349/scorecard/1188790/mali-women-vs-uganda-women-5th-match-kwibuka-womens-twenty20-tournament-2019) against Uganda women on Thursday.

Mali had already set a world record for the lowest ever total on Tuesday, having been bowled out for 6 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/26999672/6-all-mali-women-bowled-lowest-women-t20i-total) against Rwanda.
Their 10 all out came after Uganda had racked up a massive 314 for 2 after choosing to bat first - the highest total in all T20Is - men or women.

Here are two of the triumphant Ugandan women. (Presumably, the Mali women didn't want to be photographed. :) )

https://a3.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fi%2Fcricket%2Fcricinfo%2F1189861_1296x729.jpg

My apologies, if apologies are needed. (But Mali, wow. A little more work may be needed. I just hope they're laughing — they probably are! — and aren't too dejected.)

:focus:

Star Tsar

20th June 2019, 14:51

CNN Report: Protests growing in Sudan against the military council

The euphoria that erupted following the fall of Omar al-Bashir has faded as a harsh new reality sinks in - one military strongman has replaced another. After the June 3 massacre, Sudan's pro-democracy movement has had to hunker down. But as CNN's Ben Wedeman reports, they are keeping up the fight

DTdvl8XHkW8

London protests

0T24Ib90LP4

Cara

9th July 2019, 06:24

Important development - agreement of an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

I’m not sure if this is positive news or not. Certainly, it might help some African interests overcome very high costs of doing business across Africa. But it also creates a mechanism for furthering the interests of those with money rather than addressing the cares and concerns of ordinary people. It also may act as a necessary step in the path for those in Europe who are pushing their “Eurafrica” idea (more in the next post).

https://www.dw.com/en/african-leaders-launch-landmark-55-nation-trade-zone/a-49503393

African leaders launch landmark 55-nation trade zone
It took African countries four years to agree to a free-trade deal in March. The trade zone will unite 1.3 billion people, create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc and usher in a new era of development across the continent.

https://www.dw.com/image/49503342_303.jpg
African Union summit in Niger on July 7, 2019

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Benin's President Patrice Talon on Sunday signed a landmark trade agreement ahead of the accord's official launch at the African Union (AU) summit in Niger.

AU commission chairman Moussa Faki dubbed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deal a "historic" moment.

Fifty-four out of 55 AU member states agreed to the deal in March, with only Eritrea holding out. It took African leaders four years to reach an agreement on the continental free-trade zone, which is expected to usher in a new era of development in Africa.

The AfCFTA is the largest trade bloc since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1994.

Focus on Africa

"The eyes of the world are turned to Africa," Egyptian President and AU chairman Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said at the summit's opening ceremony on Sunday.

"AfCFTA will reinforce our negotiating position on the international stage. It will represent an important step," he added.

https://www.dw.com/image/49503350_401.jpg
'AfCFTA will represent an important step,' says AU chairman el-Sissi (L)

The African free-trade bloc will help boost the continent's long-stymied economy by strengthening interregional trade and supply chains.

The free-trade zone should be operational from July 2020, AU trade and industry commissioner Albert Muchanga told the AFP news agency.

Major obstacles

Economic experts say the AU still faces significant challenges in implementing the deal. Poor roads and railway lines, violence-hit areas, strict border controls and rampant corruption are some of the obstacles to an effective continental free-trade zone.

AU member countries agreed to eliminate tariffs on most goods, which would boost regional trade by 15-25% in the medium term. It could be doubled in the long term if other issues were dealt with, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"Reducing tariffs alone is not sufficient," it said.

"It will be important to address those disparities to ensure that special and differential treatments for the least developed countries are adopted and successfully implemented," said Landry Signe, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Africa Growth Initiative.

The IMF said in a May report that the AfCFTA could be an "economic game changer" for Africa – of a similar kind to the one that boosted growth in Europe and North America.

Amaka Anku, Africa analyst at Eurasia group, said the deal was a positive step but AfCFTA was still "a long way from taking off."

African nations currently trade only about 16% of their goods and services among one another, compared with 65% for the European Union member states.

shs/ng (AFP, Reuters)

Cara

9th July 2019, 06:39

The idea of Eurafrica seems to have been “waiting in the wings” for some time alongside plans for European integration.

Here, for example, is a 2014 book tracing the idea back to the period between the world wars and also to the development of the EU.

Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism
https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/bj/9781780930008.jpg
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/eurafrica-9781780930008/

This is a book review from an Open University academic that outlines the main ideas in the book: http://critcom.councilforeuropeanstudies.org/eurafrica-the-untold-history-of-european-integration-and-colonialism/#

Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism

Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson’s Eurafrica is a bold book. Taking aim at what it regards as the “whiggish” field of European Union (EU) history, this work challenges the myth that postwar European integration marked a clean break with Europe’s dark past (26). While Eurafrica is not the first text to offer such a critical perspective on the growth of the EU, it is one of the first to bring together the history of European colonialism and the history of European integration.[1] These fields can seem like two quite remote islands that have drifted far apart: the history of colonialism describes what seems like Europe’s increasingly remote racist past, whereas EU history surveys Europe’s onward march to a democratic and multicultural present and future. By focusing on plans for European integration between the 1920s and the 1950s, Hansen and Jonsson are, instead, able to show how entangled these two histories actually are.

The authors have, therefore, performed a very valuable service: they have not only closed the gap between histories of the EU and mainstream social and political histories of Europe but they have also connected European integration history to broader global and transnational histories of colonialism. They are also able to critique notions of a Zero Hour, the idea that everything changed once Germany was defeated in 1945, from a new angle, revealing previously neglected continuities of colonialist outlook. Parallels and continuities with Nazi plans for European or Eurafrican integration are not explored in any detail, which may seem like a lost opportunity. Hansen and Jonsson’s interests lie elsewhere though: in exposing the links between the integrationist ideas of the post-1945 democracies and their interwar predecessors. Such an approach arguably does more to subvert whiggish accounts of the EU, suggesting a colonialist genealogy to the European project that goes beyond the obviously racist and exploitative National Socialist regime and connects to the interwar democracies. Interestingly, this critical history is based on archival work conducted in the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU), housed at the EU’s intellectual center, the European University Institute. Much of the archival work conducted by the authors is not featured in this work but will appear in a fuller, follow-up volume. As a result, the current book offers a provocative (although scholarly) taste of what readers can expect from Hansen and Jonsson.

What was Eurafrica during the period studied by the authors? The first full chapter focuses on the interwar period and uses a discourse analysis method to flesh out the meanings of the term. Hansen and Jonsson show that a wide variety of politicians, Pan-Europeanists, and intellectuals sought union with the African continent as a way of reviving and saving Europe. Already concerned with the growing power of the United States and the Soviet Union, these Europeans believed that a Balkanized Europe would not only have to unite internally but also integrate itself with Africa in order to become a third economic and political power in the world. Such an interwar context is necessary for the authors’ major argument, but it does suggest that Eurafrica was many different things to many different groups. As a result, it is a little difficult to gauge just how influential the various schemes were. As the authors recognize, some plans were utopian, while others seemed designed to help colonial nations maintain control of their empires. Nevertheless, this chapter does reveal fascinating details about high-level negotiations between European politicians, which suggests African colonies were regarded as a common currency that Europeans could exchange. For instance, African colonies played a role in Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement agenda: he was willing to “return” parts of the German empire in Africa as compensation should Germany be persuaded not to pursue their claims in Austria and Czechoslovakia too aggressively (70).

Chapters Three and Four get into the details of the postwar political history of European integration, focusing particularly on the negotiations from 1955 to 1957 that preceded the Treaty of Rome. One result of such negotiations was that “overseas countries and territories (OCTs)” were “associated” with the European Economic Community (EEC). This meant that French and Belgian OCTs received EEC funding, while EEC members gained duty-free access to new African markets. Whereas other historians have largely seen this provision as a footnote in the history of the EU, Hansen and Jonsson argue that it indicates a more ambitiously neocolonial agenda among the architects of European integration. As they put it, this association agreement was prompted by a Eurafrican agenda that was “anti-independence yet non-colonial” (227). In other words, EEC leaders wanted to dissociate themselves from the tarnished colonial pasts of European empires but nevertheless exploit African resources, regarding them as a shared European patrimony.

There is much that is interesting in Hansen and Jonsson’s account of the Eurafrican dimension to the Treaty of Rome. Their presentation of the various schemes for Eurafrica and the negotiations around African colonies powerfully conveys how in flux ideas about the complexion and geographical extent of Europe were during what could be regarded as the Sattelzeit of the 1950s. The account also sheds light on the way Europe’s OCTs were (often inelegantly) fitted into an emerging Cold War that left European nations themselves torn between Western alignment and neutrality. Such insights feature prominently in Eurafrica’s very strong Chapter Four, which is based on extensive archival research in the HEAU. Revealing the degree of improvisation used by European statesmen during this decade serves to demystify the process behind the EEC Treaty and challenge more heroic accounts of the ‘path to Europe.’ The account of the negotiations also effectively shows that at least some Europeanists envisaged colonialism as part of Europe’s future rather than its past, suggesting that they might not have been so unambiguously on ‘the right side of history.’ Readers may still doubt that most European leaders believed they had a common Eurafrican destiny in the mid-1950s, rather than simply seeking to accommodate French colonial interests. (Belgium and its colonies feature in the text but only somewhat briefly.) Yet the authors are keen to stress, for instance, that Germany had an economic rationale for supporting some kind of Eurafrican arrangement. Focusing on German interests in Africa adds a new perspective on the French-German axis that has been so important for the construction of the EU.

The focus on Germany and France nevertheless suggests that the major actors in this story were still national actors. If this is true, then Africa is significant to the history of European integration not because radical Eurafrican schemes were important in and of themselves, but because the issue of African colonies adds another dimension to how the EEC became an intergovernmental rather than federal union. In other words, if we follow Alan Milward in thinking of the European treaties of the 1950s as the “European rescue of the nation-state,” then we might wonder if European integration was anything more than the (short-lived) European rescue of the French and Belgian empires.[2] It is clear that Hansen and Jonsson think that the Eurafrican dimension to the EEC was more profound than that. But when they “drilled deeply” into the negotiations between 1955 and 1957, they suggested that various nations were doing national cost-and-benefit analyses rather than representing a common European colonial mindset (222). Thus, while the French were very eager to incorporate Algeria into the EEC, the Italians worried about the competition their agricultural sector would face from agricultural products produced in this part of the French Empire. If Hansen and Jonsson had been able to present more detailed accounts of how many EEC employees were assigned to work on EEC relations with African colonies or of how much of the EEC budget went to ‘developing’ the colonies, then they may have been even more effective in showing the existence of a common European approach. A more detailed examination of the concept of ‘development’ may also have been productive: the issue of how an integrated European development agenda related to earlier forms of colonial mission is addressed but not examined in depth (231).

One other way in which Hansen and Jonsson might have explored a common European approach to Eurafrica would have been to look again at the Christian dimension to the European project. As Wolfram Kaiser, among others, has shown, much of the enthusiasm for an at least somewhat federal European Community developed out of Christian (particularly Catholic) conceptions of politics.[3] Politicians such as Konrad Adenauer turned to European integration because they believed that a federal Europe, based on personalist Christian principles, would turn Europeans away from nationalism and worship of the state.[4] How these Christian perspectives affected the way European statesmen regarded nationalist movements in colonial Africa is a fascinating topic but one that is not explored in this volume. Had Hansen and Jonsson paid attention to this religious dimension, they may have discovered more than simple economic exploitation at work in the Eurafrican project. This is not to say that European statesmen would have necessarily appeared in a more favorable light. These statesmen may rather have appeared as one more type of European missionary, carrying a self-imposed “white man’s burden” (28). But their attitude towards national liberation movements in Africa may also have been revealed in a more nuanced light. Given how problematic the process of nation-building in Europe in 1918 had turned out to be, it is certainly possible to imagine more benevolent reasons for Christian democratic architects of European integration regarding the process of nation-building in Africa with some wariness.

While these comments may suggest there is scope for further explanation and exploration of the idea of Eurafrica, they do not invalidate the major arguments developed by Hansen and Jonsson. For the authors do convincingly show that European leaders, including much-feted architects of the postwar integration project, could imagine a united Europe playing a greater, rather than lesser, role in the affairs of the African continent. These leaders wanted to strengthen and extend colonial networks to more intensively use and develop the resources of the African continent in order to strengthen Europe as a Third World power. As the authors suggest, Eurafrica therefore served as a “vanishing mediator” between European colonialism and European integration (231). While European integration offered a new model of political community achieved through the pooling of sovereignty between nation-states, European colonialism was supposedly designed to raise African peoples to statehood, even if the process seemed destined for indefinite postponement. Ideas of Eurafrica bridged the conceptual divide between these two models of political community as well as conveniently allowing European nations to retain control of their colonies. Hansen and Jonsson’s book therefore shows the immense potential for historians to rewrite the history of European integration if they pay attention to postwar European nations’ colonial commitments and abiding colonial aspirations. Scholars and students of European integration and of colonialism alike can eagerly look forward to the more detailed empirical work that the authors of the present volume are ideally placed to provide.

Reviewed by Christian Bailey, The Open University
Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism
by Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson
Bloomsbury
Hardback / 344 pages / 2014
ISBN: 9781780930008

Cara

13th July 2019, 06:21

This is a remarkable map of the river basins of Africa. It’s from the site grasshoppergeography (https://www.grasshoppergeography.com/River-Maps/i-HsBLdcT/A), which has similar maps of the whole world, individual continents and some countries.

41116

Iloveyou

13th July 2019, 07:48

Wow, that‘s beautiful. Looks like a pulsating, living organism (which in fact it is)

Here‘s an African-American connection.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/3b/48/9c3b48d4bc68da24c87dc696ba5e875f.png

pjEsoFuvUHY

All major problems of human existence captured in a few lines :) :) :)

———————————————————————————————————

Add: Praying for Hurricane-threatened Louisiana, today.

Bill Ryan

13th July 2019, 12:39

An enhanced map of the river basins of Africa: (larger and brighter) :star:

http://projectavalon.net/River_basins_of_Africa.gif

Iloveyou

1st August 2019, 16:33

xxxxx
Dirty Diesel: Dirty business with toxic fuels

Public Eye’s Dirty Diesel report, published in 2016, reveals that Swiss commodities companies knowingly exploit lax African standards: they supply and sell highly sulphurous fuels in Africa – fuels that they produce themselves and that have long been banned in Europe. In doing so, companies significantly exacerbate the problem of increasing air pollution in African cities and endanger the health of millions of people.

How Swiss traders flood Africa with toxic fuels

Air pollution is already a serious problem in African cities. Car exhaust fumes are largely responsible for the harmful particulate matter in the air. Although there are fewer cars on the roads in Africa than in Europe, the emissions are higher because fuel contains far higher levels of sulphur, which leads to higher levels of particulate matter.

Sulphur content nearly 400 times higher than levels permitted in Europe

Fuel standards in most of Africa are far lower than in Europe. Public Eye investigated the true sulphur content of diesel sold in eight countries. The shocking result: the sulphur content was up to 378 times higher than levels permitted in Europe. They found other harmful substances present at levels banned in Europe – for instance benzene or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Swiss commodities trading companies – above all Trafigura – dominate the dirty business of filthy fuel in Africa. The company supplies the fuel, sells it via its own networks of petrol stations and also produces the toxic blend itself. It has no interest in seeing standards change given that it systematically takes advantages of weak African standards to optimise its profit margins.

https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/commodities-trading/dirty-diesel

https://www.publiceye.ch/fileadmin/doc/Rohstoffe/2016_PublicEye_Dirty_Diesel_Report.pdf

https://www.publiceye.ch/fileadmin/doc/Rohstoffe/2016_PublicEye_Dirty_Diesel_Report.pdf

https://i.postimg.cc/25LTdDK1/1-AB91085-950-E-4-E9-A-BD7-F-1-F0-F84-B3-DDB4.png

New blue leather shoes corroded and eaten away
by acid and poisonous dust on the ground in African cities
after walking around neighbourhoods for a few weeks.

Iloveyou

1st August 2019, 16:39

xxxxxxxxx
Everybody knows BP, Shell and probably Glencore. But who knows Vitol or Trafigura?

http://netzfrauen.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Rohstoffe1.jpg

In fact, these Swiss commodity trading companies have become giants. Vitol, for example, generated sales of $ 168 billion in 2015 and operates significantly more oil tankers than BP or Shell. For Trafigura, the largest foreign company in Africa in 2013, the continent is the most important market after Europe. Over the last five years, these two companies have been buying up entire gas station networks in numerous African countries on a large scale. That is hardly known because they do their jobs with the utmost discretion and do not sell their fuel under their real name.

Source: https://netzfrauen.org/2016/09/16/rohstoffe-2/ (German)

Cara

10th August 2019, 09:28

A fascinating video was posted by Greybeard here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?107293-Ancient-Artifacts-That-Are-Still-Shrouded-in-Controversy-Today&p=1309611&viewfull=1#post1309611) about ancient archeological finds in The Sudan:

Sudan Underwater Pyramids and Chambers Still Hold Many Secrets!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBF-bTFJMhY&t=15s

Here’s a map for some orientation:
http://www.thisissierraleone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/south-Sudan.gif

Iloveyou

10th August 2019, 14:42

WNYemuiAOfU

Above the law . . .

Rüschlikon is a village in Switzerland with a very low tax rate and very wealthy residents. But it receives more tax revenue than it can use. This is largely thanks to one resident - Ivan Glasenberg, CEO of Glencore, whose copper mines in Zambia are not generating a large bounty tax revenue for the Zambians. Zambia has the 3rd largest copper reserves in the world, but 60% of the population live on less than $1 a day and 80% are unemployed. Based on original research into public documents, the film describes the tax system employed by multinational companies in Africa (2012)

38:45 . . . unfortunately a president dies of a stroke, incidentally . . .

Cara

18th August 2019, 11:56

I came across an old series on Africa from 1984 on Youtube today. It's called AFRICA: A Voyage in Discovery. The series was written and presented by Basil Davidson (quite an interesting person (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Davidson)) and shown in the UK on Channel 4 television.

There seem to be eight episodes that I can find.

Episode 1:
X75COneJ4w8

Episode 2:
s_BCw9GhS-4

Episode 3:
fvt7hTf9wRI

Episode 4:
06NJA0tQHcU

Episode 5:
qvEsMXd_MY0

Episode 6:
4B3K0VjbQBg

Episode 7:
zvccgaIoq3E

Episode 8:
YCcR8mMHfbA

Hervé

25th August 2019, 13:11

Wildfires scorch Africa but world’s media stay focused on Brazil’s blazes (https://www.rt.com/news/467228-fires-amazon-brazil-africa/)

RT
Published time: 24 Aug, 2019 19:24
Edited time: 25 Aug, 2019 09:27
Get short URL (https://on.rt.com/a0ik)

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.08/article/5d6189d3dda4c8d4588b4583.JPG
A tract of burnt jungle in Boca Do Acre, Brazil © Reuters / Bruno Kelly

Forest fires are tearing through the Amazon rainforest, prompting worldwide protests and demands for action to protect the “lungs of the world.” But, away from the spotlight, the Brazilian fires are dwarfed by blazes in Africa.

Fires visible from space are currently burning up the Amazon rainforest at a rate of three football fields per minute, according to Brazilian satellite data (http://terrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br/app/dashboard/alerts/legal/amazon/aggregated/). Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research reported an 83 percent increase in wildfires on last year, with more than 72,000 fires spotted, 9,000 last week alone.

With the forest burning, protesters around the world have gathered outside Brazilian embassies, demanding Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro take stronger action against the blazes. The demonstrators, many affiliated with eco-warriors Extinction Rebellion, blame Bolsonaro’s pro-logging, pro-mining development policies for the fires, and accuse him of condoning the deliberate razing of forest for grassland.

As protesters in London chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Bolsonaro’s got to go!” two even bigger blazes burned unnoticed in Africa. Over Thursday and Friday, more fires were recorded in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo than in Brazil, Bloomberg reported (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-23/more-fires-now-burning-in-angola-congo-than-amazon-maps?srnd=technology-vp), citing NASA satellite data. In those two days alone, 6,902 fires were recorded in Angola and 3,395 in the DRC. 2,127 were spotted in Brazil in the same period.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1060027747525894147/UTO9dWZK_normal.jpg (https://twitter.com/Desesquerdizada) Caneta #ReformaSemPrivilegios @Desesquerdizada
(https://twitter.com/Desesquerdizada)
Replying to @EmmanuelMacron (https://twitter.com/_/status/1165240243764813825)
You're so "worried" about climate and biodiversity that you don't care about the thousand fires in Angola, DR Congo, Madagascar and Zambia. Maybe because they don't compete with the inneficient farmers that your government has to subsidize.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECwSh7GX4AAZW19?format=jpg&name=small (https://twitter.com/Desesquerdizada/status/1165326913298161664/photo/1)

8:16 PM - Aug 24, 2019 (https://twitter.com/Desesquerdizada/status/1165326913298161664) However, nobody marched in London chanting “Félix Tshisekedi’s got to go!” Nor did Extinction Rebellion – a well organized group of activists that brought London’s traffic to a standstill (https://www.rt.com/uk/456573-climate-environment-protest-london/) in April – take the tube one stop west from the Brazilian Embassy to picket the Angolan consulate.

Blanket media coverage has been successful in forcing the burning of the Amazon into the public consciousness. Protest campaigns have been guided by pleas from social media influencers, while French President Emmanuel Macron declared “our house is burning,” and promised to put the Brazilian blazes at the top of the agenda as he hosts this weekend’s G7 summit in Biarritz.

While wildfires in Central Africa are a common occurrence this time of year, Bolsonaro insists that the Amazonian inferno is also part of the natural rhythm of life in the rainforest. “I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame. But it is the season of the queimada,” he told reporters, referring to the long-established practice of burning away overgrown farmland before replanting
NASA also reported (https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145464/fires-in-brazil) earlier this week that the number and severity of fires were average for the last 15 years.

“Forest fires exist in the whole world,” Bolsonaro said on Friday, after EU leaders threatened economic sanctions on Brazil. Still, the Brazilian leader has evidently deemed the problem serious enough to send in the army, deploying troops to prevent more deliberate blazes and combat further outbreaks.

In Africa, it’s more difficult to know what’s happening, as next to no news reports on the fires in Angola and the DRC have surfaced in the west. No hashtag campaigns or mass demonstrations have broken out, and the issue has not been placed on the G7 leaders’ agenda.

Related:

Macron posts Amazon fire photo that’s not from this year, gets torched by Brazil’s Bolsonaro (https://www.rt.com/news/467130-macron-old-amazon-photo/)

Iloveyou

25th August 2019, 16:14

Hmm, the media throw out this NASA map saying: see, Africa is burning, too and much worse! That‘s just ridiculous, imo.

First one has to know how to read and interprete such a map and this needs quite some effort, I see. Then one has to educate oneself about the geography, the landscapes, vegetation, history, the population of the African countries (Angola, Zambia, DRC) to be able to interpret the map. It might occur that those fires have entirely different causes and consequences than those in the Amazon rainforest and cannot be compared at all. Maybe, maybe not.

Bolsonaro and the European leaders, they have the exact same goal - to draw as much profit as possible through the ruthless exploitation of earth, they just fight over their position of power.

This smells heavily from the manipulation of the viewers minds. It’s interesting to play with the map and to read up. Good ressource. Let‘s just not jump to the first apparent and obviously suggested conclusions provided by the media (MSM and alternative alike). Things might turn out to be quite different.

Hervé

12th September 2019, 12:36

West Africa: Flood death toll rises in Niger, homes destroyed in Nigeria, hundreds displaced in Chad (https://floodlist.com/africa/westafrica-floods-nigeria-niger-chad-september-2019)

Floodlist (https://floodlist.com/africa/westafrica-floods-nigeria-niger-chad-september-2019)
Wed, 11 Sep 2019 11:35 UTC

https://www.sott.net/image/s26/537862/large/floods_borno_state_IDPs_August.jpg (https://www.sott.net/image/s26/537862/full/floods_borno_state_IDPs_August.jpg)
Flooding in Borno state, Nigeria, affected displacement camps, August 2019. © Norwegian Refugee Council

Further flooding has been reported in parts of Nigeria, adding to the long list of flood events that have affected countries in west and north west Africa over the last few weeks.

Meanwhile the death toll from flooding in Niger has increased, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) report that flooding in Chad has displaced hundreds of families.

Other countries of the region have also seen major flooding over the last few weeks, including in Mali and Mauritania, along with Central African Republic and further north, Algeria and Morocco.

NdAf_vrmMAQ

Nigeria
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reported on 09 September, 2019, that over 600 homes have been destroyed by flooding in Ngala local government area of Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria.

UNOCHA said heavy rains have inundated two camps and a village, affecting around 3,450 people.

More than 600 houses, including emergency shelters, toilets and other water and hygiene facilities as well as food and household items have been destroyed. Humanitarian organizations are mobilizing assistance and are also working to prevent further damage as heavy rains and flash floods are expected to continue in September, according to forecasters.

hLXNtJ5ojCk

Flooding affected wide areas of north-eastern Nigeria in August this year. UNOCHA reported that at least 10 people have died and thousands displaced in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

Niger
Meanwhile the number of flood related fatalities in Niger has increased from the 42 reported a few days ago.

In a statement of 10 September, government authorities said that that the ongoing floods have now resulted in 57 deaths and affected 132,528 people. Over 12,000 homes have been destroyed and widespread damage caused to crops and livestock.

Flooding has affected some areas of Niger since June to July, but has worsened over the last week, with many of those affected in Maradi, Zinder and Agadez, as well as Dosso and the capital Niamey.

fgL9vw1k2yQ

Chad
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on 11 September that over 400 families were displaced by flooding in the Sila Region in south east Chad in mid August this year.

The floods struck on 15 August in the village of Harata (located in the department of Kimiti, sub-prefecture of Kerfi) and its surroundings. IOM said that 423 households moved to the villages of Goulamaye, Aboundouroua, Sessabane, Badia, Andressa and Sadal Ali, all located in the same sub-prefecture.

Cara

24th October 2019, 03:50

There is currently a Russia Africa forum underway in Sochi:

1186944947439783937

Cara

24th October 2019, 07:32

Here is another article on the Russia-Africa meeting; this one focuses on Mauritius.

President of Mauritius Keen to Discuss Bilateral Ties With Putin at Russia-Africa Forum

AFRICA
17:13 22.10.2019 (updated 17:14 22.10.2019)

SOCHI (Sputnik) - The inaugural Russia-Africa summit and business forum, co-chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Sisi, is scheduled for 23-24 October in Russia's Sochi. There will be 54 African nations taking part in the Summit, with 43 of them represented by their heads of state or governments.

President Paramasivum P. Vyapoory, the acting leader of Mauritius, has said that he was expecting to discuss bilateral ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their tete-a-tete meeting scheduled during the upcoming Russia-Africa forum in the Russian city of Sochi.

"Let me start by first commending the decision by President Putin to come up with such a great idea to have this very first Russia-Africa summit here in Sochi. I would like, of course, to have the opportunity to meet President Putin and, in fact, there is a tete-a-tete, a one-to-one meeting, which is on the programme, when I will be meeting him to discuss global issues of mutual interest to Russia and Africa and more particularly between Russia and Mauritius", President Vyapoory said.

He has added that Russia and Africa enjoyed a good relationship over the past decades, with $20 billion in trade in 2018 alone.

"We expect now, with this Russia-Africa summit, that trade and other bilateral and multilateral relations will be further strengthened and developed … As regards Mauritius, in particular, there is great potential for development in a number of sectors, such as health, education, and fishing among others", he further stated.

Mauritius Remains Open to Russia's Lukoil and Rosneft Joining Port Louis Development Project

The Mauritian President went on to say that his country aims to attract the interest of Russian petroleum companies, such as Lukoil, Rosneft, and Tatneft, in fuel operations at the Port Louis Harbour (https://sputniknews.com/africa/201712071059748199-mauritius-russia-african-dream-strategy/).

"In line with government vision to enhance economic cooperation with the Russian Federation, the Mauritius port authority is putting in place a strategy aimed at attracting leading Russian petroleum companies, including Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft and Tatneft to expand their range of bunkering activities at Port Louis harbour. There is work for your [companies] there. We need scientific and technical assistance to undertake the offshore exploration of non-living resources, that includes minerals, and to make an economic evaluation of the mineral resource potential within this exclusive economic zone of ours. We would, therefore, welcome Russia as a trusted partner in this endeavour", Vyapoory said.

Mauritius Asks Russia’s Aeroflot to Organise Direct Flight to Island

Paramasivum P. Vyapoory continued by saying that he had asked Aeroflot to set up a direct flight to the island (https://sputniknews.com/africa/201712071059748199-mauritius-russia-african-dream-strategy/) and expected the decision "in due time".

"Mauritius has made an official request for direct flights between Mauritius and Russia to boost trade and tourism. This is in line with Russia's drive to develop its partnership with Africa, using Mauritius as a gateway to Africa. It is essential to have this air connectivity for a sustained economic partnership. We want Aeroflot, a flagship company of Russia, to consider having direct flights between Mauritius and Russia as soon as possible. We believe that the decision will be made in due time", the acting president said.

According to him, the flight could also proceed to South Africa and other attractive African countries of the Southern African Development Community.

"There is a great potential for increasing tourist flow from Russia to Mauritius and Africa", Vyapoory added.

Mauritius "Looks Forward" to Signing FTA With EEU ‘in Near Future’

The island nation's leader further elaborated that his country is ready to reach a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

"We are looking forward to the signing of the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union in the near future. We believe that this will bolster trade with the countries of the Eurasian Union, including Russia", the President said, adding that Mauritius signed a free trade agreement with China several days ago.

President of Mauritius Expresses His Gratitude to Russia for Support in UN vote on the Chagos Archipelago

"I would like to use this opportunity here to reiterate our thanks to the government of Russia for its support for our efforts to exercise our sovereignty on our entire territory, which includes the Chagos archipelago; Russia voted in our favor when the case was taken up at the United Nations last May", the President said.

Vyapoory has added that Mauritius needs other countries, including the Russian Federation, to support the island nation by formally opposing any stand taken by the UK at any relevant multilateral or bilateral meeting.

Mauritius’ Students Are Excited to Receive Russian Higher Education

"In the past, cooperation in the sector of education was very important, many young Mauritians have benefited from scholarships offered by the former Soviet Union. Nowadays there is a renewed interest by Mauritian students in some prestigious Russian universities", Paramasivum P. Vyapoory said.

According to him, Mauritius hopes to conclude an agreement between the University of Mauritius and Lomonosov State University and Pushchino State Institute of Natural Sciences. The President has also supported the idea of launching a student exchange programme which would contribute to sharing relevant experience and technology between the nations.
From: https://sputniknews.com/africa/201910221077115658-president-of-mauritius-keen-to-discuss-bilateral-ties-with-putin-at-russia-africa-forum/

Cara

25th October 2019, 05:19

Update from the Russia-Africa forum:

Over 500 agreements worth $12 billion inked at Russia-Africa forum
24 Oct, 2019 14:06
RT

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/xxl/5db1ad54203027654d5f022b.jpg
Ilya Pitalev / Sputnik

The first ever Russia-Africa economic forum, which kicked off on Wednesday, has resulted in hundreds of deals and agreements, Russian Presidential Adviser Anton Kobyakov said.

According to him, more than 35 official events and 1,500 meetings took place in Sochi, the resort city where the summit was held.

“The total amount of agreements sealed as of this moment was more than eight hundred billion rubles ($12 billion),” Kobyakov said, adding that the meetings are continuing.

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/original/5db1aedc2030276633104d99.jpg
Ramil Sitdikov / Sputnik
The Russia-Africa Economic Forum brought more than 50 African leaders to Sochi. Eight major African integration associations and organizations also took part in the event.
From: https://www.rt.com/business/471740-russia-africa-summit-agreements/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Cara

13th November 2019, 03:38

A new release from Wikileaks with files concerning corruption in accessing fishing rights for Namibia.

1194346436697169922

~~~

Namibia is a beautiful desert country (I was lucky enough to visit Swakopmund). It has some mineral resources and an Atlantic coastline:

http://www.uni-koeln.de/sfb389/e/e1/download/atlas_namibia/pics/living_resources/vegetation-structure.jpg

Bill Ryan

13th November 2019, 10:09

Namibia is a beautiful desert country (I was lucky enough to visit Swakopmund). It has some mineral resources and an Atlantic coastline:

Thanks! I've always wanted to visit Namibia. It's an absolutely gorgeous country. Take a look at this. :sun:

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/NamibRand-Nature-Reserve-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/Quiver-trees-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/iStock-541133914-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/Etosha-National-Park-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/epupa-falls-namibia-shutterstock_668782246-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/dreamstime_xxl_74604196-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/dreamstime_xxl_67316395-1680x1050_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Namibia/6946121_XL-660x420.jpg

Cara

14th November 2019, 05:18

Some developments in Russian-Madagascan relations: an investment agreement is in the works.

Madagascar, Russia Could Sign Investment Guarantee Agreement - Ambassador

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Antananarivo and Moscow could sign an investment guarantee agreement before the end of the year, Eloi Maxime Alphonse Dovo, the Malagasy ambassador to Russia, told Sputnik in an interview.

"We will soon sign an investment guarantee deal… Yes, maybe after these meetings [during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum], several documents and treaties are being prepared at the moment. Now we have mutual trust," the diplomat said answering a question if the accord could be singed in 2018.

Cooperation with Russian companies and the use of Russian technologies could allow Madagascar to become a grain hub for the African continent, Eloi Maxime Alphonse Dovo said.

"If we start working with Russian companies and start using Russian technologies… we can become a hub for everyone," the diplomat said answering a question about the prospects of becoming a grain hub.

According to the ambassador, there are over 44 million acres of land in Madagascar which is not used at the moment, but could be used by foreign entrepreneurs. The ambassador recalled that some 75 percent of the island nation's population is engaged in the agricultural sector.

"It would be too bad if Russian companies do not have an opportunity to work in Madagascar, because, as you know, oil and gas reserves have been found at the Mozambique Channel and these reserves are bigger than the ones in the North Sea. We want all our partners, including Russians, to partake in oil production," the diplomat said.

The ambassador, who is the dean of the African diplomatic corps in Russia, said that a number of western companies such as French Total and US Exxon Mobil had already participated in oil and gas projects in the African state.

Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Antananarivo were established in 1972. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two states have contacts in the sphere of diplomacy, culture, and education.

In 2015, the ministry said that after talks between the foreign ministers of the two states, Russia and Madagascar reaffirmed their intention to cooperate in the sectors of tourism, banking, and geological exploration among other issues.
From: https://sputniknews.com/world/201805251064794801-madagascar-russia-investments/

Strat

14th November 2019, 22:01

Those Namibia pics are amazing. Namibia Avalon meet up would be amazing! :peace:

Not to sound all hippyish but pressing my palm against a baobab tree is in the bucket list.

raregem

27th November 2019, 08:48

I had never heard of humans whistling as a language. Hope you all enjoy history that may soon be lost. Hope not.
C0CIRCjoICA

Iloveyou

26th December 2019, 14:59

To all the women in the world . . .

Why Straight Women Are Marrying Each Other

In the Mara region of northern Tanzania, Abigail Haworth discovers an empowering tribal tradition undergoing a modern revival.

9PoNKC3e1KM

In Musoma region in Tanzania, a woman who has wealth (=cattle) but no husband or son who can look after her as she grows old, can take one or several young women as wives. Such a family is called "nyumba ntobhu". These women will have lovers and give birth to sons, who will not belong to the biological father but to the woman who paid the cattle to their fathers weeding.

This film is part of a series of six documentaries produced by young women around Lake Victoria in East Africa in 2004.

Swahili language with English subtitles.

http://mac.h-cdn.co/assets/16/29/980x651/gallery-1469122887-screen-shot-2016-07-21-at-14100-pm.png

https://netzfrauen.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Afrika7-1.jpg

https://netzfrauen.org/2019/12/24/tanzania-2/#more-67568

Scroll down for full article in English.

Iloveyou

26th December 2019, 23:14

xxxxx
FITBITS . . .

FITNESS TRACKER DATA HIGHLIGHTS
SPRAWLING U.S. MILITARY FOOTPRINT IN AFRICA

Out in the cocoa-colored wastes of north-central Niger, people have been running around in circles. Exactly who has been jogging or walking around this compound outside the town of Arlit is unclear. But there’s a good chance it has something to do with U.S. Africa Command’s “Analysis Office” there, the existence of which was disclosed in 2016 contracting documents.

Not far away, people have been running round and round in a compound near the airfield in Agadez, Niger, where the U.S. military is building a $100 million drone base. There has also been a significant amount of movement going on around the airport in Gao, Mali, where the U.S. military established an outpost in the early 2010s. And Garoua, Cameroon, the site of a U.S. drone base, is also aglow with the digital evidence of many past runs, according to an online interactive map that shows the routes of people who use fitness devices, such as Fitbit.

https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2018/01/US-base-heatmap-1517241016.jpg

Strava Global Heat Map

https://www.strava.com/heatmap#7.00/-120.90000/38.36000/hot/all

While Strava’s Global Heat Map was posted online last year, it only attained widespread notoriety over the weekend [January 2018], when it was publicized on Twitter by Nathan Ruser, a 20-year-old Australian student studying international security. This has led to disclosures of the supposed locations of numerous low-profile U.S. military outposts, forward operating sites, and bases. It has raised fears about how such information might be linked to individual troops and imperil U.S. forces, while shining a light on the poor operational security habits of many U.S. military personnel based overseas.

https://theintercept.com/2018/01/29/strava-heat-map-fitness-tracker-us-military-base/?comments=1

. . . AND LILY PADS

https://previews.123rf.com/images/14ktgold/14ktgold1906/14ktgold190600015/127762218-yellow-water-lily-flower-with-floating-lily-pads-in-pond.jpg

The US Military Expansion in Africa, One “Lily Pad” at a Time

Using the “lily pad” strategy of “temporary” troop deployments, the US now has an “imperial-scale” military presence in Africa. With troops in more than 15 countries the US expansion has become self-justifying. The US must now stay in Africa to protect the interests of the US military there.

April 14, 2018 Eric Schewe JSTOR DAILY

https://portside.org/2018-04-14/us-military-expansion-africa-one-lily-pad-time

__________________________________________________

The Lily-Pad Strategy

The U.S. military is garrisoning the planet through ever smaller, remote, and secretive bases called ‘lily pads’, according to David Vine in this TomDispatch article. Projecting power is no longer a simple matter of building huge bases–it is about scattering and infiltrating American presence “everywhere”.

Unknown to most Americans, Washington’s garrisoning of the planet is on the rise, thanks to a new generation of bases the military calls “lily pads” (as in a frog jumping across a pond toward its prey). These are small, secretive, inaccessible facilities with limited numbers of troops, spartan amenities, and prepositioned weaponry and supplies.

Around the world, from Djibouti to the jungles of Honduras, the deserts of Mauritania to Australia’s tiny Cocos Islands, the Pentagon has been pursuing as many lily pads as it can, in as many countries as it can, as fast as it can. Although statistics are hard to assemble, given the often-secretive nature of such bases, the Pentagon has probably built upwards of 50 lily pads and other small bases since around 2000, while exploring the construction of dozens more.

Africa, in particular, has seen a rapid increase in bases.

In Africa, the Pentagon has quietly created“about a dozen air bases” for drones and surveillance since 2007. In addition to Camp Lemonnier, we know that the military has created or will soon create installations in Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, and Uganda. The Pentagon has also investigated building bases in Algeria, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria, among other places.

Next year, a brigade-sized force of 3,000 troops, and “likely more,” will arrive for exercises and training missions across the continent
The rest of the article details the geographic reach of bases across the globe, as they form part of American hegemony in an evolving multi-polar world.

The possibility of “blowback” associated with these drones is likely, as other countries adopt the strategies pioneered by the U.S. In addition:

First, the “lily pad” language can be misleading, since by design or otherwise, such installations are capable of quickly growing into bloated behemoths.

Second, despite the rhetoric about spreading democracy that still lingers in Washington, building more lily pads actually guarantees collaboration with an increasing number of despotic, corrupt, and murderous regimes.

Third, there is a well-documented pattern of damage that military facilities of various sizes inflict on local communities. Although lily pads seem to promise insulation from local opposition, over time even small bases have often led to anger and protest movements.

Finally, a proliferation of lily pads means the creeping militarization of large swaths of the globe. Like real lily pads — which are actually aquatic weeds — bases have a way of growing and reproducing uncontrollably. Indeed, bases tend to beget bases, creating “base races” with other nations, heightening military tensions, and discouraging diplomatic solutions to conflicts. After all, how would the United States respond if China, Russia, or Iran were to build even a single lily-pad base of its own in Mexico or the Caribbean?

David Vine on https://understandingempire.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/the-lily-pad-strategy/and tomdispatch.com (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175568/tomgram%3A_david_vine%2C_u.s._empire_of_bases_grows/?utm_source=TomDispatch&utm_campaign=d027c16bb5-TD_Vine7_15_2012&utm_medium=email#more)

http://images.politico.com/global/2015/06/23/backpage-11601.jpg

A “cooperative security location” in Ouagadougou reflects a new generation of small, clandestine “lily pad” bases appearing in countries with little previous U.S. military presence. At least 11 such bases in Africa host special operations forces, drones and surveillance flights.

Map: © David Vine

Iloveyou

26th December 2019, 23:30

Nick Turse on “America's Secret War in Africa"

October 24, 2019

BoZBQcqnYS8

Despite or (some analysts would say) because of the long running US military efforts in the region military groups in the Sahel have grown more active, their attacks are more frequent and violent episodes that are linked to groups as Al Kaida or ISIS in the Greater Sahara increased from 192 in 2017 to 464 last year.

At the same time fatalities linked to these groups more than doubled from 529 to 1112.

The increase of violent events across the continent since AFRICOM began its operations - the number of violent events was something that AFRICOM was supposed to help control - went from 288 in 2009 to 3050 in 2018, that’s an increase of 960 % over the course of a decade!

From the Q+A section (32:50)

How are these operations named?

Nick Turse: One time they were chosen by actual humans, but now I’m told there’s a [classified computer] system called NICKA, an acronym, can’t remember what it stands for . . . it pairs up various names in a system . . . it pairs them together. I’ve been told that sometimes it comes up with things so outlandish, so nefarious, they reject those names. Sometimes there’s an unfortunate acronym . . . like Operation Iraqui Liberation (OIL)

https://video-images.vice.com/_uncategorized/1544636388832-africom-list-181212-1225-dw.png

Iloveyou

29th December 2019, 13:33

African Footsteps: Miriam Makeba

South African singer, Miriam Makeba, returns to her country of exile.
Guinea in West Africa. A journey full of nostalgia and sadness.

https://vimeo.com/109655656
Miriam Makeba ! Meet me at the river !

M7mGK76jZW8

Iloveyou

9th January 2020, 19:27

Bill Ryan

9th January 2020, 19:42

Can anyone else see the analogy between what the European Empires have done to the African Continent and what a possible invisible Superpower actually probably does to Planet Earth?I absolutely can. It's a VERY VERY astute point.

AutumnW

9th January 2020, 21:45

https://lanomadita.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/view.jpg

Some additional info on Namibia

Namibia: the story of a German colony

(Available from 06/01/2020 to 05/04/2020, German, English subtitles)

https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/081667-000-A/unter-herrenmenschen/

German’s colonialism of Namibia was short but bloody, leaving deep scars in Namibian society. A look at the little known tale of Germany’s empire in southern Africa, a story of dispossession, repression and genocide.

Can anyone else see the analogy between what the European Empires have done to the African Continent and what a possible invisible Superpower actually probably does to Planet Earth?

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Iloveyou. I have a sense our belief systems are being manipulated and I am unsure of where it is all coming from -- but it feels like there is an invisible hand there, working within pre existing structures of belief. And Europeans, being unfamiliar with imperialism being done TO them, may be specifically targeted. A big, 'maybe', in my mind, but seems real.

Franny

15th January 2020, 04:13

Good by to glyphosate in Togo. Well done.

1214055687682179072

Iloveyou

31st January 2020, 13:43

China - another big player in Africa

https://www.echinacities.com/upload/editor/China-in-Africa.jpg

I may not easily and entirely be ready to follow Peter Koenig‘s stance in this
case, though it’s an interesting viewpoint and well worth to consider, I think.

Can China be trusted ?

China’s and Russia’s policy may save the world from extinction

By Peter Koenig

The west has colonized, exploited, ravaged and assassinated the people of the Global South for hundreds of years. Up to the mid-20th Century Europe has occupied Africa, and large parts of Asia.

In Latin America, though much of the sub-Continent was “freed” from Spain and Portugal in the 19th Century – a new kind of colonization followed by the new Empire of the United States – under the so-called Monroe Doctrine, named after President James Monroe (1817 -1825), forbidding Europeans to interfere in any “American territory”. Latin America was then and is again today considered Washington’s Backyard.

In the last ten years or so, Washington has launched the Monreo Doctrine 2.0. This time expanding the interference policy beyond Europe – to the world. Democratic sovereign governments in Latin America that could choose freely their political and economic alliances in the world are not tolerated. China, entering into partnership agreements with Latin American countries, sought after vividly by the latter – is condemned by the US and the west, especially vassalic Europe.

Therefore, democratically elected center-left governments had to be “regime-changed’ – Honduras, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay. So far, they stumbled over Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua – and maybe Mexico.

Venezuela and Cuba are being economically strangled to exhaustion. But they are standing tall as pillars in defending the Latin American Continent – with economic assistance and military advice from China and Russia. Latin America is waking up – and so is Africa.

In Latin America, street protests against the US / IMF imposed debt trap and de consequential austerity programs, making the rich richer and the poor poorer, are raging in Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and even in Brazil. In Argentina, in a democratic election this past weekend, 27 October, the people deposed neoliberal President Macri. He was put in the Presidency via “tricked” elections by Washington in 2015. Macri ruined the prosperous country in his 4 year-reign. He privatized public services and infrastructure, education, health, transportation – and more, leading to hefty tariff increases, worker layoffs, unemployment and poverty. Poverty, at about 15% in 2015, when Macri took office, soared to over 40% in October 2019.

In 2018 Macri contracted the largest ever IMF loan of US$ 57.2 billion – a debt trap, if there was ever one. The new, just elected Fernandez-Fernandez center-left Government will have to devise programs to counter the impact of this massive debt.
All over in Latin America, people have had enough of the US / western imposed austerity and simultaneous exploitation of their natural resources. They want change – big style. They seek to detach from the economic and financial stranglehold of the west. They are looking for China and Russia as new partners in trade and in financial contracts.

The same in Africa – neocolonialism by the west, mostly France and the UK, through financial oppression, unfair trading deals and wester imposed – and militarily protected – despotic and corrupt leaders, has kept Africa poor and desolate after more than 50 years of so-called Independence. Africa is arguably still the Continent with the most natural resources the west covets and needs to preserve its luxury life style and continuous armament.

People, who do not conform, especially younger politicians and economists, who protest and speak out, because they see clearly through the western imposed economic crimes committed on a daily basis, are simply assassinated or otherwise silenced.
Here too, Africans are quietly seeking to move out of the claws of the west, seeking new relations with China and Russia. The recent Russian-African summit in Sochi was a vivid example.

China is invited to build infrastructure, fast trains, roads, ports and industrial parks – and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is more than welcomed in Africa, as it projects common and equal development for all to benefit. BRI is the epitome for building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. China also offers a gradual release from the US / western dominated dollar-debt claws. Freeing a country from the dollar-based economy, is freeing it from the vulnerability of US / western imposed sanctions. This is an enormous relief that literally every country of the Global South – and possibly even Europe – is hoping for.
However, as could be expected, the west, led by the US of A, is pouncing China for engaging in “debt trap diplomacy”. Exactly the contrary of what is actually happening.

The truth is, though, countries throughout the world, be it in Africa, Asia, South Pacific and Latin America, are choosing to partner with China by their free will. According to a statement by a high-level African politician “China does not force or coerce us into a deal, we are free to choose and negotiate a win-win situation.” – That says it all.

The difference between the west and east is stark. While anybody and any country that does not agree with the US dictate and doctrine, risks being regime-changed or bombed, China does not impose her new Silk Road – the BRI – to any country. China invites, respecting national sovereignty. Who wants to join is welcome to do so. That applies as much to the Global South, as it does to Europe.

China’s President Xi Jinping launched the BRI in 2013. In 2014 Mr. Xi visited Madame Merkel in Germany, offering her to be at that time the western-most link to the BRI. Ms. Merkel under the spell of Washington, declined. President Xi returned and China continued working quietly on this fabulous worldwide economic development project – BRI – THE economic venture of the 21st Century, so massive that it was incorporated in 2017 into the Chinese Constitution.

It took the west however 6 years to acknowledge this new version of the more than 2000-year-old Silk Road. Only in 2019, the western mainstream media started reporting on the BRI – and always negatively, of course. The preaching was and still is – beware of the Chinese Dragon, they will dominate you and everything you own with their socialism.

This train of thought is typically western. Aggression seems to be in the genes of western societies, of western culture, as the hundreds of years of violent and despotic colonization and exploitation – and ongoing – are proving. Does it have to do with western monotheistic doctrines? – This is pure speculation, of course.

Again, the truth is multi-fold. – First, China does not have a history of invasion. China seeks a peaceful and egalitarian development of trade, science and foremost human wellbeing – a Tao tradition of non-aggression. Second, despite the “warnings” from the throne of the falling empire, about a hundred countries have already subscribed to participate in BRI – and that voluntarily. And third, China and Russia and along with them the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are in a solid economic and defense alliance which encompasses close to half of the world population and about one third of the globes total economic output.

Hence, SCO members are – or may be, if they so choose – largely detached from the dollar hegemony. The western privately run and Wall Street controlled monetary transfer system, SWIFT, is no longer needed by SCO countries. They deal in local currencies and / or through the Chinese Interbank Payment System (CIPS).

It is no secret, that the empire, headquartered in Washington, is gradually decaying, economically as well as militarily. It’s just a matter of time. How much time, is difficult to guess. But Washington’s everyday behavior of dishing out sanctions left and right, disrupting international monetary transactions, confiscating and stealing other countries assets around the world, puts ever more nails in the Empire’s coffin. By doing this, America is herself committing economic and monetary suicide. Who wants to belong to a monetary system that can act willy-nilly to a county’s detriment? There is no need for outside help for this US-sponsored pyramid fiat monetary system to fall. It’s a house of cards that is already crumbling by its own weight.

The US dollar was some 20-25 years ago still to the tune of 90% the domineering reserve currency in the world. Today that proportion has declined to less than 60% – and falling. It is being replaced primarily by the Chinese yuan as the new reserve currency.

This is what the US-initiated trade war is all about – discrediting the yuan, a solid currency, based on China’s economy – and on gold. “Sanctioning” the Chinese economy with US tariffs, is supposed to hurt the yuan, to reduce its competition with the dollar as a world reserve currency. To no avail. The yuan is a worldwide recognized solid currency, the currency of the second largest economy. By some standards, like accounted by PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), the most important socioeconomic indicator for mankind, China is since 2017 the world’s number one economy.

This, and other constant attacks by Washington, is a typical desperate gesture of a dying beast – thrashing wildly left and right and above and below around itself to bring down into its grave as many perceived adversaries as possible. There is of course a clear danger that this fight for the empire’s survival might end nuclear – god forbid!

China’s and Russia’s policy, philosophy and diplomacy of non-aggression may save the world from extinction – including the people of the United States of America.

Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, The 21st Century (China), TeleSUR, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion (https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X) - An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed – fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! – Essays from the Resistance. (https://www.amazon.com/World-Order-Revolution-Essays-Resistance/dp/6027005874)

Peter Koenig Archive on globalresearch (https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/peter-koenig)