EP 3 France's Historical Reckoning & Aid Stereotypes and Their Impact I African News Review 🌍

In this episode of African News Review, hosts Adesoji Iginla and Milton Allimadi discuss Chad's recent decision to end its defense pact with France, marking a significant shift in its sovereignty. They explore the implications of this move in the context of rising anti-French sentiment in West Africa.

The conversation then shifts to the portrayal of Africa in Western media, particularly in relation to aid initiatives that perpetuate damaging stereotypes. The hosts highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of Africa's challenges and the importance of independent journalism.

Finally, they address French President Macron's recent acknowledgment of a historical massacre of West African soldiers, discussing the potential for reparations and the broader implications for France's relationship with its former colonies. In this conversation, Adesoji Iginla and Milton Allimadi delve into significant historical events and their implications for contemporary African politics.

They discuss the legacy of massacres in Algeria and Madagascar, the impact of Senegal's new leadership on neocolonial relationships, Angola's shifting alliances in light of U.S. sanctions against Russia, and Mauritius's concerns over sovereignty regarding military bases.

The dialogue emphasized the importance of African narratives in media and the need for a liberated mindset to transform the continent.

Takeaways

*Chad's decision to end its defense pact with France signifies a shift towards national sovereignty.
*The portrayal of Africa in Western media often perpetuates damaging stereotypes.
*Aid initiatives can sometimes do more harm than good by reinforcing negative perceptions of Africa.
*Independent journalism is crucial for providing a balanced view of African issues.
*Macron's acknowledgment of historical atrocities opens the door for discussions on reparations.
*The military rulers in Africa are responding to public sentiment against neo-colonialism.
*There is a growing trend of African nations seeking to redefine their relationships with former colonial powers.
*The aid industry is often criticized for being exploitative rather than genuinely helpful.
*Media narratives can shape public perception and influence policy decisions.
*Engagement between Africans and Europeans can lead to a better understanding of Africa's realities.
*The legacy of historical massacres continues to affect contemporary discussions.
Senegal's leadership is taking a stand against neocolonialism.
*Angola's political shifts indicate a realignment of international relations.
*Mauritius is questioning the terms of its sovereignty agreements with the UK.
*The media often fails to represent African narratives accurately.
*Understanding the past is crucial for addressing current injustices.
*Leadership changes can significantly alter a country's foreign policy.
*The importance of local voices in shaping historical narratives cannot be overstated.
*There is a need for transparency in discussing historical atrocities.
*Liberation of thought is essential for African progress.

Chapters

00:00 Chad's Break from French Influence

11:11 The Impact of Aid and Stereotypes on Africa

29:17  France's Acknowledgment of Historical Atrocities

32:05 Historical Massacres and Their Legacy

36:25 Senegal's New Leadership and Neocolonialism

39:33 Angola's Shift in Alliances

48:41 Mauritius and Sovereignty Concerns

56:20 The Importance of African Narratives

Transcript

Adesoji Iginla (00:01.3)
Yes, welcome, welcome, welcome to African News Review, our weekly conversation where we look at the coverage of Africa in the media and deconstruct the stories. I am your host, Adesuji Igilola, and with me as usual is journalist, publisher, Black Star News, Comrade Milton Alimadi. Welcome to the show.

Milton Allimadi (00:23.37)
Thank you.

Adesoji Iginla (00:25.416)
Yes, welcome welcome is usually the voice of Africa to anyone that comes to the continent. But it seems that France has overstayed its welcome in Chad because going to the first news of today, we just learned that Chad has now broken up his defense pact with France. And for that story, we go to

The AP Associated Press, which reads, Chan ends a defense cooperation agreement with his former colonial ruler, France. The story is filed by Sam Menake. And it is, we read the lead, which says, Dakar AP.

Dakar Senegal AP, Chad's government said it's ending a defense cooperation agreement with France in order to redefine the national sovereignty from the former colonial ruler. The decision marks a historical turning point since the Central African nation gained independence more than six decades ago. It said its decision to end the agreement, which allows Chad to redefine his strategic partnership in line with national priorities.

Before we delve in, what do you think that means?

Milton Allimadi (01:51.348)
it means that the military ruler Mahammat Idris Debi

Adesoji Iginla (02:01.098)
Yep.

Milton Allimadi (02:02.605)
this is is watching what's happening in Niger, Bukinafas and Mali. Yeah, son of the former military ruler Idris Debi who was killed when was it over a year now two years right but it's I don't know why they say such a historic turning point I guess it's historic in the sense that

Adesoji Iginla (02:03.85)
The son of

Adesoji Iginla (02:11.015)
Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (02:20.918)
Two years, two years in fact, two years.

Milton Allimadi (02:32.586)
when Mohammed succeeded his father, he was roundly endorsed by France and Macron went there for a swearing in. That's so funny. Look at the contradiction. They talk about, excuse me, the coup belt in Africa and how military rulers are undermining democracy as if just having a civilian.

Adesoji Iginla (03:01.898)
changes anything.

Milton Allimadi (03:02.61)
is in itself democracy, Very funny definition. But they're saying the military are undermining civilian rule. And then he goes there and he sits right next to the new military ruler, Mahamat Debbie. But what Mahamat has realized, and I think we discussed this in one of our earlier episodes, where I suggested that the...

Adesoji Iginla (03:05.045)
Yes.

Adesoji Iginla (03:11.286)
Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (03:25.462)
Mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (03:30.922)
situation in Niger, in Burkina Faso and Mali. And I said, even if any one of those military rulers had their own personal agenda for seizing power, it's not within their own hands anymore. The public are supporting military takeover so long as it also involves taking control of their sovereignty, kicking out

French military forces and French control over their politics and economy and getting a better deal for their resources. That's what the people care about. obviously Chad cannot stand alone and say, no, we're going to continue with the old way of embracing neo-colonialism and French control and French military forces present in our country. Because if you risk being

Adesoji Iginla (04:25.238)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (04:30.023)
overthrown by other officers. Younger officers who are also following what's transpiring in other West African countries and perhaps eager to become a part of the new alliance of states of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. So he may be doing it to save his own neck as well. But it also suggests to me that the military rulers in Gabon

Adesoji Iginla (04:32.97)
Yeah, yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (04:54.998)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (05:00.497)
and Guinea are most likely facing the similar pressure. I would not be shocked in the next several weeks or months if we see a similar outcome in those two countries.

Adesoji Iginla (05:14.452)
Okay, okay. So I would read further. goes into, it says Chad was one of the last countries in the region where the French maintain a large military presence and have been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, what you alluded to earlier, after years of fighting Islamic extremists along the regional troops.

These countries have each closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara. So you're thinking that it is both strategic, but also can you read into how the AP is spinning that story with the mentioning, yeah.

Milton Allimadi (06:05.288)
Yeah, but it's not just the AP. The AP is just echoing Western political statements and agenda. know, and to me, here's the bigger problem.

Adesoji Iginla (06:14.454)
Okay?

Milton Allimadi (06:20.327)
The bigger problem is how European corporate media are very dangerous. We talk about weapons of mass destruction. Weapons of mass destruction does not only involve destructive manufactured arms. Weapons of mass destruction or destruction can also be corporate media.

Adesoji Iginla (06:27.478)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (06:40.67)
yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (06:49.523)
Hmm

Milton Allimadi (06:49.927)
You know, they're very dangerous because the most important thing is to have a conscious, well-informed public. Then they're able to protect themselves better, you see? That's always been my argument. And that's why I'm not a very big fan of much of the corporate media. Now, you talk about...

Adesoji Iginla (07:03.422)
Okay? Okay.

Milton Allimadi (07:15.336)
You talk about independent journalism, correct? But how independent are you if you're just parroting Western government agenda? You surrender your capacity to be critical. And we saw that with very disastrous outcomes in Libya. You know, when even so-called independent media were just, they became cheerleaders, just cheering on the NATO.

Adesoji Iginla (07:18.078)
Correct,

Adesoji Iginla (07:27.658)
Hmm

Milton Allimadi (07:44.793)
aggression and I'm sure some of them now may have some regret because look at where Libya is now. You know, they were uncritical in covering the NATO, US, French and British war on Libya and the destruction of the Libyan state. So now here is that what these military governments are doing, they're jeopardizing the safety

of the citizens of their countries because they're displacing the French military presence and bringing the Russian mercenaries instead. So they're implying that the war against the quote unquote jihadists had been successful when the French or the US were there. And of course the answer is no. So how is that not mentioned?

Adesoji Iginla (08:26.111)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (08:39.003)
Milton Allimadi (08:43.0)
in a story when you're discussing French forces, US forces, Russian forces, and the fight against the quote unquote jihadists. You're not mentioning the possibility that because there's been no significant advance or success while the French and the Americans are there, so perhaps these guys just want to try something different. Is that not logical?

Adesoji Iginla (08:54.368)
That's an intro.

Adesoji Iginla (09:02.634)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (09:10.228)
Hmm, it is logical.

Milton Allimadi (09:11.94)
So why would you not include something logical like that? It does not say that perhaps with the Russians they're going to succeed now, but it's still logical that they might want to try something different. You see? And any sensible journalist would be able to explore that angle. But when you confine yourself to just parroting the Western government's view, you're destroying your own

Adesoji Iginla (09:24.79)
You

Adesoji Iginla (09:39.946)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (09:41.68)
credibility as a journalist, you are providing a disservice to the reading public by giving them insufficient information. You know, it's called an agenda. You're Agenda. You're now just basically parroting the agenda of Western government.

Adesoji Iginla (09:49.526)
Mm.

Information. Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (09:57.578)
Yep. Yep.

Adesoji Iginla (10:03.535)
Basically just pumping out propaganda in the name of news.

Milton Allimadi (10:06.373)
Absolutely, that's word for it, propaganda.

Adesoji Iginla (10:09.839)
Mm. Mm. And one.

Milton Allimadi (10:12.748)
And I like the fact that, you know what, because when they talk about propaganda, they normally just talk about, African media. You know? wait, the AP? The BBC? CNN? New York Times? no, we're sophisticated journalists. know, we only stick to the facts. You complete nonsense. And that is why we need more shows like this so we can deconstruct their hypocrisy.

Adesoji Iginla (10:19.476)
You

Adesoji Iginla (10:35.924)
Hmm. Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (10:41.746)
Yes, yes. We call on more and more voices to the village square because the more voices you have, the more it reverberates around. it's not just, yeah, it's not about sitting on the throne. It's about echoing the thoughts of 1.4 billion at the moment and counting. speaking of echoing the thoughts of 1.4 billion, we go for our next story from the Telegraph.

Milton Allimadi (10:54.038)
Absolutely.

Adesoji Iginla (11:11.476)
And this time it's about aid, which is about that time of Christmas. Or as they will say, do they know it's Christmas in Africa? So the story comes from the Daily Telegraph and it's titled Ed Sheeran. I wish I wasn't on the new band aid song. The singer performed on Do They Know It's Christmas in 2014 and his voice has been used on a new version to mark 40 years since band aid.

And the story goes, it's filed in by Anita Singh. Ed Sheeran is unhappy his vocals have been used on a bad AID 40 anniversary single, suggesting the initiative perpetuates damaging stereotypes of Africa. However, Ed Sheeran said in a post on Instagram, my approval wasn't sought on this new band AID 40 release. And had I had the choice, I would have respectively declined the use of my vocals.

decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed. This is just my personal stance. I'm hoping I look it's a it's a forward-looking one. Love to all he says. Now why is that important? He linked to a post in which Fuse ODG that's a Ghanaian British rapper real name Richard Abiona.

Ten years ago, I refused to participate in Band-Aid because I recognized the harm initiatives like this inflicts on Africa. While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifles Africa's growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions, destroying its dignity, pride and identity by showcasing dehumanizing imagery. This initiatives fuel PT rather than partnership.

discouraging meaningful engagement. Your take on this new problem, as they will say.

Milton Allimadi (13:17.13)
No, actually it's not a problem. I like it. It's an awakening. I really respect this musician whom I'm not that familiar with. But I always really have profound respect for any European person anywhere in the world, whether European in Europe or European in the United States, to acknowledge that they had a false...

Adesoji Iginla (13:20.16)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (13:38.548)
Okay.

Milton Allimadi (13:45.793)
media created image of Africa and to say that they've now learned, you know. We need more people like him speaking out to convince other Europeans to go through that process as well. This is profound. This is a person who needs, I hope he writes an op-ed about his transformation. The quotes that he delivered is very powerful because here's part of the problem. The problem is that

Adesoji Iginla (14:00.202)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (14:11.99)
Mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (14:16.904)
Europeans, even the ones who want to be good and mean well.

They've been fed so much propaganda of demonization that even when they discover that what they thought they knew was false, number one, they're reluctant to admit it, you see, because it involves reexamining a lot of the past, correct? And admitting that much of my knowledge when it comes to Africa, African descendants.

Adesoji Iginla (14:45.878)
Correct. Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (14:54.141)
is misinformed. And if I acknowledge that, then of course I have to change some of my conduct and beliefs toward them. That's the first part. The second part is that many Europeans find it difficult to accept that they can learn anything from an African. So that's why it's very bold for this artist, this musician, to admit that he was schooled.

Adesoji Iginla (15:03.958)
True, yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (15:14.697)
You

Milton Allimadi (15:23.22)
by a Ghanaian artist. And when you read the quotes, these are very powerful quotes from a Ghanaian artist who is obviously very conscious and knows the impact of the distortion of the perception of Africa in the Western world. So kudos and much congratulations to both of them. The European who's willing to learn.

and the African from Ghana who has taught this European. I have much respect for both of them.

Adesoji Iginla (15:57.366)
Okay, I want to also add, yeah.

Milton Allimadi (15:58.716)
And the final point I would like to add is that I would like to see more of this kind of dynamics in different situations. We should not leave it only for the artists. We should leave it for Africans and Europeans in various different professions to come out and say, this is what I learned and this is what I taught. And truly, that is how we create a better world.

when more people like that, like these two, are willing to be involved in that type of engagement and then reveal it to the rest of the world.

Adesoji Iginla (16:33.558)
Yes. And speaking of engagement, I want to read from a certain book titled Manufacturing Hate, How Africa was Demonized in the Western Media to show where that sort of imagery, like he said, showcasing dehumanizing imagery comes from. It's an epigraph from chapter four of the book, Africa's Alleged Dissertility.

And it

Milton Allimadi (17:12.858)
Hahaha.

Adesoji Iginla (17:34.166)
which is today will be between Kenya and Tanzania. And one more. Yeah, one more from the book. Hold on, one more from the book. In its 1897 book, Rise of our East African Empire, Lord Lugard, who happened to have been the one who amalgamated the Nigeria's North and Southern protectorate, writes, with the conquest of what is now Uganda and Kenya,

Milton Allimadi (17:40.572)
Correct.

Milton Allimadi (17:59.344)
Right.

Adesoji Iginla (18:03.888)
Any white man, even one belonging to the lowest social class, was superior to any African. That intense dissertation of control which animates our tectonic plates does not exist among the tribes of Africa," Lugard claimed. Could you tell them where you got this information from? that's, that's, yes.

Milton Allimadi (18:20.238)
Hahaha

Milton Allimadi (18:25.789)
You see, you see, so that just addresses what I just said. If you are fed that type of nonsense by Lugard, why would you as a European ever believe you could learn anything from an African, you see? And therein lies the problem. We still deal with that challenge even up to today. So you have European experts on Africa.

Adesoji Iginla (18:35.222)
Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (18:40.342)
Mm. Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (18:48.048)
Mmm. Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (18:55.163)
when we have African PhDs all over the world now, but they would rather bring a European expert to comment about a situation in Africa, right? Whereas when Africans are covering Europe, of course they bring a European expert on Europe, right? Not an African expert on Europe. Yeah, we have to change that dichotomy really. And that's part of the reason we have these types of conversations, you know?

Adesoji Iginla (19:03.104)
Hmm. Yep. Yep.

Adesoji Iginla (19:13.91)
True, No, no, you will never have...

Adesoji Iginla (19:20.47)
Hmm.

Yes, yes. And before we go any step further, it will also be the, you know, will be remiss of me if I do not provide some text as to how majority of these stereotypes gets into mainstream media. There is a book titled The Africa That Never Wars, written by Jablo and Hammond.

Milton Allimadi (19:48.08)
Yeah, that's a great book and that book benefited me during my research as well.

Adesoji Iginla (19:53.366)
Yeah, so I actually got the book on when I was looking through how, when I went through the reference points of how you got your information, I was like, okay, yeah, yeah, we need to get that. So that book is essentially talking about 500 years of British writing about Africa, the demonization. You could see a true, you know, pulsing through their literature from Dickens to Shakespeare to

Milton Allimadi (20:01.945)
Okay.

Milton Allimadi (20:13.318)
Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (20:23.286)
keep playing to, I mean, the name goes on and on. So when...

Milton Allimadi (20:26.372)
Yes.

Right, and those were two American scholars, by the way, who sometimes it's easier for outsiders to actually do an effective critical analysis, you know.

Adesoji Iginla (20:31.88)
Yes, yes.

Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (20:40.406)
Yes, yes. And, you know, and if you think that was the past, I enjoy people to actually do a little field research. If you go on Google now and you were to enter this search parameter, images of Africa, you will need to get to the third or the fourth page before you see people. And I kid you not, it's amazing. You would...

If you see one solidly person standing on their own, it will probably be in the, you have to, you know, strain your eyes to actually see that person. That is how wild the perpetuation of that negative stereotype about Africa is. The misinformation is deeply troubling. You were going to say.

Milton Allimadi (21:31.161)
Yeah, and you know, but it also speaks to another thing because the deep-seated Mali's, and the Mali's was not just because out of pure hatred, it was pure hatred combined with economic agenda, you see? You have to demonize people that you are going to colonize, people you are going to enslave, and that is the main reason behind it, that I want people never to forget that.

Adesoji Iginla (21:35.275)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (21:46.292)
Hmm

Milton Allimadi (21:57.551)
there's always an economic agenda behind it. And because Africans were not in the business of going to Europe to colonize, to enslave, you know, if they done that and used the same model, they would have depicted, they would have gone to find the Europeans.

that they want to depict as representing the image of Europe and Europeans. And they would do it in the same malicious manner in which Europeans did with regard to Africa. So there's an agenda behind it. It became an industry, in fact. In fact, in my book, there's one British explorer, so-called explorer, who told another one that, you know, you should go to Africa

and come back and write a book about your many conflicts with the tribes, etc. etc. That is why I call it manufacturing hate because there was an agenda behind it. He's telling another European what to write about even before he went and engaged in any one of those activities. He said the book would sell quite well.

Adesoji Iginla (23:01.846)
Mmm.

Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (23:16.978)
And yes, could you also speak to the aid industry in Africa? I mean, we're talking about what perpetuates it, but the aid industry itself. Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (23:25.804)
Right. Yeah. Thank you for that question. I really detest it because number one, there's no aid coming from the West to Africa. It is the other way around. But the thing is, when they send their so-called aid, it is announced the dollar amount, et cetera, et cetera. When ours is sent to Europe, to the United States, to Japan, to China, it is not announced that way.

Adesoji Iginla (23:35.318)
Mm.

Milton Allimadi (23:56.165)
it's basically stolen resources right gold gold has value diamond has value coltan cobalt uranium you name it right diamonds bauxite right you name it gas petroleum so now it's only petroleum perhaps that's a bit different because of OPEC but when it comes to all other resources right

Adesoji Iginla (23:59.444)
Yep, yes, correct.

Adesoji Iginla (24:10.57)
Hmm. Mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (24:26.926)
Basically, Africans are getting nothing for those resources. So they're being robbed in two ways. They're being robbed when the resources are taken practically for nothing. They're not getting anything close to the real value for it, because if they were, most of those countries would have a higher standard of income, correct? Or at least revenue stream. That's number one. Then number two.

Adesoji Iginla (24:31.058)
Mm. Mm.

Milton Allimadi (24:57.197)
they're getting robbed a second way. Since they've been prevented from industrializing, they buy all the manufactured products at exponentially greater prices relative to what they sell. So whether it's a smartphone, a computer, automobile, pharmaceuticals for the hospitals, anything produced from a factory, even worse thing about it is that things that they can produce in Africa, they also import. They import bottled water.

Adesoji Iginla (25:10.166)
Hmm.

Milton Allimadi (25:27.298)
They import clothing, even though they produce cotton and they can make their own clothes. They import toothpaste. They import toothbrushes. The most nonsensical items that can be produced in Africa. So that's the second way in which they are robbed. And then also, but perhaps the biggest way actually that they are robbed.

Adesoji Iginla (25:41.553)
Mmm. Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (25:55.307)
is the damage that's been done to their mind. The mind is so damaged that they don't believe they can change this arrangement that continues to rob them. Then occasionally when a mind that is liberated like a Tomasankara comes forward, they make sure to liquidate him very quickly. Patrice Lumumba comes forward, liquidate. Kwame Nkrumah comes forward, liquidate, overthrow him.

Adesoji Iginla (26:14.656)
No

Adesoji Iginla (26:18.346)
date. I'm Ika Karabar.

Milton Allimadi (26:24.277)
And these are Africans who are saying the same things. We can do it for ourselves. We can produce all these things. We can demand better prices for our resources. We can industrialize and stop importing the manufactured stuff that we can manufacture right here in Africa. see? And part of it goes to the media that we discussed earlier. The purpose of the demonization is for financial reasons, for profit, for economic motives.

Adesoji Iginla (26:40.062)
Hmm. Yep.

Milton Allimadi (26:54.174)
It's not because, I just hate black. I hate Africans. I can't stand that. No. That is largely a fiction maintained to justify the profits and financial gains.

Adesoji Iginla (27:05.76)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (27:10.678)
Well, speaking of the aid industry, if you want to read more, could read a lot of poverty written by Graham Hancock. It tells you that majority of the money you generate in the West in the name of the $2 a day, actually most of it goes into administration, where these guys would become directors in Africa.

Milton Allimadi (27:20.394)
Yes, I have that too, right. That is a good book.

Adesoji Iginla (27:40.15)
and in mouth-watering sums and only for trickles to go to whatever it is they've pledged to come in and help ameliorate. Another one is Aid to Africa, Redeemer or Colonizer. It's a compilation of essays edited by Hakima Abbas and Iyiga Gira. And it's...

Samira Milne is there, Tim Moriti is there. mean, big African writers basically telling you it's a scam, you know, in not so blatant words, but essentially telling you it's a scam.

Milton Allimadi (28:17.673)
Great.

Milton Allimadi (28:26.077)
Right, it's a scam and I like the fact that now we have artists, know, musicians talking about that because they have a way of reaching young people in a much more effective way. So in fact, I'm very eager to engage directly with these two artists, the Ghanaian and the British guy. The Ghanaian-British rather.

Adesoji Iginla (28:31.156)
Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (28:37.152)
Correct.

Adesoji Iginla (28:44.562)
Yeah. Yes.

Yeah, so it's Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran is the British singer and Fuss, O-D-G-B, is the name of the Ghanaian, but his real name is Nana Richard Abiona. And yes, speaking of reaching out and making amends, France, for our next story, will go to Senegal for...

The news comes from AP. For the first time, Franz Macron calls 1944 killing of West African troops by French a massacre. And the story is filed in by Monica Prochek and Sylvia Coubert. Dakar, Senegal, AP. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for the first time recognized the killing of West African soldiers by the French army in 1944 as a massacre in a letter addressed to the Senegalese authorities.

Macron's move on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the World War II killings in Theroux, a fishing village on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital of Dakar, comes as French France's influence is declining in the region, with Paris losing its sway in former French colonies in West Africa. Between 35 and 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French in Battle of France in 1940,

were killed on December 1st, 1944 by French soldiers after what the French described as a mutiny over unpaid wages. The West Africans were members of the unit called Terroir Senegalese, a corps of colonial infantry in the French army. According to historians, there are disputes over unpaid wages in the days before the massacre. December 1st, French

Adesoji Iginla (30:42.752)
troops turned on the French-Africa soldiers, mostly unarmed and shot and killed them.

What do you think? Leave four my thoughts.

Milton Allimadi (30:52.219)
All right. There are many important things here. Number one, by officially acknowledging this, compensation must follow. And I'm sure that will be discussed, right? For the descendants. know, I think so, because otherwise it's meaningless. They've already opened themselves up to liability and obligations. The reason why

Adesoji Iginla (30:57.27)
Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (31:08.288)
Hopefully, hopefully.

Adesoji Iginla (31:18.857)
Okay.

Milton Allimadi (31:20.861)
they have not done so is because they were not ready to discuss compensation. So he suggests to me that they're ready to discuss some sort of compensation now. Yeah, I mean, obviously he's not an ignorant person. know, this is a person who...

Adesoji Iginla (31:29.824)
Mm.

Milton Allimadi (31:36.999)
the French president is a person that has background in finance and economics. He's an economist, I believe. So he understands these things. He understands these things. So that's the important thing, perhaps the most important thing. And then, of course, it also raises the question, how about other similar incidents in other French parts of the empire?

Adesoji Iginla (31:45.631)
Yeah, he is.

understands the numbers.

Adesoji Iginla (32:05.334)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (32:06.042)
And I guarantee you that is going to be the next thing we're going to be reading about. Some of the massacres, and I don't know how that has been dealt and resolved during the Algerian War, right?

Adesoji Iginla (32:23.979)
And that is still a long running battle because they've not talked about compensation yet.

Milton Allimadi (32:28.068)
Okay. Okay, very good. So, okay. And then obviously you have Madagascar, you know, Madagascar. In fact, we don't even know the extent of the horrific massacres in Madagascar. So that's going to be the next issue of discussion. So that's the first point I wanted to make. And the second point is something very, very troubling.

Adesoji Iginla (32:34.163)
Yeah.

You have to enter a... Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (32:45.257)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (32:56.523)
Which is.

Milton Allimadi (32:58.04)
which is that the estimate is 35 to 400.

Adesoji Iginla (33:02.976)
to 400.

Milton Allimadi (33:06.608)
That's very troubling. When you give a range, you give a range of 35 to 40. Okay, so maybe five people we could not account for. The bodies were missing. Even if you double it, 35 to 70, that's still troubling. Wait a minute. How can you conceal?

Adesoji Iginla (33:08.159)
Why so?

Adesoji Iginla (33:19.254)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (33:28.595)
Yep. Yep.

Milton Allimadi (33:33.21)
The death.

of a number equal to 100 % of the first range of the estimate, right? That's troubling. Now you're giving me a number which is more than 10 times the low range, 35 to 400. How do you even come up with a range like that? Think about it. You know? I say, you know, somebody dropped a bomb.

Adesoji Iginla (33:41.238)
Mm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (34:05.712)
in the city, know, so the estimate of people who perished, you know, from 80 to 100, right? Okay. 80 to 90, you know, when they doubled it 80 to 160, know, wait, something is missing here. If they say 80 to 1,000, which is comparable to 1,500 to 400, no, no, no, no, no, something is seriously wrong here.

Adesoji Iginla (34:15.498)
Yeah, yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (34:30.038)
I'm under 400, yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (34:34.976)
So you think they're trying to downplay the number or protect themselves against the how it looks, how it looks.

Milton Allimadi (34:44.27)
No, no, even worse than that. Obviously. Obviously there was a cover.

Adesoji Iginla (34:49.845)
Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (34:52.24)
So they don't want to know bar by saying 35 to 40, right?

Adesoji Iginla (34:58.441)
Okay. Okay.

Milton Allimadi (35:01.072)
They don't want to start with 300 to 400 either. Right? Because 300 plus automatically, that's massacre on a genocidal proportion. Correct? So you start with a low bar 35. Okay. 35, the outrage is a bit muted. Correct? But if you're willing to go to 400,

Adesoji Iginla (35:04.704)
sure.

Adesoji Iginla (35:12.288)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (35:24.384)
that, yeah.

Milton Allimadi (35:28.994)
It suggests to me that the number is possibly even much more than 400. And that's why I'm very troubled by this range that is offered. And now it makes sense. Aha! Not only have you been suppressing it because you are afraid of opening Pandora's box, but you also suppress it because you wanted to protect the people who were responsible at the time that that thing happened.

Adesoji Iginla (35:35.455)
Mmm.

Adesoji Iginla (35:50.579)
the numbers involved.

Milton Allimadi (35:57.135)
by downplaying the magnitude of this horrific thing. But I was always convinced that it must have been very horrific. After all, Usman Sumeddeh made a brilliant film, Camp de Tiaroyer, which of course was banned when it came out in 1988. It was banned in France for 10 years, just like the Battle of Algiers, you know, which was made in 1966 was banned.

Adesoji Iginla (36:01.215)
Hmm

Adesoji Iginla (36:09.312)
Brilliant move. Yeah, brilliant film.

Adesoji Iginla (36:19.178)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (36:25.142)
Bye, dear.

Milton Allimadi (36:26.443)
until the 1970s. So a lot of interesting things are going on. And then the third thing I would like to say is obviously the new leadership in Senegal, very responsible leadership is, and then I have one other point after that, it's changed the dynamics and the relationship between Senegal and France. And obviously,

Adesoji Iginla (36:38.334)
In Senegal.

Adesoji Iginla (36:43.902)
Asking questions.

Adesoji Iginla (36:51.637)
and fronts.

Milton Allimadi (36:56.015)
to the benefit of Senegal, right? Senegal wants to end this neocolonial exploitation. And it picked on a topic that is so enduring and very historic. And I really appreciate the fact that Senegal, because it's not really France initiating it. It's France responding and trying to sort of preempt what Senegal is going to find out, because Senegal has appointed a commission with a...

Adesoji Iginla (36:58.228)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (37:15.766)
you

Adesoji Iginla (37:19.645)
what my yeah

Milton Allimadi (37:26.112)
eminent historian, Senegalese historian, to look at the facts of this incident that happened shortly after World War II.

Adesoji Iginla (37:32.47)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (37:36.53)
one final question with regards to that. It's also important to know that, Senegal is also thinking of expelling French troops from, the, this, from this base. Could that also be a way of softening their stance? I, you know, okay. We've acknowledged a historical wrongdoing.

Can we be allowed to stay? Because if

Milton Allimadi (38:09.897)
no, don't think that will happen. I think it will be too contradictory. The most obvious symbolic evidence of neocolonialism is to have foreign troops in your country. So I think you can't have the correct politics while you have that, you It would be like a huge pimple right on the middle of your nose, you know.

Adesoji Iginla (38:22.054)
It's military. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (38:28.886)
You

Adesoji Iginla (38:34.582)
And you... And ignoring the fact that it's there.

Milton Allimadi (38:40.074)
that people would be talking to you and they can't avoid focusing on that, you know, you people. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of the most inconvenient people, you know, the one sitting on your nose and the one sitting on the corner of your lips, you know. That's what it would be like for them. So I think, I think they will go all the way. They will do it. But obviously they're doing it, know.

Adesoji Iginla (39:03.542)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (39:06.38)
a non-confrontational way. And that's the difference between how they're doing it.

Adesoji Iginla (39:08.064)
Frontational, yeah, Almost, know, forcing their hand, forcing the French hand to say, it's obvious, you're the sad people we can see. Well, speaking of, you mentioned neocolonialism. Speaking of neocolonialism, we go to Angola for our next story, and which comes from...

Milton Allimadi (39:22.155)
Right.

Adesoji Iginla (39:33.226)
bear me a second. Yeah, comes from the Money Paper, the Financial Times. And it reads, Angola removes sanctioned Alrosa from its diamond mines ahead of US visits. Russian state companies 41 % stake was sold to an Omani-backed investment fund, Maidan. And the story is filed by Joseph Cottrell in London.

Angola has removed the world's largest diamond miner, Russian state-owned Alrosa, from its mines ahead of a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to the southern African country. The cabinet of Angola's President Zhaou Lorenco approved the sale of Alrosa's stake in a state-owned Algonan miner on Thursday because of sanctions on the Russian producer, Angola Government Media said. Alrosa's exit

is a boost for US effort to extend its global reach of sanctions and suggests Luanda, which is the capital of Angola, is moving closer to Washington after decades of ties to Moscow and Beijing. Oil-rich Angola is a significant exporter of crude to China and is also Beijing's biggest borrower in Africa. While its ruling MPLA party was a Soviet ally during the Cold War,

Under Lareko, Angola has won US backing for a rail corridor to transport copper from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the country's ports. Biden's visits next week will be the first by a US president. Interesting. Chest moves.

Adesoji Iginla (41:24.692)
What's the user?

Milton Allimadi (41:27.159)
okay. Well, I mean, obviously the timing, I think.

Adesoji Iginla (41:32.118)
Mm.

Milton Allimadi (41:35.583)
Had the Angolans been confident that Biden was going to be re-elected, obviously when you have something like having the Russians sell off their stake in the industry, something that probably started a while ago with something is not new, correct? So it really...

has nothing to do with the fact that Biden is going to be visiting. It had primarily with the fact that because of the sanctions against Russia by the US and by the EU, Angola was concerned that it might be exposed to some sort of not direct but indirect sanctions as well.

Adesoji Iginla (42:05.782)
Mmm.

Adesoji Iginla (42:26.976)
sanction itself. Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (42:31.1)
and obviously it also limited their capability of selling diamonds to the international market. But there's going to be dramatic change. Trump is going to force Ukraine to settle with Russia. Ukraine is going to, at least under Trump, is not going to regain the territory that Russia has.

Adesoji Iginla (42:59.326)
As now our next.

Milton Allimadi (43:01.405)
was annexed or even occupied. The one annexed, I knew that one they were not going to get, but the one that's currently occupied, I don't know what's going to happen with that. That might be part of the negotiation that, okay, the US, the Trump administration would say, if we're willing to broker a deal where the Russians would keep the territory already annexed.

Adesoji Iginla (43:04.694)
You

Adesoji Iginla (43:09.003)
Mm.

Milton Allimadi (43:29.555)
but they should return the territory currently occupied and withdraw.

Adesoji Iginla (43:33.834)
So we're talking, so we're talking Crimea. Are we talking Crimea or the area in what's it called? The name escapes me now.

Milton Allimadi (43:44.719)
No, I'm talking about the ones that in the current conflict that they've extended. Right. Absolutely. Yeah. Not the ones that have already been at ministry. That one, I don't think is even going to be on the table. know? Well, it'll be on the table in sense that the Russians will keep that. And I'm saying this not because this is my position. I'm saying this because of the statements that Trump has been making. So I'm reading his mind. Definitely.

Adesoji Iginla (43:47.488)
They've taken over. Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay, okay.

Adesoji Iginla (43:56.98)
Ha ha ha.

Adesoji Iginla (44:07.678)
Okay. Okay.

Milton Allimadi (44:12.829)
the Russians are going to benefit from a Trump administration in this conflict with Ukraine. Trump was complaining throughout in terms of the amount of money and weapons that the United States had been sending to Ukraine. You know, said that Zelensky is the world's best salesman. Every time he comes to the U.S., he walks back home with billions of dollars of our money. Anybody can research and look that.

Adesoji Iginla (44:32.63)
Mm.

Adesoji Iginla (44:38.142)
Wow.

Milton Allimadi (44:41.672)
Trump said that many, times. And his son tweeted a few days ago that the countdown has begun to when your allowance is going to be cut off. That's what he was telling Zelensky. This is the president's son, the incoming president's son saying that. So in other words, Ukraine is going to have no choice but to settle with Russia.

Adesoji Iginla (44:59.774)
Wow. Wow. So it's almost like your mind.

Milton Allimadi (45:12.076)
And once Ukraine settles with Russia, the EU countries would come along because it is primarily the US that has been pushing this war. see? The EU, many of those countries want to, you know, resume their business deals with Russia. Many of them, absolutely. They depend on energy from Russia. So they can't wait for Trump to, you know, compel Ukraine.

negotiate and sell with Russia either. I say all this suggests that this would then affect Angola as well. And if Angola was aware that this were the things that were going to transpire, perhaps they would not have even forced Al-Rosa, the Russian mining company, to sell their interest in the Angolan enterprise. That's what I wanted to suggest.

Adesoji Iginla (46:03.99)
to divest. Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (46:11.542)
Okay, so

If that were the case in terms of Angola's situation now with Russia, with Beijing, quote unquote, with the incoming administration, where does that put the issue of sanctions on the former president's daughter? The story we did last week, the Dos Santos' daughter, who is being sanctioned by the British,

Milton Allimadi (46:37.126)
the president of who?

Milton Allimadi (46:45.592)
no, that's not effective. Trump is not going to get involved in that mess. no, because she stole substantial resources, allegedly. If those resources can be traced, Angola would like to have that money back. The only sense that, back in the day, you had some leeway and bargaining. The thief could negotiate and said,

Adesoji Iginla (46:46.608)
You... So you don't think it will cut a deal?

Adesoji Iginla (46:56.074)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (47:00.97)
Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (47:10.933)
You okay?

Milton Allimadi (47:14.864)
For XYZ, I will tell you where I hid the money, you see? And then they'll say, okay. And this has been done. I forget which countries, but this has been done where the thieves actually were allowed to keep some of the money for helping the authorities in African countries trace the bulk of it, you see? Okay, know, show us, help us retrieve it. You know, you keep 5%.

Adesoji Iginla (47:23.157)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (47:30.969)
Hahaha

Adesoji Iginla (47:35.782)
Mm, mm.

Milton Allimadi (47:43.364)
return 95 % to the gap. But nowadays, that deal is off the table because now it's even hard to hide stolen money in Swiss banks. You have the offshore banks, of course, you have that. But now you have the US and basically with Angola having good relations, they can put pressure on a lot of those.

Adesoji Iginla (47:55.093)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (48:07.092)
Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (48:11.794)
havens that people used to hide money to.

Adesoji Iginla (48:13.782)
So speaking of havens and potential sticking points, we go to Mauritius for our next and final story. And it's essentially from again, from the Money Paper, Financial Times, and it reads, Mauritius raised concern about UK's plan to cede sovereignty over Chaguan's island.

And for those who are not familiar, this island was a group of islands in the sea, all called in total about 60 islands, and one of which is one of the biggest military bases that the United States and the UK operate in the Indian Ocean. It reads, the new government of Mauritius has raised concerns over the UK's plan to secure a key

US military base after giving up sovereignty of the Chaguan Islands, people familiar with the thinking said. British Prime Minister Sarkis Thama is seeking to finalise a long-term lease over the Deogu Garcia base on the Indian Ocean Islands after a deal to relinquish control was agreed with previous Mauritian leader last month. However, since then Mauritius opposition party has won power in a landslide election forcing a new government led by Navin Ragoulam

who previously called the deal high treason. The sticking point is the new administration is set to debate concern about the deal, including length of the 99 year lease and the UK's right to renew it in the coming weeks. After meeting Powell, Ragoulan said he needed more time to study details of the agreement struck by his predecessor, Prashri Jognath, with legal advices. What do you think will happen here?

I mean, I can understand his concerns, but I also see a downside to the holding out. I mean, I'm looking out for the people now.

Milton Allimadi (50:20.942)
Well, you know, it's still not clear to me what the new incoming, the new government in Mauritius wants, you know. What are they mainly, why are they opposing this deal? What are the elements that they don't like the most?

Adesoji Iginla (50:28.406)
Okay, for them it's the 19 Yale, their consent.

Okay. So, so it's two, it's two, it's two prong actually. One, it's the issue of the length of the lease and the, the sums involved. Cause they think, yes. Cause they think they're owed some back payments. And also the sticking point is we cannot, you cannot just write 99 years and get us to sign it off. Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (50:50.576)
the amount they're going to be paid.

Milton Allimadi (51:02.372)
Right. Okay. Well, they seem to be legitimate concerns.

Adesoji Iginla (51:05.94)
Okay?

Milton Allimadi (51:08.582)
But now, what side will the U.S.

Adesoji Iginla (51:13.865)
Yes. Good question. Good question.

Milton Allimadi (51:21.702)
you know the US has what a 99 year lease on Guantanamo Bay so it's not like the unfamiliar with wanting those kind of you know extortionist long-term leases then on the other hand if

Adesoji Iginla (51:25.791)
Yep.

Adesoji Iginla (51:34.294)
You

Adesoji Iginla (51:39.2)
Trump is an isolationist. What does that mean for

Milton Allimadi (51:44.336)
Yeah, but the US has vital interest in the region too. So his generals can convince him that, you know, for military purposes, for national security, this isn't just like slapping terrorists on China and Mexico and Canada, you know, which is a different thing, which of course is going to have some issues with as well coming from businesses, you know, who are afraid of the...

Adesoji Iginla (51:46.697)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (51:53.728)
Mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (52:10.63)
Because they're going to be basically businesses that are never harmed. Because what they do is they shift the burden on the consumers. Right? So but that's a different issue. This one involves, you know, military, strategic. On the one hand, I mean, I can see why if the incoming government think they can get a better deal, then they should go for it. You see? But on the other hand,

Adesoji Iginla (52:28.843)
Yeah.

Okay.

Milton Allimadi (52:37.862)
If they are government today, any deals that they make and they put their signature to should be honored, which means the previous government that put their signature on that deal, that deal should be honored as well. And if it came to international arbitration,

Adesoji Iginla (52:40.224)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (52:56.65)
basically tie their hands. Okay, okay.

Adesoji Iginla (53:04.448)
Mm-hmm.

Milton Allimadi (53:06.247)
I think the British would probably prevail and say a legitimate government signed off on this and we ratified it. I imagine the legitimate government at the time in Mauritius also had it ratified. That's not mentioned in the article, but I presume it did. Otherwise, it would not even be an issue for these guys to bring up. They would have just said, well, it was never ratified.

Adesoji Iginla (53:16.191)
Okay.

Adesoji Iginla (53:28.672)
Mmm.

Milton Allimadi (53:35.017)
We don't honor that agreement. But they're not saying that, which means Mauritius already ratified that agreement. And when it comes to international issues like this, it's going to be difficult to get it reversed unless you can show and have the evidence of some sinister activities that went on.

Adesoji Iginla (53:40.22)
Don't edit.

Milton Allimadi (53:58.481)
allow this deal to be signed which you are claiming is harmful to the country's interests and then you produce that evidence then I can see how you can take this to the International Court of Justice.

Adesoji Iginla (54:10.858)
I I agree with that line in the sense that for the issue to even have a reason is because the UK then decided, you know what, there was a humanitarian ground to allow people back on the island and to give the island back. For you now to hold up on the basis of the length of a lease and possible renumeration would not paint the opposition government in good light.

I mean, yes, you have a mandate from the people to deal on their behalf, but it will also be counterproductive image-wise. Yeah.

Milton Allimadi (54:49.63)
On the other hand, the British might be willing to say, okay, they want more money, we can throw in a little extra thing. And that part of the deal, and I imagine nobody would refuse more money. If the British say that particular aspect of the deal, we are willing to take a look at. But the least we are not willing to take a look at, and that's already been signed.

Adesoji Iginla (55:09.825)
Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

Adesoji Iginla (55:15.633)
You

Milton Allimadi (55:19.005)
But the money thing, I think we're able to address a few more billion pounds here and there.

Adesoji Iginla (55:21.078)
Hmm.

Yeah, because I think the UK government would be... Because, I mean, it's been a long running saga, the issue of the people who were displaced, the nature of how they were displaced. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So that in itself, the government will want to see the end of the saga.

Milton Allimadi (55:37.277)
Correct. Right. And you notice this story does not even cover that. They didn't even mention that. You see?

Adesoji Iginla (55:50.996)
So I think they won't balk at the idea of just topping up any difference that the present government might want to bring up. So yes, speaking of bringing off, we come up to the end of another episode of African News Review. And we hope you've all enjoyed it. If this is your first time here, do like, share, and subscribe to the channel.

Milton Allimadi (56:01.053)
Right.

Adesoji Iginla (56:20.81)
We're hoping to get to a thousand by the time of the year, but that said, all we can ask is each one, bring one. We're aiming to give voice to stories in the media, deconstruct them as we've done this last five stories. And after we've done a couple of weeks back, can watch all the back episodes on this channel, but it's important that we give voice to our agency in the media.

Because just like we talked about the aid, the massacre in 1944, the expulsion of French troops from Chad, these things will not be highlighted in our media. Why? Because it doesn't pay them to show themselves in bad light. So they have to spin the story, make you the passive and

almost as if they're doing you charity. And we've all learned of how charity is skewed when it comes to the African setup. So again, I thank Comrade Milton Alimadi for coming through once again. And final words.

Milton Allimadi (57:35.217)
Yes, sir.

Liberate your mind, fellow Africans. Liberate the mind and you'll see the amazing things we'll do to transform our beloved continent.

Adesoji Iginla (57:41.302)
Hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (57:50.632)
Yes, from me, I'll go with the words of Chinua Achebe who said stories are always innocent, but depending on who is holding the story, it's usually one of the possession. And as you've seen the series of our stories here, it's always wanting to paint a bad light of who we are in order to take what we have and in some cases,

May cause just disappear. So thank you all for coming through again until next week. It is good night for now and Brother Milton.

Milton Allimadi (58:32.679)
Shalom takam tino.

Adesoji Iginla (58:33.396)
Victory has set. And thank you for coming to.

Milton Allimadi (58:38.109)
Thank you, sir.