In this episode of African News Review, host Adesoji Iginla and panellists Aya Fubara Eneli and Milton Allimadi discuss pressing issues affecting African communities, including voter apathy in local elections, the environmental impact of oil companies in Nigeria, and the ongoing struggles for representation and justice.

They explore the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the consequences of anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, and the need for community engagement and political activism to address these challenges. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of oppression, accountability, and the historical context of South Africa's struggles, drawing parallels with current events in Haiti and the impact of FIFA's policies.

They discuss the importance of economic equity, the role of African unity, and the need for political activism in addressing systemic issues. The conversation highlights the significance of historical memory in shaping contemporary struggles for justice and equality.

Takeaways

*Voter apathy is a significant issue affecting representation.
*Community engagement is crucial for political change.
*The environmental impact of oil companies is devastating in Nigeria.
*Ken Saro-Wiwa's legacy continues to influence activism today.
*Anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa reflects deeper socio-economic issues.
*The need for transparency in environmental cleanup efforts is critical.
*Political leaders must prioritise the needs of their communities.
*Historical context is essential for understanding current events.
*Collaboration between generations can lead to innovative political strategies.
*The struggle for justice and representation is ongoing.
*The need for accountability in addressing oppression.
*Steve Biko's insights remain relevant in today's struggles.
*Economic inequality persists in post-apartheid South Africa.
*African unity is crucial for economic stability.
*Activism must be rooted in historical context.
*Political dynamics influence the ANC's actions.
*Immigration policies affect sports and cultural representation.
*FIFA's decisions reflect broader systemic issues.
*Haiti's revolutionary history is often suppressed.
*Sports can distract from pressing political issues.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Panellist Introductions
01:33 Voter Apathy and Representation in Local Elections
06:05 Political Climate and Community Engagement
11:52 Environmental Impact of Oil Companies in Nigeria
19:57 Legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ongoing Struggles
28:58 Anti-Migrant Sentiment in South Africa and Its Consequences
43:27 Confronting Oppression and Accountability
44:10 Lessons from Steve Biko and South Africa's Struggles
45:52 Economic Realities and the Future of South Africa
46:45 The Role of African Unity in Economic Sanctions
49:01 Activism and Historical Context in South Africa
50:58 Political Dynamics and the ANC's Silence
52:25 The Impact of Immigration Policies on Sports
56:35 FIFA's Complicity and the Somali Referee Incident
61:06 Distractions in Sports and Political Awareness
67:10 Haiti's Revolutionary Legacy and FIFA's Censorship

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Africa is not a story of victims. It is a story of resistance, resilience and reclamation. That is the story we tell here — every single week.

African News Review Subscribe. Share. Stay informed. Stay sovereign.

This week on African News Review, Adesoji Iginla, with Milton Allimadi and Aya Fubara Eneli, Esq., reframes the narrative from an Afrocentric perspective. We break down four stories that reveal one uncomfortable pattern: African and Afro-Caribbean lands, bodies, and cultures are still being used as buffers, sacrifice zones, and extraction sites for Western wealth and comfort.

This panel discussion covers a wide range of critical issues, including the impact of colonialism on language and identity, environmental and health concerns from colonial and corporate exploitation, and the ongoing fight for sovereignty and justice across Africa and the Caribbean.

🇫🇷 CHLORDECONE | France finally admits it poisoned Guadeloupe and Martinique with a banned pesticide, decades after banning it at home.

🇲🇬 RARE EARTHS | Rio Tinto is accused of contaminating rivers in one of Madagascar's poorest regions to extract minerals destined for Western EVs and wind turbines. Green energy for whom?

🇰🇪 EBOLA IN KENYA | The US refused to bring Ebola patients home — and asked Kenya to host them instead. Is this a partnership or a patron-client relationship?

🇯🇲 JAMAICA'S LANGUAGE WAR | A Jamaican MP was silenced in parliament for
speaking Jamaican, the language of 95% of the population. The rule? English only.

Takeaways

*Impact of colonial language policies on identity
*Environmental damage from colonial resource extraction
*Historical reparations and colonial compensation
*The role of education in resistance and empowerment
*Current struggles for sovereignty and resource control

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Panellist Introductions
01:14 Milton's Insights from Cuba
06:19 Cuban Resilience and US Sanctions
08:17 Local News and Political Updates
14:40 Language and Identity in Jamaica
27:50 France's Acknowledgement of Colonial Harm
33:20 Colonial Legacies and Modern Impacts
37:03 Miseducation and Disinformation
39:48 The Question of Accountability
43:48 Environmental Concerns in Resource Extraction
50:15 The Need for Sovereignty and Local Expertise
54:59 The Role of Leadership in Neocolonialism
01:02:00 The Ebola Quarantine Controversy in Kenya

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Support the show

Africa is not a story of victims. It is a story of resistance, resilience and reclamation. That is the story we tell here — every single week.

African News Review Subscribe. Share. Stay informed. Stay sovereign.

This week on African News Review, Adesoji Iginla with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq, cut through the headlines and reframe four major stories from an Afrocentric point of view.

This episode covers a wide range of global and African issues, including the historical role of the Catholic Church in slavery, the ongoing conflict over Western Sahara, US-Cuba relations, and the importance of understanding history beyond headlines.

The hosts emphasise the need for critical awareness and responsible decision-making in geopolitics and resource control.

🕊️ STORY 1 — POPE LEO XIV APOLOGISES FOR SLAVERY
Pope Leo XIV has issued the Catholic Church's most explicit apology yet for its role in legitimising the transatlantic slave trade — including the 1452 and 1455 papal bulls that gave European kings legal authority to enslave Africans. Ghana called it an "act of moral courage." But is an apology enough? We ask: where are the reparations, and why did it take 571 years?

⚖️ STORY 2 — RAÚL CASTRO INDICTED: IS CUBA NEXT?
The US Department of Justice has indicted 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro for the 1996 shooting down of two civilian planes. With the USS Nimitz in the Caribbean and Trump saying "Cuba is next," we analyse the Monroe Doctrine playbook — and ask what Africa should make of a superpower that indicts foreign leaders to justify military intervention. Plus: Cuba's forgotten role in Angola's liberation from apartheid.

🏜️ STORY 3 — WESTERN SAHARA: AFRICA'S LAST COLONY
Ryanair is selling flights to "your Moroccan adventure" in Dakhla — a city in Western Sahara, a territory the UN still classifies as a non-self-governing territory under occupation. We expose Morocco's tourism strategy as a tool of territorial normalisation, unpack the Green March of 1975, and ask why the African Union's formal recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is being quietly undermined by African states opening consulates in occupied territory.

🔥 STORY 4 — SENEGAL'S REVOLUTION IN CRISIS
Ousmane Sonko — jailed, persecuted, and barred from the 2024 election — is now Speaker of the National Assembly, just days after being sacked as Prime Minister by his own former ally, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The split is really about one question: does Senegal submit to the IMF, or chart a sovereign economic path? We connect this to Burkina Faso, Mali, the CFA franc, and the structural ceiling on African economic sovereignty.

🎙️ African News Review is a weekly podcast reframing the narrative from an Afrocentric point of view. We go beyond the headlines to give African and diaspora audiences the context, history, and analysis that mainstream media leaves out.

Takeaways

* The Catholic Church's role in legitimising slavery
* The Western Sahara conflict and colonial legacy
* US-Cuba relations and historical indictments
* Media narratives and African liberation stories
* The impact of global policies on Africa and the Caribbean

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Greetings
01:39 Global Health Concerns: The Ebola Outbreak
05:09 Afrophobia and the Ghanaian Response
06:13 Papal Apology: The Catholic Church and Slavery
19:34 U.S.-Cuba Relations: Historical Context and Current Events
26:32 Political Manoeuvring and Cuba's Role
28:15 Media Narratives and Historical Context
32:08 Defining Terrorism and Its Implications
35:46 Impact of Sanctions on Cuba
37:35 US Intervention and Global Consequences
45:11 Tourism and Colonial Legacies
51:54 The Call for Equitable International Law
55:37 The Complex History of Western Sahara
56:36 Political Dynamics in Senegal
01:01:30 The Rise of Usman Sonko
01:06:53 The Future of Senegalese Politics
01:09:00 The Danger of Personal Rivalries in Politics
01:12:22 Reflections on History and Education

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Africa is not a story of victims. It is a story of resistance, resilience and reclamation. That is the story we tell here — every single week.

African News Review Subscribe. Share. Stay informed. Stay sovereign.